The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-01
LAY CHU CHIN CHOW
DELAY TO COSTUMES
Producers Deny Show Has
Been Affected by Strike
Call Of A. e. A.
SHIP WITH FINERY LATE
Managers Association APP
points Committee to Pre-
pare for Trouble.

-
A startling discovery was made yes
terday In connection with tho little I'M
pleasantness mp at the Century Theatre
between the Actors Equity Association
and Comstock and Gest, producers.
which unpleasantness Is not to be called
strike because both parties to Il agree
that II is not q strike. They have DIFF
fsreut ways Of defining what It is,
though. The A. r. A. calls II a digni-
Ned demand for proper kind Of contract
and Press Agent Page at the Century
describes II as a fizzle.
But to resume. The startling discov-
cry which cast n sort of gloom over
the Rialto came when Press Agent Page
announced that the reason Morrie Cost
had postponed the New York opening
OF "Chu Chin Chow" from next Monday,
for which date II was scheduled, until
Thursday. was not due to any loss of
performers owing TO the unpleasantness
with the A. %. A. 1t was simply be-
cause ESQ costumes for lovely ladies' and
gentlemen in "Chu Chin Chow are de-
layed somewhere on the Atlantic aboard
the Adriatic. which should have sailed
many days ago from Liverpool, but was
As soon as the Adriatic IA sighted,
which probably will be Wednesday or
Thursday. Morrie Gest will take a tug
boat or blimp or a submarine or any
thing that's handiest and rush out and
grab those costumes from the steamship,
unless the customs officials prevent him,
which surely they won't do II Uncle
Sam cares anything at all about art
and he win get them to the Century
80 o.aA ~ o.. -
the beautious chorus girls and gentle
men in record time.
broadway Feels Troubled.
1t was that announcement that sort OF
doused the glim of broadway. Nobody
ever supposed that a tribe like not hav-
ing costumes would keep Morrie Gest
from producing a theatrical spectacal
especially "Chu Chin Chow" It set
people wondering what change had come
over the spirit of the producers dream
II managers are going to get captious
and fastidious about having costumes.
refuse to put on a show unless they have
them, what Is going to become of the
la-la-la drama? Prohibition having been
put orcr SC easily nobody can tell what
reform may not be launched next, and
some pessimists were sadly predicting
yesterday that this sudden whim OF
Morrie's portended day when the
beauties at the Winter Garden and on
the popular roofs would dance out uiton
the stage with their loneliness completely
knitted helmets.
Well. anyhow. to go back to the strike
which must not be called a strike. Gest
says that only three members of his
company walked out in obedience to the
A. Z. A. order-Miss Ida Mule, who
some years ago starred in Palmer Cox's
comic opera. The Brownies: Miss Lucy
Beaumont and Richie Ling. They have
been replaced, he says. and the rehear-
| sails are going along all right. That the
managers are expecting trouble was
shown yesterday. however, by the fact
the Producing Managers Association held
| a meeting at the Hotel Astor to discuss
the situation and every member was on
hand.
The meeting appointed an emergency
committee ito devise means to protect
| both actor and manager in the present
| circumstances" as was automatically
stated. The committee is as follows:
William A. Brady. Lee Shubert. Marc
Klaw. George NJ. Cohan, Arthur Hopkins.
John Golden, Henry w. Savage, Morris
| Gest and Arthur Hammerstein. This
emergency committee will meet daily.
| which looks as IL they expected the
| enemy to come over the top most any
| time now.
All the managers and producers pres
| ent said AYE" to a resolution lin
| dorsing the action of Messrs. Comstock
& Gest In the adjustment of the 'Chu
i Chin Chow difficulty" The association
| had some new members to announce
Charles Dillingham;. Florenz Ziegheld
| Harrison Grey Fiske and others, and
| they declared with glee that Mr.. and
Mrs Charles d. Coburn had resigned
from tho A. f. A
But to-day the Actors Equity will
have its innings. At Q p. NJ. II expects
| to pack the grand ballroom of the Hotel
Astor with members OF the Associated
Actors and Artistes of America. and
this whole question of the refusal OF man
ayers to subscribe to A. L. A. contracts
will be thrashed out. James W. Fitz-
patrick, international vice-president of
the association and president of the
\ vaudeville branch, will speak, as will
| Francis Gilmore, the treasurer. and
| Harry Montford, organizer. And II q
| set OF resolutions unanimously passed
win clear up the strike cloud that hangs
omlnously over the hitherto gay and bril-
| liant Rialto, why. the clearing will come,
says the A. e. A.
The A. u. A. yesterday gave out
| figures showing that there had been but
eight designations from that organiza-
| ton in July. 1919. as against six In the
corresponding month last year. As they
gained eighty-seven new members this
| July against seventy-one last July they
are TO the good as regards numbers. they
think. II was rumored around green
rooms, by tho way. that the A. e. A. had
pickets at the Century Theatre and was
| blaming TO organize all the lovely
actresses in its membership into an ire
sistible picket army. but this Mr.. Gill
more positively denied.