Evening Star Newspaper, December 13, 1925, Page 73

Sy JULIA- SANDERSON and he Sunflay Slar WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 13, 1925 o ONA MUNSON Nat{onal Rough Nights_and SadStories By Philander Johnson. ].\ lin among numerous stars to standard drama, which, forms the basic clement of theatri- cal interest, Nance O'Neil's “Stronger ‘Than Love” brings forward the emo- tional actress convincing and over- whelming. She is one of the few players to whom the term “emo- +tional actress” wou'd apply in its technical sense, although instead of being entirely the high-strung, sen- sitive victim of desperate entangle- ment among the threads of fate, Nance O'Neil adds to her work in frequent moments a spirit of tragic and magnificent mental poise. Her excellent play, built on a complica- on quite plausible, unfolds the struggles of a mother’s mind as she grows jealous of her foster child, who is usurping the place in fortune nd affections that she covets for er own son. Situations arise cal- culated to thrill the student of com- plexes with new interest, for it is ® manifestation concerning mother Jove under the utmost heart stresses. * x * ¥ “Stronger Than Love” reveals the ar atmosphere of the home where ands were busy with wool and needles, laid aside now and then to| write sweetheart letters to the boys | at_the front. It showed the idylic| side of war; the side which idealized and refined, clinging to the hope that, in spite of all reports of grue- some terrors, the ennobling devotion to high purpose and the safeguards as to physical well being and morale 20 devoutly undertaken for the boys Bt the front must somewhere oper- ate to lift war above the level of mere man-hunting rage. The hero geturns to his home, bringing news wf a brother’s death. The grief is §ntense, but it is the grief of love ond not the torture of hate. » ox ¥ % The other side of the war is| phown in “What Price Glory?” The| gudience digs into the trenches with & group of men, follows them into heir drinking haunts, observes with cither sympathy nor blame their vawdry love affairs. If one accepts that group as typical he finds a new light thrown on events and condi- tions which it has been so difficult #o understand. * o e It assumes with daring bluntness 4o reveal the lives and passions of boys, handled en masse, whose i dividualities under such strange cir- cumstances could not be intimately understood or even too closely stud- fed for fear that sentiment and af- fection would relax too far the ir. discipline necessary to make the hu-| gman material in hand swiftly effec- tual. The reeking profanity swept through attention scarcely more beeded than if it had been a foreign language, with significances grasped more by means of emphasis and «ontext than because of any intrinsic fmeaning. » * ® 3 It is one of the very few plays | tehich have no sincere love theme «3 a dominant motive. Nance ©'Neil’s play departs from the usual fove interest and utilizes mother and son affection. But an all-man lay must turn to patriotism for its nspiration a: vitably now as it did when “Julius Caesar” was wi ten. The “What Price” title sug- @ests a cynicism. The tag sweeps 3t all away with the three words, *Wait for me!” They are uttered by & man a moment previously ready to murder a comrade in arms in a drunken brawl concerning a worth- | less girl. The two men respected each other as soldiers as truly as they hated each other as rivals un- der every circumstance - excepting where there was fighting to be done. Here they trusted each other im- piicitly. Their mutual antagonism, capable of any despicable trick that coald be contrived to humble pride ©r thwart a purpose, was over- whelmed by the supreme faithful- ness to the great and real duty. In spite of criticisms leveled at author- ity that never escapes criticism un- der conditions that are here depict- . «d, the play is a sublime lesson in loyalty, such as sacrifices not only reverence above kunown Soldier. ok % So shocking is the play the ques tion immediately arises as to its truthfulness. If it is a libel it should be swept from the boards by the men whose experiences it purports to show. Its lure cannot consist i its roughness of language, for this has long since lost even a fascina- tion of horror and can be heard quite gratis by turning a street cor- ner. It is, as most plays are, prob- ably an exaggeration, but the exag- geration is not sufficient to cause its repudiation by the vast element of play patronage to whom it most particularly and intimately appeals. * x ® X The theater has been busying it- self in large measure with the two extremes of entertainment, the most frivolous possible musical show or the revelation of the utter depths of human suffering. “White Cargo,” “Rain,” “Ladies of the Evening. “Salvage,” the latest play from Mr. Belasco’s dramatic laboratories, is in a line with this same procession. Gorgeousness of scenic display and excellence of acting give the story an appeal which holds attention as strongly as these two elements of the work can be relicd on to do. The story itseli admittedly nceds recon- structive attention in order to make the final.act a satisfactory and con- sistent portion of the play. One of the great scenes is aboard the Fly- ing Fish off the coast of French Indo-China. Audiences have of late been journeying far and into strange lands. When comic opera was ex- tant, similar journeys were made in search of ethnological customs which lent themselves to ludicrous sugges- tion and picturesque extravagances of scene and costume. Such jour- neys were merry excursions that lightened the hours of recollection with light and exhilarating impres- <ion. Each was a gladsome explora- tion. Now our vovagings on the theatric ship are always in quest of some new sorrow. Un- he tomb of Yale Drama’s Christmas Tour. E 1826 Christmas trip of the Yale University Dramatic Assoclation, during which “Out o' Luck™ by Tom Cushing, Yale '02, will be presented in elght Eastern cities, is the longest holiday excursion ever attempted the organization. The tour begin on the first day or the Christmas recess, December and will not end until December ew Stock Company. NNOUNCEMENT s made of the opening of a theatrical stock season at the Wardman Park Hotel Theater by the Thomas Herbert k Company of New York tomor- w evening at $:15 oclock. The st play to be offered will be rambled Wives,” a comedy in three acts, and a Broadway success n which Roland Young was starred. Tt is domestic comedy which has never been seen in Washington The Wardman Park Ilotel Theater id to Le finely equipped with age property and mechanism, hiing and theatrical paraphernall Mr. Herbert, head of tho Thomas Ierbert Company, formerly was en- ged in Chicago in the producing business — Charleston Contest. THE Earle Theater, on its stage, be- ginning tomorrow, will conduct a Charleston contest to determine the champlon Charleston dancer of the District of Columbia. No entry fee of any kind will be assessed, but, on the contrary, cash prizes will be awarded nightly to the winning couple, as well as solo dancers, and the champlon will be guaranteed a week's prof engagement at the Earle The contests Monday, sday, Wednesday and Thursday nights will determine” the winner to participate in the grand final Friday night, when the District champion will be deter- mined. Thirty-five dollars in cash prizes will be awarded nightly through Thursday—$15 to the winning couple; $10 to the winning femtnine solo dan- cer and $10 to the winning male solo dancer. riday night $100 in cash prizes will be awarded—$50 to the winning couple and $25 cach to the winning feminine and male solo dancers. Children will not be allowed to com- pete, the minimum age limit having been set at 16 years. Those wishing to take part may register at the box office of the theater. Children’s Program at Tivoli TUE saturday morning bill of se- lected programs for children at Crandali's Tivoli Theater, conducted by Harriet Hawley Locher of the Crandall Theaters,” will include for next Saturday morning “The $5 Baby,” a whimsical story of a baby girl picked up on a doorstep and pawned Ly the tinder for $5. The pledge comes due ahout Christmas time and so the spirit of the season forms tha basis of the program. Ad ditlonal features of comedies and novelties are always surprise offer- Ings. Mrs. Locher has given the chil- ¥ |dren the privilege of suggesting any picture they may want, and several culls have come in for thelr old favor- ite “Pollyanna” which will be shown in the near future. The cities which will be visited in clude Bridgeport, Conn., December 17; New York City, December 18; Al- bany, N. Y., December 21; Rochester, N. December °2; Buffalo, N. Y., December 3; Pittsburgh, Pa., Decem ber 24; Washington, D. C., December 26; and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Decem- ber 28. The play, “Out o' Luck,” is a war comedy, dealing with the adveniures of 16 American doughboys in a French farmhouse isolated from their com- pany by a German counter attack. There s one woman in the play, a -oung French girl, Jeanne, whose af- fections are the center of interest of the ten Americans. The selection of “Out o' Luck” as this year's Christmas trip production is in accordance with the policy of the Dramat to produce, whenever possible, the work of a Yale graduate. Mr. Cushing was graduated from Yale in 1902 and is a well known playwright. He wrote the dramatization of “Blood and Sand.” in which Otis Skinner starred, and is the author of “Laugh Clown, Laugh,” which was Lionel Barrymore's starring vehicle two sea- sons ago. He is also the co-author with Winchell Smith of “Thank You.” His play “Out o' Luck” has never heen produced before, and is the re- sult of a serles of sketches made by r. Cushing from first hand observa- tion during the St. Mihiel drive in the late Summer of 1918. The cast partially selected as an- nounced by the director, Edgar M. Woolley, "1, Includes: Jeanne, William Mactarlane Hinkle, ‘27; Svd, Hannibal Hamlin, '27; Charlle, Gentry Chilton Waldo, '27; Tred, Edward Rogers ‘Wardwell, '27; Ned, John McArtbur Haycraft, '26; Fat, Robert Chesley Osborn, '28; Phil, Lynn Alfred Wil- lams, jr., "29; Robert Sanderson, '26; Arthur Milliken, '26, and Henry Cod- man Potter, '26. fife, but, for the time being, hear: wnd sen! The words “Wait for m ight not be unfittingly breathed in| Hoyeradt, who takes the part of | Ned. the shell-shocked soldie piesident of the Dy 2 2t ‘ Mrs. Locher is exerting specal effort to interest mothers in the chil- dren’s programs. Washington Shares Music nors. ‘0 H. C, Sanford of Washington, D. C., secretary of the. Princeton Triangle Club, goes the credit of or- chestrating the musical score for this year's production, “Iortuno.” San- ford also has contributed nine pieces to the score. ianford was leader of the famous jazz band that toured Furope for two Summey Those who recall More,” “Pirate Gold” and “Ships That Pass in the Night,” will remember how they attained a reputation during the Christmas tours of the club. This year the numbers that are espected to prove “hits” with the Triangle patrons are “Romance for Two,” “Pretty Please,” “Where Love Is King” and “Gondola Main.” In addi- tion there are 11 other songs in the musical score of the comedy, an un usually large number for a Triangle production, including “We Can Fix Up Any Little Mix-Up,” ‘Masquerading Eyes.” “Iido Strut” and the “‘Lamp- lighter's Song.’ Supplanting the more short and snappy tunes that were so much in evidence in “Espanola’ and “Drake’s Drum,” two excellent productions of the past, will be swaying waltzes and soft barcaroles sung by the Venetian boatmen of the sixteenth century. This year the directors of the club have attempted to select from the numerous tunes submitted those which best suited the requirements that a setting of this type would require. E. H. Harbison, ’'28: Willlam E. Green, Frank Orvis and W. M. Otls, all of the class of 1926, and H. G. Red- mond, 27, also are credited with im- portant contributions tn the gems of “Just One Hour BBOOTH and Automobiles JOHNC TAYLOR_> Princeton T’xaugle Club At the Theaters This Week. NATIONAL—“No, No Nanette,” musical comedy. evening. oo Opens tomorrow POLI'S—"Song of Flame,” musical play. Opens tomorrow evening. BELASCO—Thurston, the magician. KEITH'S—Avon Comedy Four, vaudeville. Lucille Fashion Hints,” D—Vaudeville. Opens this afternoon. | TY—“Powder Puff Frolic,” burlesque. Opens this evening. Opens this afternoon. Opens this afternoon. | | | vaudeville. Opens this afternoon. MUTUAL—“Moonlight Maids,” burlesque. Opens this afternoon. i e NATIONAL—"No, No, Nanette.” No, Nanette,” H. H. Frazee's record-breaking musical comedy, will begin its engagement at the National Theater tomorrow night. There has been an unusual demand for seats, proof that the popularity of the plece and its four-stur cast are not unknown in this community. “No, No, Nanette,” is recognized as o thoroughly successful melody play. It proves that Iaughs can come from situations not risque and that hearty enjoyment can be caused by songs that are not suggestive. The story is based on the desire of Jimmie Smith, an innocent lamb who has become rich selling Bibles, to make others happy. He listens to tales of woe by three alluring young women, Betty from Boston, Winnie from Washington, and Flora from Yrisco, and sympathizes with them deeply. He sings to them his heart- throbbing ditty “T Want to Be Happy,” and they believe him and want to be happy too. When the girls come to consider him their “daddy” he realizes that his position is rather more deli- cate than he looked for, and he hires o lawyer to get rid of the charmers. Outstanding musical numbers are the theme song and :Tea for Two,” together with “You Can Dance With Any Girl,” “I'm Waiting for_You, “Too Many Rings Around Rosie, Who's the Who" and the title sons, “No, No, Nanette.” The cast is headed by the same com- bination of stars that carried the piece to its record run of seven months at the Garrick Theater, Philadelphia— Julia Sanderson, Donald Brian, Frank Chumit and Ona Munson. Others in- clude: Virginia O’Brien, Jack Mc- Cauley, Eva Mae Francls, Gladys Yates, Irene Comer and Janet Horton. Then there are other girls and boys that ere sprightly and who do their work with percision and enthusiasm. KEITH'S—Avon Comedy Four. Joe Smith and Charles Dale are comedians and not musicians. Never- theless, they have made the world- famous Avon Comedy Four into a sextet and will head the bill at B. F. Keith's Theater this week, assisted by Cooper Lawley, Trina, Jean Heli ! pany and Wallace Eames, in a laugh-pro- | voking vehicle, “From the Battery to | the Bronx,” in truth a musical comedy | sight-seeing trip. Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland Bronner, creators and chorographic dancers, will be featured in their own original creation, “‘Dream Fantasles,” assisted by “The Bronner Types,” talented young women. Amac, the great illusionist with his three-card illusion, will present “The Ilusive Lady,” founded on the old three-card monte game and said to be the only thing of its kind in the world. Others will include Bob Hall, “The Extemporaneous Chap,” who will en- tertain with his original method, sing- ing the popular airs with lyricsa made up as he goes along; Joe Mendl, the $100,000 chimpanzee, the remarkable little animal that thrilled Dayton, Tenn., during the Scopes trial, present- ed by Miss Gertrude Bauman; Willand Gladys Ahern, a cowboy and cowgirl, in an oddity called “A Spinning Ro- ‘Baby Maxine” Kindleberger, former Washington tot, 6 years of age, who sings in “Norabayian” style and dances a la Gilda Gray, and Rice and Elmer, comedy gymnasts, in “Versa- tlle Bits.” EARLE—Lucille, “Fashion Hints.” The Earle Theater this week will have as its chief vaudeville attrac- tion “Fashion Hints,” an elaborate and variegated spectacular offering, featuring Lucille, arbiter of style and creator of gowns, assisted by the Ray- mond Sextet in dances and gown dis- plays. It is declared a genuine novel- ty that contains as much to interest man patrons as the women. Myron Pearl and company will be seen in “Dance Echoes.” “Blackface™ Eddie Ross, with his African harp, and Goodwin Comedy Four will be other attractions. Myron Pearl is as- sisted by Dolly and Harry Peark and Reuben Barnett, the latter in a delight- ful plano solo. “Blackface” Eddle Ross is great as a monologist and a banjo player and the Goodwin Comedy Four, a male quartet, presents a sketch written by Willlam K. Wells entitled, “A Striking Affair,” which combines harmony and fun. Oth include Paul Nolan and com- “The Jesting Swede,” and Dale | Merimes | the MR. ard Mrs. CLEVELAND DRONNLR ~ Moscow Art Theater Musical MOI(RIS GEST has announced the repertory for the first five weeks of the limited engagement of seven weeks of the Moscow Art Theater Musical Studio. For a gala premiere at Jolson's Fifty-ninth Street Theater, New York, tomorrow evening, the choice has fallen on Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata,” which first week, with performances every evening and Friday and Saturday s. With its unexpurgated text, le of staging and its un-| usual handling of thé mob scenes, it is credited with establishing the Moscow Art Theater Musical Studio in the most _stimulating development in the art of the theater in many years. The second production will be Offen- bach’s “La Perichole,” treated by Dantchenko as a melodrama-bouffe. Tt is scheduled for the week of December | . Le Cocq’s “The Daughter of Mme. Angot” will be the third pro- duction, the week of December 28. Monday evening January 4, come the premiere of the much-dis- cussed new version of the Bizet- “Carmen,” which Dant. chenko has treated as an intenss and P nate lyric-drama and which he calls “Carmencita and the Soldier.” This production will be repeated on Tuesday evening, Friday matinee and Saturday evening of the same week. Owing to the great tax which Bizet's will | score places upon the volces of the principal singing actors, particularly Olga Baklanova, as Carmencita, and {Tvan Velikanoff, as Jose, their burden will be lightened by the presentation of “La Perichole,” Wednesday, Thurs- day and Friday evenings, January 6, {7 and &, and at the Saturday matinee, January 9. For the fifth week the bill will be “Love and Death,” three short lyric- | dramas drawn from the works of Rus- sia’s greatest poet, Alexander Push- kin, of which Rachmaninoff's ““Aleko" is the one of outstanding interest to American public. “Love and Death” will be presented throughout the week of January 11. The repertory | Theater, New York, October 21, 1907. | White's for the final two weeks of the engage- ment will be announced later. and Fuller, “Two Imps in Satin.” The photoplay is Cecil B. DeMille's production of “Hell's Highroad,” fea- | turing Leatrice Joy, supported by Ed- | mund Burns, Robert Edeson and Julia | Faye. It is a drama of love and lux- ury by Ernest Pascal, directed by Rupert Jullan. STRAND—Vaudeville. Beginning today and continuing all | week the Strand Theater bill will be headed by Willlam Ebs in a surprise ventriloquist act entitled “Vaudeville's Newest Offering."” Added features will be a song and dance number spiced with comedy &:>- titled “Harry Howard’s Revue,” with Marie Ward, prima donna, and Lidia Hughes, Kathleen Holt Alice and Dean Ryan, and the five FPetleys, comedy aerialists, In & pantomine comedy, “Aerial Comedy and Cleverness."” Other numbers will include Nat Les- ter and Blanche Stuart, “Creators of Laughs and Steps,” and “Lady Alice's Pets,” presented by Mr. and Mrs. Newman Graham, in an act entitled ;Ansmcmy of American Animal- lom.” The photoplay brings to the Strand screen Clara Bow in Trio's romance, “The Lawful Cheater,” featuring Ray- mond McKee, George Cooper, Edward Hearn, in the romance of a poor girl who becomes mistress of a New York mansion. Short films will complete the program. GAYETY—“Powder Puff Frol Twenty-one musical numbers and 10 scenes are offered by the ‘“Powder Puff Frolic” at the Gayety Theater this week. It was planned and staged by Ar- thur Pearson and the comedy honors fail to George Broadhurst and Charley Abot, "even-Steven,” who, though they are products of different schools of clowning, Broadhurst coming from the sawdust ring and Abot from musical comedy, are sald to make an excellent team. The Hemley Sisters, Tiney and Rose, haye the roles of prima donna and Ingenue respectively, and others include Mina Bernard and Addie Clif- ford, soubrettes; and Eddie Erisland, straight man. In this show it is declared that the costumes and gowns worn by the woman principals are most elaborate, while 11 changes of costumes are made by the chorus. The action was largely written by Producer Pearson, the music and the Iyries are by Ager, Yellen and (Continued on Secoud Vg L} will continue throughout the Kerths D Larle SAMUEL LOVER once sald “There’s luck in odd numbers but the popular and harmonious stars in the musical comedy. *No, No, Nanette,” number four—Julia Sander- son, Donald Brian, Frank Crumit and Ona Munson. Julia Sanderson is a Yankee fro Springfield, Mass., and made her theat rical debut in a Russian melodrama, “Zorah."” “That was good-bye to melodrama s far as I was concerned,” says Miss derson, “for then I joined the chorus of ‘Winsome Winnie,’ and have been singing and dancing ever since.” Julia was a bright figure in “The Girl From Utah.’ bil,” “The Arca dlans,” “The Siren,” “Kitty Grey, | “The Sunshine Girl.” ambler | Rose,” “The Canar: anger ! tne.” Donald Brian, who back in the days | of “Florodora” and “The Silver Slip- {per"—say at least a score of vears ago—was a star in light opera enter- tainments, had his first striking suc cess as Prince Danilo in “The Merry | Widow” at the New Amsterdam | Then followed “The Dollar Princess,” | “The Siren,” “The Marriage Market,” “The Girl From Utah.” “Sybil,” “Her Regiment,” “The Girl Behind the DAN ard ALICE RYAY Strand “*Nanette's" Big Four. Gun | his debut | “Shannon of th ith George Minutes infe Jon on,’ and I revival aier. | One just Frank Crumi I play the foo {1 Crumic say flom Hawail a m 41 belleve T wa 5 play it on th | started in vaudeville liams—the “planutist He sees fun in thing known as a perennial joker Ona Munson, aby of the q € has had a busy time since her moths let her accept her first engagemc: with Gus Edwards. Ona's forte dancing. She is from tho Pacif and has been with Geors and with Eddl Buzzell in “No Other Girl,” and sI | wrote, produced, and acted in her o | vaudeville sketch, “A Manly Revue i for two years. help associating 1 the ukulele. ing because I love brought one | Coust ‘“THE Beaten Track,” by J. O. Francis, is announced for pro- duction by Gustav Blum. | “The Jazz Venus,” by Charles Gil- | pin, will be produced in New York by i the Theater League. ““Alias the Deacon’ is the new name of the play no 1y known as “The Deacon.” ‘Wilson Dodd, was placed in rebearsal last week by Robert Milton. Lee Baker, Betty Linley, Marshall and Charles Halton have been added to the cast of “Merchants of Glory,” which opens in New York tomorrow night. “Palm Beach Nights,” a new revue to be produced in Florida this Win- ter, was placed in rehearsal in New York last week by Florenz Ziegfeld. Charles Hopkins has engaged Ulrich poulos Secret,” soon to see the light in New York. Juliette Day has been engaged for a prominent part in ‘“The Girl,” a musical comedy, which is to be shown on Broadway Christmas week. Russell Janney has engaged W. H. Post to stage Otis Skinner's new play, “Captain Fury. Viola Glllette, the Gilbert and Sulll- van star, and Alexander Clark, recent- ly of “When You Smile,” has been engaged for “Rainbow Rose,” the new musical play which George Macfar- lane has in rehearsal. ‘When “Arms and the Man” played its 100th performance last Monday night at the Garrick Theater, New comedy. J. C. Willlamson, who has been grabbing New York successes right and left for Australia, has just added “Sunny” to his spoils. Mr. Willlam- son recently purchased “Cradle Snatchers.” The cast of “The Monkey Talks,” in New York, former- | “The Unseen.” a new play by Lee| Armina | Haupt and Wiliam B. Mack to sup- | port Emily Stevens in “The Makro- | Matinee | York, it broke the world record for consecutive performances of the Shaw | | In the Spotlight which Arch Selwyn will produce, wil include Jacques Lerner, Wiltor Lacka; Philip_ Merivale, Marth Bryan Allen and Harry Mestayer. Frank Tinn who recently re turned to New York from London, has been engaged for the Winter editior |of Earl Carroll's “Vanities,” whicl opens in the new y in New York Helen MacKellar opened in Fordhan last week {n “Open House,” i comedy drama by Samuel R. Golding, whick is scheduled to start in New York to morrow night. Ada-May has slgned a new agree ment to play her present role in “Cap tain Jinks” in_Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. It is understood that Schwab & Mandel will give her a new play when she has finished with the present piece. Walter Hampden and Ethel Barry more closed their *“Hamlet" engage ment in New York last night. Th~ Hampden Theater will be used all thi weelc for dress rehearsals of “TI Merchant of Venice," in which Mis Barrymore will make her first appea: ance as Portia. Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontaine 1 week signed a four-year contract v the Theater Guild. “Love ‘em and Leave ‘em.’ comedy by John V. A. Weaver an George Abbott, is to be placed {n re hearsal by Jed Harris. Later in the season Mr. Harrls will produc “Vicky,” by Alice Duer Miller, ar in June he will try out a play e titled “Berkeley Square,” by Joh Balderson. A. H. Woods production of Jol Colton’s play, ‘““The Shanghai Gesture will have its first showing in Newar tomorrow night, before going in the new play by No Coward in which Nazimova is to starred the present season, has ha its title changed by the author 1 “Souvenir.” Charles Dillingham, after launchin four plays successfully, will start fo Palm Beach after Christmas and re re untf] the flowers bloom in