Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-05-24
NEW YORK THEATRES
ARE OUT Of MATERIAL
No New Plays, and Famous Actresses
Getting Down to Not Very
Good Vaudeville.
By Beau Rialto
(Written for the United Press)

cessful presentations of the late season.
Some of the productions will reopen
again in the fall, when the theatre
gaers come back to town, while others
have been consigned to the limbo which
is the bourne from which no mediocre
play returns.
Indicative of the season, the year S
successes may be numbered on the
fingers of one-handed switchman. The
season of 1923 was disastrous. Sure
ly. They all are to hear the managers
tell it, but the salson just closing was
an exceptionally bad one. There are
playing on the Great White Way less
than half dozen of the shows that
began earl ) in the season. Among them
are ''Fanny's First Play, " "The Lady
and the Slipper - with Elsie Janis,
Montgomery and Stone, and Belasco $
Years Of Discretion and GA Good
Little Devil" The Rialto this past
season was strewn with dry bones as
never before in recent years, in any
year, as 4 matter of fact, save those
of financial stringency and panic The
reason largely is dual one; the in
crease in number of theatres and the
dearth of new plays that are good.
During the late lamented period there
were few plays produced that had with
in them anything of merit.
IT may be remarked in passing that
by some coincidence, strange or other
wise, most of the plays that got by
were those dealing with children and
juvenile "Snow White" put on by
Winthrop Ames; William. A. Brady s
"Little Women" "The Poor Little
Rich Girl" and "The Good Little
Devil" were among the plays that
lasted any time, which had to do with
the doings Of children.
Altogether, the dramatic season on
Broadway leaves only two conclusions
to be drawn, that there are few good
plays being written by the moderns Of
both America and abroad, and that
section on either side of Broadway
between Forty-second street and Forty
ninth street is becoming too thickly
populated with play houses.
How are the mighty fallenl Mrs.
Leslie Cartor is now completing a "ten-
twentthirt" engagement of "Du-
Barry" and "Zaza" up in the Bronx.
The erstwhile great tragedienne played
her masterpieces to the Yiddish crowds
where movies and polite vaudeville in
tersperse the acts of the legit. More
surprising still, Mrs Carter started out
on her French repertoire in a popular
priced Philadelphia theatre before she
invaded the environs of New York.
Whether she will come further in
toward The White Lights when her
Bronx engagement concludes, remains
to be seen. An interesting side.light
on the career Of the titan haired star
is the announcement that her five year
contract with John Cort will expire in
month and no move to renew the oh-
legation has been made by either the
contracor or contractce. Mrs. Carter
made her greatest hit while under the
direction of David Beasco She then
tried starring under her own manage
ment, which brought her into bank
Iuptcy court, and thou she signed with
Cort. Now she is casting her pearl:
of art before the small time audiences
and those Of us who remember "thC
good old days" cannot help but shud
der at the outcome
Sad sign Of the times on Broadway
Lamentabe commentary on the moderr
gentlemen who write plays. They hav,
had to revive Gus Thomas " Arizona
in New York, We Of the younger gen
Grafton may yet see "Uncle Tom =
Cabin" '1he Octaroon" and "Thr
Black Crook on Broadway Tn,
reason why they resurreeted the Mis-
souri, playwright's first success wa
because there was nothing fresh avail
able. Thomas himself produced on
new play this season, ''The Model, ,
and II was n bloomer "Arizonn" wa
hit when first produced, and it /
proving II hit now Nothing is ney
under the sun Why everything undc
the sun is new--to somebody.
They are getting together a flee
Of show boats to be operated on Tn
Hudson and contiguous water durin
the summer season, New idea 70
Broadway. What matter that for ger
crations, 'hey have been operating pla
house boats on the Mississippi TIL
idea is an innovation in the effet
east at any rate, and it is prcdicte
that II will be hugh success Tn
managers who are equippng the boat
plan to start them out with vaudevil
bills They win ply up and down III