Evening Star Newspaper, October 6, 1929, Page 79

| Theater, Screen and Music Part 4—16 Pages AMUSEMENT SECTION | he Sundiy Star. WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 6, 1929. . NATIONAL—‘Marco Millions.” Beginning its second touring season, the acting company of the Theater Guild of New York will reach Washing- ton tomorrow night, to present that evening at the National Theater the first play of the first Guild subscription season in this city—namely, Eugene O'Neill's satiric comedy, “Marco Mil- lions.” Ostensibly, the play is a dramatiza- tion of the famous book known as “Marco Polo's Travels,” which he dic- tated in prison and which earned for him the sobriquet of “Millions,” be- cause he seemed somewhat given to exaggeration of what he saw. Actually, however, O'Neill lavished his attention on the traveler himself and his glam- orous travels across the desert to Per- sia, India, Mongolia and Cathay. To all the grandeurs of the Far East, pre- sented by the -Guild production in 11 scenes, Marco reacts with an eye keen only to the hard cash of big business. On the serene philosophy of India he hurls the contempt of the restless go- getter. At the fantastic splendors, cere- monies and conventions of the pleasure domes of China Marco impatiently thinks of gunpowder and paper money. The hero’s windy sales talks come like A& breeze even to the throne of the Kaan and blow all to his feet, includ- ing the fluttering heart of the Kaan's daughter, the lovely Princess Kukachin, who knows in her heart that Margo has a soul. < Lee Simonson is responsible for the lavish setting in the Guild's production of the play, and Rouben Mamoulian di- rected. The Theater Guild Acting Co. will_offer to Washington such players as Earle Larimore, Sylvia Field, Henry Travers, Ernest Cossart, Sydney Green- street, Helen Tilden, Albert Van Dekker, Louils Veda, Teresa Guerini and others. GAYETY—“Ginger Girls.” ‘What the Gayety Theater manage- ment believes to be a real favorite with burlesque fans is to play there this week. It is “Ginger Girls,” in a second and new edition. Novel scenic and cos- tume effects have been devised. and the slnnlngl an]d dancing are claimed to be e level. erne,” called “the Beautiful Prench Doll,” and Tommy Levene, comedian, are the featured performers, and among the other members of the cast may be mentioned Charles Robinson, Don_Trent, Blanche Burnette, Ed G. Wright, Harry Delmont, Peggy Glea- son and Vic Guesele. EARLE—“Fast Company.” “past Company,” featuring _Jack Oakie, screen comedian; Evelyn Brent, Richard (“Skeets”) Gallagher and Gwen Lee, is this week's screen offering at the Earle Theater, “Fast Company” has to do with a “bush league” ball player, Jack Oakie, who plays base ball so well that he is signed by the Yankees. He leaves his little old home town and is plunged into the fast company of city-bred girls and big league players. He becomes the tower of strengihi on the Yapkees and they win the pennant. Then comes the world’s series with Pittsburgh. ‘With the deciding game to be played on the morrow, a number of upsetting events project themselves into the path- way of success for Oakie. His girl turns him down and a gang of smart gamblers make him their unwitting dupe. All seems dark when a happy twist of fate saves the day for the hero. | * The picture s based on an original Ring Lardner story, and Director Suth- erland is said to have exerted all his @irectorial lbflltf to have the well ‘known slang dial of the humorist injected into the . Evelyn Brent is cast a8 the clw-gudjlrl who finally. 4 | of the dialogue was falls for Oakie. “Skeets” Gallagher is his quick-tongued manager and Gwen Lee is the blonde and comely girl friend who helps muss up the progress of the love plot. FOX—“They Had to See Paris.” Will Rogers’ first talking picture, “They Had to See Paris,” is now at the Fox Theater. It is reported that much “ad libbed” by Rogers as the picture was being made. ‘There were no rigid rules laid down on the dialogue of the story; Mr. Rogers was told the situations to be endcted and was then literally “turned loose to be himself.” In “They Had to See Paris,” Mr. Rogers is cast as Pike Peters, a citizen of his own actual home town, Clare- more, Okla. Oil is struck on his prop- erty and right away the family, par- ticularly mother and daughter, want “a background.” Paris is the only place to obtain that background, they think, and so, being a loving father, Pike Peters agrees. Things turn out differently than they had expected. In the supporting cast is Irene Rich, a star in _her own right and who, as the wife of Will Rogers, gives a reported excellent performance. Others in the cast are Marguerite . Churchill, Fifi D'Orsay, Owen Davis, jr., and several other well known screen players. Fanchon and Marco’s “Songs I Love” idea will constitute the stage show. Featured in the presentation will be C. and C. Stroud, Roy Smoot and other well known figures of the musical com- edy and revue stage. The Sunkist Maidens, always a feature of the Fan- chon companies, will also share in “Songs I Love.” John Trving Fisher will Act as master of ceremonies, RIALTO—"Paris Bound.” Ann Harding makes her first local appearance on the talking screen at the Rialto this week in “Paris Bound,” an adaptation of Philip Barry's stage suc- cess. The film version of the work is said to combine effectively the dra- matic feeling of the actual lines with the wider scenic scope which motion picture photography permits. The ex- ceptional vocal equipment of - Miss Harding, already known to legitimate dramagoers, is reported to record with excellent strength and clarity. ‘The plot of “Paris Bound” centers upon a four-sided domestic tangle in modern soclety life. Miss Harding and Frederic March are seen as the young married couple upon whose problems and triumphs the story is _based. Carmlita Geraghty and Leslie Fenton appear in the roles of those two who, in their separate orbits, are responsible for the perplexities which beset the wedded couple. Other roles are taken by Ilka Chase, Juliette Crosby, Charlotte Walker, Hal Cooley and George Irvi ‘The _Star-Universal other flim subjects round out week's bill. METROPOLITAN—“Gold Diggers of Broadway.” “Gold Diggers of Broadway,” the all- eolor, singing, talking and dancing pic- ture, is now in its third week at Cran dall’s Metropolitan. In its cast a headliners of the caliber of Ann Pen- Nancy Welford, Conway ‘Winnie Lightner, Nick Lucas and Willlam Bakewell. Its stage effects are by Larry Ceballos. - In this Vitaphone picture a player is given a leading role without having had an jota of previous screen e nce. That distinction has fallen to Winnie Lightner, known to musical mcca; but an absolute stranger heretofore either silent or_talking pictures. Miss ~(Continued on Second Page.) fewsreel and this N\ A‘Gfi F an dl’ SCREEN / CoONRAD NAGEL and ANITA PAGE - EARLE LARIMORE - /\la+ . ional Columbia WiLL ROGERS =nd MARGUERITE Local Stage and Screen. | ILL ROGERS' first talking picture|guild’s plays and divers activities, has, Ga)'e+>’// having been fully pre-viewed, ac- cording to growing local custom, is cur- rently installed at the Fox. It is Homer Croy’s story, “They Had to See Paris,” and presents the frowsy, wistful Mr., Rogers in a vehicle excellently suited to his characteristic talents. Mr. Rogers' talents are interesting His chief stock in trade is a naive and perennial shyness, an almost embar- rassed friendliness. He does not in- dulge himself in lurid histrionics. He never gets excited, seldom confused. He | is apparently a man who knows no fear in the choice of his remarks, but he is unremittingly tactful. The patter with which he enlivens his well known rop- ing act is utterly audacious, but never offensive. He would as soon lampoon the highest as the lowest, and he has got by with it for nearly 25 years. Frank rzage's direction of Rogers in “They Had to See Paris” followed interesting and intelligent lines. Real- izing that fitting the humorist to a con- ventional cinema pattern would limit the flexible expression in which he is most skillful, Borzage wisely adapted the story to the man. When certain passages in the script seemed incon- gruous with the Rogers manner they were rewritten to suit that manner. ‘When dialogue sounded unlike the usual Rogers quip it was changed to a more natural form. Rogers was even en- couraged to ad lib; that is, to make up his own lines as he went along, just as he does on the stage. Such an un- precedented procedure beforeythe ordi- narily tyrannical microphone was looked upon with apprehension by many in the studio. Borzage's faith, however, was justified, and as a result the picture, which is three-fourths Rogers dialogue as well as Rogers acting, has the win- ning nonchalance of the man himself. Juliette Crosby, who makes her talk- ing picture debut as a prominent mem- ber of the cast of “Paris Bound” at the Rialto this week, is well known in social circles here. Her father, Oscar T. Crosby, served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury during the Wilson admin- istration, and was head of the Treasury forces in Europe during the World War. Miss Crosby made her debut in Wash- ington during the family’s residence here. Man, in his cavalier fashion, feels that animals should be clever, diligent and free from vice. ' A shocking evi- dence of intemperance, however, in a colony of ants was discovered by pains- taking UFA cameramen in making “Secrets of Nature,” at the Little Thea- ter this week. A satanic ingenuity in getting and hnldmfhonw the liquor which makes them hilarious is shown by the ants. They coax it originally from tiny aphids (minute hemopterous in- uc{s, if you prefer) found on plants. go so far as to keep the aphids in their cities, caring for them 50 that they may yleld quantities of the intoxicating fluid. Elmer Kenyon, nting the Thea- ter Guild, in Mm supplying the wspepers with sumptuous data on been giving a series of talks in Wash- ington on different phases of the guild's playwrights, operation and history. He has spoken, among other places, at the Women’s National Press Club, the Women's Legal Fraternity, the Arts Club, the Jewish Community Center, the Eastman School and the City Club. The Stratford - on - Avon Festival Co., recognized as one of the foremost Shakespearean organizations of the present-day stage, will begin its second North American tour on October 7 with a fortnight's engagement in Toronto. | Washington is included in the company | itinerary. The Festival company is| made up of the permanent players of | the Memorial Theater at Stratford- Upon-Avon, an institution that pos- sesse: royal charter and is under the patronage of the King. For the past 50 years performances of Shakespeare's plays have been given at the Memorial Theater. Three years ago the original buildings were destroyed by fire. A new memorial, to be far finer than the old one, is now in course of construction. Attractions at the Fox, henceforth in weekly succession until the end of this year, have been announced by Hardie Meakin as follows: “The Girl From Havana” (next week), with Lola Lane and Paul Page; “Big Time,” with Lee Tracy, stage star of “The Front Page”; “The River,” with Mary Duncan and Charles Farrell; “Song of Kentucky,” with Lois Moran; “Three Sisters,” with Joyce Compton, Tom Patricola and Louise Dresser; “Seven Faces,” in which Paul Muni of “The Valiant” renown is starred; “Married in Hollywood,” fea- turing Norma Terris and J. Harold| py, Murray and with music by Oscar Strauss; “Frozen Justice,” Lenore Ul- ric’s first talking picture; “Romance of Rio Grande,” with Warner Baxter and Mary Duncan; “Love, Live and Laugh,” starring George Jessel; “Christiana,” with Janet Gaynor, and “Lone Star Ranger,” in the week of December 28. CHURCHILL Fox - “Verne” K . [IFFANY “TSUIN Motor, Aviation and Radio News - and K Falace (Stage) George Jessel—Enigma. BY BEN HECHT. CAN imagine nothing more difficult to write than a play for George Jessel. ‘This is because George Jessel is al- ready a play—a complete drama per- fectly characterized, brilliantly equipped with dialogue, gesture, emotion and even make-up. From his nose to his nostalgias, from the arrogant and ironic turn of his words to the fire hose patter of his tears, Jessel is the happlest portrait his race has yet invented of itself. ‘This melancholy strut, this droll and slightly coptemptuous aplomb and this anarchistic laughter that calls itself Jessel, has only one rival in literature— Mr. Samuel Weller. With this differ- ence-—in Jessel's case Jessel is both the author and the character. He has selected himself, fitted him- self with a hilarious lingo, twisted a savage and penetrating pessimism into a Punch and Judy guffaw of caricature. He has written and dramatized George Jessel into existence as definitely and much more brilliantly than, for instance, Sean O;Cuey wrote and dramatized the ycoc! It is this fully drawn, highly spiced personality, complete in its point of view no less than its whimsical inflec- tions, that appears on the screen or stage as an actor. One evening Jessel, Jed Harris (the producer) and I were sitting in a cafe discussing Jessel’s talents. We had seen Stage and Screen Attractions This Week. NATIONAL—“Marco Millions,” Theater Guild production, satiric comedy. Opens tomorrow evening. BELASCO—“The Middle Watch,” ning. POLI'S— ning. comedy. Opens tomorrow eve- “Hello Yourself,” musical comedy. ens this ing. GAYETY—“Ginger Girls,” burlesque. 3 nd eve: This -afternoon and eve- EARLE—‘“Fast Company,” talking picture, with Evelyn Bre;lt and Jack Oakie. This afternoon and evening. ‘PALACE—John Gilbert in “His Glorious Night,” talking picture. This afternoon and evening. FOX—Will Rogers in “They Had to See Paris,” talking picture. This afternoon and evening. RIALTO—Ann Harding in “Paris Bound,” talking picture. This afternoon and evening. METROPOLITAN—“Gold Digger: This afternoon and evening. s of Broadway,” sound’ plct\ire. COLUMBIA—“The Hollywood Revue,” sound picture. This aft- ernoon and evening. LITTLE afternoon and evening. THEATER—"Secrets of Nature,” silent picture. " This .company is going after the best dialogue his vaudeville act at the Palace Theater. Jed Harris was singing Jessel's pralse as a comedian—as a true comic spirit, and belaboring his more lachrymose, side. He resented the manner in. which Jessel, the comedian, suddenly sat him- | self down on the orchestra piano and taking the audience into his confidence, discussed—to low music—his memories of his mother and his past. Tears rolled out of the Jessel eyes, the Jessel voice choked. He controlled himself with difficulty from sobbing aloud and fin- }s‘ ddin a song about mother, his true riend. ‘This exhibition, Jed Harris insisted, was tawdry and unreal and represented the cheap side of Jessel's talent. Jessel argued, a bit nervously, that it might be tawdry, but unreal it wasn't. The realistic Jed Harris pooh poohed. Then a curious‘thing happened. The conversation began to take an off-turn. Jessel, with a cunning and cruelty which | escaped our notice, was asking Harris questions. And In reply to these soft queries, Harris was telling about his early East Side days, about his mother, about the strange Cinderella ending his riches had given the struggling his parents. Tears filled Harris’ eyes. His words choked. £ And suddenly the banjo voice of Jes- sel struck through the purr of reminis- cences. “Look! Look!” eried Jessel, pointing to the moist Harrls eyes, “such a thing he has never seen. Quick. Get him a piano. He's doing my -act.” And imitating the Harris voice, Jessel launched into the mammy song that had outraged the realist an hour before. e of Rialto Announces Films. DEEINITE announcement that the Rialto Thenter would continue with the presentation of its usual weel feature programs, despite local rumor to the u.mm:g was made this week by Howard Lichey, on behalf of James A. ral manager of Universal’ “The rumors of the Rialto's closing are incorrect,” Mr. Lichey said. “The theater will positively stay open. The and sound pictures available, augment- ing its own products by a number of outstanding pictyres bought in the open i mane 4 inent films sched. A e prominen sched- uled for the Bialto, In_adaition to “Paris Bound,” with Ann Harding, to be shown in the coming week, are such as to | rid herself of her new husband, & comic Russian prince, s GILBERT ATHERINE DALE OWEN- Palace Rialto THE DRAMA ON BROADWAY By Percy Hammond. E have been without a First Actor since the day Mr.' ‘Warfleld said to Mr. Belasco: I give this heavy weight | from off my head, And the unwieldy scepter from my hand, | mysteriously disappearing ~ thereafter into the silences of abdication. Nomi- nees have been numerous for Mr. War- fleld's discarded sovereignty—Walter | Hampden, beloved of Brooklyn and the | Players Club; Arliss the dear of cul- tural circles: Skinner. the fine torch- | bearer of tradition: the devout Sothern | and many others of rich endowments. ' But they seem to lack the stature es. sential to a popular public institution, the voice with which to call the multi- tude to worship. I have been subject to the drama under four dynasties— | Joseph Jefferson in my babyhood, Rich- ard Mansfield in my youth, David War- fleld in my middle-age and John Drew in all of them. Players better perhaps than they performed roles more artis- tically, but they were the big shots, the fixed stars, the Hhigh priests in the drama’s mosques and joss.houses. Just as we are about to exclaim; “Alas, there are no more first actors!” along comes George Cohan. For a gen- eration Mr. Cohan has entertained us with his jaunty trivialities—his nifty dancing, his hard revues, his soft musi- cal comedies and his little dramas. His advance as a substantial actor, how- | ever, has been stealthy and a secret to many bright-eyed critics. His latest play, “Gambling,” is but a Broadway- Park avenue show. Yet in it he por- trays a quiet, four-square, sentimental, iron-gray betting man with a validity and charm so remarkable that it en- titles him to the vacant dais. From the first minutes to the last he fills a false play with integrity by the sheer cred- ibility of his acting. : Give Mr. Cohan a “show” as appeal- ing as Jefferson’s “Rip Van Winkle,” Mansfleld’s “A Parisian Romance” or “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” or War- fleld’s “The Music Master” and he will last as long as they have lasted in the sacred memories of the American dra- ma lovers. Even in such a tired play as_ “Gambling,” he proves himself worthy of the decoration which I now have the honor, if not the privilege, of pinning upon him. Arise, “first ac- tors,” and try to get a play sufficient for your talents. Grains of Salt. “MANY WATERS.”—A quiet, some- times motionless fable in which proof again is offered that drama exists in the lives of even the most commonplace people. Ernest Truex and Miss da Vanne of England are superior as the humdrum couple who experience with severity the fluctuations of ro- mance and tragedy on the way from dust to dust. Honestly written Mouckton Hoppe, and delightfully play- ed by a Lon company, it is one of the rightest things of the season. 3 NAPLES DIE."—Laborious extravaganza by Elmer_Rice cartooning the excitements of foreign travel. A bright idea with occasional flashes, all extinguished by a torrent of wet wise- cracks. In it Miss Claudette Colbert as. an amateur epigrammatist, fresh from Bryn Mawr, rends the air with Mr, Rice’s windy facetiae, while trying to of an American belle who, after bawl- ing out her big boy from the States, lcaves him with the remark: “So say= ing, the beautiful heroine gathered up her skirts and swept regally from the room”? . . . See Mr. Rice’s “Street Scene” and live. “SUBWAY EXPRESS.”—A kinder- garten melodrama in which a Wall Street broker is murdered upon his way home from the Bourse. There his cadaver sits for hours in a 5-cent seat while rapid transit and the processes of the police involve us in their juvenile antics. The play’s transaction and manner are so awkwardly phony that ts appeal is to the gullible, not to you and me. “CANDLELIGHT."—A polite and genial frolic adapted by P. G. Wode- house from the German. Its principal characters are a Viennese prince (Reg- inald Owen) and his valet (Leslie How= ard), who by the mischievous rhythm of circumstances are reversed in their positions. If you like adroit acting you will enjoy Mr. Owen and Mr. How- ard as they dexterously juggle Mr. Wodehouse’s roles in “Candlelight,” making them much better than usual. Conflicting Phenomena. P-TO-DATE scientific phenomena are crowding one another in Los Angeles and Hollywood, where moving picture companies filming all-talking motion pictures outdoors complain that airships and airplanes flying directly over locations interfere with proper re- cording. . “Motion picture companies shooting talking productions on location seem to have a magnetic attraction for airships and airplanes,” said E."Edward Suther- land, who had an experience of this kind while making outdoor shots for “Fast Company.” Lieut. Carl Lange, skipper of the Goodyear airship Volun- teer, flew over the field. When Suther- land heard the ship coming he stopped production, knowing that the sound of the motors would be picked up by the microphones. Lange discovered the pic- ture company below him and shut off his motors. ‘This unusual courtesy startled the picture folk for an instant. Then they went ahead annd favored the aerial guest with the unique experience of watching the picture in the making from a height of 400 feet. Casting Problems. CASTING a motion picture is not what it used to be. A casting di- rector must be aware of tke music, singing, dancing and speaking ability by | of the players, as well as their photo- graphic and dramatic qualities, now that talking pictures have captivated the screen world. Such has been the experience of Joe Marks, veteran cast- ing_director for- Warner Bros. Not only do the principals have to be cast in this manner, but the entire pro- duction troupe of extras and bit play- ers are often called upon to pass these tests to appear in Vitaphone pictures, Mr. Marks points out. Many of the cast of “Gold of Broadway” to be thought Diggers underwent singing and dancing as well as voice and screen tests for the picture, N