The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 9, 1927, Page 11

On the Screen CASEY AT THE BAT Here’s an hour’s good fun. It doesn’t matter whether .or not you know anything about baseball. You are sure to enjoy “Casey at the Bat.” It is founded on the “classie” poem of baseball which millions of boys have learned in the past twenty years during which De Wolf Hopper helped popularize it from the stage. But is more than just good fun to help you forget the problem of rais- ing next month’s rent. It is also a glimpse into recent but now historical America. The background of this baseball burlesque is the period of the “gay nineties’—the days of the great industrial development of Amer- ica and the Spanish-American war. This is another side of it—the Flor- odora Sextet, the gay early Broadway, the open scandals of professional baseball when it was not yet organ- ized well enough to cover up its bad features. These are the days of the singing waiters of sentimental bal- lads in the saloons when the keg of beer was placed on the ball field to “wet your whistle.” “There was no joy in Mudville when the mighty Casey had struck out”—and it is tragic in this picture. But there’s a lot of joy in the per- formance of Wallace Beery as the mighty Casey. Here’s the typical big boob whose mentality is child-like, but whose ability to sock that old ap- ple bring him fame and fortune. It’s a clever burleque of medern bali players and no doubt there is an out- standing baseball hero of today that will occur to your mind when you see the picture. We promise you a hearty laugh when you see the mighty Casey at bat with a pitche? of beer in one hand and a bat in the other. If you have ever played on a saloon ball club in the old days you will also find this scene not unlife-like. How pre- valent was the gambling and crook- edness of pro-baseball is attested to in this picture in which the tricks of the gamblers are made to explain the great historic failure of Casey that so saddened Mudville on that great historic day. Wallace Beery (a good name for an actor to play the role of an old- time ball player!) is a natural char- acter comedian. In “Casey at the Bat” he portrays the baseball bozo as skillfully and as hilariously as he did the prize-fighting boob in “We're in the Navy Now.” Zazu Pitts, Ford Sterling and Sterling Holloway, in their parts, give excellent support. You will find no matters of great importance in this picture. It is sim- ply wholesome, explosive burlesque on the national game agaimst a_ back- ground of the America of thirty years ago. If you don’t know a thing about baseball you still will enjoy it im- mensely. If you are a baseball bug you are due for uproarious laughter. Here’s a picture truly, typically American. “Casey at the Bat” is produced at a great moment in American life . .the opening of the baseball sea- son. It is served with an eye to catch cash. If you have the cash, you might contribute to the poor, starving movie producers. They need it and you will enjoy the picture showing at the Para- mount.—W, C, : “Heart of Salome,” Victor Schert- zinger’s production for Fox Films, is nearing completion at the West Coast Studios. The cast includes Alma Rubens, Walter Pidgeon and Holmes Herbert. ‘ oo Wallace Beery and Raymond Hat- ton will be featured in a new com- edy “Fireman Save My Child.” New pictures announced for the Broadway film houses next week in- JOHN BARRYMORE Now appearing in two films on Broadway, in “Don Juan” at the War- ner Theatre and. “When a Man Loves” at the Sel n —— elude: “White Gold,” with Jetta Goudal, at the Roxy; “Afraid to Love,” with Florence Vidor, at the Paramount; “Frisco Sally Levy,” with Sally O’Neil at the Capital and “The Notorious Lady,” with Lewis Stone, at the Strand. The John Barrymore film, “When A Man Loves,” now playing at the Selwyn will be transferred Monday to Warner’s Theatre replacing “Don Juan,” which closes this Sunday. Moss’ Broadway beginning Monday will introduce a film comedy week, presenting Charles Chaplin in “Shoul- der Arms”; Harold Lloyd in “I Do”; and “Our Gang” comedy. if “The King of Kings,” Cecile de Mille’s new screen version of the life of Christ, will be presented at the Gaiety Theatre on Tuesday, April 19. It is -said that the production cost over $2,500,000 and took two years to produce. ae Will Rogers will be starred in that old stage relic “A Texas Steer” which First National will produce. He will play the role of the Texas cattle- man. ‘Beethoven’s Ninth To Close Symphony Season Sunday — Tomorrow will bring to a close Walter Damrosch’s forty-two year eareer as musical director of the New York Symphony Orchestra. With the performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Mecea Auditorium to- morrow afternoon, he will pass into the ranks of guest conductors, appear- ing for only a short period each sea- son to direct the musical organization established by his father, Dr. Leopold Damrosch, in 1878. He will also continue to conduct the Children’s and Young People’s Concerts. He was the first to give concerts of this nature. The Young People’s Concerts were started by him nearly thirty years ago and the con- certs for children eleven years ago. This summer he plans to go to Europe to attend the Salzburg Music Fes-_ tival. The soloists for the Ninth Sym- phony include Florence Austral, Tu- dor Davies, Viola Silva and Frederic Baer and a chorus of 300. “The Circus Princess” Opens At Winter Garden April 25 The Winter Garden will house the newest Shubert musical “The Circus Princess,” with its New York prem- iere set for Monday evening April 25. The new operetta which has a score by Emmerich Kalman, composer of “Countess Maritza,” has been play- ing for some time in Vienna and re- opened in Atlantic City last Monday. It plays in Philadelphia for two weeks beginning this. Monday. The large company is headed by George Haskell, Hal Skelly, Guy Robertson, George Bickel, Gloria Foy, James C. Morton, Florence Morrison, Joseph ‘Toner, Stanley Harrison, Starr Jones and Arthur Barry. Added attractions are “Poodles” Hanneford and family, the Liebling singers and a group of Fos- ter Girls. - The book and lyrics are by Harry ' B. Smith from the original of Julius Brammer and Alfred Grunwald. Broadway Briefs The Cireus—Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey combined “great- est show on earth” is all ready for the youngsters, and the grownups. The big spectacle opens next Tues- day afternoon at the New Madison Square Garden. A sacred white cle- phant of Burma is one of the big features this year. J. P. McEvoy’s new “Americana” will’ be produced here in July by Aarons and Froedly. The first die tion of the McEvoy work is now -om tour, Midgie’ Miller will be starred: in “The Girl from Childs,” a musical comedy with book by Archie Colby, lyrics by Phil Cook and music ‘by Tom Johnstone. “The Jazz Singer,” with George Jessel, will play a two weeks em gegement at the Century Theatre be ginning Monday April 18th. “Wall Street,” a play by James N, Rosenberg which” is announced t@ open at the Hudson Theatre, April 20, is the production of The Stagers, an organization which presented a number of plays at the Fifty-secofid Street Theater last season. Winchell Smith is back from Eure ope with the completed script of “The Zoo” written in collaboration with Michael Arlen and scheduled for pro- duction next season by Charles Dil- lingham. . Charles J. Mulligan, has entered the producing field, and is planning to present a comedy-drama, “The Lady Screams,” by Everett Chant+ ler and which will be given an out of-town try-out in two weeks. Toscanini Engaged As Regular Conductor of the Philharmonic In a statement issued this week from the Philharmonic Society of New York, the announcement states that Arturo Toscanini, previously engaged as guest conductor with the Philhar- monic orchestra, will appear here next season as regular conductor of the orchestra. The great master will give to the New York public more than 30 concerts during the coming season. Toscanini will arrive here next January to conduct 26 concerts at Carnegie Hall, 3 in the Metropolitan Opera House, and 3 in the Brooklyn Academy of Music, He will also con- duct 2 concerts in Philadelphia, 2 in Washington, 2 in Pittsburg, 2 in Bos- ton and 1 in Wheeling, W. Va. Mengelberg will continue as one of the regular directors of the So- ciety, As in the past few years, he will conduct concerts of the first half season while Toscanini will take over the last half. METROPOLITAN OPERA “Parsifal” next Friday afternoon, its only performance this season, will be a feature of the closing week of the season at the Metropolitan Opera. Beginning at one o’clock it will be sung by Larsen-Todsen, Hunter, Mel- chior, Bohnen. Rosa Ponselle and Giovanni Mar- tinelli will return for a special double- bill matinee on Thursday. The form- er will sing in “Cavalleria Rusticana” with Bourskaya, Egener and Tokat- yan, Picco; and the latter in “Pagli- acei” with Mario and Basiola Bada. Other operas of the closing week: “Aida” Monday evening with Muel- ler, Claussen and Johnson, Bohnen. “The King’s Henchmen”, Wednes- day evening with Easton, Wakefield, and Chamlee, Tibbett,. “Giara” and “Rigoletto” Thursday evening, the former with Miss Galli and Bonfiglio, Berger; the latter sung by Talley, Telva, and Gigli, DeLuca. “The Tales of, Hoffmann” Friday evening with Bori, Lewis, and Cham- lee, Tibbett. “Der Rosenkavalier” Saturday Ss A cs The noted conductor of the New York Symphony will give his final concert tomorrow afternoon at Mecca Temple. matinee, with Mueller, Saston, and Tedesco, Bohnen. “Gioconda”, Saturday night Rosa Ponselle, Branzell and Basiola. with Gigli, ‘Music Notes=—=' George Antheil will make his first: appearance in America in a concert of his own works, at Carnegie Hall tomorrow night. The composer has been abroad for six years. The pro- gram consists of the String Quartet, the Sonata for Violin, Piano, and Drum, the Jazz Symphony, and the Ballet Mecanique. The Russian Symphonie Choir will appear in Aeolian Hall next Tuesday at a concert of Russian folk songs by Plevitzkaia, A concert of American music will be given at Carnegie Hall, Friday afternoon, April 22, under the aus- pices of the American Academy of, Arts and Letters, Ernest Schelling, pianist, Francis Macmillen, violinist, and Mme. Francesca Peralta and The American Orchestral Society, under the leadership of Chalmers Clifton, will take part,