Variety (Nov 1928)

Wednesday, November 21, 192& LEGITIMATE VARIETY 53 KENT SUSPENDED 9 MONTHS BY EQlIin; SECOND TIME FOR HIM William K<'nt was suspc-nrtiHl by . Ikjuity for nine ..months by . the Council Tuesday afternoon. He w;a« disniissetl summarily from 'iVps-a- paisy" at the Shubert rec'ently after a number of:lapses. He was repeat- edly in unfit condition due to drink- Jng to appear and is reppi'ted hav- ing ftillen into the orchestra pit dur- ing one peifornianoe. ]t is the second featured player to be suspended from Equity within a ■week, Margaret Lawrence beins set down for six months at last week's : Council session. It is. the .second time for Kent to be puni.shed by Equity. Last spring he was let out of "Funny Face" for similar of- fenses.. Kent will nof. be permitted to appear on the legitimate stage for the balance of the sea.-pn. Bad lan- guage to 4)ther p.layer.s when Jjparely able to go through with his part was Bald to have bcoh included in the charges fil^d against him by Loui^ Gensler, piroducer of "Ups-a-Daisy." Margaret Lawrence .was suspend- ed for six months from gdod staiid- Ing in Equity by^ the . council last ■ week. ' Charges that. she. was unflt- id perform in "Possession," in which she w-as featured and was to be starred, were submitted by the office of Edgar Selwyn and not con- troverted by Miss Lawrence. , She did not appear before this cduncil. The actress claimed that a. taxi accident was the cause of her ab- sence from the Booth. The show was about to caheel and the audi- ence dismissed when Spring. Bying- ton was summoned, from a he.arby restaurant.. Miss Lawrence roLu.sed to be ex- amined for the allegied injury whien Dr. Stern called at her apartrnent at the request of Equity. The producer, through John Zwicke, company manager of "Pos- Bession/' presented a bill to Equity .for $1,800, chai'ged a.gainst Miss Lawrence's lapse as expense in- curred in switching Mary Poland Into the lead. Tn addition to the sus- pension, council fined Miss Law- rence two weeks' salary, which about covers the . Selwyn clEiim. "Pbssessipn"^ moved to . the . Miller theatre but i-emained only another week or two. Miss Lawrence retired from the stage several years ago to wed Or- son D. M.unn, wealthy publisher, two daughters resulting from the union. She divorced him to wod Wallace Eddinger. Miss Lawrence has start- ed divorce action against Eddinger ©n statutory proundff. . Rehearsing in Speak "raymate.",' culled a contem- porary drama, will be produced by H. B. Norri.s, newcomer. Cast has Edward Colebrookj Willard Earl, r>. Curtls.s Hayward, Barbara Clegg. Caroline AVest, Vincent Fi- ©re and Herbert Pratt. Joe Byron Totten is director. It is being rehearsed in a speak- easy on 49th' .street. The actors J??yS^.JP.oy.n the dopr and be peered at suspiciously Tjefo^e^ihej" are admitted to their place of re- . he.arsal. Once inside everythiiig is. rosy. They , sit around the little speaks eapy tabl»s and when thirsty ring for a waiter. Some of the cast claimed to be teetotalers,- but this may have lieen„ an announcement -tnr thi?it:—liublic ■ ■ . ■ ' E. H. Sothern on Recital . Loui.sville, Nov. 20! E. H. Sothern appeared here '. during liast \freek in a.recital. The .smallest attendance of years was drawn. .. Not printed in belittlement of. Mr. Sothern, but as a sign of the picture times. Ciast Changes Fhcif-bo Foster withdrew from "Interference"' in Chicago Saturday, replaeed by Edna Peckham. Miss Foster left for New York to J?tart rehear.sals for a new .show, Harold Graxi has withdrawn from "Gentlemen of the Press" to join Chicairo company of "The Front Papf."' i-urrent. at Krlanger'.s Chi- cago. Ethel Stricklanii rf plm (> Clara "-p Iff n (1 It- ir-^l Tr="S-kTTitii ng r-=----==--== Elliott Xi!;;T-iir !•<■).ICddif Vvu.y.t \l ;i. ■'< Jofid r.i.iy.'' Pollock Withdraws as "Moneypenny" Moves Channing Pollock ha.s withdrawn from . the nianagemient of "Mr. Moneypenny," his newest drama! current at the. Liberty, It moves to the Cosmopolitan Monday, at which time A. L. Jones and Morris Green will handle the .attraction. Jones arid G-i:een are stated to have acquired a contr^olling inter- est in "Moneypenny," presented by Channing Pollock Productions, Inc. It is hoped the larger capacity of the COisrrioiDoiitah will give the spectacle-drama a better chance; Though it did fair business at the Liberty it failed to break even be- cause of ! .the large ,company and stage crew. It Is understood PollPck has an arrangement with- Metro-GoldWyn- Mayer to produce'at least one pla.y per season for the next six years. The M-G-M backing is believed to riemaih as Is in ;"^Mbrieypenny." Pollock's only conniection with the show now is supervision back of. the footlights. "Fox Follies" on Talkway • William Pox Movietone's "Fox P^oHies," the first musical comedy for the screen, has prompted Flpr- enz Zlegfeld to rush his plans for a 1929 "Follies." Ha,rland Thompson has written the book for the "Fox Follies" with songs by Gon Conrad, Irving Caesar and . Sidney D. Mitchell, with the likelihoPd that Clark and Mc- Cullough will participate In the Movietone revue. Ziggy's claim to the "Follies" title exclusively was legally nullified in the case against the "Greenwich Village Follie.s," but Ziegfeld re- sents Fox's a,dpption of the "iFol- lies" billing. U BUYS 3 PLAYS Los Angeles, Nov. 20. . Universal has bought screen rights to "The- Luxury Husband," by Maysie Greik; "Flaming Daugh- ters," by Bea,trice Van, . and "The Drake Murder Case," screen orig- inal, by Charles A. Logue, who will write his own adaptation and con- tinuity. Edward Laemmle will direct the latter. Newspapers Plugging Fail to Bring Patrons Into Theatres JACK LINDER . . Producer of "Diamond HI" • Clicks with Another Ttit "THE SQUEALER" Now at Pori-est Theatre, New York "PLEASURE MAN'MRIAL IN NASSAU CO., VI Change of venue has beeii granted Mae West, authori and cast mem^ ,bers of "PleaBur'e Man"' by SuDreme Court Justice : Tierney, iNew York, switching the trial from New York to Nassau County, Long Island. . The change was granted upon ap- plication pf Nathan Burkan, coun- sel for Miss' West and co-defend- ants, upon premise; that'the authpr- esis ■ and asspclates could not be given a fair a,nd Impartial trial in New Tork City, biecause of the trend pf publicity given the raids and ;ar- resta. In. the petition, Miss West assumed a shrinking violet attitude toward the. publicity given herself and her homo opera. James Garrett Wallace, aissistant district attorney of New York County, will conduct the prosecu- tion of the case,/vtrhich Is figured to be tried next month at the Nassau County Court, Minepla> L. I. Long drawTi-out technicalities at^ tendant the case Since the raids and arrest of the ."Pleasui-e Man" cast several weeks ago has takcin its toll of hardship on many of the play-r ers, especially severaJ vaudevillians who had been Inducted Into the abpw and eould now be wprking in :vaudeyllle'were it hot for the hang- ing, over Indictments. A few got several weeks' work, but were, since adnibnished that if they left town agalii, for engage- ments or. otherwise, their bail ijonds would be withdrawn. Consequently all have been fprccd into! Idleness until after the trial and with many In financial straits. Last Legit , Harrlsburg, Pa., Nov. 20. . Finish of leglt shows In this city is forecast by the sale of the Ma- jestic theatre and the Adams Hotel, next door, to a syndicate of busi- ness men. A 9-story combination office building and crarage is propo.«ied. Passed Bad Check, Beat Hotel, Stole Shirt and Banqueted in TeiT^ **C. J. Powers" Gonvinced Rbberson Stock and Theatre People Fie Represented T'tfljlix TKea^ ASHTOIv STEVENS H. 0. Chicago, Nov. 20. A.'-ill(.Hi ■ ?^ic.•'•rj<. Ilnftiii - Kx- xniiintr- f > iric, walkod into Ht. LiiJ.f ".- , .T: 1 \''-tf rdiiy ffir oh- f«frv;,iii I ..| .| >>. i.f.Wiinf.' ovr-r \>c Terre Haute, Iiid., .Nov. 20, . A man giving, the. name of C. J. Powers and represonting himself as an official of the Publix Theatres, New York, called upon Manager Jim Wallace of the local liippo- drome where the. Rob<'rson PlUytrs were in theif closing perio.d of a •six weeks' engagoiiieiit. After talking to W.-illacc and mcmber.s of the company, I'owf-rs GU tli n ed=-l 1 Is^pl a nT=^-'l.t^wia.s^Jii.s^jiiijs^ -«ion, ho said,'to sf-oure. tho liobcr- s(jn Players for I'lililij: fnv I.,()Uih-' viflf.- So fa^m'iliar was .he. \\itli tin; .stock bii.«inf-.sK and thoalrf-s tiiat he had no trouble in making a favor- able impression. A b..'in()Uft was given In his honor by nifnibfTs. of the cast. . Xf'xt day Powc;r.« .ipr'"''ii"''d at ih':- tlHfitrf and produced a }'ar;ir/joiinf chf i k. said to ha\e been ff-r a hirgf amount. It wais cashed without question. . • Then Powers - left LonglsHome Hotel without paying hi.s holel hill and took with him one of thf be,<i shirts In W. i^red Wagner'.s (di- rector) wardrobe. It wa-s later- learn- ed hp carried no baggage of description.. Not been heurd froi'ii since. Investigation revealed lu' had ai n o--timo._ be.cn__wjtli I'ublix and Mifi lie wa.s being sought~by pfj.siltl^TTi'^ thorltics on a charge of u.«iiur !).'■ malls .to defraud. .- . . . . The company was about''i/i'-'di.>^-' band due to financial reverse."-' when Powers made hie first ar<p<";irarie(.'. According to his plan, the liolc rsoii Players would remain here f<ir i-.vr. more weeks, but they clo.'-ed ilv i: engagement Saturday and di-- handed. . ^linn<•:ll>^'lts, N\iv. III)-. After the siul box office faje lioro. of "Swurise"-jitd "In Al'rah.un's' Bo.<:oni"' during' lluv past for{ni.i;ht, local tlioaire nianager.s are oon- \*inCcd tliat newspaper di-aniatic eritk^isin.s and editorials iire power- less in siiniulating ilioatrioal attendaneo if U\e entertaiiunent isn't w'hat the pubiid . wiints. Both those worthy.allraetions, one a.Kox photoiiluy and the other a touring spoken dranio. ,had powerful iiiAvsviap<'r .sxippovr, liiit both took it on the chin'. . ' The .critics'.lauded both offei ing.s in the hi.o.-L syiporlative lenns and almost. bogged the public' to attend. - The Tribune eiinie out with-a two-cplunin head (iee.larfng .".Sunrise".'. to bo the linest of .' picUuros. Both the Tribuiio and Star nin editiirihls on'their regiilar' editorial page's urging that the .piil)lic support '"In Abraliani's Bosom." But, the pubUe e^^idently didn't want either of tliesc for it .re- mainoii away from them to a sluu'king extent. In a city Where, one ' of the c.oiyitry's lar.uost state universities is located and dtu'ing a period , wlien the state .school teai-hers' association was liolding its annual convention,."In Abraham's .r.osom" grossed los.s than .^-l,000 on' nine perfornianees, ' "Sunrise" turned in less than' $i l,.iiOO f6r the stat<\.disapjiointing gross consiilerinj; the tremedous' exiitoi.ta- tion and the-high cost of tlie piciure. Kdward yolherii Hipp, dranvatic critic of tlio Newark (N.. .T.), Siinday Gall, is .still b.ti rcd froni tlie. Newark; legit houses, by Morris Sclileslnger, who pporatcs the .Shubort and Broad St., fPr the Acme Theatre Co., in 'which the-Shuberts are interested, . tjchlcsing.or cjaims that he hold>4 ho animosity against .the Call and i;or so.ino tiinc-scnt:ticiiet3 ccaliwee.k .to William S. Hunt, editor of the paper, with the latter turniiig them back. Hipp has been buying each week'at both houses, with iSehleslnger resisting the urge to refuse his .moriby. Trouble .started when Hipp rajpped the Shuberts arid wrote that Newark's present leglt hou.se.s were archaic aind that the support given: Schle.singer din-ing the, prist few years merited the building of a . new theatre. Hipp jxnd S< hl<v;;nge.r were just like that last season, Hipp broadca,sting . nice things about shows playing Newark over the r.adio each wcoki. getting 12.") for; each talk. Likely that gave Schlesingcr the Shubert idea that the radio talk gave him .a moi'tgage on Hipp's carper. About the Graphic The' whole Newark affair-with Schresinger-Shubcrts and Call in New- ark Is in such splendid and marked; cohtiast to the despicable niethods of Macfadden's Grapliic and the Shuberts in New . Yorli that a little inside also on the New York thing mi.ght fall in here. Whereias Mr. Hunt of the Call wholly backs up his critic in the only and proper way by refusing ticket Courtesies, considering tlie hairing of the. critic bars the paper, with the Shubcrt-Schle.singer hou.ses, the Graphic proceeds on the. theory that when the Shuberts barred Walter Winchcll, its dramatic editor, and reviewer, it merely barred Winchell, Individually. ; The Graphic cai-ried that point so far as to install another reviewer fpr the Shubert houses aWne,. with that reviewer evidently instructed, to favorably notice Shubert att'rae.tion.s. Meanwhile the Graphic .secured ' some Shubert theatres' (Shubert shows). advertising, which preyiou.<jiy it had riot. At the present time it appears the Graphic would like to relieve Winchell as dramatic editor to have hini: continue as columnist only, in the hope that his successor wo'uld influence theatrical business instead of readers. The Graphic's attitude on the Shuberts and its theatrical department has been as terrible as the rest of the paper always is. It's the weakest- backed combination of business and editorial departments inerglng Into one, and the business department seemingly coritrolling that has been on exhibition •vvith a daily in the U. S. since the Lewises ran the,.Morn- ing 'Telegraph. It's almost a pity that Winchell doesn't do a Bro'un and write his opinion of the Graphic, either In his own column in that paper or some other paper. He might do it if for nothing else with the remote hope the Graphic would fire him, As that would cost the Grajjhic about one-, half, if not more, of Its circulation, the Graphic hkcly will do nothing of the. kind, unless the Maofadden bunch grows tired enpugh of hearing it is only held up.by Wincheirs following, to find out If that's so. But with its weak-kneed all-around business policy, there's small chance It will take th.at chance. The Keith Deal Another little bu.sincss-editorial deal the Graphic has made with the Keith theatres in New York is that as a reward for securing a full Keith display box of around^ 250 lines one day weekly, Monday, it gives Keith's an entire page lay out of free text that day, with cut.s and ) ead- ing matter for the remainder of the week. Once upon a time in New York Hearst's Journal sold a page theatrical advertisement with a condition that a Brisbane edito'i-ial would go with . it arid ' a Brisbane editorial did. That was ,once-upon a ..time. ./The . Jpurnal's page ad cost $1,000 in those days. Perhaps a Brisbane edltoilal wasn't Worth any more then. ' "Hottentot" Talker With Double Rights Sale W'iU'iiers have i)urci)ased "The Tl'ot'fcn'to't'' ~T7r fT'Titnre—-Hd'\rtri'd- lOvei-ett iforton. ■ l'i<'tur(.v was. pre- viouJ-ly rnade IjyDouglas .\feLean. .Story i'ights b'ought. fr'ini Thoina'^ Inre ^'siate arid di.'i.log rigiits: frrnn Sfini Harris, .who siage.-prodiif'>d 'he .«--h()W will) ^^'illiarn ("oilier. D. C. 16-Year Limit \\':js)iingtini, N.cjV. .20. .W \s ( iiiiil l;i'i(ir law i.s i)(jw.looked upon ]\f-v<- to fl(-linitr-lV Sloji any f'liihl ! ';jid''i' 10 .'.'C'lrs fif flu'e fiorn ajifi^'ar- | Ir.K ill Id'-al t)ie;i(f"s. j .'III (■I>iTl!i)ll fl'Ofrj llic ((ir'lJi/rii 1 loll i r'f)iui-<-,l ar;d )i" itifocuif'd tl.c ^;(jv- <-V!i it'll:'' !" It)y .1 li/irvc'ri ■ t h'<', I JiI "• f'ould not h" ^jr.'jnled a periiiii fn'r ,;ir,y : "■.'fi.': rer nn.de) HI. C;iffie Not Engaged ['.(<K'y.:Vy to I'fpofIS, 11. <'ii'>r)fr '.;'■;''• i ft': Jl''! l)'''-:; f-]ti'.ll l <\ il'l " 'J'li.^ . *.i I' I t: ''I' .-'l!< l.a.'' Montgomery Fails in Talk Test; Film Actor Subs '• Los Angeles, Xpy. 20. . Throiigh failure of liohert Mont- gotnery, N'ew York higit, to ('lii-k In t.'ilkr-r ;.(rst."-', .Samufil Goldwyn's, "(■'hilrls Klflh AveiiiU;" eonipany has lj<;en ord<'r"d to return' frfim loca- tion imrrM.'dia iely. Mot)lK(,nifiy was to have li.nl >ho. le.'uling iii.ilc role f>pj)i).-ile \'i:riia i{atil-:y. flolilw.'.n ha.i a)r,ui;;ed Vt t.ori-ow .l;nn':- i.l.'ill .•"iomi l';u';iriionril for the HELEN CHAN?)LER GOING TALK Helen'('hairilli'i'; pni'j ot tic; lead- ing group of younger legit j>layf'r», Is report'-d alni'd for the talking ;)ir'iiir<- f)"1d. Mike Connolly, of the Small .Ag'Ticy, hri.'< '.Mi.'-'s Chnndl'M's pic- ture, ,liM.<-in's.'' in his I li.'irge.