Evening Star Newspaper, December 22, 1929, Page 57

Theater, Screen d Music | | an N/ALTER PETR Pro 8 * m GEORGE JESSEL snd LILA LEE- /n “Love, Live and Lavgh* Fox Not Much Drama to Speak Of—And Why. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. adjustment in which the theater as-well as more accurately formulated phases of business must participate. It is in the Nation's Capital, a large city now on its own ac- count, with a population not dependent upon transitions of Government personnel. This pop- ulation is liberal on its own ac- count, eager to patronize a thea- ter that can appeal to the com- ite tastes which must prevail g)s‘ community drawing its per- sonnel from so many different rts of the country. Occasional- an attraction has extended its engagement into two weeks, but it remains for the ‘“closed” sign .to announce a consistent policy extending even beyond that limit. * ¥ % ¥ ‘The methods of the legitimate theater have long been criticized because of their tenacity of old ideas, regardless of new forms of entertainment which boldly take the benefit of advertising pub- licity on the most lavish commer- cial lines, and which throw open their doors to luxurious audito- riums and varied programs at a small percentage of the cost of a regular theater ticket. Even the amusement seeker whose loyalty to tradition causes him to con- tinue in protest that the films cannot supplant the acting stage in his affections is likely to find himself by this time susceptible to the lure of entertainment com- pactly given and with no mis- understandings possible concern- ing reserved seats in advance. The legitimate theater—and this term has come to include the re- vue as well as the drama, has proceeded on antiquated sched- ules, “so much allowance for bill- boards,” “so much for window hangers,” “so much for printing” and, until recently, “so much for overhead.” It is this overhead that has leaped into bewildering influence under modern condi- tions relating h‘o wage scales. B It is this “closed” sign, accom- panied by “for rent” announce- ments, that indicates the source from which a responsible theater may come to draw. It appeals to the local organizations prepared to lay one day or several for sheer Bwe of the theater and not with any speculative motive. The thea- ter which links itself professional- 1y to the ledger as well as to the prompt book has pursued a course which, in modern mercantile life, would seem incomprehensible. The ordinary course is to meet a cut in prices by a correspond- ing cut in charges for the wares thus affected. The method of the legitimate theater has been to meet competition. not by reduc- ing, but by raising prices until it is nothing unusual for a ticket in reasonably good location to cost $440, including tax. This HE closing weeks of the year I 1929 disclose a period of companion, means $8.80, with not much left out of a $10 bill for taxicab or car fare and nothing at-all left for the little supper, however frugal, which used to follow so congenially and reason- ably an evening at the playhouse. * ok kX ok 5 ‘The uplift of prices is about the only serious effort for dramatic uplift made in many years. * k X X The theory has always been that no matter what a production demanded in the way of financ- ing, the public would meet the price cheerfully if the offering pleased its fancy. The number of outstanding successes has grown less and less, and the profits would not average in so as to make up for the steady drain on the public’s purse and patience. * Xk ¥ % It has been habitual for the theater to celebrate itself as a realm of tinseled make-believe, where money rewards tend to touch the clouds and where . the theater fancier presides as a Prince Fortunatus whose pocket- book is lined with eternal gold. It is the enchanted realm where the village lass saluted as Hay- ville’s queen of beauty expects confidently to drop her customary duties and become the fairy prin- cess of Broadway. * X %o Every individual connected with the theater has the spotlight sense, and even though he may not appear in actual view, feels cerning the moments in which the performance may depend on him, whether he be a musician engaged in supplying the mystical emotional influence of melody, or that stage Aladdin whose ham- mer and nails create castles over- night. Each and every one be- lieves that Prince Fortunatus waits to serve him. It has been left for Washington, D. C., the Nation’s Capital, to leave nothing but the placards outside the lobby doors as signals of disillusion- ment. e “Went Broke™ Only Once. . GRADUATE from New York side- walks where he sold papers until he was nearly 9 years old, George Jessel, star of “Love, Live and Laugh,” at the Fox, has been continuously before the public on stage or screen for 22 years. Gus Edwards is sald to have picked him up when he heard the youngster singing illustrated songs in one of William PFox’s first movie theaters in New York. After six years with Edwards he branched out on his own in vaudeville and has toured Europe and America many times. Once he aspired to become a big New York producer; produced “Helen of Troy, N. Y.,” and went broke, and then decided to let other people take the risk of future productions. He turned his hand to playwrighting and made the musical gdu:uunn of the short story, “The Jazs Singer,” playing in it with AMUSEMENT SECTION he Sundiy Star, WASHINGTON, D. C., S\ i IE_ard GERTRUDE. LANRENCE " 7he Battle of Paris” e CUARIES ROGERS - /7 N Half Wery o Heaver Earle l Otis Skinner Coming. ' ANNOWCMNT has been received by Manager Cochran of the Na- tional Theater that Washington is to have the pleasure of seeing Otis Skin- ner in “A Hundred Years Old” the week beginning January 27. Among the wiseacres of the theater e significance is attached to this an- nouncement, in that “A Hundred Years Old” is a Frohman attraction, which under circumstances heretofore prevail- ing might have been booked to a local theater other than the National. Some regard it as an indication that the clos- ing of the Belasco Theater and the un- certainty surrounding the continuance of Polf’s as an amusement house may result in bringing to the National, ‘Washington’s lone legitimate theater, many of the attractions that heretofore have been booked elsewhere and new attractions that might have been so the thrill of egoistic pride con- |booked. Light Ahead. LTHOUGH the legitimate theater was eclipsed in Washington last week, news from and concerning com- ing attractions booked for the National Theater is not discouraging. Mrs. Piske. in the delicious modern comedy, “Ladies of the Jury,” seems to be gathering the crowds at the Erlanger Theater, New York, where the play has been running to large audiences for eight weeks. Wilton Lackaye upholds the dignity of a judge in the first act, which incidentally is a court room scene and the first of its kind, it is said, to appear in a comedy. At the Court Theater in the metrop- olis, Bertram Robinson and Howard Lindsay's comedy, “Your Uncle Dud- ley,” is moving gayly on with Walter Connolly and Mrs. Jacques Mar- tin featured, and Beatrice Terry, George Barbier (an old Washington favorite, by the way), Eleanor Hayden, William Haworth, jr., and other nota- bles in an excellent cast. ‘These two attractions are booked for the National in the due course of events. Willlam Gillette, in “Sherlock Holmes" and, incidentally, in his final farewell to the stage, is making the- atrical history at the New Amsterdam. His reappearance is not only “a colos- sal old-timers’ reunion,” but it is draw- ing the patronage and delighting the hearts of the lrro[eny of the old-timers and their collateral associates of two nerations as well. Washington is to ve its chance the week beginning January 6. So that the future of the & price, doubled for the sake of a success for three years and recouping his fortune. legitimate theater in Washington is at least something more than hopeful. SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER TAGE and 3~ SCREE ) 4 RUDYVALLEE and $ALLv BLAINE- 4 “TheVegatond Lovey R.KO Keiths . BETTY MOONEY- Fox (S7a9d Bill Tops ‘Em AlL BILL ROBINSON, Washington's fa- mous Negro musical comedy and vaudeville star, tops the tap-dancers for the second successive year in the all- American choice of professional stage dancers announced in the January issue of the Dance Magazine. Applying the custom of the late Wal- ter Camp to the army of performers who have appeared in Broadway eye- and-ear shows during the year ending November 15, the Dance Magazine awards its 1929 honors, in the order named as follows: Ingenue—Evlyn Laye, “Bitter Sweet"; Jeannette MacDonald, “Angela” and “Boom-Boom,” ~and Louise Brown, “Lady Fingers.” Juvenile—Jack Whiting, “Heads Up”; John Barker, “Follow Thru,” and Noel Coward, “This Year of Grace.” Prima ballerina—Harriet Hoctor, “Show Girl”; Tamara Geva, “Whoopee," and ' Albertina Vitak, “This Year of Grace.” Eccentric females—Violet “Sweet Adeline”; Nell Kelly, Boom,” “Street Singer,” and Marie Cal- lahan, “The New Moon.” Eccentric male—Clifton Webb, “The Little Show"; Nick Long. jr., “Street Singer,” and Jimmy Savo, “Almanac.” Tap or buck, female—Ruby Keeler, “Show Girl”: Mary Jane, “Whoopee," and Estelle Fratus, “Sketch Book.” Tap or buck, male—Bill Robinson, “Blackbirds”: Will Mahoney, “Sketch Book,” and Carl Randall, “Americana,” “Hello Daddy.” Team—Ayres, Karels, Rasche and Myrio, - “Almanac’; Dolores, Eddy and Douglas, “Broadway Nights,” and Ted and Sally, “Scandals.” Comedian—Eddie Cantor, “Whoopee”; Carlson, “Boom- | C! Ted Healy, “A Night in Venice,” and g’fi‘"""’ Jackson and Durante, “Show Tl Comedienne—Inez Courtney, “Pol “Spring Is Here”; Zelma O'Neal, “Fol- low Thru,” and Irene Franklin, “Sweet Adeline.” Troupe—Abbot's Specialty Dancers— “Scandals”; Chester Hale Girls, “A Night in Venice,” and Donahue-Boyle Girls, “Pleasure. Bound.” The choices were decided by the Dance staff observation and correspondence with dance directors including Chester Hale, Danny Dare, Russell Markert, Seymour Felix, Busby Berkeley, Bobby Connolly and Sammy Lee. Omission of such outstanding musical stars_as Marilyn Miller, Mary Eaton, Ann Pennington, Harland Dixon, Bobbe Arnst and Jack Donahue was made, says the Dance, because of the of these players from Broadway. bsence e “Seven Keys to Baldpate." HRISTMAS day will see the New York premier in the Earl Carroll Theater of the screen version of George M. Cohan's famed “Seven Keys to Baldpate,” in which Richard Dix sta! Supporting him are Mirlam Seegar as Mary 'Norton, Margaret Livingston as Myra Thornhill, Crauford Kent as Hal Bentley, Nella Walker as' Mrs. Rhodes, Joseph Allen as Peters, Lucien Little- fleld as Thomas Hayden, De Witt Jen- nings as James Cargan, Joseph Herbert as Lou Max, Alan Roscoe gs Bland, Carleton Macy as Police Chief Ken- nedy, Harvey Clark as Elijah Quimby and Edith Yorke as Mrs. Quimby. Stage and Screen Attractions This Week. R-K-O KEITH'S —“The Great Gabbo.” This afternoon and evening. METROPOLITAN—“Is Everybody Happy?” This afternoon and evening. FOX—“Love, Live and Laugh.” PALACE—“The Battle of Paris.” EARLE—“Half Way to Heaven. COLUMBIA—"“The Mysterious evening. RIALTO—"Hold Your Man.” STATE and evening. GAYETY— (Burlesque) “Flapper Follies.” evening. This afternoon and evening. This afternoon and evening. " This afternoon and evening. Island.” This afternoon and This afternoon and evening. (Bethesda)—“The Cocoanuts.” Tomorrow afternoon This afternoon and a 29 22, 1929. lTAUDA LAPLANTE -/ “old Your Man ” Rislo Motor, Aviation and Radio News TED LEWIS omo DEN/ NINGTON- s Everybody Happy Mefmpolrranppy Mabee VINCENT At +he Gayety “Ladies of the Jury." RS. MINNIE MADDERN FISKE, who long since has been known simply as Mrs. PFiske, a charming trib- ute to a great artist, has found one of her- happiest vehicles in some time in her present comedy, “Ladies of the Jury,” which continues at Erlinger's Theater, New York. In this satire on present-day juries Fred Ballard has satirized two impor- tant points in justice—the indifference of juries to the question in hand and the ease with which jurors may be swayed. The first act is in the court room, where the defendant is being tried for murder, and the last two in the jury room, where the evidence is being weighed and where a verdict is reached on the 124th ballot after 48 hours. Mrs. Fiske plays the role of Mrs. Livingstone Baldwin Crane, a poised, cultured, traveled, educated woman, who takes her jury duty seriously, and who believes from the evidence that the defendant is not guilty. Mrs. Piske is said to believe that| b; ‘women are important factors on juries, and as so many men fitted by breeding and culture and knowledge of life avoid serving, it is the duty of women in the same sphere to undertake the job. Although audiences rock with laugh- ter, Mrs. Fiske belleves that the comedy carries its message, and perhaps the next time those who see it are called for jury duty they will accept it in the proper spirit and be more interested in Tendering a just verdict than in simply finishing the case as soon as possible. “Ladies of the Jury” is likely to be seen at the National Theater here early in the new year. Presents Thn; Did Not Fit. A HOLLYWOOD chronicler records the fact that film stars, along with their fan mail, frequently get presents, some of them from practical jokers. Alice White, he writes, once got a present of a seven-piece orchestra, Wwhose leader announced he had come “to play at her party.” She was hav- ing no ‘party. Richard Barthelmess, just as he had embarked on a transatlantic liner for a_trip abroad, once received a of a bowl of goldfish. He had to send the gift ashore by special carrier. Or- dinarily, it was sald, presents to Bar- thelmess are either books or statuary. Jack Mulhall once received a Shet- ICHAEL AND MARY,” the new play by A. A. Milne, who comes as near as any- body to filling the place in the theater held by Barrie a generation ago, is one of the most civilized pieces now on view in New York, and seems likely to be as popular as were Mr. Milne's earlier plays, “The Perfect Alibi” and “The Ivory Door.” Mr. Milne, as everybody knows, writes ehildren’s rhymes and stories and a Superior sort of melodrama with equal facility, but his characteristic danger, that of dropping a little too thickly into whimsy, is only brushed here and there in the new play, which is charm- ing throughout and some of the time quite as exciting as if its author dealt in gunmen, finger prints, “the body"” and rough language, instead of express- ing, in lines which are always a pleasure both to the ear and the intelligence, the l!lemler yearnings and troubles of the uman heart. On its surface, the play is the story of a romance which began between two young folks in the British Museum, the ?wulhr nature of which consists in the fact that its principals are guilty of a technical bigamy. The girl had married an adventurous cad, who deserted her and disappeared. And when her real mate comes along, the two decide to go ahead and marry and take a chance on what may happen in the future. The husband returns, years afterward, and threatens blackmail, and, dropping dead in their house, puts them in a position to be suspected of murder. The mere outline of the story and of how they hid their secrets and kept the beauty of their lives and their hap- piness gives no notion of what Mr. Milne's imagination and tenderness make of it, nor of the warmth and fineness which is contributed to it by all of the players. Miss Edith Barrett was just about as right as could be as Mary, and Henry Hull scarcely less suc- cessful as Michael. All the others fitted into the picture, in particular, perhaps, Miss Alice Belmore Cliffe as the slightly Dickensy landlady of the lodging house in Islington. o HE Civic Repertory’s production of Tolstoy's “The Living Corpse,” as compared with that given last year by the Reinhardt company, with Alexander Moissi, is as skim milk to cream, and yet with all its weaknesses and with all the technical scrappiness of the play itself as contrasted with the bright little, tight little pieces which are turned out y the dozens in any New York Winter, l{lol{ curiously interesting and nourish- ing! “The Living Corpse” was written, of course, long after the great days of “War and ®eace” after Tolstoy's “‘con- version,” when he had withdrawn from the world and was obsessed with trying to find some meaning and aim to hu- man existence. He still created characters and told a story—rather than simply arguing or })ruchl.nl as he was wont to do in those ater days—but they were the charac- ters, and it was the story, not of a young novelist, excited about the inter- relations of people in a tremendous Eme or fight in which he was still tak- g a tive part and looked on, 80 fo say, as a going concern, but of a patriarch to whom all the old rowdydow was largely silly, when not actually base. In Fedya, the well born Russian gen- tleman, who left his correct and super- flchllznchlrmmx young wife to spend his time carousing with gypsies and listening to tsigane music, who found in the simple and sensual devotion of Masha, the gypsy girl, a reality and beauty he had never found in his con- ventional marriage; who “died” and be- came a living corpse to set his wife free, rather than descend to the lies and vulgar subterfuge that would have given her an easy divorce, we have, of course, not merely the objective story of a certain sort of man, but some- mfl pony, for which he had no possible LLOYD HUGHES and JANE DALY- /" The Mysterious fsland” lumbia DOROTHY SHEFFIELD- Palace (S‘/‘a?e) New Plays on Broadway Vanity Fair—against, indeed, what passed in Europe as civilization itself. R JFEDYA puts concretely, in one of his semi-soliloquies toward the end of the play, the Tolstoyan dilemma as it actually faced him in life, or as it seem- ed to him looking back on his youth from the seclusion of Yasna Poliana. Mr. Ben-Ami's performance is of varying quality. He is least successful in the earlier scenes, where he appears in ordinary business clothes and is still to be taken by an American audience as the equivalent, let us say, of the every-day American business or profes- sional man. Here he seemed artificial and constrained and burdened by an ac- | cent which is still by no means perfect. In the later scenes where he has be- come frankly a shaggy, ragged down- and-outer and a more florid, eccentric style fits the part, he was much more at home, and gave a performance full of understanding and tragedy. Miss Josephine Hutchinson as Lisa, Fedya's wife, was another of the large cast who brought reality and emotion to her part, while Egon Brecher, always one of the best of the Civic Reperto: players, did a picturesque sketch of the down-and-outer who was convinced that he was a genius. Miss Le Gallienne herself appeared for but a moment as Princess Karenina, Victor Michaelo- vitch's elderly mother, in a make-up which was in itself an interesting tour- de-force. Miss Le Gallienne is always an interesting illustration of the im- ponderables of the acting art. She has intelligence, taste, energy and industry, courage, public spirit and can doubt- less tell her associates just how they ought to do things, and yet however she may understand what ought to_be done can rarely strike fire herself. But “life is like that.” ——l Local Boy “Arrives." ANOTH!R local boy has made good m the “talking movies,” according to the Rialto Theater, where Laura La Planta is appearing in her latest all- dialogue picture, “Hold Your Man.” The local man playing opposite the blonde star is Walter Scott, formerly of Wash- ington, but now a resident of Holly- wood, under contract as a Universal feature player. Scott was born at Baltimore. He was educated at Thornton Heights Military Academy. For some time he taught dancing and later was a_master of cere- monies with a Meyer Davis dance or- chestra. Not so very long ago he went to Paris as drummer and master of ceremonies and it was over there that Marion Da- vies “discovered” him. Later he jo neyed to Hollywood, where Miss Davies found a place for him in her last pic- ture. “Marianne,” and then came the casting director at Universal City, who put Walter under a long-term contract. With the “U” forces he has been ac- complishing much and he is soon to be slated for a prominent role in “All's Quiet on the Western Front.” John Barrymore Humping. IN John Barrymore the screen may have found a star who accepts the obligations of his popularity by defend- ing his colors in frequent productions— more, say—than once a year. No sooner has his first talkin, le- ture, “General Crack,” been established as a success than his studios begin talk- ing about future luctions. ith “General Crack” still unseen in WuWn theaters, a new production is all ly in process of cutting, accord- m“ to word from his plant. This is “The Man from Blankley's” which prob- gl‘ykwul be seen here after “General Further reports indicate that Barry- more has nearly decided to produce “Jew Suss.” This play, ads Lion Feuchtwanger's novel er,” 1s thing of Tolstoy's own revolt inst the upper-class Russian's hn:: of now being presented the Yiddisi Art Theater Co. in Nu:me‘k. 5