Variety (Dec 1929)

Wednesday, December 18, 1929 L E G I T I M ATE VARIETY 55 BVay Legits Are 50% Dark This Wk.; Big Honey Xmas Wk., 20 Houses Shut There arie 33 le^it theatres dark on Broadway this week. Broadway Is virtually 5'0% shut. This Christmas to New Year s period, Jhe big money week of the season, will have more than a score of dark spots, as the. holiday card holds but half a dozen premieres. The Incomlne list: "Meteor," Guild, replacing "The Game of Love and Death," which moves to the • BUtmore; "Top Spee<J," succeeding "Follow Thru," 46th Street; "Sev- en^' which repli^ces : "It Niever iRalns," Republic; "Death Takes a Holiday," Barrymore, from whicji "Bird in Hand" goes to the Masque; "First Mrs, Frazer," at the Play- house; "Street Scene" moving to the Ambassador; "Woof Woof," Royale; "Babes in Toyland" (re- vival), Jolson's, and "Richelieu" (revival), Hampden's. Among the possibilities Is "The Unsophisti- cates." Added closings last Satur- day: "Family AffallV Elliott; "Diana;," Longacre; "Headquarters," Forreist, and The Silver Swan," Beck. Closings included two of last week's premieres—"Family Affairs" and "Diana." "Michael and Mary," at the Hopkins, drew good notices and has an agency call (small the- ■ atre). Only other opening was "The Novice and the Duke," Assembly (little theatre), laying off this week. "Sons o' Guns*' Top "Sons o* Guns" Is the bigge.st thing In town; topping the musicals wlht $48,000; "Bitter Sweet" eased off to about $45,000; "Fifty Million Frenchmen," another new musical, rated almost as strong as "Guns" in agency demand, and virtual ca- pacity, too, at $44,000; "Sweet Ade- line," about . $35,000; "Heads Up," good at $30,000; "Sketch Book" and "Scandals" well under that mark jiow; "Wonderful Night" about $22,- 000; 'Llttie Show" off to $18,000, but etl 11 profitable. The leadeirs stood up among the comedies and dramas, the longer run attractions feeling the slump more. "June Moon" slightly off and ' bit under $25,000; "Wise Child" over $22,000; "Strictly Dishonorable." the strongest call of Its class, held to nearly $20,000; ^'Berkeley Square" again bettered $15,000. ,^ wide gap between the leaders and the field: "Young Sinners" picked lip, $13,000; that figure ap- proximated by the holdover "Jour- ney's End" and "Street Scene," the lowest marks for either since open- ing; "The Game of Love and Death" Js held up by subscriptions; "Gam- bling" and "Jenny" about $10,000;, "Candle Light;' "Bird In Hand," "Broken Dishes," "Mendel, Inc.," "Criminal Code," $9,000; "Salt Water," $8,000; "Your Uncle Dud ley," $7,000, with the others around $5,000 or less. Cut Rates Drop ' The cut rate list is shorter this ■week than since the summer, the number of dark houses explaining the limited assortment of tickets. According to business the number of shows at bargain prices Is suffi- cient this so pre-holiday week. In addition to the Yiddish Art theatre, burlesque and the Columbia and "Ba;re Facts," a little revue in the Village: "Jenny" (Booth), "Your Uncle Dudley" (Cort), "Candle Light" (Empire), "Follow Thru" (Forty-sixth St.), "Salt Water" (Golden), "Mendel, Inc." (Harris), "A Wonderful Night" (Majestic), "Young Sinners" (Morosco), "The Criminal Code" (National), "It Never Rains" (Republic), "Broken , Dishes" (Ritz), "Houseparty" (Wal- dorf). Agency Buys . The number of agency buys has dropped down, too, but there are more shows in that division than in cut rates. The list: "Heads Up" (Alvin), "Scandals" (Apollo), ."Strictly Dishonorable" (Avon), "It's a Wise Child" (Belasco), "June ■ Moon" (Broadhurst). "Candle Light" (iEmplre), "Sketch Book" (44th St.), "Sweet Adeline" (Hammersteln's), "Michael and Mary" (Hopkins), "Sons o'Guns" (Imperial), "Berkeley Square" (Lyceum), "Fifty Million Frenchmen" (Lyric), "Journey's End" CMiller's), "Young Sinners" (Morosco), "The Little Show" (Mu- sic Box), "Sherlock Holmes" (New Amsterdam), "Bitter Sweet" (Zieg- feld). RITZY (Continued from page 52) Poinclana. Mr. and Mrs, John Charles Thomas will visit her par- ents, Mr. and Mrs. George A. Dobyne.. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Dill- man are on a tour of the world and will not. open their gorgeous estate. Sunshine Jarmanh ~ Word conies from London, where Sunshine Jarmann, ' American ac- tress, recently appeared in "Hold Everything," that she is engaged to Lieut. Francis Francis, Jr., of the Roj'al Horst Guards. He is the son of the late 3iIaJor Francis Francis and the heiress daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Jabez A. Bbstwiclc, of New York. Jabez, a founder of the Standard Oil Co., left'. $30,000,000 to his children and grandchildren. The late Mrs. Bostwick Francis later be- came in turn Mrs. Carstairs and Mrs. Serge Voronoff, wife of a noted Russian surgeon. Lieut Francis has a sister, Evelyn, who niarrled J. Onslow Fane, and lives in England: Their cousin, Lillian Bostwick, also heiress to great wealth; announced her' engagement to Robert V. Mc-, Kim, of New York, then announced its cancellation, but finally married him. . ROSCOE AILS "New Moon" Co. Great No.-thern, Chicago Direction Louis Shurr "The crown for comedy honors was .won by. the.inimitable Roscoe Ails, comedian with rubber legs who handles his difficult job well. He scored with specialty dance in sec- ond half which threatened to "stop show." — Fritz Blocki, Chicago "American." At Monte Carlo Monte Carlo. is filled with Amer- icans. Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey 01- cott are at their villa. So are Mr. and Mrs. E. Berry AVall. A genera- tion ago he was known as "the king of the dudes," and his wife, Lomie "Melbourne, was on the stage.. Cora Urqthart Potter, fornier stiage star, and mother of Mrs. Janles A. Still- man, has wintered at Monte Carlo for years. Near by Is the beautiful estate of Howard Gould, who has never been dlybrced from Katherlne Clemons, former actress. For a long time he has been attentive to Edna May, erstwhile "Belle of New York," widow of Oscar Lewlsohn. Mrs Paul Desprez has at charming villa at Nice. ■ Daughter of the late Gen George B. McClellan, she is a. sister of George B. McClellan, ■ former Mayor of New York. Shows in N. Y. and Conunent Figures estimated and comment point tp some attractions beinfl ■uccessful, while the same qrose accredited to others might suggest mediocrity or loss. The variance is explained m the difference in house capacities with the varying overhead. Also the_ eize^ of cast, with consequent difference in necisssary gross of profit. Variance in business necessary for musical attraction as against dramatie play is also considered. ■, ^ a: \.u^ Classification of attraction, house capacity and top prices of. the admission scale given below. Key *• . ^ O (drama); R (revue); M (musicalcomedy); F (farce); 0 (operetta). A dmisston tax applies on tickets . ooer $3 LITERATI (Continued from page 62): was elected secretary, without op- position; . . Charles A. Ht^milton, Troy Times, was named treasurer over Harry Stringer, of the Washington Times, 225 to 124. William t<. Bruckart, United States Daily, was elected financial secretary over Hardie Meakin, of Variety, 208 to 131. Doesn't Sound Like Perce Percy Hammond, New York critic, hit San Francisco last week on the first lap of a 'round-the-world jaunt and gave the local critic^ an ear- ful of opinion about New York shows. V Waite of the Hearst Examiner quoted him as saying: "Ignorance, cheapness ahd vulgarity so dom- inate the New York stage as to make a grown man ashamed some- times to be identified with the thea- tre, even as an observer. Many of the plays are not fit to take one's wife or daughter to. Others, through incompetent writing or ac- tings aren't fit for anybody to listen to." ^ ''Among Married^ Risque, $8,000; Los Angeles Toi^h for Others AHEAD AND BACK . Sidney Smith, ahead and back, "Illpgal Practice," Chicago. Stock Xmas Gap Al Jack,son and company at the Gavrick, Madii5on, Wis., closed Dec. 7 to resume Christmas Day. Helen Johnson's Haste Hollywood, Dec. 17, Helen Johnson, stage, . arrived here by air, under contract to M-G. Los Angeles, Dec. 17. Trade was so tough early In the week that they folded the Pauline Fredericks opus, "Queen in the Parlor," on second night of week. Theatre said the star collapsed. Other reports which are considered authoritative stated that the box office collapsed and Miss Fredericks was not Inclined to play to so many chairs in the roomy Belasco. House now dark until Jan. 6. » Mason went dark Saturday night after Schwab & Mandell In asso- ciation with Homer Curran had lost around $50,000 on "Follow Thru" in seven weeks. This house dark, too, indefinitely. Columbia Grand Opera, With their repertoire and score of patrons, had the edge on the town. Seem to be getting trade from all of the exclusive neighboring com- munities at $4 top for second week at the Biltmore. "Abraham Lincoln" no great draw for Hollywood. It comes off this week, its second, after showing a low of around $5,200 fpr Its first week at the El Capitan. Horton s on the other hand got great break with "Among the Malrried" in^sec- ond week at the Majestic. It hit around $8,000 for second week, and If not forced out by the MacLoons wanting house could easily run six weeks there. , The Rennlck plan of running actors' theatre none too optiniistlc. Second week of "Passing of -rhlrd Floor Back" hardly got beyond the $1,000 mark with chances, that the shutters will be drawn most any ^^"Bad Babies" depending mostly on the rut rate excursions and flaP' tjci's-on--Ieav-e=from . sGhooJ,.^tXUg «led to around $3,000 , at the BMgueroa Playlion.se- for its third slcond week of "Climax" at the Hollywood Playhouse also rather blue Comos out Saturday to make way for "Dear Me." "In His Arms" goes out Dec. ...1 at which time Marjorie' Rambeau s contract wit\i Franklin P«ngborn expires. letter will next ,tenant the Vine street with "Rear Car," him- self appearing in the play that Ed- ward Everett Horton used for 10 weeica two years ago at the Majes- tic. "Berkeley Square," Lyceum (7th week) (C-957-$4.40), Longer run shows revealed tendency to . slip further last week, others holding to pace of previous week; "Berkeley" <2ontinues .very big; over $19,000 agialn. "Bird in Hand," Barrymore • (3?th weelO (CD-l,099-$3.85). Moves to Masque next week; "English comedy around $10,000 or a bit less lately; "Death Takes a.Holi- day" comes In here next Week* "Bitter Sweet," Ziegfeld (7th week) (M-l,622-$6.60). Last week's pace only slightly less than prevJc-us week; one of BroadAvay's 'oest and biggest; $46,000, approximately. •^Broken Dishes," Ritz (7th week) (C-945-$3). Small cast, one set comedy should, make fairly good run of it; hus been making money at $9,000 pace. "Candle Light," Empire (12th week) (CD-1,000-$3.S5). Will stay lor holidays, then to be followed by "The Dishonored Lady."; business fair; iquoted at $9,000. "Family Affairs," MaxIne Eliot's. Was taken off last Saturday; one of the surprise closings. "Follow, Thru," Chahih's 46th St. (60th week) (M-l,413-$5.50). Final week; lapt season's musical smash going to road; "Top Speed" will follow in next week. "Fifty Million Frenchmen," Lyric (4th week) (M-l,400-$6.60). All signs of a new musical hit; equals anything in iagency demand; grossed $44,000 again. "Gambling," Fulton (17th week) (CD-913-$3.85). More than held Its own, takings bettering $10,- 000; should easily go through winter, . ■ "Half Gods," Plymouth (1st week) (CD-l,042-$3.85). Presented by Arthur Hopkins; written by Sid- ney Howard; opens Saturday night (Dec. 21). "Headquarters," Forrest. Disap- peared: last Saturday night, sud- denly being ordered off; played one week and a half. "Heads Up," Alvln (6th week) (M- l,387-$6.50). Among the. new favored musicals with good chance. to go through season; grrossed approximately $30,000 "Houseparty," Waldorf (15th week) •(D-l,101-$3). Manages to make a little* money by means of the tie-up, authors running the show; $5,500. "How's Your Health?" Vanderbllt ■ (4th week) (C-771-$3.86). Will istick a few weeks more ahd ex- pected to develop within that time; around $6,000. "Diana," Longacre. Taken off lapt Saturday; pliayed one week; critics sharply commented on this one. Estimates for Last Week Actors' Theatre—"The Passing of the Third Floor Back" (2d week). Rather old-fashioned for the mob. May blow any day. Around $1,000. Belasco—"The Queen Was In the Parlor" (5th and final week). With slight take Monday night and chance of same Tuesday, the star had It called quits with reported collapse before night show. Not over $1,000 for both nights. Biltmore—Columbia Grand Opera (Company (2d week). With prgan- ization playing the. society stuff, pretty nearly capacity every night; I il7,000. One week to go. Egan—"Her First Night" (3d week). Take just, an even grand with house claiming nearly half of It profit. , El Capitan—^"Abraham Lincoln'! (1st week). Though cast brought from New York, holiday slump but piece; $5,200, which Is very low. Figueroa Playhouse — "Bad Babies" (3d week). Just dragging along on catch-as-catch-can sched- ule and around $3,000, mostly from the younger generation. Hollywood Playhouse^'The Cli- max" (2d week). Short casts do not draw locally. They want a lot of people for their dough. Around $4,700, with another week to go. Majestic — "Among the Married" (2d week). Are real hot for this one. Risque dialog and scenes draw the curious, etc., iiv and Hortons getting break with $8,000. - Mason—'JFpllow Thru" (7th and final week). Just never got started account $3 top. Around $9,000 for final. ' . -p . ^ President—"That Ferguson Fam- ily" (Ist week). Cannot kick on take here with light overhead; ^^Vine Street—'^n His Arms" (2d week). Rambeau-Pangborn combi- nation do not seem to convince them. Only $4,200. "Inspector Kennedy," Bijou (1st week) (CD-605-$3). Presented by the Shuberts; written by MHton Herbert Gropper and Edna Shem': William Hodge starred; opens Friday (Dec. 20). "It Never Rains," Republic (5th week) (C-901-$3). Final week here; may move to another house for holiday weeks, but has done very little; "Seven" due here late next week. ^_ "Jenny," Booth (11th week) (CD- 946-$4.40). Eased off after very good start: paced around $10,000, but should enjoy good holiday ."Journey's End," . Miller's. .(40th week) (D-946-$4.40). - DiPPed to $13,000 last* week; loT^est figure since opening; holdover hit drama has some distance to go. however. HOUYWOOD STYLES (Contnued from page 49) arid outlined with .a narrow band of shiny black fox Miss Chatterton liulls It tightly around her figure. The wrap ends just above the knees. Costume, by Its absence of trimming and definite, almost exag- gerated line of two V's converging at the knees, assumes a poster quality that Is particularly well fitted for pictures. With all this rich black- ness Miss Chatterton wears a blonde wig coiffed in a slightly ex- otic style, for she plays an opera singer, and the contrast emphasizes the touch of the bizarre that the role demands. Norma Talmadge wears a stage .Gostunxe.__ta..Jtli£._.__back-^^ rtuence of "New York Nights." Her dress Is a bouffant thing of metal picoted chiffon, . besprlnlded gen- erously among the pointed ends of its skh-t, with sequined butterfiies and metal cloth roses. The tight bodice of satin Is a mounting for more butterflies, and one Is fastened to her shoulder. "June Moon," Bloadhurst (11th week) (C-l,118-$3.85). Slightly off, but business continues very big and again topped non-mu- sicals In point of gross; $25,000. "La<lies of the Jury," Erlanger ,(8th week) (C-l,520-$3). Laying oft this Aveek (pre*ChrIstmas) ; to re- sume Monday, and will probably stay thi'ough. January. "Many Watersr" Times Square (12th week) (CD-1,057-$3.8B). Also laying oft this week; had diropped to about $8,500; has an- other: two weeks herie, then "Strike Up the Band.". "Mendel, Iric;," Harris (4th week) (C-l,051-:$3.8o). Stflirted all right, then slipped; last, week estimated ■ around $10,000; chances better in- dicated after Jan. 1. "Nine Fif- teen" (revue), named for house "Red Rust," Beck (1st w'€ek) (D- M,189-$3). Presented by Theatre Guild; adaptation from the Rus- sian ; wais to have gone on at mat-' Ihees, but switched to regular showings; opened Tuesday. "Salt Water," John Golden (4th week) (C-900-$3). Doing moder- ately ; last week, • however, held ^ up, ^vith the takings around $R,000, and should Impi'ove. "Scandals,*' Apollo (13th week) (R- l,168-$6.60). Agencies supporting this revue, which has been oft otherwise; takings around $30,000 . mark. "Sons o' Guns," Imperial (4th week) (M-l,400-$6.60;). Among biggest musicals in " town;. hew show- again went to $44,000, with standees miearly all/performances.": "Sketch Book," 44th St. (25th week> (R-l,385-»$6.«0). One of the sea- . son's favored. revues and lield up very well until jast two weeks; : under $30,000, but pretty sure to cqme back. "Street ; Scene/' Playhouse (50th week) (C-879-$3.85). Will bo moved to Ambassador next week to make room for "The First Mrs.. Frazer"; holdover hit still mak- ing money; $13,000 estimated. "Strictly Dishonorable," Avon (14th week) (C-830-$3,86)i, Comedy sriiash In no way affected by pre- holiday slump; actual gross close to $20,000 weekly. "Subway Express," Liberty (13tb week) (D-i,202-|^3). paced around $9,000 now; hag ftone moderaito business, but not exceptional} house mentioned to get another ■ attraction next nvonth. "Sweet Adeline," Hammersteln's (16th week) <M-l,265-$6.60). Was season's first niuslcal ' hit and commanded capacity first three months; still big, but somewhat afifected; $36,000. "The Criminal Code," National (12ttt week) (D-l,164-$3). Listed to stick for another month; stronp drama iias not drawn big business, but has made the grade; $9,000 estimated. ^ "The Game of Love and Death,'' Guild (4th week) (D-014-$3). Moves to Biltmore Monday to .flU out six subscription weeks; "Me- teor" the new attraction next "The Little Show," Music Box (34th week) (R-l,000-$4.40), Slipped somewhat further, Which was an- ticipated last week; paced about $18,000, but still looks good Into spring. . "The Silver Swan," Beck. Closed last Saturday; played a bit less than three weeks; good notices, but small business. "The Street Singer," Shubert (13th week) (M-l,395-$5.50). Laying oft this week; had been doing rather well, but slipped to $20,000 or less, "Wis* Child," Bela-sco (20th week) (C-l,050-$3.85). Leaders standing up becausei of heavy advance sell- ing; this one holds its pace, wlOt takings well over $22,000 last wggIc "Wonderful Night," Majestic (8th week) (O-l,776-$5.50). Said to be a favorite for theatre parties; business off somewhat, but date indefinite; $25,000 estimated. , "Young Sinners," Morosco (4th week) (CD-893-$3). Was able to Improve, which Is unusual , at thl» time; new comedy figures to make the grade; bettered $13,000 last "Your Uncle Dudley,'' Cort (5th week) (C-l,042-$3). Will stay for holiday trade, business thereafter to determine continuance; quoted ^r:^around=$I,ftOO.=-=^^^.==^ .--.^==^ =^ Special Attractions—Little Theatres "Sherlock Holmes," New Amster- dam; revival's 3rd week to ex- cellent business; matinee demand especially big. ■ . "Michael and Mary/' Hopkins; drew favorable notices. I "The Novice and the Duke," Assera- I bly; laying.off this week. Civic Repertory, 14th Street.