February 15, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
64
AMUSEMENTS
B’way and 38th Street. Evenings 8:15 Matinees: Wed. & Sat. at 2:15
KNICKERBOCKER THEATRE
Seats 6 Weeks Ahead—Buy in Advance Henry W. Savage offers The Comedy with Music Sensation
66The CLINGING VINE״
with PEGGY WOOD and a Brilliant. Singing Cast
Book and Lyrics by Zelda Sears	Music by Harold Levey
B’way at 51st St. “Subway to Door״׳ EDW. BOWES, Mng. Dir.
CAPITOL
World's Largest and foremost Motion Picture Palace
Beginning Sunday, February 18.
MARSHALL NEILAN’S
“MINNIE”
The Finest Picture He Ever Made!
With LEATRICE JOY and MATT MOORE A First National Attraction
CAPITOL GRAND ORCHESTRA
Erno Rapee, Conductor Presentations by S. L. ROTHAFEL
fPamjnmtnl №lclure&-
Theatres under the direction of Hugo Riesenfeld
The RIVOLI BROADWAY AT 49th ST.
AGNES AYRES
in "RACING HEARTS”
with Theodore Roberts and Richard Dix “The Message of Emile Coue”
RIVQLI CONCERT ORCHESTRA
The RIALTO broadway at 42d st.
SECOND WEEK ON BROADWAY
MARION DAVIES
IN “ADAM AND EVA•*
“The Einstein Theory of Relativity“ One hour version daily at 11 A. M. Abridged version in regular program FAMOUS RIALTO ORCHESTRA
picturesqueness of Old Russia was a Russian Frolic danced by Mile. Klementowicz and M. Bourmann. The regular Mark Strand Topical Review, and a comedy, Col. Hezza Liar’s Treasure Island, together with several short and interesting studies grouped under the general title of Here and There, were also included on the program.
Notes.
Modest Altschuler, the organizer of the Russian Symphony Orchestra and a conductor of considerable reputation, has been engaged as the conductor of the Circle, a motion picture theater in Indianapolis. He assumes his duties today, February 15.
Old Man Smith is the title of the play that will be the initial production of the new managerial firm, Geneen and Mclsaac. It opened in Hartford, Conn., last week. Mr. Geneen is entering his first venture as a theatrical manager, known to our readers for years as one of New York’s successful concert managers.
The thirty-first tour of John Philip Sousa and his Band has been announced to begin in July and will last for eight months. The tour will start in Philadelphia, extend to the Coast, through the South, and down to Havana, closing in Washington on March 16, 1924. This notable organization is again under the management of Harry Askin.
May Johnson.
giving a midnight benefit performance for society and professional people, of The Humming Bird, one of the new comedies of the season. The charity is such a worth-while one—a clothing fund for the poor kiddies picked up and cared for by the Heckscher-Foundation at 105 Fifth Avenue, where hundreds of neglected children are cared for each day and all need warm clothes so badly. Miss Fulton heard of their need and decided she would do her best to help, so on February 15 (tonight), at midnight, an unusual thing, a midnight benefit goes on, the proceeds of which should make many children comfortable.
Maude Fulton is a charming little person of quite unusual ability, who has written several plays, including The Brat, best known by New Yorkers, which she wrote and starred in for two years. She will also be remembered as a dancer. She started her training as a concert pianist but other things were easier to get on with so she was dancing in musical comedy before she knew it. Always she has kept up her music, however, playing beautifully and composing truly unusual things. Perhaps the most charming are Impressions—to use her own word, called, Water-front Sketches, a group of little descriptive things, written in her studio in San Francisco. Their titles are: The Waterfront, Fog Sea-gulls, The North-Wind, Sunset, Home, and Bon Voyage—each has the joy and gladness of the sea. These_ are published by Sherman Clay Company, of San Francisco. She has also written two lilting ■«waltzes, Chintz Roses and Toinette, and a dramatic, little vignette of . a clown called Scaramouche.	J.
Romanoff Called Vladitchenskaia
The latter name in the foregoing caption appeared in the report of the National Opera Club program, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, January 24, and this was the former stage name of Helene Romanoff, the well known dramatic soprano. This lady, who it is said is a direct relative of the Russian noble Imperial family, should have been credited with fine success, for she sang with fire and animation, splendid high notes, and winning appearance, so that she had three encores. Reference to her singing at the Plotnikoff studio musicale of February 11 is found elsewhere.
Musical Comedy, Drama and Motion Pictures
the audience. The photography of the forest fire scenes was exceptionally fine.
Rossini’s overture to William Tell, played with vigor and a fine sense of rhythm by the orchestra, was the first number on the program, followed by Riesenfeld’s popular Classical Jazz. The Rialto Magazine was replete with news of interest from various parts of the world. At the Barn Door enlisted the services of The Weber Male Quartet and Borrah Minevitch, soloist on the Wurlitzer Hohner Harmonica. Mr. Minevitch gave much amusement to the audience because of his funny make-up and the funny effects which he got from his instrument. A Max Fleischer “Inkwell” comedy completed the bill.
The Rivoli.
Beatrice Joy, Jacqueline Logan, Raymond Hatton, George Fawcett and Albert Roscoe cooperated in making George Melford’s. production of Java Head a picture well worth seeing. It was shown at the Rivoli last week and drew such large audiences that it is having a run at the Rialto this week. The characters are true to type and many of the scenes are .so realistically done that one has no difficulty in being transported back to the days of ’49 in New England. Some of the scenes laid in China are also worthy of mention. In Crinoline Time, with Miriam Lax, soprano; Susan Ida Clough, mezzo soprano; Inga Wank, contralto, was an effective prologue to the feature picture. The voices of these young artists blended beautifully and the dancing of Alma, Helen, Elma, Hedwig and Sally in crinolines, added to the enjoyment of the number. Ambroise Thomas’ melodious and popular overture to Mignon opened the program, Frederick Stahlberg and Emanuel Baer alternating at the conductor’s stand. Riesenfeld’s Classical Jazz followed and aroused the usual amount of spontaneous applause on the part of the audience. The Rivoli Pictorial, a Strauss waltz, danced by the Serova Dancers, and Dog Sense were the other numbers on the program. The last mentioned was an educational comedy and is a remarkable picture, done for the most part by dogs, cats and a baby.
The Capitol.
Robin Hood was held over here for a second week and while the attendance was not nearly so great as the first week, it played to large audiences. It was reported that Robin Hood broke the house record for attendance in a single week, and on a corresponding night this high record was made by Passion, shown two years ago, and nothing has supplanted it until the advent of our own “Doug” in his latest picture. As we sat through the performance and oftentimes were lost in the beauty of the photography of the feature, the lovely music of DeKoven constantly asserted itself. The overture was Mr. DeKoven’s overture, and we truthfully believe it was never played more beautifully. Mr. Rothafel could have searched his musical library and would have been unable to find such music for the Fairbanks picture. And it must also be stated that the arrangement of the DeKoven score to fit the picture was one of the best of its kind heard in a long time. This week, Hall Caine’s The Christian is being shown; an original score has been prepared and a prelude written by William Axt of the Capitol staff. The only soloist is Erik Bye, singing Bruno Huhn’s Invictus.
The Strand.
Another picture by that delightful artist, Norma Tal-madge, was featured at the Strand last week. Of course it was billed as “her best” but the present writer still pledges allegiance to Smilin’ Through. That does not mean that The Voice from the Minaret (Robert Hichens) is not an excellent picture; it is. The program opened with an excellent performance of the Scene Fantastic of Saint-Saëns which concluded with his familiar Swan to which Mile. Chabelska danced with grace and charm. As a prologue to the feature picture, Eldora Sanford and J. Horace Smithy sang most acceptably and succeeded in giving a pictorially realistic reproduction of a scene and the principal characters of the feature picture itself. Replete with all the vigor and
Author and Star at the Ritz Theater
Maude Fulton; Frank Egan, her producer, the Egan School of Drama, Los Angeles, and her entire cast are
Photo © Geo. Maillard Kesselere
MAUDE FULTON,
author and star of The Humming Bird, now playing at the Ritz Theater, is giving a performance to aid needy children, at midnight- tonight, February 15.
Despite the fact that nearly all the theaters are housing a play that has a sufficient following to bring good box office receipts and a great number are actually sold out, it is rather surprising to note the advent of so many new offerings. At the Astor Theater on February 5, a musical play, Sun Showers, had its premier. The criticisms were not over-enthusiastic. The main objection was the type of humor, and there was nothing particularly distinctive about the dancing. However, a quartet came in for some favorable comments.
On the same evening, at the Thirty-ninth Street Theater, a new Rachel Crothers play, Mary 3rd, had its New York première. The cast contains many well known names, including Louise Huff. The play received many favorable comments, particularly for the acting of Miss Huff, and some of the critics went so far as to say that many of the scenes, as well as much of the dialogue, are among the best of this author’s efforts.
On the Wednesday evening following, Arthur Hammer-stein presented his new musical comedy, Wildflower, at the Casino, with Edith Day as the star. The new musical offering received a fine send-off. The chorus is declared attractive, the music good, and Edith Day charming. At so early a date it is easy to prophesy that Wildflower will take its place among the first of the musical comedies.
Hamlet, at the Harris Theater, closed Friday night, making a total of performances of one hundred and one for John Barrymore. It certainly seems regrettable, when the demand was so great for tickets, that it could not have continued for another month at least. Mr. Harris is offering Owen Davis’ play, Icebound, to follow Hamlet.
On Thursday of last week, at the Yiddish Art Theater, Leonid Andreyev’s drama, Anathema, had its premier with Mo» ice Swartz in the title role. Mr. Swartz also directed the production. The entire cast, particularly Bina Abramo-witz, got excellent notices. In fact, the entire production is looked upon as one of high artistic standard.
The fifth week at the Moscow Art Theater was a repetition of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovitch. This week, Gorky’s A Night’s Lodging is the offering.
The long expected appearance of Julia Arthur as Hamlet took !place here last week at the Palace Theater. Miss Arthur accomplished a Herculean task by offering one of the most serious scenes of Shakespeare to a variety audience. Her performance was looked upon as a triumph. She has always been famous for the beauty of the quality of her speaking voice and her perfect diction.
Peer Gynt.
The Theater Guild offered to New York a revival of Ibsen’s play, Peer Gynt, as its fourth production of the season. None except this artistic organization would have attempted a revival of a play which has little excuse for its existence but for the fact that it continues to be revived on account of the immortal music of Grieg. If we are correct, Peer Gynt has not been offered here since around 1907, when the late Richard Mansfield gave a production which has passed on in the annals of the American theater. One hardly feels justified in making a comparison between the two performances, but despite the inspired acting of the great Mansfield the one thing which tricky memory has left us is the wail of the mother when Peer Gynt playfully passes her on the roof of their home, and we feel sure that after another sixteen years have elapsed the performance at the Theater Guild will be remembered only by the portrayal of Louise Closser Hale as the mother of Peer Gynt, and Josef Schildkraut as Peer.
As a production, the Guild did well by this long and monotonous play ; and yet there was a feeling that it could have been greatly improved upon. The scenery was futuristic, and in some of the scenes, particularly the one on the coast of Monocco where Peer Gynt is fascinated by Anitra, there was much room for improvement. There was one notable impression which one carried away from this performance : Here is an organization that has worked together for years, an organization which has given New York a high percentage of the best of the season’s dramas, and yet there was a lack of harmony. Mr. Schildkraut gave one pronunciation to his name, Peer Gynt, while Louise Closser Hale gave another, and Solveig, enacted by Selina Royle, offered an entirely different one. It was most confusing. As far as these three principals were concerned their performance left very little to be desired particularly in the diction, and one or two of the smaller parts were also marked with distinction. But the scene of the voices was inexcusable, and. there were times when many of the smaller parts were mumbled along, inaudible and tiresome. This also added to the slow tempo of the entire performance.
Helen Westley, that versatile artist, played the part of the Troll King’s daughter. It is rare that an actress of Miss Westley’s artistic ability undertakes such a fearsome task.
. After these few kind words, we pass to the real attraction either past or present of Peer Gynt, and that is the superb music of Grieg. The orchestra was in the pit so one could not see how many there were. But judging from the quality and volume it was rather small, and each individual instrument appeared to be a solo. Ladislas Kun was the director; he read the score with intelligence, without being inspired. This is certainly not his fault, but because he had limitations. No doubt as the performances increase he will be able to get more nuance and coloring into his reading. The audience seemed thoroughly familiar with the beautiful music and oftentimes the spoken drama was interrupted with applause. After Illevil Ibsen, as Anitra, danced, there was considerable enthusiasm.
Peer Gynt is a production everyone should certainly see and hear once, and no doubt with the enormous subscription list of the Theater Guild it can continue several weeks, but no one ever expects an offering of this kind to be an overwhelming triumph. The Guild must certainly be supported and encouraged in all such undertakings, and we are emphatic in our insistence and, forgive the reiteration, everyone should see it once.
The Rialto.
There was many a thrill for those who went to the Rialto last week to see Hearts Aflame, from the novel, Timber, by Harold Titus. It is more or less of a melodrama, but one which seemed to give a great deal of enjoyment to