Evening Star Newspaper, June 6, 1926, Page 59

?n=r! 3—14 Pages o REGINALD N\ DENNY Rialto Boer DANIELS The Sundoy Star - WASHINGTON, D.'C., SUNDAY -MORNING, JUNE 6, 1926. \musements CorINNE GRIFFITH- "Taivoll Seette from"QUO VADIS & Wardman Park Jheater ' s e OBRIEN ard ANITA STEWART ~Central News and Comment By W. H. Landvoigt. UMAN prophecy and the eternal fitness of things have set the H tongues wagging in the opening days of a retarded Spring, regard- less of the low price of chewing gum. But with Steve Cochran and his National Players winning new laurels each week in stock diversions there is still hope for the stage articulate in spite of the gloomy prediction of William A. Brady that it will be annihilated within five years. “The Naked Truth,” however, presents a different proposition in the amuse- ment field. and invites the despondency of the mad Prince of Denmark over the base uses to which we may return, Heratio, unless somebody stops us. Why must a hospital clinic be served under the guise of en- tertainment? \Why, oh, why, cannot something be reserved in the way of delicacy, even for the vuigar public? . * ok kX MRA BRADY is an experienced producer of plays. He ought to kunow when the theater is imperiled. But wouldn't it serve the public bet- ter if Mr. Brady were to specifically point out the evils which threaten to undo the stage and valiantly help to fight them off, instead of indulging in melancholy prophecy? One of the pre-eminent evils of the day seems to be the scramble, like hungry rats, for the acquisition of theater prop- erties by the men who ought to be giving their attention to the drama. Ii the professional purveyor of plays betrays his trust and becomes a ram- pant realtor what hope remains for the play? And the moyvie seems to be getting the same habit, so what is to become of the movie?r Hap- pily the Little Theater is_on guard, and if the professional falls down on the job, have we not still the ardent amateur to pluck the Temple of Thespis as a brand irom the burning, as it were? Fie upon Mr. Brady and all iike htm who think that because today's producer is getting cold feet as the result of his own bad habit of grabbing at the shadow instead of looking well aiter the substance, our theater is to disappear from the face of the carth! The people, almost without exception, love the world of dreams. The mimicry of the theater, with its romance, its comedy, even its tragedy, reflecting the manners, the customs and the life of ages of humanity, is the people’s world of dreams. They will not let the theater be annihilated, however willing they may be to mete out that fate to the modern producer. 4 * ¥ Kk % THE movie is forging ahead, and it will continue to do so, unless per- chance it should ape its elder sister and succumb to the influences which gradually have been destroying the theater. Easy money is a wicked bait, and the desire for more of it seems to be asserting_itself. This is the time for the movie to take an account of its stock. For 20 years or more it has been struggling onward and upward, despite numer- ous pitfalls and obstacles. Just at this moment it seems to possess the confidence of an indulgent public which has made it the fourth industry of a country rich in such luxuries. Perhaps it encourages the notion that with the stage out of the way the screen will reign supyeme and be able to dictate terms. It is a mistaken idea, for the hand that made can unmake; the purse, big or little, that loosens willingly to the worthy can just as easily tighten up when cupidity gets too eager. The theater is not going to be wiped off the earth, but those whose methods have seemed to be helping it to that end, whether they be of the stage or of the screen, may find themselves suddenly eliminated from their sphere of autocratic domination and relegated to where they belong, in some other line of merchandising. Bigger and brainier men have felt the sting of an indignant ublic. 2 KOk ok X MARY PICKFORD, perhaps the most popular star the modern world of mimicry has ever known, is now speaking for herself. A handsome bit of publicity, bearing her_picture on its cover, has arpeared in ex- Eloi(atim‘ of Mary's latest picture, “Sparrows.” Diagonally spanning its rst page is the replica of a letter autographed by the star. Mary herself says: “It has taken me all of my screen life to make this picture—it is the culmination of all my efforts to reach an elusive goal—it is one of those unexpected things that happen. perhaps, once in a generation.” Few will be tempted to question what Miss Pickford says of her picture. She has always been so modest, so unaffected, in all her long career. £ * ok ok ok IT really seems fair, at this point, to again call attention to Cecil B. De Mi'le’s production of “The Volga Boatman.” Those who failed to see it when it was shown here recentfy missed one of the finest pictures of the season. It seems absurd to suspect it of being propaganda. Its drama is tense and compelling, and its star, William Boyd, although ex- ploited as but a featured player along with Elinor Fair, in his delineation of the title role rises far above his screen cotemporaries in the excellence of his dramatic art. The spirit of dogged helplessness, almost of despair, of the song that has become widely popular in this country, is caught up in the tragic story, which was acted throughout with sincerity and nat- uralness by the screen cast that commands the closest attention. Taken with its superb musical embellishments it seemed the big ‘masterpiece of the season. * * % % 'OHN BARRYMORE, who started life as a roving painter and who later became a gartoonist, finally finding himself in the home g.n has housed KERRY~ Strand Something Different. **NMJANTRAP,” which Victor Flem- ing has completed for Para- mount, has unusual claims to distinc- tion. ’ It is a picture without a villain. It hasn't even a heavy. And there is no “‘menace.” It has a leading woman, but no heroine; a leading man, but no hero. It is laid in the Canadian woods, but there is no snow, for the time is dur- ing the vacation period of Summer. ‘There are no Northwest mounted po- lice tracking down criminals, although one of them does pause long enough in passing to flirt with the leading woman. The story is from Sinclair Lewis’ latest novel, Clara Bow, Ernest Tor- rence and Percy Marmont play the leading roles. Reiths Current Attractions. At the Theaters This Week. NATIONAL—“Little Miss - Bluebeard,” comedy. evening. Opens - tomorrow: KEITH'S—Bell Baker, -vandeville. Opens this afternoon. EARLE—Bobby Heath and company, vaudeville. Opens this aftere noon. NATIONAL—"Little Miss Bluebeard.” After two successful seasons in New York ‘and other large centers, with Irene Bordini in the title role, “Little Miss Bluebeard” has been released for stock and will be this week's offering at the National Theater. The play was adapted from the Hungarian by Avery Hopwood, whose farce composi- tions have netted him a fortune. Hop- wood has tinkered a little with the Hungarian, and not at all to its disad- vantage. The scenes are laid in Lon- don and Deauville. A young bachelor, famous alike for composing popular songs and for his many love affairs, has sworn he will never marry, distressing his friends to the point where they conspire to make him happy. To Larry Charters’ apart- ment comes a friend who explains with great .trepidation that he has fallen in love with a French girl and, notwithstanding that he already has @ wite'and child, he had married her; so many of his distinguished relatives, now autobiographically confesses that while he may take an occasional fling at the frankly he is in love with the movies. pears at last to have landed on a permanent good on one bush as on another. egitimate stage, yet A butterfly of the arts, John ap- bush. But then he is as D * %k ¥ 3k WITHREE hundréd beautiful girls, wearing costumes that are -said to have cost $10,000,” sounds more like exploitation of a Cecil B. De Mille superspecial than a detail of “So This Is Paris,” a new picture that the famous Ernst Lubitsch is making for Warner Brothers. Some- how they come to us laden with fame for their magnificent dramatic screen creations, but wind up with a variation of the Ziegfeld Follies as the best they can do in America. Yet we are told American pictures dominate the earth. This is the rut of the American movie. * X * % - F all that the actors and actresses of the screen tell us, via their press agents, be true, something is wrong with the worll France is a farce; in England it is a hard job, but “Movie acting in America it is a pleasure,” according to a statement credited to Joseph Schildkraut, the well known screen player. Mr. Schildkraut goes further, in his state- ment, to explain that in France they employ screen techniqife that Ameri- can producers forgot 10 years ago, while in England screen acting con- sists more of accomplishing a certain amount. of work than of the presenta- tion of realism or art. * % HILE Col. E. M. House, former unofficial adviser to President to sail from New York for Europe, it is reported, Mid: ibitors were en route in the dpposite direction to Los Angeles defined move afoot to secure Col. House as their leader—a sort of Will H. Hays of the exhibitors. : * % % is ab western with a wel * % > Wilson, * THE management of the Wardman Park Theater, in furtherance of its co-operation with the Screen Little Theater movément, and defying fate, is presenting as its attraction the film version of Henryk Sienkie- wicz’s famous story, “Quo Vadis?” in which Emil annings is depicted as Nero and Lilliam Hall Davis, the English star of the stage, appears as Lygia, the beautiful Christian hostage. a nine-reel picture that ‘has been ‘edited to the highest form, beauty and effectiveness. It is said to be, in its prelen; of not under his own name, but under that of Larry. He had confessed to the girl on the morning of their mar- rlage and it is now up to Larry to straighten the affair out. This friend nsists, however, that he shall be con- stantly present as a chaperon. Funny complications ensue from Little Miss Bluebeard's strenuous days and nights with her two “husbands” and also of the butting in of a deliriously. funny “chapple,” who falls to see why he can’t be husband No. 3. A surprise twist before the last cur- tain provokes even greater merriment. KEITH'S—Belle Baker. B. F. Keith's Theater this week is promising another of the best va- riety bills of the entire season, headed by Belle Baker, a vaudville favorite, with a repertory of her inimitable numbers, serious and comic. After a long absence Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Barry return in Mr. Barry's rural idyll, “Scandals of Hensfoot ‘| Corners.” “The Greatest Modern Rus- n Dancer,” Karavaeff, “a real son :lf.the steppes,” will be presented with his company of four stepping sisters, Joyce Coles, Sylvia Buckley, Beatrice Carr and Kitty French, in a produc- tion staged ulader the direction of ‘heodore Bekefl. g Others will include George Washing- ton University’s Men's Glee Club, an organization that has taken a real place in the musical Wworld, with trained voices, under the direction of Robert H. Harmon, accompanied at the planio by Mrs. Grace Ruble Har- mon; Herbert Clifton, impersonator, with travesties of the weaker sex, an incomparable wardrobe, every gown a creation; ‘Walter Brower, with funny talk as “The Jolly Jester,” with- out make-up or costume; and Harriet Seeback, in “Fun in the Gym,” and the Carl Schenk Duo in novelty bristic feats, :l:.‘s:‘,“Aeoop‘s Fables and the Pathe News. EARLE—Bobby Heath & Co. The topline attraction at the Earle Theater this week will be Bobby Heath and Company in a new and fast-moving song, dance and chatter “Bits and Hits of Vaudeville,” the -comedian will be sup- ported by a group of ‘beautiful young coryphees and an associate comedian dancer. ‘n';‘lh. :Adod attraction will be Sun Fong Lin Company, in a demonstra- tln:‘ of the ancient Chinese forms of dueling- and boxing never before pre- sented. on the American stage. Oth will_include Rey, Conway 'l'ohrl-nll. “Just Two Fellows and and a Girl,” in music, humor and dancing; i v with topics of the |’ e Rarle Buying Theaters Now. CLIFFORD BROOKE, director of the National Theater Players and during the Winter director for Anne Nichols, extends his activities into the producing field this coming Fall, as one of several owners and incorpo- rators of the New Irving Theater, on Forty-elgath street near Eighth ave- nue, New York. Mr. Brooke, Earl House, Fred Proc- tor and Willy Pogany are the incorpo- rators and builders. Brooke, in ad- dition, will be chief director of pro- ductions and Mr. Pogany will be art director. The Irving Theater is named after Henry Irving. Its policy will be gen- erally related to the Theater Guild plan in that no more than five plays will be produced each year and these will all be originals. As the new house will seat only 299 people, plays which prove to have heavy drawing power will be moved uptown to houses of larger capacities. ‘The theater will be under construc- tion in July and will be opened early in September.. Articles of incorpora- tion have been drawn in the name of the Covent Theater Corporation. — Thelma. White, assisted by Ben Odley, in “The Thief,” a playlet by Paul Gerard Smith, and McCoy and Wal- ton, a comedy team. ‘The photoplay will present Leatrice Joy in “Eve's Leaves,” in which she is supperted by Willlam Boyd, the splendid figure in ‘“The Volga Boat- man.” It was written by Elmer Har- ris and adapted by Jack Levne for direction by Paul Sloane. The bill will enforace a newsreel and pipe organ recital. Holy Rosary Players. The Holy Rosary Dramatic Club's second production of the year, J. C. McMullen’s three-act comedy- “Mary Made Some Marmalade,” oy Sights, at 530, &% Bl Marys lay nig] at 8:30, at St. ' School Hall. Marye 1’l'hi.n ‘will be the first time that this play the club is sparing no expense to l;nka the presentation what it should Paul Messink, lately with the well- known Ram's Head Players, and who has a wealth of experience in stage- eraft, is direcyng the production. “Mary Made Some Marmalade” is an ingenious story of modern lifs with characters familiar to every one. An ambitious father, a patient and loving mother, a -supercilious daugh- ter with her blase friends, a son who ves'a decent ‘sort. a rough-hewn ut. kindly aunt and her henpecked husband, with several others, make the story interesting and entertaining. Miss Rose Fratantuono and Angelo Genna, have been selected for lead- ing roles, and Miss Stella Nicro, who struck a popular note in the club’s last play, will appear in the title role. %t‘l.::n will include Paul Messink, et et has been produced locally and. \ Y BEN LyoN” Awbassador Photoplays LOWELL SHERMAN and Lo1S MORAN Metropolitans This Week At the Photoplay Houses This Week. COLUMBIA—“The Palm Beach Girl” evening. RIALTO—"“Rolling Home.” and evening. PALACE—"“The Lucky Lady.” ning. AMBASSADOR—“The Reckless Lady,” evening. Shown this afternoon and Shown this afternoon and evening. METROPOLITAN—"The Reckless Lady.” Shown this afternoon Shown this afternoon and evening. TIVOLI—“The Johnstown Flood.” Shown this afternoon and eve- Shown this afternoon and CENTRAL—“Rustling for Cupid.” Shown this afternoon and eve- ning. STRAND—“Under Western Skies.” ning. WARDMAN PARK—“Quo Vadi BELASCO—"The Naked Truth.” only. Shown this afternoon and eve- Shown this evening. Shown this afternoon and evening LINCOLN (Colored)—“The Blind Goddess.” Shown this afternoon and evening. Crandall's Metropolitan Theater, this week, beginning this afternoon, will present First National’'s release of “The Reckless Lady,” romantic drama of the Riviera, with especially beauti- ful scenic effects and photography, and as an added attraction, Brooke John and “The Oklahomans,” a group of clever syncopators, together with a new comedy, the Metropolitan World Survey and a musical setting by the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, under Danfel Breeskin. “The Reckless Lady,” an adaptation of Sir Philip Gibbs’ novel concerning a woman whose mother love dominates her life, but she errs and incurs what seems to be the lasting enmity of her husband, and for years she derives a hazardous existence from the gaming tables of Europe. Then there occurs the ‘strange prank of fate that makes the mother's former admirer the suftor for the hand of her daughter. A climax results that is tremendously dramatic. The cast includes Belle Bennett, who won fame by her work in “Stella Dallas”; Lois Moran, James Kirkwood, Ben Lyon, Lowell Sherman and Char- lie Murray. Brooke Johns and his banjo are too well known to Washington to need introduction, and “The Oklahomans’ is & novelty orchestra imbued with a high degree of effervescence. gliuxil, Miss Margaret Reith and Gino mi. ‘The presentation is for the benefit of the church debt funds. Phi Sigma Epsilon Benefit. The Tuesday evening performance of “Little Miss Bluebeard,” by the National Theater Players, it is an- nounced, will be a benefit performance or the Phi Sigma Epsilon Sororit: ine of the local high school organiza- tions, which has recently taken over a new studio in the northwestern part of the city and is furnishing and em- bellishing it as a future headquarters for the young woman members. Each of the members is supple. menting the efforts of the theater of- fice in making the occasion a success. Children Players of Washington. Lenore Marie De Grange announces that the Children Players of Wash- ington, assisted by the Estelle Murray Dancers, will appear in two plays Friday evening at 8 o'clock at Pierce Hall, Sixteenth and Harvard streets northwest. One of the plays, “Darby and Joan,” by Rose Fyleman, will present Theo- dore Tiller as .Darby, Mary Elsie Steuart as Joan and Maxine Stevenin as the fairy, while the other, ‘‘June Magic,” by Katharine Lord, will pre- sent Virginia Guminel, Marita Houli- han, Mary Elsie Steuart, Margaret Metcalf, Louise Freitag, Theodore Til- ler, Kathryn Brinley, Jean Cromelin and Maxine Stevenin in a story of a little girl who believes in fairies, a teddy bear, a Dolly Varden doll, & sophisticated child and other delights. In this the Estelle Murray Dancers will contribute charming terpsichorean numbers, including “The Dance of the Golden Elves,” “A June Revel,” *. Sylvan Carnival” and “A Joy Dance, presented by a corps de ballet, with talented premier dancers. The entertainment is under the di- rection of Miss Lenore Marie de Grange, 1766 Kilbourne place north- west (phone Adams 2526), of whom tickets may be obtained. 2 COLUMBIA—“The Palm Beach Girl.” Comedy, thrills and romance are out- standing elements of “The Palm Beach Girl,” the latest comedy achievement of Bebe Daniels, which is the feature at Loew’s Columbia Theater this week starting this afternoon. The story is from the pen of Byron Morgan, au- thor of “Excuse My Dust,” and “The Roaring Roa and was directed by Erle Kenton. Lawrence Gray is the leading man. Bebe appears as a gawky, awkward, Middlewestern girl, who makes the Jjourney to Florida to visit two wealthy aunts, almost embarrasses them to death at the outset, but emerges six weeks later as a smartly-gowned debutante able to hold her own in the exclusive soclal circles of Palm Beach. This metamorphosis, however, is not accomplished without a varlety of trials and sensational adventures. Added attractions will include th Mermaid laugh-maker “Going Crazy”; the International Newsreel and music by the Columbia Orchestra under Leon Brusilof. RIALTO—"Rolling Home.” “Rolling Home,” starring Reginald Denny, the photoplay at the Rialto this week, is the story of Nat Alden, an ambitious but unfortunate young financial promoter who loses all his money in bad investments. Cast out of his office, he meets an old Army friend, now the chauffeur of the capi- talist, and tells him his plight. Nat is expected to return to his old home town, where every one thinks he is a millionaire, and he has not the heart to return and confess his failure. They decide to “bluff” it through, and in the capitalist’s car make tri- umphal entry in Lower Falls, with Dan, the friend, acting as Nat's secre- tary. Complications naturally develop, and how Nat, by stratagem and bluffing, straightens things out and ultimately redeems his fallen fortunes forms the cllg:x of the story. n Hendricks is seen as the friend Dan, Marion Nixon plays the feminine lead, and others in the cast are E. J. Ratcliffe, Margaret Seddon, George Nicholls, George Marion and Anton Vaverka. ‘Rolling Home” is based on the stage farce by John Hunter Booth, and was adapted to the screen by Rex ‘Taylor. The stage presentation will consist of Ted Gerard and Helen Ault in a dancing specialty, the latter being well known locally, having appeared with Father Hurney's St. Patrick Players. Henri Sokolov will be heard in Men- delssohn’: ‘'oncerto for Violin,” with orchestra accompaniment. With Mis- cha Guterson conducting, the Rialto Concert Orchestra will offer as over- ture, “Vienna Bonbons” (Strauss), which, together with a Bruce scenic, “The Valley of Falling Waters,” with a special musical setting, and the In- ternational News, will complete the program. PALACE—"“The Lucky Lady.” A cast including Greta Nissen and Willlam Collier, jr., star. of ‘“The ‘Wanderer”; Lionel ore, Mare MacDermott, Mme. Daumery and Sojin, the celebrated Jap, appears h “The Lucky Lady.” Raoul Walsh's Paramount production, the attraction this week, starting this afternoon, at Loew's Palace Theat: ““The Lucky Lady"