Variety (Sep 1928)

Wednesday, September 5, 1928 LEGITIMATE VARIETY 51 30 R Y. HOUSES DARK AS NEW SEASON MAKES SLUGGISH START i •^Front Page" Grossing $24,500 Tops Field of Drama ^"Vanities" Capacity at $40,000—"Ringside" Looks Like $14,000 Start Broadway's new eeason has got- off to an exceptionally alow ^rt, that going for the number of new attractions and the merit of '&eib. Of the 15 nevy; shows that arrived up to Labor Day il are on cut rates. Two of the remaining Quartet are unquestioned successes while a reasonably good chanc6 is claimed for the other pair. Labor Day (Mbnday) was passed VP by the producers although there are four hew offerings for this week. By Friday the total number of cur- rent attractions w;lll only be 39. There are almost. 30 dark theatres and at least 40 new shows must be brought in before Thanksgiving If Broadway's legitimate-field Is to ap- proximate full activity, because most of the new trys are hopeless. "The iBYont Page" is the stand- out attraction thus far among the dramas, topping its field at the Times Square by a wide margin, the gross last. week, exceeding 1124,500. *Vanitlei3'* at the Carroll is enjoy- ing capacity trade too, grossing around $40,000 weekly. Last week Ulngside" started with an Indi- cated pace of $14,000 weekly, get- ting about $7,500 in the first five performances, doubtless, hurt by the heat. The latter applleia to "Eva the Fifth" and the Little, which drew favorable notices but little trade. "Gentlemen of the Press" at . Henry Miller's got around $7,000 for the initial week with small agency demand. That applies to "The Money Lender" at the Ambdssadpr And "Caravan" at the Klaw Which got about $1,000 in five perform-: ances. These three attractions at once went Into cut rates. The week's heat a.nd the holiday «zodus meant mediocre theatre go- ing. Nearest to "Front Paige'? Among the non-musicals Is "Strange Interlude,"^ the best draniatlc pros- pect to hold over through the. new •eason. It got $15,700 last wieek; *rrhe Bachelor Father" a,nd ^'Dia- inond Lll" rated next, around $12,- 000, or a bit more; "The Royal Fam- ily" got $9,500, with "The Silent feouse" about the same; "Coquette," which is leaving next week, got $8,500; newer shows getting small money Include "Elmer Gantry," $5,.r kOO; same for "Goin' Home''; less for "The Song Writer"; two others In the group doing better are "Gang War" at $8,000 and "The Big Pond" Around $7,000; but "He Understood Women" only about $3,000; same tor "Guns" and "Relations." The musical bunch is little changed over previous standing "Scandals" toppinff the field at over $49,000; "Show Boat" is excellent at 145,000 and is the leading. musical prospect to hold over; "Three Mus keteers," which did very well dur Ing summer, got about $32,000 last week; "Rosalie" a,nd "Rain or Shine" over $28,000; several other musicals picked up lately "Black- birds," bettering $18,000 last week, "ATid "Cewneeticiit Tankee,'' reaching close to $17,000; "Good News," good until December, was placed around $16,000; "Grand Street Fol lies" due out soon, $9,000. Next week's new productions are "Night Hostess," Beck;. "White Li- lacs," Shubert ("The ^ilent House" moved from there to the. Har- ris); "The High Road," Fulton; "Trapped," National; "The Great Power," Rltz. "The New Moon" and "Jealousy" have been postponed a week or so. This week's premieres are "Good Boy," Hammerstein's; •'Heavy Traffic," Empire; "Machi nal," Plymouth, and "The Phantom Lover," 49th Street. Buster West Back By setting bia.ck two foreign en- gagements, Buster aiid John West reported at "Ups-a-Tjaisy,'' rehear- sals for Which show they are con- tracted at $1,250 a week. Berlin contract which John West, Buster's father and attorney-in-fact, signed on their behalf calls for $1,750 a week and another contract for the Klt-Cat Club, London, effective in December, Is also being set back. The Wests got in Monday on the Karlsruhe, starting rehearsals with "Ups-a-Dalsy" Immediately but not in their orlgina.1 assignments. Russ Brown (Brown and Whitaker) was subsequently signed for the part. The foreign mrx-up resulted from a desire by each of the Wests t6 surprise the other. Accordingly, at about the same time, father and son negotiated different contracts. Robert Keith Released Robert Keith; legit actor, was re- leased from durance vile this week to resume reheia,rsals with the com- pany of the Theatre Guild In which he will go on tour this season. •Keith was arrested last-week on a civil warrant Issued by. his formter wife, Helen Shipmah, who claimed the actor wais In arrears on alimony to the tune Of $4,035. The body at- tachment was issued through the former Mrs. Keith's representation that Keith's tour with the guild repertory would ^keep him beyond the jurisdiction of New York state for 36 weeks. After a hearing Keith was re- manded to the civil prison and later liberated on $1,000 bond. Since Keith's divorce from Miss Shipman he has remsu-ried. Pe^ •Entwhistle. his present Wife, Is also appearing in the same Guild company. Few Withdrawals With the new .show crop lagging back, ©roadway has seen few with- drawalSf^"Ncr-closlnes'ai'e-6Chedulcd= for this week. "Present Arms" was withdrawn from the Mansfield last Friday in- stead of Saturda,y in order to make Detroit for the Sunday opening, The Rho'w spanned the. summer starting well theh tapering for a "moderate success run o£ 19 weclcs. Shows in Rehearsal "So This Is Marriage" U'at- terson McNutt). "Girl : Trouble" (R i c h a r d Heindon). "The Staged' (Carl Reed). "Jarnegan" (Paul Strcgor). "Adventure" (John Willard). "Murder" (George Loeffler). "Deuce« Wild" (Andy Wright). . "Tin Pan Alley" (Henry Forbe.p). • "The Legacy" (Woods & Mil- ler). "Ups-a-Daisy" (Gensler). 4 NEW SHOWS OPENINPHILLY Inside Stuff-Legit Demp'sey a Better Draw Than Actor —"War Song** Has Chance 'Cros^ My Heart,* $18,000 Boston, Sept. 4. Business at the local legit houses last , week was off. . Unless there is some exceptional break a couple of shows now here are on their last week, the week ending Saturday be- ing just about the toughest of the entire summer. "Sunny Days," which hais been at the Shubert for several weeks, is due to wind up as i» also "The Great Necker" ut the Wilbur. Ham- merstein's "Golden Dawn" will go into the Shubert with "Take the Air" supplanting the attraction cur- rent at the Wilbur. . In its first week at the Colonial "Cross My Heart" Is estimated at $18,000 and. holds over. Hollis opened this week with "Whispering Friends" and the Tremont holds "Just a,, Minut^."^ . . Niigent Gets Sound Bid J. e. Nugent, co-author of and appearing In "By Request" at the Erlanger, and Doc Rockwell of the Greenwich Village Follies at thfe Grand Opera House, have both re- ceived ofCfers from sound film pro- ducers. Nugent, under contract to George Cohan, has the matter under ad- visement, and Rockwell Is already writing material for Movietone. SINGS "AIDA" UNREHEARSED St. L/Ouis, Sept. 4. Mme. Stella DeMcttc, prlnia donna of the Royal Opera Com- pany, Copenhagen, stepped, unro- -hearsMiJnto^the titlejolej)f "Aida" at the Municlpai Opera perfafm-^ ance in Forest Park. one night lalst week, when Leona Kruse waS sud- denlcy taken ill. Mme, DeMette was visiting her parents here. Dailies deemed it one of the most effective bits of op- eratic pinch hitting ever recorded. Philadelphia,. Sept. 4. Philadelphla'B theatrical season cracked wide open last night, and the five opening shows got one of the best weather breaks .possible when Labor Day was overcast, rainy and cooL ' The main mob turned out for ''The Big Fight" at the Chestnut Street Opera House. In fSact. most of the day the theatre was besieged with thrill chasers trying to get a glimpse of Dempsey. The ei-champ was given an ovation on his ap- pearance, and so was' Estelle Tay- lor; Critics admit the show has the earmarks of a smash despite the fact that the atory is old and worn and the acting not so hot. Sam . Harris had two openings here. Competing with "The Big Fight" was Georg^e Jessel'a "The War Song" at the Lyric. Second stringers gave it a warm hand with the star getting a better break than the play. » TWO musicals also opened with promise. Gcorgl© Cohan's "Billie" was acclaimed as. one of his best, al- though an hour too long.' Score and lyrics emphasized as notable. This Is In for three weeks at the Garrick and may possibly move to another house If it clicks. "Hold Everything," at the Shubert, drew* just fair notices. Although it has had a week, in Newark, consensus of opinion was that a lot of work is needed.. This one stays three weeks instead of the two originally scheduled. The fifth of last night's openings, and the only one with a New York tag from last season, was "The Skull" at the Walnut. It claimed a gross of over $1,700 last night thanks to a last minute rush. It ought to get by 6n the Walnut's regular clientele. ' Forrest delayed Its opening of "Chee Chee" until tonight (Tues- day) to get the first string critics. "Good' Boy," Hammerstein's big musical, grossed about $27,600 in its second and final week at the Shubert Show was running at top speed when It left here. Myron Fagan's "The Great PoWer" won notices that ranged from praise to panning and business was spotty up at the Adelphl. This Is the last week. Estimates for Last, Weeli "Hold Everything" (Shubert 1st week). Musical In for three weeks; needs plenty of fixing; "Good Boy" got about $27,500 at a $3 top last week.. " '"—^ • ^Billie" (Garrick, 1st week), Cohan musical in for three weeks; got great notices; If btisiness war- rants It, talk of moving It to sm- other house. "The Big Fiflht" (Chestnut, 1st week), Dempsey a sensational draw althbtigh not strong In show; in for two weeks. "The ; War Song" (Lyric, 1st week>. George Jesscl drama In for two weeks; well regarded. "The Skull" (Walnut, 1st week). Mystery thriller in for three weeks: only show of batch not a tryout. "Ghee Ghee" (Forrest, Ist week). Opening delayed until Tuesday to (tot first strong critics; In for throe- weeks. "The Great Power" (Adelphi, 2d week). Myron P'agan drama fi<>L mixed notices and not mucli. bii.si ness. This is final week. JiM.trar !>. Davi,^, Uic i;in l,i,^s baclsor of a lnnl show to a millitm and n quai'tVi- loss, ha.-^ ;»il\<'rli.-<i'il that unU'ss tho show. "Tlie I.,addor," tie'- 'Con\c's si'lf-siippoi liiiK'l>y N'uv, I ni-xt lie will oloso it at tlie Cort, Xew ' York. Davis may .consiiVor lliat tijno limit a throat, but the sliow will olosp. Vory few (.•o'liipaniiivoly cared to soc It, for nothing. A.s th9 wookly gross sinct? an admission was taokod on ,ha!=i\'t exceod<»d Sl.OOO in any one week, soing as low as ?-iOO in anoilior,- thoro's no notHl of' Davis \vorryinK over his slunv's' (inish. .. . About .the. only comniiMit ,left is whether the bompany of aetors in the mammoth money flop, who havp worked steadily at full pay,, w^ith. presents from the prodiieer in addition, have joined to give Davis a token of their appreeiation. He is at least entitled: to thanks from somebody for ca.s.tint^- away a fortune, rememlierinj?, of ,course, the crippled-children, orphans. lVi<5 ill and .needy, and the poorhouses, A Variety representative froin the Ijondon otlVee, when in Varis re- ' cently, went ■ back-sia.i;e of - the Kolies liei\i;ere .to see ■ an Ameriean artist playing in the show. lie luitieed'the entrance gates, usxially Aylde open, giving a glimpse of behind the .seenes, wer.e entirely closed and the stage-dpor keeper eyeing evei-y etUrant rather siispieiously; After a long wait and a lot of trouble, he was allowed to see the artist in a sepai^te room away from the stage. Oh inquiry as to the sudden stringency, the representative was given the low-down. It appears that several months ago' a scout , for .i well-known Ameri- can producing concern beca^me friendly for a consideration with one of the stage directors and was allowed plenty of liberty behind, with the. result he obtained several inside ideas about certain scenes his firni was . particularly interested in. These scienes were reproduced in a big. Broadway show, and Derval, the oAvner of the Folies Bergere, learned about it. Hence the order that the stage dbors be kept closed and that no strangers be allowed upon the stage under any circumstances. Milto'n Herbert Gropper, author of the Dempsey-Taylpr play, "The Big-Fight," Is reported to have had several differences of opinion with David Belasco over the latter's direction in rehear.sal. It's reported Bela.sco threatened to bar Gropper from the stage. The original ending of the third act in "Front Page" had the h.ard boHed managing" editor using a torrent of slang and profanity in de- scribing over the phone the Eucharistic Congress that was due in Chi- cago. Pursuing the play's general attitude of disrespiect towards celebri- ties, thie script rieferred with slangey familiarity to a Cardinal. It was decided to.drop this and substitute o"ne less vitriolic. Stock producers are after mellef.s. Due to the, popularity of screen and stage pieces o'f meller tinge. H<?retofore comedies had the stock edge^ Dramatics of blood and thunder will, require a deeper dent ihto^ the Steele pocketbook as they require, a. bigger cajst and some special sets. At least one of the host of several authors of "Gentlemen of the Press" didn't attend the premiere at the Henry Miller, New: York. Willard Keefe, who splits one of the fractions with Ward More- house who Is the programmed playwright, was celebrating a pre-premlere whoopee in Atlantic City. Whether an irate stage hand or a. trick of fate caused Keefe to trip or slip, a fractured ankle was the total toll. Incapacitating the newspaperman-p.a. for a spell. The embarrassment of riches accounts for "Just Imagine," the fifth so'ng hit. out of "Good News" first coming to the fore. Bobby Crawford who publishes DeSylva, Brown and Henderson's numbers knew he had his hands full with "Varsity Drag," "Lucky In Love," "Best Things in Life Are Free" and "Good News" from that show and deliberately buried the "Just Imagine" song until a year later, when the others will have had their reign. Still a sixth song hit highly touted from the start, the .waltz, "Girl of Phi Beta Phi," will not be wo'rkod on but instead;^ after the musical has run another season, the tune will be set to .anoth'er lyric because Of Its potentialities for hitdom. Much talk about the Inability of the stage, prior to' Jed Harrl.s, to produce a successful play about newspaper life. A successful newspaper play titled "The Fourth Estate," by Jim Patterson and James Keeley, both of the Chicago Tribune^ was success- fully produced in 1909 at Wallaclc's theatre. New York. It played two years between Manhattan and the road. Pauline Frederick wais in the .cast. • Schwab and Mandel's "The New Moon" operetta which comes into the Imperial, New York, Sept. 18, is that firm's most ambitious produc- tion, costing $160,000 to' mount. "Good Nc.ws" stood the firm less than half of that. Larry Schwab and Buddy DeSylva, of DeSylva, Bro^yn and Henderson, sail for Bermuda Sept. 22 to complete the book for a new intimate mur slcal which will follow "Good News" into Chanln's 46th St. rls:ht after Christmas. The present incumbent is figured to last until the holidays. The new show will hold Zelma O'Neal, Don Tomkins and Jack Haley of "News" who are under contract to the firm. When Alfred Lunt was called upon to play the part of Babe In "Ned McCobb's Daughter" he appealed to Bob Armstrong, at that time play- ing in "Is Zat So?," for- coaching on the gestures and vernacular of an east side bootlegger. Armstrong ^ave: Lunt the tips and now, two years lateir, Armstrong finds Tilmself portfayiHf^ the' &anTe"role-for the screen-version of "Ned McCobb's Daughter" being filmed by Pathe. Thie natme of Alfred G. Wilkes, Los Angeles theatrical producer and brother of 'Tom Wilkes, was brotfght into the Melius murder case, in which "Butcher Boy" Leo Kelley is accused of murdering Myrtle Mollu.'J, wealthy Los Angeles society woman, when a number of the murdered woman's letter.? to Kelley were read in court; In one written from near San Jose, Californiai Mrs. Melius states that "the Wilkes got here last eveniiig," and she refers, several times to "Olivette," who is Mrs. Wilkes. GREEN ST. JLEnGHTS -San -Francl.sco,.^Sfipt..^i.. Sid Goldtree, impresario of the Green' Street Playhouse, local home of the paprika drama, will re-light after two months darkness with "Easy For Zee Zee," French farce. Kathrrine F.rendahl Will he fea- tured. Fritz Lciber, Shakcsperean star, toUrs this season under the .mana;ge- ment of S. W, Manheim, the Cleveland burlesriue impresario. Manheim now has his fingers in the Leibcr inanagemont, an interest in the Little theatre, Cleveland, which is producing high brpw stuff and the bur- lesque theatre there, which i.sn't producing high brow stuff. Another. Shakcsperean troupe to tour this year will be the so-called Stralford-on-Avon Players, from the Stratford Memorial Theatre, Eng- land. This company varies from time to time, however, and the cast for the American tour has not been announced. One of the stalwarts of the company, Ballol Holloway, over here with the Theatre Guild la.st .season, is going to tour Canada at the he.id of his own Shakcsperean conijjany. .Jj'tiCiial^yea^ York Telegram,, was drowned in the surf at Berniuda . whilcntryjng iB save Helen Sullivan who was caught in the undertow. Both were lost A lawyer who wnn vlsltihg the islands at the tira'V pres.sed a claim against the Fnnie.ss-Bermuda stefimship line. The contention was that tlie bathing party was one of the line's side e.xcursion.s people being (Continued on page 54)