#willard mack

1916

Her Market Value is a four act play by Willard Mack. It was originally produced by A.H. Woods. 

A woman is lured to a roadhouse outside Canton Ohio by her dancing teacher. She has been divorced with false evidence of infidelity and has fallen victim to narcotics. Her ex-husband discovers his deceit and murders the dance instructor with a letter opener.  The woman finds herself in New York City, where she stands outside a swanky eatery thinking of the misfortune and despair that will some day come to the richly dressed habitus of the restaurant. "That's why I come here," she says to a policeman who gives her money and advice. "That's why I laugh!" And she laughs.

Woods’ acquisition of the play was first mentioned in June 1916. Casting was announced a month later: Marjorie Rambeau (aka Mrs. Willard Mack) was expected to create the leading role in the company of 40.  

The play premiered in Atlantic City at Nixon’s Apollo Theatre on October 26, 1916. Although Mrs. Mack was announced as the lead, the role was taken by Emily Ann Wellman. 

While in Atlantic City, the company of Her Market Value stayed at the Hygeia Hotel, a favorite for visiting theatre folk. The property at Pacific & New York had been renovated to include hot and cold running water in every room. The hotel was not connected to the popular Hygiea Baths and Salt Water Swimming Pool  located on the Boardwalk and Rhode Island. 

On November 22nd, the play was seen at the Armory in Binghamton NY. Because the play had been re-cast and re-written, the production was also deemed a ‘premiere’. From there, the play visited Syracuse NY before settling in Chicago’s Olympic. 

“Painted women, smoking cigarettes, sit at tables, making hospitable eyes at pale debauchees who sit at other tables. Drug fiends are present numerously, and one of them, adding a not of pathos to the depravity, picks a rose out of the air and speaks well of its odor.  ...There are dances and beer and bright lights and laughter and a party of full dressed and wide-eyed pilgrims from Canton 0, the male members of which misdemean themselves, thereby irritating their female companions. It is all very animated and interesting, a colored, audible, flesh and blood cinema of something forbidden.”  ~ PERCY HAMMOND, CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Trenton New Jersey’s own Ruth Donnelly was praised by Chicago critics for her role in the play. 

Early publicity said the play was headed for Broadway’s Eltinge Theatre but that never came to be. The play closed in Chicago at the end of 1916. 

What Price Innocence? (1933) Willard Mack

Lenore Ulric and Willard Mack in a promo still by White Studio for “Tiger Rose” (the play) in Photoplay, 1918. Illustration by W. Mack, found in the Billy Rose Theatre Division archive at NYPL Digital Collection.

It was later made into a siilent film with the same actors in 1923. I couldn’t find it, but the film is listed as ‘surviving’.

I did find a ‘Tiger Rose’ waltz from 1918 that probably relates to the play, but i’m not 100 % sure.

Willard Mack (right) shooting a musical sequence for Broadway to Hollywood

"The Voice of the City" clip 3 (by David Inman)

This was a wild kissing sequence. It's clearly repeated and it just stays there. Not something you see in your every day gangster picture. Let alone any other picture.

I DVR'd a bunch of pre-code/early talkies  last month on TCM and I finally saw one of them. (I tried the Last of Mrs. Cheney, a Norma Shearer/Basil Rathbone vehicle but couldn't get into it.)

The Voice of the City (1929, d: Willard Mack) was pretty fun. A few moments the movie lagged, very stagey, some of the acting was stiff BUT overall, I liked it.

The dialogue was snappy, I liked the leads especially Robert Ames, and the story had a few twists. AND there were two very well-staged scenes in the film. Funny and cute in places, give it a try next time TCM shows it or if you're really game and there's a discount,   it's also available on DVD-R via the Warner Archive. 

Another good point of view:

http://anmgmblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-voice-of-city-1929.html

btw Sylvia Field later became much more famous on the 50's show Dennis the Menace as Mrs. Wilson.