Variety (Feb 1930)

Wednesday', Fefcniary 26, 1936 FOREIGN SHOW NEWS VARIETY Repertory and Litde Heatre Movement on Upgrade in England ■ Ix)ndon, Feb. 16. Indications are that the repertory tiieatre movem^t Is on the up- grade In England. Programs out- lined by the Various companies, In London and provincial centers, sug- gest there are regular audiences waiting for, the stock company pro- grams. Increased regard generally paid to these little theatres is reflected In the fact that some of the leading English dramatists hand their new stuff oyer to the repertory com'- panles before marketing it for the London run. Others, such as Shaw, move hand In glove with It, and many of the leading penmen are ac- tive forces behind some particular branch of the movement. One professional West End slant ©n the repertory movement is chief- ly to comb for possible newcomers. Quite a percentage of the best bets in town have either :Come out of Btock comjpanies or Broadway. Rep- ertory generally hasn't had much of a showing in England since the war, but there's been an upward tendency of recent years, and from programs announced the little thea- tres look like scoring this season.. Th the past, except for the big companies like the Birmingham, most of the stuff produced by the semi-pros has been in the nature of up-and-up revivals. It took places like Sheffleld years to find their folk wouldn't fall for the* stuff they turn down at the "arties." Popular Writers Shaw, Barrie and Ibsen, in that order, seem the most popular writers with the stock company patrons, while A. A. Milne, Galsworthy and Lonsdale also make the grade. American drama, generally, doesn't get a look in, O'Neill meaning less to the provinces here than Tcheckov. Birmingham Repertory theatre, under Barry Jackson, is. the leading unit of the lot. Through Jackson, they're linked up with Shaw, the Malvern Festival, and one or two London theatres. Starting their program Jan. 27, they plan a num- ber of new plays during the year, with always the chance they'll crash ^ both play and company ' into Lon- don.. "The Five Leverets," which has never been staged In England, although popular in Germany, opens the ball. It's by Julius Pohl, trans- lation by the actor, Griffith Humphr reys. Murray McClymont's "The Clod and the Pebble" will be pro- duced for the first time by the Birmingham players. The same ap- plies to Bruce Newcomb's "House Front." "Pebble" seeks the female angle on the war. Revivals include Shaw's- "Heart- break House" and Philpotts' "Yel- low Sands." Plays to be put on for the first time in Birmingham in- clude "From Morn to Midnight," by Georg Kaiser, translated' by Ashley Dukes; Ibsen's "Little Eyolf," Ed- ward Percy's "The Rigordans" and Noel Coward's "Marquise." Last named is the only costume piece of the lot. The Birmingham unit is staging "The White Assegai" at the Playhouse, London, with most of last season's leading players in it. Casts for the^ome town produc- tions are, therefore, in the air. One a Week London's got a number of con- tributions to rep, and a number of movements verging on it. One of the most interesting is the St. Pan- eras People's theatre, which pro- duces a new show a. week. Under Edith Neville, the unit put on West End pieces at cut prices. Shaw, Barrie and Ibsen get revivals all along the line with them. Gen- erally this unit produces one orig- inal a year, usually by somG un- known youngster. After an appeal to the Yorks pub- lic, the Leeds Civic Playhouse plans eeven productions, chief among which is Shaw's "Back to Methuse- lah." "Bououmojit," German w.ar play, and "Diversion" are also listed. "Shut Off" concludes the Boa.son there. It's the only Ameri- f^an pipce announced to get a break In Engli.><h rrp this se.ison. "Toad of Toad Hall," A. A. Mil no'.s latest piece, is at the Playiiouse, l^iverpool, being done by the local eoinpany. It is its first production and is due in London during the year. After it.s most suoeos.sful time ever, this theatre i)Ian.«( oripinnls by loo.'il wrilcrp, witli tlie nsiiirl linrrie and Tclieckov revivals. Hull's Repertory theatre plans i^haw anrt'CoWflrd' .tHows. arid Pri",in- dello's new i))ece, ''TAiihi'o,'"'sLm'oriii Russian Comedy Will Be Based on O. Henry's Yarns Moscow, Feb. 10. O. Henry's collection of yarns, "Kings and Cabbages," has been used as the basis of a comedy here now in rehearsal for early produc- tion by the Studio of the Mall the- atre. Adaptation, clevei'ly worked out by the young playwright Ger- maine Vlechora, and directed by Andrei I. Krltchko, will be presented to the Muscovite public under the title "Presidents and Bananas." These O. Henry stories. It will be recalled, have no single plot to uni- fy them. Viechora has consequent- ly taken strong liberties with the author in combining half a dozen tales into some continuity. How- ever, he has retained the flavor that is authentically O. Henry, who, by the way, is one of the most popular authors in Russia, except that he is always called Genry (there being no H in the Russian language). Com- patriots have a time of it recogniz- ing his name. Budapest Budapest, Feb. 14. An action has been brought against the Vigszinhaz theatre by Melchior Lengyel, playwright. Vigszimhaz produced that author's well known plays, "Typhoon" .and "Antonia," many yearg ago. Contract between author and theatre was made, as customary in Hungary in those days, for all time regardless of whether the theatre kept the plays on its repertory or not. Lengyel is now trying to get a verdict to the effect that he can dispose of his plays again. Molnar had a similar case with the same theatre last year, but a settlement wks brought about, and Vigszinhaz presented a series of his revivals which reinforced its owner ship of the plays in question. Verdict in the Lengyel cas« will constitute a precedent, London Press Stunts London, Feb. 15. Management of "Here Comes the Bride" Invited 800 taxi drivers to the dress. rehe.arsal at the Piccadilly so the boys would know the location of the theatre. Over at the Everyman they're holding audience de- bates after each matinee of "Charles and Mary" to let the patrons broadcast what they think of the author. ARGENTINE'S VIEW OF ITS CLAIMED GIRL PERIL Chatter in Nice By Frank Scully —■♦• Jennie Dolly Will Not Do 'Romance' As Planned Sound pictures are flourishing. Some 27 houses are now wired In Hungary. Anglo-European sound films have just established a branch office here and are boosting Edison- Bell contrivances. "Rio Rita" is to be released this week. The Budapest Radio StuUIo i's to broadcast it, with spoktn commentaries as a running explana- tion of pictures. The regent of Hungary, Admiral de . Horthy, will be present at the release and hold an opening speech that will be bfoadcast, and other notables will also speak. This is the first in- stance of a screen production being broadcast In Budapest. It means tremendous advertising for RKO. "Asra," an Oriental tale by Erno Szep, first presented by the Kam- araszinhaz, is a huge success. It is essentially poetic in character and a-hlghlv. artistic piece ,of writing, inspired by Heine's celebrated poem of "the Asra, who die when they love." A very simple tale of the slave who loves the Khalif's daughter so much that he finishes by making her love him, too, but when she jilts the Persian Prince for the sake of the poor slave, he dies, for hap- ')i'^".**s is too much for him. Charm lie.s- not in the tale but in the telling. Oriental setting is beau- tifully done, but the principal honors go to Gizi Bajor, who plays the Khalif's daughter. Bajor is one of the great actresses of the world at the present moment. It is peculiar that at the zenith of a desperate theatrical slump two plays like "Asra" and "Dr. Alice Takats," neither of them cheap, ef- fective, funny, risque, or senti- mental, and both of them poetically and artistically valuable, should have such astonishing financial sue-, cess. "Plain Girl," book by Vadnay, lyrics by Hamath, and music by Fred Markush. Is a variation on the theme of a girl too pretty to get a job and making herself look plain, with the result that her employer falls in love with her. Not bad, especially as to the score, but nothing to make a great fuss over. others. Capek's llttl/? effort, "The Maeropulos Secret," first produced here, will prohalily shift to the Everyman, I^ondon. She/Ileld, with only four profes- sionals on its acting li,<--t, leai-ned a lesson on what highhrow stuff meant to Ynrkshire last year, and is now laying low for a bit. llt'perlory generally, even down to the smaller town.s like Norwich, lfl.pK« ffkf' j',),t)<5Y)i- tfif* I'U^r;' tWIs yedr."' ' "• '' ■ ' ' ' ■■ • ' ' 'I Buenos Aires, Feb. 13. The Argentine's supposed white slave peril is the bunk. A rough draft of the report of Mrs. Lightoh Robinson, secretary of the National Vigilance Association, Argentine branch, practically laments that she's taking money under false pretenses, as in 1929 one lone femme, coming under the head- ing of a white slave, arrived, was duly nabbed, and sent back to France. She was a dressmaker who had been lured here. According to Mrs. Robinson, the theatre bag was nil. French Managers to Blame Worst offenders in the theatrical line are the Paris Impresarios, who bring girls out here in reWies at terrible s.alarie?. Chorus gets about 800 francs in Paris, and is offered up to 2,000 to come to South America. That 2,000 here means exactly- 200 pesos, about sufficient' for board, and nothing over. But the girl in Paris thinks It's a lot of money and falls. Btit when girls fall here they u.sually do so right side up, as in other places. Any girl who worries about It all can drop a line before arrival to Mrs. Robinson, Calle Lavalle, 341. and she will be met on arrival and taken to decent lodgings. There are cases of French show girls being motored to pensions where the minimum price per room Is $20 per day, or three times their salary. And yet other cases have also been known of little French femmes who bear up under the blow and go home first class. There are few, if any, English or American cases, the French Inci- dents are mostly acquiescent, and perhaps the only genuipe Instances concern the Russians and Poles, who really are lured and invariably by their own countrymen and women. Immigration officials aid the police all they can, and In turn help the National J/lgilance Asso- ciation. If a girl slips through, it's her own fault. Living Cost High Of course, the great trouble here is the high cost of living, which mak-es what looks like a good salary abroad» seem little in this town. Chorus girl, if from the States, should get a minimum of $75 (U.S.> per week, and if from England, a minimum of £10 per week. The Yanks rate higher, because they live better at home. On© franc is 10 centavos here, and 10 centavos buys you a trarn ride, or a glass of milk, or two rolls, or two boxes of matches. It takes 20 francs to buy a meal in a third-class restaurant, and about 40 francs per day for a room in a fair lodging house. Cabaret Angle French revue companies coming here have an arrangement with the big cabarets, Armenonville fn sum- mer and the Ta-Ba-RIs in winter. About 90% of the girls working in theatres add to their salaries by the hostess stunt in the cabarets, obli- gation being to dance with patrons when asked. Girls are given $10 or $12 per night, and are expected to "please" the customer. If the lady Is strictly business, she may be told to stay at homo after the first week. These cabarets run up to half dozen third-rate vaudeville turns, mostly French or German, or maybe an American or English dance team. Fashionablo cabarets arc Ta-Ba- Ris and Armenonville, same man- agement, champagne obligatory at $13 pint and $23 magnum, and ("iisino I'ig.'ill, Ma)|>u Pipall, Amerl- e.'iTi Danein^' and Kolies Bcrtrere, $3 and $2 per drink, obligatory, with girls getting rake-off, thoufjh not in e.hanipagne joints. Last four named are in-etty rbnph, fir.st twd quite re- <. ll»lilc. ' ' Paris, Feb. 16. All of a sudden, and probably dat- ing from the touring success of the English Players in "Journey's End," and now with Sax's Paris-Amer- ican Playei-s at the Comcdie Cau- martin, English production rights to plays in foreign countries are be- ing suddenly reserved by their Im- presarios and authors. Heretofore there was no thought of reserving the English rights for France, as it was known the French would only want a play in their own language. But the growth of Anglo-American colonies in such cities as Paris, Rome, Vienna, Berlin, the Latin countries, and the Riviera has placed another aspect on the situa- tion. It was for this reason Jennie Dolly was deprived, of her desire to exhibit her dramatic talent, plan- ning to do the Doris Keane role in "Romance," and for which Sax thought the Dolly sister qualified. However, Lucien Rozenberg holds the French rights to "Romance" and revives it regularly with Soria In the lead; He objected to an English-laneuag© production at a nearby house. Theatre Guild Promises To Do Lenormand*s Play Paris, Feb. 16. To appe.nse H. .R. Lenormand, French playwright, for previous failures .to produce plays on which they had options, the Theatre Guild, through its local rep., Mme. Magdeleine Paz, has promised the author a positive production of "Le Lache" In New Yoi'k. This play has never''been done here, but was recently produced In Switzerland. It may be done locally prior to the American adaptation on Broadway. Guild previously optioned Lenormand's "Les Rates" and other plays,' but never did them, peeving the. author considerably. Melbourne By C. R. BRADI8H Melbourne, Feb. 1. Slump In theatricals continues. The Bijou, recently reopened by Gregan McMahon Co. for "Bird In Hand" and Percy Robinson's "To What Red Hell," closes unexpect-. edly this week. No public support for the latter drama. King's theatre also goes dark after brief revivals by Frank Nell of "Getting Gertie's Garter" and "Nightie Night." Only legit thea- tres at present operating ar6 the Comedy, where Leon Gordon is re- viving "The Land of Promise," and the Royal, where the musical, "Turned Up," is to be followed, Feb. 8, by the light and prancy "Follow Thru." Nice, Feb. 16. WlnchcU Smith has. dropped \hohor ut Monte. S. J. Kaufman hopes for an in in English studios making shorts. IM. Suyag has taken M;iry Oar- den'i* flat at Monte, being show king over there. Armstrong Levingstone haflng got a break wlth_ "Monster in the Pool," published both In America and England, is grinding on a new one. Somerset Maugham, back from Egypt, is on the nine to one writing shKt at Villa Mauresqu*. With two of his plays here, he becomes a local hero. Gregor, whose pan Is. like all of Lon Chaney's thousand faces, has opened a night club at the Palais de Mediterranee with every other place floppo already. There are four ballet dancers trouping: the Riviera under the title of "The Dolly Sisters." Royalty Bar at Monte has a box- ing monkey. Singe is called "Car- nera" after the Italian fighter. Lady d© Frece . (Vesta Tllley) joined her husband in the Menton Hospital. ~~ Jane Sels, once of George White's "Scandals," and the dancing lead In the "Whoopee" which toured Australia, has been at the Les Am- bassadeurs, Cannes. When the company folded there. In the sec- ond week, she had her own fare to pay back, leaving her burning, you may be sure. Nick Princep and Anita Elsom spent part of their honeymoon at Cannes and then barged for Venice. After that by slow steamer to Hol- lywood direct. Sir Bernard Partridge, "Punch" cartoonist. Is card tossing with the high hats of Monte. Russian restaurant here throwing a 30-cent dinner has a general in command with his wife as cook. General confidentially admits he was only a major when Lenin or Trotsky put him on a non-salary retired list. Justifies his "general" title on the grounds that if the Czar's army had kept going, he'd >. rank that grade by now. Monte Carlo has opened a "Mai- son des' Journallstes" for the serines in the Casino building. No free drinks, but those served are at non- gyp prices. Latest to receive the Mary Gar- den-Mrs. Potter Brown rave Is Blanche Campbell, Tennessee trll- ler. She opens here with "Cayal- lerla Rustlcana." Elsa Macfarlane, of the "Co-op- timists" and traveling with her husband under the name of Mrs. Clifford Whitney, drove down from London. Robt. (Trail of '98) W. Service yanked a guy out of our tideless blue sea, who was plenty loaded with HjO. Ethel Levey'(ex Mrs. Geo. Cohan and now Mrs. Claude Graham- White) is at Cannes. Her yacht is there, too. ' Frank Ward Q'Malley, by-lining on the Paris "Herald," seems to s^ck pretty close to the -Gould- (fwned Palais de la Mediterranee for material. As he is staying at ijjould's Majestic Hotel, stuff looks like a publicity hook-up. Following the announcement of an increased entertainment tax by the Victorian State Government, Williamson-Talt declared their in- tention to dispose of the TJieatre Royal to a group of drapers. As this would mean further additions to the already heavy list of unem- ployed theatricals, the State Gov- ernment avowed that it would re- consider the reduction or the can- cellation of the extra impost, which, with the Commonwealth entertain- ment tax, brings the taxation of theatrical companies up to nearly 20%. J. H. Tait informs that, should the government review the tax, J. C. Williamson, Ltd., would probably go Blower on its desire to sell the Royal, a theatrical landmark. The Royal Is owned by an obscure gen- tleman named Murphy, but Is under lease for another 50 years to the Theatre Royal Proprietary Co., the controlling Interest of which l» held by J. C. Williamson, Ltd, One source of happiness to W-T Is the continued success of Leon Gordon in lucrative revivals of "Brewster's Millions," "I^nd of Promise" and "White Cargo." Talking of talkers, W-T almo.st daily recolve« cables a.sking to buy the. Australian rights of many for- mer stage successes. These, are re- fjuired by the Hollywood film stu- dios. 35 IN HAWAIIAN ACT Honolulu, Vnh. 12. . St'me 3.5 ,Samoans have been com- bined into an act and st.irt on ti world tour M.aroh 1-. Troupe haw ti<'f-n put toL'f'tlier by pj-ince J^ei Lanl. Kf'.'ilUre.s will he a Much Talk but No Signing On Holland Mergers The Hague, Feb. 14. Though discussions continue to complete a merger of some of the many theatre companies In Holland, no agreement has as yet been reached. It Is probable the NIeuwe Nederlandsqhe Tooneel, the Schouw- tooncel, and the Oost Nederlandsch© Tooneel (which is In financial diffi- culties) will come to terms. At the same time the Vereenlgd Tooneel, In which are Incorporated the Ilaghcspelers under Varkade, and the Comoedia Co. under Ver- beck, are Hkcly to fall apart as the two actor-managers cannot agree. 2 New Cabarets Paris, Feb. 16. Two new places, one In Mont- martre and the other In Montpar- na.SBe. Latter area Is becoming th© new nitc life centre. The Esmeralda, another of those Russian hi-hats which aren't doing well, ballyhooed Its premiere as a "cabaret of the highest social stand-. Ing" under the patronage of some, Russian Grand Duke. . All the vodka sites cither have ex-Romanoff no- bility behind them or waiting on tables; usually both are claimed. Maldoror Is the Left Bunk cabaret with Marino and Norris (colored) a.s the songster-stars. "Cyrano" Paris Revival Paris, Feb. 25. The T'orte ,1t. M-'irtln theatre is revivlrij.' "f'yrano de Bergerac," trili.il r->ii(-f jir)d At'Kle Aiilild. Title | March S, ii'n-rc to replace "Peer '(.'-"White fibfuliM-^," A»(rt)i» .'i4''<h*':-ifl\'ii1",iin»ir the- tnd'orMaV "A-hen I pi<'inre. " •) • ■ > ■ " ' " j rf,,'! (/p'(«i-el'ta"-L<)«H3la/ia'' 'i.s^ Cfiie: "