Variety (July 1929)

Wednesday, July 24, 1929 FOREIGN SHOW NEWS VARIETY English HaDs Going the Liinii London, '.Tuly 2,3; ^ ISngllslv managprs are tak a,fle^ termlned stand . against Amsriq^^ turns seeking to defer or Igppre con- tracts ifor appearances in this ..cdun- try. Notably Moss .Enipires ^nd Giineral Tlieatres have taken drastic potion . to compel, c^i*ryirig ' out of. .ifi'irreements.;.'.,; .' Tlie circuits" already' a.re staitlhg aiilt. against CJharles'^^Ahearn aiuklng for daniages in 4;000..pounds unless he sails for England betoro the *nd 'of'this'week. •. 'A.-:', ■ Another contract entering into the case is thit oif James Barton. - l-iV'"^ ton liU'S set .lip as the ireiso.y for deliiy in coming here that .he has a •rontract with .tiie Shuberts for ap- ipearances. Ip; the. States; . Eriglis^h i^anag.ers liiaive repiie^d^ to this with preparations ..to bring suit foir. ] ,0.00 pounds' against thp comediahi' , Threatened witti: a! laws.ujt for breach ojf contract,. Mitchell and; Burarit comproniised >vith. the Geh- -.^ral Theatres Corp. of; Loncioh and bailed siiddehiy ^'-riday mldiilght On the Frarieib.to bpeii July. 29 for two weekis. at Brighton^ ^The Ainerlcan •Vaude team returns immedlntely. to' commence riehearsing with White's .♦•Scandalk;":.' : . ' ■ . . • Although .booked, abroad by Je Jacobs; iiUcheU an^^ DUrarit are back, with . William .Morris igericy as their . r.epre;seritativeis. This also a ■compromise following a lawsuit and injunction cKnini by Morris against the act when it breached its Pub- lix coritract and an arrangement to go Keith's Miss Jacbbs, at the time of the breach, ..had set Mitchell and Durant for four weeks abroad, opening at Brightbn July 29, .fQllowed by two weoks a,t the Palladium on Auig. .5- 12, eloslng the 19th ^ the Holbdrn Empire, instead,^ the Amej"ican jaet plays a. fortnight at' the Palladium and felgrees to cornplete its other two -weeks next summer. ■. JliHus Kendler acted for the Gen- eral Theatres Corp. Ih compromis- ing with the act for- its Lo en- gagement. . London, July 23. To avoid litigation with General Theatres, Mitchell and. Durant ar- tiye; this week to open at the Palla- dium Jialy 29. . Act'^il.i play two weeks on this trip, re'turning to New . York imme- diateiy to rfehearse I'or White's VScandals/' •■ They still \yill. have two weeks under their contract and have prom-, ise.d to- return to .fill that engage- nii2ht when .-"Scandal" closes. London CQuncii Dodges ^^^^ Show Ruling . . London, July 23.. The Thcati^ and. Music Hall Committee of the London Common Gouncil , Tn.6t today (Tues.) and recj)minendcd: .: . . 'The Council does not see its way to .take action wlth a view to. enabling, theatres and music halls,; in'-LQii'don-to-betypened-on-S for the public performance of stage plays and for public music and dancing." There has .betsn considerable agi- tation for and .against Sunday qpen- . ing, but the Council feels that gen- eral Sunday ^opening' is a. question . .foiv the -.gbveT.nme.nt-; to -d'cal with and not' a. question .for municipal ■■■•legislation^:. Cochipaii "Pi^ce dopd. But BeloW Prediction: ^. . Libndon, July 23., "Bittjer; Sweet;-.' 'the riewj Nbel Cbward bperetta presented atHis Majesty's, by C. B: Cochran, turned ■ put to be .merely excellent enter- tainment, instead of the rave in- dicated, in advance reports from its premiere in Manchester These .nbtices Avore so extrchie in -- tQne^tlia t-sb'mething,T>^-'''-'^^'''oi'-'<-w^^^^ looked: for. Piceo, with lyrics, mu-, S^CLjind production hy Coward,: Is splendidly produced in an artistic sense, but it displays no great origi- nality on the part 'of■• Coward.. Qccasion was a personal triumph for Poggy \Vo6d. and project prom- l.Tos to draw London. In flocks for niany months. ■. ' WOODS SUES TO STOP VEllLER'S "TREASURE" London, JulJT: 23.. : A.' H.- Woods ha$' served papers upon Sir Gerald.i)uMaurier> Gilbert Miller: and Bayoird Yeiller in an in-- junction . suit aimed; Xo. prevent the London-production of Velller's play, .^"Trpaisuse.^ ■.' "VV'oo.ds says he ; purchased the work five years ago: from the author,, paying hiiin $5,000. in advance. ; ,'DuMauner AVas cast for a lead- ing role .in 'the piece, but threw .up the vpart. last week. It is stated now' that his partnership . with Miller ma3< be di.sisolved...L * Ahbther • play rehearsed and prb- duced here by.Miller, Avith a view of iyoi'ding the heavy iireliminary cost: of New. 'York, production, "is ^'By Ca^xdl^ iight.'' ' This piece, :after :preparati.on oh' di, West End theatre stage, will, be pilayed in. the prov- inces for a week and; then '. sent to >few York' wltli the icoiiip.any ihtact. ■ American CQmpaihy .Will not haVe any infl uence on.the London troiipe's- ruri.. Gertrude LaWrence will play the lead in' the 'New York cast; . Clayton-Waller Bwld English Sound Studio ■ London, July .23. Clayton & " Waller, heretofore identified with legit production, are building: the largest .sound studio In Europe; at Ealing, a suburb of London. ~;, In : the. enterprise " is associated: a sound expert named Jackson, who hai5; first*'hand charge .of the build- ing and installation of apparatus. Completed plant is. promised : for November. . _^' - Clayton & ■. Waller made Itnown some time, ago that they would go into sound screen producing on a big scale," concentrating on dialog pictures. , ■':■.-• ' Laughton "Beauty^* HiT ' London, July 23. •'Beauty.-" .comedy adapted from the .French, by Michael Morton, was favorably received in 'the riew$- paper comments, although it Is really one of those tepid transla- tions from sprightly Paris. • Besides its taming It la. here bad- ly acted with, the brilliant exception, of Charles Laughton, England's most proitiislng young actor. When he is. not on the staige the audience turned listless. Press, re- ception,: however, Waa uniformly good. Including Swaffer, although he Is not friendly with George Gros- smlth who produced the piece at the Strand. . WEATHER London, July 23. The heat 'wave is still on with pi'edlctlons Its end js not in sight. Tiate .last'.week th^^ up to 85 arid above. . Average.'JuTy 10 to 3 9.was above 80 fdr maxlmum which is very.unusual. London expects summer heat, but waves , like this are looked-f or only, in August. . - This- week eoolcr and dull, fa^ vbra'ble- for tlieatres. ; • •' V ■ . : Paris, July 23. Hot, .showery and generally sultry here. .; Scorching .Weather' Is driving hosts of po6ple to tile sea.shore and country. Temperature has held above 90 .with a maxiniunx of 9C. • ■ . : Washington, July 23; ■The' Weather Bureau's outlook, given in response to Variety's re- quest, say.s generally fair .Wednes- day and. iMiursday, except thiinder- sliowors In tlio Chlcagp area Thur.s-^; ^d.-iy. Probability of Ipcal thund.orshpW- ers Chicago to Atlantic Coast Thur.<5d.ay *and Friday^ followed by mostly fair Sunday (28), Warmi weather next two or three days exdopt cooler In the New York area Thursday (25), Somewhat_cooler weather likely over weekend, WILL MAHONEY In Earl Garroll'ig "Sketch Book,!' Carroll Theatre,: New York City. "Variety:' said: . "Will Mahoney was a -panic with his 'Willie and Lily* number in the first act of the 'Sketch. Book' arid was a ■■ serearii near the close of the show' with his burlesque Maritirtiy bit." . Direction RALPH G. FARNUM 1560; Broadway GO TO TAIMRS . : Paris, July 23. . Illustrating the grip the talking picture. has taken on Europe, th ruling committee, of the Comedle Francal.se, .state ' theatre pf France, has just voted to permit Its stars to appear in the articulate flickers under eertaln cohditlo.ris,: arid .at least one plstyer wiU go to Germany to appear. •; '; ;. Point was decided- at a .regularly called meeting of the committee. On the shdwdoWii four • meriibers Voted against permitting contract players to taike talker engagements. Final ruiliig- Was that individual players may.appear In talkers^-but only one iplayer to a picture and": no-player ri:iay apipear in any work, modern or classical, , iti the Cpmedie repertory. The decision, permits Marie Bell to accept a German offer to appear in a.talker made from Henry Kiste- maecker's melodrama, "The Night Is Ours," which .Volterra produced on the stage of the. "Theatre de Paris years ago. Karl .Frbei.ich is producing; the pip- ture in; Germany, rinaking both a French and a German version. Cocbran Will Send "Bitter Sweet" to U. S. London, July 23. Londbn's ten most sucoos-sful at- tractloris niaintainod a good aver- age at the box olllce in spite of ex- treriie heat. Underlying .situatibn seems to promise well, for the libraries, are not p.T.ni('ky, ^ having continued to ■ buy $1,50C por per- formance, for iriatance, for "Bitter. Sweet." ■. : "':•.. . C;. B. Cochran declares this piecey opiening.. last week, looks like tiie biggest thing he has over done, arid hq would not., take half a mil- lion for his profit, He has definitely deterniihed to send it to the States next fall. .. - • "•- WO REINHARDT I Paris-London Twins ■ London, July 23;' r. "The A^lhanVbra,. Paris, is set to open in November with a vaudeville policy.,-: .■ House Will, be booked .2nd handled in conjunction with the London Pal- ladium as to style of . entertainment arid .schedule of shows. . : Pbwney Cla6s Draw London, July 23. ' Moirtbri D6^\vneyi-. op^^^ ait tlie Cafe de Paris, drew a. class Plientcie, Including Lprd a.nd Lady Mori t bat- ;ten. . E>owney excelled hlnisi-'lf arid, de- spite vislbie nervbusriess, scpred a substantial .Success. Brother E cl mund and HoiFmanhstaht Author ' .; ':. ■-:- Berlin, .July 23. - : At alriio.st pnie stroke,; -Max Rein- har.dt loses his two most valuable aids. Ills brother Edmund arid Hugo von Hpfmariristahl, writer pf his pagearits, died : within .two .days in A'"lenna. ;*. " .''■'/^ '.'' ■ ■ ' ' '''■/ li^riendS pf Max .Reinliardt know that much of his In.terriatiortal suc- cess • was due to the financial sup- port arid. business wisdom of Ed- mund^ .although the brother kept riiuch in tlie backgrptind. ' : "■■ ' The Relnhardt coriiblrie .eontrols eight theatres, and unless a substi- tute for Edriiund can be found, the enterprise faces a large problem in administration. It was Edmund who shaped the policies of the theatres arid It., was upon hl^ advice arid counsel that Max always .acted. / Edythe Gpdall Dies ■ , London, July 23. Edythe Godall, pppular legitimate actress- died here yesterday (Mon ), following a severe operation. She was 43 years old and made her last stage apiJearance In "Many Waters." . Illness .cpmpelled her to abandon this engagement. '• Najlor to Open Empire^ Sydney, Rolls Producing .. Sydney, July 23. Rufe Naylpr declares his Is about to reopen the Empire, iSydney, with "The. Apache,',' enterprise'being un- der his oWn management. House was operated by the Mar- low-Rplls cortcern - which recently went broke. Rolls, it is announced, will have charge of the Naylor pro- ducing ^department'.. : • Ertiplre, dark since "Whoopee" moved to another hpu.se, was of- fered--tb./.pl:ctur.e_.,people,..Jbut_-t.k^ showed, no interest. V . 4 .- Northesk Weds Ag^ain London, July 23. . Lord Northesk, . lately • dlyoreed from Jessicii Brown, and for a: time .scheduled.- for ; No. 6 'on Peggy Joyce's list. Is set tp marry. Retty Vlasto Aug. 7. AMERICANS ABBOAO '.' Paris, July 15.. In Paris: • Jane Grant, Edvvard Zieglor,: Monty Banks, Eugerie Lor- ton, Stafford C. Campbell, Peter Magaro, Mrs. John Philip. Sousa, Jr.; Melville D. Rost, Irene Br-own, Shepjjard Butler, Miles FarroW; M. E. Foster, Charles Wagner, Sofia Ellin (dancer frbm Porto Rico); Florence Deichman, Mary McCous-. land, (Marls Cuslova), Miltpn Weill, Vlrginla--P.omhPrtfin i. "Calendar" fo.- London Ijondbn, July 23. Edgar Wallace's new play, '-'The Calendar," with Owen Nare.^, opens In Manchester, Aug. 5, coming In to London at Wyndham's at the end of September. RIDLEY PLAY FOE LYCEUl? Londpri, July 23. .JBertle, Meyer Avill. preient a new Arnpld. Ridley play entitled ".Paris by Air" at the Lyceu.m follow^ihg the season o.f the Carl Rosa Opera corinpany. • , LAVEBNE CO-STAR Parj[s, July 23. ■ Virginia Pemberton has arrived In Paris and the announcement is but that she ^ylll co-star With Lucille LaVerne Ini '.'The .Merchant oX Ven- Ice." -• -V . - "LITTLE KISS" BRIEF . London, July 23.. "One Little Kiss/' pstenslbie. farce starring Bromley Ciialleripri opened at the Adelphl and was received with tolerant Indifference. . . SAILINGS Aug, -7 (New York to London), Chaney and Fox (Bcrongar.ia). Aug. 6 (London to N'ew York) Joseph- Schnitzer (Leviathan). Aug. 4 (New York to Londori) Mr., .and" Mrs. Jack Osterman (Ma- jestic). ■: Aug. 2 (New York to Paris), Gloria. Swanson (Paris). ' July 20 (New York to Paris). John Gilbert,^ Ina Claire, . Mr. and Mrs.- Ivan' Kahni 'B"Qii3am'ija (Tlazcf (ile de France)." - . July 24 (Now York to Paris), Mrs. Jack Connolly (Leviathan).- •. July 22 (Los Ango'les to New York). James McKowan (Panarfia). - July ' 21 (Melbourne to London), Alexander Brallowsky (Ormonde). .. July . 20 (Londpri: to New 'Yprk), Carl. Anderson, Betty Brpn.'jpn, Rita, Welman-XAquitariia).- Juiy 20 (Lpridon to •Now Ybrk), Loo Newman (New York). July 20 (New York to Mtriei . ifichuulanri-riclnk Baljin). Jiiiy 20 (New Yprk to Mitchell . and . Durant, Sonncnbcrg (France). July -10 (.Now York, to London), Ada Mae "VVeeks (Prcfj. Roosevelt). July 10 (New. York -to Loridon), George Hassell' (Stuttgitrt). • July 18 (New York to Londori), Mfs. Elise Wheclton, Mrff. Alice . ,18 • (Amsterdam to New ■ Spt'onhoff, butch ^ oabarft (Rotterdam). 17' (Paris to New r^ay, Lee Shnbort Bremen) (Albert London) Bcnjanlin Jyly York), singer July. Jimmy York), ffrc tic France). • • July 17 fLpndon Leslie llcnsbri, I (Ilonifric). to N- irth w Vdi-k), Sh( . ; - : . : Bu Hpffmannsthai, Austrian poet and dramatist,, author of 'fJederinann'? ("Everyiriari")' arid iltfrettist of. the. StraOss" operas, died suddenly" in vieriria^,ljLte last week/, , .The arithpr collapsed: when word .vv.apsrhrbught of the dea-th by suicide of his: son arid he never rallied; • Nice, July: 10. . Swimming regulations hero re- quire at least the trunkV of; a bath- ing suit for men and one-piece suits for women. -.. Dropping shoulder straps. to. get a more even tanning for dames arid undressing pn .beach air right too, Nude moonlight stuff not allowed if the police are Ipoklrig, but they aren't; Arthur EUls, film editor for In-', grarii, lias returned to New York— Which is the' tip-off on Ingram'3 production plans.' Supposed to start tAvo. picture • before now, he told Ellis he'd want him in November. Mary.. Ga.irden carries a broken •crucifix in whatever purse she has with her.\ Not Catholic, ' she says, but she'll'become one If, she outllv.es her parents. Mother, is 72, but could pasfj for 54. Mary owns. Villa, des Gallcts, Petite Afrlque, Bcaulieu.. . F;. Stuart Crawford, orie of Cool- idge's exrsecs, after yacationlnff ■here joins the Ilerald.-Trib stafL Booms %ya As "Forbidden in N. ¥/' Paris, July 23. Willette Kershaw Is making . a great noise about .iier production of the risky French comedy, "Maya," which she is readying for the Studio theatre here. '■ Piece was made into an English version by. Sybil Harris, and it was at one. time proppsed for. New York presentation,.hut .withdrawn due toi- ofllcial opposition. - .-.. -. • Piece is being elaborately adver- tised by Miss Kershaw, who flaunts, the line, "Come see the iorhldden plays.^; Stella Windrow . has just ijeen addefl tp^tlie cast,- w Is all Arricrlcari. Sptendid;© Show OlRF . London, .July 23. ^ . With the- termination of the Char- lot cabaret, the Hotel Splendlde will abandon. Its. cabaret ;«h ow for good, reverting to a dance band as the wuppcr lure. The- orche.stra for the Embassy will be Its attraction fbr August, thtj'1'jnibaJi.sy:.being, clo-sed ths^t monlh. ■ ",:'- Rdsch Coast School lios . Angoli's; July 23. . Albertina,.. Kasch will, clo.se her Paris . daince' studio Jind establish onc-'in-^MTjilywmfdf^to^traiTr^Uaircrars- i:or the filrtis. NciTice 'pherd j Additional foreign news on page 74. .