Variety (Nov 1928)

VOL. XCIIL No. 4 NEW YOkto \^^DNESDAYv 7, 1928 64 PAGES Variety's l)ox Score oh dramaitic reviewers' of the Now, York 4ailiea. for its fu-st seasptiul percenta;ges of the new . season is based lipon 27 retiring plays, since Aug. 6,. all fold This aboiit paraUols. 'the rfjcords of previous seasons . for the . five years Variety's, jjcorer ' has been 'tabbing-, the guess'c.r.s. Usual, aver- age prevails of one success out Of three attempts, w'ith Paddy Cain .hugging the others. : 'Right now or until, last .Saturday .Robert .Coleman (Mirror): is, in the lead, dolcman picked 13 put of the 20 flops he noticed, before they blew. Johh~ Atkinson (Times) winner of last season's full scoring; is fourth on the early,lifting. ,Present rating Is no decided criterion, since s,everal ..plays current' are haiiging- in the air. jyiahy " an,other is to comp . ah'd go before the iinal- score, is igain printed next Junie:'..' > .. St. ■.John JOrvine., English guest 'critic of'the. World, - i^s .included, in thc.fn^st list, though tiie British re- ' vie\vov has paiised upon but seven i:.tlie departed.-, Of thosfe ,seven, St. John was cprrect, "with , five aijd erred twice; His rating of .714 would,place him first could he be so, located with the few re vie wings, in justice to, the others. ■ :■' Mr. Ervine appears' to , .see all New York .shows strictly tiirough : English eyos. G.'iugod 'by some, of hjs crilifiiies on play.s still runniing, .. the English vibitof .if; apt to do . .■ complete, priitt, fa II iii the box ficoya When ' he fihally .. migrates back to. Lunhon. Restored . Coleman, and \vinchell (Graphic) • . have been restored to the box scorfe. They Avere. debarred for a lime last 6eo.sp iv /thi-pugh..C6le.iha n appearing' to loaf Pn. his. reviewing. '^h^il'G^ , Winchell was accused pf- picking, .his spots, after the. Shuberts gay.e ■him'.fi,iiv Nvhiie.ihe Siiubcrts are . : K.'ontinucd bn;J)aKe. 51) ■ ■ /■ —— '' • . :— \ Wirneri* Net foir *28 .' A. rciiable .report say.s that the het prpfi't of Warner liroth- .: ers. for 1928. \viir, be between; $8,006,000; -and $9,000,000. ■ This will give, the Warners the : highest net of any sihgl.e. br-. ganization in. the show business , for thisi year. ' ■ ' ■ Jersey Kids Promise to Behave If House Reopens ■ New Mil ford, N. ,J., Nov. 6. ■. Bad boys of the town.have capi't'u-- lt5re'tt--and: have joined .t;h6'loss's bois- terous: ih a petition to restpre the flicker drima to tlie ppera house. The petition.- carries assurance of :good i.behavior ■ and'' has prompted Joseph Battaglio. operator, :ta,^ry pictures again this wee.lc. : ,-■ ■ Batlagiip closed the house sev- eral weck.s ago, claiming the young- sters' unseemly conduct inside and out of the amusement emppriurn was too much for him. Since then the kid.s have been suffering a siege of idle nights, with, parents unwill- ing to, go for additional bus; tariff to nearby towns. . . •; ' Scoff at Torrid, Love Scenes as "Mush"—5d-S0 On Liking for Spooky Stories Like Chaney's-—Outgrow Westerns by High School Age-^Well Informed on Studio Technique "CUTE" HEROINES OUT Very definite likes and dislikes with, respect to moving pictures w.ere e.xpressed by children attend- ing the Horace Mann schools in New York city irt a: recent survey made by Teachers Collosge of Colum-r bia .Unive,i-sity. • The check-iip wafl (Continued, on page 2) \ Big Ben as Service Los Angeles, Nov. 6. ; For $1 a month Hollywood actors —and actress—may be relieved of the worry of being able to get but of bed in time to report on call. . An office has been ,,opened in_thfit section, AVhlch, for the 3Uni' named, ■'vrill'T-cteive-and.'rmalco^rcGor.d.:.^^ phone calls, rcc.bi've. m£ii,l and do secretarial service goneraliy as well as rpusihg the subscriber .by phone service.''night, .and. day, ; Use for Vaude . A ,hoVise liianivKer instructed, by the liomo office to givii Xront-pr-.tho-boiise billing to acts, argued-for the old wUy,— • '.'And vaudeville." . ■ ■ "What do you suppose we have vaucloville. for?" an of- . ficial ■■ of the Gircuit demanded. • ':To let' the projection - nia- chino.s cool off,'.' r.esiVonded the manager. /_', ■ ; /; >•-. $10,000 Weekly Profit Is Figured from Roof Cabaret H<n)c; TI,7mptpn\S;gr;uid;opera de- but as MinVi in "lia Bohenio" with the I'hil.adelphla: (Jrand OporU at the.,AciiLdc>i'uli-" irf' M TlKiiiksgiving .night- ,will cost J'tiU'-s Bruliitor,. her huebapd; more th;) n $ 100,000 lotiK before the first curtain . shall ;have :ruhg up. ■ For the past fe.w weck.s I'chearisals.. for the opcM-.a have booii lu'ld at . Mecca Temple, Now York, put of; the dozen or more rehcar.sals held to date over half have been private one.s for M-iss ILamptpn, with op- eratic stiir.s jM-osent' to, advise her on vociil and acting t(;chni(iuo. In addition an orchestra of .*?!>. men is on hand with a recogiii/.ocl conductor wielding'^ • the ; •.baloh. These rcheUrsalt* .cost Brulatour at least $.'■).000 each.' Another '(.•slimate ' (Continued on page 2) . Dramatic Critics- Box Score Score as of Nov. 3 Key to the abbreviations: SR (shows reviewed) R (wrong), O (no opinion expressed), Pet. (percentage). . on. - E> . W. COLEMAN (Mirror)■ G A B RIE L (S u n)................ • • • .WINCHELL (Graphic).... ........ ATKINSON (Times)............... HAMMOND (Herald-Tribune)..... LITTELL (Post). .., A-NDERSON (Journal) .:,-. v r.- MANTLE (News). ,.. , • • • OSBORN (Ex/Pninn World) ....... . . v DEROH AN (American), ... ....., • . • ■ ^ • ERVINE (World Visiting Guest Critic) SR. 20 17 11 , ;15 ,17 , '14 -.17. , 14 ,17. VARIETY'S OWN SCORE SR. R: VARIETV (Combined)..,... .....27 20 'bee (Pulaski). . 10 » W, 7 1 (right), W ' » '■ . O. Pet. .650 .647 .636 .600 .529 .506 .470 .357 .353 ...=125 . .7-14 Pet .740 .909 (This Score Based on Failures Only) ; :/The PlpasiirC; Man" trl.al, which coriies lip in .Special. .'Sessions (.N'ew York) by the end of thi.s month, i.s under.stopd ..to have IMae .West and the cast of the suppressed play con- siderably worried. There is a belief the authorities "may. nVake an example of the au thoresi-star of "Diamond Ti-ii," who also .'luthored "The .Pleasure Man " iThRl. cast. i s "also p erturi/Qd In the belief ■^tlie , princiiTaTs p,art1tnTl1irlT may be vigorously proscculod by tlio adm'ini.slfation- in: a derisive ef- fort to . curb, future slai^e Uccn- t-iou,sncss ..and conti'mplate.d .Inde- cency. - Miss West, in vif.vv of. her pre- viou's sentouce. of 10- days in the workhouse, .may dniw ,up to - .six nwiiths, .'It Jilat.l<well's -Jsiarid on the several - bount.s,,pending against, her. Tlir; lirincipai. players,- notably a notorious number p.f the usfjess ..sex in the list before, may also avii^v j;i.il, terms, considering., their, khowi/'dge oC Miss West'tr pasf rec-. ord witli the autlioritieH oh ques- tionable tlieatri(^al pre.sentati'^ns. A Boresome Life M'l'M -TieK'ir^st is !'<i\r\:< li.i:' k "ii :],',. ' .<r.ii'.>; 'J'b.- f'-rtner ;nite r\uh ; (liinr-.-r yiss-rls tbaL rb" ! ruiiiiiiv:^ ru M'.ti.l to Tiii'lit .el : .Floroiiz Zicgfeld, Eddie Cantor and'George Olsoir arc. ilicorpoI'ii11ng as ; Glscii'.s-: Club,: inc., to share in the New Amstcrdain robTH Frolics Avhen it re()i)eh.'i next month to, a $6 and $7.50 couvert. Olaen and his band are guaranteed $4,500 a week plu.s a Ihii-d' of the net along with -ZiOKfeld and Cahlbr. : The Midnite Frolics as a reyrved institution . cpme.s ,:' int-6 , existence simultaneou.sly with the premiere of .the hew CaiiLor "Wlioo'poe;" -inu.sical, in which Ol.sen and. Kthcl Shutta are fmb-fcitures. All will double onto' the roof. ; .ZieKfeld, 'iCanlor . ari<l:' Ol.son ,,wliL personally operate the roof nite club. Josef Iji'ban is redeooratlhf^. It Is ;!anticli>ated th.at the av<'r-T .age gro.ss profit will be $10,000 weekly, ari<>r (Hson's guarantee and the rest ' of the- oyerhead. are. de- ducted.; This isn't hli?h con.Mider- ing .the Club. .,I{ichman'a $1,0,000 weekly. Kro.ss at a $4, and $5 convert tind a smaller' 'o.iparity.,-— ■ • ■ -—- ■ ! t.jl ji;-.j-jiin;; -irid' drivifi'- -ii ; -I'lV in -'I lit M'i,">.;<i!.'. ." ; ' . i M j-r 11. rn-: e-r. V. -h ; ! ; ',,,v.;- ;:. •-:.l !!• , M-'- ': I-'t ic.J! jii-.r- rii'" t li:!' "n ' i'-iT!'l ■;"J'J'-^ i:;<"^." I j!.v,"-l-! .. r 1 (■•>'" ■- " ' ■• Us her V. i f iiri .' 1 Act and Talking Short Together on Loew Route Morris arid ' C.'unpbell ' will b< roiited fivi-i" the J>)(>w eireiiif. in eotv- ri<'etion \vi(li'-,a spe(-i,-jl t!iIking- short', to. be ma.It; by .M-(!-,.M. Tlreir jncs- etit act will be (•lab'ir.-ileil with piir.t Of: it. in dialo!.,'.- 'j'liis is tin: ili st n-- ported in'Kf.iinee of eombihing talk- sli'ii ts .'iri'l v;i.rideyille, ;i.UlioiJKh ;i.el-;-< .iii llie jifu-'t li:iy.e iii-^'-d tlie si- lent' ..-•.freen ;is -;..-irt of their 'routine. Strictly Social . T!S'. It'::-; • Ko,af i -- now . th" >'l-i'., .-^V. It'--.'!-:, with its. rn^'nibi;i ;'!:ip I ,.'•).,, i-.-il U) .--f.;! ii.-l y tii'i.M:".-;. A.r\' If Police Okay Tex, Job Ready for Her If tlie cops put "ah pfTiclal okay on Texas Guinan,. fhC: hostc.ss .will' open .at; Gen6 Cieij^er's Jtendozvou.s in the \Vinter . G,'irden,. buildIng. CJeig'er . wiir not . sell absolutely, of ' course, knowinf? how riiiich i.lie find ■■J'ex would be houndeil foi- tiny sus- picion of a Vol-steatliiin trirnH'tlb.n.. GelKcr, tiiough, •rea-l-izirig. TeX's . iih- t.'igonizirujr of the -enil;irnies, Wants a clean bill of he.-iUb from tlio i)o- lie.e d<'partment before doing bu.si- nes.s with tlie hostess. I'Yfihces White closed nt llw Ren- d'-/v(ni.'j (former I'l.'inl.-ition and latterly > the Casa liopez) Wednes- day night. .She h.ad two more weeks to. go on, a eonlr.'iet, but bowf^d' out ))ec;vu.se, of. a hiek of draw. Mi.-^s White was in for four■ week.s .'it $7."i0 n .' w'rr 1r~pl lis—1X • rcen-tfI i^er;i ^4|i!i- orily half of tin- gui'iranteeil period. : Heavy Lover Fading? TfMiri.'i, 111,, Xov. 0. : Lon C.'.Iiiiney.-is .king.of l.i.ie, rnoVies. so far Its -i'eoria-''-I eonrerhed,. Ii(v li;i.ving pulleii in -nioi e .bUr^Jness. iii four, (jays .a t' liie Maili:.^on.. in "Wli.e.u. llieCity 'til-'eps,'; thiui, .lolin Hai-ryr- 'ni'Vrc,'Honiihl ('i/lnii'ii :irid Hod Ilociiue, ;i.H. put IOK"llier, ■ did r-e- eenliy in an equal I'liKth of liin-., . 'J'he d.ay of I liv- he;i v'y lover i.f i lie filiiiH "seerns over at !'-;i.st for, the time beirU; in Hii.s jc'ift ()f . ibe niirl'Ile we/-t. .f^'l-.,.! ii'-y loonis .a (*o- ioMMis'.in <\r.r^ ill.: prj-A-er, wi'h lymil .r;inni.iii-;s s^eopii .'ind .<•• orK'v J'.i.n- I'loff a: .-iJi^ipliy ibbd. 'ii.'I''"'' -< 1,, i i'!' -I! n i rii !'r',-'! <.d i.'i I '.ni-i n ^ il p,-;-.•-;■>)! 'r: 1';... 'j-'t Jtei'l'^ Ilo'e!.. ■ 1''.:' ,; .'-.••i! Tor* l liil) to ' ' ; ; 1! ..• • > .' " i:-- lir;e~ 'if <->.i.'.:, . :..<•, 1!: '■ ' ! jl,-' iri l,"Iid'..Ti --nil "• on" • f V'.i-. r.jj<--; >•■ ir-> ih,-' , r in.^ r:,: ■ : .• '! V : b" ■■; '• '' I },<■•'•<■• .'I - :• •:<■' ' ■ I'.. II !• ''■ !;rii"" !t ■'. " If.