Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-25
THE PLAYCOER'S
WEEKLY TALK

8 SEEMS to be the standard theatri-
"A cal ratio these days. the coming
novelties at the theatres will be in the
proportion of two to one in favor OF
musical thows. Next week. will find
one legitimate comedy, "The Champion
which brings Grant Mitchell to the
Broad in role that seems especially
adapted to his characteristic funmaking,
as against the new Winter Garden eS-
travaganza, cinderella oil Broadway
featuring Marie Dressler, at the Shu.
bert. and a musical farce. The Girl in
the Private Room" at the Lyric. with
Harry Conor and a number OF other
clever faiceurs
"\N1TH the appearance Of the latest
w Winter Garden musical produce
zion. cinderella on Broadway we
will revert to the old scale of prices"
said J. j. Shubert, who was In Philadel-
phia yesterday. During the last year.
with the enormous increase In the cost
Of everything, 1t became necessary for
the theatres to follow suit. In fact,
managers and companies were far slower
and more conservative in the increase
In admission than any other line or pro-
ducers And yet our expenses went UP
In the same proportion as in any otner
business
"Just as we were the last to raise
prices so we are going TO be the hrst 20
start a return to pre-war prices. instead
OF So or s. 80, as has been the custom
the last year or two TO charge Tor the
big musical productLoInS we are .oodvSvS g"d,ns 10
$3.50 as the top price, excepting only
Saturday night"
YTNHIS may be the swallow which shows
Il which way the wind is blowing, but
one swallow doesn't make theatrical
winter any the cheaper. POSSIBLY a re-
duction In such a standard show as
Winter Garden production may be Try
out TO test the possibility of staging big
extravaga at old prices. We heai
daily in the public prints-a dellghttui
phrase-that wool is coming down and
that cotton is shedding its High Cost or
Lint 1t is established. too. that silk
had a drop In the markets some time
ago, and as the most, or the least. cos
TUNES are made of the silkworm's home
spun product this may account FOR the
reduction spoken of by Mr.. Shubert.
Whatever the philosophy of it, the fact
will be greeted with acclaim, especially
by the young guys with a girl, and
doubly so by those opulent and unat-
tached who have a different girl for
every theatre and premiere. Here's
hoping success TO Back to the ola
prices,
"A Nd speaking Of the reduction of
"A prices. it is noticeable that the Adel-
phi has reverted to the ten. twen thtrt
drama OF course It costs more than
that at the box Office TO get in to see
Theda Bara in the Blue Flame" but
this ripe and mellow mellerdrammer'
featuring the most celebrated OF screen
vamps in a stage role Is worth what
ever II costs George Hobart and John
willard the sCerarStS. have lost no cue
or slipped no cog in building up their
mechanism Of melodrama Just one
thing they have omitted. When the
vamp says. rs she does often, kiss
me" the audience expects 1t m this
form: Kiss me. muh fool. Possibly
this phrase was copyrighted by Porter
Emerson Browne In "A Fool There
Was
Vice is downed with ar awful thud
in :he play. and virtue rises like truth
crushed TO earth The Namp Is moro
sinuous than sensuous, But the meio-
drama is magnificent.
Its magnificent. even IL it isn't art.
CoME people are just people others
~ -
the most popular OF American institu-
tions is Theda Bara. Just how popular
an event Miss Bara is is proved, how
ever. by the reception accorded her in
her first stage appearance in The Blue
Flame" OF course. to say Theda Bara
Is to think vampire In the public mind
the two words are synonymous.
But Miss Bara is only a screen vam-
pire. The 100. 900 600 people or so who
ike TO believe that Miss Bara vampS
out of sheer wickedness are bound to De
disappointed For of the screen and Off
the stage Miss Bara is a gentle. quiet
and domestic lady. II the public Is not
already aware OF this II is because Miss
Bara has heen very reticent about her
personal affairs She believes that as
discretion is the better part o; valor. so
silence is the wiser part of illusion.
And so she has vamped her way into
flmdom's heart and gone on reading
books on psychic subjects without say
ing anything about it,
HnTARY" will undoubtedly go down
lSl into history as one Of the most
successful musical comedies in years,
and the secret OF this success is speed
Which explains the popularity Of every
George NJ Cohan show that has been
given 10 the stage. Everybody goes on
and off at the GarriCk rapidly. They
almost run There is always some
thing going on in the center Of the
stage, and the same thing doesn't go OIL
more than a few seconds.
The chorus never has a quiet moment.
You don't get time 70 find out which of
the attractive young women you admire
most because they are melangs Of
arms and legs in rapid motion. Even
The servants dance on and or instead
Of stalking nm as they do in an ordinary
show Will" Mr. Cohan has not clipped
any inciden; that goes to round out the
sentimental low" motif of the play, he