Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-06
THE PLAYCOER'S
WEEKLY TALK
Observations on Plays and
PhofopIays of Interest to
PhiladeLphi0ns


My Dear" the musical comedy coming
10 the Chestnut. is sponsored by experts
IN the mirth maids and merriment line,
the same being Ray Comstock and Will
Liam Elliott, who have a number OF
musical comedy hits to their credit.
And MY Honolulu Girl, which is to
bring Hawaiian costumes. scenery,
music and atmosphere to the Walnut.
is coming there with a record of success
in other cities. Unusual and unusually
pictorial and elaborate staging for
popular price show is promised.
Mrs Kalich's role is described as
veritable keyboard of emotions-fear,
tenderness, rage and melancholy. she
is virtuoso who can compass the entire
gamut of temperament. 1t will have to
be a pretty big play to be worthy the
variety and intensity of her art, dls-
played in the exduisitely poetic ''Monna
Vanna'' of Macterlinck. the somberness
of Angel Guimeras's tragic Marta OF
the Lowlands, the Leucadian poetesSS
Of Percy Mackaye's "Sappho and
Phaon" and the unforgcttable figure OF
the heroine in Jacob Gordin' 'Kreutzer
Sonata.
n UMORS of theatres continue to en-
IN gross the gadding vines of the local
rialto, even il architects blue prints or
realtors transfers of sites fall TO nan
down the gossip Of new playhouses for
Philadelphia with, or to, brass tacks.
There is something more definite in the
discussion when it comes 70 movie
houses. for the Stanley Co. will be back
OF the new photoplay theatre on tne
site of the Bingham Hotel and will di
< vert the Broad to cinematography, at
the beginning of the next season. me
subtraction of the Broad Will leave thc
SO called first class houses one shy ana
another will be deducted even before
the end of this season, when spring
weather makes it propitious to start
work on the new building of the Fidelity
Trust Co, which will occupy the loca-
tion of the Forrest. just when or Where
these will be replaced is still mys-
tory. 1t is currently reported that sew
eral of the New York producing man
agements. confident of the value OF
having their own houses here. are
weighing the relative merits of several
sites in the downtown section. There
Is some talk of a resuscitation of the
Walnut to its former prestige, n syndi-
cate of several New York producers
4 being said to be seriously considering
this project. Five years ago the Chest
nut Street Opera House was given up
as hopelessly out of the path of theatri-
cal traffic. but now it is one of the best
paying amusement propositions in the
city, and it is just around the street
fIom the Walnut at that. At the Five
O'clock Club dinner rendered to Mayor
elect Moore, James NJ. Beck made a
plea for revival of interest in the
Walnut, suggesting that the time was
ripe for the enterprise of a community
theatre and opera house, and that the
historic glories of the Walnut entitled
1t to consideration for that purpose.
Concrete, at least is the announce
ment that Walter Wanger, known to
fame as the youthful producer who saw
the commercial AS well as artistic values
in "John Ferguson rights to which
be acquired and also for his matrimonial
acquisition of Justine Johnson. one of
The most beautiful women on the stage,
has leased the Little Theatre, which is
to pass from its bluestocking career to
tile silk stockings of musical comedies
and revue, in some of which, doubt e
less, Miss Johnson will play prominent
part. The Little Theatre has not been
successful as a highbrow and socially
exclusive institution. Possibly the new
lease may add on the words "of life. -
with the house (renamed the Philadel-
phia Theatre) turned over to the TYNE
OF amusement that the public apparently
Graves. And while rounding up the
rumors of the theatres here, new and
old, it will do no harm to add one that
sounds somewhat extravagant, namely.
that the Metropolitan Opera House is
tn be leased as the production center of
elaborate revues of the Winter Garden
or Follies type. If this is true it wouId
leave the opera all dressed up on Tues
day evening and nowhere to 90. unless
In 400 =
Possibly that change would grieye a lot
of opera fans
tHE stage has always responded
whole -heartedly to calls on its kind
ilness and charity. The public has tried
70 feclprocate in n measure at least
curing the course of the drive this
month to replenish the Actors Fund
the great theatrical philanthropy for its
own. Yesterday was Actors Memo
rial Day and in 200 American cities
benefit matinees were given. The per
tormance here, at the Forrest was
highly and deservedy successful Suh.
scriptions to the Actors Fund also were
generous in number ard size.
Daniel Frohman, president of the
fund, on receipts of kilograms from
all parts of the country showing that
the drive had been overwhelmingly sue
cessful, sent out the following state
ment late last night:
II can with difficulty express tho
gratitude of the theatrical profession
for this wonderful tribute to the peopIC
Of the stage for their share in the work
When our people were called upon tc
help Uncle Sam we had no Thought OF
recognition or reward We went in tC
help. We neglected our own charity
the Actors Fund, because we felt that
Uncle Sam had to come first. We en-
tered into this conflict, not as profes
sionals, not as actors or actresses but
rs patriots and citizens. We raised
+ $500, 900, 900 during the war loans
We appeared at benefits constantly
We sent nearly 1900 artists abroad IL
entertain the soldiers at the front w,
were bound by the common ties of I'm
manity, tie that united us all, durinl
Z the war, and one that we hope will
always unite us.
And now today we are honored. w,
4 are grateful to the American public foI
this appreciation. Our own fund bai
been in existence for thirty eight years
uarrying on its work of charity Tn,
Actors Fund spends more than $50 .0Ot
year in relieving the sick and des
fifute in this profession, among whom
there are thousands the public neve
hear Of, but who do their duty to enter
tain honestly and faithfully in all part
Of the country.
Shakespeare said the actor is 'th
INSTRUCT and brief chronicle of his time.
The actor expresses the emotions of hu
manity: its passions and aspirations IL