Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-02
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND OMENS
:, OF THE NEW THEATRICAL SEASON?
Moviemad, 1t Seems Rushing Toward the Extremes Of
the Popular and the "Highbrow," With
Revvals as Good Sign

At LAsT--in the FIRST week Of october
"A -Phlsdelphia's theatrical season
NAV be said to have opened. one OF our
Ave flrst-class theatres has presented nov
ing pictures all the last month; another
two musical comedies; third two dra-
matte failures; a fourth opened only last
week; and now the Broad is finally swing
ing into line. Verify as the facetious New
York telegraph soiemniy remarked on
sunday, Theatres Lively in philadelphia.
winter Season Starts of Well With only
one Playhouse to Open"
And 40, perhaps. we may begin 10 won
der what sort of a season is coming.
The nrst thing we've got 20 recognize
is that it's a movie season. NO dramatic
critic can write about the theatre this
wear and ignore the photoplay. He may
not ''cuss it out" as Walter Prichard
taton has lust done in the Boston Tran
scr,nt. but ne must consider II. The ac-
cident OF war has stimulated American
screen production so tremendously mat
~ breaks forth this week In its climax
.,yo-doIlar movies What will be the
erect on the theatrical fare this winter?
Here are a very important pair OF
facts 20 consider: II you want to estimate
the prospects of the theatre IN Phila-
doIphIa or Boston or Baltimore, you must
look 10 New York; if you want to know
Won can 90 right down on Market street
and see what Philadelphia Is getting:
'rbe 'tprovinces' and the dog towns"
arc no more, so far as the screen goes.
Every city gets the same show the
same night-tho first company In the
latest success-to-be. Maybe the movies
are going to cure the "road problem in
the Legitimate theatre by killing IT. May
no the movies are going to compete"
the lagEard popular success of a year
back clean out OF existence. Maybe
popular drama will disappear, and we
who still care for the spoken word may
have 10 build up local theatres, roper
tory companies, stage societies, to give
us the solid dramatic fare that we want.
But anyway we must look to New York
dght now. We must Gull over the the
successes OF Broadway last season-"lt
PAYS to Advertise" Under Cover
snaddv I,ona-Iegs," Twin Beds" kick
In" "a Full House." "a Pair of Silk
stockings" Life" "Androcles and the
Lion "on Trial"-that will spell our inn
mediate future. And we must look at the
amusement advertisements in last Sun
days New York papers II we would know
what to expect next spring and fall.
Long distance representations like the
latter are apt to be as dull as listing last
years successes. This season, however.
they are full with the promise of a crit-
cal time In the movie-ridden theatre.
Guesses will probably go wrong, but
they're good sport.
Judging both this year and last, stage
entertainment seems to be growing popu-
lar and unpopular at the same time. The
tendency Is toward the thing that hits
the largest, commonest note and draws
the most dollars-this, in self-defense.
The difficulty of putting II over" how
ever, is constantly increasing.
Last year the managers, hunting money
makers to pay bigger risks and invest
ments, produced broadly popular melo-
dramas like ION Trial and "Kick In
and fsrces like "It Pays to Advertise
and Irwin Beds" This year the same
tendency Is evident. 1.-The House OF
Glass" and Under Fire" Cohan's Hit
the-Trail Holiday" and young Amer
lea" are good enough parallels to the
older four.
edy. Their numbers decrease and, except
the occasional piece for the over-intelli-
gent, like adele" and 1.-THE Girl Who
Smiles" they aim at a bigger anc
broader audience. Only the elaborate
the spectacular. the revueish get over
From "Follies," Winter Gardens anC
Midnight Frolics," New York has pro
ceeded to the opening Of two mammoth
music halls" the Century and the Hip
podrome, this winter.
On the other hand. there still remains
class Of play that isn't hit by movie