Evening Star Newspaper, May 26, 1929, Page 49

‘AMUSEMENTS." The Moving Picture cAlbum By Robert E. Sherwood. HE expected has happened. The from which to make their own selec- movie exhibitors in small towns | tions. o’ are beginning to complain be-| If any one style has predominated, it cause of the number of English |has been that which is heard most fre- accents in current talking pic-|quently in the night life of New York tures. “Our patrons,” they say in ef-|It is the hard-boiled language of cab- fect, “want to see and hear actors who aret artistes and plain clothes men of talk American.” Oddly enough, the|wise-crackers and gangsters. k game complaints come in from some| Rare indeed is the talkies in which parts of Canada—especiaily the west-| the following bit of dialogue is not ern provinces, where the inhabitants, | uttered: while loyal to the British flag, are not | addicted to the correct Oxonian mode | of speech. | o Thiese Protests, however. don't seem *to have affected the film procucers to| iy ppreciabie watent Tesee 1. Tasky, | THERE have been some Interesting for one, belleves that the talkies arc examples of “put on” accents on ue to improve the accents of us all,|ipa o and he has dedicated himself to the |‘0¢ udible screen. task of teaching proper articu'ation and| In “This Is Heaven,” Vilma Banky correct grammar through the medium | make a noble attempt to make her Teu- of Paramount all-dialogue pictures. | tonic inflections sound rather Frenchy Already Mr. Lasky has sponsored a|and piquante, but now and then she great many broad ° “Interfer- slips. When she says, “Doan you ence” and “The Letter.” Indeed, the|baleef I lahf you. darleengh?” she comes most_excrutiatingly English accent ever | perilously close to the Milt Gross. heard was that of Jeanne Eagels in| In “Alibi.” Pat O'Malley seems to feel “The Letter.” Miss Eagels, being a|that it is up to him to justify his name native of Boston, Mass., has a natural | With a rich brogue. In the first scenes head-start on other Americans who try | of the picture. this brogue is as thick to talk in the Mayfair manner. | as Mickey Kelly's pig. Later, it disap- It is my belief that Mr. Lasky is|pears mysteriously. overoptimistic in his claims that the| In another picture (the name of talkies will improve the speech of the|Wwhich I have, luckily. forgotten) the populace; but there can be no possible 8ood old French Foreign Legion ap- question of doubt that they will influ- | pears. To indicate that its members ence speech, just as the movies have | Speak French to each other, they all previously influenced styles of dress, | talk with phoney French accents, ex- comportment and point of view. °pt one of them. who is supposed to When the late Rudolph Valenfina ap- | be an exiled English aristocrat. This peaved for the first time with side-| Britisher, played by William Coller, | burns in “Blood and Sand” and “The|jr. talks the quaint patois of Great Sheik,” similar whiskers suddenly start- | Neck, Long Island. The accents of the ed to sprout on the cheeks of young|Arabs who appear in this film are men on both sides of soda fountains | either Mexican or Montana cowboy: all over the continent of North America.| In “The Trial of Mary Dugan” the Today, when you study the current|judge has a very meticulous English crop of young ladies, you will observe |accent. This is outrageous—and it that an astounding proportion of them | CAuses one to sympathize with the ex- wear their hair, their hats and their | hibitors who are complaining. Most of eyelids in the manner of Greta Garbo.| the judges in New York City (where 1t is the old story of nature attempt- | Mary Dugan was tried) have Irish ac- ing to imitate art. | cents; there are others with German, S | Italian or Jewish accents, and even one W or two with American accents. But it ERHAPS the talkies will eliminate |{s apsolutely sectional accents and cause all peo- | jat aorarey unthinkable that an Eng 4 lish accent should ever be hear ple in Florida, New Hampshire, Towa, | the New York beneh. What aia’ oo Alberta, Arizona and even in England, | fight the Revolution for? What did we Ireland. South Africa and Australla to| fight the War of 1812 for? talk alike. As Hollywood speaks, so will | speak the world. | War of 18122) If such proves to be the case, what| The movie actors and actresses whose will be the nature of this common, uni- | voices and accents have fallen most versal manner of speech? Wil it be | pleasantly on the ear are Corinne Grif- the flawless English of Ronald Colman, | fith, Ronald Colman, Douglas Fair- is zat s0?” | c (By the way, why did we fight the the Broadwayese of Al Jolson, the faint Cockney of Charlie Chaplin, the Okla- homa drawl of Will Rogers or the apologetic Swedish of Greta Garbo? | Up to now, there has been no indication that Hollywood itself has settled on a standard of speech. Most of the talkies that I have seen to date have been veritable Towers of Babel, which offered | the spectators a wide variety of accents | banks, William Powell, Mary Pickford, Norma Shearer, Richard Tucker, Mar- ion Nixon, Warner Baxter, Bessie Love and Lewis Stone. If we could be given a composite photograph (with sound) of the artic- ulatory processes of these ladies and gentlemen, we would have an excellent model of speech for the world to follow. (Copyright, 1929.) THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MAY 26, 1929—PART 4. . FRANK BORZAGE, DIRECTOR, TROPHY AND SCREEN STAR Director of “Seventh Heaven”: the trophy awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts fo the star, and Janet Gaynor, the winner. The picture was declared to be the outstanding motion picture of the past year. Next Week's P}mtoplays. PALACE—Ramon Novarro in “The Pagan,” a Metro- Goldwyn - Mayer sound picture. FOX—Sue Carol in “Girls Gone Wild” will be the at- traction to follow the “Fox Movietone Follies,” possibly next week. COLUMBIA—“Alibi,” adapt- ed from “Nightstick,” by John Wray and J. C. Nu- gent, a United Artists’ dia- logue picture. Modern Chorus Girls. 7T 'HE day of the “beautiful but dumb" | show girl has passed. This sf ment Is true, at least so reports have it, as far as the show gils in the Fox Movictone Follies of 1929 are concerned. A curious reporter, talking with sev- eral of these beauties during the pro- duction of Fox Follies, is seid to have been astounded to find that they knew their philosophy and literature. Delving into their ecucational history the reporter found that all had the equivalent of a high school education, while several had a number of years in finishing schools and universities. Iris Ashton, for instance, received her elementary schooling in San Francisco, followed by an academic curriculum in a private school, where she majored in literary and dramatic activities; she has since written verse and short stori Blanche Fisher, beauty contest win- ner in Omaha, Nebr., in 1925, is a high- school graduate and. in_addition, has had considerable instruction in art. Melva Cornell was educated in ! schools of Santa Barbara, where she was born. Completing high school, she | studied for the stage for a time, then | turned to dancing. She is a prolific reader. T Te Vel the Coming Attractions. NATIONAL PLAY S — “Smilin’ T rougl Next week, beginning Monday, June the National Theater Players will present one of the Sweetest of all old-fashioned love stories, “Smili " which is so intimately asso- clated with the name of Jane Cowl, who ated the role of its heroine. ASHINGTON closed its scason of burlesque the first week in May, and recent announcements would seem | to indicate that other interests have | taken over its sole surviving home in the National Capital. But Saturday, “Smilin’ Through” is not at all the conventional type of romance that used | June 1 is announced by the Mutual to make our mothers weep, only to Burlesque Association as the real close eventually enter the adorable state of | of the 1928-29 burlesque season for the smiling happiness. It is a love story , h apart from the commonplace. An ex- | COUNUY 8¢ '“"g'}; b ':‘"k“;“b‘ = quisite girl is devotedly loved by and|Aannouncement the promoters of bur- adores the man she marries, but her | lesque by the sole surviving institution r?mt;“w sgei all e, :'}ffllfl-" #’C?usl"‘cngxged in the business submit some of the mad love of another who feels | i i that he cannot give her up, and in a | facts that may be of interest to theatri wild fit of desperation does that which | cal patrons generally. ends everything for three lives. It is| The Mutual Burlesque Circuit's sea. tender, touching, beautiful romance of |son began August 20, 1928, and, it is universal appeal, and one of the splen-| stated, “a careful check-up of all of the did things of the modern theater that| regularly organized traveling companies Burlesgue Unglorified. SEX appeal is now vocal. Or, the speaking voice has acquired sex ap- peal, if you prefer. At least that is the statement of E. H. Griffith, Pathe director. Of all the scores of voices he has heard on the screen, only a very few have “it,” Grif- fith insists. Ann Harding, whom he is directing at present, probably will be known to | film fans in the near future as “the girl with a vamping voice,” he believes. | It was said to be that peculiar quality of vocal seductiveness that, with her beauty and talent, was responsible for | Miss Harding’s being signed to a long- term contract. In other word: the guile that | however, with its “wheel” system, ac- | cording to the statement, has really enjoyed a 41-week season, even with but hree “one-night stands.” which were | used only to break long jumps. | The Mutual people naturally conclude ! that this is a strong argument not only for the quality of their attractions, | but for their popularity also. From the same source it is learned | that up to the present time the Mutual | Burlesque Association, for the coming season of 1929-30, has contracted for it's the voice with An Aspect of Age. NE of the most difficult arts of mo- tion picture making was employed in “The Last Warning,” with Laura La Plante and John Boles in the stellar | Toles. | One moment—a spic and span new ! theater appeared; everything ready for an opening performance. A moment later, the theater is a wreck, dust cov- ers everything, the paint is faded, the pipes rusting, the wings falling apart, the curtains disintegrating; cobwebs everywhere. S Many methods of making these things look old were employed for this trans- formation. .First to be “aged” were the signs. A special fading paint was | Irish Cowboy | Players, is preparing a setting of loveli- { ness for one of the loveliest of romances. is seldom, If ever, repeated. Under direction of Addison Pitt, Miss Edith King and Roger Pryor are being thoroughly rehearsed in’ the leading | roles, and Charles Squires, the builder | of Aladdin pglaces for the National| BEISSCOS New play. ROM the offices of David Belasco comes the news that during the next season Mr. Belasco will produce a new play, writien by him in collaboration | with William Hurlbut, and called “The | Virgin City,” with Beth Merrill as its| star. Miss Merrill won stardom as the | Lil More than 50 years ago David Be-| lasco, ‘then a youthful actor in San| Franciso, went to Virginia_City, Nev.,| as a member of the noted Piper Opera House stock company. Virginia City | company for Saturdavs, of all kinds that started last Fall dis- closes the fact that not one of them | continued bevond 32 weeks, and a large majority of them failed to reach their thirtieth week ““Years ago, when there were not one- half as many theaters in any city in | America as there are today nor any- | thing like as many traveling companies, | a 40-week season was not at all un- | usual. In those days, as old showmen | can verily, there were actually hundreds | of good, dependable ‘one-night stands,” | which in the aggregate would provide | highly profitable weeks. They played | one or two shows a week, one night | each, and were closed the remaining nights. | “That was before the invasion of the show business by motion pictures. It is then set forth that nowaday tion pictures and are open both after- noon and evening every day in- the week. They will not bogk a traveling Sundays the services of 768 players for its 48 hows; that this is a little less than | half the number required to equip all | the companies, and that when that is | accomplished 1728 persons will be under contract, including working crews for the stage—a greater number, it is con- tended. than is employed by any one theatrical concern in the world, The | | gross salary list is computed at more than $4,000,000 for a 40-whek seaso long been regarded b; 3 brow” entertainment, | crude and very often wanton in qualit But it is contended that respectabili 15 its watchword now, and, as evidence, that its shows are being patronized | very largely by women and families. After all. it is contended, burlesque, even at its worst, was the mother of | the widely approved and patronized theatrical revues of the current time, which, it is contended, are not as | strictly held in bounds by police cen- | sorship as are the acts and offerings | of the shows of the Mutual Circuit. | | o * * * * * x B & * *« * * * e oth Bet. Film Arts Guild Presents IHELD OVER SECOND WEEK ? | ‘AMUSEMENTS.™ . o | story of the little, Southern coquette with bits of gayety and youthfulness. The efforts of the younger brother, comedy in Mary Picklord's newest Jimmy. to achieve manhood in the o » ; | smoking of his after-dinner cigarettes icture, “Coquette,” are many. |and in"his disgust at the mquiim of Director Sam Taylor, a graduate of l his sister and her friends will bring an Touches of Comedy. "JTOUCHES of quaint and whimsical| he Harold Lloyd school of comedy, has | understanding smile to all mu who htened the drama of Miss Pickfo: were once boy The Place to Go Friday at Midnight! Washington Has Made the Earle Friday Midnight Show a Delightful Event— Come Joln Them, DAILY 1030 AM &1l PM. SUNDAY 2:30 to 11 P.M. HEAR HER TALK! She Sounds Even Better Than She Looks, the Flaming Spirit of Whoopee multiplied by Two. Vitaphone Doubles Her Pep. Supported by Loulse Fazenda, Doris Dawson, Ben Hall and Buddy Messinger Hear the Hottest Music Ever Played by the Vitaphone Music Masters. They've Caught the Collegiate Spirit of Whoopee / and [ast week., \THE DESERT SONG’ _he Most Enchanting Romance of Al Times. A Glorious Spectacle, With the Eternal Charm and Glamour of the Great Desert. Entertainment—For- Warner Bros. Vitaphone Singing Success “Shooting Stars” sprayed over everything. Then all the | | y Anthony Asquith Joints in the plumbing and along the pipes were painted with a thick brown whose deep lodes brought wealth to Fair, Mackay, Comstock and scores of other | |{argonauts, at that time divided honors | holidays, which are reserved for attrac- ever Inapiring and Unforgetable. tive piciures that draw big audiences without the heavy outlay in percentage | paint which was quickly heated with a blowtorch, This bubbled the paint and gives it the impression of rust on the screen. By means of a special machine, cob- ‘webs were placed all over the set. This machine makes cobwebs by employing | the idea of a candy floss machine, using a mixture of liquid rubber, glue and other ingredients, instead of sugar. A special dust was sprayed over the cob- webs to give them proper photographic qualities. Finally several tons of fullers earth were blown into the auditorium and back stage and allowed to settle. BRIAN AHERNE, Featured in “Shooting Stars” at { Little Theater this_week Built by Laughter. THE house that laughter built! ‘This is the new estate in Beverly Hills Calif, which the Gleasons will| occupy soon. The laughs and chuckles and snorts and guffaws of thousands of people in this country and in England have made possible the “homey” home where the Gleasons—James and Lucile | and their 21-year-old son Russell— will entertain their friends and write their new plays and scenarios. Pirates and Divines. JLKA CHASE has an interesting ancestry. The stage and screen actress, who is now playing in “Paris Bound,” is the | great-granddaughter of John Woolman, | a famous Quaker divine. This worthy | was the author of the well known book | “John Woolman's Journal,” which is| regarded as the most authentic picture | | with San Prancisco as the cradle of the | | Noted actors were imported from the| | Belasco saw many raw and virile cross- | American stage on the West Coast.| East and the best plays of the time were | produced along with the classics In his two years in Virginia City Mr. | sections of life, and, it is said, prom- | ised himself that some day he would | write them into a play when he discov- | ered the right star for a vital role. Miss Merrill, it now appears, possesses talents that measure up to the demands of Mr. Belasco, and will fit the role he has had in mind. “The Virgin City,” it is ‘announced, will tell a gripping tale of adventure of those other days when Virginia City was known as “Hell with the blower on.” Jannings' Picture Ideals. UMAN interest, comedy, some pathos, logical suspense-building situations and beauty. - Those are the essential elements for the ideal motion plcture story, according to Emil Jan- nings. First of all the star places human interest. The ideal story must be about of receipts that would have to be given | a traveling company, to say nothing of the outlay for stage hands, orchestra | and other employes not required for a screen exhibition. In other words, prof- | itable “one-night” stands ve en | practically, if not wholly, wiped out, so that a 40-week season is extraordinary. The Mutual Burlesque Assoclation, OVIETONE LOVE—BEHIND THE SCENES OF A MOVIE LOT with Brian Aherne Star of “Underground” Perf. Pop. Prices. MARRRRERR RN NN BLLE aF 19789~ Cont. NERRPRERRRRRR RPN X Selefeloledolotolototololofolofotatotoded NINTH AT GEE RIALTO v ALL-TALKING ALL-SINGING ALL-DANCING : WILLIAM FOX Presents ' The World’s First Great Musical Comedy of life among the early French settle- ments. Balancing this good man in her heri- tage is “Long Tom” Coffin. a_famous | pirate, quite as well known for his mis- demeanors as_Woolman was for his | good deeds. The Chase family still | “This will be our first real home,” | says Jimmy proudly, recalling the years when his nearest approximation to a home was a hotel room. “All my life | I have looked forward to just this. Lucile and I have traveled about all our natural people and have a fundamental appeal that goes straight to the heart of humanity. Next, it must have some wholesome comedy and some tears. Laughter and tears are a part of every one’s life, Jan- nings points out. Comedy and tragedy possesses a blackthorn cane which was | carried by this blood-and-thunder indi- | vidual on his cruises under the black flag. Wiiss Chase has also the distinction of being the daughter of Edna Woolman | Chase, editor-in-chief of Vogue and a| prominent figure in the literary and magazine world. | married lives. We get a thrill from saying the words ‘our home. plis i bl il Getting Darker. UBBLES, the taller of the team of Buck and Bubbles, now playing in Pathe’s “Wildcat” comedies, . isn't so sure he prefers the screen to the stage. | “Pictures is all right” he explains, “but it's these here lights that causes trouble. After Ah worked a week on the first picture, this here ‘Black Nar- cissus, mah own mothah didn't know me. Ah was burned three shades nd that's dark!” The Well Dressed Crook. have the gangsters in “Dark | Streets” as correctly “dressed” as | possible Director Frank Lloyd has or- | dered 10 bulletproof vests, which will ! be worn when they go into action. | Lloyd has been questioning police officers and habitues of the underworld 1o get the correct wearing apparel of | various types of crooks, so that his| players will be properly dressed. He| found that the modern gangster fre- quently wears a light bulletproof coat or vest when he goes out on a “big job.” ! According to Lloyd, the modern crook | is wise enough not to act in any un-| usual manner or wear anything ‘hat; will set him apart. This would make | him remembered and more easily iden- | tified are also closely allied. ‘There must be strong situations which build up suspense. e situations, Jannings emphasizes, must be logical, for the story should ring true in every respect. ‘There should be beauty, picturesque background, colorful wardrobe, since the eye must be pleased as well as the mind | the emotions. CAMEO THEATER ™ gainier- Tomorrow and Tuesday—“THE DUKE STEPS OUT" (Syn). . Comedy. “HAVE PATIENCE " = BENEFIT SHOW Fi TERN_STAR. MBARTON a2 580 At ANTONIO, MORENO in “ADORATION." _Comedy. “BLAZING AWAY. SIDNEY LUST': HIPP s near 9th Today and Tomorrow— “Bellamy Trial” found and Talking. LIBERTY 1oi41® N Capiter 8¢ In a Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer Sound Picture “WHERE EAST IS EAST" A Stiawge Picture of the Orient With PE VELEZ LE TAYLOR ADAPTED _From lhe Sensational STAGE SUCCES i Q[EL-;_‘ = wnifet arkis METRO MOVIETONE ACTS ' OOUETTES —ON THE STAGE— HERBERT RAWLINSON il In a Breezy Presentation TONE N “'SEASHORE FOLLIES" FOX MOVIETONE NEWS M-G-M NEWS \ i P e day ‘Tomorrow— The Home Towners” All-Talkie EuTE 1ith & R. 1. Ave. ‘Today and Tomorrow— JOHN GILBERT. “DESFRT NIGHTS." LEADER _4th near E Smoking Permitted Today, Tomorrow’ and Tuesday— CAROLINA 1> &5 G BEN HUR. Mec- with RAMON NOVARRO, MAY AVOR: o s il STA 6th_and C Sts. ONE DAY ONLY. 6:00. 7 . 100° phone Super Mystery Pro PATHE SOUND NEW: INCESS r:éH2, RICHAR: MESS in "WEARY RI phone Singing-Talking Picture). edy and News. SYLVAN 15t AA‘!!hnyv}Ewlslnnl E “THE GHOST TALKS,” with a dis- Unguished cast—a Fox Movietone All- Talking Picture. Extraordinary added attractions. all in sound and talking “SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK'—AIl singing-—"JOY RIDE," all talking Vitaphone Act: Comedy, "'NO_PICNI JESSE THEATER ™. 43" “KID GLOVES.” with CONRAD NAGLE. edy, 'OLLEGIANS WINNING duction. _Als nd COMEDY. B BAR’ (A Vita- Com- o COOLED BY REFRIGERATION REGINALD DERNY. RED HOT SPEED Extravaganza of the Talking Screen with A Host of Broadway’s Most Talented Personalities and Holly- wood’s Most Vivacious Stars Dazzling! Sumptuous! Irresistible ! ALMOST AN ENTIRE YEAR'IN THE MAKING It’s The Most Colorful Achievemen Since The Movies Began To Talk! HEAR:—“WALKIN’ WITH SUSIE,” “THAT’S YOU BABY’’ and Many Other Song Hits The ‘““‘BREAKAWAY?®® It’s The Nation’s Newest Dance Craze Here Is A Musical Comedy Smash That’s A Year Ahead of Broadway Wo CONRAD, MITCHELL & GOTTLER rds and Music By DAVID Revue Directed By MARCEL SILVER ON” THE STAGE G e Unigue Master of Coremonies Story and Direction By BUTLER JOHN IRVING FISHER Jintroducing to you GEORGE LYONS Jinging Harpist of Many Broadway Revues Bud «~¢ Jack PIERSON i CARR MERCEDES 2 FERRIS 40 FOX VIRGINIA BACON 40 14 GORGEOUS 4 ALZMANIANS FOXETTES nnin Saturt 3 30 &M Begi ex N 10 '\WWARNER BROS VITAPHONE .y Advance Midin; wilh."Show it TICKETS NOW ON SALE To Be Presented for the First Time In the Country at Popular Prices. Direct From Its New York $2 Run. TIVOLI i4th and Fark Rd. SUN.—MON.—TUES.—WED. “BROADWAY MELODY” All-Talking All-Singing All-Dancing AMBASS ; 8th St. and Col. Rd. SUN.—MON.—TUES. ALl CE WHITE Talks for the First Time in “HOT STUFF” “THE GHARLATAN" 4 Tal THURS —FRL. WILLARD MACK “YOICE OF THE CITY” 4 Talking Picture SATURDAY VICTOR M’LAGLEN “STRONG BOY” Vitaphone Shorts George O'Erien,. Lois Moran in “TRUE HEAVEN" Synchronized Music SATURDAY DAVY LEE in “FROZEN RIVER” Warner Bros. Talking Picture AMBASSADOR st %8 APOLLO % © 5t NE. TODAY_and TOMORROW-_SYLVIA TIELDS and ROBERT AMES in VOICE OF THE CITY 0" TALKING _PICTURE) 615 Pa. "AVENUE GRAND 5<% TODAY and TOMORROW--BESSIE LOVE, ANITA PAGE KING' in ALL T, NG EMPIRE ° ® st NE TODAY and TOMORROW--LIA TORA HE VEILED WOM. 1230 © St TODAY and TOMORROW-—CORINNE GRIFFITH in *THE DIVINE LADY"" (SYNCHRONIZED MUSICAL AC- COMPANIMENT). and CHARL “BROADWAY MELOD’ ALKING, SINGING AND TCENTRAL e e biaadis TODAY and TOMORROW—RAMON NOVARRO__in_'THE _FLYING FLE! (SYNCH SA?OY 14th & Col Bd. N, TODAY—OLIVE_BORDEN__and ALPH GRAVES in “THE ETER- NAL WOMAN." RONIZED' MUS! AL ACCOMPANIMENT) CHEVY CHASE SeR%&5 B¢ TODAY and TOMORROW--DAVEY LEE in ""SONNY BOY" (A TALK ING PICTUR COLONY ©* TODAY and TOMORROW—CORINNE GRIFFITH in “THE DIVINE LADY. NCHRONIZED MUSICAL AC- COMPANIMEN “TIVOLI ‘mn & Fark R4, N.W. TODAY and TQMORROW —BI LOVE. ANITA PAGE a0d KING' in “BR o OADIA (ALL TALKING, SINGING AND __ DANCING: "YORK O Ave- & Quebes st ow. TOMORROW_DAVEY N BOY© (A TALK- ve. & Farragut St