Variety (Jan 1929)

Wednesday, January 9, 1929 LEGITIMATE VARIETY 59 B way Legit Houses Not Pepped Up With New Holiday Arrivals Broadway ^as certainly not tieooed MP by the holiday production arrivals. Of the do?:en promleres only two are regarded na winners. A third may make the srado. At. least four have been taken off and most of the others should drop out. iBusiness on New Year'a eve. wa>5 very big. It always is. But the two foUowlnfr nights were . brutal. One . new show got $30 on the nlRht of Jan 2, while others were not much better with takings'of $60 and $70. One hit bettered $4,500 on the eve ^f iievr Yoiir's, with ..the next, night's trade flbp-lilce. Some rocoVPry later In the week, matinees osivccial.y standin^'. up, but the general gross level was little changed from that of Christma.=i week. ; ' "Oap.rico" looks the .best among the non-mu.slcal holiday <>ontrant>?, getting-$16,000 at tjic Guild; "Red Robe" was well regarded at the Shu-, tert; 'Kollo Daddy," at tho Mans- field, somewhat under that marK, ♦•Back Seat Drivers," Wallac.k's'. •'Street AVolf,'^ Garrlck; "Tomor- row," I-yceum, and "Potlphars; Wife," Oraig, taken off; "The Houseboat on Styx" fared., moder • ately. claiming over i^^'^^^y Way Street," Cohan, mild at $6,000 to $7,000^; "iPoppa," Blltmore, and "That Ferguson," .Little; weak at $Sl,00a; "Lady Dedlock," Ambasador, eot some carriage trade, but a run Is quostionalile; "Brother!'," 48 th Street, bettor than, most otlvors a', over $8,000.. .. : . The a;ddod closings Saturday and those slated to atop this week total 20 attraetlens within an aetu:i. seven-day period. An additional.2s closing? our of town are oshmated In and Out Closings and arrivals are: "The High Road," .Fulton (goes dark). "Hello Yourself," Casino, which gets "Boom, Boom," next vireek; . "Thir- Thing Called I^ve," Bijou (goes dark): "White Lilacs," .Tplspn (gc-s "Chauve-Sourls," Jan. 22; "Sign of the Leopard," National, whir-h ge^s "Zeppelin"; "Diamond Lil," . Royale. followed by "Precibus": "Young Love," Masque (goes dark); -islac beth," Knickerbocker, uelM :^^S[y- burn's "Gambols"; . "IIoi;se L n guarded" comes to the LlttK^ "Tiiat Ferguson Family" moving to the Garrick: "Gypsy," postponed, opens at the Kla w; "Cafe de Dance" may come to the Forrest; "Lady From Alfaqueque" will be added to the Civic Repertory. , Other withdrawals last Saturdajr were "The Pquealer," Forrest; "To- night at 13." Hudson; ''Angela Century; "Treasure Girl. • Alvln. "On Call Girl," Waldorf; "Tompr row." Lyceum '(gets "The Sl<yrock eV this week); "Falstaff," Coburn ("The Yellow .Tacket" resumes this •week), and "The Royal Box." Belr Darkness is as prevalent at, pie dieted on Broadway, a succession of flops being the an.swer. There are 13 houses dark this week and, de- spite the premieres carded for next •week, 14 theatres are figured to bo wlthodt attractions. Shows in Rehearsal "S. S. Glencairn" (Provin<-e- towners). •^•The Subway" (Lenox Jllll Playiers), ."Night in Venice" (Shu- berts). "The Undertow" (Mirth, Inc.). "Scars" (Spad Productions). "Long Island" (Phililp Good- man). "Bl.ick Belt" (K. A. Blatl); "Judas" (Brady &. Wiman). 18 SHOWS LEAW BROADWAY CARRILLO HELP OVER Henry Duffy Kesps Star on Coast- Postpones Australian Trip ,.Alvl riEARN Says "You Can't Afford to Miss CHARLES BUTTERWORTH'S COMEDY" in "GOOD BOY" HAMMERSTEIN'S THEATRE NEW YORK ..V deluge of .^howa elo.-^ing . on ;i'oadway .sinned Saiunlay when 11 •'iraetions were added to tl\e ex- iting list.. AniSther llock of with- 'r.'iwalfl are carded .lor thi.** week, when seven nvbre sliows are closing. \Vhat witli .several others due to -top, a.total of• ::o elo.Jlngs .will bo ii.'ted within a t\\o-'>veek period. ■ '•The Hi.u'h Hond.". iiresented .l>y'| i-h:'.:-les l>illin?;'.^;'in. uill. tour froi.\i the .Fulton at the ondof the week. L was rated with-the comedy, l.e.ad- •T.s for a time, avera.-^l.ng $18,000, ii'ports' are' that .,several' In ca-'^l nust return to'.London,. henco road •I this time^ . : '•Hello Yoursoir,'' presented by ;.-()rgo Choiis at the Casino.- w;n ;o to roatl. It ii< in the iVth week'. i'iisine.s>5 fair fi-r nui.'-'.eal of the 'Vind. lliuh around $::0,000, pace Iropped .to $;!6,000 or loss. HlLLLO YOUI^'SIILF Opened Oct. 20. Came in on a busy nigl-jt. Variety (Abel) thought com- petition too stiff for this one to survive. Jor nnusleal. Got $2-1.0'00, peri'eTil of eapaeiiy. about 50 San Francisco, Jan. 8. • Through . Henry Duffy exorcising his o'ptlon on Leo Carrlilp, the star will be obliged to postpone his Aus- tralian engagement for Willlamspn from Easter until June.: Duffy's option Is for 10 hiore weeks of the Carrillo run as visit- ing guest star. He goes to the Duf- v.'in, Oaklaivd. next week. In "Lom- bard!;" and then into Los Angeles with "The Bad. Man." Fioretta" Chopped; Got Baho's iRecord As pari of the butting. Schedule on "l-^icretta," the now Karl Carroll operetta, Tessa Kosta and the Lo- cust Sisters h:ivc been .eliminated along with their roles.. The, flr.st three isceiies wore cut but in their entirety in . HaUimore lost week where .the show premiered, a male sextet of 300-pounders also leav- ing. The gross for the week was $•11,000, opening at $5 New Year's Eve and on a .$4.40 . scale, for the rest of the week, a hew. hi.£?h for Baltimore, where Ziogfel.rs '-'Show Boat" played to $'3. "Fioretta," following Washington this week, .stays In Philadelphia at Erlanger'.s for three weeks, then to Broadway. House i.s undecided. It will hot he the Carroll. '-Vanities'" sticking there, and othcrwi.se elimf- nated. because of the limited capac Ity in view, of the -•'xpen.sive hook up of "Fioretta." There is talk of ti^lc being changed to "Marietta.' A *^Show Boat" Tab Burlington, Vt., Jan. A "Show Boat" company, tabloid, lig playing this section under the management of Karl Franklin. Freddie Wheaton heads a. company of 24, which includes a band of eight pieces. Gas-Lit Troy Theatre Belatedly Modernized Troy, N. Y„ Jan. As a result of the recent accideni, In which Georgiana Urrita, a dapcev in the Doris N-iles' Ballet,. almost lost , her life, the loca,l fire marsh;t: and building superintendent havi. ordered a number of changes in th<: safety provisions at Music Hall,, famous old concert auditorium. Elimination of 'gas lighting fixture.^', which \Vei-e blamed for the ignitin;:- of Misa Urrlta's conib or shawl In her dressing room, was. ordered, as well as the installation of a moto;- generator, set for emergency. us( The report of the building superin-; tendent also recornmended a door. Instead of a window in the rest roorn under the stage, be used foi exit purposes. . Music Hall was biiiU right after the Civil War and It. stage has been trod by most of the famous concert artists; lecturers, etc., of the last sixty-odd years. Miss Urrita is now recovering in Samaritan ho.'rpital. She was badly, hurned about the face, arms, biicl; and legs, birt doctors believe ph<' will e.<?cape pei^manent .disfigure- mont. TREASURE GIRL Opened Nov. 8. Atkinson ^Timcis) found "Barren enter- tainment," while Winchfell (Graphic) was "Vastly disap- pointed." • Variety (Abel) stated:"Not ■ $5.60." . ■"Tomorrow," lijdepen.dently ' pre-- sented at the Lyoeutu, was taken off Safin-day. Played 8 days. TOMORROW Opened Dec. 23. "Mild en-; tertainment — disc o n nected fiJmsiness," said Littell (Post), while Anderson. (Journal), found it "Terrifyinrjly dull. Variety (Mori) said: "Here-, -today, 'Tomorrow' gone." if- II. • '* Vv - I •This Thing - Called Love," pre- sented by V'atterson MeNut, , vvLll 1,1 lur from the 'Bijou iuter' an en- !;a:gcment of 17 weeks, starting at live Elliott. tJot .around $10,0.00 or tnoro for a thne and a%'.craged $S,00ii, oaking mohoy. "Back Scat Drivers," Independ- ently offered; off at Wallack's, Sat- lirday. Played two weeks. THIS THING CAtLED LOVE Opened Sept. 17. "Lightly in- teresting and amusing," ac- cording to Anderson (Journal). That sentiment the dominant not© of reviews. Variety (Lait) was em- phatically against it, statmq: "About five weeks, to be spe- cific." MARJORIE DAW IN STOCK New Troupe Preparing for Cohen's Tremont in Bronx "Dracula" Brought In oggERviNG mSS BEDDING The small standcomi'tuiy of "Dracula" closed at Younprstowh O., the players being brought back to New York by Equity Funds to cover transportation and .salaries were on deposit there William Tilden, 2d, the tennis champ, i-layed the lead and was ■ el.g6" fili^ort^ "lfr'"6n"th-e Knox Wilson TVas the accredited presente,-; and Sanford. E, Stanton too has a piece. . "Potii)hi.i.r\s Wife," an.: lOnglLsh comedy which opened tlie new Craig theatre atid which was with- drawn., last Saturday after, playing two weeks. ap.r>«ars to have run short, of fundsv . - The players were paid .ffi' IJV .Equity, wiiere guarantee:doi!.c:li was on deposit. , . )rby. Conn,. Jan.. 8. Grace Colo Redding.Who recently announced at New York that she intended to produce "The Whi.stler" through the Colo-Redding Theatrical company, has been sent to the re- treat at Middletown for observation.. jVjrs. P<L'l''"'5_*^'i"L® to Jhis city last w'eek ahXat"^^^ of rubber checks in variou.s stos-es. SPORT HERRMANN PETITION Chicago,. Jan. 8. Govenun-bllect Einmerson has been petitioned by north :Side busi- ness men and riesid.ents requesting that IT. J. "Sport" Herrmann be made the next president of the Lin- coln park board. Hei-rmann, owner of the Cort the- ^Atr.e, Js aiuvar Blthe.jtGMm«st^Iii£lLt^^^" men in town. "White LIlacES," presented by the 5-:huberts, goes to the road from J Olson's, after 17 weeks. Averagcu ;uound $20,000, principally by means of cut rates and parties. No real oin for operetta .so .sealed. WHITE LILACS Opened Sept. 10. _^Mantlc (News) was rather mdefinite, praising score, but not producj- tion. "Lovely, melodious »nd diverting," stated Coleman (Mirror). l j Variety (Abel), predicted^^ "Should enjoy a sizeable run. KOLICER'S L. A, TRY Los Angeles, Jan. 8. Henr.v Kolkor,. stage-screen direc- tor and actor, has bought produc- tion rights to "Ze Grand Passion," comedy-drama by Rita Kissln. Kolker expects to produce at a local theatre this winter and also play a role. ElVIA ENDERS' DIX HLM El via Ehder.s, now plaj-ius" in "The Little Accident," has been signed by Paramount to play oppo- site ftichard Dix in an all-talking, version of. "Nothing But tlie. Truth." Picture is now In production at the Paramount Long Island studio. WANT SPENCE'S 'CRIME CLUB' Los Angeles. Jan. 8. M-G-M is negotiating for the screen rights to Kalph Spence'.s new plav, "Thi!.t.:rinie Club." Stage.production is being held up pending outcome of these negotia- tions. Osborn, Critic, ImprovcB / H W. Osburn, dramatic critic of the-Ncw-York-KvenI^lg=^^:UJ^m.=undo^ treatment at the Auburn City Hos- pital'for kidney ailment complicated with high blood pressia;e. Is repoit- i:d as steaillly improvin.^'. Aim of Sydney Cohen, owner oC the New Tremont theatre^ In the Bronx, to put It across as a stock house, has resulted In another dra- matic stock troupe at that pluy- house. Cohen has leased the hous' to Frank McCoy for that piirpose. , Conipany la headed by John Gallaudet and Marjorle Daw, the latter of the films who, however, docs not join until a while latei Others are Mae Buckley. June Web- ster, Bronx girl; Richard Richard son, Philip Heege, Jack Meade and Mary Michael. David Cantor ban dling publicity. DOROTHY EG AN'S SEPARATION Syracuse, N. Y., Jan. 8. An order awarding Edward J, T-IgaiiT l'r)^'arTnit^^ ^ep.a- ration from Mrs, Dorothy V. Egan. .•letrcs.s and "Mi.ss Chicago" of 1927. wai) handed down here by Suprem' Court Justice Clayton L. Miller. Miller claimed that he was mar- ried here in 192n and lived with hl.s wife, for about a year when shq di.s- appeared. Egan claimed also that he heard nothing from' her until lie read of her beauty triumph in Chicago where she posed as un- married. The decree gives the hu.'iba,nd custody oC a sni.'iU child whom the beauty left behind when Ph<- v.iniped. "Diamond Lil," pr<>.sented by Jack hinder, tours from the Hoyale. after 40 weeks. In Pittsburgh next week A freak drama, attracted much at tentlon last season, averaging wel over $15,000 and holding over Into new season successfully. . Dropped lately to $9,000, BACK SSAT DRIVERS Opened Dec. 25. Critics awarded this one to their un- derstudies. ■ , Variety . (Sid) said: "Is ^go- ing to .have its troubles stick- ing six,weeks for film rights,' "On Call Girl," Independently shown; off Saturday at. Waldorf, Played 10 weeks. Cut rated right along, -but probably made som« money at $4,000 to $5,000 because of low cost hook-upi ON CALL Opened Nov. 10. Second string assignments. . Variety (Lait) statedJ "Not a chance on Broadway." "The Squealer,", presented by Jack Lindor, closed suddenly at the Forrest. Saturday, Played eight weeks to moderate ■ trade at first, then dropped. "Falstaff," presented by the Co.; burn.s, . taken off Saturday. Two wock.s. DIAMOND LIL Opened April ?. Passed MP by the major scribes. Variety (I bee) predicted: "Should get money." "Young Love," presented by Ken n**th MacGowan and Sydney Ross, leaves the Masque after, 11 week.s. Well regarded at first, getting $11,- 000. Lately around $7,000. FALSTAFF Opened Dec. 25. Erylne (World) said: "A spiritless piece performed very, much in the manner of an entertam- mont given in a village hall by the bored gentry." Variety (Rush) wrote: "Like enthusiastic amateurs, recent graduates from dramatic schools — altogether lacking professional quality." YOUNG LOVE Opened pct.^ 31. ^De«med pleasant" sfUff-bv- w^|8t-_of th^ boys. Littell (Post) thought it "flimsy purple rubbish. Gabriel (Sun) said: "Deserves to live and prosper. . Variety (Abel) found it "talky and aimless stano faro vyhich misses fire completely. I ^ STREET WOLF Opened Jan. i. Pinch hit- ters gave it a giggle. "Street Wolf," lndc|)ondently pre- sented, off at the Garrlck, Saturday. One week. "Sign of The Leopard," presented at the National by IjCO Shubert and Edgar Wallace, will elose after plijylng five weeks. Engll.sh mystery. )iece cut rated from start. '.'Macbeth" leaves . the. ICnlcker-^ bockcr, rated a successful revival. "The Royal Box," a revival that 1 didn't attract attention, clo.sed at i the Belmont. JOE LEBLANG ON COAST Palm Beach, Jan. 8. Joe Leblang, here for a cotiple of weeks, has left for Hollywood. He will visit therf* and return to this resort. "BLANDISH" AT HITDSON Jed H:irriK has shuffled phuis .again whereby he will bring his late.st legit, "Serena Blandish,", i" the .Morosuo. New York, instead of the Hudson, Jan. .21. er's Wench" for the Hudson this week, but discarded in Newark, N. J., last week instead of con.iiiu' in*. Harris tried to jockey bookings to permit "Serena Blandihli'" to substitute at the Hudson, but was offered the Morosco and grabbed it. "Little Accident," current at Moros- ro, will take to the road the Sai urday prev|f)Us to HarrlvV show Homing tenanoy. "Potlphar'.s Wife," independently done; .closed ;il the nt-w. Craig Sat. urday. i'la^ed two weeks. POTIPHAR'S WIFE Opened Dec. 25. ■'Puerile piece" voted Ervme (World), while Winchell (Graphic) found nice sets, but 'frail v'ariety dbee) thought sexi- ness might carry it for a rriod- erate engagement in cut rates. Duncan Dancers Have Tough Time of It in O. H. Isadora Duncan Dancers, im- i ported from Soviet Ru.ssia with the Ihtenllbn of making 11 tour of the United States, achieved. one ca- Laelty audh-nee, their Last, during- the holiday engagement nt the ManhattJin. Oijera House. I'-lnal dance rf;citals w^re continued with Just a pianist. Irma Dunca;!, adopted daughter of [the late Isadora, heads the troupo. Future bookings are Indelinile. "TonlKht at 12," pre.sented by Herm an-Kh un>lln..and^DDJiaI ( lJ)AyJ>!.:. closed at thft . Hudson Saturday, playinfr « weeks "An'.'ela." p'resenK'd by thv\ Shu •bertH;.''closed at the Century S.'it- urday altiti- five we.-ii.s. Mov<.d from Ambas.sador for purpo.-M3 of cut rat- ing but apparently hopeless "5 o'clock Girl" Closes Ti'IVVi^o'nio« K="""GlTF-=^closed---l n- Newjirk, N. J., Saturdny. Alth.iiigh one of J'.roadWiiy's bhr money sliows la.st s'-ason, the IMilI Goodman attraction fouttd it ti.\)f;h sledding on tour. The show was booked for Montn-al this week, the inj? but apparently in^ij^i-n ci.-,. - . , , , . . .... K^,K;l"<^<'Hatlon beluK fore.-d. "Treasure Gu-1," presented by ..pjy,. o'clock Girl" was n-portf-d Aarons and Freedley, tak-n .''^.M »<.,,.int,''IvM-n hooked up ^vlth a loo '♦ho Alvin ;-'.".turdr':. 'if'-: f ' ■ • i " ,, < Could not make f"- gr ol-' as a n. i - . eostl.v '.a.st.