The New York herald., 1922-07-16

Banter in new comedy. and all he
needs now is the comedy.
A. H. Woods. having been relieved
of his lease Of the Republic Theater
by Oliver D. Bailey, is looking for new
worlds to conquer in the shape of
another theater. He will probably
get the Times Square Theater, since
his business relations with the Sell
WINS have been close. and moreover
the playhouse is very handy to Mr..
Woods's cigar humidors in his Office
across the street.
woods's rental for the theater is
understood to have been surprisingly
low. even if paid in German marks.
1t is said that his lease of the Re-
public, which had two years more to
run, called for only $4,000 a year
low enough, as theatrical rentals run,
TO be considered extremely old fash.
ioned. These figures only serve to ac-
centuate the large sums paid for leas-
ing a theater nowadays. even with the
amusement slump still a matter of
current history.
days is put at $50,000 a year for
houses that offer room for hardly more
than 800 powder puffs to be swung
in unison in the auditorium. The Lit
tie Theater is said t6 have asked for
$50. 1000, and may be getting more in
its little treasury. The Fulton Theater
is reported to get $4,000 year, and
so on up the line, houses like the Gen.
trail on Broadway itself going for
100000 and still being considered 4
bargain.
that the George NJ. Cohan Theater was
recently offered for $4,000 to its
namesake, who promptly countered
with an offer of $4,000. When the
proprietors thought this over they
came back ready to accept the $751;
900 and call it neat days work.
Cohan, however, had in the meantime
decided he could manage to live with
out the theater and now it faces hav-
ing his name deleted from it and some
such name as the Commodore rugged
up alongside the orangeade booth.
Those who made this proposition to
Cohan, by the way, were Max Spiegel
and Joe LEBLANC. who had taken over
the building containing the George NJ.
Cohan Theater. Spiegel doing SO for
the amusement end and LEBLANC In
order to feel more at home with his
ticket business there. This is but one
more instance of the way in which
LEBLANC was making his presence felt
in the course of true art on Broadway
Toward the end OF the season no less
than thirty-three OF the fifty plays on
Broadway had most of their tickets at
his cut rate agency and were praying
for salvation by this means.
Over one particularly disastrous
week end he bought out blocks of
seats for eight productions. thereby
pulmotoring their lives and enabling
the managers to stave off disaster. In
the case of one of the biggest comedy
hits OF the season he was reported to
have a half interest in the shown
fact. his name nowadays all but spells
angel"
Nellie Kelly" George NJ. Cohan's
forthcoming musical show. is not quite
~ ~ 1911 40 tit iiiblIotto, lOI III
the cast now rehearsing is Marion
Sal<i. prima donna who is half Jspa-
nese. She has appeared in "lhe
O'Brien Girl" playing the role on the
road which was originated here by
Ada Mac Weeks, and before that she
was allied with The Velvet Lady"
Others who are taking their collars
off and going after their lines in the
new show are Robert Woolsey and
Robert Pitkin.
Arnold DAILY, who is now out OF the
impending play "Tho Monster" Is
aiming to keep cool in vaudeville. He
has asked Helen McCaffery. play
broker, for a sketch suitable for the
| two day and for himself.
Mike Gcldreyer. the demon publicity