Evening Star Newspaper, May 30, 1926, Page 29

STANLEY Keiths COLLIER. JR. Columbia By W. H. Landvoigt. | THOSE who, from time to time, have perused with" eager interest, and presume for an instant to undervalue their worth, either as literary roductions or as statements of verity not to be questioned for a moment established belief. An article recently received for publication, containing | thoughts that are said to emanate from Miss Blanche Sweet, one of the that in the former one has actualy to live the part he is portraying, while | the latter merely calls for acting ability.” And Miss Sweet, the article | one is not merely living a characterization but is merely acting it one can- not stand the test.” Miss Sweet’s parting shot declares, “One only has to oft with deep astonishment, the carefully thought-out articles cred- ited to screen stars that appear in the newspapers would never y the common people. Occasiona however, the vulgar imagination is shocked by assertions that scem to shake the véry foundation of long- | most charming of our screen luminaries, states, rather positively, as com- | ing from Miss Sweet, that “screen acting differs from stage acting in | states, to back up what she possibly may have intended as a_humorous opinion, invokes the “close-up” test to prove her contention, “because if be a good actor to put a role over on the $peaking stage.” Here, in a | nutshell, is the reason for the decadence of the American theater, at least | 80 far as “the speaking stage” is concerned. Al the world knew that | S something was wrong with it, but now it knows what that something is‘i < . * ¥ 'A ND while we are having our snicker let us turn our attention to an- other sage article from the F. B. O. offices. It refers to “the Bowers | Process.” arley Bowers, “the newest and most amazing master of camera magic, simply by freak photography, is enabled to produce startling effects in whimsical defiance of all the laws of nature—and in flat contradic- tion of that bromide statement that the camera cannot lic.” Even our Washington kiddics know that circuses and menageries, Barnum & Bailey’s | and the Ringling Brothers’, not to mention the 101 Ranch Shows, with ! all their ‘merits and all the pull of their managers, could not secure per- ] mission to usc the United States Capitol in Washington, instead of the | great white tops, as a background for their display. And yet the article | states that Mr. Bowers, after having reccived permission to photograph | the Capitol, “without actors of any kind,” made the picture and then, with | his process, peopled the classic rotunda and the historic halls and ap- proaches of that noble structure with “a’ procession of elephants in stately progress through the pillared portico and into the halls of Government, whifl: a troop of donkeys beat a hyrried retreat down the sacred white | marble steps. Indeed, so realistic was it all,” the article states, “that lt! actually provoked a senatorial protest and inquiry.” An irreverent. wag | has suggested that “elephants in stately progress are bad enough, but a troop of scurrying donkeys in the hails of Government is an indiscre- tion that even the most hardened patriot must resent.” Inexperienced comedy makers are so prone to offensive suggestion just to raise a giggle. * %k X UT that isn’t all. Another article from Howard Dietz of the Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer offices, inspired, it is stated, by Chester B. Bahn of the Syracuse Herald, boldly assails the Lord’s anointed. “Some stars,” it apprises the public, “genuflect before the Nation’s army of movie com- menters, and some who have been ‘laid low’ for one or two film misde- meanors raise their prostrate forms to voice protest against the institu- tion.” Norma Shearer, comely and competent, God-blesses the movie critic. “They made me what I am today,” she reminiscently, but modestly, admits. John Gilbert thinks critics are all right, but wants them to tell why when they think he is good or bad. Lillian Gish is not much im- * pressed with “the institution”; Lillian believes that “the movie critics are the swords that hang over the stars’ heads, but it's adgood thing, because it makes the latter watchful” Critics are wiser today, and, therefore, less lenient, she thinks. If Ramon Novarro were a movie critic he would “forget my mental superiority, and weigh an actor’s ability from the standpoint_of these questions: Can he make me laugh? Can he make me cry? Can he win my interest in behalf of his character? If he could, the rest would be a matter of degree, and I would give him his proper rating in the field” Lon Chaney, who says, like Will Rogers, he knows only what he reads in the papers, thinks the movie critics have been good to him. Marion Davies says: “To her a movie critic appears to be a person who feels that he does not earn his salary unless he finds fault with something or other,” and she has known of instances where “critics will sacrifice truth in order to get in a satiric line of their own invention.” Marion is wonderful. Isn’t she?. But while we are having our laugh, why not be generous and let the criti,:ized cra:k the critic to help things along. * THE biggest laugh of all drifted in and was delivered, unconsciously, by one of the clever writers and scenarists of one of the big California studios, who hands the blame for stories that are inherently bad and for good stories that have been made bad in the movies to “the big boss,” who isn’t literary and who has his cash receipts counted up on tllc adding machine, but who, with wonderful prescience, has discovered thé greatest faystery of the age, “What the Public Wants.” With flushed cheeks, but bright and intellectual eyes, lending charm to an eloquent voice, this gen- tleman sought to pass the buck to “Money Without Brains” and “former hamfats of the stock companies, now dignified by higher titles, such as “director-in-chief’ and ‘supervising direétor,’” who are responsible, he says, for the garbled romance, the debilitated comedy and the wobbly morality of the movies. When doctors disagree the patient may- die, but the truth is apt to creep to the surface. A showdown is sometimes good for all hands. It always leads to improvement, so that if this showdown, or showup, however one may choose to take it, results in the improvement of the movie story, or the speaking actor, or the picture super-supervisor or even the critic, or any of them, some unit of modern civilization, may be served with a share of happiness heretofore denied to 1 * * k X BU‘I‘ life is not all made up of laughter. There come days when the smile will fade in spite of us. Though all nature is now aglow with the of April in the air, for one of tth ) smile of budding Spring, there is a touc most talented and popular of the hap{)y galaxy of players that have been entertaining hosts of delighted people at the¢ National Theater running now into two seasons. Miss Kathryn Givney, quietly has withdrawn from DoroTHY ,Ambas:rado" | screen.” {known as the Moving Picture Guild MACKAILL > PRISCILLA DEAN and WHEELER OAKMAN Rialto Movie Guild in Washington. 'OME time ago a few prominent -people in New York conceived the idea of forming a movie guild, with a view to the development of a greater appreciation of better pictures on the part of the theater-going public. A Broadway theater was secured for the purpose, and a revival was started of pictures which in the past had earned the designation of ‘“classics of the ‘This in preference to the general run of latter-day pictures, which had little, if anything, to com- mend them. The movement met with success, and soon it extended to other big cities of the East A few gnergetic men of this city now have taken up the cause, and the Wardman Park Theater, which has had its ups and downs as a temple of the spoken drama, now houses what is row evening. afternoon. NATIONAL—*“Song and Dance Man.” Before George M. Cohan became an American ' idol, before he became famous as a playright, a producer and an actor, he was a “song and dance man,” a term .in vaudeville parlance now shortened to “hoofer.” Around the experiences of & song and dance man Cohan has written one of his finest shows, “The Song and Dance Man,” which the National Players will offer for this week, commencing Mon- day night. The personality of a player, once the grease paint is left behind in the dressing room, is vastly different from what he is required to portray in the theater. Like his more plebelan brothers in the outside world, he has his hopes and fears, ups and downs, disappointments and sorrows. If he ‘wasn't human he couldn’t be an actor. From out the storehouse of his great experience Mr. Cohan has summoned dramatic highlights and interwoven them in “The Song and Dance Man,” in “The Wilderness Woman”; “The | which tells the story of ‘“Happy” Stronger Love”; Lloyd Hughes and | Farrell, a vaudeville “hoofer,” to Mary Astor in Edwin Carewe’s “High | whom Broadway is the Pike's Peak of Steppers”; Betty Compson and |stage success. How Farrell travels James Kirkwood in “The Wise Guy”; |the rough road to Broadway, is sud- Colleen Moore and Lloyd Hughes in |denly catapulted into a position to Ella Cinders” and a special produc- [realize his life-long dreams and how tion entitled “The Duchess and the | he signally fails to deliver, makes a Buftalo.” forceful dramatic story, backgrounded the group and with a_smile, not entirely devoid of sadness, has announced her d&par:ure for a European vacation, her first rest in four long years. Miss Givney will be sorely missed by her host of admirers in Washington, by her associates in the National Players and certainly by the gallant young impresario, Steve Cochran, who introduced her. splendid talents intimately to Washington for the first time. But think of it! She is going to Europe. That’s something, too. * Kk k¥ *“7TTHE CROWN OF LIES,” Pola Negri’s newest picture to reach Wash- ington, is not calculated to ins?ire much hope for this much abused actress, one of the few real stars of the screen, just yet awhile. Ernest Vajda, the ‘Hungarian author who wrote the story, seems to have fallen into the pitfall of following somebody’s lead that steered him wrong, and Dimitri Buchowetzki, the irector, can_hardly be held responsible for this latest mythical kingdom mediocrity. Maybe it was somebody higher up or lower down who did it, but somebody On the other hand, Cecil -B. De Mille and the gentlemen who furnished the brilliant musical setting, be it Daniel Breeskin or Dr, Reisenfeld, distinctly won an honor mar! with “The Volga Boatman.” The famous song, the story of the picture, the scenery and the musical setting combine to make “The Volga Boat- man” an impressive, if not a great, picture. * ¥ X %k ! ’I'HE Wardman Park Theater is going to try-the Movie Guild idea of Eaterini to an intellectual patronage with the revival of former screen classics, rather than take them as they come, hit or miss. It isn’t a bad idea, and it ought to prove successful. - The run-of-the-mine leftovers that have been handed out lately are not calculated to inspire joy in any one connected with them, except it be the chaps who receive steady and standard wages for showing them. of Washington, which, it is announced, will alm to present carefully selected programs of worth-while pictures, old and new, at the common admission price of 25 cents. The announcement of the first of these programs appears elsewhere in these columns toda; Crandall Attractions Coming CRAN'DALL‘S Metropolitan The- ater, maintaining the supremacy that it has enjoyed all season in the matter of pre-eminent attractions, announges that following Richard Barthelmess in “Ranson’s Folly” will be shown “The Reckless Lady,” a romance of the Riviera, with Bella Bennett, James Kirkwood, Ben Lyon, Lols Moran and Charlle Murray; Anna. Q. Nilsson in “The Greater Glory”; George Sidney, Jack Mul- hall, Vera Gordon and Charlie Mur- ray in “Sweet Daddies’; Mae Busch KEITH'S—Aileen Stanley, vaudeviile. EARLE—Brown’s Minstrels—Wesley Barry, vaudeville. DoueLAs Current Attractlons. At the Theaters This Week. NATIONAL—“The Song and Dance Man,” comedy. Opens tomor- Opens this afternoon. Opens this on a romance between the beaten hoofer and the little girl back home. John Warner will do the Cohan, role with Miss Lane cast as the small-town sweetheart, who is at once responsible for Farrell's success and faiflure. Mrs. Hibbard will be the bad, bad landlady. Others are nicely distributed by Di- rector Brooke. KEITH'S—Aileen Stanley. B. F. Keith’s Theater will offer as the headline attraction this week Alleen Stanley, known as “The Vic- trola Girl,” who will be heard in a proj of new songs sung in her own inimitable way. The featured act will be Modena's fantastic revue, featuring Countess Modena, European violinist, and Bish- op and Lynn, the international danc- ers, supported by a cast of concert Ted Trevor and Dina Harris, who will offer a series of dance stories, assisted by Fred Hall’s record- ing orchestra; Jack “Rube” Clifford. “criminologist,” in a humorous bit, “Camera Eye Carter”; Olivette Haynes and Fred E. Beck in a character com- edy offering entitled “‘Her Guardian”; Mar and Lester in “A Dip Into Vaudeville,” a singing and dancing number; the Two Harlequins in an original bit of art, grace and flexi- bility, and Gintaro, the Japanese jug- gler and top spinner. Surrounding the bill will be the screen features, Aesop’s Fables, Top- ics of the Day and the Pathe News. EARLE—Brown’s Minstrel Orchestra, ‘Wesley Barry. At the Earle Theater this week, be- ginning this afternoon, Tom Brown and his Merry Minstrels Orchestra will headline the bill and Wesley Barry, the “Freckles” of motion pic- ture fame, will be the added attrac- tion. Tom Brown, the originator of the “Six Brown Brothers' saxophone sex- tet, noted in musical comedy, revue, vaudeville and on the records, pre- sents an entirely new act assisted by his 10 artists. Wesley Barry, appearing in person for the first time in Washington, will appear in a sketch by E. P. Heath, “Jerry Makes Good.” Wesley, who made a reputation with Mary Pick- ford and Marshall Neflan and as a star for First National, is supported by a competent cast in his amusing laylet. - pOtheu include Dare and Yates, two comedians; Mae Francis, sical comedy so: and Joe Dar- cey, blackface singer, who features his own compositions. . The photoplay is Producers’ “Bache- lor Brides,” featuring Rod La Rocque and Julla Faye. A pipe organ recital and short reels will complete the bill. MacLEAN, Palade WESIFY BARRY Torle Fox's Washington Theater. THE new Fox Theater, in the 14- story structure which is being erected for the National Press Club at Fourteenth and F streets north- west at a cost of $10,000,000, seems likely to more than hold its own with other new and already famous thea- ters erected elsewhere throughout the country. ' It was designed by C. W. and George Rapp, Chicago architects, who have planned many of the larger theaters erected in past 15 years, including new theate at Buffalo, Chicago, the new Para- mount under construction in New York City and the new Keith The- ater in Cleveland. Easterbrook Gill, theatrical architectural expert, has been, assigned by them to carry out the plans for the new Fox in Wash- ington. - __The local theater will have a seat- ing capacity of 3,600, and it has been leased to the Fox Corporation for 356 years at an aggregate rental, It is said, of more than $7,000,000. These Old Hometowners. JDOUGLAS MacLEAN is claimed ‘as a “home town boy” by no less than three cities, including Washing- on. . He is the son of Rev. C. C. Mac- Lean, a Methodist Episcopal minister; was born in Philadelphia, spent his boyhood in Washington and was edu- cated in Chicago. - His father now has transferred his ministerial activities to the West Coast to be near his son. Old Picture Still Popular. IT is_interesting to discover. in the midst of the talk of the great strides made by the movies that, though remarkable steps have been taken in the advancement of the art, “Outside the Law,” starring Lon Chaney and Priscilla Dean, made a long while ago, is rivaling, since 1254 revival, the great productions of 1926. It is one of the first pictures in which Lon Chaney was featured after his meteortc rise to fame through his great characterization in “The Mira- cle Man.” an enviable run which carried ““Outside the Law” to every city and hamlet in the country, it was shelyed for several - years, Many who saw the picture on its ini- tial showing regardel it as a great screen portrayal, and exhibitors in va- rious parts of the country began to ask for its revival, and Universal was finally prevailed upon to make new prints from the negative. A New. York revival opened Sunday, | May 9. Three hours after the doors opened it was necessary to hang out and the picture is n its third .week. ¥ seais ————— Mrs. Harriet Hawley Locher, direc- tor of the public service and educa- tional department of the Crandaj} The- aters.has been absent a week serving as delegate to the biennial convention of the General Federation of Women's Clubs at Atlantic City. will continue for another week, at the expiration of which Mrs. Locher will :::ume /her official duties in Washing- this country during the | Automobiles i Lrwis 8 STONE evening. ning. cvening. STRAND-—“Mone: afternoon and evening. METROPOLITAN—"Ranson’s Folly.” Richard Barthelmess will be pic- tured at Crandall's Metropolitan The- ater this week, beginning this after- noon, in First National's fllm ver- sion of Richard Harding Davis’ story of the Indlan fighting days on the Western frontier, “Ranson’s Folly.” The companion attractions will be William Fox's two-reel comedy, ‘“Too Many- Relations™; the Metropolitan ‘World Survey, short reels and & mus- ical program by the symphony or- chestra under Danfel Breeskin. “Ranson’s Folly” concerns a young lieutenant of cavalry who craves ac- tion. In a spirit of adventure he wagers that he can hold up a stage coach, rob ond of its fair passengers and an hour later dance with her at the post’s annual hop without being suspected. He unwittingly parallels, | however, the plans of some real band- its who have the army pay roll in view as an easy means of attaining opulence. By an odd twist of fate Ranson accomplishes his counterfeit bitaof outlawry with complete suc- cess, bat later he is accused before a court-martial of ropbery and murder. It is then that the romance of the story comes to full flower. Barthelmess as Ranson looks the soldier of the early 80s. Dorothy Mackaill is cast “opposite the star. “Too Many Relations,” the Helen and Warren serles, starring Hallam Cooley and Katherine Perry, will be an added feature. The Metropolitan symphony will be heard in Suppe's ‘“Light Cavalry,” with the “Valse Huguette,” froi Friml's “The Vagabond King,” and “What Can I Say After I've Said I'm Sorry.” PALACE—“That’'s My Baby!" Thrills, laughter and a world of ac- tion are promised in Douglas Mac- Lean’s latest Paramount comedy, “That's My Baby!” which comes to Loew’s Palace this week, starting this l.f!flnon.“ S “That's My y!” was directed b; William Beaudine, Mary Pk:ktnrfll"s; director in “Little Annie Rooney,” from a'story by George J. Crone and Wade - Boteler. Its cast, includes Margaret Morris, Claude Gillingwater, Eugenie Ford, Wade Boteler, Richard Tucker, Fred Kel Harry Earles The session | and A large part of the action tran. spires in a huge Orlental charity bazaar, where dozens of pretty giris in Oriental masks make up a scene CENTRAL—"Why Girls Go Back Home.” ! Tivoll ‘Photopla.tys This Wec_ek At the Photoplay Houses This Week. METROPOLITAN—“Ranson’s Folly.” Shown this afternoony/and RIALTO—“Outside the Law.” Shown this afternoon and evening. PALACE—“That’s My Baby.” Shown this afternoon and evening. COLUMBIA—"“The Rainmaker.” Shown this afternoon and evening. TIVOLI—"Brown of Harvard.” Shown this afternoon and evening. AMBASSADOR—"“Ranson’s Folly.” Shown this afternoon and eve- Shown this afternoon and Talks.” Shown this afternoon and evening. WARDMAN PARK—"The Two Orphans.” BELASCO—“The Naked Truth.” Shown this afternoon and evening. LINCOLN (Colored)—"The Girl from Monmartre.” Shown this evening. Shown this of magnificence. Thrills, however, are in evidence, with a hair-raising chase in which aeroplanes, automo- biles, parachuting, jumping and the like play a prominent part. The story concerns a young man who belleves that the character of a girl can always be determined by her ankles, and when the girl of his choice jilts him, he turns right around and falls in love with another whose ankles tell him she is the per- fect woman. In the meantime, a Jealous rival has unloaded'a baby on the hero's hands. All manner of things” happen to his romance before he ]g:ds hé'}'.‘”" out of the woods. “Dog y,” featuring Charlie Chase; the Pathe news reel, Topics of the Day and musical embellishment by the Palace Orchestra, under Mr. Thomas J. Gannon, round out the program. RIALTO—"Outside the Law." The picture in which Lon Chaney first established himself as a great character actor is the attraction at the Rialto this week. “Outside the Law," with Priscilla Dean as the star and Chaney in two roles, “Black Mike,”” a notorious crook, and “Ah Wing,"” a sinister celestial. Todd Browning wrote and directed | the picture when neither he nor Chaney were widely known. i The story concerns “Silky Moll,” a | crook, who hated those who preached that it pays to go straight. Hadn't her father, “Silent” Madden, fallen for one of those morality mongers? And hadn’t he been double crossed by a de- tested stool pigeon just because he had been Honest and soft? : “Black Mike” was the man who had railroaded her father to prison and he was the man who was getting ready’ | to frame her now. Mike knew all of the dirty tricks of the badger. But : there was one thing he didn’t know. That was love. ‘ It had been fixed for the girl to be nabl for a great jewel robbery, but this scheme was sidetracked and the girl ultimately found real happiness. Mischa Guterson has arranged spe- cial presentations headed by Miss Esther Cutchin, a talented planist, who will play the Hungarian Fantasy by Listz, accompanied by the Rialto Concert Orchestra, and an atmospheric prologue for the picture, featuring Sheila Blaine. The overture by the Rialto Concert , . (Eontinued on _Thlm Page.)