Variety (Dec 1928)

VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE 8 St. Martin's Place, Trafalgar Square Fn P 17 1 r* N CABLE ADDRESS: VARIETY, LONDON V/ I\ i:- M \J 6276-6277 Regent . Wednesday, December 5, 1928 London as It Looks By Hannen Swaffer '. iXindoJii Ko v. 23. . Tailiilah ,Biiiils.!vo.-i(V wiir 5=l)ortly bt> the" eountops de. Bosdari. which will, soujid vei-y Avi-U in. AJnIjam, Tallulah :is ,stil) ;i<:nng in ."Her Card- ■ hitsirjil■ Lipvrr."':: T.h e;.you-nj; man who now says. h<? i.<?;.g0infe to marry'lier has. beoni ■koc'pins .3.t. frijnv- 'he. jiai)(.'r,s .fur . some .wc-fks.- So has Tallulah, :Coiuradi.<>t!<.nfr hiipju n . visN.'illy,, cvon b^.-foro ' roi aliif-s are' ofCit-jaUy ?n-- Tallulah's Younp. M.an. . Vouiift- do Jlosd.ari\ who played crickc'i for WincliesiC'r, is a very good looking young man, who, during .the last few month?, .1 believe,, has made aboiji $i,00(!,000. He started business life in the publicity department of Sfelfridgo'g. • Then he was associated . with the Gladys Cooper's beauty creams, . 1 next heard of hinv pushing the Panotrope, Then he was on the. board'of British Brunswick, which, I beJiovo, is a grambphoiie com- pany; -.-Js'owy I: think, hp hasC^ started .sn.tAo tallcinjt-^-fiJm-brJgaj^ . He. knows Svhere the. money is. .■ . . ' AhihOhy yvas; formerly,, engaged to Enid .Stamp-.TayloV. I once re- member his gctiihg ijiiito angry because I introduced her to Archie .Selwyrii who imnlediately offVr'ed her a job in Xew York. Tony did not wrtnt her lo leave Xlbiuh).ii. • Short-Lived Romance ; That, hciwever, was soon brolten off, and he then became engaged to- 'Josephine Fish. He married her in March. She divorced him a f<ew ■:weeks agfo.:;.'. V; \ i. * ■ ' Tallulah, says that Tony has settled $500,000 on her and that she is going to se:ttle down. I, should like to know Tallulah when she has .settled down; It will be a (Juieter l/ondon. ■ ' I shouid also like to' spg Tallulah take the young maqsa down to the plantations of Alabam. Ho^y . the blacks would cheer the young massa. Oh, that melon! There is no: need today. The blacks go to the white;: parties after the London theatres close down. Alabam his come to-.Mayfair.- ' Thinking of Amierica reminds .me that Mrs.. Meyrick came otit of gaol yesterday rnbVningV We. do our bootlegging in a really civilized way. They called ^Irs, jleyrick "The <j[ueen 'of the Night Clubs" and gave her six monthsr. When .she came out, shei was met by her daughter, who Is .now the Countess of Kinnoull, 6f. all things in the world and the Earl of KLnnbull.-.who drank some milk, which he bought from a passing m^K- riian,-while he waited.. , At night, they gave, the old girl a "party," The young Baron de Cllf- fo'rd, who married another of the night, club queen's daughters, was there. \pis mother wais Eve Carrington, a-Gaiety girl. Meantime, the .Home Secretary is cleaning up the night clubs like the devil; Although I told him all about them foiir years ago, he has only ju.st heard. It all happened while Mother Meyrick was in gaol. Jackie .Plays With the Trains ; .Meanwhile, Jackie Coogani undisturbed by all this excitement, ha'S been playing with a toy train. ; He went bn'at the" Palladrum,'last MohW day .liight, to earn 3,000 dollars a week, with his lather, and when the page girls came on in the seco"nd house and gave hiim a'toy traini he ■ acted very nicely,: pretending, like a real grown actor, that he had not been .presented with the same train at the first: performance. That Is what I call acting—being jpieased twice. Still/ Jackie Is very serious about this train: When I. weiit to tea with him the other , day, he wanted to pliay with it all the time, even although, it requires the "vvhole ballroom and relays of hot water. When I told him the bfst toy trains in the world were made so'mewhere. in Oxford street, he described the shop to me and all the engines they had In the store, having expert views on all the prlceis that Hamley's charged The Value of a Name 1 should think the. Coogan turn worth $200 a week without the per •sonality plus. That, of course, is very great. Still, when Jackie'recited ''Pershlnjg at . the Front," a rude man at the back shouted '"Why Pershlngr' and-iny oTtlce tyiplst, in taking down my account of this for the next morning'.s, paper typed it "Why Persian?" never having heard, I suppose. Out-pf-pate Animal Acts , There.Is a lion act on the Palladium-hill, over a dozen lions and tigers and things.like th.at. We hate those things in England. Some people walked out. Scoreig. of people have written, to com Plain to me. Artists have complaiijied to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals . I .don't know what the law is on your side, about performing a,ninlals, but my own feeling is that it ought to stop. Give the human belng.s a -chance. Don't cage up wild beiasts merely so, that, the fatuous can^grliv Because lions arc said to have boh.ived. cruelly to ChrlBiiaiis In the days of Nero, there is no reason why Ms-e should gft our own back, centuries Afterwards. RIVIERA SEASON 1 Continued trom page 1) {next month, but it won't, for the I r<;ason that if French contractors I irver got anything done on tinie .|hoy'd lose their building permits. • Even so. the su'clier trade will^not mind w'aiting a bit. How much money is in the racket? .. Gambling profits Well, the Cannes Casino admits onicitilly it made 51,000,000 francs this last yea,r. That's better than two million bucks. . Mice's Casinos touched $5,000,000' and Monte Carlo (which doesn't an- nounce its swag) i?roba,bly. made more than'these two put together. It has had to build a swell rub- ber beach, and a terraced tennis club (latter costing $2,000,000) to find a way to^ get rid" of some of ■its riches. '.• ■ Then there's the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo. Wholly high '. hat trade. It probably did- more buoi- noss than - all the public tables of the big towns. Monte Carlo plays a nice b^ilance between stripping the chump and entertaining him; .with opera, aquariums and band concerts. The aquarium is the finest in the world, which isn't tojae wondered at, con- sidering all tire poor fish they have to. dra.w from.^ . There's a henevolent dictatorship about Monte. Carlo that has its box office value. You have to show your passport and pay 10'francs;,to play at the mob tables. Natives are not allowed to gam- ble, showing the.- prince la really a square-shooter with his friends. Natives do hot have to pay- taxes either. Casiiib syndicatie pays them for everybody. These are not so high, as there is no army or na,vy in on the cut. Puhlicity frOm these places is badly orga.nized, being' chiefly hit or miss, but resort correspondents have Only one formula anyway. Only winnings (?) are put On the wires. . But. the casinos aren't the whole works. Lots of- opportunities eVse- where fOr lightweight entertainers. Dancing turns, song and gagsters and sax seduces are needed in al- most every hotel, bar and tea room between Hyeres and Rapallo. This is afternoon work with a special high spot about . 6:30. A vaude turn can Nurml between a. hotel and a theatre, and with a little forethought collect some ex- tra Jack. Ten inlnutes satisfies the the tea-topers. After that they want to hoof a bit themselves. The Gigolos These entertainers do not come into open competition with the gigolo. The gigs give dance les- sons In the morning at these tea rooms, hotels and casinos, and In the. afternoon pay oft the dumb dowagers with a few free dancejs, the femmes paying the brioche bill. But they sit but the vaUde turn like everybody else and applaud ever so politely. Gigolo night work is extra and ia charged at whatever price the traffic wiil bear. Some of these free lance pleasure men make 100,000 francs a season, but work hard for It Others, falling into the ranks of the easy money mob, make nearly as much. As one-woman gigs, they have no morning work. All these gigs move from jesort to resort; "always^belhg lM' the" Tight place at the high season. London Chatter London,' NOV. 24, ■\Vho "says an actor can't hold on to his money. El\vood F. Bo.stwick admits owning $200,000 In real estate holdings in a valuable and fashionable part of Long Island, Gladys Frazin, American, star- ring in British Filmcraft's "Power Over Men," by bennison Clift, will take the second plunge .into matrl- hiony whll6 here, Bridegroom not nominated, nationality American. Gilda Gray in "Piccadilly" will ie through about the end of the month. The Hungarian Restau.ra,nt which opened here recently and is ruA by the Hungarian Government has; foi* Its head -waiter an Italian, while most of the serving help in soup and fish sp^ait excellent Russian and F^*ench. The guy who checks your hat is an Englishman. Mrs, George Banfleld, wife of the direOtor of pictures of Efrltish Film- craft; how and then takes a fling at pictures 'under the professional name of Gabrielle Morton, She' is the daughter of the late C. M. S. Mac- Lellan, author of "The Belie. Of New ■Tprk;" niece of Madge Lesslhg and the sister-ln-^la'w of Yvonne Arnaud, the famous French artiste. : "The Trial of Mary Duga,n'' closes, at 'tl\e Queen's, bee. 8, - and will be replaced by "Burlesque," starring Nelson Keys; ; ' Egypt By EDWARD ASSWAD Cairo, Nov. t. Opening performalnce of the Rob- ert Atkins, ShakespeareAh company Royal opera house, >'as big social event. Play was "As You Like It." Performances of Stella Arberilna as Ro.salihd and of Duncan. Yarrow as Touchstone were outfitandlns. : Fir-st performance given by Loie Fuller's dancers at the Alhambra ^theatre, Alexandria, was warmly greeted.. Company .is playing a fortnight at the Kursaal theatre, here; before continuing a tour to Beyrouth, Alep- po, Constantinople and Bucharest. Amateur musical society here has produced the following operas with great success: "Mikado," GOndo- llerSi"- "Yeoman of the Guard," "lolahthe" end "Merrie England." Ernesta May and , Painter are dancing at the Kit .Kat Klub and doing well.. CiaSino de Paris: Among the artists performing at the Casino de Paris are belysia and Rabaiioff, Duo Slasclow, /Mllei Wan- / da Cilika, Mile. Regiria Dartcourt, Salsp Sisters, Mile. Emmy, Krauss, Lys May,' Miss Louise and Mlle< Mimi. Charlotte Lyses, comedian, has opened at the Alhambra,: presenting "La Ame Femme de Barbe Bleue,". by Alfred Savolr. Cast includes Co- negliano and Silvio de Predelll. The Marcellinl company visited the Verdi theatre to more or lesff success; Phyllis Titmus, revue star, was married Nov. 15 in London tO Ilicli-. ard Watney,^ of the family of brewers.'.. ■ In the presence of a number of members of the Russian aristocracy, Marthe, third daughter of Chaliapin, was. married in • the Russian Church in Paris Nov. 18 to Daniel Gardner, EngHs.il engineer. . Stoll',5 Self-Boosting . I. was surprised, after seeing that E. A. Baughan, in Daily News, had called;John. Drinkwater's play, '.'John Bull Calling" a show about lit. for a village hali, to see, in the Referee, a reference to Mr. Drink- water".s' "masterly skill," "satirical touches,"' "an interesting, addition to Mr. Drinkwater's dramatic output" and so on. But then I suppo.se. they: had to say something. You see, the " London Coliseum is run by the same Oswald Stoll who runs the Referee, and as the Palladium seems to be on the barred list, the man who does "Round the Music Halls" was confined to thip Coliseum, and the Alhambra, which are both Stoll houses. ' ' The Palladium did not advertise in the Referee last Sunday. In fact, heavly all the theatres had struck. Years ago, the Referee used to be taken seriously. Now, theatrical people merely say, of it, "'Why do we still .t.ike It in?" I have tried to buy it twice,, but Stoll, I believe, rather fancies himself as a director, of public opinion.. Plain Facts About Tdurlng What on earth is to become of the touring proposition? Neither -"(iBroadwayi='-nor=^i^ThcJCrialjJi3^ capitals, made money in any city except one of the greatest size: "TKls applies to the whole world, not just England and America. Julian Wylie has a very gObd musical gomedy in "Mr. Cinders" with Bobbie Howes and Binnie Hale. Yet, at Sheffield, last Monday night, when he took $605, this was regarded as extrJiordlnary trade. At Cardiff, two weeks ago, even "Funny Face," with Leslie Henson and the Astaires got but $5,000 or slightly over. Although "The High Road" made $40,000 in Londoh, Tom Walls, who produced it, told me yesterday that, after rehearsing a really fine company for the road, one as good as the'London one, he found that the tour lost $15,000! "If they don't want Lorijsdale," ho said, "what on earth do they want?" The Moss Empire houses, now Once-nightly, cannot find shows. The beat ones do well, other.s do dreadfully. Provinces Off 'Dugan*' . London, Nov. 20. The sticks -/lere didn't favor "Mary Dugan." Road . shoW sent out by Sir Alfred Butt to cOver the provinces came back after a dis- astrous fbiir or five weeks. Some of the members filled in w.alk-on parts in the London com p.-iny. " '■ ■ ■ . •, 'The London company of "Mary .Dugan" will about finish In another three weeks. Management has only to give the cast a w^eek's notice. SAILINGS Dec. 18 (London to i^ew York), "Good News" company (Majestic) Dec. 14 (London to New York), Will Fyffe (Leviathan). =-^DecT -12=-(yancouy-et.^tQ^Syi3ney)j Alan Bunce, Ruth Nugent, Two Davys (Ao'rangi). bee. 8 (New 'T'ork to Stockholm) Greta Garbo (Klngsholm). Dec. 6 (London to New .York) Serge Rachmaninoff (Berengaria). Dec. 1 (New York to Paris): Alex ander Patty (Paris). Nov. 28 (Paris to New York) Mme. Albert Ka,ufma.n, Jacques Feyder (He de France). Nov. 23 (Paris to New York) George Pierce (Leviathan). "The Love Lorn Lady," a new play by Frederick Jackson is to be staged by Leon ^'i;^ Lion provincial before coming to the West End at Christ- mas. Cast includes Renee Kellyv Jane *Wood, Fabia Drake, Buena Bent, Francis Lister, Patrick Wad--' dlngton, Richard Gray. Mabel Russell (Mrs. Hilton Phil- lipson), the first actress member of Parliament, Conservative member since 1924, has stated she will retire. Miss Russell gained the seat when her husband was obliged to stand down. Both have-decided they will give up political life. The Brigade of Guards (crack regiments) is to have its own river- side country club next year on the banks of the Thames at Maiden- head, where their boat club was sit- uated and wh^e, although women guests were allowed, no music or dancing was permitted. Night club amenities are to be in- troduced to fight the opposition of neighboring resort!?. The idea oirigl- nated with the Earl of 'Portarling- ton, formerly an officer in the Iri.-jJi Guards. Nice Chatter By Frank Scully. .Nice, Nov. 20. Strike in . port of Marseilles jam med location trip and shooting schedule on "Venus," Constance Tal- madge's Afrl,OrRiviera production One big ship loaded for Corsica mysteriously sunk In harbor, but otherwise hasn't resulted in any thing serious. George Jacoby shooting .'exteriors on "Infidelity" at Corsica, Napo- leon's island birthplace near here "Infidelity" is from . ''Vendetta" by Maria Cdrelli. Production is for "Dr. S. Markus. Susy Vernoq and Henry Edwards in cast. . Fred Paul of Welsh-Pearson-El der, English outfit, due In Nice for exteriors on "The Brolten. Melody." George Galli, a Nlcois, is in the cast New company called Societe de J2E0ductliiin_.jie.-_Bivifira^_jg:Al^ £d. A. R. Fred heads it. Adclqul Millar's company here on scenes of "The Light on The Sum- mit," using Gorges du Loup for lo cations. KUrsaai theatre has been success^ ful vvrith Greek operetta directed by" Mme, Olympic C. Ricciardi. company includes Zozo Delmias,. Mary Fleury. Koula GulsOppa, Anna Rousso, Mme. Nezer, Michel Cofi- niOti, Manos Phllippidis, Christopho- Niezer, Alexandre Ardandpflf, Con* stantin Pomorit and Plemenldls. Paris, Noy. 22« The Paris revue is dying a slo^ but sure death. Foreigners who have supported the existence of It are surely an- houhclng their distaste for revues by becoming' conspicuous by theii' absence. French people never were' fond of revues. About the most agreeable surprise Paris has had of late is the pleas- ant way the people here have takea' to the talkers. The lifetro house, Miaideleine, !• starting to book seats way In ad- Vance, something unheard of Irf France before. El. Garron opened'its new place almost next door to where it was on Rue Fontaine, in Montmartre, th^ other night. Very few • attended. Rather disheartening to the South. Americans interested in the rendez- vous. They were warned that Mont- martre is dead, but refused ot take heed. Considerable interest here about Constance Talmadge's picture which she' is making at Nice.under direc- tion of. Louis Mercanton. It is the first quota picture. - All the players are French with the. exception of Constiance. Booked for Paris . Paris, Nov. 22. Arnaud and Lartigue have booked the Aero Polo Players for the local Empire, commencing bee. 28, Four brtohs, Roth and Shay, Jack Stan- ford arid Van Horn arid Iriez are due here in January; yaughan' de Loath in February; -'the Ingenues" for next April, after they have played the , Riviera, opening at CJannes Feb.. 16, Oscar Dufrennes with Paul Fournier and. Henri Portelly have been visiting London for acts for the Fournier circuit this season (Empire, Folies Wagram, - Bobino, and the new Plaza to open In March). They were accompanied by Henry Carson; The 18 Jackson girld are listed for the Plaza, and Jessy--=Ruddock-s =glrls..=.f or-=-.a jiea^ production at the Folies Wagram this winter. Shooting "Oriental Adventures" at Touggourt, down on the Sahara. Dolly Davis. Claire Rommer, George Charlla In the cast. Sofar picture. Maurice Glelse contemplates pro- ducing "Allah Is Great." Just fln- tehed "You Belong to Me." The Tiller Dancing Schools of America, Inc. 54 WEST 74th ST., NEW YORK MARY REAP, President Phone Endlccitt 821G-« . New ClnsMf) Now Farming