Lee & Jake-and Herman

Lee & Jake--and Herman

Along Broadway actors gleefully slapped their spats with their canes; in Tony's dramatic critics grinned over their Old Fashioneds. Last week Shubert Theatre Corp., largest theatrical organization in the world, went into bankruptcy. For a great many reasons, not all of them legitimate, there are a great many people in New York who do not like the Shuberts.

Sam, Lee and Jacob J. ("Jake") Shubert were born in Syracuse, N. Y. In 1900 they came to New York and bucked the powerful Klaw & Erlanger theatrical trust by renting the Herald Square Theatre and persuading resonant Richard Mansfield to act in it. Five years later Sam Shubert was killed in a Pennsylvania Railroad wreck. Lee and Jake (who hates to be called Jake in print) carried on the business and prospered mightily. They bought theatres, built theatres (with the assistance of innumerable unofficial partners). They made New York's most imposing music hall out of an old riding ring on Broadway and renamed it the Winter Garden. In the Winter Garden, which featured an illuminated runway, Al Jolson, Willie & Eugene Howard, Marilyn Miller made their first successes.

Rightly or wrongly they acquired the reputation of working their casts harder, paying their chorus girls less, driving the sharpest bargains on Broadway. In 1927 Lee & Jake owned, leased or operated 43 first class theatres in New York, 55 in other U. S. cities, six in London. Came the Depression and the revolt of the Broadway angels. The Shuberts sold their British theatres; most of the others remained dark. Wall Street attempted to take over--with the predictable result that last week the bankruptcy became official. A loss of about $3,000,000 was disclosed. So Lee Shubert, who always keeps a large red apple on his desk, insists that barbers shave him with glycerine instead of lather, was put back in charge of his own company, this time as a receiver. The other receiver is Irving Trust Co.

Broadway had another important theatrical bankruptcy last week. Albert Herman ("Sweetheart") Woods failed for about a million and a half. Producer Woods--his real name is Albert Herman, the "Woods" was an afterthought -- achieved fame through a series of farces by Avery Hopwood (Fair & Warmer, Up In Mabel's Room, Getting Gertie's Garter) that caused the reformers of a decade ago to cry shrilly for the police. But Al Woods has innumerable friends. Notably sloppy in his dress, generally ill-shaven, he calls everybody, male or female, "Sweetheart" with the exception of his friend George Bernard Shaw whom he addresses as "Buddy."

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