Variety (Nov 1928)

Wednesday, November 14, 1928 F O R E I G N VARIETY London as It Looks By Hannen Swaf fer Lio'ndon; Not. 2. The Duncan; Sisters ought to play ''The Babes In th^ Wood," this al- though they have never seen a pantomime, ,In spite of the advice given to therti by everybody hot to. run their own show, they are still carrying on at the Gaiety, alwayis In trouble, always wondering when somebody Is going to steal the theatre frotn them, behaving just like a pair of children who think that wicked robbers always lurk behind the tre^s. Duncans Always in-Trouble ' Although the two give what I consider an admirable performance In "Topsy and. Eva," they started by choosing the wrong theatre, they con- tinually .change their advisers and they listen to every hew person.who comes alotig with new advice. They have been 1« trouble about the Entertainment Tax; they nearly lost the theatre, two weeks ago, because, bjr an oversight; they had not pa<d their rent on the right night; they have had a row with the Musicians' Union, which refused to allow them ito put in a new orchestra until they had had guarantees; EVery day brings a new trouble; Now, they, have sung a line of Puccini's music In "La Boheme:" and the owners of the copyright threaten law. •'Those girls can ;earn $5,000 a week between theni In ki^iemas In their own country," said Al Woods to me, yesterday, "Why they want to go Into management, the Lord only knows." . it Plights of the Goo-Goo Eyes The fault with the Duncahs Is ttiey are too gopd-naitured. They listen to everybody. They wonlt . harden their hearts. Goo-go.o eyes don't go In management. It is certainly'a new kind of theati-ical enterprise which has to come to me when It can't get a bond put up for Its entertainment tax, or when the n;ij.£?ht^ Musicians* Union, rememttering other troubles at the Gaiety, want to be quite sure their njusicians w'ill get their money. Still, if the Duncans hold out till Christmas they shoulil reap the .reward of their- enterprise and at least.get their money back. They are nice girls—but rotten managers. , ' Talk, Talk, Talker Now, as for the talker;S, the boom,' so far as England is concerned, has been kiUed by "The. Terror." I have never known a picture so mercilessly elated as this alNtalker film. . "It ought to be called "The Error'," said John Drinkwater, who was at the fir.st night. People are going out of curiosityj but (hat is all. J. C. Graham,. who sails for New York tomorrow to look after the •little fallow," meaning the small exhibitor who can only aifford about $1,500 for a talker outfit, agrees with me that there is a future for the . talker, of course. Heavens, though, how it will have to be altered before countrie'sf^butside America take it up. . Shoutietf in Four Languages 'According to Gra;ham, the most respected man in the picture business on this side, talkers will have to be made in four languages—English, French, German and Spanish. - Still it needs a wonderful change in the movie industry, so far as 1 can see, for whereas only 65 per cent of the takings for a picture have hitherto come froni America itself and 35 per cent from countries abroad and as the 35 per cent now has to be dipped Into to pay the cost, means, a reconstruction of the "Whole basis of picture finance. • If you send any more of these American voices to Euro"pe—well, you might as well send Aimee MciPherson back and Will Rogers. . Al Woods Reaches Fame Hearing that Al Woods was In .Ijondon, I called on hini, ye.sterday, at the Piccadilly hoteL , , , ^. j. , , I merely leaned across the reception counter and looked at the clerlt. "Do' you want to see the great man?" he said. "Who do you think I want to See?" I replied. "Mr. Hannen Swaffer to see Mr. Al Woods," he announced, • That was all. ' tx * j Al Woods made a lightning change in his plans yesterday. . Ho found that "The Woman Disputed," which he intended to stage here, was being done as a film at the Tivoli, and so, as "Scotland Yard" had been banned by the Censor because of the title, he decided, having Crane Wilbur and Mary Newcomb In London, to' put on 'Jealousy" in three weeks' .time. 1 ... "Virginia" Stops the American Boom I am now being attacked because I have praised "Virginia," the British- made musical comedy which Clayton and Waller wrote themselves and have now produced at the Palace merely as an answer to my challenge that, if English managers cannot produce their own musical comedies, they ought to retire from business. ., ^ ^ "Virginia" -is a great success. The. "Np, Np, Nanette" figures have been beaten. Yet, all: the time, anonymous letters reach^ me accusing; me. of being bribed by all British managers who give me a cigar and ^ dinner. Anyone can bribe me with a cigar. I sometimes .bribe myself ^vith on© I hover have dinner. Critics prefer to go to the theatre hungry. Else, like the other lions, they would go to sleep. „ ' They sing a spirituaMn"Virginla" with the "Porgj-" effect of . up- lifted hands. Emma Halg Is the big success., Yies, it is all-British to the backbone. . ^ ^ * ^ Still, the tide is changing. Harry Gillespie, who has Just returned, bought "The New Moon" in New Yoi-k, but that is the only new Amer- ican niusiciarcorriedy that has been bought for months. Joe Coyne Back in "The Mollusc" "Tell Swaff to be good to me in .Variety' about ^The Mollusc'," said Joe Coyne to my secretary, who called along to see him, the other day. He likes to be remembered kindly on your side. ^ Joe gives an interesting pcrfbrmance, but he Is rather on the hnes of "No. No, Nanette." I mean he sticks his arms out like a monkey and is loose-jointed about the knees. "Tlie Mollusc," in .'^pile of my praise, will not be a success. Plays -■ h.avi?_.tn. h(ive p nnp h in, nowaday.q, I suDPOse. and "The Mollusc" was written at a time when people used to go to the theatre at; 9 and then, at 11 iiij on to supper. Tlu-y like noise, now—and night clubs. ' WILL MAHONEY The Columbus "Journal" said "We beg and implore you to see Will Mahoney. He Is truly a great artist. . His dancing and singing and eomedy falls are iabout the best and funniest things Imaginable. We laughed until w^e cried at his antics; Mahoney is one of the stage's very best, AND HOW." Direction liALPH G. FARNUM 1560 Broadway ' Amusements in'27 $14,01)0,090 in Net Under '26-7,136 Corps. Reported 14 Foreip Beauts \ IMris.^Nov, 1». ■' Foiir teen girls i-epresenting France. England, Poland, Austria, Russia, fJormany, Spain, Italy . .-^nd:. Sweden'.:Sail Nov. 15. on . tlvoi "Presi- dent Harding", liiidcr the direction of James Carrier to ; appear in American picture theatres. Air of the gals are professional beauties, several having beoh picked from Parisian revues; ''Miss Lux- emburg" developed appendicitis at last. moment and cannot gp. .; ^Venture has been highly, pub- licized on conliiieht. Variety Costs job ' Paris, Nov. 2. Mrs. Ogden Reid, v.lfe of the owner of the Iler.Ud "Tribune, In New York dropped in here the other day. A reporter on the Now York Herald, also Reid-owned, called upon her for an Interview. The reporter Is a Variety reader. He usually sees the celebs vis- iting Paris. Meeting Mrs. Reld, the re- porter immediately quit* the Herald when sa;ying: "Hello, sister, what's; your racket?'' Cliffs "Letty" Closing London, Nov. 13. "So Long Letty,'* produced by Laddie Cliff and featuiringr his . wife, Phyllss Monkman, has posted two weeks' notice. It will be re-wt-itten" by Stanley Lupino prior to opening » six weeks' Yuletlde season Chester. Funny iPace'* Hit of London Season So Far LoiuWn,. Nov. 13. . '"Fiinny .Face,"; opening .;it Prince of - AViUes,;. Nov^ S, With : Fred and Adele Astaii-e and Leslie Henson, is the biggest hit of the .London season to date. House is sbUV solid to libraries for three months. Tragedy of success is smallhess of house.; Capacity is estimated de- priving; attraction of. $500 ai, niglit. No other West End house could be ■had. "High Treason," opening on Nov. 7. Is interesting, but does not api- pear to possess popular elements; It Is by Peinberton IBilling, former newspa,per man arid politician. In Man- Beards and MarsKalls London, Nov. 13. Seymour Beard, actor/ suing his wife, Edna Best, has been granted a diverce. He named Herbert Mar- shall co-respondent. Marshall's wife, Hilda Uoyd, also named Miss Best In her suit for. di- vorce grajited same day aa Beard's but not yet made flnaL World Trotting Revue London,,Nov. 13. Due; to the consistent busines.s, .tack Buchanan's "That's a Good Girl" will remain a;t tho llippb- drome until next spring. Buchanan then contempliates mak- ing a World tour. Negotiations are progressing for the .show to see New York after Its London run, with Australia to follow America; . Washinf^ton, Nov, 13.: Of the V.lSG anuisenient corpora- tions reporting for 1027 there were 3,5SS that fihi.shed the . year to a net profit, accbrding to statistical data oh Inoonuv tax returns made public ^rohday.;■.; ■ ■ - . The 3,5SS had a gross intake of $653,332,833.; Net figured down to $72,460,155 upon which income, tax of; $8,555,724 W'as paid the govern- ment. • Against the; approximate $653,- 000,000 gross intake and net of $72,- 00,0,000 for 1927 the corpora.tlohs of this class with earnings in 1.926 re> ported their igross at $696,468,939 and a net; pf $86.631,003. This di.scloses that IJ^st year (1927) \vas approxinvttely $14,000,- 000; Under' tlib year preceding on ■ the /g.ro.ss earnings and $14,000,00.0 uncie'i' on the net; intake. ■ Figures for 1927 disclose 3,5-ii8 aniusemerit . corporations reporting no net. They did a gross business. of $210,325,015,: but ended the year with a combined deficit of $32,329,- 105.. . ■■-. \ For 1926 the no Income reporting contingent numbered 3,440,corpora- tions with a gross of $194,284,110 and a final deficit of $31,532,815. Under "amusements" the bureau classes: legit producers, legit thea- tres, motion picture producers and theatres, parks, bathing beaches, olf Hnk.s, race tracks, skating^ rinks, etc. POLITICAL DIG SKIT London, Nov. 13. John Drinkwatev's sketch, "John Bull," specially written for the Col- iseum, opened there last night. It's a sly dig at prominent poli- ticians and okay for Coliseum, but not for average -vaude audience. PANTO SEASON London, Nov. 13. "Flying Squad," .the Edgar W;al- lace-Narry O'lBrien show, closed at the Lyceum Dec 10 to make way for the annual pantomime. Peggy O'Ncil, shgw's star. Is seeking a .suitable vaudeville turn. Fight on Theatre Ad Rate in London Test London,. Nov. 13. • "Theatre managers arie quarreling with the "Evening Standard," which wants to booist Its rates about 40 per cent. Ads continue at old ratea for a four-week truce period while the niatter is thrashed out., . Managers do not object .to adver- tising rates so much as to the great number of publications they are supi>osed to use and are inclined to make an Issue of the "Standard" case. • Managers recently dropped most of their ads from the "Referee" when discovering that Chance New- tonl England's veteran critic, waa 4 not drawing commission from the ads iis they had all supposed. New Music Head ijondon, Nov. 13. Horace Sheldon, for many years musical director at the Palladium when under Gulliver control,, re-, places George Sakcr at the Alham- br'a shortly. - lie was to have England's Champion Playwright Efl.trar Wallace is not going ,tb America after all sfV-iled 'a fortnight ago to. prf;duce '"The S(Hicaker," himfWilf, with the Shuborts'as partners. Now, they have d.-'uidexl to do -The Ringei-" in- stead, and Wallace is merely leaving it to Canipbr-ll Gullan. Had he gone over, of course, it would have pu.shed on one side all the Noel Coward publicity, If any, because Wallace has really .'ion-.ething to .«ay. He has vleivs on politirs, art, hci'se-racintf. fictinn and hini'-eir, and is a virile and fa.sclnating personality. Hf .fun beat-Cochran at publicity. II'- <"an b-nt Ciward at .sji-w.-d- ■^v-riting. He can beat both Cochran and me in nrrM^'-inob. Cancelled Artiste Gets $1250 Verdict For Damage . $2,500 for Stowaway Zep Kid Goes Into Palflce Next Week on 5-Week Keith Contract. Frank Tcrhune, the ID-vear-old Graf Zcpf)ell,n stowaway, opens to- morrow (Thursday) at the Statb, Jers^iy City, and comes Into Keith's Palace next week at $2,500 a week. Terhiine is in for flv© weeks with an option for 10 more. Harry Ilcichenbach booked the world's first transatlantic aerial stowaway" arrect"wTIh~Ke Embassy Brings $600,000 London, Nov. 13. Bmba.s.'<y Club has been .^old for more' than $600,000. Lulgl-, the furrn'^r owner. Is retained as man- Direr at a salary of $30,000 a year. Eniba!-;s-y Club has 2,500 payinit< ; r..- n l.'-r at $40 per head annual \<Uir-a. JAilKi bought the .property ■ ;.'..rri<- y'-jLf:-: ago for $30,000, but i .-^uik rii'jch more before It clicked London, Nov. 1. A decision favorably affecting variety arli.sts was handed down this week. Flora, Cromer, music hall art)."it, sued the Alhamljra, Lon- don, for breach of contract and damages to her reputation. ,. Miss Cromer w.-xa cancelled after the second performance, of a threc- a-day bill, but her full week's sal- ary wjis tend'-'rod. ■ Sir O.^w.'j.ld Sloll, of the Alhambra. on the stand gave it as hi.H opinlbn that where an artist fail.s In London and deei'les to eV,mjTiUf' he is doing him.self barm. It would bo better to fall out of Uie bill with a doctor's certHi ffti<•,- -he--sa 1 d;- with -irn-npjmr--' tunity given tu liirn to eariCf.-l bcni.-- fif.ljil to hirri, as a real artist under- "57/1 n(iTTit' 71 rid" JiiTy^])<>. r.«on wiIfi~t - mIT^' I)nr,am"nt f"i'l.s ii.,^ Mi.'^.s C'roru'-r d»:iiie'l fli;;t "<1." h-'i'l "i\'.>U\H-t\" -ATui the- jiiry" aw arM' il h' l <l;iiii:U"-H. '■ ' • "Bird in Hand" Shubcrta Lc).riilori, N'j.v. 'i '1. Shubr-rta have aii^cf jjfi d pt i- i.-.i' terms on J'lhn l)r\-s\k:'.'ui'T'H p'lv ■'IJird in HaU'l " rio!i;'ii(.n laf i in .s'v'i.^on for Ne.w I'li '.:. Xmas Mailings Washington, Nov. 13. Professionals with friends playing abroad will be Interested in the final mailing dates set down by the Post Onic© Department for Christ- mas greetings. From the lengthy list the follow- ing were selected: Australia (Sydney only), Npv. 24; Cuba, Dec. 22; England, Dec. 14; France, Dec. 14; India (Bpmbay only), Nov. 21; Jamaica. Dec. 19; New Zealand, Nov. 23; Scotland, Dec. 14, and South Africa, Nov. 21. Department states that It Is not practicable to state when parcel post sh.ould. _,be_ mailed _bef;a.use. p_f euistpni formalities that must. In most cases, be compiled with by ad- dressees before actual delivery Is made. INDEX