The Lives of Justine Johnstone by Kathleen Vestuto

Author:Kathleen Vestuto
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland
Published: 2018-07-19T16:00:00+00:00

As Justine’s manager, Walter could have booked her into the show between rounds of catch-the-chorus-girl at Astoria, but his Broadway street cred, never tremendous, was now nearly non-existent. More than likely the show came to her, or she went after it.

Justine signed on as the judge’s niece. Her contract guaranteed a salary of $350 per week and a two-week out.

Then, following Jack Buchanan’s example with the Toni tour, she became a backer for the show. She may have anticipated that the play would be a Mrs. Cheyney-type hit, but there were certainly no guarantees of that. It could have signaled that she was intent on learning more about becoming a producer. In any event, she was a silent backer: her $3,750 investment was entered under the name of her cousin, Lester Nielsen from Hoboken. The returns, five percent of the gross, would be directed to her.

Rehearsals began on January 26, 1926, at the 49th Street. They did not go smoothly. An actor was replaced. Scenes were reworked. The title of the play changed from No Questions Asked to Back Fire and finally to Hush Money.

After four weeks of rehearsals, Hush Money had a clumsy week-long preview at the Windsor Theatre in The Bronx. It then moved to an official tryout at Poli’s New Park Theatre in playwright Jackson’s stomping grounds of Bridgeport. An ad in the Bridgeport Telegram claimed that the play was both “Al Jackson’s Hit” and “Pre-Destined to Be a Great Hit.”2

It was neither. The reviews, while not particularly embarrassing, were mixed. Justine fared reasonably well, but some critics found the play a disappointing showcase for her, which actually was not the point.

Opinions were fairly summed up by Variety: “Miss Johnstone comes through with a vivid portrayal of her character, but were the piece written to feature the heroine more strongly, it would have been a fairer test of Miss Johnstone’s ability as a legitimate actress.” The play itself was “clever, brilliantly staged and masterfully acted. It is not, however, the play one would expect to be chosen to show off the wares of one so well known as Miss Johnstone.”3 The implication was that a lesser-known actress would not have been expected to “show off” her “wares,” but simply be a part of the ensemble of actors. That was potentially problematic for both Justine and the show.

Gordon apparently considered Justine his primary ticket-seller. Although she was in a “leading lady” role, the show was not about her. Nevertheless, Gordon had her name in lights on the 49th Street Theatre marquee. Even Justine didn’t feel that gesture was warranted. The script underwent more rewrites, including a completely revised final act. Justine was given more lines, but they basically rehashed her character’s previous speeches.

The Broadway opening on March 15 garnered reviews ranging from fair to worse. “Regardless of the fact that it was all old stuff,” said the Brooklyn Daily Star, “somehow or other it was enjoyable and not a bad piece of workmanship.”4 Variety returned to say, “Hush Money is interesting and entertaining.

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