Variety (Sep 1928)

2 e .- ■ ■ - VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE 8 St. Martin's Place, Trafalgar Square FO P F I C W CABLE ADDRESS: VARIETY, LONDON ^ * ^ 6276-6277 Regent Wednesday, September 12, 1928 This In Paris By David Sturgis I'ai-iti, Awe. '^1- ■■ i have novel' St on im Anxei iean. Yet Poe \vas one; .; Lincoln;, alab. America has not begun. It lias not even been found; .100,000,000 ma- terialists are aU Dr. Cooks. lb.s(?n discovered Scaqidinavia. Only a poet can see at all. The great dramatist, already chosen , by the stag;e; will discover the U. S. His .play will- be called "The Uni- Ver.se." • • Sufferers ' Many lands liayo been created In dlfterent ways. Ureat Britain by greed; l>'rance by love, China by wisdom, and Greenland by Ice. One alone owes everything to suffering. That is America. I use .the nanie. One can nickname anything. jailors suffered with Coiumbus; Indians suffered to give these sa:ilors tood; farmers suffered while tyrants were driven out; the north and south suffered to keep the land from suffering more. Sufferers sought its suffering shoi-es from every suffer- ing hemisphere. Its na,me, belong- ing to another, has caused most grievious suiffei-ing. The Negroes were brought against their will. Thei'e are nO white children in America. The Indians are red, the Kegroes every .color of the rainbb.w. The whites are all ^rown lip. So America is the land of suffering. It is sweeping the world, flying its flag of suffering. Bricks and mortar. Sighs and flares. Musical hoi*rois and cinema frights. Autom- aton men and mechanical girls. Progress, progress, everywhere; Dramatist, are ' you reading? I do hot write for. preachers and politicians, bankers and bakers. The villain Is always the hero of the .pla,y. .No hero has ever been writ- ten. The Devil is American now. " America is corrupting the world. Money, money. Get gold enough to make the whole world suffer, We are the scientists of pain. We are the phUoisophers of woe. Get rich. Get rich. Make up. for the joy of the past. Plunge the future into gloom. We are Americans, coming, coining. We are Democracy, we are autocracy, we are plutocracy now. Actress, are you reading? I only write for poets .and women now. Misery's lust is a scowling com- panion. . You shall dream no more, Orlient, of the Golden Sun. You shall lovie no more, Europe of the emerald Venus. The Devil Is American now.. But the soul of the universe is a woman. . A battling b^eauty forever- more. . . Venice and Paris. Where Is their progress? A century behind the times. Put sputtering launches on the canals. Kill the pigeons for food. Put sign boards on the boule- vards. Poison the Latin pride. The Noi'dlcs are herfe, are here. Grunt, grunt, grunt. Hear the Yankee ma- terialist. Come down to earth. The stage! the stage!. I sound the alarm! behind in art. llonce the .oxilos .to Ihc dLStant charms. Huneker loved Mary Garden. Bal- zac longed for Poland 17 years. I ami writing near Notre Dame where du Maurier dreamed of: Trilby. Through a rose windov^r a silver smile. Au r.evoir, Baklanova. Wisdom of the Blind A sign of the drama Is its loaning toward journalism. When Ibsen and Northcliffe get together Calvin and iiryan . flee- A journalist is a po<et with the dramatic expression of the people. A reporter? A reptile whose neck should be snapped at birth. Where is there a journalist? Find one. There is not a writer of any kind anywhere. Author of "Ariel," biographer of "Bismarck?" Two hungry intellec- tuals deceiving the mob in return for money. O'Neill? The Theatre Guild produced his plays. What an epitaph for this elementary occult- ist. Bernard Shaw? "His idea of a drama is emotion killed by ridi- cule, romance destroyed by satire"— Henderson. Therefore, without knowing It, he is an athlest. For the soul is romance, the spirit, ad- venture. All iritellectuals are cowards. When the poet appears they rlin like' crab.s. Olga Baklanova ■James Huneker loved Mary Gar• den. She can neither sing, nor act. Art is higher than Monte Carlo. I love Olga Baklanova. She is the universe In dramatic poetry. I have finished a play, "The Sphinx," for her. Tears on the Pleiades should she never Illumine the leading role. Morris Gest has committed hor- rible crimes. A dungeon for his pro - ductions of "The Miracle" and "Aphrodite." Now his atonement. He guided Olga Baklanova to Hol- lywood. I saw her in "The Man Who Laughs" and "Three Sinners." The screen -has begun. Lya de Putti .and IDmil Jannlngs came from Germany. Greta Garbo from Scandinavia and their art Is stricken with commer- cial theories. But Olga iBaklanova. female In beauty, Rus.sian.ln power comes from the magic land of Piish- . kin and Poe. The first to give the screen the touch that' lasts. Star of stars, as Shelley was the poet of poets.. 1 saw her first in "Carmoncita and the Soldier." The Moscoav Art theatre was humiliating the U, S. A. Tier entrance stung like genius. A sinis- ter stare from a shadow. The char- acter was established without the labors of the Theater Guild. She played Carmen like a' naked wo- nrian. Eve unashamed of her radi- ance. Not the brain of Mrs. Fiskf^, not the heart of Laurette Taylor, but the Russian soul in a Spanish scene..The Anglo-Saxon Is centuries Imp of the Perverse Read Sturgis and be wise. He is flinging homillies at pandemonium. He sees the outer below from the Inner above. The. talkers, the talk- ers. Fllmdom's newest empiry. When, the admirers hear the voices of their idols! I courted a hoyden for years by mail. We met in the moonlight—when she opened her mouth—:! I shall be there when the. dummies talk on the screen. The American voice is the most horrible on earth. The Imp of the Perverse Is loose again. The pres- ent leaders in life and art? He created them with his grin. Cinema stars? All from the funny bone of this mischievous gentleman. The only cure for atrocity lis niore atror city. 1. am recording in a. Paris court. Nearby Is an American bar. An American gramophone Is talking through its nose. An American business man is talking through his hait, I let the imp out 50 years ago, I wish I'd kept him in the cave. Artists Drinking Water Mohtparnasse is reading "The Well of Loneliness. , It will likely become the Rhetoric of the Dome. It Is Havelock Ellis through the nlonocle of Miss Radclyffe Hall. Same theme as "The Captive." That Swaffcr Purltania, *he Sun- day Express of London, calls for its suppression. Horace Llveright win sell it to Gilbert Miller as a work of Oscar Wilde. America will hail it in 1966, GEORGIE WOOD Tell me, is the Palace Monday matinee crowd as easy as ever? Does it still think it is wise? Do certain American reporters still de-. lude themselves they are journalists and think they cornpa're with Hari- nen Swaffer? Is Barry Lupino ever coming home again? Do you recog- nize his great talents? Did Bob Hall do the same show twice at the Sophie Tucker charity show? Yes! I'm still with Julian Wylie's "Fol- lies," and some nights I'm quite a good actor. Yes, indeed. Chatter In Havana Havana, Sept. 5. Ix>ts of heat, and theatres are suf- fering terribly. Only one film house in Havana has a cooling syistem. This is the newly built EncantOi . Prices have been slashed from 80 cents and $1 to 40 cents for pictures and presentations. . 5, 10 and 20 Theatrical Ten Cent is the name given to a new company which had leased the National theatre, Havana's opera house, for film vaude. The prices are 20 cents for orchestra, 10 cents for first balcony, and 6 cents for second balcony. Program announces seven acts, two shorts and a feature film. Cheapest of acts comprise the bill. Wintz Bringing "King" George WJntz may bring "The Vagabond King" here this winter in- stead of the "Follies." WIntz')cleaned^ up last season dur- ing his 10-day stay with his "Fol- lies." What Is Nudity? . That is the question. Saw a Frenchman arrested in Deauville on the plage. He was giving his ianat- omy a sun bath. A lady claimed he was careless with his costume. She shrieked with prudery; the scandal went into court. The judge smiled It Into ob- livion. Vive la France! Poiret Over Again I Paris, Sept. 11. Paul Poiret, the male dressmaker. Is again pointed for an American fashion lecture tour. He's due over on your side In November, booked oti the concern plan. HENRY CARSON AGCY. Intemntlonal Variety, Plctnre IMoyers and Theatrical R4>i)reBentativeB 78, Avenue des Champs Elysees PARIS Cables: Booking, Paris rhone: Elysee 03-19 Good Acts Always Needed Admirar' Doubtful London, Sept. 11. "The Admiral's Secretf' opened at the Strand last night, impressing as a rather wealc farce well played by a,n exceptional company. . It's success is doubtful. CONNOLLY IN PARIS London, Sept. 11. Jack Connolly has gone to Paris, recovered from his recent opera- tion for appendicitis. After the operation Connolly re- marked he rather liked It, especial- ly as the surgeons had cut out only his appendix. SAILINGS Sept. 15 (New York to lyondoh); Mitzi Vernill, Charles Collins, Trixie Friganza (Leviathan). -=-Sep t7-14^-(-New--y G rk^to=I3ei;ljua)..^M J. (lOurland (Majestic). Sept. 8 (London to New York) Fay Complon, Ian €Iunter (Be.ren- garla). —► Sept. 7 (New York to London) Eugene W. Ca.stle (He de France). Sept. 4 (San Franoi.sco to Syd- ney), the Harlotniins, Tom Mahonoy (.Manoa). Early Start Mohtmartre cabaret, the best In town; opens in October, as will the Sevllle-Biltmore roof. The season will be starting earlier this year thaii previously. Sloppy Joe's bar is as deserted as a grave yard. Chatter In Paris Paris, Sept. 1. About the best piece of news is the announcement that several of the 'phone centrals have gone auto- matic. Paris will be rid of its worst pestilence when the telephone scourge has been cleared up. Anybody knows that It is phenom- enal to get a number within a half hour here. Plaza Tiller girls have 32 weeks booked in the States arranged by the Billy -Arnold office. The 12 girls will be featured in several shows here before going to America. They will open In Boston Aug. 1, 1929. Gilbert White, who paint.s, married Herta Stenger. "Trained .fl.eas live nine years if they are" fed on human blood, M. Rodoff, Paris' champion fiea trainer, guardedly announced the other day. A tiny Amerlca,n theatre, seating 300, will be completed shortly in the Latin quarter, which will house risque plays, accprdlng to announce- ment. England needs a press agent, de- clares John Barton Brown, advertis- ing specialist from Los Angeles. Has he never heard of the Prince? Paris programs (legitimate): .Sep- tember 10—Rose Marie (Mogador), Neuf (Theatre Femina), La Dame aux Camelias (Saraih Bernhardt), rJ:t]^lL^ -SS^^^ ^(Daunou), L'ArlesIcnne and rei)ert<5lre"Ti53eon')7 Ma Soeur ct Mol (Athonee), La Guitare et le Jazz (Nouveautes), Terminus. (Avenue), La, Madone des Sleepings (Renaissance), Week End (Potiniere), La DesertcusQ (Falics Dramatiques), Coiffeur de Dame.s (Theatre de Paris), La Baigneuse du Lido (Palais Royal), Passionnc- ment (BouffeJi), Vient de Paraitre Egypt ' Chatter in London Cairo, Aug. 17. Artistic tJchiblllons have been pre sented at the Kursaal theatre by Lydia Johnson.. She has done very welli Among thie best features are a Russian dance 'by NeKson and Markoff and the _ caricatures of Wandok. • Company includeis 16 girls. First performance of " Much Ado' . . 4, ' cabaret revuia in two parts, written And produced by C. Wortman, was Well received. Music is by the White Knights with Ivy June, C. Wortman, Miss Bbni, Robert Milton in the trpiipe; Appearing at the Kit Kat, cab- aret, are Olga Cohenca, dances; Cooper and Slmco,'dances; "Three Sisters," dances, and Nibor, Parisian musicrhall .singer. , Among other artists who are working here are Whiard and Delly, Victoire . and Siegfrld, Armande d'Or, Francetta 'Holazova and Ju- liette de Rltter. More dancing takes place at the Fantasio cabaret at Giza, near Cairo. La Petite Lill performs, Thilda sings, Hungarian dances are done by Arthemise; Roumanian dance by Marcella, Rus.sian dance by Alex- andra, English dance and songs by Joy June. In addition there are Norden, Geraldy, Maruska, Riandi'es and Zulaika. Jolly Fellows orchestra is the dance Inducement, Amin Sidky's troupe continues to draw to the gardens of the Pyra- mids.. Comedy last playedwas "The Inspector of Agriculture," an oper- etta in. three acts composed by Amin Sldky, Principal roles are always as- sumed by M. Bahgatand Dolly An- toine. Aziza Amir, who first undertook the film, industry here, will produce a film entitled "Isis." A young Egyptian girl, Behidja Hafez, of an aristocratic family, will enter pictures here. London, Sept. 1. Opening of the Oiurlot revue was distinctly New Y.orki.^ih in- atmos- phere so far as the audience was concerned. Standing in the lobby between the first and second part.-* of the show wAs a group of girls surrounding Gordon Selfridge. It in- cluded, of course, Jennie Dolly, Fanny Ward, Ethel Levey, Gertie Vanderbilt, Cecir Cunningham and Claudia Coleman, AMERICANS ABBOAD Paris, Sept. 1. In Piaris: Thornton Wilder, W. O. McGeehan, Mary Lawton, Ruth Donnely, Boris Aronson (designer), Carl Laemmle (Universal), Mrs. Fred Thomson, Dolores Del Rio, William Stanley (Wrigley Chewing Gum Co.), Pat Casey, John I. Mur- dock, Jos. P, Kennedy, Janet Adam- son (opera singer^, Edwin Carewe, Hedda Hopper, Reine Vallery, Billy Halligah, Ted Lewis, PREPARE FRENCH "B'WAY" Paris, Sept. 11. Elizabeth Nortli Is supervising rehearsals for the French vei-sion of "Broadway,'/ due shortly at the Madeleine theatre, Paris. During the preparation of the drama the stage is occupied by the Camila Quiroga Argentine troupe, who advertise themselves as. from the Manhattan theatre. Mitzi Talks Retirement Paris, Sept. 11. Mitzi, accompanied by her hus- band, Boyd Marshall, arrived in Paris on her way to her home via Marseilles. She told reporters .she intends to retire from the stage after her next year's tour. (MlGhodlere), Michel Strogoff (Chat- elet). Waltz Dream (Gaite), Le Danceur Inconnu (Varletes), Le Petit Cafe (Madeleine), Le Jeu du Mari (Antoine), Le Chemln de. Buenos Ayres (Amblgu), Skin Deep, etc. (Albert I, Engli.sh Players), Maya (Avenue), Chantecler (Porte St, Martiii), Trbis Jeunes Fllles Nues (Marigny), La Robe de Perles (Michel), Repertoire at Opera, Opera-Comlque, Comedie-Franclse. The recent expose that the Gibbs twins' operation was a publicity hoix wrangled a number of the scribes here. The story was cabled to this Bide and played up. In fact, pictures were shot across the Atlantic as fast as the ocean greyhounds could fetch them. The most delightful piece of news since the armistice is that hundreds of taxi drivers were ruthlessly ar- rested for tooting their loud speak- ing horns In the eArly hours of the The new prefect of polii-'c. Joan (Continued on page 41) Charles W'hittaker, who writes scripts and things and worked for the Blattner outfit five weeks, walked out on them. He now forms his own producing !companj', regis^- tered under conipany laws, to make quota films for Paramount. Thomas J. Ryan, 72 years young man of vaudeville, went to the Hol- born Empire while here recently. He found the place, much different than when he worked there some 40 years ago. Ir ' those days he worked with his wife (Rya;n & Rich- field) and occasionally , his spouse used to be indisposed, with the re- sult the theatre had to have a depu- ty who used to collect the Ryan and Richfield salary. This sort of thing was becoming too regular. One day Ryan .made up his mind he would have a peep at the deputy. He found him- to be a, singer of comic songs. The next time his wife . became indisposed Ryan told • the management he could deputize- for- the team. And he did that sort of thing- pretty regularly, thus cql- lect'ing a diouble salary for the price of one, and .the Richfield part of the act claiming indisposition more often than evex'. Henry Slierek, agent, fieems to have a knack of isigning American; artists for English productions just about when they have booked th'elf passage home. A recent effort bf his was the securing of a contract for Evelyn Hoey for Claiyton & Wal- ler's "Good News," just as she was stepping on the boat at Cherbourg. He nearly, repeated the same per- formance . with Mary Charles fo^r "Virginia," the new Clayton & Wal- ler Palace show. But Miss Charles, suddenly received a cable from A. E. Matthews, with whom 'fehe has a contract, to return to Chicago to' open in "Interference" Oct. 1. Performers as a rule suffer from jealousy. Thei-e are exceptions.. Herb Williams is one. Befofe Claudia Coleman opened at. the Lon- don Coliseum recently, Hei-b made her run through her material, and (ieleted what he deemed unsuitable for English consumption. The result was Miss Coleman's renditions were perfectly balanced and the characters well understood. "Abie's Irish Rose," which Clay- ton and. Waller revived, is prac- tically booked for- a year's provincial tour, Joe Greenwajd, in the show, has a contract to be sole, feature and a cut in of 5 percent on any gross above $2,500, Show has been doing around. $6,500 weekly, . "Bunny" Warren, late manager of the Plaza, and more recently man- ager of Tussaud's picture theatre, has joined General Theatre in a managerial capacity. Experiment of running a cabaret in the Cafe Royal has proved so successful the managemetit is mak- ing it a permanent affair. Cabaret closed for August and September, but reopens Oct. 1. Dick Henderson, due back on Keith's in October for 35 weeks, has been asked by General . Theatres Corp. and the Victoria Palace, after he opened, to postpone his trip for a-month in order to play return en- gagements. I-Iendersbn got permis- sion to stay the extra mbnthi . ,D. J. Clarke is suing Noble Si.ssle for breach of contract. Sissle was booked on the Clarke tour, embrac- ing Birkenhead (two dates), Bel- fast and. . Dublin, The amount claimed as damages is $5,000. : Maslova Back in London London, Sept. 11. Returning from a six -rtonths* Continental tour, Maslova opened at the Alhambra (A'audeville) yes- terday and scored .splendidly^ Kelsos Booked London, Sept. 11, Kelso Bros, open at the Palladium: Oct. 15 for two week$. Myron-Pearl at Empire I'aria. Sopt, 11. . -M.x roaixdL P-o arl. -da neers^ cipen ing at the Empire .'^cpt. 7, di<f nicely. DAVID STURGIS ^^^^ universal theatre The Hollywood, 7 Rue Daunou, Paris Telephone Louvre 03-83