Evening Star Newspaper, December 17, 1928, Page 27

\ING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1%28. OPENING ATTRACTIONS ™ WASHINGTON THEATERS SHUBERT-BELASCO—"Irene.” A musical comedy that has stood the test of t.me through its sparkling lines and tuneful melodies was ably pre-| sented at the Shubert-Belasco Theater | last night as the Savoy Co., sponsored | and supervised by Charles Emerson | Cook, swung into another week of pop- | ular-priced presentations. Mr. Cook | has gathered a company of unusual ex- cellence and the performance showed careful attention to details of the orig- | inal production, which delighted | smusement seekers of the Capital | Rence Hamilton further endeared | hersif to the local public in the title Tole. ssed of a sweet voice and | attractive personality, she was very | happily cast in the part of the winsome, | but wise Irish girl. Frank Gallagher was an adequate Donald Marshall, the | podern Prince Charming of Irene. Love” in high speed [at the Columbia Theater this week. ' Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer's latest comedy featuring this pair is guaranteed to put any audience into a good humor, It's all about a penitentiary operated | on the theory that all men can be saved from themselves through brother- ly love. There is another penitentiary where this system is not practiced, finally comes the test of the two tems in a foot ball game between the inmates of the two institutions. It would not be proper to spoil the fun by telling the whole story or describing the many amusing scenes, ‘There's a girl, of course, who has | caused the hearts of both our heroes to | flutter. She is the warden's daughter | and has great faith in the powers of brotherly love. Jean Arthur plays thxs, role. ‘There's a delightful prelude to back march.” Just how far this ef-| fort will gain him depends a little too much on the fagt that American movie | audiences dote f@r are supposed to have | a weakness for 100 per cent he-man stuff, especially when the setting is beyond the Mississippl. ‘The plot, what there is of it, is =t best a trifle worn, and despite the fact that the action does not start until near the end, the picture is made entertaining by some great work of Baclanova, that Russian lmponallon.‘ who rises above some weird costumes to almost run off with the honors. Ex-) cellent support is also offered by Doris Hill, a newcomer, and John Darrow, | one of the best juveniles on the screen. The film is unsynchronized, and if we had not come to exp at least a little does the prince come to his former self. Lucy Dorraine, formerly with UFA, and Winifred Bryson do excellent work | in subordinate parts, and Emile Chau- | tard gives ‘a splendid impersonation of | the Russian general, Nicholas Sous- sanin and Nicholas Bela also do very well in their parts. ‘The Metropolitan - Orchestra, Alex | Podnos conducting, plays a tuneful and | appropriate overture, “Russiana.” Sup- plemental attractions are a good com- edy, “Booster”, in which Charley Chase furnishes & good share of the laughs, and an unusually good short vitaphone number. The topical review gives an | intriguing display of Santa Claus' sup- ply of mechanical toys. a feature that 1s sure to delight the children. b noise we might not have missed it. PALACE—"Avalanche.” | Wesley.Eddy and his Syncopators re- Jack Holt, that portrayer of Western | turn to their accustomed places in roles, returns to the Palace in “Ava- | “Bubbles, the stage portion of the lanche,” from the pen of the prolific | bill, which gives every evidence of being Zame Grey, to continue what many |newly mounted, being fresh and color- two clever young men, who dance & | little, smg @ little and talk a great deal. The Gatanos, adagio dancers, appear in one of the fastest and rougn- est Apache numbers that has come this way recently. Gene Shelton, a natural clown, reminiscent of Harry Langdon, is good for several laughs. Marta Kay is a versatile dancer, toe and otherwise. Ruth Petty sings in modern unison, producing & lively and interest- ing revue that is worth seeing. The real treat on the program fis furnished by none other than his majesty, Alfonso XIII, King of Spain, who captivates with his w@nnm( per- onality and perfect English, in his st American _appearance, via Fox movietone, He has the best way of saying that “you should come to Spain” you will hear in many a day. The M. news reel is -also of unusual interest. Harry Borjes and his concert or- have been pleased to call his “com ful and offering R and Edwarc Mo Thelma Parker and Helene Randolph | the main plot, too, in which Karl Dane mood, and the Gold girls step nicely in | | 3 “The American Indian”|accomplishes this, and they are wed.|graphed. il ome excel- | Nothing but unhappiness results, how- | round out the program lent scenic effects, and Charles Gaige|ever, as Brunhilde discovers her lord revives the Jolson hit, “Sonny Boy,”|strangely a weakling despite his victory. as an organ novelty, assisted by an un- | Slegfried is married to .Gunther's sister named feminine soloist. as a reward for his aid to the King, and the two live in a little paradise of their own making until Brunhilde's unrea- soning jealousy drives Gunther to assist in killing his brother-in-law. In a tragic finale, Brunhilde takes her nl'ul LITTLE THEATER—“Siegfried.” “Siegfried”, the UFA production based on the drama of the Saga of the Nibe- lungen, has returned to the Little Thea- ter for a second showing. With the |, "raje this a vivid and memorable characteristic strain of tragedy inter- production of unsual interest despite its woven, which marks so many of the great | tragic tone. There is an_all-German works of German art, be they musical | cast, with Paul Richter as Siegfried and dramatic or on the canvas, ‘Stiegfried” | Hauna Ralph playing the fiery 1cr-i depicts the story of a youth of great| queen, Brunhilde. | strength and beauty whose fate is| ‘“Australia’s Wild Northwest” is the life at the bier of the slain lord. Magnificent staging and superb act- | bound curiously to that of Gunther, | title of the subsidiary film, showing proof that Pierre de Rougemont’s fan- tastic tales of animals and events tal ing place in the unchartered regions | man who could not master her in three | along Australia’s northern coast were | tests, with the stone, the spring and the | authentic. It is the first time that this | spear. Gunther, with Slegfried’s aid,|part of the world has been photo- Paramount ~news features | King of Burgundy. The latter is in love with Brunhilde, Queen of Iceland, who has declared she would wed no of CE NEAR TELEVISION MARK. JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, De- cember 17 (#).—A local resident named MacCormick is believed to have estab- lished a new television record by, re- celving yesterday i broadcast from Station 2XAL, N ork. The images as received were fairly clear. _‘The Radio Amateur Call Book Maga- zine lists 2XAL as the Experimenter Publishing Co., Villa Richard, Coytes- ville, N. J. NT U Y AProvided much of the comedy in the | undertakes to make himself a thing of over THREE-QUARTERS Toles of Helen Cheston and Jane Gil- | beauty and a joy forever through the fmour, and their scenes with Eddie Mor- | medium of the last word in barber ¥ris, a convincing “Madame Lucy,” were | shops and beauty parlors for men. bright spots in the show. Carrie Rey- | George was the sweet young host at this nolds gave a traditionally true imper- | emporium until difficulties with Karl sonation of Mrs, O'Dare. Others worthy | landed him in the “hoosegow,” in the ©f mention were Robert Capron, as Rob- | vulgar parlance of unenlightened crooks ert Harrison, and Betty Lee, as Eleanor | who know naught of brotherly love. Worth. | Ot the auxiliary features, the head- ‘The orchestra gave a good account of | liner is the informal and very cordial itself under the direction of Vincent |talk to the people of the United States J. Colling and the settings were ex- |by Alphonso XIII, King of Spain, who tremely attractive. An innovation was | speaks for the first time via Movietone introduced at the end of the first act, [t “his fellow sportsmen.” He extends SIERVING' WASHINGTON - when principals and chorus were pre sented to the audience in a “get ac- guainted” number. Mr. Cook thanked ‘Washington theatergoers for the in- terest shown in the Savoy Co. as a local institution. l STRAND—“Record Breakers”. Jack Reid and his “Record Breakers” provide the burlesque program at_the Strand Theater this week. Reid long since won fame in his line as “the in- formation kid” and he knows all the tricks of the burlesque trade, especially that of making an audience laugh. Now he is not only a comedian, but the manager and producer of the show as well, and he seems to have acquitted himself well in the producing line. He is assisted in the male line by Ed Jordan, Dave Burt and Larry Clarke, with Justina Evans and Bert Faye well | up in the running. Elsle Raynor, who contributes some flashy dancing, and Syd Burke, a singer of songs worth | hearing, lead the feminine contingent, which includes an attractive_chorus of | 20, each one contributing her share io a lively entertainment. EARLE—“Manhattan Cocktail.” anhattan Cocktail™ is all that its hame ‘implies—a high-powered concoc- tion with the ingredients of gripping melodrama and snappy, effervescent comedy to give it spice. The Earle's| whole picture is a jumble of good things | shaken up to give one of the biggest “kicks” this season, and though its basis is the old “adrift in the city that has no heart” theme, an unbeatable cast, effec- tive camera work and subtitles that smack of real humor make it above criticism, Nancy Carroll, Richard Arlen, Lilyan ‘Tashman and Paul Lukas carry the ma- Jor roles with no little contrast of per- sonalities, and they are all keyed to their best. In no previous picture has Miss Carroll been quite so charming as in this wide-eyed role of a girl who grapples with New York, comes out on top and still sighs for the ‘“non-alco- holic” steadiness of “back home.” Running a dangerous second in a sophisticated bit, Lilyan Tashman, | Bguinst striking modernistic back- lends that express her flair for the “ultra,” dispenses “higher education” to unsuspec “geniuses” with alarm- ing results. Richard Arlen is appealing in a “preachy” part concerning the author of “ancient Greek dramas” who. brings little Nancy back home with a lesson well tucked up her sleeve. Nor does Paul Lukas, that fascinat- ing European with the real Continental flavor, step aside against the heavy competition. In the role of a_ heartless but philandering theatrical producer, he dispenses likeable villiany with no fittle suavity. ‘The story starts out with a remark- nbly effective prologue based on the old Greek myth of the labyrinth at Crete and strikes an analogy between the Minatour of those fabled days and the deadly monster and the heart of the labyrinth of Broadway. Whether “you like the analogy or not, the pro- logue is scenically splendid, a lavish bit artistically done, Then the thing goes into a snappy story of back-stage life, starting out as obviously gay comedy and revolving into tense and exciting melodrama. ‘Two young people enter the labyrinth of the “Big City,” one is a victim to its minatour, the other brought out of its maze by a modern theseus, cured forever of its complex lure. An im- pressionistic New York achieved through Fare and effective camera angles affords 2 background that is for the most part | & feature in itself. The synchronized | score is more than successful. Miss | Carroll sings two good songs charmingly ! and the theme that accompanies Lukas ! throughout 1is, to say the least, tantalizing. - An interesting vitaphone playlet, fea- &uring Robert Ober, shows that a little trategy can accomplish wonders, and ® lengthy, though laughable, comedy 2 With Max Davidson and Polly Moran hould make the welsh rarebit addict wear off for life. | COLUMBIA—*“Brotherly Love.” | _ Added to the natural talent of two Irrepressible comedians, we have a ve- hicle crammed full of really funny sit- |ing of the Fox this week, suffers in | an invitation to Americans to go to Spain and enjoy the excellent roads which, he adds with dry humor, “you know must be good, for I have been | traveling over them for a number of | years in my motor and am still here.” | Ella Shields, an impersonator, and George Dewey Washington, black-faced warbler who specializes in Southern melodies, are the two subsidiary Movie- tone artists. A Hal Roach comedy is added and the usual news reel rounds out the program FOX—“The Midnight Taxi.” “The Midnight Taxi” feature offer- comparison with “Forget-Me-Not,” a subsidiary sketch. In artistry and real worth, the latter is exquisite. Starring Helene Costello and Antonio | Moreno, “The Midnight Taxi” presents | an old-fashioned gang thriller. Miss Costello carries the part of an ingenious young woman who employs detective tactics to free her fiancee, who is ac- cused of stealing valuable bonds. At the same time that she is recovering part of the bonds she falls in love with the bootlegger in whose company she finds herself. After a series of fierce | battles, near-train wrecks and all the | trappings of the oldtime thriller, the bootlegger in question turns over a new leaf and gets the girl. Miss Costello at times seems a bit at sea as to just what she is supposed to do, while Moreno ushers himself through loop- holes by his handsome face. The stut- tering comic partner of the bootlegger gang is a high light of the picture. “Forget-Me-Not” is a Christmas idyll in eighteenth century costumes and its scene is laid in a toy shop—an artistic | interpretation of high ideals, beauti- fully photographed and charming throughout. ‘The Movietone reel presents King Alfonso of Spain in a brief but inter- esting screen talk against Will Mahony in a laughable offering of songs and nonsense. Brusiloff has chosen Dvorak’s “New World Symphony,” the chief orchestral offering of the elaborate and artistic musical treat in the all-talkie program that also includes the news reel, METROPOLITAN—“Adoration”. Billle dDox:‘ possessor ht_':l feminine grace and charm, appears in sumptuous settings of costume and id &s a pre-Revolutionary princess in “Adoration”, current picture at the Metropolitan. Antonio Moreno plays op- posite the star as her husband, Prince Serge Orloff. The masses are hungry and tired with oppression and .when some noblemen are about to enter the prince’s palace, a peasant throws mud on the baroness’ ermine cloak. This is only a forerunner of more srouble to come later. Before long Princess Elena escapes to Paris to find work as a mannequin, where she finds the prince’s former valet in charge of a prosperous night club, her maid as a cabaret hostess and the former Rus- sian chief of staff cheerfully and ef- clently blacking Parisian shoes. Her husband, now a half-crazed scullion in a low drinking den, believes her to have been untrue to him, and only after the princess proves her innocence ARTHRITIS! Anyone afflicted with Arthritis knows how difficult it i come the pain, stiffn : Vari are tried and discarded. The trouble continues to get worse in- stead of bett: you! Mountain Valley Mineral Water from Hot Springs, Ar- kansas, m excellent aid in the treatment for Arthril York Hospital’s Clini a number of chronic patients brought splendid results, and the record set d. read bookl ed to mail it. ef you owe it to yourself to learn more about this famous health water. You have everything to gain! Phone today. uations to carry Karl Dane and George K. Arthur along the road of “Brotherly Mountain Valley Water Co. 312 Colorado Bldg. Phone Metropolitan 1062 FINE SYMETRICAL used indgors heat may Cut Table Christmas Trees Well shaped Spruces about 10 inch high, planted in clay pots with saucer. $1.00. Electric lights can be used on all these trees without harm to the plant. PALMS AND FERNS Fine, large, stately plants. decorations. Great Big Ferns. . ... .$1.49 Fern Pans for table con- taining a beautiful assort- mient table ferns. .. ... 98¢ “ 15 E Living Christmas Trees Planted in Strong Painted "Green Tubs These beautiful trees can be trimmed and season and if kept well watered during that time and not subjected to severe a lasting evergreen to beautify your home g Come Down and Pick Wy Deliver It to Your Home Nothing will make y OLGIANO & CO. NORWAY SPRUCES all through the Christmas be planted outdoors, making rounds. Your Tree—We Will 18 to 24 in. Spruce....$ 2 to 3 feet Spruce 3 to 4 feet Spruce 4 10 5 feet Spruce..... 5 to 6 feet Spruce..... All planted in tubs. Ready to Set Up and Trim Sale Tuesday and Wednesday Just the kind for your Christmas ur home more attractive, KENTIA PALMS 49¢ EACH GREAT BIG PALMS $1.25 EACH 1. 2. 3. 5. 8. WE Console set of green gla tively engraved. . Consists of bowl and two candle- sticks . Beverngc_,\fixcr $10.00 Others up 1o $25.00, All of superior quaiity of siiver-plate, Service plates as illus- trated in Champlain pat- tern, $50.00 Dozen ..... Others from £18.00 to $300.00 a dozen, with six knives and forks in y $1 attractive case. .. St. NW. DELIVER 1215 F Street Ivoroid-handle table flatware Lamp ... of Chinese Lamps. $10 to $25 Also an assortment of appropriate shades. Imported fifty-four piece dinner service for six persons of fine ¢ Engraved Sterling Silver Vase An decoration. Eigh Smokn case piece Sterlin, e s §15,00 " Large Elephant of composition material. $6.00 Also an assortment of animal figures single and in book porcelain and s attrac- $6.50 Set of six sterling silver sherbets in a case....... ina in colol Has basket decoration and ivory border. Attractive China Compote in Dresden design. $42.00 Electric Urn Set, includes urn, sugar bowl, creamer and $33.50 tray' in Colonial design, complete ....... . Soap Duck Book Ends, Complete service of crystal tableware. Illustrated are goblets at $17.50 a dozen, footed beverage tumblers at $15.00 a dozen and tall sherbets at $17.50 a dozen. We also have a complete glass service, including goblets, tall sherbets and other pieces at $6.75 a dozen, and finger bowls at $10.00 a dozen. to $32.50. Imported Bottles, exquisitely and col, Tralian Tea Set, with decorated tray to match, complete $42.50 Queen Anne Stool with a variety of fine covers from which @3 5() to choose .. $25.00 Italian Flower Higher Quality and Lower Prices 3.95 All Transportation Charges Prepaid Aulin & Martin Co for the Christmas Shopper A hi. Y Store Open 9 to 6 -$15.50 Also an assortment Table Other book ends from $2.00 Frames God: A delightfuity quaint gift.... O .. S T -, e S Crystal Glass Vase with reed- ed lines in col- ors. Twelve inches high. - N Green $7.75 stone engraved Assorted 15.00 cut. ors. N Se % Placque. $§12.00 v, Ay