Evening Star Newspaper, December 8, 1929, Page 67

— . Theater, Screen an d Music Part 4—14 Pages Auice NWHITE - VA *The Gy fim\%ozfva'fif” Earle MorTON AMUSEMENT SECTION he Sunday Star, WASHINGTON, . Maxine DovLE- DOWNEY are BETTY LAWFORD- /> Lucky In Love * Rialto A Season of Pleasant Reminders. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. It was “Dracula” that set a “Hark From the Tombs” pace for the holiday theater: "Rites of plot and incantations of dialogue pointed to the possibility of a vital spirit living on and on in influen- tial activity. v * x ko ‘The melodies invested by Victor | Herbert on the book and lyrics by Henry Blossom go on in charming permanence and summon a mem- | ory of other days in what seems almost a reincarnation of Fritzi Scheft. Miss Scheff has lost a certain remote hauteur that she carried with her from the Aretic altitudes of old-time serious grand opera. She is now delighted to shake hands with the laity as industri- ously as if she were a politician Fritzi always knew a great deal about singing. During 2 long and notable absence from the stage she evidently learned a great deal about the theater. Every good old-time play patron has enrolled himself as a volun- teer press agent and contributed glowing rhetoric to the celebra- tion of this lum!nous star, who set but rose again with triumphant twinkle in due course of Broadway astronomy. iy The coming week will disclose another old-timer in Earl Carroll, the eternal chaperon, presenting W. C. Fields with a background and enabling playgoers to rejoice that Fields did net cling to his personal acrobatics and risk sacri- ficing possibilities as a popular comedian in order to preserve the prestige of a juggler. Fields was a good juggler, but possessed the ability to see that the market is| better for comedians than for ex- | ponents of physical drollery. | * ¥ x % ‘What promises to be one of the most interesting occasions of the season is a rediscovery of the| theater by William Gillette. After building a reputation for the in- terpretation of whimsical roles in farce, Gillette based his most memorable reputation upon the detective story, a form of fiction| that bears repetition on the stage after a lapse of seasons, as was shown by the acceptability of “Jim, the Penman,” under the George C. Tyler auspices—the same that ap- pear in present supervision of Gil- lette destinies. It is truly an achievement in theater detective work to locate “Sherlock Holmes” after so long a mysterious absence from devoted | friends. * ¥ ¥ % One of the chief elements of interest in Shubert-Belasco pat- ronage was the privilege of shak- ing hands with those in front ot the house who have so stalwartly battled for idealism in the theater, sometimes even in the face of an- tagonism to finer thought, from the stage itself. There is some news that seems almost too bad to be true. Many letters have been received by L. Stoddard Taylor begging him to seek some means of averting the threatened loss of a favorite play- house. It was well enough known that the Shubert-Belasco and Poli’s were slated for a disappear- ance at no distant time in order to make way for the march of Government improvements. Yet the theatergoer finds it difficult | theatric property were received at whicl, so many divinities in art have been worshiped, can 5 sibly be eliminated from f: ar scenes. * % % % Letters congratulating Mr. Tay- lor on his fine administration of a during the week from writers who represented all shades of thought, from discriminating criticism to the appreciation that is grateful to be amused without searching into the delicate points of method. A probability is discussed that Mr. Bonneville will be transferred to a Shubert theater in another city and that Mr. Taylor will take the management of Poli’s. * K K K 4 ‘The closing attraction at the Shubert-Belasco was “The Infinite Shoeblack,” a drama which ap- plied polish to a rather rugged piece of raw material. The axiom that people wish to go to the theater for entertainment and not instruction has often been system- atically disregarded. A person who does not know his Freud is made aware after a few stretches of dialogue that he is not expected to become conscious of any great pleasure. “The Infinite Shoe- black” takes on ponderous intel- lectual lines, as it quotes Carlyle’s “Sartor Resartus” to the effect that no joint stock company can make one shoeblack happy. This is very serious thinking and, like so much of what is current in ex- pression, carries a tinge of social- istic theory. * % * % The stage in a very generous mood has done its best to aid an- cient poets and modern philoso- phers along the way toward popu- lar recognition. The assistance has not been mutual. advertised the Oedipus complex with world-wide co-operation by innumerable printing presses, yet no one demonstrates the slightest, desire to see “Oedipus Rex” in its proper dramatic form. “The In- finite Shoeblack,” in telling its by no means unusual story of a young man and a young woman in throes of morbid introspection, de- rives no benefit from “Sartor Re- sartus,” as the famous Carlyle essay leaves many a patron won- Teufelsdrockh could have been. The theater has done much for literature, enabling poets and ro- mancers to survive in apprecia- tion. Literature, as it takes on excessively . light. or excessively ponderous material, has been do- ing very liitle toward returning | the favor. | | Earle Concert Today. ANTALIZING, toe-tickling tunes, it is announced, wi'l be dispensed by ‘Washington’s favorite dance orchestra as a feature of the Sunday afternoon concert at the Earle T y. ‘The 16 sultans of syncopation, com- prising the famous McWilllams Or- chestra, are said to have devised a pro- gram of popular '.muln%l;nghlnh the Earle man ent con! ly expects to be a m"::fll.l hit with the public. The orchestra will af under direc~ tion of Phil O'Brien, and will feature the versatile and popular Al Virts, well known throughout the East for his bril- liant and amusing performances. Also_on the program, which extends from 2 to 3 this afternoon, will be direction of Daniel Breeskin. -anged the :mpllmzfi to to realize that a cherished shrine, Freud has | Holm dering just who the deuce Herr} the Earle Symphony Orchestra, under The concert is one of a series ar- Earle management in its Sunday matinee Fox VIVIAN FAY- Pa lace ($#age s She Bought His Picture. 1SS ADA COMSTOCK, president of Radcliffe College, it is sald, recent ly confessed in a letter to the eminent actor Willlam Gillette, that the only actor’s photograph she ever bought was one of Mr. Gillette. Miss Comstock wrote Mr. Gillette, as have s0 many other prominent people, felicitating him on his return for a final farewell to the stage in “Sherlock (0] saying, “I am one of the many Wwho are happy to hear that you are go- ing to bring Sherlock Holmes back to us. Perhaps this is the moment for a confession to the effect that you are the only member of your profession of whom I ever bought a photograph. I did it whén you were first appearing in “Secret Service” and “‘Sherlock Holmes.” The years since then have served only to show that it was a dis- criminating choice. I am glad to think that we are all to have a chance of seeing you again; and I hope that your return to the stage will give you at least a fraction of the pleasure you are giving others.” . “Interference” in Talkies. ONI of the biggest problems talkie technicians had to solve when sound pictures came into vogue was the elimi-~ nation of squeaky shoes. ‘They bored holes in the soles, used felt paddings and even resorted to rub- berized bottoms on players' boots and o they ha jow they have an opposite problem to face. In “The House of 'n-gy" Ra- mon Novarro appears in a scene in which the only sounds heard are the squeaking of his shoes as he climbs the stairs in the early morning hours after a wild party. Robert Z. Leonard, directing, offered a solution, melting rosin and injecting the fluid between the leather layers in the soles of his shoes, allowing it to harden so that it will crackle loudly when he walks. Qpera Star Makes Hit. LAWRENCE TIBBETT, the opera star, made many friends when he appesred In Rogue Song at the etro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. He broadcast & song program from New York a couple of days ago and no less than 50 radios were set up about the studios to “catch” him. The work- ers in the sound rtment, picked up his radio broa 413 patrons. t and & souvenir record of it. o 10 (0 SCREEN SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 8, 1929 i Motor, “Aviation and Radio News GARBO-ard LEW AYRES - /7 “The Kiss " Falace NW.C.FIELDS and Wi#h Earl Carrollé M\ /Grrtres” Na'honal FRANCES KNIGHT- Women and Mustaches. YFARS AGO,” says Chester Conklin, who has been variously described from time to time, but especlally as “the walrus of the screen”—"a very charming lady, her name as I recall it was Miss or Mrs. Landon Reed, in lec- turing upon the delectable theme ‘Poise,’ gave a rather detailed atten- tion to the hair lip trimming of gentle- men known as the mustache. I heard the lecture and strongly approved it o far as it applied to the ladies, who were adviged to do many things, at which said the lecturer, the men will be sure to laugh and cezll vain and foolish. ‘But,” she added, ‘if you can conceive of anything more ridiculous, more hideous, more out of place in refined human cir- cles than the bunch of hair that dis- figures a man's upper lip, you may stop me. “The delightful lady then proceeded to talk about sewers of the head, of man’s handwashed face and the hasty manner in which he dried it and of the various things he did with his mouth during the day—and remember that was in the pre-Volstead days. I was young and strong and healthy and could eat and drink anything in those days, but after hearing what the lady said I didn't want to eat or drink ever again. I also had one of those hair trimmings which she was so effectively holding up to scorn, but after the lec- ture I went home and directly removed it, as I hoped, for all time. “Since adopting the screen as a plous vocation I have had to face my enemy many times, and.strange to say my screen mustache has won me the proud title of ‘walrus of the screen.’ - Once in a while they let me part with it, but as a rule, my directors and those who waste midnight oil in building up characterizations for me seem to have decreed that whatever my scruples may be my mustache is an indispensable ad- Junct of my histrionic art. “And yet I am willing to admit that I have seen some very pretty mus- taches.” Conklin is wearing that mustache again in “The Virginian.” Colony's New Organist. 1SS IDA CLARKE, former head- liner in Keith vaudeville, has been appointed organist at the Colony Thea- ter, where :%ne is to begin her duties today. mymdillon to being one of the lead- ing organisté in the East, Miss Clarke also is an accordion virtuoso, and today will give a selection of popular melodies on the latter instrument. The Colony management plans to make Miss Clarke's organ solos and her accordion performances a regular fea- ture of its bill. Stage and Screen Attractions This Week. NATIONAL—Earl Carroll’s “Vanities,” revue. ning. Opens this eve- GAYETY—Harry Steppe’s Show, burlesque. This afternoon and evening. PALACE—“The Kiss,” with Greta Garbo. This afternoon and evening. FOX—“Song of Love,” with Belle Baker. evening. This afternoon and METROPOLITAN—"“Paris,” with Irene Bordoni. This afternoon and evening. RIALTO—“Lucky in Love,” with Morton Downey. This after- noon and evening. EARLE—“The Girl From Woolworth’s,” with Alice White. This afternoon and evening. R-K-O. KEITH'S—“Jazz Heaven,” with Sally O'Neil. This after- noon and evening. COLUMBIA—“The Virginian” (second week). and evening. This afternoon BeLre BAKER- /n"The St orngofLove” . Fox Gillette's Farewell. WILLXAM GILLETTE is breaking records and scoring triumphs in his farewell tour. His farewell to the stage as Sherlock Holmes in. New York, November 25, was greeted by the most representative and distinguished audience seen in any New York theater in years, it is said. The literary, social, theatrical and business world were rep- resented in the capacity house. It was, in truth, a reassembling in 1929 of the most distinguished representatives and their children of the old Madison Square Theater audiences, which dis- persed after the performance prohably never to gather again, for no actor but William Gillette could attract such distinction. By Wednesday night it was impassible to secure tickets for the re- mainder of the week, and the advance sale for the entire engagement of three weeks indicates a complete sell-out. Although tickets are more expensive than when Mr. Gillette first was seen in “Sherlock Holmes” 30 years ago, with the receipts per performance rela- tively larger, he is said, nevertheless, to be breaking his own comparative rec- ords in this farewell tour. His first &ertormmces in Springfield, where the ur opened, were phenomenal for that city. Advices from cities which follow New York indicate that this farewell tour of the most famous actor alive will be a trlumphant affair. Mr. Gillette modestly expresses himn- self as being amazed at the interest evinced by both old and young in his old detective masterpiece, charmingly disclaiming any of the credit himself. R Ny lI“[.lt,_ the 'Deck"” in Sound. AFTER néarly three months of inten- sive * production -night and day, dio Javish version of “Hit leted. Foul were used.. Lither Polly Walker, Follles beauty, and Jack ©Oakie, comedian, in the chief roles. Elaborate sets were constructed to ve realism and narrative value to the incent Youmans stage hit. Three hundred carpenters working daily for a period of five weeks were necessary to construct the “battleship deck,” guns, turrets and auxiliaries, the life-sized Village street, and a real loading wharf in Los har r. Five new songs have been added to the fourteen: originals of the stage. “Hallelujah,” once a solo , now be- comes an slaborate spiritual ‘meeting involving 100 Negro singers and players. IRENE Borponi- In > Paris” Metropolitan &efle/;om ¥ ahe Vi RGINIAN "~ olumbiz &6/7 (— /4"0% HAT stanch old irreconcilable, Welford Beaton, is prepared to admit that the talking pictures are improving rapidly, that the vocal screen “is becoming more intelligent and is showing more vigor and enterprise,” but he hastens to add that all the credit for this progress is assignable to the veteran movie people of Hollywood rather than to the im- ported stage folk from Broadway. In a recent issue of his alert journal, the Film Spectator, Mr. Beaton remarks, with ill-concealed glee: “The big parade back to Broadway is in, full swing. In the ranks are di- rectors, writers and actors who came out here with the benevolent intention of showing Hollywood just how the thing is done. I don't know of any di- rector or writer who has done enough out here to justify the expense involved in carting him both ways, but there are good performances to the credit of some of the actors and actresses. But what have these good performances brought the people who gave them? The artistic quality of their work has been recognized, but not one of them has been taken to the hearts of the fans. “It is clear that what the public wants is personality, not cold art and mechanical diction such as it gets in talking pictures. A shadow that talks does not seem to have as much appeal to the imagination of the public as a shadow that remains silent.” Mr. Beaton concludes: “If all the people Who have come from Broadway to Hollywood during the past year would go back to Broadway there would be a still greater improvement in mo- tion pictures.” * K % X ‘These sweeping statements from the Film Spectator are, in the main, justi- fled. It is entirely true that the Broadway invasion of the cinema cita- del has been grotesquely exaggerated. Not that there is anything surprising in that. Everything has been exagger- ated in Hollywood—everything, that is, but intelligence. All manner of stage stars and di- rectors and playwrights have been lured to Hollywood with Lasky or Fox gold. Most of them have already returned to New York, with nothing to show for themselves but a fine collection of smarting grudges. Their failure to suc- ceed in the film studios is understand- able to any one who knows them. They had no knowledge of the screen, no enthusiasm for it, and no desire to acquire any. Their interest in motton pictures did not extend beyond the legal terms of the contracts they signed. “JAzz HEAaVEN® K.O. Kerth's The Moving Picture cAlbum By Robert E. Sherwood. director, and ‘Sidncy Howard has proved that he possesses exceptional lblfity as a screen writer. But there are not many others, nor are more likely to be found in the groups of Broadway celebrities who have lately been making transcontinental round trips. * kX % Nevertheless, the screen will continue, as it always has done, to find its chiet source of talent and material in the lv- ing theater. (The term “living thea- ter” is now the official designation for the decrepit institution which was for- merly called “the speaking stage.”) Charlie Chaplin went into the movies with a considerable amount of stage ex- perience behind him. So did John and Lionel Barrymore, Douglas Fairbanks, Lon Chaney, Thomas Meighan, Joan Crawford, Cecil B. De Mille, Harold Lloyd, Dolores Costello, D. W. Griffith, Buster Keaton, Ernst Lubitsch, Marion Davies, Ronald Coleman, James Cruze. Naficy Carroll, Emil Jannings and hun- dreds of others who have gained emi- nence as stars, directors, writers or pro= ducers in Hollywood. Most of them, to be sure, had little in the way of fame or fortune before they entered the portals of Hollywood. But they did have experience in dealing with that weird and wonderful quantity that 's known as “audience psychology,” and that experience was of inestimable value in giving them a head start over their less practiced colleagues. Now, with talking pictures definitely established, it is obvious that in most cases the actor who has hrql stage train- ing will enjoy an apj rec!n‘le advantage over the actor who has never appeared in person before an audience. ‘Too much of this experience, however, ds a distinct detriment. The actor or director who goes to Hollywood believ~ ing that he knows it all, that he is low~ ering himself to an elementary medium which will be mere child’s play for his midmre nbléit)" :.i ue for a rude shock and a speedy return to the La 3 ‘“1‘\‘;‘"{ 1\,0";{ mbs’ Club at is why it is such an absurd mis- take for the fllm producers to n’I;\IY established ‘“names” from Broadway. For with established names go estab- lished notions, and those notions don't it in the peculiar world of Hollywood. ‘What the movies can take from the stage—what th:y have always taken from the stage, and profited thereby—is aul)_::h. and enthuslasm, and the creative In which connection if I were rich movie magnate T should maintate large staff of perceptive scouts to travel about from one little theater to another Of course, there have been excep- tions. John Cromwell has established an excellent position for himself as a searching for the mute, inglos ' '&ns Wwho infest those obe‘cu;:o“t:n’;;el:s 3 (Copyrixht, 1920.)