Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-08-02
MeU York
Letter

NV YORK-Among the many
superstitions OF the show world Is
one concerning the remaining OF
playhouses. The legend goes that
hard luck and misfortune trail GER
tain names.
SO IL happens that there Is much
wonderment along the Broadway
tail at the nerve OF the music show
nrcducers who took over the old
Hammerstein theater and announc-
ed that II would become the Man
haitian Theater next season. Such
bravado is uniquel For the old Man
haitian became a link" TO the pro
flesh"
Hammerstein's large and elaborate
playhouse folded up during the past
winter, following the flop Of a most
expensive production. And the name
of Hammerstein, so long connected
with the stage. temporarily blinked
out. Its huge hulk has stood through
the summer, presenting a depressing
~ deserted front to the passing
crowds.
Then came word that Schwab and
4hACAANt(4s oANlEoNAAA HAONAACGA9 VI say
girl shows, would move in, and that
henceforth IL would be the Man.
haitian. The first Manhattan Thea
ter occupied a corner at Sixth Ave-
nue. and Thirty-second Street, when
show houses were moving up from
the downtown district. At first II
looked like a successful house. since
Henry Miller went in with Darcy
OF the Guards" which was a great
success. But a couple Of years later,
the old theater wasn't getting the
right attractions and closed its doors.
The next Manhattan Theater to
appear was under the management
Of william j. Cane. Cane was a
first-class Snowman who is credited
with originating the idea OF mixing
a vaudeville program with motion
pictures. The novelty caught or"
at once and caused a quick scurTy-
ing among other showmen. Loew,
Proctor and others came running
up with double billed shows and.
again. a Manhattan Theater found
itself In trouble. Now still another
Manhattan Theater comes on the
scene, and the superstitious shake
dubious heads.
But they have shaken their heads
before, sometimes with good reas-
on. Theaters that were supposed to
be jinXed frequently surprised by
turning suddenly into nit houses.
The old Empire. for instance. was
said to be too far down town
The big street had kept moving
northward and skeptics viewed the
cd location with suspicion. Yet the
Empire has housed one of the
seasons outstanding hits, The
Barretts OF WimpOle Street" with
katherine Cornell. And it has had
several excellent starts before that
One OF the more amusing OF
Broadway's recent tales concerns the
ex-chorine who married a young mil
lionaire and Immediately went high
hat
She moved at once into a 500
suite in one Of Manhattan's ritZiest
spots and began referring TO eleva-
tors as lifts" All coffee. even the
breakfast cup, became a "demi-
tasse." And all steak was identified
as 'flet mignon."
This, among other things. was
credited with giving the young mil
lionaire a large pain and contrib
uting TO the eventual splitup. The
young man had been accustomed to
the swankiest Southampton and polo
set society. where only climbers
might be found given TO Alterations.
Playing at being tony" IS Of
New York's more prevalent sports.
Chorus girls, n week removed
from backstage. frequently are
heard trying to affect a Norma
Shearer accent. whereas the real
debutantes might be heard talking
a snappy slang lingo usually identi-
fled with the chlorine.
The hotSy-totsier women behave
in public. the further removed from
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