Evening Star Newspaper, April 23, 1929, Page 21

OPENING ATTRACTIONS IN WASHINGTON THEATERS NATIONAL PLAYERS—“What Every. * ‘Woman Knows.” If a play has charm, nothing else matters; if a play lacks charm, nothing else matters. Because James M. Bar- rie's play “What Every Woman Knows has charm the National Theater Play- ers score another hit in it as their cur- rent offering. Very capable acting also contributes its part to the success of the play. This study in masculine ego of a gen- eration ago has qualities recognizable today and in any age. The three loyal Scotch . brothers who resort to heroic measures to obtain a husband for their country-mouselike sister, put upon_her & big problem in holding the man. How she does it, and how he comes to realize her real significance in his life, form the kernel of the play and its charm. As Maggie Wylie, the Scotch near- spinster, Mary Newton adds to her laurels. Her work will be even better, as well that of the other players, as the week advances. It must be remembered that it is quite a jump overnight from mystery drama or farce into a play like “What Every Woman Knows.” The bargained-for husband, John Shand, is played by Wilfred Lytell, who makes the part- of the self-made man and politician generally convincing. The three brothers, as depicted by Arthur Rhodes, Freddie Sherman and Robert Brister, get over their parts with very satisfactory ratings, while two out- standing bits of work are done by Ade- laide Hibbard, as the Comtesse de la Briere, and by Charles Hampden, as © Mr. Venables. Helen Wallace, in_the role of the aristicratic Lady Sibyl Laz- enby, and others in the cast do quite acceptably. Thpe Bt}gl.ng is done with the usual conscientiousness, and there is reason to believe that the attendance record at the theater will be well sustained dur- ing the week. POLI's—"Coquette.” Curtain calls aren't a novelty for Helen Hayes, but it must have gratified . her last night to have received the number she did from her own home folks. Her play at Poli's, “Coquette,’ | was dreadful in plot, but she redeemed it by as skillful an exhibition of acting as has been seen in Washington. And her audience, recognizing all this, ap- plauded her in the manner in which she should have been applauded. Helen Hayes has come back after two vears. And her coming is an event. It doesn’t matter that in ‘“Coquette” they can’t distinguish between murder and manslaughter in the play. All that matters is that La Hayes has learned her art superbly. From the superlative artist in the leading role to Jimmy, the athletic garcon, the cast does exceedingly well. Among them there is the Dad, a South- ern physician who believes in the “maidenly virtue” of womanhood—he’s Charles Waldron. And there's yet an- other whom this critic believes to be of the first water, Frederic Burton— and it would be quite improbable to forget his son Stanley, G. Albert Smith. It was disappointing that Michael Jeffery should have become a “bump- off” after the second act. He was quite the best thing in the supporting cast. “Coquette” is a performance of value. BELASCO—“The Little Show.” It is hard to concelve of anything which might be added to “The Little Show,” this week’s offering at the Shubert-Belasco Theater, which would improve its quality as a musical revue. Five minutes after the curtain rises every one realizes he is sitting in on a “good one.” The first nighters, habitual skeptics in this man’s town, brighten perceptibly as they catch their first glimpse of the “Six Little Sinners,” and at the end of the first act, a matter of 15 lively scenes, the spectators express their pleasant surprise in no uncertain terms. Even the curtain drops re- luctantly. It is that kind of a show. All the rather elusive elements of a good musical revue are present. FPirst, and perhaps most important, the girls are pretty. Not the prettiness described by the polite reviewer who would rather waste_an adjective than 'hurt some one’s feelings, but prettiness of the sort commonly supposed to wresk homes and | fill the front rows with middle-aged gentlemen in need of relaxation after a hard day at the office. ‘The dancing is good at all times, some of the numbers being decidedly clever. The musical numbers are of the free and easy type, songs which implant their easy melody in the hearts of those who hear them. They were good enough at any rate to almost over- tax the abilities of the pleasantly sur- prised gentleman who sold souvenir coples in the lobby after the show. Fred Allen, an ingenious young man. furnishes most of the conversational comedy. He is good at his job. No reference to this show would be complete without particular reference to the piano playing abilities of Ralph specialty numbers were certainly among the distinct hits of the evening. Clifton Webb, a seasoned entertainer, who can be a comedian without saying a word, carries a heavy part of the show. In one scene he takes the part of a Carthagenian soldier. He did not look like the type of gladiator capable of routing armies by merely showing himself. Perhaps his military useful- ness was in his ability to entertain the troops after a hard day’s fightng. Lib Holman, already known to Wash- ingtonians through her work in mov- ing picture theaters, captured a large share of the applause. She plays the part of the lady who takes life as it comes without asking toa many ques- tions, and plays it very well. Bettina Hall, & stately blonde, proves that she has, with other things, a decidedly pleasing voice. 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Main_140.6436 “All shoes hurt my feet” .. .“Where can I find smart shoes that won’t tore ture my feet?” . . . “That’s beautiful, but it will kill me in hot weather!” ... Out of Remarks such as these “Arch -Preserver i shoes were born! Active women who wanted comfortable shoes that didn’t look demand for “Arch Preservers.” it, created the original Styled like a Paris frock—new as the latest cable reports —but their patented in-built construction offers peace to harried feet. support — but inwisible style is all you see! Gentle, perfect — for up-to-the-minute NOT Expensive! Many attractive styles—such as the one pictured—in blonde, brown or black kid—cost as little as....... _$10.50 Others $10.50 to $14.50 Rainger and Adam Carroll, whose two | ] ik | ) | ik | & [ DOLLAR DRY [ S5 5 bk | 0 6 ik | | i mmh |48 68 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, Carter-Waddell do excellent work, the former in comedy roles and the latter as a dancer, whose grace and beauty have seldom been surpassed in this vicinity. ‘The show opens with the brutal mur- der of Mr. Prologue. The diabolical Mr. Webb is suspected from the first, but his guilt is never proved. Presumably the crack detective and the chief of po- lice are too busy warding off Mr. Webb's feminine frierids to bother much about the murder of a man who was doomed 10 be unpopular from the very outset. The lyrics are mostly by Howard Dietz, the music by Arthur Schwartz, the dances by Danny Dare, the cos- tumes by Ruth Brenner and the pro- duction under the immediate super- vision of Dwight Deere Wiman. Gus Salzer directed the orchestra, a feature which added considerably. RIALTO—"“Show Boat.” Carl Laemmle’s motion picture version of Edna Ferber's “Show Boat” opened last night at the Rialto Theater. Bought from the -author two years ago, before it was produced by Florenz Ziegleld as a musical comedy, the ‘pic- turization of the story as it now appears shows the influence of both the novel and the musical comedy, the music of the latter .form having been . used throughout. 4 Having made a silent version of Wednesday— One Day Only! Girls’ Butterfly SKIRTS Seasonable Skirts that are quite the vogue. Made with or without . bodice. Pretty plalds. Size 7 to 14 years. Boys’ $1.39 to $2.95 A great variety of new summer wash suits. Many neat styles in all the new colors and color combi- nations. Novelty and conservative styles. - Sizes 21 to 9 years. Boys’ $1.39 to $2 Sport Sweaters Rayon mixture and part wool fancy sport sweat- ors. Also . black and mnavy blue cr neck styles. Sizes 28 to 34. ‘Boys’ $1.19 to $1.50 Wash Knickers New Golf Knick- ers in plaids, checks, khaki and $ coverts. Also white duck. A real dol- lar special! Boys’ 79¢ to $1 Pajamas, 2 for Manufacturer’s close-ou’s of one and two piece $ yles. Light mate- rial for Summer. 4 to 14 years. CAMP SUITS Slight irregulars. Kbaki and gab- ardine camp suits. Belt to match. Two to a customer. Sizes 8 to 15 years. Boys’ $2.50 & $3 “Show Boat,” Mr, Laemmle was forced, by the advent of the talkies, to bring his picture technically up-to-date, which he did by securing the Jerome Kern melodies from Mr. Ziegfeld. and adapting them to the cinema style of the story. The film, thus, while pos- sessing ample integrity as a photoplay, with all the advantages which the me- dium allows, reveals clearly influences from the stage version. ‘The story, briefly, is that of Magnolia, daughter of a show boat captain, who loved and married the river gambler, Ravenal, suffered subsequent distresses with him when he lost their fortune, and eventually won success on the stage in her own right. It is a story long in the telling in Mr. Laemmle’s version, and heavily freighted with tears and heartbreak. The musical score of Mr. Kern, used in the Ziegfeld show, is em- ployed lavishly in the film, often inci- dentally, and sometimes in the action itself, as where Magnolia climbs the long, hard road to theatrical fame using the old river songs she had learned on her father’s show boat. The immensély effective “Ole Man River” and “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man o' Mine,” used as recurrent themes suited to the symbolism of the swirling, muddy river, and to Magnolia's desire for Ravenal’s return, left their tunes in the minds of all spegtators last night. ‘The early river s#juences in the pic- GOLDENBERG'S for GIRLS for INFANTS Washington’s Greatest Sale for Children! ture maintain a tempo and color which show to disadvantage the later, fre- quently slow-moving, unfolding of the tale. Given over mainly to a lugubrious picture of Magnolia and Ravenal's mis- fortunes, culminating in the gambler’s leaving his wife, the picture at this point becomes almost supersaturated with tears, having all too many audi- ble sequences of various crying women, plus the exaggerated pantomime and speech of Ravenal, very drunk in the accepted stage manner., Pictorially, in ite lavish and adroitly planned background, “Show Boat™ has full road-show magnitude, indicating where Mr. Laemmle put so much of the money spent on the film. The costumes, the settings, faithful to the atmos- phere of their various periods, were splendidly contrived and furnished a magnificent field for the action. Laura La Plante, in the role of Mag- nolia, proved happily cast. volce and that of Joseph Schildkraut, who played Ravenal, registered extreme- ly well, and thelr acting of the comple- mentary roles had a good share of dramatic strength. Romantically they were wholly satisfying. Contributions in lesser parts from Emily Fitzroy as the acid mother, Otis Harlan as Capt. Hawks, Alma Rubens as Julie and Jane La Verne as the child Magnolia and Kim, were thoroughly adequate. The audible prologue presented, in TUESDAY, APRIL Both her | 23, 1929. addition to the Laemmle and Ziegfeld speeches, Aunt Jemima and her chorus in “Hey, Feller,” Helen Morgan, bal- anced, according to her custom, on top of a piano, singing “Bill,” and Jules Bledsoe, with a colored chorus, in a stirring rendition of “Ole Man River.” The resonant, fine tones of Bledsoe's voice were liberally heard in much of the incidental singing through the course of the film, ' SUMMER FARES TO CALIFORNIA | | become _effective on the ‘Washington- | | Sunset Route It is an economical and comfortable Way to go. Tourists save | approximately 50% of sieeping car fare | by using tourist ¢ar leaving daily from | Washington to California without change | via New Orleahs, Houston, San Antonio | 50, Write today for illustrated | “A” time tables and railroad | G. V. McArt, Passenger Agent, ‘WASHINGTON-SUNSET ROUTE 1510 H 8t. N.W., Washington, D. C.| b Eyes Examined Free! | “At Seventh and K” For Wednesday and Thursday Sale of Frames i s dome e ! ! ! Again we present Washington’s most famous sale for children—Dollar Day in all the children’s depart- ments—which means untold values and bargains to thousands of mothers. Come tomorrow and participate in this gigantic sale of Spring and Sum- mer clothing for Children—your dollar will bring you greater values than ever before! No Equal Has Yet Been Found to T hese irls’ Voile Dresses A grand array of these dainty Voile Dresses that have been purchased es- pecially for this sale. Never before has the Girls’ Dollar Day brought forth such a value. Beautiful pastel shades of green, Made with peach, pink, blue and rese. round ccllars and fancy stitching. Short sleeves. Sizes 7 to 14 years. -9 Girls’ Slip-on SWEATERS An assortment of pretty shades in a combination of rayon, with round or V necks. Sizes 30 to 36. Fine quality. \‘e'% Group _consisis of bioomers, shirts, d costume Boys’ $1 to $1.25 FINE SHIRTS 2for patterns. 12 to 1414 ::e';k. Slight un;u: ; Boys’ $1.50 to $2.50 “BELL” SHIRTS shirt in collar-at- ‘tached and sport collar styles. Per. fects and irregu- lars in mavy pat. Boys’ $1.50 to $2 CLOTH PANTS Full-lined Knick- inpleasing suiting mixtures. in white and fancy A high-grade terns. 12 to 14} neck. Sizes 7 to 16 years. Wool mixture long Green Slickers Olive green waterproof rain coats, Several black rubber coats in the lot. Sizes 4 to 14 years. $|DOLLAR DRY|$ $| Girls’ Rayon UNDERWEAR Girls’ Dept.—Third Floor,—Charge Accounts Invited. DRESSES Gl Wash Dresses, made of lovely printed madras, gingham and chambray. Many pretty styles” to select from. 7 to 14 yrs. Boys’ 4-Pc. Vest Suits HERE’S THE Girls” Printed G m\m‘“ sleeves. 2t 6y o Girls’ Middy BLOUSES 2 for $ Regulation Middy ses, made of fine quality jean with long sleeves, square collars and tie holders, Real value. PLAN—Purchase the first suit for $9.75—then select ANY OTHER SUIT in the lct, your choice of any styleor size. .. .... Both Suits for $10.75 The greatest lot of all-wool and wcol mixture Spring Suits that we have ever of- fered on Boys’ Dollar Day. Suits with two Knickers, two Long Pants, Long Pants and Knickers cr Golf and Knee Length Pants. , Many three- piece sample suits included. All newest styles and fine materi- als. Sizes 7 to 17 years, BOYS’ SCHOOL SUITS Purchase the first suit at the special price of $4.95—then Both Suits for $5.95 select a second suit from this lot, any size and style— $I : 'Manufacturers’ close outs of all-wool and part-wool s in mixture and plain blue. Also some dark shades.” Majority of the suits have vests. Perfects and slight factory damages. Sizes 5 to 12 years. ACCOUNTS RGE Tots’ Play Suits squared neck and short Infants’ slips and babies’ gertrudes Embroidery trimming. For little tols, 6 months to 2 years. Little Girls’ Dresses Little girle' chambray or voile dresses. delightful dresses in solid colors. Sizes 1, 2 and 3 years. No Phone or Mail Orders Dollar Day Brings Ever So Many Values for the Infants’ Sacque 2 for Khaki play suits with Cunning infants sacque sets. Sweater, Sets cap and bootie: white with trimmings of pink or blue .... Girls’ Sweaters Little girls’ all-wool slip-over sweaters in pretty combination col- $ Babies’ Sweater Sacques 2 for $ For children 1] Infants’ Slips 3 for H B of nainsook. ors. Extra fine quality in sizes 2 to 6 years. 2 for White Sweater Sacques with attractive trimmings of pink or blue. Soft, fine quality for the tiny baby. Third Fleor Many Boys’ Department Third Floor | Boys’ 79¢ to $1 Blouses 2 for From a leading manufacturer. Also Little Friend and other fine makes. Many sport and dress blouses in sizes 4 to 16 years. Per- fects and irregulars. Boys’ $1.95 to $3.95 Novelty Suits terns. Sizes 3 to 5 i S OIS WY T Boys’ 79¢ to $1 group of patterns. Perfects and slight One and two piece style cotton $ to 18 years. Boys’ 69¢c tc 95¢ material. Wonderful values for all boys. . Boys’ 79¢ to $1 School Pants 2for Cloth and corduroy $ knicker pants. Very serviceable material. Also pants of suit- ing mixtures. 7 to Boys’ $1.19 to $2 Koveralls boys. Slight irregu- lars. 11 to 14 years. 1 Boys’ 69c¢ to 95¢ Wash Pants tonias. _Nicely tai. lored. Sizes 7 to 17 All the boys want to wear them now. 16 years. 2 for years. Sizes 8 to 18 Corduroy, tweed or jersey button- on knee pants and washable waist. In many new styles and attractive pat- Genuine Koveralls and play suits, in blue khaki or stripes. 3 to 8 years. Khaki Koveralls for big Golf and knicker style wash pants, in khaki, covert, checks Boys’ $1.50 White Duck Pants Washable white and genuine Day- duck long pants. WASH SUITS irregulars. Sizes 3 pajamas. Many School Caps 2for Manufacturer’s $ to § years. Boys’ $1.25 to $1.50 Dlain - palors dnd fancy designs. 6 2for ~ 1 Suiting mixture $ Sises 6% to 7. $/DOL close outs, in a large Cotton Pajamas caps of part - wool INVITED