Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-08-02
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superstitions Of the show world is
n concerning the remaining Of
playhouses. The legend goes that
hard luck and misfortune trail GER
tain names.
So It happens that there Is much
wonderment along the Broadway
trail az the nerve Of the music show
PRODUCERS who took over the old
HammerStein theater and announc-
ed that 1t would become the Man
haitian Theater next season. Such
bravado is uniquel For the old Man
haitian became a link" TO the pro
feSh."
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
ly deserted front TO the passing
crowds.
Then came word that Schwab and
Mendel, successful producers OF a
$50 OAAQNo nOA40 AlAONC liz aAAA AAAAb
henceforth 1t 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 it
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. Gaze. Cane was a
st-clasS Snowman who is credited
v : originating the idea of mixing
seville program with motion
~ J. The novelty caught on"
at Aa-e and caused a quick scurTy-
ing among other showmen. Loew.
Proctor and others came running
up with double-hilled shows and,
again, a Manhattan Theater found
itself In trouble. Now still another
Manhattan Theater comes on the
scene. and the supeTstitious shake
dubious leads.
But they have shaken their heads
before, sometimes with good reas-
on. Theaters that we're supposed 70
be linked frequently surprised by
turning suddenly into hit houses.
The Old Empire, for instance. was
said TO be too far down town"
TIE big street had kept moving
n0rthward and skepticS viewed the
old location with suspicion. Yet the
Empire has housed one Of the
seas s outstanding hits. The
Barretts Of Wimpole Street with
katherine Cornell. And u has had
several excellent starts before that
One or 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 S1G0
suite in one Of Manhattan'S ritZies.
spots and began referring 10 eleva-
tors as lifts All coffee, even the
breakfast cum. became a "demi-
tasse." And all steak vas 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 one Of
New York's more prevalent sports.
Chorus girls. one 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
societ~ circles they ? likely 70 be.