Evening Star Newspaper, June 30, 1929, Page 50

AMUSEMENTS.' Flashes From the Screen By C. E. Nelson. HE movies have been doing pretty well, thank ycu; but I there was only one thing missing. Harvard had failed to recugnfu that there was such an entertainment medium in exist- ence. Now, however, that great and solemn educational institu- tion takes cognizance of the «“fijckers,” formally recognizing the photoplay as the Tenth Muse, or one of the fine arts. A com- mittee appointed by Dr. G. Chase, dean of the department of fine arts of Harvard, has made its selection of the first of a series of groups of motion pictures, Ameri- | with its Broadway stage presenta- | ! IC can and foreign, which will be| preserved in perpetuity by the university because of their artis-| tic merit. New prints of the first 12 choices have been secured from | the producers through Czar Will | H. Hays, and they will be included, | though not by name, in the an- nual list of art gifts to the uni- versity, to be formally accepted by President Al Lawrence Lowell. The pictures selected are from the production list of 1926, and -the committee will work forward and backward from that date. The 1927 list is near completion, the delay being due to the fact that careful study is given prac- tically the entire roster of feature production, The 1926 films which Harvard deems worthy of per- petuation are “Beau Geste,” “Mo- anna of the South Seas,” “Wed- ding Bills,” “Variety” (from a foreign studio), “Tell It to the Marines,” “The Waltz Dream” (foreign), “The Black Pirate,” “The General,” “What Price Glory?” “The Duchess of Buffalo” and “The Strong Man.”. It is ex- pected that these pictures, to- gether with others selected from the best of certain years, will rest eventually in the famotis Museum of Art, where Harvard cherishes millions of dollars’ worth of ex- amples of older arts. Prof. Chandler R. Post of the fine arts department of Harvard says: “Motion pictures are a fine art. I have been interested in them for the past 20 years; first, because they are destined to be the most potent medium of ex- ression; second, because they gave increased steadily in artistic value. The committee has con- siflered d{lamntlllc n\lralue. acmng': photography—al e componen! elements which go to produce genuine artistic effort in a motion fil‘cw.re. We are very grateful to i e producers and Mr.t ‘lhyu himl: he unflagging co-operation whicl has been nv‘en‘n‘\le 'ntndy." AND, of course, every now and then. this question of the “crime and the movies” must crop up for consideration. The last word comes from San Francisco, where Col. Jason S. Joy, the Holly- wood representative of Will Hays, delivered an address before the International Association of Po- licewomen (in convention). Ac- cording to the colonel, scientific investigation reinforced by an- alyses of screen plays.reveal the motion as one. of the “greatest ts of crime in the United States.” Col. Joy con- tinues: “A stut dy of 620 feal pictures produced in mefia'fimg 1928 shows that 33.7 per cent contained no villain and no eérime. In 175 ger cent the killed; in 3.8 cent the was cap- tured and left securely fast in the confines of a a?;mmfl in 44 per cent the villain reformed, re- pented his evil ways and tried to recompense society:for his crime. In the remainder of the pictures m«:fl punishment was admin- d by the hero. Of the 38 so- called underworld pictures pro- duced last year, the crook or villain was killed in 14 instances; was apprehended and arrested in 19 cases, and in 5 cases was re- formed. Such is the ironclad moral of the movies that not once does the guilty escape punish- ment.” | From this statement, one must | realize that the movies have a| much better record than the average police department. In the motion picture, according to Col.! Joy, the officer of the law usually | “gets his man” and the criminal | is characterized as one who “can- | not get away with it.” | Beginning with “Underworld,” the George Bancroft starring vehicle, the photoplay producers | started a run of crime pictures. This is one of the big drawbacks | in of production in this country.| When a picture of the “Under-| world” sort makes a hit, all the| producers start in making the | same sort of pictures. In the few months following the success of “Underworld” the country was flooded with crime and under- world films. Within a few weeks after “Broadway Melody” became a success, the producers had turned out a veritable avalanche of back-stage films. For a con- | siderable length of time, since the | advent of the talkies the great| bulk of pictures have been crime; and back-stage stories. One of; these days. a producer will get| over a new idea, and then watch the other producers take it up.: The chap who brings out the idea | is the bellwether; the other pro-| ducers follow him like sheep. | There is really little to get ex- cited about in the so-called crime pictures. They are the vogue of | the moment, and they will be-| come less numerous when the vogue changes, Also, it is pre- dicted that the back-stage sing-| ing and dialogue pictures will drop from the limelight one of these days—when some chap sneaks into the back-door of a produc- tion studio with a new idea. i e THE Fox organization is spend- ing $2,000,000 in enlarging and elaborating the sound studios at Beverly Hills, Calif. Thirteen new building: are set for immediate construction, and these structures will include a music hall, a cafe seating 800, a wardrobe building, another double sound-proof stage, a Fox Movietone engineering building, a dressing room build- ing, a scene deck and five bunga- lows of unusual design and pur- The music hall will be the up to the last week or so| | guests on the veranda, which will |be covered with movable glass | panels. * % X % Short Flashes. | VINCENT YOUMANS, who wrote | the music for “Hit the Deck” and “No, No, Nanette,” has been, signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | {and will leave New York for Holly- |wood during the next week. He| | begins a supervision of his own |work, “Louisiana Lou,” at the | Culver City studios. This is sup- | posed to mark the first time that | a musical play has been produced |for the movies simultaneously tion. William Haines is to star in a| motor racing story, “Speedway,” with_many of the scenes laid at the Indianapolis 500-mile track. Harry Beaumont, director of “Broadway Melody,” will direct, and Anita Page will play opposite Haines. Others in the cast are Ernest Torrence, Karl Dane and John Miljan. George Marion, who has been signed for a leading role in “Anna Christie,” will also do directorial work, according to the terms of his newly-signed contract. Lionel Barrymcre, once well known as a screen actor, will di- rect John Gilbert in “Olympia,” a screen version of the play, by Ferenc Molnar. The picture will be started as soon as Gilbert com- pletes work in “Redemption.” Barrymore directed the successful picture, “Madame X.” Maricn Davies will have a new leading man in “Marianne,” Oscar Shaw having been called East by stage engagements. Lawrence Gray, who appared with Miss Davies in “The Patsy,” will prob- ably have the leading male role. The Duncan sisters have signed a new contract with Metro-Gold- wyn-Mayer and their next pic- ture will probably be called “Cot- ton and Silk.” i As a result of his work in_di- recting “The Bridge of San Luis Rey,” Charles Brabin will have charge of “Ordeal,” from a story of the sea, by Dale Collins. Nat- urally, the picture will be all- talkie. Basil Rathbone plays opposite Norma_ Shearer, in “The Last of Mrs. Cheney.” Ann Pennington is dancing at the Warner Brothers studio. Ted Lewis, who wears a high THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, Washington Theaters This Week WEEK OF JUNE 30 Sunday Photoplays at Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday JUNE 30, 1929—PART 4. Friday Saturday Lupe Velez and Gary Cogper in *Wolt Sors.” Comedy. Ambassad’r Lupe Veiea snd Gary Cooper “Wolf Sone.” Comedy. Com B e edy. _Vita. reel Jack Holt in “The Donovan Affair.” Comedy. Serial. i ubject. John Barrymore in “Eternal Love.” Vitaphone _si George Bencroft in “The Wolt of Wall flireet.” Cartoon. ety reel o Apollo oenue”nficmv;’ in freet he Wolf of * " Cartoon. T loraal Tove. 2 g Cartoun, “Variety reel. rtoan. Vitaphone _reel. Joka Barrymore “Eternal 5 rtoon. Vitaphone reel. g Is East.” Cameo comedy. Press.” Vitaphone reels. Comedy. _Serial. John Boles_and Carlotla Kink in “The Desert Sone." Avalon John Bo'es and in “The Desert Sons.” John Barrymore “Eternal Love. Vitaphone_reei. Carlotta King Milton Biils_in “Love and the Devil.” Cameo_comeds. Vitaphone_subect. Ruth Chntterton in “The Dummy.” Comedy. Serial. Cartoon. _Vitaphone reel. Boleg_ and S John Ave. Grand Carlotta King Jo) n Boles and i Lon Chaney in Carlotta King “Where East Is in “The Desert Sons.” Cameo romedy. “The Pagan. Vitaphone reel. Vitaphone fubject. Ramon_Novarro William Haines 17 | e e A Man's Man." gan. Vitaphone reels. Seri. “The Pa Vitaphone subject. Colleen Moore in, i “The Desert Song.” Carolina S B Good Dolores Del Rio in “Revenge." Lewis Stone and Norman Kerry in “The Forelgn Legion.” “Silks_and_ Saddles.” Marion Nixon and Mary Nolan y O'Nelll in Hard Boiled.” Giive Borden s Jack” Plckford n ““The Gang War.” Glenn Tryon in “The Kid's Clever." 2 7'Mm'§1|‘n.ns' Central Vit A Vitaphone subjects. Alice Write and Louise Fazenda n “Hot _Stuff.” : n “Love and the Devil” “Love and the Devil." Louise Fazenda ‘Milton Alls Alice White fn i “Hot Stuff."” Arthur_Lake aphone_subjects comedy. Corinne_Griffith Alic o n “Saturday’s Children.” meo_comedy. e White in ‘Hot Stuff."” Arthur Lake com: Corinne_ Griffith n “Saturday’s Children.” Lup Cameo_cor Lols Moran in “Joy Street.” ino Lane comeds. Vitaphone_reel. lice White and Jeanne Eagels in n “The Letter.” “Hot _Stuff Ramon Novarro and Ramon Novarro and Renee Adoree in ““The 'Pagan.” agan. Gang_comedy. Re; nee Adoree 1n he Pagan.” Gang_comeds. Jeanne Eagels in “The Letter.” Comedy. Vitaphone_reel olony Jeanne Eagels “The Letter. Comedy, Vitaphone _reel. . Loulse Brooks in Vitaphone _reel.” “The Canaly Murder “The Case.” Comedy. [ Walter Huston in “Gentlemen of the ress, Newlywed comedy. Lou Betty Bronson and William_Collfer in e_Stolen Night Ruth Chatterton in “The Dummy. Cameo comeds. Vitaphone reel. Anna Q. Nilsson 1n “‘Blockade.” . Cieorge Sidney in | ‘Cohens and Kellys in | Atlantic City.” Vita. reel. _Serial. Clara Bow in “Wild Farty.” Fox News. Comedy’ zdmur;d Lowe n “Making the Grade." Short _subjects. “Court J-ckl"mm n “Sunset P Paramount “Dance Feve “Newlywed: Gubles. ~Golleen_Moore 1 SRR e Sogat™ “Palestine.” “Election_Day.” Hippodr’me “Looping the Loop.” Tim McCoy in “Beyond_the SHerras.” Serial. ‘Short rubjects. _Comedy. “June_ Collyer in Antonio Moren “The Midni| in ht Tax Haifback Buster Fox_New Monte in “Greybound Hunter. “Gold_of Love.” Tom Mix in “gky_High." “Six_Best_Pell Home Comedy. Vitaphore_reel Comedy. Vitaphone _reel hn Boles and Carlotta King n “The_Dese.t Son: “The Desert Sons.” John Boles snd Buddy Roi Cariotts King Slose. Harmony.” “'Close Harm Cartoon. Vitaphone_reel. - “Nothing But l'l‘i. ‘Truth.” Serial. Vitaphon uddy Richard Dix lose Harmony.” Cartoon. Vitaphone _reel. Fairbanks in “Sples.” Short subjects. “Seven Footprints to an. Short subjects. Milton Sills in “His Captive Woman. “Wandering Joy. Short_subject. “Bondage.” Short subjects. Dolores Costello in “Redeeming Sin.” Paramount News. Curiosity. Lon Chaney in “West of Zanaibar.” Comedy, Berial. Leader 3 corge O'Brien in Liberty e “Duty's Plrasure.” L ‘Spite Marriage.” on MacDuff."”_ ‘Buster_Keaton in Ay Antonie Moreno “Midnight Taxi.” “Star_Shot Richard Talmi ““Cavalier: Bill Cady in “Slim _¥ingers.” Harold Lloyd *comedy. New Harrison Ford ““The Whij “Down on the Farm.” “Injun Jnck ‘minun n “Butter and Eex Man.”_Comedy. Savoy Johnson' in imba.* Kri Seco Mr, and_Mrs, Martin M. | Ceorge O'Brien in “Blindfold.” “Brothers.” Newlywed comedy. M-G-M acts. and Mrs. Martin nson” in Joh "Simba.” azy_Ka: cartoon. Dousias Fairbank 22 Barton in “Rough Riding Red.” Serial. Comedy. in Washington Comeds. in ““The Iron M Inkwell cartoon. amon Novarro in “The Flying Fleet.” Tupe Veles in “Lady of the Pave Comedy. ments.” News. News. Co A “Marquis Preferred.” Comeds. dolphe Menjou in Cartoon. i News. i Douglas_Fairbank “The Iron Ma: Takoma : in Douglas g “The Rin-Tia-Tin Fairbanks in “Progen River™ o Iron Mask." Rin-Tia-Tin 1 “Mirange Cargo.” “ftrange Oargo.” Maurice Cre' Mau 4 Pirk ] ivoli “Innocents of Paris.” Tivoli e Movietons News. John Boles and Carlotta King in *“The Desert fong." Varlety reel. York “Innocents of Pari artoon. Movietons News John_ Bol Carlotta King in “The 3 n Lon Chaney i “Where Eas!. Is E omedy. Vitaphone _reel. rice Cbevalier To . “Where “Frozen River.” Comedy. n_Chaney in Fee'Ss Bhse. Comedy. Vitaphone_reel. Alice White 1n o0 St Comedy. “Vitaphone_ subject. Alice White in “Hot Stufl.” Comedy. Vitaphone_ subject. ra Bow in “The Wild Party." Laurel-Hardy comedy. Desert. Variety reel. s Bow in “The Wild Party.” John Barrymore in “Eternal Love.” Cameo comedy. Vitaphone reeis. Laurel-Hardy comedy. Richard Dix in Betty_Compson in “Nothing But the “One Stolen_ Night.” Truth.” ‘omedy. Seri ©Oddity reel. Vitaphone ret Expensive Wardrobe. NA CLAIRE, during her career in the theater, earned the reputation of be- ing the best dressed woman on the| American stage. And it looks as though the star is going out after the same laurels on the screen. Miss Claire will wear $20,000 worth of gowns in “The | Awful Truth,” in which she makes her | debut on the spoken screen. Miss Claire personally supervised the making of every gown she wears in the | plcture, Some were Parisian creations | hat and sings jazz, is announced as the star of a new Vitaphone feature. Mme.Frances Alda, opera star, recently completed a Vitaphone feature at the Warner Brothers studio. She sings “The Last Rose of Summer” and “Home, Sweet Home,” which you may have heard before. Blanche Ring, star of the musi- cal comedy stage, has ‘“gone talkie.” She makes her screen debut with those old favorites, “Bedelia” and “I've Got Rings on My Fingers,” together wi a newer scng, “You've Got to Know How to Love.” Amo the. new faces—and voices—in the First National list are Marilyn Miller, Irene Bordont, Jack Buchanan, Eddie Bizzell, Joe E. Brown and Roland Young. Of course, you know Irene Bardoni and erut'sn Miller. Buchanan came to this ¢ Revue” and has the reputation of being “the handsomest man on the English musical comedy stage.” Eddie Buzzell is adver- tised as “the man who makes Broadway laugh.” Joe Brown was star on “On With the Show,” and Roland Young is “one of the best known leadin; He appeared in the stage groduc» tion, “The Last of Mrs. Cheney” and “The Queen’s Husband.” ‘Twenty-four singers and dancers form the permanent chorus at, the | Hollywo studio of First Na-| tional. Frieda Hempel, grand opera soprano, sailed last Saturday for Europe, where she will sign a con- tract to sing for the pictures, it | is reported. During the past week 40 theaters closed in Philadelphia and the city’s suburbs. Paul Whiteman and the cast of his new picture, “The King of Jazz,” have been insured for a half million dollars. Rod La Rocque is to appear in “The Delightful Rogue.” Janet Gaynor sings and dances in her newest picture, “Sunny Side Up.” David Butler is direct- 2. “The Trial of Mary Dugan” has been barred by Chicago censors. However, the original play was al- lowed to run. “The Awful Truth” is 1Ina Claire’s first taking picture. Judith Vosselli. JUDITH VOSSELLI, who is in the| cast of “The Awful Truth” all- talking screen version of the stage success, was born in Barcelona, Spain, of French and Spanish parents. Her father, Andre Vosselli, who was in the Spanish diplomatic service, died when she was six months old and when she reached the age of 2 years her mother brought her to America. Both Judith and her mother are now naturalized Americans. Since she left her native land Miss Vosselli has' made 25 trips across the Atlantic, visiting her grandparents and being educated. She has studied at Notre Dame in Paris; in Vienna, Aus. tria; in Geneva, Switzerland, and in | London, England, besides living for a ! time in Belgium. As a result shc speaks | )éurntly Spanish, French, German lnd: :nglish, Miss Vosselli has played almost every ! nationality but German in Broadway stage successes, In “Ladies’ Night” she was a Russian actress, in “Casanova” she played a Spanish courtesan, in “La Tendresse” she was a smart Parisienne, in “Hooslers’ Abro: she was an Aus- tralian countess, in “Bluebeard'’s Eighth | Wife” she was an opera singer. pre- sumably continental, and in “Crashing Through,” last season, she played a Newport society woman. —_— Harpo's Language. ARPO MARX got that way by play- ing the harp. his first moving picture, the talk- H In “The Cocoanuts,” starring the Marx | | stage tradition of mxu? onliy‘ with his harp and, from one end of ti to the other the only communication Rome of the Movietown Sym- phony Orchestra, which is_bein; directed by Arthur Kay. It wil contain & large assembly hall in addition Vo offices. The Cafe de Paris, modsled after the sidewalk cafes of thy French u.?mu. will accommodate 275 in its main di room, 30 in each of two rooms, and more thag 150 from Harpo cometh from his gifted fin- gers. But Harpo is active, if not talk- ative, and he furnishes a wealth of laugh situations. In one sequence of “The Cocoanuts” Harpo proceeds to pull the buttons oft ountry in “Charlot’s | Righ gnmen in the world.” | & 1P ing screen musical comedy sensation, | brothers, Harpo carries out his famous | e pleture | obtained for her through a well known New York modiste, others were from Fifth avenue and still others were made in Hollywood. “It doesn't matter where gowns come | from or how much one pays for them,” | explains Miss Claire, “a woman is never really well dressed unless she knows her | defects as well as attractions and selects | clothes which will minimize the former | and emphasize the nice points. Every woman knows best what she should wear. That is why I always supervise | the making of my own clothes. My ad- | vice to other women is, if you would b> | well dressed, never let anyone talk you ! into wearing cut and dried, made-by- | the-dozen gowns. Study ycurself, then | act accordingly.” ‘ \ Movie Bn.ttle Scars. A\ DECIDED limp. and more sore spots | than he could count are the cas- uaities suffered by George Rigas in the Sierras while playing the part of an Indian in Paramount’s thriller,| “Wolf Song.” i ‘The lImp and the bruises were sus-| with Gary Cooper, which was staged in a wild mountain glen while cameras recorded it. Almost nude, he had to thresh and roll over the brushy ground, | liberally strewn with rocks. From one f the sharp stones he suffered a deep | cut in his left heel, which caused him to limp. | Cooper was im better shape for the ht, as he wore buckskin garments, which constitute his wardrobe in this | picture of early pioneer trappers and | fair senoritas. | Lupe Velez has the feminine lead in “Wolf Song.” which was directed by | Victor Fleming. | Takes Cohan to Hollywood. | DDIE BUZZELL has forsaken “Lady ~ Pingers” and Broadway applause to| take George M. Cohan, through the medium of his “Little Johnny Jones,” to_Hollywood. It was “Little Johnny Jones” who in- troduced to the world those famous Cohan son hits “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Give My rds to Broadway,” and Buzzell is to put it on the screen as one of those film impos- sibles described as an “all talking, all singing, affairs” to emphasize the fact that the players shown in it will both talk and ‘sing. And “Little Johnny Jones” is to be Eddie Buzzell's first offense in talking shadowland. Cos t]y Deletions. RODUCTION of talking pictures costs money. Recently Pathe Audio Review’s editoral and technical staff spent two hours and $300 worth of laboratory and pay roll time getting the tiny preposition “of” off the end of a sentence on a sound strip record- ing remarks by Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt. The repunctuation of a speech recorded on fiim is one of the major problems of the talking picture. Pathe has invented a device for peg- ging the precise syllable as it goes through the machine, but three experts are required to work it. INA CLAIRE, tained in a rough-and-tumble battle|ywen known for her stage work, at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif. Her first dialogue picture will carry the title of from the stage play by Arthur Richman, “The Awful Truth,” and it is adapted Dolores Comes to Town. URING a brief and hasty inter- lude to personal appearances in_Baltimore, where she was being feted with a pre-release showing of “Evangeline,” her latest picture, Dolores Del Rio visited Washington Thursday morning for a presentation to President Hoover. Though the advices of her intended visit had been made public, there were comparatively few fans who called to see her. True, there were camera men in abundance, and every one who saw the slim, olive-skinned young woman gave her an interested attention, whether knowing who she was or not. Her attractiveness is sufficiently com- pelling, aside from her name and repu- tation, to draw the eye and hold it. Upon those who awaited a first ac- tual glimpse of the young star the realization of her presence produced an interesting effect. A considerable glamour surrounds her career, from the time she came from Mexico City, un- known and unsung to cinema fame, to the making of the last of her romantic pictures, the story of Longfellow's Acadian heroine, Evangeline. The illu- sion which rests about her name as the result of her movie appearances had conjured, in one mind at least, a definite concept of a demure young | woman who had usually affected the | peasant type in her films and merited 0od measure of respect for her dra- | matic ability in handling these hum- | ble_roles. One could not reasonably have ex- pected Miss Del Rio to appear for the | presidential interview in the garb of the composite picture associated in one’s mind with her name. When there ! finally did appear a modérn young i woman in becoming white dress, who | acknowledged her various introductions Iln cordial and friendly style, one had to set about re-creating his I In Important Role the coat of an ornate hotel bellhop and eat them. He knows from experience how these buttons taste. He used to be a’ b':mwp at the Hotel Seville, New York LE! In her first really pieture ge a new setting, to rendering himself sub- | ject to new impressions. This was not | Ramona, after all, or Charmaine; this was Senorita Del Rio, whom you might have met at a tea dance in almost ‘any Latin American capital when the | marimba was %laylm; and the limpid ! voice of Spanish was in the air, It was not Spanish, of course, but 1 English, that Miss Del Rio spoke. She spoke it with an accent quite pleasing |and with just the least hesitancy. | Some words and expressions she em- .rhn\ud in the Spanish rather than }in the American manner. What hesi- | tancy there might have been was in {mo wise due to lack of poise; it was | merely a remnant unfamiliarity with | the language. Her Baltimore appearances had j frightened her a little at first, Miss Del Rio confessed. Acting before mil- Iuom on the screen was obviously quite a different matter from speaking 1/0 a | real audience from the stage. But it was good for her, the star admitted | naively, because it increased her as- | surance. If her assurance at the mo- | ment appeared at a low ebb, she plead- ed, it was at least partly because she had been out dancing the evening be- fore and felt fatigued. Miss Del Rio and Herbert Rawlinson, master of ceremonies at the Palace , Theater, were swapp! home-town {motes not two minutes after they had . greeted one another—home town being [ Hollywood. It was amusingly conven- tional “back home” conversation. “Oh, yes; she’s married now—she met this nice boy from New York and married him—yes, Elizabeth’s well, and her chil- dren ‘are darlings.” And so on. “Evapgeline” Miss Del Rio ‘considered Ramona or Evangeline, yet that was | li one of her very best efforts so far, say- ing that she felt the poetic and dra- matic_spirit of the work keenly. The New Orleans premiere, too, she had en- joyed tremendously. “I'll bet you spent most of your time in the old Prench quarter,” Mr. Rawl- inson sald, d Miss Del Rio admitted ruefully that the antique shops along Royal street had won her iration and depleted her purse. Work on loca- tion in the Louisiana Teche country, where the Acadians had settled after the lo:# flight from Nova Scotia, had inrigued the star, she said, though it rained and rained and rained when they first got there. Miss Del Rio wes accompanied on her Washington trip by her mother, Mrs. J. L. Asunsolo, and by John LeRoy Johnston, publicity representative for the Edwin Carewe productions. Moissi Film Nears End. ‘HE filming of “The Royal Box,” the first all-talking motion picture in German, in which the celebrated actor, Alexander Moissi, is the star, is rapidly nearing completion. Within a fort- night the cameras will have completed their work and the film will go into the cutting and editing departments. Moissi is recognized as one of the finest actors on the stage, and the play selected for him is one that is known the world over for its romantic charm | and dramatic qualities. Those who re- call the play which has frequently been given in this country know that its big scene is the one in which the hero, a celebrated tragedian, gives a per- formance for the Prince of Wales. As Bryan Foy has directed the play, the Prince is shown in his box—the royal box. The theater is crowded and the curtain arises on a scene from “Ham- let,” Moissi playing the melancholy Dane, and Camilla Horn, Ophelia. This scene is said to have been filmed with great artistry and will have much to do k\-vm: insuring the success of the worl Thornton “;ilder':'rnle. T}!I rise of an American Anatole PFrance, ‘as Thornton Wilder has been proclaimed by some literary critics | Stnger.” AMUSEMENTS." N Vienna, I was informed by an Aus- trian professor, English is about to become universal language. “The talking cinema will make us all learn English,” he announced. “It will be the final step in the Ameri- canization of the world.” It seemed that the professor had | lately been to Paris and had attended there a performance of *“ Jazz “It was wonderful—inspiring!” he ex- claimed. "I could see your great artist, Jolson, and I could hear his exquisite voice. When he spoke I could under- stand only a little, because, you see, I do not_speak well ‘your language. But | I will learn English so that I can ap-| preciate the subtleties of the talking | cinemas that America is glving to the | world.” I tried to explain to the professor that America is not giving its talking movies to the world; it is selling them for as much as the world can be forced to pay. Furthermore, no matter how well the professor might learn the Eng- lish language (and he speaks it better than do most of our movie producers), he would stfll be unable to discover any subtleties in “The Jazz Singer” or in most of the other conversational films that are now spreading the glorious gos- pel of Americanism in tl heathen countries of Europe. As a matter of fact, the professor's prediction should not be taken too seri- ously. There is no immediate prospect that English is to be adopted as the universal language. In the southeastern corner of Burope—in Austria, Hungary, Jugoslavia and Rumania—English is being taught to an unprecedented ex- tent in schools and even over the radio. But the citizens of these countries aren’t studying English because they want to be able to understand the wise cracks delivered from the screen by Bessie Love or because they want to be able to read Shakespeare in the original; they are animated in their studies by the hope that some day they will be given the opportunity to do business with Americans. In Germany and France there is not the slightest trace of interest in the English language, except among those who of necessity have dealings with tourists. “The Americanization of the world” is one of phrases that is used eas- ily by editorial writers and professional patriots in all countries. It is applied The Moving Picture cAlbum By Robert E. Sherwood. almost entirely to the spread of jazz music (which is not genuinely American at all) and to movies (which are largely imitative of European models). In all other respects, if the editorial writers and professional patriots only knew it, the Americanization of the world is of infinitely less significance than is the Europeanization of America. It is impossible to say at this mo- ment, to what extent American talking movies will be accepted on the conti- nent of Europe. There are, so far, only six theaters that have been equipped to show souni pictures, four of these theaters are in Paris, another in Marseille and snothe: in Berlin. “The Jazz Singer” has been running at the Auber Palace in Paris for nearly five months, and has been phenomen- ally successful. During the one brief dialogue sequence in that film sub- titles in French are thrown from a lan- tern slide to a corner of the screen to inform the audience as to the subject of the conversation that is going on. The French audience seems to enjoy this strange talk enormously and to wish that there were more of it. It is expected that “The Jazz Singer” will continue to run in Paris for four or five months more. It has also tri- umphed in Marseille, where it was shown first as a silent film and later as a talkle. In its talkie form it broke all records. “The Singing Fool” has lately opened in Berlin and has made a profound im- pression. It will not be shown in Paris until “The Jazz Singer” has run its course. ‘The two Jolson pictures are the only talking features that have been released in Europe up to now. This is due to the restrictions that have been placed on American films in France and Ger- many and to the retaliatory warfare that is going on between movie pro- ducers on both sides of the Atlantic. In- deed, in the past few months, no new American-made pictures have been sold in the European market, which means toat most of the theaters in Prance and Germany are running the oid plc- tures over and over again. In s0 far as I have been able to ob- serve, the principal attraction in 90 per cent of the cinema palaces from the English Channel to the Black Sea is Charlie Chaplin in “Carmen.” (Copyright. 1029.) Dialogue PARAMOUNT took a definife stand on talking and silent motion pictures with the announcement by Jesse L. Lasky, first vice president in charge of production for ‘that film organizaticn that “Four Feathers,” which represents the makers’ most pretentious work for the year, will be released with scund effects and music synchronizaiion only. Lasky made the announcement after viewing the production in rough-cut form in New York. “‘The Four Feathers’ will be rele: in its natural form,” Lasky sald. logue can augment the dramatic pas- sages of many subjects, but it certainly cannot help—and it might impair—a production of such sweeping acticn ad ‘emotion as this story. Talking wculd have injured ‘The Covered Wagon,’ which picture is in the same category as this drama of the African wildeiness. Therefore the characters in ‘The Four ased ia- old saying goes, speaks louder than words.” All the atmospheric sounds of na- ture's forces clashing in the African setting of the story will be included in the synchronization, which will be per- sonally supervised by co-directors Meri- of America, is signalized in one of the latest dramas of the screen, “The Bridge of San Luis Rey,” based on his Pulitzer prize-winning novel, and filmed with dialogue and talking sequences. Ragquel Torres, Ernest Torrence, Lily Damita, Jane Winton, Henry B. Wal- thall, Emily Fitzroy, Tully Marshall, Mitchell Lewis, Mikhail Vavitch and many others of note are in the Tmst. ‘The vivid scene in which the great brld}e breaks, done with a structure 200 feet long across a deep chasm; the impressive cathedral scene and other vivid detalls fill the elaborate romance. Special lighting and photographic ef- fects, to carry out the spirit of the original story, intensify its ef- fectiveness under Charles Brabin’s deft direction. Cedric Gibbons' impression- :ml:: selg.lnn also are powerful factors, it s said. Breaks a Vow. ‘NHLLXAM COLLIER, Sr, one of| Broedway's famous playwrights | and stars, will be breaking a vow made | two years u%when he steps before the cameras at Fox Movietone City soon to | portray the chief role in the all talking version of “Harmony at Home,” it is reported. Collier's determination to give up acting, although at % height of his success, faded a few months ago when he saw all his friends leaving New York for Hollywood to write, direct or play in tal pictures, Fox Films offered him a contract and he signed it in a hurry, gossip has it. 'HE new week starts today with three links missing in its chain of pub- lic entertainment. The natural assump- tion is that there is a reason for it. The usual excuse advanced is that Washing- ton is so hot in the Summer. And the truth is that for some reason the folks who might do so do not like to give the facts. “Dark” is the billing this week for the National Theater, where for more than four years, every week night, the bright mfl and the joyous crowds in the lobby told better than words that there was entertainment inside. During the ‘Winter months it was tne entertainment of the road attraction. the Summer months it was the tional Players now find a Midsummer vacation necessary. Their latest pro- gram gave assurance that it is only & vacation until August 12. It is to be hoped so, for the company is widely popular with many whose incomes are attuned to stock prices and deplore the threat of this year's additional “over- head expenses” which Manager Cochran states were “forced upon him.” Another dark house will be the Rialto ‘Theater, which made a brave bid to resume after a long idleness. The Rialto in its present shape was erected in 1916- 17 and had its gala opening December 9, 1918, under the management of Thom- as Moore, who leased the theater to Carl Laemmle, president of the Universal ration, in 1924 for 1215 years, it is sald, since which it has been conducted ith varying success. Here again, it is sald, ‘the “overhead expenses” and possibly the failure to properly gauge the Washington taste in pictures have done their deadly work, although it is hoped resumption of the theater will be possible later on. ‘The Little Theater on Ninth strest the home of the Motion Picture Guild. also has succumbed, not to the weathor but because of waning patronage. Th Little has staggered along with varying : DANCING. DAVISON'S fox,.Frok, Jow ¥ 1 00 2. Clageer R cey A Cause and Effect. degrees of success and many fine ple- tures have been shown there in the past. While the seating capacity is small, such as is adapted to the “inti- mate theater” type, the “overhead ex- penses” will not prevent its reopening, according to Manager George Shute, later in the year, when a series of un- usual pictures will enter into its pro- grams. Meanwhile, it may be declared with the sound conviction of truth, that { Washington weather at this time is ideal and upsurpassed even in the lo- calities that have a vote. Art of Kissing Changed. “Tn‘l: art of kissing for the motion picture love scenes has changed since the coming of the talking film,” says Leatrice Joy, the screen star, who ought to know. 7 “In the silent days,” says Miss Joy, 'some of the accomplished kissers of the screen mingled souls in long, in- volved contests that seemed to have been gustatory instead of osculatory! “Now, thanks to the screen's new dimension, sound, the kiss has changed character. It must be more artful. It mustn't sound like a fat man with a ‘walrus mustache drinking soup, nor yet like the smack of a wet towel on the bathroom’s tile floor, nor yet— “But, after ,lll, who can describe e music in pros “It will sound the knell of the old silent screen kisses which brought fame to various matinee idols and cinema FREE ADMISS 10O AMIUISEMENT PARK WHERE YOU WILL FIND More Than Half Hundred AMUSEMENTS PICNIC GROVES, PLAYLAND MUSIC AND ALL THAT GOES TO MAKE A PERFECT AFTERNOON OR EVENING an C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoed- sack. The noise of the crowded streets of Suakin; the pad, pad, pad of hun- dreds of camel cavalry racing across the desert: the crackle of British rifle fire, and the wild cry of thousands of savage warrlors charging a bristling British square with only swords and spears—all this will be reproduced on the screen. There will also be heard the cries of jungle beasts, which arc used as part of the menace of the story. Next Week's Photoplays. COLUMBIA—Eleanor Board- man in “She Goes to War,” a United Artist picture. METROPOLITAN—"“On With the Show,” Warner Bros.’ first natural color picture, with talking, singing and dancing sequences. FOX—"From Headquarters,” a Warner Bros. talking pic- ture, featuring Monte Blue, Gladys Brockwell and Henry Walthall. PALACE — Adolph Menjou's first talking picture, “The Fashions of Love.” EARLE—Dolores Costello in “The Glad Rag Doll,” a Feathers’ will not talk. Action, as the | Vitaphone picture. Manufactured Weather ~ maintaining a temperature of 70° From the William Fox-Movietons lios Comes a P ion of * Sach Overpowering Romance, Adven- tare And Stirring Dia- logae That It Has Been Rewarded with More Sincere Acclaim Than Any All. Talking Pi ture That Has Gone Before I T@oed “The Paramount program for the coming year will not present dialogue on the screen just for the sake of hav- ing talking pictures,” Lasky continued. “The story has been, is now and always will be the most important thing. Judgment will be exercised in deciding on silent or audible treatment of each story.” Cooper and Scho#dsack, in complet- ing “The Four Feathers,” brought to an end nearly two years of directorial work, including a year in the African wilderness. This is their third produc- tion for Paramount, their previous pic- tures having been “Grass” and “Chang.” ® Greeni Goideas 1 Filinad AHIGHLIGBT among Warner Bros. Vitaphone pictures during the com- ing season will be “The Green God- dess,” Willlam Archer’'s famous play in which George Arliss was starred with great success through many seasons. “The Green Goddess,” it is announced, has just been completed, and its screen version is declared to be even more at- tractive and effective than the stage play. with the added advantages of massive sets and spacious interiors not possible in stage productions. The play, it will be remembered, is a swift mov- ing melodrama laid in the Himalayan wilderners near Tibet. The cast that supported Mr. Arliss in the screen ver- sion includes Alice Joyce, H. B. War- ner, Ralph Forbes, David Tearle and Nigel de Bruller. "m“;;u." HOLLYWOOD has now invented overcoats for the microphones used in making of all-talking pictures. The overcoats are not designed to baffle cold; they defeat the wind. In making sound pictures in ":u?m air on a windy day the breeze w! ing across the opening of the mikes is phln‘lg recorded. “Wind cones,” & de- vice that clamps over the mouth of the microphone, have been designed by the sound experts at the Paramount studios to meet this emergency. Th were used the first time and with perfect re- sults during the recording and fliming of street scenes for the new Willlam Wellman production, “Woman Trap,” | in which Hal Skelly, Evelyn Brent and | Chester Morris are featured. Steamer CHARLES MACALESTER Leaves Seventh St. Wharf 10 A.M. 2:30 and 6:45 P.M. FREE DANCING-ALL AMUSEMENTS ials Fox Has the Honor to Present Simultaneoes With Its §2 Extended Run At the Gaiety Theate New York City Joka Ford’s Production OF EBLACK WAT STARRING VICTOR McLAGLEN Myrna Loy David Rollins Roy D’Arcy Fox Movietone News—It Speaks for Itself ON THE STAGE Washington's Greatest Master of Ceremonies. JOHN IRVING FISHER 8 So Himaels!11) sames TRAINOR crorce Direct from the “Roxy” Theater, N. ¥ Dainty Divinities of the Dance GORGEOUS “Tanglefoot” 40--FOX--40 JAZZMANIANS Leon Brusilof. Conducting