March 29, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
64
AMUSEMENTS
KNICKERBOCKER THEATRE
Pop. Wed. Mat. Entire 1st Bale. $1.00, 2d Bale. 50c., Orch. $2.00 Henry W. Savage offer* The Comedy with Music Sensation
“The CLINGING VINE”
with PEGGY WOOD and a Brilliant Singing Cast
Book and Lyrics by Zelda Sears	Music by Harold Levey
ff^aramotuiZ Qlctures^
Theatres under the direction of Hugo Riesenfeld
The RIVOLI BROADWAY AT 49th ST.
Allan Dwan’s Production
“THE GLIMPSES OF THE MOON”
With Bebe Daniels and Nita Naldi.
From the novel by Edith Wharton.
Riesenfeld’s Classical Jazz—Rivoli Concert Orchestra
The RIALTO BROADWAY at 42d ST.
William DeMille’s Production
"GRUMPY”
With Theodore Roberts, May McAvoy and Conrad Nagel. Adapted by Clara Beranger.
Riesenfeld’s Classical Jazz—Famous Rialto O'rchestra
B'way at 51st St. “Subway to Door״ EDW. BOWES, Mng. Dir.
CAPITOL
World's Largest and foremost Motion Picture Palace
Beginning Sunday, April 1st
!Metro Presents
REX INGRAM’S PRODUCTION
“WHERE THE
PAVEMENT ENDS”
with Alice Terry CAPITOL GRAND ORCHESTRA
Erno Rapee, Conductor Presentation» by S. L. ROTHAFEL
ment of the Royal Egyptian Orchestra, containing native dancers from Cairo is to appear at the Town Hall on Sunday night, April 1.	May Johnson.
CHICAGO
(Continued from page 45)
were topnotch—made up Conductor Stock’s portion of the diversified program.
Bush Conservatory News Items.
Kenneth M. Bradley, Bush Conservatory’s able president, is taking a vacation in California. He left Friday for a trip of six weeks, making his headquarters in Los Angeles. He is accompanied by his mother.
Genevieve Zettle, reader and artist-pupil of Mae Riley McKinley, gave a splendid reading of Percy McKaye’s Jeanne d’Arc at Bush Conservatory on March 17.
A recital by advanced students was given at Bush Conservatory on Saturday, March 24.
April 16 is the date of the third concert of the Bush Conservatory Symphony Orchestra in Orchestra Hall. Richard Czerwonky is the conductor of this excellent organization, which will be assisted by four soloists.
Leola Aikman, soprano; Marushka Conrad, pianist; Ebba Fredericksen, violinist, and Clay Hart, tenor, are to be the soloists of the third concert of the Bush Conservatory Symphony Orchestra in Orchestra Hall. Miss Fredericksen and Miss Conrad are members of the Master School, and Miss Aikman and Mr. Hart are artist students of Charles W. Clark and Herbert Miller, respectively.
On March 22 Leola Aikman, soprano, artist-pupil of Charles W. Clark, and Jennie Mohr, violinist, artist-pupil of Richard Czerwonky, with Fyrne Bogle, accompanist, assisted the Swedish Glee Club in a concert at Masonic Temple, South Chicago.
On the same date, Feme Hassell, violinist, pupil of Richard Czerwonky, and Andrew Quattlebaum, baritone, pupil of Herbert Miller, with Bernice Simmons, pupil of Mme. Julie Rive-King, gave a concert at Eleanor Club No. 4.
Some Busy Rose Lutiger Gannon Students.
Marie Herron, soprano, one of Rose Lutiger Gannon’s most active students, won success in a joint recital in the Young American Artist Series last Thursday evening at the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Kathryn Ryan, another creditable Gannon product, gave a recital at Aurora, 111., on Saturday of this week. Mrs. Gannon is one of the best known voice teachers and contraltos in Chicago, who can boast of a large following here and in surrounding communities.
Chicago Musical College Happenings.
So popular have the Sunday afternoon concerts of the Chicago Musical College become that at each performance multitudes of people have perforce to be turned away because there is no room left in the house to accommodate them. At the concert last Sunday afternoon, a program by advanced pupils was presented. Ruth Conant, Elsie Reinhart, Hannah Goldberg, George Planek, Mildred Robinson (student of Leon Sametini), Madeline Reed (student of Rose Lutiger Gannon), Eulalia Kober (student of Edward Collins), James Durham, Helen Polletiz, and a string quartet made up of Philip Kaufman, Joe Harding and John Norton (students of Leon Sametini) and Efrain Garcia furnished the program.
Edward Collins, of the faculty, appeared with Jacques Gordon and H. Wallenstein at a recital of chamber music given at Naperville College, Naperville, 111., March 13. Mr. Collins has been engaged as solo pianist at the concert of the Vincent d’Indy Society, '.o be given under the auspices of the French Consulate, April 16. Jeannette Cox.
Musical Comedy, Drama and Motion Pictures
side in order that it might be evident to every one that the instrument was acting independently of him. And then, for the closing he returned to the piano and taking up theme, continued it to the stirring finish. The audience was delighted with the work, judging from the enthusiastic applause accorded.
Jack Holt in The Tiger’s Claw was the film feature. He has rapidly established himself as a general favorite by the sincerity of his work. Gladys Rice, soprano, sang William Stickles’ Give Me All of You, with her accustomed success. The Danse Tzigane of Tivador Nachez was given a vigorous delineation by Paul Oscard and Margaret Daily, dancers. Buster Keaton in The Frozen North moved up from the Rialto, where it drew many laughs the week before. It is well worth a second showing. The Rivoli Pictorial was the remaining number on the program.
The Rialto.
It was the familiar overture to Tannhäuser (Wagner) which opened the program at the Rialto last week, the Rialto Orchestra, with Hugo Riesenfeld and Joseph Littau conducting, giving it a noteworthy performance. Riesenfeld’s Classical Jazz scored its usual success—it is one of the numbers _ regarding which there is never any doubt. C. Sharpe-Minor at the Wurlitzer is another favorite; last week the organist gave a new ballad, Sorry, and a novelty, Love’s Caravan. Evelyn Law, of the Follies, was seen in a waltz, a Leventhal Music Film. W. Squires’ stirring song of the sea, Three for Jack, was sung by Frank Robbins, baritone, in the costume of a gob; his enunciation was excellent. The film feature was The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, with Mary Miles Minter and Antonio Moreno, and there was also a Larry Semon comedy, The Counter Jumper, also the regular Rialto Magazine, and a most delightful film released by John J. Iris, The Chateaux of France.
The Capitol.
The feature film for last week was Lost and Found, with House Peters and Pauline Starke as the stars. House Peters is always interesting, and the picture was worthy of his serious efforts.
As a prologue, S. L. Rothafel arranged a South Sea number; the lyrics were written by Martha Wilchinaski. The music was effective, supposingly one of those tuneful Polo-naisian airs. Those taking part were Bruce Benjamin, Dorma Lee and Elizabeth Ayres.
Perhaps the most attractive musical number was the special arrangement by Oumansky of Tschaikowsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Doris Niles', Thelia Zenau, Gambrelli, Oumansky himself, and the entire ballet corps took part. As usual it was given a beautiful background. The whole number was a riot of color; the dancers were particularly good, and the orchestra, under the direction of Rappe, interpreted the number exceptionally well.
As an overture, the Capitol Grand Orchestra played excerpts from the popular musical comedy of several seasons ago,_ Maytime. The principal melody number from the musical comedy, Sweetheart, was sung beautifully by Evelyn Herbert. The second soloist was Rudy Wiedoeft, saxophonist of the Capitol Orchestra. His numbers were two compositions of his own, Valse Erica, and Saxophobia. The audience applauded loudly.
Notes.
Emanuel Baer, conductor of the Rivoli Theater, left last week for a six weeks’ stay in Los Angeles. Mr. Baer was sent to arrange the presentation of the first showing of The Covered Wagon, the big new film of Paramount, which will have its first showing in that vicinity at the Graumann Theater. Mr. Baer will arrange the musical score and the surrounding numbers for this film which has created such a sensation here in New York City, now being shown at the Criterion Theater, and no doubt he will direct the orchestra for the first weeks.
On April 5, at ten o’clock, at the Capitol Theater, the Society of Theater Organists will present Dr. Melchiorre Maure-Cottone, chief organist of the Capitol Theater, in an organ recital. Dr. Cottone is one of the principals in the movement for better organ music in the motion picture theaters. The beauty of the Estey organ at the Capitol Theater has enabled Dr. Cottone to give some splendid numbers. He is a member-at-large of the S. T. O. executive board. Before entering the theatrical field he had become distinguished in Italy and the United States as a concert organist and choral conductor. He has been especially active in the composition and propagation of polyphonic music, and was organist and choirmaster of the Spanish Church, St. Francis Xavier and St. Ignatius Loyola churches.
The last weeks of the great spectacle at the Hippodrome are approaching. Better Times has been unanimously considered one of the most artistic and finely arranged of the super productions ever arranged by R. H. Burnside, the general director.
Dorothy Francis, soprano, formerly of the Chicago Opera Company, was seen here a few weeks ago as the star of the dramatic play, Rita Coventry. This story of an American prima donna arranged as a play, afforded Miss Francis many opportunities to sing. Despite the popularity of Rita Coventry as a novel and Miss Francis’ very good voice, the play did not prove of sufficient general appeal to have a run here. Immediately upon the close of the play, Henry W. Savage prevailed upon Miss Francis to take the leading role in his production of The Merry Widow. Miss Francis left immediately for Boston, where she is singing this week.
Charming Peggy Wood will soon have played two hundred performances of The Clinging Vine at the Knickerbocker Theater. This delightful comedy of music, by Zelda Sears and Harold Levy, is proving to ,be one of the most attractive and worthwhile productions to be heard at this time.
Nahan Franko, the well-known violinist and musical director and orchestral organizer, filled a special engagement at the Palace Theater. Mr. Franko is one of the best known musicians before the public today, and the Keith vaudeville was indeed fortunate in securing the services of so distinguished a musician.
With the astounding interest that has been created in Egypt and Egyptian lore through the finding of the Pharaoh’s tomb, Tut-ankh-Amen, it is not surprising that the announce-
The spring is here indeed! The circus opened at Madison Square Garden last Saturdajc The writer was among the invited guests to the dress rehearsal which took place the night before. Everything was in fine shape and the show appears bigger and more interesting than ever before. The special act of the tigers was particularly interesting, though the principal performer suffered from a severe attack of stage fright. Even though he refused to jump through the hoop, his very efforts and his loud protestations were fascinating. We are told that this dress rehearsal was attended by one of the largest invited audiences that has even attended. Many prominent personages in society and famous circus stars of a decade ago, in addition to what seemed the entire local press, occupied boxes.
The new plays of the week were The Love Set, a comedy by Thomas Louden, which opened at the Punch and Judy Theater on Monday evening of last week.
On the same evening, The Adding Machine, by Elmer Rice, was another offering by the Theater Guild. The cast contains many of the most prominent actors of the organization. Margaret Wycherly, Helen Westley and Dudley Digges are the principals.
On Thursday evening, Jack and Jill, a musical comedy, arranged by John Murray Anderson, began at the Globe Theater. Despite the fact that the cast includes Ann Pennington, Georgia O’Ramey and Clifton Webb, as a musical comedy the criticisms which followed were certainly not over-enthusiastic. In fact none of the offerings for the last week appear to be of particular worth.
The Guilty One.
On Tuesday evening, The Guilty One, with Pauline Frederick as the star, began its New York engagement at the Selwyn Theater. This play had its première some months ago, and after a long run in Chicago was brought to New York. As a play the material is pure hokum. The dialogue was long and meaningless and without a ray of brilliancy, not even a clever line to relieve the monotony. Were it not for the little twist in the action and development of the plot which comes at the end of the play there would ■be positively no excuse for its existence, and even this climax is considerably depreciated in its effect by those last moments of explanation and reiteration. A quick curtain, after the surprise, would help the play immeasurably. This anticlimax and a slow curtain takes the last spark of life that had vainly struggled to assert itself in the third act.
The play is absolutely harmless. It is not offensive in any way, and this is really quite‘a relief after many of the season’s productions, but there is no reason why managers should swing from the offensive abruptly to the inoffensive, or banal. Is there no happy medium?
It has been many years since Pauline Frederick has appeared in a legitimate production in a New York Theater, and her advent was awaited with considerable interest. She has always been one of the writer’s favorites on the screen, and it must foe frankly admitted that it was pure curiosity that prompted us to go and see her in The Guilty One. She has a splendid speaking voice, which is a big asset. Her gowns were ravishing and she made a very pretty picture. The supporting cast makes the best of its opportunities, and with such flimsy material it is surprising that the performance turned out to be as good as it was.
The Guilty One will run just so long as Miss Frederick’s admirers go. It surely will have little appeal for the general public.
The Strand.
The principal interest at this theater last week was the First National attraction, presented by Edwin Carewe, of the feature film, Mighty Lak a Rose, by Curtis Benton. The stars were James Rennie and Dorothy Mackail. As a film this is going to prove one of the outstanding successes of the season. It has all of the elements that the vast majority of motion picture fans adore. Aside from the obviousness, it really possesses considerable worth, and there will be many tears shed during its showing.
The feature that interested us most was the fact that the famous Nevin Song, Mighty Lak a Rose, that has been sung around the world, was the inspiration for this feature. Not only has the film taken the song’s name (this, however, has been done before), but also the film has been worked out to show the influence on the lives of many persons in the playing of this melody, which will exist always. The musical score adapted for the film naturally has its basic theme, the Nevin music, and interspersed are other old songs, but the one that we heard most frequently was that popular ballad, Roses of Picardy. There has been a great deal written regarding this film and many angles of exploitation have been made possible on account of Nevin’s song.
The Rivoli.
The Liszt concerto in E flat major opened the program at the Rivoli last week, Juan Reyers, pianist, giving an excellent reading of this work. The Rivoli Orchestra, Frederick Stahlberg and Emanuel Baer conducting, lent admirable aid. There was a distinct novelty in the performance of Eugen Onegin paraphrase of Tschaikowsky-Pabst, which followed.
Mr. Reyers began the work and played for some little time, and then the Ampico took it up. While the Ampico was playing his own recording, Mr. Reyers stood to one
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