Variety (May 1928)

54 VARIETY L *E 6 1 t 'l M A T E Wednesday, May 30, 1928 Plays Out ot Town GOOD NEWS. (COASt COMPANY) lios Anffeles, May 23. . Smn Salvin presents ihls musical comoily In two acts nnO elcHt-.sconQs liy Lnurenne Bchwab and H; G. Do Sylvia. Play a,lrected by ICdwln J. Saulpriuifh. Dances stngod ny Arthur Jv Appell. Stage manftger. Bud Murray. Opening at the Mayan May $2.75 top. Toni Marlowe "Boef" SaundiTS.., Bobby Randall.,.:. "Big BlU''. Johnson "Pooch" Kearney.-. Charles Kenyon.... Patricia Bingham.. Constance Lane .... Babe O'Day... .\.; i Sylvester.. ,■..'.;.... Windy.... Slfttfl •••••■••■«-•«• Millie..;......... Flo....... , The Ba-nd Leader The Collego Band.Max Fisher'!* CaitforhtanB The Glee Club Trio.... .Johnny Murray, o Xen Layson< Archie Wallace . .. .Lester Cole .;,,. .Art Rogers ....Eddie Nelson George Guhl ..... .Jack IngU.s ...-William Gould ....Dorothy Day , .Margaret Brefcn ......Peggy Hope ...... . .Billy Tftft ..Vernon Murray ...David HuBhes Vivian Fay i. .Marjorie Kane Max Plsher . ■ Sain Salyin can take all the bows he wants. He brought "Good Kews'' to-Los Angeles, and the show-going folks around here think it's great. Salvih "Isn't stinted.. He piit on a pro.ductiQn which is said to excel either the New Yoirk or Chicago, pro- ductions. And when it vcoihes to chorus, he no: doubt has a; greater aggregration than either, of the two .eastern ti-oupes.. There .are 24 girls, the only contingent in a L. A. musi- cal for ia. long, time who "have war- bled distinctly and harmoniously as a unit, Male choristers, 18, are a manly bunch who do fast -terpsldhor : riean routines and tshawt' feXCifilllehtiy.' Miajority of principals are hew : faces .from the' east. Only two local recruits in the lineup. One, Vivian Fay, was. a show-stopper with her eccentric toea and whirlwind spe- caltles. Eddie Nelson, Peggy Hope and Lester Col^ have been seen here before,. Nelson having graduated frpm, Fahchon and Marco's early school. Max Fisher and his Cali,- fornians are doing the Lyman'aiid Oleson chores, knd function perfect- ly. A trio consisting of Jphnny Mur- ray, Len Laysdn and Archie Wal- laco, part of the band, were a panic, whether In .pit or on stage, with their harmony singing. _ Eddie Nelson in the "Bobby Ran- •^all" role need not; step aside for anyone in the . characterization. Peggy Hope, as Babe G'Day, oppo- site him, Is pip comedy foil. . Lester Cole, in the thankless part of Mar- lowe, hit'the bull's-eye. He has. a New York.. The Egan's capacity, .330i is another thing to be consid- ered and the $1.65 top yet another. in selecting the dramatlssod ver- son of "Hotel Imperial" as their first offering, the group picked a hard nut to crack. While the war-, time drama by Lajos Biros found its way on the screen through Par- amount and Pola Negri, it. is doubt- ful whether the film story Is re- membered by many. It is a story of military Intrigue laid In a hotel In the city of Gallcia, the border between Russia arid Austria, at the Inception of the war. Plot evolves around the murder of a Russian In- tellig;erice officer by a-young Hun- garian officer disguised as a servant In the hotel;. There is also a serv- ing ..maid in the hostelry who Is raised to temporiiry affluence, by an effete Russian general. Story offers a good many effective situations but the production is hardly ade quate to the demands. WarrenTMiTlals; responsible tot the dlrectioii. of the cost, numbering more than 20 and headed by Olga Zacsek, Hungarian actress,, was doubtless handicapped by money and otherwise. At that, the work ran niuch too long, four acts carry- ing five scenes. Of the players Louis Morrison, as the murdered Russian secret service agent, gave , the outstanding per- formance, Olga Zacsek, In the Negri role. Was riot disturbing. An eyl- derit cold at the opening perform- ance hampered . her. The Russian generail, an important, part, Was weakly ha;ndled by Boris KarlofE. William •■Stack,- - -a'9»'the;-HtingaTian- riiiirdered, was more or less auto- matic. Rest of the large cast un- iriiportant. With"tlle: support ■of "flnancial sponsors whQ AviM take an interest in this venture, the Sprague Players rriay further their activities. Other- wise It Is just a ,question of how long they can stick. He Walked in Her Sleep Boston, May 25. Farce in four acts written by Norman Cannon. Prenentcd .tor the first time on any stage by .the Copley PJayera, May 21. .sir Anilrpw Titnkorton..... .Ralph Roberts Klv Tonkerton. (inby Fny Miirie < May Edlss Anno Tankerton..' , . Cecil Dixon •TofCroy Deacon .Charlie Courtnoldge Charles Qunrterhouae Norman Cannon At LITTLE HEAVEN (rtENRY DUFFY PLAYERS) Seattle, May t5. Three-act comedy by Olga Printzlau. President theatre, ttcni*y Duffy Players, direction George Cleveland.. Leo Carrlllo guest star; ■" ' • . • ■ Aunt Rosa... ,,.., Franccsca Roslta Annlna ; Lillian Dean LUo Volplnl, Leo Carrlllo Wong Wong Wing Mary Malloy. .Doris Brownlae Hagen...... ». Thos. H. Brower .Richard EUers • • » • • Mr. Hartford voice and hoofs as well as iany of Juliette Dare Clara Williams the juveniles. Margaret Breen also ^ •VjJ5il^ ?pS}^,'i„in Shliies.. She has the singing voice of J<^S|?e""ci VhV EVehinV- Lefflngweii the troupe and Is no slouch when It Cleopatra Maglnnls.. .....Angle Norton comes to. hoofing. If the boys yrYio \ ?oliy DUgah.isveiyn Atkinson b.uy talent for the talkers tak6 thelrlgjj^ie McCoy...... mission seriously, Miss Breen will' '''" ' coriie to the fore fast in the sound- screen field.. Then there- Is a gal they brought from a Chi cab, Mar.1orle Bahe Kane who soils "Varsity Drag" and "Good News." It Was Just a. goaling prbc ess. The old-time vaudevillians. Jack Inglls and Billy Gould, were Ullta Torgenaon Georgia Miles Obituary In the last few years New York brokers and producers have* been learning that It pays to keep an eye j on E, B. Cllve and his selections of | BARRY SCANLQN (Thos. F. Cole) Thomas I'\ Cole, 51, who died a few weeks ago,'one of South Hend's prominent lawyers, was the Barry Scanlon, singer and traveling man- ager for Sullivan and Corisidlne of 20 years ago. . Cole was a native of South Nor- walk. Conn.; where his . brother, plays. It's all for the little theatre _ buried away back of the. Copley james Cole, Is manager of the Rial Plaza where he has been making | theatre. He was graduated from money with v6ry little noise, . There may have been a . little friendship In his deciision to stage He Walked in Her Sleep," inas- riiuch as ;it Wa3 Written by one of his players who has been fooling around for years as an embryonic j g^uth author. Aa a matter of fact, thc_ farce will unquestionably make him. some money as-it has a good title and gets plenty of laughs without a trace of double entendre, or even a risque situation. . After playing a week it looks like an Ideal bet for stock and .'a 50-50 gamble for some shoestring pro- ducer to polish up and send out as a smart, clean example of British farce and American hokum. It plays with any living room interior | and a bedroom scene requiring one door and a French window. It Is actor-proof witji the exception of ] the comedy lead, which needs a type. The character. Is a more than 1 Yale.and took up the study of law in the offices of his uncle; thi late John J; Walsh. Cole had a fine voice and when a young man di- rected amateur musical shows In Norwalk. He went Info vaudeville and as Barry Scanlon m MKMORT OF MY DAD HERMAN BOASBERG MAT 24, ms Al Boasberg 0- became known as a singer. He later went on the Sullivan and COnsldine staff. . Scaiilpn retired from the stage middle-aged English lord of almost I some years ago and as. Thomas F. doddering mentality who paddles Cole began thie practice of law In around at the heels pf a domineer- South Bend, where he built up a Ing wife. ■ .. good practice. He leaves his widow. Plot Involves the asinine things ° ^ ■ the...old.,lQr.d..d.o.ea..when..he..Imagines: .on|..?.^M??.t.eFr.mo^^ his wife Is In love with. a. male house guest after wa tching them rehearse a love proposal. The house guest- 4$. m hope^...o.f...marrjr.i.ng.....th.e lord's daughter. A new -butler turns out to be a young barrister, down on his luck and the old lord turns ,to him for legal advice. The big scene is entirely In . pantoirilme and is based on the lord trying to escape from the bedroom at midnight with out waking his wife Burial was In South Bend. LOUIS M. G00DSTAD1—~ ..L.o.uia....M»..!.G!C(O.da.tadt,...5.0r..casting. guest has been told to ylsit a cer- tain Toom at midnight and enters the bedroom on tiptoe just as the lord is recovering from having stepped on a tiger rug. Guest Is pushed out the Avindow and the lord director at. the De MlUe studio, died of heart collapse following a brief Illness of pneumonia, at his home In Hollywood, May 24. ■ Before coming to, the coast in 1916, Mr. Goodstadt for several The house I years was associated with the Klaw & Erlanger enterprises. Later, he became afUlIated with the Lasky studios as business manager and when- Cecil B. De Mille left Para- mount-Lasky Goodstadt went with escapes hi his nightshirt, forgetting him into the Pathe-De Mille organl- Holds promise of doing much tet- ter than on its premiere week. Starting out May 20 with indications of shaping up nicely, it somehow, failed to get any better. his clothes and wandering, about the garden all night after the front door snaps shut. In places the dialog is really funny. Also in places, the hoke Is horrible.. But crowded houses have laughed steadily. Ralph Roberts, In the comedy role, has actually created a character that should be kept alive, or re-created In a more pretentious production. Lihby. Dunbar Dp Against Equity zation, where,_untll his death, he was functioning as casting director and also studio representative He is survived by his wife, Mitzl Goodstadt, former stage actress un der the same name. Ko children- Ralph Dunbar, stock, manager,. Is lick "of 1 o<^<ls with Equity again, the ar- ■■ , - - v i,- 1. 1 X 1- J 1 • 1 gument dating back to 1922, when ^:^'^is^''Si&'^\^ -^-P"y Closed a stock trainer. Gould as the professor, sind Even after due allowance is jnade the with little to do, neverthelesa dld It l ■ Since then Dunbar has BlHy Tart.. as the'freshmanrfP^? ■ . more or less inactive as a in Louisville, owing $,6,000 to players. Since then Dunbar LILLIAN SHELDON Lillian Sheldon, 59, actress. In private life Mrs. e. Cblton White, died in the Lutheran Hospital, New York, May 28." She had been under the "care of the Actors' Fund for .many years. . Miss Sheldon had appeared in rriany big productions .and a,lso had played vaude wltTi her husband, Colton White, act being known as White and Sheldon and the Amerl SHERRY. SNYDER Sherry Snyder, 39, actress, died In the North Hudson Hospital, Wee- hawken, N. J., May' 24,'of a compli- cation of diseases. . Ml.ss Snyder had been married to an: actor, Donald Kimberling, from whom she was divorced several years ago. She is survived by her rnqther, Mrs. Enid Gray Snyder, liv- ing in Weehawkeri. In addition to her legitimate en-, gagements, Miss Snyder liad ap- peared in vaudeville. For a time she w^^ with Harry Lehman Co., and for several seaisons worked, with Pierre Pelletier In an act. Her lS.st engagement was In stock In Orange, N. J, Body was cremated. Isaac K. Cohn, advertising agent, Chateau theatre, Chlpago, died May 26. His brothers, Joe a,nd Al Gbhn, are advertising agents ot the Harris apd Ad^lphl: theatres, respectively. Gertrude Pacini* 51, wife of John A-7 Pacini, sia,g<i carpenter, at Gaz- zola-'s Kedzie theatre, Chicago, died on May 22, Father of . Al Boasberg, screen title writer, died in Buffalo, N, Y., May 24. • GODFREY MATHEWS ' Gbdfr'ejr'MalTT§w's;''''37;' ' sTn^ gitimate and gtock actor, and for a tlme-in-vaudevllleF-died—May—26—in the_ Mt, ...Verno an operation for appendicitisri He Mrs; Clara 0. Morton , who iSassed away May 22, 1928 I Mother of Herbert Walker and elstet of Hazel Skatelle :| We cherish your .sweet memory ahd| [pray your soul may rest In peace had been seriously ill for three weeks. In recent years Mathews had been playing stock in Mt. Vernon, N. Y. The body was cremated and the ashes sent to his sister, Mrs. Jean- nette Bickell in San Francisco. A brother,. Thomas Mathews, San Francisco, also survives. JOSEPH MARVEL HARRIS Joseph Marvel Harris, 57, brother of Charles K. Harris and at one time manager of the Harris theatre in Chicago, was fouhd May 21 In Lake Michigan after Harris had been missing six weeks. It is be- lieved he commited suicide because of marital difficulties, A mOre detailed account appears in the Legitimate Department of this Issue. well was , a. wow.. Dorothy Day, local product, had the college vamp as slgnment, and just didn't seem to know whtit it was all about. Art Rogers, George Guhl, Vernon Mur ray and David Hughes came through Okay Salvin and Rufe'LcMalre worked Is little excuse for forgotten lines; imprbvlzations and stalls. Regulai stock niembers are accustomed to^ learning new parts, but Carrlllo evi'i dently didn't or couldn't take the time to learn his lines He brought too much of the character of "Tito," of "Lombardi," to Lilo Volpinl. Too hard on the production. They went much of the garlic sprinkTed In the better than $60,000 In putting It on. character. He was rough and over- and it jooks as though before the sentimental. Synipathy was not with coast Is cleaned up In playing time I the hero even when Volpmi is un manager, , This season he contracted . for a 1 stock company at Fountain Ferry park, Louisville, and requested per- mission from Equity to proceed. Dunbar objected to posting se- curity protecting the salaries of the players. Equity replied that I unless he did so, he would have' to do without Equity members en- marcus tocw the offering will bring back a gross J"^"^ arrested after a rathfer tanie tirely. of $750,000 or better. More than half that amount should come from tihs town at a ^2.75 top. Onp. HOTEL IMPERIAL SPRAGUE PLAYERS Los Ang'eles, May 24^ Sprague Kepertolre-Players present thl.f foTir-not jilny Hy T.ajnH Biros. Directed bv Warren MlUala, At the Egan theatre, Sl.e.") top. ISllan........... i 1.... .JelTerj*. Wllllnm.q, Anna Zwllak ,01ga Zacsek ■ Anton.,......i i; .■.•Earnest Davlfl KmaUtnc parlor party with. Just a dash df 1 wine. Party Itself was too noisy, cussy and lacked dramatic moments. Play will be staged again In about five weeks in Portland with a new cast. After the 1922 affair, Dunbar went through bankruptcy, taking the po- sition that he is not liable for the salary claims of that company. can Trio. Her last stage appear- ance was In "The Miracle," In 1924. Interment In the Actors' Fund Plot, Kenslco Cemetery. Doris BrowTilae was lovaWe and a «'iVf^c«o'o'' TTito ^Tini» fin Lndy type aS Mary Malloy. Miss | i"«»»<»SC pllag Cast's Demand for Bond ■ Almnsy A Rusalan Trooper. . Gaptriln Siiltanov.. -.liuhopolskl.........; TTlar.iky,.... i ......; <;eneral .Tu.<»klovlcs.. ■.Russian I.loutenrtnt ttnron' Frwlerlckspn Stelnbergor....,-.... PptrofC. .Zlnocskft ;.. Pongracz......' Michael Tluppl. Mrs. Sultanov. Biinko......... Hunimrlan OTTlcpr t • • • r • • William Stack . .Kenneth Mnckoy .. .Roits Chotwynd .Ttonnlrt Mcnufnev ..-..Keith Has well ..... .Horl.s KiiflDrf iJohn Stuart Mill .......-Jay All.ird .A. St. Clolr Bvers .., .Ijnul.s Morrison .... .t.llllan Rlv(^rs .. .George' Dunhiim ..... FJvnn Potivsori ... .Isalielln Rprte .',,. .Tino HolIlKM'c .^ 1 frPfl C'opUh Hungarian Parttaln........Tiouronco lll.'<h<n) Gei^6ral Szlraky......... ...Frederick l^cwLs ... Not to be confu.'^ed. with, little the Tutre movements Js the explanation by Sidney Sprague of his venture J at.-^the tlnyi .Kgan.. The cpmpap.v Sl>rague has aH.«?ernhToT"fs enFIr^Ty professional and will be run on that same basis. .Considering the town hjis never been established ;aa a stamping ground for either little • theatre or repertory companies, the effbrt'of the Spt-aigue'Playeris in that direction Is valiant If nothing else. For a standard this group has set before them the desire to create .^the same kind of a theatre here that Eva Le Gallienntf developed in second time. dandy Rotoli was excellent as an Italian matron and l.'5 displaying versatility. Angle Norton did most oif the talk- ing at the pa.rty, and brought laughs Thos. L. Brower fend Richard EUers did about all their minor roles ex acted; so did Helen Audlffred. . Volplnl has a small grocery store in New York. ; Business bad, due to the generosity of Volplnl, who lack.s financial ability. .At this point In walks Mary Mnlloy. A mutval 'ln terest pprings up and she lands a job in the store. She Is a former ''Follies" gal. Business Improves ns the romance buds, but hot without a rough jounioy. There i.s the severe landlord and rent in arro.nrs. Mary fakes love for (he landloril, and tliis,.is ,h\lsunder sitood by Voljilrfi. Whon the Italian throws a Ghriat^pas party for .some stroef gals, • apparently friends of Mary, polico rn.id the place a.nd ar- rest him for .rumiinp'a di.sorderely house. Amy Walker, "Follies" play r\v\ to.. .01'JMufy : a nd . ninvcd Ji.v- jo:t 1 oii.sy, li.i.s tipped the police, '^)o .also makos It ftppoar that Mai^K. liJ^!^ double crossed Lilo. Back from 3uil, Volplnl Is shamed and still .doubts ISIary. In the, interim Mary and Aunt Rosa, .Tided by the landlord. ha.vo d(illcd up the'store. Landlord has fallen for Mary "The Message" collapsed In re hearsal last week when Equity stepped in and . demanded that Harry ; Jacobson, ; producer, i>ost bond. The show had. been. in re hearsal two weeks >'ith understand ing that all, were In on stipulated salaries and Jacobson reported de laying signing contracts until. Tom Hetherington, of the cast; took the matter up with Equity. • Hetherington was dropped from the cast and Jacobson proposed the oast, waive security. They declined upon advice of Equity representa live and the shoW is off at least until Jacobson posts bond. KATE COMPTON Kate Compton, actress, ' died in LOhdOn May^ 16, SIX weeks-frtter ^he death of her husband, R. C. Carton, the famous dramatist. Miss Oompton, who started her career in 1874, was a well-known actress, appearing in all the plays of her husband, who specialized in light English comedy. She was a daughter of Edward Compton, actor, and an aunt of Fay Compton, actress, and Compton Mackenzie, novelist. Harry D. Buftsina, 43, Norwalk, Conn,, general agent of the Klrk- wood Shows, died May 24 at Ston- Ington, Conn., of a fractured skull. , . Bussing slipped when alighting from an auto and struck his head against the ^curb. Abe Mack, 21, in. charge of the trailer department of the Filmaclc Co., Chicago, died May 19 of pneu- monia. .His brother, Irving Mack, Is head of the company. The mother of Pearl Rail, press agent,, died In Los Angeles, May 22, following a lengthy Illness. .Mrs. Rail at one, tinie was a writer, con- tributing to magazines. . NEGRO TEOUPE l^YS OFF Bert Jonas has disbanded his all- Negro musical after a brief pre- iimina.ry, but may reassemble.. it next fall for a tour of the T. O. B. A. houseis. ■ . . When resumed the Sam Wooding band will be missing. It is going abroad for a toiir. May Robson Producing Los Angelcs,J M^^ 7 ''^Cob'wcT)^''"'wMcl^ at the Windsor Square under the sponsorship of May Robson, will in elude Ann Warrington, William Tooker,. Diana Arhes, Cleland Van Drcs.sei'. Oliver - ' Bekhart, ^ Jean- but she has I Loughboro and Virginia True O'KEEFE-AECHER'S EEVUE turned him down. JMo eventually | Boai-dman. realize.*? Mary's loyalty, and she doe.sn't give him time to propose a , _ Trepp. '.company manager. Joe Payton, formerly with Wilkes Bros, oh the coast, Is Walter O"Keefe and Harry Archer are collaborating on a. new revue, "Just a Minute." It will reach pro- duction via Phil Morris and Charles Green. The. latter are vaude pro- ducers, Morton and Harry Havel have already , been signed tor the revue. CHI BROKERS AND TAX Coufhpui's'O.K., But Other Ticket Men Owe^ Chicago, May 29. The government agents who causeu such a racket in New York through investigation of excess ticket premiums" have~ just rcohT-~" pleted a checkup here. The Couthoiil agencies were the. only ones to survive inspection witlS^ accounts unchallenged. Chicago Tyson agency was re- ported $42,000 behind In government taxes; Horwltz, $12,000; Gladys, $6,- 000, and Waterfall, over $20,000.