Evening Star Newspaper, July 19, 1925, Page 45

Theaters lfl Part 3—10 Pages J———— b FOWARD of i M&zbnal FEGINALD DENNY. &arie Poof News ancl_ Cginment By W. H. Landvosgt. ORE of L; presentation of the familiar farce, “Twin Beds,” kept the colors of the National Theater Players flying high and well to the fore during the wecek, adding to the assurance of a continuing Sum- mer season of stock such as Washington has not known in many years. The public generally understands the difficulty of presenting a new play each week by the same players. Unlike the national pastime, base ball, it is not possible in theatrical stock to let a substitute now and then relieve 2 standbys. But due regard for the comfort of generous audiences does demand a lessening of the time consumed in waits It is not gen- known that rchearsals are imperative right up to the very moment the perforn especially in farces where swift action is indispen- the strain upon the m sefore the performances begin and also between the acts ce sable. might be commenced a bit carlier, so that the regular performance can hegin on the hour advertised nd it is believed that just a little more pep »ehind the scenes lessening -the long waits between acts. This is an invariable fa not alone with the National Players, but with stock companies generally. It can be remedied, at least in an appreciable degree, and thoughtful consideration of the generosity of the audiences that fill the theater, even on the warmest nights, demands that it should The National Theater Plavers are making a record here this Summer hich they should be proud mean much to the individual play- < in future professi ments. And they must not forget, even at the expense of so , the audiences which are so generously making this possible . Kk ICHARD BARTHELM ' new picture, “Soul Fire,” seemed to top the picture presentations of the week in merit and in popularity. There was more or less the way of criticism of the other pictures, and 1¢ box office .doubtless furnished the verdict for the exhibitors, regard- ess of the opinion of the critics. The menu for the coming week furnishes nothing that appears to be unduly sensational. The big features are being reserved, evidently for the Fall campaign, and the current supply is being tempered to suit the season, like the winds are tempered to the shorn Jamb, a practice suggested by Laurence Sterne, who, even as late as the cighteenth century, injected many favorite phrases into our vernacular. * Kk Kk K WO bits of news drifted in from the human side of Shadowland dur- ing the week, with refreshing tang of truth and the flavor of sincerity. One concerns Harold Lloyd's new picture, “The Freshman, which is being heralded as his best, and which Danny of Film Daily says contains more real human interest, more touches of real pathos and more gales of hearty laughter than the comedian with the horn-rimmed glasses ever presented before. The other concerns the exquisite little comedienne, Colleen Moore, who has just signed a new contract with First National, and who, when they were lauding her to the skies at one of those pre-arranged banquets, looked as if she wanted to sink through the floor. They wanted a speech. but she couldn’t make it. A high official of her company, how- ever, said all that was necessary when he exclaimed, “She is the same unassuming, modest, hard-working girl today as when she first signed up. It is from feminine texture such as this that the real stars of the screen are made. And they do not need brass bands, voluble press agents, nor even the purring poetry of private romance to les the world know that hey shed star dust wil result e r It wi nal enga 3 * HE news about Harold Lloyd's new comedy was all the more gratify- ing because in almost the same mail there arrived the exclusive in- telligence that one of the biggest production corporations, to meet the demand for comedy, is about to film a story of a chap who inherits an insane asylum. In these days, when the hospitals throughout the land are harboring the wrecks of poor, shattered young manhood that gave its all for its country during the recent unholy war, it is difficult to con- ceive a sense of lrumor that can heartlessly play with the tragedy of in- <anity in the effort to extract fun for the depressed. Tt is not gag men that screen comedy needs today. It is men of genial hearts and gentle minds, whose ideas of humor reach beyondthe banana-peel slips and cus- tard-pie collisions, and who certainly cannot sense amusement in human- ity’s greatest misfortune. o BUT if the saddening effort of mediocrity sometimes dims the luster of the picture world, there are times, often unexpectedly, when real vir- tue and merit crop out unannounced. It is reported that.an experiment in picture theaters 1s about to be faunched in a New York theater as the first of a chain of transamerican little film theaters. Tt is said to be yacked by picture directors and idealists of the newspaper and magaziae werld, with 1 of advan motion piciure tasic and NAZIMOVA, Certrad, Luck, in the matter of weather, and an excellent | But it would seem that rchearsals, especially for opening nights, | The Sunday Star Automobiles WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 19, 1925. Gertie's Rise to Fame. “ HERE is a funny story | the about Johnny Dooley, popular comedian, in circulation | It seems that some time ago Johnny | had an act that was the scream of the circuit. It originally called for a cast including the elder Dooley, Johnny.| the Madison, Sisters, etc. But a very | important member was added at the | last minute, and her name was Gertie | andl Gertle turned out to be the hit of | the act. In her youth Gertle spent her week days patlently pulling an ice wagon around the styeets of Brooklyn. Her | temperament, if any, was extremely | | mild. A stage career or the sawdust | ! ring was probably the last thing in the world that would have entered Gertie's mind. In fact, her physical | proportions assumed such a grand scale that the possibilities of using her as a cavorting circus pony had to be suggested to Johnny Dooley, perfect clown that he is. | A little girl did the trick. |in a cast-off window curtain and an | improvised pair of tights. the ice| dealer’s little daughter was gravely | | giving Gertie a Sunday morning exer- | cise when Dooley happened to motor | by. A high wind was blowing and the | young circus rider was having a hard | | time to do more than just hang on | Added to this, the window curtain | | began to unwind. There isn't a show | man in the world that wouldn't have seen the possibilities of such an act in | vaudeville. But he had a hard_time | convincing the ice man. Yet Gertie is now a stage star. | s Attired KEITF NATIONAL—"Aren’'t We AlI?” Frederick Lonsdale’s discerning comedy of manners and opinions. | Two New Beauties. “Aren't We AIl" is the current week's | offering by the National Theater | TOSEPHINE NORMAN and Rita| Players. Added interest in this genu | J “carita, from New York, are new |ine hit of last season’s comedies and_interesting members of the Cecil |evidenced by the appearanca in the B. De Mille Stock Co. cast of Director Clifford Brooke in the Miss Norman, brunette, is a New |role created with such distinction bs York society girl, who came into|Cyril Maude, who was seen here late motion pictures as an aftermath of | last season at the same theater in this her original ambition to be a portrait | play. painter. “Arent We AN?" has been aptly Rita Carita. also a branette is a|labeled a broadly philosophic thrust native of Corinth, Greece. She ap-|at people who are prone to exploit evil | peared with Ed Winn in ‘The Perfect |in the motives of others, particularly | Fool,” and more recently she was a |if these motives and actions have the {dancer at the EI Fey Club in New |remotest relation to affairs of the | York, where De Mille first,saw her. | heart. | Both young aspirants will be given| The mood of the piece is keyed and their first opportunity in Leatrice |interpreted by an elderly colonel, a bit Joy's picture “Hell's Highroad.” of a roue, who can wink at the venial is ultimately of attracting the attention and interest of a new and intelligent | type of audience, which, thus far, has held itself aloof. This surely means 1 progress, for it will be progress, indeed, to have the movies rise on step- ping stones of their dead selves to higher things—a paraphrase of the poet that will be forgiven because of the purpose behind it. * ok ok ok NO picture fan is there, young or old, far or near, who will not be glad- dened by the news that Theodore Roberts, that sterling old character artist of the screen, who has been seriously ill for more than a year and a half, has now recovered his health and is again back on the job at the Paramount Long Island Studio. Indeed, the report states he will start again in the harness within so brief a period as a fortnight. * ok ok ok IEDMOND ROSTAND'S great love drama, “Cyrano de Bergerac,” which | has been filmed in natural colors, was recently shown in New York, where it received enthusiastic praise, mingled with a few ungracious kicks. Gathering the conservativé undercurrent of judgment from many more or less lengthy reviews, it would seem that the beautiful masterpiece of litera- ture has been faithfully and admirably transferred to the silver sheet, with perhaps here and there a defect in _mechanical accomplishment due to imperfection of the color process, or its operators, who possibly have not yet attained perfection in results. * ok ok * ONSTANCE BENNETT, daughter of Richard Bennett, the noted actor, who appeared here during the week, is to be starred by Oscar Price in two pictures next year—‘Peggy” being one of them. *“Aloha.” was to be another, however, will have Lenore Ulric as its dominant at- traction. * ok ok ok 1()Ll\.'ER Morosco. the theatrical irrepressible. reports state, is to launch vn. and is endcavoring to ohein. i radncing org: HAMMERSTEIN STrvols Current Attractlons At the Theaters This Week NATIONAL—"“Aren’t We All” comedy. —Johnny Dooley’s Revue, vaudeville EARLE—Bostock’s Riding School, vaudeville. Opens tomorrow evening. Opens this afternoon. Opens this afternoon. indiscretions of othe well as at his own, yet a man broadly experi enced in the ways of the world and the ways of women, who saves a young and impulsive household of two from tottering when the tenants are at serious loggerheads. It is the colonel's opinion that all of us are swayed toward what appears to be in- Stage, among them Gov. Smith of New | of discretions by nobler impulses than we are given credit for, and if we throw stones we must be on guard for the ricochet. It is this sophisticated outlook of Col. Grenham’s that teaches a young pair on life’s threshold that we are not to cry wolf ungil we really see a wolf and not a rabbit KEITH'S—Johnny Dooley’s Revue. Johnny Dooley will top the bill at B. F. Keit Theater this week. bringing his “Tiptop Revue,” by Paul Gerard Smith. This produc- tion. new to vaudeville, will feature Bobby Dale and a cast including Laura Lee, Richard Irving, Harry Kooper, Dorothy Patterson, Irma Dale and Margaret Hayes. Willlam Sully and _ Genevieve Houghton, supported by Edwin Rors- | burg, will be featured in a new musi- | cal playlet by Kalmer and Ruby, call- ed, “Arms and the Girl.” Others appearing are the opera sing- ! er,*Leonardo Del Credo, who will ap- pear with Jeanne Palmer, dramatic soprano, and Daniel Wolf, composer, | pianist; Charles Irwin, “the modern comedian,"swith his clever line of patter; the Arnaut Brothers, Henry and John, with their violins, acrobatic stunts and bird imitations: Nate Leip- sig, the card expert, who performs tricks that are more in the nature of | mathematical problems; the Green- | wich Village models in a series of ]iv- ing statuettes, and Le Fleur and Por- tia, the human top and equilibrist. i Framing the bill will be the film fea- tures, AeSop's Fables, Topics of the Day and the Pathe News. EARLE—Bostock’s Riding School. Topping the bill at the Earle The- ater this week will be Bostock's Rid- ing School, a novelty, with Lillian St. Leon as the featured rider. Sully and Mack will appear in “The Great Levers,” which is based on the idea that the greater the love the ihe ity for langh bei e anal e s+* PATSY RUTH MILLERS, e — ropolilan, %H Two-Fifty and Sull Strong. N New York “Lady, Be Good" cele brated its two hundred and fiftieth performance one day last week and is still going strong, in spite of the fact that this is the hottest Summer ex perienced on Manhattan Island for vears ““Lady, Be Good,” is a musical com edy, written by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson, with a musical setting by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin, a brother of the composer It began its New York run the 1st day of last December, and for many weeks there was never an empty seat to be found at the Liberty is being presented. No doubt much of its success has been due to the presence in the cast of the Astaires, Fred and Adele, who are by man: dancers of America, and Walter Cat- lett, the wise-cracking comedian : gy dy. Be Good, for tour which will take in all the | important cities of the United States. with the original cast | A Coverhors' Show-. the opening night of the new arl Carroll Vanities” in New | York several prominent members of | the audience were introduced from the York, Gov. Martin of Florida, Gov. McMullin of Nebraska, Gov. Trapp of Oklahoma, Otto H. Kahn, the banker, (and others. So popular has become this feature of the performance that it is included nightly as part of the regu. |lar program. | Among others who have thus been ‘Rinkled out and applauded are Dorothy Gish, Al Jolson, Marguerita Sylva, OND GRIFFITH, CoZumbra. where it believed to be the premier | fphotoplays At the Photoplay Houses This Week METROPOLITAN—"“Her Husbar and evening PALACE—*Welcome Home RIALTO—“Raffles.” Shown this COLUMBIA—"Paths Para evening TTVOLI—“Chickie.” Show " AMBASSADOR—"Her H and evening. to this ARLE ROOF—"T'll Show You the Town Shown Woman TRAL—"“The Texas Trail.” LINCOLN (colored)—"*Just | evening. band's ceAmbassados This Week d’s Secret.” Shown this afternoon wn this afternoon and evening fternoon and evening Showa this ernoon and afternoon and evening Secret.” n this Shown this evening afternoon and eve Shown ng this afternoon and is being booked | | RIALTO—"Raffle: Raffles,”” the amateur cr: creation of E. W. Hornun portrayed on the screen by & Peter the Rialto this week. photplay adaptation is a combination of 7he Hornung stories and the stage version in which Kyrle Bellew starred a decade ago. | The story revolves around the theft of a string of pearls from the neck a fashionable woman traveler aboard an ocean steamer between Cal | cutta and Liverpool. Until the very end of the story the mystery Is sus: tained, and the mysterious Mr. Raflles {1s successful in keeping just a day {or so ahead of the “best brains in England,” who are hounding him. A |love story is entwined into the story | the heroine of which is Miss Dupont | Others in the cast include Hedda Hop- sman 1l be written | Ben Bernie, Lester Allen, John Murray | per. Frederick Esmelton. Walter Long | Anderson, Morris Gest, Joe Cook, John | Kate Lester and Roland Bottomley. | McCooey, palitical leader of Brooklyn;| The extra attraction is a “Bathing | Gertrude Hoffman, Leon Gordon. the | Girl Revue,” composed of a group of comedy order, where the two sudde: iwaken to the fact that they've fall In love and neither has the heart t omplete the geta “Daddy Goes A-Grunting, edy; the International News Reel ics of the Dayv and orchestral will be added attractions. a com musi; METROPOLITAN — “Her Husband's Secret.” Patsy Ruth Mil David Torrence Walter McGrafl and Phyllis Haver have the principal roles of Frank Llovd's production for First Natlonal of “Her Husband's Secrat dapted from Edginton’s Satur y Evening Post of “Judg ment,"” to be shown this week at Crar dall's Metropolitan Theater, beginning s afternoon at Antonio or, ory o'clock Added ttractions will be Lloyd Hamilton's “Walting™; the Mettopolitan ey and a musical program v the Metropolitan Orchestra, includ World 1 | playwright; William. A. Brady, W | Hampton, ' Horace Braham, | George and Dorothy Dilley. | Want F;l; }HAS Washington any embryo | Shakespeares? The Washington 1Guild Theater is looking for original plays by Washingtonians for produc- | tion inits first season, beginning in | November. Plays should be suitable ‘\'cr presentation in a little theater, but otherwise there are no restric- tions. | _Masterpieces should.be sent in to D. A. De Sousa, 215 Second street !souhhe? t. Grace low in “Those Were the Days.,” with | Kathleen Murray assisting. Others are Fred Jarvis and Freddie Harrison in “The Love Burglar”; Tuck and Cinne in “Look What Nature Has Done,” and Fred Reckless and com- pany An orchestral number by Floyde Wheeler’s “boys in the pit” and Kurt Hetzel, who will render a Paul White- man number, - “When the Girl You Love Loves You,” at the Kimball grand organ, will be added. The photoplay is Peter B. Kyne's ““The Beauty and the Bad Man Mabel Ballin, Forvest Stanley, Russell | A De Beranger. Bdna Hope | shington girls, staged under the di |r Mischa Guterson. | " The Rialto Orchestra, under Mischa Guterson, will play for the overture selections from ““The Fortune Teller," by Victor Herbert. Another musical | feature will be a cello solo by Rich- lard Lorleberg. A comedy, “Alice Cans the Cannibals,” and the program. COLUMBIA—"Paths tn. Paradi Raymond Griffith, Paramount come- | dian, whose work in ‘““The Thundering “Contraband,” “Forty Wink Night Club” has won_high recognition, is co-featured with Betty Compson in “Paths to Paradise.” a | comedy-drama of society crooks, which | will be shown at Loew's Columbia this | week, beginning this afternoon. | _“Paths to Paradise” was adapted by Clarence Badger from Paul Arm- strong’s play, “The Heart of a Thief.” and is said to offer a trail of laughs and thrills that lead from San Fran- cisco to the Mexican border and back again. Duluth, who in evening clothes and silk topper invades an underworld re- sort, is relieved of his valuables and then turns the tables on the crimi- nals by posing as a detective and mak- ing them buy off their release. This so captivates Molly, the Queen of { Chinatown, that she becomes his part. in big jewel robbery, and with lcot fices with him te the Mexican entltled | | International News are also on the| ' | daughter. Mr. Griffith is seen as a dude from | ing as overture selections from Balfe's “Bohemian Girl,” the old favorite, |“Love's Old Sweet Song,” and | “Twilight,” a popular hit “Her Husband's Secre which spans a_quarter of a century in ite ction, first shows the principal fig |ures in the story as they appeared > years ago when Leon Kent, tired | of the social restrictions of a tranquil | domestic life, decamped with his small son. This precipitate departure left his wife dependent for advice and friendship upon their next-door neigh |bor, the widower father of a small After the lapse of a quar ter century the daughter, now grown. {falls in love with and secretly marries a young man named Owen Ellfott { When the marriage is divulged to her |father a serious climax is brought |about in the lives of all concerned The drama takes on an element of novelty when it is revealed that Owen Elliott is the son of Mrs. Kent and [the lives of the two families have become inextricably interwoven i PALACE—“Welcome Home." | Lois Wilson, Warner Baxter and “Luke Cosgrave are featured in “Wel- come Hom the latest James Cruze comedy, which will be shown at |Loew's 'Palace this week, beginning this afternoon. It is a screen adapta tion by Walter Woods of the play that Edna Ferber and George 8. Kaufman made of Miss Ferber's fa. (Continued on Third I L