Evening Star Newspaper, September 29, 1929, Page 65

Theater, Screen and Music Part 4—16 Pages AMUSEMENT SECTION N ¥ he Sunday Star, WASHINGTON, D. C,, NATIONAL—“A Connecticut Yankee.” ! [ :A\‘Gl E allhd’ “S\CREE CATHERINE. - HESSLING - Little Jheater versity student, she marries Baron One of last season’s most successful | Paima and spends a peaceful year in | presentations in this city, Mark Twain's famous story in a musical comedy form, “A Connecticut Yaniee,” will return for an engagement of one week at the Na- | tional Theater, beginning tonight. | Not since the days of Gilbert and Sullivan has any musical entertainment been produced with a book, lyrics and music compiled with more grace, ex- rtness and a neater sense of mocking umor. This music form of Mark Twain's classic has also once more brought the name of that famous author to the front. The reputation of this native son of the river borders of the Mississippi reaches as far west as California, as fdr north as Canada and as far east as Suez. He is considered | one of the foremost figures in literature | and his philosophy of kindliness, opti- mism and tolerance will endure through the ages. | ‘The spirit of Twain’s writing set forth | in “A Connecticut Yankee” has been brought up-to-date by the adapters, Fields, Rodgers and Hart, and the in- terpretation by the large and capable company, headed by Richard Lane, is spirited and highly entertaining. Besides Richard Lane as the Yankee, the company includes Mary Adams as the lovely nmid, Nana Bryan as the wicked a Ceorge E. Mack as the droll Meriui;, .'anl Everton as King Ar- thur, Starke Fatterson, Francella Wa- terbury, Helen Gates, Gordon Burby and Bert Saunders. ‘There is a large dancing and singing chorus and an orchestra of operatic | proportions. This production is under | the. direction of Lew Fields and Lyle D. Andrews, who have provided an elab- orate and costly scenic and costume equipment. GAYETY—"Burlesque Revue.” “Burlesque ®2vue,” the offering at the Gayety Theater this week, has been described as a “Whoop-em-up show of superior charm.” It comes with a rec- ord on the Mutual circuit, which tells of its potency as a big drawing card. It is & compeny of burlesque favorites that includes Harry (Pep) Pearce and Madlyn Beatty as the featured two, who set the pace for a funny program said to be overflowing with novelties. Other comedians, singers and dancers are Herbert Harris, Evelyn Burke. Nellie Cason, Eddie Simms, Frank Kramer, Charlotte'Rae and Chet Kniffin. The two biggest scenes, “An Ameri- | can Rookie in France” and “The Play's the Thing,” are laughable burlesque. The incidental scenes and dances are said to be up in modern snappiness, and the chorus composed of *jolly-minded and the gayest of butterfiies.” EARLE—Dolores Costello in “Hearts in Exile.” Dolores Costello, one of the most beautiful of the sereen players, will be the star this week at the Earle Theater in the Warner Bros. talking production, “Hearts in Exile,” an interesting story of Russia and Siberia, presenting the age-old triangle in a different way and 'fih a new and striking climax. In this Russlan story, with a colorful back- ground both ‘of beauty and sordidness, she is said to do the finest emotional acting of her career in the role of & Russian 3 In “Heple:‘umln Exile” Vera Ivanova, the girl peasant, is faced with the prob- lem of ma: the man she loves and remaining in the slums of Moscow or {Palace Theater. the life of a lady as the wife (l:.i. d:nx nobleman. Disgusted with “:ljr 4 luxury. Then follows a period of strife, with ‘husband, wife and former sweet- heart finally meeting in a _Siberian prison camp. Realizing that his beau- dramatic way. Other members of the cast include Grant Withers and James Kirkwood. In “Hearts in Exile” the Russian singing and music is said to be excit- !ing, as are the turbulent scenes along the water front of Moscow. The theme son, “Like a Breath of Springtime,” is said to be an exquisite melody. The picture was directed by Michael Curtiz. PALACE—"Three Live Ghosts.” “Three Live Ghosts,” a United Art- ists talking and laugh sensation, is the current screen attraction at Loew's The picture is unique, mn that it employs a cast of stage stars, mcluding Beryl Mercer, Hilda Vaughn, Harry. Stubbs, Joan Bennett, Nancy Price, Charles McNaughton, Robert Montgomery, Claude Allister and Tenen Holtz. 1 The story concerns three soldiers who return after having been in a German prison camp to find that officially they are ‘dead.” One - is shell-shocked, an- other has been involved in the theft of some bonds, while the mother of the third has collected part of his insurance money. They decide to remain dead. However, the shell-shocked victim robs his own home and starts the police on their trail. As the plot ihickens the story becomes -funnier, but finally all ends well. Love interest is provided by Joan Bennett and Robert Montgomery. On the stage Al Evans and the Pal- ace Syncopators are presented in “Five and Ten Follies,” described as “a million dollars’ worth of entertainment,” which features Roy Sedley, “crown prince of Jezz,” with June Carr,” the personality girl; Phil Arnold of the nimble feet, L. La Granna, planist, and the Sorrel Steppers, six boys and six girls. The new Metrotone News, M-G-M’s sound | news reel, makes its debut along with the Fox Movietone News. The Palace Orchestra and Charles Gaige at the organ will complete the program. METROPOLITAN—"The Gold Diggers of Broadway.” ‘Warner Bros.' new_all-color talking, singing and dancing Vitaphone picture, | “Gold Diggers of Broadway,” one of the biggest hits of the season, has been received with such enthusiasm the past week that it will be held for a second week at Crandall's Metropolitan. The picture is generally pronounced to be the topnotch entertainment of the new style screen fare, a riot of beautiful colors as gay and bright as the rain- bow can display, clearly defined, but with the softness of pastel. i “Gold Diggers of Broadway” is first of all a good comedy. It has most of the smart comedy dialogue that made Avery Hopwood’s play, on which it was founded, such a hit. Nine néw songs and a show-within-a-show, in which the songs are sung, were interpolated ‘with a chorus of 100 dancing and - ing Hollywood beauties. ~The re“:u‘lt YM} be the Clouds with Sunshine,” h the 1]:“ With Me,” s” with the dancing chorus and Ann ton's “Mechanical Man” ‘They Fall in Love.” Half the songs fall to the lot of Nick Lucas, radio and (Continued on | tiful wife still loves Paul, Baron Palma | solves the problem in an unusual and ; i and “stil Kmh:‘ EvELYN BUrRkE - Gayety MARY A DAMS - Na+ional NaNcy WELFORD Mefmpol itan Mirziles to Order. HOW Hollywood does impossible things accounts in a measure for the great success of the movies. If the studio executives order a life- sized volcano ready for eruption on a certain sound stage at 9 o'clock in the morning, it is on hand at 8:30 with brimstone trimmings. From the lowliest errand boy to the most important de- partment head, the film workers are ac- customed to getting difficult assign- ments, and what is more important, they carry them out. One Jim Collins, make-up chief at Paramount’s West Coast studios, ap- parently bas had his share of them. One of them that came his way wac the making up of some 700 players for the mueical romance “The Vagabond King” starring Dennis King. The players represented every degree in society’s scale from the rabble to royalty. There were vagabonds, cour- tlers, street be; thieves and soldiers. There was a king and his grand marshal and a princess. There were court jesters and court mu- sicians, torchbearers and monks. Each type required a completely different make-up. No machine-like stamp of uniformity could bs placed upon the different types. Director Ludvig Berget insisted that careful individual care be given each make-up. Secondly, be it remembered, the pro- duction is 100 per cent in technicolor. That meant additional work, for com- plete new technicolor make-ups had o be evolved for the picture. * The story period is 1463. In the fifteenth cenfury men and women both wore long hair. That meant the making of more than 500 wigs, for even in Holly- wood long hair is not abundant. Women of the better classes at that time cov- ered their hair with elaborate head- dresses, but that burden slipped from Collins’ shoulders and into the lap of the already groaning wardrobe depart- ment. The vagabond women wore their hair free, in tangled, matted masses. The extras who did not require wigs had to have their own hair carefully dressed to simulate wild disorder, so it was “fifty-fifty” as far as the make-up de- partment’s work was concerned. The largest force of make-up artists ever assembled at the studios, it = claimed, whs used for. “The Vagabond " For Collins P e scenes had as many as 12 make-up men, 8 hairdressers make-up women and 10 forking under bis direction. One make- ars, ladies in waiting, ™ up man was assigned to Dennis King. the star. .A hairdresser worked with Jeanette MacDonald, the leading woman, at all times. O. P. Heggie, as King Louls XI; Warner Oland, as the grand mar- shal, and Lillian Roth, second feminine lead, also required special make-up tention throughout the picture. In ad- dition to these specialty tasks all Col- lins and his force had to worry about were the other 695 players. ‘When up on the Sacramento River with “The Devil's Cargo” company, Col- lins got an order that would give any man bad dreams. Three hundred extra layers, hired in the region, were rought to the film river boat in big buysses. “There they are, Jim,” Collins was told. “Make them into forty-niners and have them ready for work in two hours.” Beards sprouted in a manner to give Nature hysterics, but at the ap- pointed time the gold hunters were ady. “Old Ironsides” gave the make-up crew plenty more grief, with its wigs and queues for the vast army of players used. A rush order on beards caused the most commotion. Fifty bearded e: l SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 29, 1929. Motor, Aviation and Radio News “ TONIGHT AT TSvELVE Rialto . JUNE. CARR - Palace (Gge) OSTELLO and GRANTWITHERS- Earle Sweet Words for Thespis. @ much has been said about the disastrous situation in the Amer- ican theater,” says Theresa Helburn, executive director of the New York The- O'Neill's “Marco. Millions” at the Na- ticnal Theater October 7. “It is time for us to look on the other side,” continues Miss Helburn, “and ask ‘What is right with the theater?’ Paradoxical as it may sound, it seems to me that what is right with the thea- ter today is also what is wrong with the theater today. It is in process of be- coming an art and ceasing to be a busi- 5. “Half a century or so ago the thea- ter in America was, I gather, for the managers and the actor-managers of that day, a pleasant and sympathetic way of earning & living—that rare com- bination of a jobr with an avocation which results in an interesting life and moderate profits. “Then along came the organization of the theater into combinations on a large scale and the gesture behind produc- tion changed emphatically from pleas- ure to profit. In the years that fol- lowed the theater became frankly a business, and.a good business at that. “The first logical effect of the mo- tion picture was to displace the old ‘ten-twent-thirts.’ . The cheapest form of legitimate theatrical entertainment made way quite naturally for a still cheaper form in the sense that ma- chinery, mass production and distri- bution made the cost for each individ- ual playhouse proportionately less. The entertainment substituted was quite as tras were rushed to Catalina Island.” good—and perhaps better. Stage m‘ul Screen Attractions This Week. NATIONAL—“A Connecticut Yankee,” musical comedy. Qpens this evening. - BELASCO—William Faversham in “Her Friend, the King,” mod- ern comedy. Opens tomorrow evening. POLI'S— morrow evening. “The Ghost Parade,” mystery melodrama. Opens to- GAYETY—"Burlesque Revue,” burlesque: This afternoon.and evening. EARLE—Dolores Costello in “Hearts in Exile,” talking picture. This afternoon and evening. PALACE—"“The Live Ghosts,” talking picture. This l!terr;oon and evening. FOX—May McAvoy in “No Defense,” talking picture. This aft- ernoon and evening. RIALTO—“Tonight at Twelve,” talking picture. This niurnoon and evening” METROPOLITAN—“Gold Diggers of Broadway,” sound picture. ‘This afternoon and evening. COLUMBIA—Nancy Carroll in “The Dance of Life,” sound pic- ture. This afternoon and evening. L evening. THEATER—“Nana,” silent picture. This afternoon and ater Guild, which will present Eugene | “The second inevitable encroachment of the movie machine was in the prov- ince of the touring company—'the road.’ We have heard much of how mount- ing costs of railroading and salaries, the star system, inadequate casting and misleading billing moved in a vicious circle to cheapen the output and alien- ate road audiences. But these cheaper efforts were inevitable to meet the com- petition of this new entertainment, which had novelty, nominal running costs for the theater owner and could preserve a uniform standard of produc- tion in New York and Kamchatka. “The real artist in the theaier, ho ever, is never, I believe, going to find full creative satisfaction in the movies. In the case of the playwright, this is obvious; he becomes merely an adjunct, an adapter, a sublimated caption writ- er. For the actor it is equally true. While the art of acting seems to be a synthetic art, the actor digging grad- ually deeper and decper into the play- wright's meaning and adding layer by layer his interpretation—partly evolved from within, partly suggested by the actualities of playing—at some time must come into a mastery of all the tech- nical elements, a merging of all details into a rhythmic whole which $weeps the actor along and creates for the first time the actual mood and tempo of the scene, “Any one who has ever seen a talkie in production will realize how impos- sible this smooth, curved line of in- spiration is in the studio. Though the fine actor may be tempted by money to forsake the theater for the pictures temporarily, he will inevitably come back to the old gods, and each time he will come back to find the theater becoming & more satisfying place of refuge, clearer in its artistic motive, less ciuttered by mediocrities. “Once we begin to look upon the the- ater as an art, the whole problem be- comes simpler. What matter if there are fewer theaters if those that are left house better plays? What matter if there are fewer actors if those that are left are the finest? And the finest will be needed, for the better the play the more difficult the interpretation. 1 can imagine no more alluring prospect than that of the 80-odd theaters in New York 70 should be given over to the movies and the talkies, and that of the ggleumzr s0 lepfie.rt'.:l?yor three ::ml;’lld'vl,): using a rej of gre: ys; others, fine comedies of a kind too subtle or too sophisticated for motion picture consumption; others, modern plays too fearless or too full of real thought to make them popular witn the mentality that mass production must attract. Then we would indeed have a golden age of the theater. The- lm-gflng would be a rarer but a much more rea) pleasure, and that vast au- dience which ass of late deseried the ture for the safe paths of litérature may come back into the fold.” | LAYGOERS are the most mali- cious of art's patrons, and the sorrier the plight they find their heroes in, the greater their satisfaction. We feed on the woes of others, and our enjoyment is fullest in those moments of the drama when tribulations cluster around the persons on the stage. The “happy ending,” deemed in other days to be essential to popularity, is now a handi- cap resented by one and all. Give us spectacles of misery, relieved occasion- ally by theatrical wit and humor, and we are content. With a gorilla ferocity we gloat on the faults and mishaps of ouf” fellow men as illustrated by the dramatists and actors. Especially are we savage in the pleas- ure we take in witnessing the downfall of the heroine in “Strictly Dishonor- able.” In this amusing play by Preston Sturges we see a little Southern girl, inexperienced, if not entirely innocent, falling into the temptations and perils that are said to enliven the visitor to our metropolis. Fresh from the magnolia district, fragrant with chastity and the ideals of semi-tropical womanhood, she succumbs to the wiles of New York life and ends as the bride of an Italian baritone, notorious for his heart-break- ing escapades. It is, perhaps, the super-ingenuousness of Miss Muriel Kirkland, as the be- wildered belle from Dixie, that causes us to exult more than usual when she succumbs to evil. We see her first as she bashfully enters a New York speak- easy accompanied by her swain, a hard- boiled hick from New Jersey. Fascinat- ed by the glamour of her surroundings, she forgets herself and drinks a creme de menthe. The woman in her makes her bitious to put her foot on a brass rail, and she goes to the bar and orders a Manhattan cocktail. These actions while beguiling to the audience are offensive to her fiance, and he in a burst of suburban indignation de-| nounces her and gives her the air. So she goes to the rooms of the naughty Neapolitan thrush. What a bang there is in the scene that follows. “Strictly Dishonorable” ends on a note of tragic omens. She, likeable ingenue from Kokum, Miss., marries the suave, pretty and unstable Italian star of the Metropolitan Opera House, Lhereby. p:;edlc‘ u::g catastrophe. ¢ROPE'S END,” imported from Lon- - don,. is rife with literate horrors. ARTUUR” PaT" ST Fox (S79ge). NANCY CARROLL and HALSKELLY- Colum bia THE DRAMA ON BROADWAY By Percy Hammond. In it the thrill-crime of the Chicagoan Loeb and pols is reproduced with Oxford trimmings—depicting the mortuary pleasures of the shroud, the knell, the mattock and the morgue. Mr. Patrick Hamilton, the author of it, caters to our fondness for the macabre by making all of his characters human and bizarre. Brandon and Granillo kill a boy and put his remains in a chest upon which they serve dinner to the father of the deceased. The piquancy of the situation is augmented by the melodramatic suspicion of a poet, who, though falsetto is voice and demeanor, turns out to be a vengeful detective . with a sword-cane and a police whistle. “Rope’s End” is harrowing in its mur- derous way, the most adult of the dramas treating of strangulation and its results. it e 2 R, WHITE'S “Scandals” is, as usual, bigger and better than usual, an extensive and impudent vaudeville, em- ploying numerous artists its per- formance, against extravagant and pic- turesque backgrounds. Mr. White's chorus is more underdressed and younger than ever and some of the sections of the revue are appropriately scandalous. Willie Howard is the chief comedian, and Eugene Howard the principal vocalist. Since Mr. White, himself, appears cordially in the revue, this year’s “Scandals” may be reported as successful. Adolphe's Wife. ATHRYN CARVER, the blonde seen in support of Monte Blue and May McAvoy in the Warner Bros.’ produc~ tion “No Defense,” was known to thou- sands of Americans by her features, al- though not by name, several years be- fore she became prominent in motion pictures. She posed for Harrison Pisher, the noted artist, for a series of girls’ heads which appeared on the covers of the Cosmopolitan Magazine. Even before that she had posed for commercial photographers in New York for heads advertising toilet articles. She Was never cn the legitimate stage. ‘While she was visiting in Los Angeles she was invited to take a screen test for the role of Naomi in “The Wan- derer,” and has since been in pictures. She is married to Adolphe Mg . She 1s fond of sports, notably golf and swim- »