Variety (Sep 1928)

52 VARIETY LEG I T I M A TE Wednesday, September 12, 1928 ''Command to Love" Immediate Loop Hit-lst Week at Studebaker, $21,000 Fine Weather Holiday Week—"Maryland," 2d Wk. Vt Great Northern, $37,000 . Chicago, Sept. 11. Coolcf^t weather iu 20 year^ for .jabor iid-y Week: brought relieC to iiose who slipped In a . holiday ■ latinec... Despite tiio weather plug il, attractions recieveld, the chart, fter' midweek, mea,sui"efd up to the .■redictions set aside by those who .ake the statistics o£ Labor Day week openings seriously. . ! Sales : (.and they were sellou ts .jractically all over town) vyent in >he order of the strength of the .-ihows, with "Command to iiove" jest exhibiting super strength, since "Mary Dugan" is so sl,rongly •ntrenched. "Command to Love" got ^he stroiigest straight away local .juU, particularly with the opening .light call. "Love" is good for at .east 10 weeks of surprisingly high .u-ade ixt.the Studebaker. Down with a thud went the call .'or the moderate gross pullers . i'uesday. ICveri the high steppers lelt the night-after-the holiday rest. Unsettled werp the , conditions tround "Greenwich Villiiige Follies": .n the Shubert lineupi of musical .)lays. Instead of holding close to .he average engagement gross of .uSiOOO. the "Follies" showed .(larked weakness, probahly the rea- .x>n for calling oft the early week .ntending of holding in the "Follies" vith a transfer to the Majestic. Thi .msettled house bookings in the .reighboriirtg cities also makes, the ■Follies" valuable as a quick fill in week's attraction. "Night in Spain" brought all the critics attention to the newly con- crjjlUed Shubert-Majestic; but the .sale demand indicated the. miisicale pulled out Its full money drawing power'on the previous highly suc-- ces3ful; stay at the Grand. . Return . eiiga,gements, except. ili- one in- stance, in the last score of years, have" proved other than what the if ypes of desperate managers would desire, ^tlll the Majestic should be a good money winner for the Shu- berts. The next try will be with "The Red Robe" underlined to fol- low "Spain." Sept, 30. "Manhattan Mary" will take up the time at the Grand next week and that's already considered to be the first challenge •'Good News" has encountered in re- cent weeks for the first call at the stands. Not even the working girl "got a kick out of "Trapped" unless she's broke after the summer vacation, and with the special piarty tickets not measuring up to mid-winter worth, "Trapped" proved worthless, seeking other fields. "Present Arms" • (musical) opened Sunday to light advance sale, facing a stiff . musical play field for any kind of immediate prosperity. "A Companionate M a r r I a g e" leaves the Cort this week after an all summer engagement that should help the attraction to pick up fextra coin in neighboring city bookings, The three Cohan attractions, re- fraining from giving holiday mat inees, held close to the previous week average except for the spurt Sunday, and with "By Request' showing improvement mid^-week Everything Is o'.. k. with the Cohan attractions, pioneering, in the $2.50 top scale campaign. The real chiHy weather of the first part of the week lasted until mid-week, with the week end again returning to summer like atmos phere. It was a great weather break for the opening nights. Moderate gross pullers will nciit learn their exact local strength for another fortnight.. Like the best part of last season the town promises to be top heavy with throe or four heavy gross pullers and the rest causing rapid shifts in the bookings. Estimates for Last Week ''Present Arms" (Woods, Ist week). Moderate draw will have to do surprise spurt if getting real : coin. "Trapped" never clicked in four-week stay. "Broadway" (Central) gets Under way Saturday. Stock makes real money at this house on thin operat Ing expenses. ♦'Whispering Friends" (Illinois, 30 week). No holiday niatinee bu hovered around $12,000, satisfactory . at $2.50. "Elmer the Great" (Blackstone 12th week). Another one that kept .away from holiday matinee, yet held .average, with slight gain to reach $12,500. Another w:eek to go and then New York with good chance of bookings following Chi's stay. Queen's HiisbaiTd" moves in. " 6 r e e n w i c h Village Follies" (Grand, Gth w^eek). Possibility of transfer to Majestic considered risky gamble after once set so goes out in another week. Engagement er- ratic, demand sui'pri.singly off . at stands. Decrease last week makes It doubtful now if avei-age gross for seven weeks will roach first fig- (Continued on page 55) Boston, Sept. 11. All houses open for the first time this season. Cboler weather helped. "The Great Neeker" at the Plym- outh for several weeks and which picked up strength as it went along, developed enough power to warrant it being switched to the Majestic, for a couple of weeks at least. "Whispering Friends," the Cohan aho'vV which has been at the Hollls, pening; that house. Is finishing up there this week . with "The 19th Hole" scheduled, to. open there next Monday evening. The T r e m o n t opened this week ^v'ith "Just a Min- ute" and "The Golden Dawn" opened up at the Shubert. Estimates ^for Last Week "The Great Neeker/' Majestic (1st week here, transferred from Wilbur) $13,000. ;■ . ■ . "Excess Baggage," P1 y m o u t h (last 2 weeks) $10,000 last week. "The Golden Dav«^n," Shubert (1st week). In final week at the house, 'Sunny Days" got $18,000. Leader for to^vh. "Whispering Friends," Hollls (last week),; $10,000. "Cross My Heart," Colonial (3d week), $16,006. "Just a Minute," Trempnt (1st week). Opened house. BOSTON ALL OPEN Labor Day Week Starts Very Nicely Legits FRISCO GROSSES San Francisco, Sept. 11. "The Spider" continuing to lead the town. The Bela.sco and Butler mystery thriller wound up its fourth week at the Geary, and Is ,now in final stand. The three-day holiday took thousands out of town and this, with the natural after-holiday re- action, held the gross down. "Dracula" wound up three weeks at th© Columbia, which has again reverted to road-show picture ("Sim ba"). Three weeks was enough for Henry Duffy's production of "Daisy Mayme" at his President. "Dad dies," featuring Robert McQuade, followed Sept. 9. "Tommy," at Duffy's Alcazar, con tinned profit in 10th week, though starting to slip. It remains two more weeks and then Marjorle Ram- beau comes in. "What a Man," at the Curran, was about on a par With the preceding week. Estimates for Last Week Geary—"The Spider." Mystery thriller continued to draw, though end is close at hand. S'ourth. week reached $13,000, which gave a profit Columbia—"Dracula" moved out after three successful weeks; $12, 000 on final seven days. Curran—"What a Man," comedy has caught on mildly, and second week about on par with opener to $10,000. "Good News? comes In i.rth.. .... _ , . Alcazar—""Tommy." .Ten%~ week for light comedy grossed a little bet ter than $5,000. Two more to go. President—"Daisy Mayme." Not enough customers interested in this one, though performance rated as satisfactory. Thlrji and last week Just hit $3,800.. Dempsey Show, $16,000, 'Way Under Capacity Philadelphia, Sopt. 11. Business .surpi'isingly j)obr lust week in Philly's legit houses and be- cause of the proml.slng nature of several of the new openings. Starting Tuesday night, attend- ance fell off all along tlie line, do- spite cool weather. ISven the Wednes- day matinees, generally strong here In Phllly, were disappointing; Cohan's "BIlUe" w^as an exception^ although not a sell-out. "JJillie," of all the-try-outs, was the smoothest and most nearly ready. Ruhner-up on the week was "The Big Fight," With around $J6,000, at the Chestnut. It could hia,ve been $25,000.- "C:hee-Chee" opened Tuesday night and failed to attract much money. It is a smart sophisticated show, and the type of people who would like it are not back in town. "Hold Every- thing" was another disappointment. "The War Song," with George Jessel, up at the Lyric, was rather lost In the shuffle the opening night, getting third-stringers, but word.got around that it was a very promis- ing shew, and interest increased. "Women," a drama with John Halllday, at the Adelphl, and "Sunny Days," which, marked the opening of Keith's as a Shubert . musical comedy house, were this week's new ones. With last week's business so. spotty and disappointing, the boys on the I^ialto are wondering what will happen when Keith's, the Broad and the Erlanger finally open, giv- ing Phllly ten legit houses. Next week brings "Ups-a-Daisy" to the Chestnut for two weeks, "The Comniand : Performanbe" to the Broad, and "Possession," with Mar- garet Lawrence, to the tyrlc. Sept. 24 there will be at lisast five, includ- ing ".A limal Crackers," the Marx Brothers' new show, at the Shubert; 'The Shannons of Broadway" at the Adelphi, "Mr. Moneypenny" at the Garrick, "Excess Baggage" at the Walnut, and "Hello Yourself" at the Forest. Estimates for Last Week "The War Song" (Lyric, 2d week). George Jessel show opened mildly but caught on by word-of-mputh and. grossed about $9,000, excellent under-cii'cumstances. ' "Billie" (Garrick, 2d week). New George M. Cohan musical comedy led town last week with about $10,- 000. Should build into smash this and next week. "The Skull" (Walnut, 2d week). The only one of last week's open- ings not in the tryout Class. With $2.50 top grossed little over $6,000. "Women" (Adelphi, 1st week). Another Harris-Lewis tryout In for two weeks. "The Great Power" very weak In second and last week. "Chee-Chee" (Forrest, 2d week). New Rodgers-Hart-PIelds musical show, too sophisticated for rank and file, a.nd its real clientele not in town. Opened Tuesday and grossed around $10,000. "Hold Everything" (Shubert, 2d week). This musical, badly in need of fixing. In here for two weeks more and must build rapidly: "Sunny Days" (Keith's, 1st week). This house made debut as a Shu- bert legit Monday with fairly good advance. "The Big Fight" (Chestnut, 2d week). Dempsey shbw opened strong but did not hold. pace. N6 tices were mixed. With aid of Labor Day trade grossed about $16,000 at $3 top. Shows in N. Y. and Comment run. "By week). Request" (Erlanger, 4th Inkling this attraction will go the highest of the three Cohan productions in town at $2.50 scale. Healthy increases of. spotty nature, reaching $13,000. "Companiionat* Marriage" (Cort, 17th and Anal week). Holiday mat- •,-.inee gave week's gross push close to $S,000. Engagement promising l^ofltAbl* T«turas en neighboring Los Angeles Figures Los Angeles, Sept. 11. "Mid Channel," featuring Ann Davis and Conway Tearle, started out to gather some coin locally when gro.sslng $11,000 on the opening week.. High figure for town again went to "Good News," still close to $20,000 in 16th week at Mayan. "Desert Song" at the Majestic was slipping in its 13th week. Bettered $10,000 okay for repeater. Miller' and Lyle-lcss "Running Wild" copped $8,500 on its opening week at the Mason. "Clarence" re vival at Vino Street reported $6,400 -f or =-f ourth.^w.cclu^-"Lombardi^^itd.,!, with Leo Carrillo at the Hollywood Playhouse, tilled $5,300 Cor the sixth week. Music Box around $5,000 with the Dlll-McGettlgan maldon production effort, "Pair o' Docs." Third week for the San Francisco show. "Wooden Kimono" at Presldi-nt, $6, 200 for second week. Sixth week VBaby Cyclone" at El Capitan quoted $4,900. ''Abie" in Stock Gets House Record, $13,000 Providence, R. I., Sept. 11. The redoubtable "Abie's Irish Rose," at the Albee, shattered the stock record held by "Smllin' Through," grossing over $13,000, Weather wras cool throughout w:eek, Packed matinees but not so good .eyenjng house3_ greeted the second appearance here of "trood News;' following its 21 weeks' in the Hub Company O. K., but $3.85 top sent 'em flocking "to the movies. If shews could play in this bandbox theatre - at $2 top business would probably pick up but anything ov«r $3 hooks the clamps on pocket books. The Carlton, long a lemoti, got away to a good start with a tab version of "Sweethearts." Lee Daley is the papa of the gang and the company has several good voices and nifty steppers. The Modern Players, Jed by Charlotte Wynters and Anderson Lawler, pre scnted "Her Cardboard Lover," as an eye opener. Miss Wynters clicked over all In Jeanne Eagles role. Estimates for Last Week Opera House (Ind) (1,300; SO- $3.85). Second try of "Good News." Good mats but mediocre nights. About $14,000. Modern (Fay) (1.400; 35-$.l)— Stock in "Her Cardboafd Lover," Strong all week in opener. About =$3,M0^..^--._.^.-..._ ^ Albee (K-A-0)~ (2,50(J;~ WiTl)— Smashing biz lyith stock in "Abie's Ii'ish Ko.se." Record at $13,000. Carlton (Fay) (1,600; 15-75)— Tab looks good here If hoofers can stand gaff. "Sweethearts" and movies^ Around $8,600. Fay (Fay) (2.300; 15-60)—No outstandln;S attraction. Yaude and films. House always good for ca- pacity. -Around $11,0Q<L Figures estimatec* and comment point to some attractions being successful, while the same gross accredited to others might suggest mediocrity or loss. The variance ia explained in the difference in house capacities With the varying overhead, Also the size of cast, with consequent difference in necessary gross of profit. Variance in . business necessary for. musical attraction as against dramatic play is also consideredik . Classification of attraction, house capacity and top prices of the admission scale given beloyv- Key to classification: C (comedy); D (drama) ; r; (revUe) ;M (musical comedy): F (farce); O (operetta). Admission tax applies on tickets over $3. A Connecticut Yankee," Vanderbilt (46th week) (M-8^2-$5.50).- Cooler weather brought, betterment genr erally, though new season not really. In full.swing; "Yankee" In nine performances, $19,000. "Blackbirds," Liberty (19th week) (R-l,202-$3). Jumped again ma- terially with agencies doing lively trade for colored, revue; best gross to date last week, when takings went close to $24,000. "Caravan," klaw (2d week) (D-330- $3). Will be taken off Saturday, logical stopping point; maybe $2,500; house will get "The Com- mand Performance" Oct. 1. "Coquette," Maxine Elliott's (45th week) (D-9i2-$3.85). Final week; dramatic hit might have lasted longer, but booked for road; "This Thing Called. Love," known as "So This Is Marriage" and othertitleis, due next-week. "Diamond Lil," Royale (23d week) (CD-l,117-$3). None . of new entrants has hurt this hardy at- traction; moved up nicely last week," exceeding $15,000. "Elnier Gantry," Playhouse (6th week) (D-879-$3). Final week; little or no improvement last week* with approximate takings $5,500. "Eva the Fifth," Little (3d week) (C-530-$3), Agency buy for four weeks started last. Week and busi- ness picked up in better going; rated over $7,000, all right for small house. "Front Page," Times Square (5th week) (C-l,057-$3.85). New dra- matic leader went to around $29,000 last wreek; , exceptional gross registered by means of ex- tra matinee (Labor Day) and holiday prices, "Gang War," MorOsco (4th week) <CD-893-$3). Doing fair business, but hardly rafed a success; busi- ness last week estimated around $10,000. "Gentlemen of the Press," Henry Miller's (3d week) (C-946-$3). Somewhat better last week with takings estimated ait $8,000; little aig^ncy call; using sornc cut rates. ?'Gorn' Home," Hudson (4th week) (C.-l,094-$3) . Seems to be having hard time getting, started; slightly better last week at.. $7,000, but must improve considerably 'to stick. "Good Boy," Hammerstein's, (2d week) (M-l,400-$6.60). New mu- sical did not win i-ave notices, but first night reception indicates success; high scale questioned; most of agencies took buy ; opened Wednesday, with capacity re- ported Friday. '■ $26,000 In five performances. "Good News," Chanln's 46th Street (54th week) (M-l,413-$5.50). Busi- ness last week best since early summer; .starting strongly on Labor Day, trade held up,. with gross going to $25,000 in nine per- formances. "Grand Street Follies,";,Booth (16th week) (R-704-$3). Two weeKS more; intimate rievue summor success of moderate proportion.*; bettering $9,000 recently. "Guns," Wallack's (eth week) (D- 770-$3). Change in house man- agement likely; show Just about hanging on; estimated about $3,000. "He Understood Women," • Belmont (5th .week) (C-515-$3). Small cost play In small capacity hotise; will stick only until something more likely turns up; quoted around $3,000. "Heavy Traffic," Empire (2d week) (CD-l,0D9-$3.85). Drew mixed notices, but fairly good -agency call indicates it will pross ..well for time; opened Wednesday; $9,600 in fivie performances, indl eating a weekly pace of $14,000. "Machinal," Plymouth (2d week) (D-l,012-$3). Opened late last week (Friday); critics according novelly treated melodrama with several rave notices; should de- velop a class draw. "Night Hostess," Martin Beck (1st week) (CD-l,lS9-$3). Presented by John Golden; written by Phil- lip Dunning; very well regarded out of town; opens tonight (Sept 12). "Porgy," Republic (2d engagement) (16th week) (CD-901-$3), Leaves for road in another two weeks; """suCCSefllYiR'attractlon^unannounced as yet; colored cast drama jumped up to $10,000 lost week; nine per- formances. "Rain or Shine," George M. Cohan (32d week) (M-l,371-$5.50). Mu slcals fared very well last week in cooler going; gross Jumped about $6,000, approximating $34, 000. "RelfttionV Maaqu* (4tii week) (C 700-$3). , Tough .sledding ami can ha,rdly last if bu«iness does not improve quickly; takings rated under $3,000. "Ringside," Broadhurst (3d week) (Crl,l i8-$3). First full week grossed around $12,000; with good weather last week, trade could have been better; "The Big Fight'-' will op- pose this prize ring show next week at Majestic. "Rosalie," New Amsterdam (36th week) (M-li702-$6.60). "Whoopee" • next attraction here, diie in Octo- ber; "Rosalie" pieked up . with field last week, bettering $30,500. "Scandals," Apollo (11th week) (R- l,lC8-$6.60). Gave extra matinee holiday, which sent takings to around $^2,000 mark; revue still leading the list. : "Show Boat," Ziegfeld (38th week) M-l,750-$6.60). Last season's mu- sical, is stiU class of field and promises to go tilrough new sea- son; will probably go back to full, capacity, and is not far from it at. $45,000. "Skidding," Bayes (17th week (C^ 860-$3). Claimed to have made some money last week, but loss gross-getter from start; claims better than $5,000; may be all right, because few shows will take a chance In roof theatre. "Strange Interlude," .John Golden (33d week) (D-900-$4.40). Standees ' in for nine-act drama nearly all performances; $16,000^ "The Bachelor Father," Belasco .(29th week) (D-l,00.0-$3.85). Box- olfice getting action when weather Is cool as last week, when gross went to $15,000. Best mark since, early summer. "The Big Pond," BlJou (4th week) (C-605-$3). Smart coniedy get- ting somie trade, but under expec- tations. Estlma.ted around $7,000. "The Great Power," Ritz (1st week) (D-945-$3),. Presented by.Myron e. Faga.n, who also authored play; opened Tuesday. "The Ladder," Cort (99th week) CD-l,094-$3). Announced to close early in November, when rental is over; able to continue because show guaranteed every theatre it played; most costly failure ever known. "The Money Lender," Ambassador (CD-l,000-$3). Taken off Satur- day; bankroll of producer didn't last; played two weeks. "The Phantom Lover," .49th Street 2d week) (D-708-$3). Reputed to have small-cost cast; though get- ting mixed notices, may hang on for a time. "The Royal Family," Selwyn (38th week) (C-1.067-$3.85). Will re- main longer than intended, as "This Year of Grace" postponed through illness of Noel Coward;. tour starting about Nov. 1; jumped to $14,000 last week. "The Silent House," Sam H. Harris (32d week) (D-l,051-$3). Moved here from Shubert; Harris slated to get "War Song" in two weeks, but another house likely to be se- lected instead; mystery piece still making money; rated over $10,000. '^The Song Writer," 49th Street (5th week) (C-969-$3.). Got some holi- day money, but plenty of room for - improvement With extra mat- inee last week, claimed $8,000. "the High Road," i&>iiton (fslt^ee^^ (C-913-$3). Presented by C. B. Dillingham; written by Frederick Lonsdale; cast of English play- ers; opened Monday. "The Three Musketeers," Lyric (27th week) (O-l,395-$6.60). Business hopped up smartly with better weather last week; rated around $34,000, best since early summer. "The Trial of Mary Dugan," Cen- tury) (52d week) (D-2,890-$3). Moved here from Harris last week and for four weeks of intensive cut-rating before going out "Trapped," National (1st week) (D- 3,164-$3). Presented by Shuberts; written by Samuel Shipm.an and Max Marcin; said to be same play called "One A. M." trie<l out last . spring; opened Tuesday. "Vanities," Earl Carroll (6th week) (R-968-$7.70). Top scale now ex- ~ tends for first five rows instead of three; . capacity since opening: weekly gro.ss of $40,000 places it with beat money-gettors on list. *'iVol poner'?--Gulld^(iath..mefilc)-_ (G- . 941t$3.85). Leaving after another week; summer pace around $6,000 weekly; Theatre Guild will open season early next month with "Faust" (dramatic). "White Lilacs," Shubert (1st week) O-l,395-$4.40). Presented by Shu- berts; operetta based on life of Chopin and variously titled; . opened Monday.