Evening Star Newspaper, April 21, 1929, Page 54

Flashes From the Screen By C. E. Nelson. i TH STATE, municipal and community censor- % ship, every now and then one hears talk of Federal censorale of the photo- play. But the latter has not reached the proportion of serious consideration from the lawmakers themselves, although now and then. comes a rumor from . the Hill. The Hudson bill for the organization of a Federal board of control was drastic in many of its features and it did not pass. As has been pointed out in these columns before, there will be no need of Federal censorship if the producers are wise. ‘The Will Hays organization—The Motion Picture Producers & Distributors of America, Inc.—is attempting, with a certain amount of success, to impress upon the producers the necessity of turning out clean pic- tures—pictures that will not re- quire censorship and that will not attract special - attention from advocates of the Federal censor- ship idea. As the result of an editorial which appeared recently in The Star, the following letter comes from Carl E. Milliken, secretary of the Motion Picture Producers & Distributors of America: “To the Editor of The Star: The Evening Star is so important a publication, both from the stand- point of its influence 2s a leadin; family newspaper and because 0! its strategical position in the Na- tion’s Capital, that the motion picture industry naturally desires its sympathetic understanding in the ~fight against censorship, which is so closely allied to the ultimate fortunes of the freedom of the press in this country that every editor who has inquired into the full facts and implications of the attempted trend recognizes the mutual danger. “Mr. Hays is now on the West Coast. When he returns I shall show him The Evening Star'’s editorial titled, ‘Jazz, Cocktails and Crime.” It is written in such unassailable good faith and from so sound a basic premise—i.e., the recognition that wholesomeness of tone is a vital necessity in our major American media of expres- sion—that I know it will interest him, as does every thoughtful ex- pression of opinion pertinent to moticn pictures. “In the meantime, I am taking the liberty of writing primarily to assure you that the motion pic- ture industry has long since passed the initiating of ‘house- cleaning at home’ program and is now in a constructive phase of translating through the screen its recognition of its own attitude- forming power! Secondarily, to put respectfully before you some observations occasioned by the editorial in the light of other studies of, and ccmments on, mo- tion pictures. Part of the work of this office is to supply, gratis, grograms of motion pictures for ospitals, prisons and other in- stitutions where the screen con- stitutes a peculiarly induplicable blessing. As part of the work, Paramount Famous Lasky sent a print of ‘Underworld,’ one of the pictures your editorial cites, to the United States Penitentiary at Steilacocm, Wash. The editor of the prison magazine spoke of it in the highest terms, mentioning it as.a medium cof providing amusement in proper form and quantity and as highly educative. “To my mind,’ said the editor, ‘it was worth a hundred sermons to the prisoners of this institution.’ “Deductive processes from titles only are like to be treacherous. One of the other pictures men- tioned in your -editorial was a sheer comedy, whereas the writer obviously took it to be a sex drama. “The motion picture industry has, under a deliberately con- ceived and considered policy, taken care to see that wherever the plots of entertainment pic- tures necessitate presentation of the evil-doer, the consequences of evil shall be portrayed swiftly, un- ‘mistakably and inevitably. The motion picture criminal is always. caught and always punished. We do not believe that ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ ever inspired a man to want to go to prison or be hung. We do not believe that ‘Ten Nights in a Bar Room’ ever led to the use of alcohol. Neither do we be- lieve that pictures like ‘Under- world’ can have any effect. except 2 beneficial one on a community life. The severest and one of the oldest forms of municipal censor- ship of motion pictures exists in the city of Chicago. “For six years:the motion pic- ture indusiry has welcomed co- operation "and counsel, at the source of production, from re- sponsible religious, civic and social welfare groups. Thirty-one such organizations now have the privi- lege of pre-viewing silent and sound pictures alike before the pictures are released to the public. Their comments and recommen- dations are received with eager- ness and wholehearted response. The records show many instances of actual changes in pictures, at great cost, due to reactions from these cross sections of public opinion. I earnestly suggest that you read the Hudson bill, which died in the last Congress, but which will probably be reintro- duced, as it is the pet measure of the proponents of Federal censor- ship of motion pictures. It is the most astonishing attempt to destroy the American tradition and the practice of free expres- sion that has been made in the history of our Government. “The practice of censorship has contributed not one iota to the cause of clean pictures. So-called sex hygiene films, never made by :he %roducers who have banded oget! and fulfill their responsibilities to should have the power to censor a motion picture before it is shown than why & similar official should have the authority to come into the office of The Evening Star and gut the dead- ening blight of his autocratic (but conceivably not omniscient) power on your editorials, news and advertisements before you would have the right to print your editions and deliver the paper to Washington and out-of-town sub- scribers. “All this is written in the best of good feeling and in the sincere belief that the same people who now wish to censor motion pic- tures would be equally hot on the heels of the press if the older medium had not fortunately been in existence when the American Constitution was written. (Signed) Carl E. Milliken.” * % k * THIS logical review of the situa- tion from the producers’ and distributors’ standpoint requires serious attention. The whole prob- lem has been intensified and given new importance by the synchronization of sound with visibility. When the sound pic- ture leaped into major status in motion é)lcture presentation, there was estimated to be a weekly world audience for the screen ag- gregating 250,000,000 persons, 120,- 000,000 of them within the United States. There are 20,500 motion picture theaters in this country, and 54 miles of new film passes to the screen each week. This shows the great importance of the in- g;zstry as an entertainment me- um, One of the pieces of machinery set up by the motion picture in- dustry ifself has been a studio relations committee in Hollywood. There, a representative of the Hays office has available for the use of all studios records of all types of reaction to (including commendation and criticism of) former pictures. Censorship cuts are of little or no value in this work, for the reason that four out of five deletions are found to represent the whims of one board only. This means that in four out of five instances, a scene or sequence that is ordered taken out in one State will be passed as clean and proPer in the other States. Then, it has been found that many considerations seem to motivate censor cuts. Producers have often seen carefully con- sidered pictures butchered. According to the Hays organiza- tion, there is a quiet and steady activity in the motion picture in- dustry for the protection of its patrons—the voluntary refusal to reproduce as pictures those plays or novels which depended for their success either on salacious content or salacious advertising. If a play or book seems unsuitable for the screen audience, the author is given an opportunity to take out those features which seem unsuitable, revise his plot and get paid for the result. e name of the play is changed. As an illustration of this, Michael Arlen’s “Green Hat” was found unsuitable in its original form for a motion picture. The story was changed and a new title attached. There is a tendency among the i Apollo bR Sunday Ambassad'r B, . 1920—PART 4. P tall E Cameo comedy. iman (o ehnifn“n‘“ ). short _subject. Vits. short_subjects. Bobby Vi an in an, ). !-.—-H;' Ave. Grand ;fi%fi“‘ phone. (synchronized). on. comedy. Bobby Vernon comeds. S e man_ in lkie). Bobby Vernon comeds. (al lkie). Bobby Vernon somedy. Cameo Mt. Rainier, Md. Carolina Dolores io Ralph Grave: “The Trall ot gatoan, Vinaphine, [amy Trial”™ *The il (Bvchroniied). « “The Bellay Trisl” edy. ronized). iores Ralph Giraves “The Trail of ‘“The_Trail of “Red Wine,” “Allas Hmm; hieniine Greta ‘Garbo “Wild Orchids.” o Fauny Brice Central Chevy Cha. “y 0 (synchronized). William Boyd and Lupe Veles in “Lady of the Pave- ments"_(syn.) Fanny Brice (synchronized). Special cast "llhln! l Vita. short _subject. Gl B ars Bow: d arles T4 an" ‘Richard Atien. in it (i Clara Bow, Charles Rogers and Ri Aslen ata Bow, and Richard Arlen in ‘Wings”_(syn. fe Quillan and Marion Nixon in jeraldi; Comedy. " Vitaphone. German Ronald Colman, i ““The Rescue" (synchroniged). Cartoon. _Topics. an’ Hale and Rente Adoree in ““The Boleler.” Comedy. _Vitaphone. “Wings"_(syn.) Vita. short_subjects. Moate Blue in ind Lim- “Alias Jimmy alentine.” Fasgle e in Richard Dix in (synchronized) Vjstor McLaglen, tn “The River Pirate.” John Giibert and Mary Noian in “Desert Nights” (syn.) Comedy. _Vitaphone, Douglas MacLean in ““The Carnation Kid" (synchronized). Comedy. Qddity_reel. Andrey Perris “Fancy Bagi (synchro; . “Collegtan’ serics. in ] "Behind the German Lines." ‘comedy, ng_Pai Circle Gan; “Grow Victor Gang comédy, “Growing Pains.” Ronald Colman and Tapat, gimes 450 "Tg: Lovers.” anky in Douglas MacLean in Tim MeCo: “The Carnation Kid.” ' “The Bush Ra: Colony Glara Tow, Ricard Arien and Charies fogers i ““Wings" (syn.) Krazy Kat_cartoon. in of Lena Smith.” (synchronizes Vits. short_subfects. Thomas Meighan e ot Gl Jack Holt in, ting = Call.” “Bunset_Ps Dumbarton Gert, d rade Olmst Waiter Hagen "Green Grass Widor Comedy. “Synthetle Sin” Comedy., Coleen Moore “Behind the German Lines.” Comedy. Ken ard in ““Canyon of, Adventures.” Comedy. John Gilbert snd s oA f Cartoon. Fox New Elite “Loves of u e [ e &3,0f Sasanovar — Chanlle Murtay T 'athe ew, Educationsl comedy, “Do_Your Duty.” News Lafl. Paramount_News. Juck Holt in Submarine.” ‘Through.” Empire Casanova. Lupino Lane comedy. Dousias Fairbanks, Jr., Hele and Job: Ralston ““The ex of the Press.”_Comedy. ne_Costello In Wilson and ams. Come Lois Hugh Allan in “Object Alimony." Comedy. Buck Jores and Jobyna Ralston in *“The Biz Hop.'" Comedy. Serial. Dolores Del Ri les Farrel R0 Red D Cowedy. Hippodr'me Dolores ‘Charles “The Ret Del Rio and arrell in “Sples.” 4 ‘Bante.” Comedy. Fatey Ruth Miller T Heasedy Bue Carroll in “Win That gyl News Laff. Comes of Youth." ds Tim_McCoy in “The Burhranger.” ollegians. Educational tomedy. Nancy Carroll and ary Cooper in “Ahopworn_Angel.” News. _Comedy. ara Bo cnaiTes Posers’ and Home Richard Arlen in Lupe Velez in dy of the Pave- Alan Hale and Renee Adoree in vihe Bpieler. e 2 in Pave- ron.). el Vitaphone ¢ the (synch) horie_reel. Leatrice Joy in “The Bellamy Trial” (synchronized). Krazy Kat_cartoon. “Behind the German nes.”” Vitaphga= subects. “Wings’_(synchron.). *'W! Douslas Faitbani Leader Comeds. News. n “Huntingtower.” o Stlence. Suosidiary _reeis. ‘Milton Bills n Do Sebastian in “The Devil's Apple ree. Comedy. ~News. d 1o g hn Gilbert ABesert Rights Pathe comedy. Met! oddity. Liberty “Spies.” Smith’s Cook comedy. Dorothy Sebastian in “Devii's_Apple Tree.” Comedy. Foot _ball_reel. Billy Dos:l f edy. n Moore in “Synthetis Bin.” Harry Langdon omedy. ; OVa."" New a1 BT oy, Tgn cast in TG Lves, of Caganova.” Al 8t. John_comedy. "Forpes in. r “Restiess Youth.' Snookums_comedy. Mad Screen snapshots, Bobby Vernon comedy. Bellamy in “Fugitives.” 1 Jazz Ase.” Cameo_comedy. Wanda Hawley and Gaston Cilass in “The Flying_Fool." Sport_reel. _Comedy. Al_Jolson in “The Singiig Fool” (synchron}: Comedy. Princess fredl, (synch Comed: Jolson 1n Emil Jannings in o Sineink Fool” “Bing of the Fathers.” nized (synchronized). Comedy. _New: 1 one but the Brave.” Vitaphone reel. News. Rod La Rocque in “Capt. Swagger.” Vitaphone reel. Comedy. fancy Carroll _and rence G in ray 8in Bister.” “The Christie comedy. Savoy ; Victor McTaglen in “The River Pirate.” Charles Chase comedy. Lila Lee ir “The Black Pearl” T David Rlling and “Prep_and Pen. riety reel. i dy. Review. Comedy. Comedsy. Hoot Gibson m “Burning the Wind.” Sennett_comedy. “Taxi 13. Jack Duffy comedy. Silver Dark. Spring. g Seco “The Rat." Milton Sills in - “The Crash.” Viima Banky in, “The Awakening." - “Three Pess, * " comeds, John Gibert in “Woman of Afaifs” HneYren Ri e hred of b0 Richard Barthel “MWeary Ri (synchroni: o News: Review. Vita. Tivoli hard Bartheimess in RIChOR Ry River: o (synchronized) News. Teatrice Joy_in “The Bellamy Trial” (synchronized). Review. Vita._Cartoon. _Vitaphone. Cartoon. Teatrico Joy_in “The Bellamy Trial” (synchrenized). Vitaphone. Decial cast “rne: Ghost " Telk (all-talkls ‘Technicolor. Edmund_Lowe “Making the Grade" (synchronized). Comedy. _ Vitaphone. William Haines i «Alias Jimray Valen- tine” (part dislogue). Pathe Sound News. Takoma tine’ William Pathe_Sound New: Nancy Catroll and Charles Rogers in, “Able’s Irisn Rose" (synchronized). Haines 1o Jimmy Vale; (vart dislogue). Nlncr Carroll and Charles Rogers in “Abie’s Irish Rose” nehronized). (part talkie). omedsy. Rin-Tin-Tin_in “The Million-Do Collar”_(part tall Comedy. Victor McLaglen in “Capt. Lash” (syncaronized), H, B. Warner in e o kM (all-talkle). Inkwell Imp cartoon. York Ronald Colman in “The Rescue'" nchronized B. Warner in ¥ « ) Vita. short subject. k. Mad” William Boyd and Lupe Velez in “Lady, of the Pave- ments” (syn.) Vita. mchronized). short subject, Alan Hale and Renee ‘Acores in ler."” Carnation Rid" ““The gple] e Varlety. Vitaphone. nehronized). “Collegian” series, Dougl: Robert Edeson Recalls Other Days . Famous Character Actor Laments the Fact That the Photoplay Has Become a Serious Business, - 335 OBERT EDESON is one of those charming people—a man of sa- voir faire, keen wit. An inter- view with him, resolving into 8 delightful reminiscent chat, is a mental cocktail. You come away with the feeling that, after all, these gentle- men of the old school of dramatic standards have an artistic background that cannot be acquired from the new- fangled technique so stiited and me- chanical. “Bob” Edeson, as his friends ‘call him, lived in an atmosphere of the stage throughout his childhood. His father was & prominent actor, and when Robert made his debut, at the age of 19, he was admirably schooled in the technique of his profession as well as its producers to attach “flash” titles | tradi to their pictures. This is a bit of showmanship which comes down to us from the days of P. T. Barnum. There is an idea, and it is probably a mistaken idea, among manf movie producers that naughty titles for simple, whole- some motion pictures is a smart venture—that “flash” titles drew crowds and that “flash” advertis- ing keeps the box office girl busy. At this particular point, the Hays organization can, and should, ex- ercise its powers. A full-page ad- vertisement showing a cocktail party, with no cocktail party in the motion picture, might come under the heading of misleadin; advertising at least to the min of the photoplay patron. In the same way, when a producer changes the title of a story from “Harvest Moon” to “Wiggling Shoulders,” the attention of the censorship advocate is attracted to the picture—and the photoplay patron fails to see a single wig- gling shoulder. “Flash” titles and “flash” advertising have little lace in a sensible plan to defeat t}:’e proponents of Federal censor- ship. Coming ‘Attractions |5 (Continued From First Page.) breezy uncle from the West provide the mainsprings of the plot, and a peppy flapper daughter and a_ nosey gossip lend humor. The story has its pathos, its laughs &nd its lesson. ‘The cast, recruited from crack per- formers of prominent local theatrical groups, includes Helen Scheckells, who recently won the first prize for the best individual performance in the Com- munity Drama Guild’s one-act tourna- ment; Peggy Schneider, Stella Nicro, Barbara Hesse, Leona Schoyer, Bob Dillon, Frank Mannarino, Joseph Mar- cellino, James Ferraro, Gino John Simi and Paul Messink. SHAW'S BIOGRAPHER—Thursday. Of interest to theatergoers and stu- dents of drama is the announcemcnt that Dr. Archibald Henderson, distin- guished critic and historian, will dis- cuss George Bernard Shaw and his plays in a special lecture at the Na- tional Theater Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock. The New York Theater Guild, which is s this lecture, invites guild subscribers and their friends to attend. Tickets are not necessary. Dr. Henderson, who is perhaps best known as Shaw's biographer, present head of the mathematics de- partment in University of North Caro- lina, his native State, and as a phil- nsoghlnl mathematician was one of the first commentators on the theories tein. His most of er to perform their duties|3nd Mark the public, constantly find their|yariety : way past State censor boards, al- though they make no appearance ! in those States which depend on strong punitive laws to protect their geople from obscenity. On the other hand, the great picture, ' “The King of Kings,’ made in con- sultation with Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders and hailed as G. W. U. TROUBADOURS—MAY 6. Among the coming attractions is “Sometime Soon,” the musical oom?‘ a tremendous contribution etg second to be moral thought, has béen by the censors .f Memphis, Tenn., and the courts have ruled that |sho they themselves have no power to intervene in such a decision. “The whole question involved in censorship is restraint prior to utterance. reason tions. The last leading man of that famous stock house, the Boston Museum, Ede- son was the first screen player to help Warners make Vitaphone history with such early talkies as “The Wildcat,” “The Home Towners.” . Since then he has “miked” over all the methods in use at the various studios, lending con- siderable prestige to the new medium. . As the doctor in his recently released picture, “The Doctor’s Secret,” Edeson is superb. William De Mille, who di- rected this, his first talking vehicle, told me the studio executives changed the name of the Barrie play from "Half an Hour” because they believed more doc- tors’ secrets could be sold than half hours. But when the critics declared the picture one of the best talkies made to date, what's in a title counts less than “Robert Edeson” in lights. Although a free lance, Edeson is in such demand for the talkies it is diffi- cult to get an appointment with him. He just finished his work in Cecil Be Mille'’s “Dynamite” when he went to the Fox lot to piay the governor in “The Valiant,” and just happened to have an afternoon off when I caught him at home in Hollywood. When I say “caught” I overstate it. Edeson arrived 15 minutes after I did, so I had time for a survey of his hill- side home, directly across the street from Carrie Jacobs Bond's, and of much the same design. A rustic, clapl cottage, stained brown, rambling up a steep hillside into a woodsy garden. A many-windowed cottage, with glass-in- porch. I entered this porch from rock steps on the side, being admitted through one of those Dutch wooden doors. The ‘The fireplace practically domi- nates the room. I found Edeson much more striking looking off than on the screen. There'’s & dash about this gray-haired, gray- eyed man with a continental twirl to his mustache. You would guess he was an actor or a painter. Eif guess would be correct, for was 8 lrldc her pony bareback. Edeson is both. =~ He|a great horsewoman. By Mayme Ober Peake. suspicion with which I was regarded when I went to the old Boston Museum as a young, fresh leading man where so many names had become celebrated. “Susie Mason always had attended the wardrobe. I remember I was to do Capt. Moleneaux in “Shaughran.” Susie brought me the coat of the uniform all beautifully done up in cloth. ‘The last time this was used’ she remarked, ‘it was worn by W. J. Montague, the hand- somest leading man on the American stage. I hope it fits you." “Strangely enough, it did. So I went down and showed Susie myself. She looked at me quietly, ‘Clothes fit you perfectly,’ she said. “That was all. That was the attitude toward all the younger leading men. Mary Humphries, the leading woman, and I were regarded as a couple of young snobs of no consequence, There ‘were so many older people in the com- pany we had to behave ourselyes.” Another reason 19-year-old teaching Brookline School, where she trained. “She is a stunning looking girl,” raved her dad, “and a terror. I brought her up as an all-round athlete. When she years old she was taught to She became ‘Tom Mix claims Dpaints pictures as well as acts in them. | she is one of the best he knows. Here in his studio Edeson spends his leisure hours away from the picture studios, or out in the wilds sketching some little beauty spot for a friend. Once while wing a beard fof a char- acter role he devoted his time to paint- ing murals on hi Several of his pain honorable mention, and there was a time when they meant “hoard and keep”—f long Summers when Ede- Sir Guy Standing, Walter Hale and I worked di Summers in New York City when “Roberta spends her Bummers with us when we go out to my ranch in the valley. We spend most of the time rid- when she isn’t going to dances and néhum Edeson and I try to keep wi I u] the child, but when she 9th & Dee Sts. e THEATRE i~ row~ PLAYING BURLESQUE Starting This Week TERESINA And Her “RADIUM QUEERS” BERT ROSE A Great Bmrlesque Show back to school we have to take a long rest.” Following his significant stage suc- cesses, Edeson went to Hollywood origi- nally for C. B. DeMille to do one of his old plays, “Call of the North.” “It caused quite an insurrection at the time,” he sald, “for in the beginning of motion pictures the actors looked down on the screen. Being a little shy of funds, they stooped to work in pictures, but they Would hide under another name, “I did my first picture for William Fox in New York. He offered me a wonderful contract—that is, it was con- sidered wonderful then—to do a series of pictures, At that time he didn't have much money. The first of the series, ‘The Girl I Left Behind Me,’ had a stockade with only nine Indians. We had to get film of Indians from the library. “I did one of these things and sald to Mr, Fox, ‘I am going back to the stage. I don't like this thing. I feel much more comfortable in my own en- viroment.’ ” After his first trip to Hollywood, Ede- son made occasional returns to the stage, but when he came back to do “The Spoilers,” with contract for a cer- tain number of weeks’ salary, “I knew I had come to stay,” he said. Concerning his early experiences in ‘Hollywood, Edeson gave an amusing ac- count. “I remember my first morning in Hollywood. It was Sunday and I was sitting on the balcony of the hotel. A motion picture company had asked the use of the front of it and were making a scene with two or three men falling down the steps and hitting each other in the eye. “I sat there looking at the thing. Suddenly up drove one of those open- face busses, full of soldiers carrying spears. Out dashed a man from the hotel to get in. ‘Hello, Bob,’ he called out, ‘glad to see you!’ “Apparently he told the rest in the bus who I was. They stood up, saluted me with their spears, cryln{, ‘Hey, Bob, welcome to Hollywood!" thought it was terrible. “Inside of a week I was walking down it~ 8:30. Oreh., e ~ B $1.50 X 50 00; Gal, 50e. SHU WM. A. BRADY, JR., and DWIGHT DEERE WIMAN WITH TOM WEATHERLY PRESEN ELASC MGMT. LEE AND J. J. SHUBERT to the studio as an Indian, all accou- tered in buckskins and cartridge belt. No one paid any attention to me. “I miss all that sort of thing, seeing the players on the street wandering about in makeup. Now you make up at the studio and leave it all there when you are through. I regret to see the })nssgng of it. We used to have lots of un. “Movies have gotten down to serious business. And it has lost its surety from the actor’s point of view. A con- tract today doesn't mean but six months, even if you sign one for five years. ‘With these amalgamations taking place all the time, I don't know what is go- | ing to happen. “Of course, big salaries will be paid | to people as long as they have box-office | drawing power. The studios will always bid for the paying proposition, but the player’s life 1s shorter lived, his or her appeal more transitory. Mary Pickford has been the most wonderful of screen DTSR tat there always & “But isn't there always demand for the character actor?” > g “Yes; if he can keep alive to the changes of the literature of the stage and screen, he can wander along the rest of his days. Men like Torrence and George Fawcett—there's always some- thing pleasant about seeing them again. Audiences love them to death.” So many of his stage cotemporaries are in Hollywood that Edeson organized the Masquers, a branch of the famous Lambs’ Club. Every six weeks they put on 2 play. —_— The Warner Brothers are building another first run theater on Broadway for the presentation of Vitaphone pic- tures. It is located on the north side of Fifty-first street, with a Broadway entrance. Artists® Recital for Youns Elena de Sayn String Quartet Marta Pacsu. Chamber Orchestra Hear' the Carnival Wednesday, April 2ith, & P.M., Pleree Hall Tickets, $1.00." $1.50, 50c and 750 On sale today—1705 K Street Tel. Franklin 5352, Miss Elena de Sayn Tomorrow Mats. at 2:30 Wed., GOe to $2.00; Sat. 50o to $2.50. BERT 1o ASSOCIATION AN INTIMATE MUSICAL REVUE SOMETHING TO ENTICE! SOMETHING TO DELIGHT! - YOUR EYES, YOUR EARS, YOUR FEET! HE LITTLE SHOW == CLIFTON WEBB ~» FRED ALLEN HEADING AN EXTRAORDINARY SINGING and DANCING CAST, Including LIBBY HOLMAN — HELEN BETTINA HALL — JOAN McCAULEY—HAROLD MOFFET—RAINGER ~—ERNEST SHARPE. LYND — ROMNEY BRENT — CARTER-WADDELL — JOHN and CARROLL And a Galaxy of Glorious Girls! NEW MUSIC—NEW DANCES—NEW LYRICS An Ultra-Smart for Immediate Show of 28 Scenes Destined Prosentation at the Music Box, New York, the Internationally Famous Home De Luxe i Musical Entertainment. Week of Sunday, April 28th—Seats Thurs. Lakes CHAUV W INTERNA 10N, ud'cuuiw‘ A n LIE - Mm;’ GEST o A lmp&b o* OURIS m The Moving Picture cAlbum By Robert E. Sherwood. HOW BOAT” has finally been “S }:'unchtd on the screen, and entitled to sit back and heave a thunderous sigh of relief. For it is destined to achieve as a mov- ing picture the same success that it has already had as a novel and as a musical . This production cost Mr. Laemmle a great deal of money, but it has cost him infinitely more in mental languish. Its ral has been at- tended by one another, and the fact that it has finally triumphed may be accepted as an in- dication that there is, after all, some Justice in ‘world. More than two years ago Mr. Laemmle and his associates decided that their company, Universal, needed some big, e: ive super-features to revive its waning prestige. So they went forth into the open market and purchased the screen rights to the best-selling novel of that year, “ w Boat,” and the biggest hit of the theatrical season, “Broadway.” “Show Boat” was bought from Edna Ferber long before Florenz Ziegfeld, Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein had converted it into a musical comedy. However, the announcement and ful- fillment of their plans failed to annoy Mr. Laemmle in the slightest; he had ample reason to believe that they would serve to advertise the name of “Show Boat” and thereby increase incalculably the value of his property. ‘Then, however, a terrible thing hap- pened. Al Jolson's voice burst forth from the screen, announcing the death of the silent drama and the dawn of the noise era. Having made “Show Boat” as a silent picture, Mr. Laemmle discovered that he must remake it as a talking picture. Purthermore, he realized that, although he held the rights to Miss Ferber’s story, he did not hold the rights to Mr. Kern's musical score. And “Show Boat” could not possibly go forward without “Ole Man ver.” 80 Mr. Laemmle started negotiations for the rights > the show produced by Mr. Ziegfeld. For more than six months tzheu negotiations d on. Mr. dragges iegfeld, who hates to talk business, could not be pinned down, but he was finally cornered by Mr. Laemmle’s perti- natious representative, Harry Reichen- l Sammy Himself. I SAMMY COHEN, One of the stars of the photoplay “What Price Glory,” who is appearing on the Palace stage this week in “Say 1t With Flowe NATIONAL BES. $1.00, 75¢ and 50c NATIONAL TH! , Carl Laemnile, is | W: credibly bad break after | rig] bach, who buttonholed the it while he was trying out "wgro:lmmn . Laemmle had paid Miss Ferber $65,000 for “Show Boat” in the first place. He had spent one fortune on the silent version of the picture, another fortune on the talkie version and over $300 for telephone calls to and from Harry Reichenbach in Washington. On top of which Mr. Laemmle had to pay out $250,000 more to obtain the ht to use “Ole Man River” as the theme song of his film. * Although Edna Ferber's story has not been treated with entire respect by the makers of the picture, they have man- aged to capture much of its flavor and movement and honest sentiment and dramatic strength. They have pho- tographed an actual show boat on an actual Mississippi and have there- fore given a feeling of essential re- ality to this fantastic background. What is more, they have realized the magnificence of “Ole Man River” and the picture reaches its greatest stature in those scenes which show the Father of Waters rolling along to the accom- paniment of Jerome Kern's tremendous harmonies. Harry Pollard’s direction is, in the main, spirited and wise. Laura La Plante, formerly of the si- lent films, is admirable in dialogue and in pantomime. When she sings, near the end of the picture, those who watch her throat closely will observe that she is doing a Richard Barthelmess. TI moving lips are her own, but the voice that comes through them is the voice of an unseen ghost. Similarly, when the droll Negro, Stephen Fechet, warbles a ballad en- titled “Lonesome Road” one is aware that he isn't really uttering a sound. The “ghost” in this case is none other than Jules Bledsoe. There is a prologue to “Show Boat,” which inciudes brief addresses by both the impressarios, Mr. Laemle and Mr. Ziegfeld, and several numbers from t. musical show. Helen Morgan sing “Blil and “I Can't Help Lovin' Dat and her_voice registers extraor- dinarily well. In fact, I can't remem- ber having heard any woman's voice come through the ordeal of microphone and loud speaker so successfully. Jules Bledsoe (In person), with ate tendant chorus of jubilee singers, ren- ders “Ole Man River.” Not only is the recording superb, but the pictures that go with it are beautifully lighted and photographed. (Copyright, 1929.) Quiet Clothes. INCE the “talkies” have entered the | motion picture field the costume designers have had to add to their list of “do’ and “don’ts” special care in the selection of silks that do not rustle, Any noise on the set detracts the at- tention from the voices of the stars and interferes with their proper recording. Many interesting experiments were tried out by David Cox, costume de- signer, during the making of “The Broadway Melody. The picture has as its central locale the stage of one of the popular musical comedy theaters in New York, and :nnny varied nndbcullolr(ulfindxnce cos- umes were worn by the cipals chorus girls. o . ey One dance number depicts a group of girls in abbreviated costumes of silver cloth with lavish embroidery trimmings of beads and sequins. In rehearsing the number it was found that the swish of the beads while the dancers were in motion reverberated through the re- cording machines, partly drowning out the music. By experimenting Mr. Cox found that the beads were more pliable Wwhen strung on rubber bands, so the fringe trimmings were all restrung on Jack Mulhall, and not Milton Silis, will be starred in “Dark Streets.” Sills had just started the picture when iil- | ness compelled him to retire and the cast was dismissed. Mulhall will play the first dual role in talking plctfiru | here. | — HOWARD UNIVERSITY ME! GLEE CLUB IN ANNUAL RECITAL April 25th, 1929, at . Rankin Memorial Chapel, University Campus Ad 9 ¥ and Office of MAT. WED. ALL SEATS 50c MON.! sac. Mat. 75¢, s0c EATER PLAYERS OFFER MAUDE ADAMS' GREATEST TRIUMPH WIAT EVERY WOMAN KNOWS SIR JAMES M. BARRIE' NEXT WEEK BEG. MON. SEATS NOW N. SQ POLI'S-WEEK Bes. ToMoR. NITE EVENINGS - - - - PRICES 5 Fifths. ind 5ar “In making the rounds of the the dom encous drama and actiy FIRST TIME IN WA WHIMSICAL COMEDY SHINGTON OF THE ¥. MELODRAMATIC SUCCESS UARE CROOKS” 22 MATS. THURS. &SAT. 80c, $1, §1.50, §2, $2.50 and $3.00 MATS. - - 80c, $1, $1.50 and $2.00 aters, night after night, one sel- ng so perfectly mated and so absorbing as ‘Coquette,’ with Helen Hayes playing more glamor- ously than ever before.””—J. Brooks Atkinson—N. Y. TIMES. WASHINGTON'S SWEETHEART! Y DIRECT F| ROM ONE BRILLIANT YEAR AT THE MAXINE ELLIOTT THEATRE NEW YORK H ms Eli“ in THE UNFORGETTABLE DRAMA "COQUETTE' By GEORGE ABBOTT and ANN PRESTON BRIDGERS e N NEXT SU ONE WEEK COMMENCING A JED HARRIS PRODUCTION APRIL 28 At 8:15 NDAY WITE Elaborate Franz Schubert Centennial Presentation of The World's Greatest Operetta Featuring Grand Symphony Orchestra. NITES—50c, §1, $1.50, 92, $2.50