Evening Star Newspaper, September 7, 1930, Page 49

Theater, Screen and Music Part 4—12 Pages AMUSEMENT SECTION he Sunday Star, JEANETTE B DONALD and /n*Monte Car/lo” RKO.Keiths Good-by to Summer By W. H. HAT'S a week, if you are patient? And just think of it, in one small week, the Theater, which the ‘wiseacres of stage and screen have led us to believe was to be ever- lastingly eliminated, is to be with us again! And what are we go- ing to do about it? Certainly the famous old institution which has delighted the hearts and minds of humanity for ages dies hard. Per- haps, after all, it doesn’t propose to die. It has never died before. ‘Why should it die now? It is only we, who condescendingly call our- selves its patrons, who -die, and how soon are we forgotten! But the old Theater, like & restless ele- vator, with its ups and downs, its ins and outs, chases and some- times merely meanders, but, like Tennyson's brook, it goes on and on forever. There must be a rea- son for it—perhaps an ancient curse like that which is supposed to have been launched upon the head of the Wandering Jew, or can it be that the Theater is one of those playful immortals that cannot die. Great producing man- agers take their exit in their time, even the actors sometimes die and many playwrights ought to, but don't, yet year in and year out, the old Theater bobs up some- where to strut its stuff. And, strange as it may seem, there are many, very many, yet left in the world who are really glad of it. It is not likely that the picture pal- aces will take advantage of the situation and suspend for a Fall vacation. Not at all. So why should there be any reason for sadness left in the world? With everybody ‘},mppy, what a world this would el * ok k% SERIOUSLY, however, the new theatrical season, which will start In Washington two weeks from tomorrow evening with the reopening of the National Theater, already gives promise of being in- teresting. The National will put its best foot forward with Lenore Ulric, famous as a Belasco star, in addition to theatric gifts which have made her one of the foremost actresses of her time. Miss Ulric comes now, however, under other management and in a play, “Pagan Lady,” whose title at least should carry weight as to its possibilities and help to swell the enthusiasm over the fact that, even in the face of many disad- vantages, the National Capital still continues in business at the old stand, prepared to share the task of a countless list of picture palaces in entertaining something more than a half million people annually. Fred Stone, with his new musical extravaganza, “Rip- ples,” will quickly take up the re- sponsibilities when the opening attraction shall have had its day. Manager L. Stoddard Taylor flashed %he announcement late in the week that the Belasco would Landvoigt. He states however that later on, possibly in September, the Belasco will be again in operation. * k k x JT is well that the Theater lives and is to live, and certainly its endeavor to banish economic loom and the thousand ills that rouble the mind is a noble one, especially in the face of an im pending popular country-wide battle in the field of the elec- torate, not to mention its own difficulties. Under the gallant lead of a modern Richmond, President Wallace Munro of the National Theatrical Press Repre- sentatives, assurance comes from the mysterious depths of the great metropolis that, if the producing managers won’t, the press repre- sentatives will see that the The- ater is preserved to mankind. And this should console mankind regardless of other impending danger, for the astute press rep- resentative in his time has plucked many a player from ob- scurity and placed him on high Olympus with the garland of fame upon his brow; purged many a bad play of its imperfections and made it to shine as an inspiration from the gods, and—well, there is done, man can do again, and why should not a press agent? Be- sides, we are told, capital is very timid, and many producing man- agers are very lazy, especially those who have “made theirs.” " “ In “The Greater Love. OLIVE BROOK and Harry Bannister will share honors as male support of Ann Harding in “The Greater Love.” Brook, who was borrowed fron Para- mount, received praise for his fine char- acterization in “Anybody’s Woman,” in which he co-stars with Ruth Ch.tter- ton. He is considered one of t*> most popular actors who have successfully made the transition from the silent to the talking screen. His work in “Charm- ing Sinners,” “The Langhing Lady” and other pictures led to stellar rank ac- corded him by his company. Bannister, who is Miss Harding's hus- band, has Broadway stage hit roles to his credit, the latest being “The Strange Interlude.” He made his screen debut opposite Miss Harding in Pathe's “Her Private Affair,”” and also appeared with her in the role of Jack ince in “The Girl of the Golden West.” Eugene Walter is the author of “The by Rollo Lloyd of New York, who made his own adaptation. Lloyd was asso- ciated with Miss Harding a few years 2g0 when he directed “Stolen Fruit.” Fun b; Eight Eomedinns. N the cast of “Her Man,” Pathe's pic- ture of the Havana underworld, there are more comedians than in any other production ma ‘e by that com- pany. The cast includes James Gleason and Harry Sweet, who are featured; Slim Summerville, Jerry Drew, Neely Edwards, Kewple Morgan, Charlie Dougherty and Bud Jamieson. With the exception of Gleason, every one of these actors has been fea- tured or starred in two-reel comedies. “The dramatic members of the cast are reopen a week from tomorrow with Helen Hayes, an artist native , to Washington, but at the last ‘mnmnm. was obliged to recant. Helen Twelvetrees, Marjorie Rambeau, Ricardo Cortez, Phillips Holmes, Mathew Betsz, Stanley Fields, Thelma Todd, Mike Donlin, Blythe Daly and Ruth Hiatt, . an old adage that what man has| Greater Love,” which is being diiected | WASHINGTON, D. C, GEORGE O'BRIEN and LUCILE BROWNE - /1 " Last of e Duysnes * Fox NOVARRO and DoroTHY JORDON- “Callof #he Flesh” " Palace JACK BUCHANAN— Always “a Good One.” BEFOR.! Lewis Stone became an actor he was a military man—and a good one at that. When the Spanish-Amer- ican War broke out he was a very young man, but he decided to become a soldier. Even after his honorable | discharge from service, he kept in ac- tive contact with military life and the Army. In fact, he is now an expert rifleman, rider, fencer, and boxer. Years ago Lewis Stone was the mati- nee idol of the old Belasco Stock Co. He left the stage to make his first icture, “Honor Altar,” with Bessie arriscale. An engagement to play op- posite Maude Fulton in “The Brat” took him back to the stage. Then came the World War—and Stone went into the Army. He was an Infantry instruc- tor at the Plattsburg training camp. At the conclusion of the war, he was commissioned a major. Among Lewis Stone's successful pic- | tures are “Wonder of Women,” “The Trial of Mary Dugan,” “A Woman of Affairs,” “Madame X,” and the “Pri- vate Life of Helen of Troy.” His latest picture is “The Office Wife,” now at the Earle Theater. ——— Novarro's New Picture. THE new picture in which Ramon | Novarro is presented at the Palace this week, “Call of the Flesh,” how- ever unhappily titled, is a dramatic romance of a young Spanish opera | singer who rose to fame. It is reported | to be an original story. by Dorothy | Farnum, with dialogue by John Colton {of “Rain” and “The Shanghai Ges- | ture” fame, and for it the noted com- | posers of “The Rogue Song,” Herbert | Stothart and Clifford Grey, wrote many | of the songs sung by Novarro. It will be remembered, doubtless, that Novarro originally studied for the | operatic stage in Italy and his grand opera debut in Germany was prevented | by illness. ! Billy's Big Show. HAT robust, laugh-making tramp | * character delineator, Billy Arling- |ton, heads his own new mutual bur- | lesque and vaudeville show at the Gaye- | t¥ Theater this week. It is some sea- Sons since the unctuous Arlington, With his ready chuckle of the Ed Wynn type and his “fiddle” have graced bur- lesque. 1In the meantime Arlington and a little company have been star- Ting in vaudeville. But now Billy is back in his original fleld, heading a Broup of experts in various lines of en- tertainment, including Reggie White, & young woman who dances in & unique Wway; Eleanore Cochrane, pretty prima donna; Dan Taylor, character come- dian; Joe and Ernestipe, who climax & spectacular act with unusual under- water feats, alded by a group of pretty mermaids; Boots Rush, a tricky little singing and stepping minx; Harry Beasley, Vic Hallen and Jean Williams, tap dancing ingenue, with a chorus of active young misses, SUNDAY .MORNING, SEPTEMBER 7, 1930. PERRATTand PIERRETTE Fox CS 75ge) o WESLEY EDDYand CHESTER HALE GIRLS - Palace (S7age) Stage and Screen Attractions This Week R-K-O KEITH'S—"“Monte Carlo.” This afternoon and evening. METROPOLITAN—AI Jolson in evening. “Big Boy.” This afternoon and FOX—“Last of the Duanes.” This afternoon and evening. PALACE—“Call of the Flesh.” This afternoon and evening. EARLE—“The Office Wife.” This afternoon and evening. COLUMBIA—Greta Garbo in “Romance.” evening. GAYETY—(Burlesque). evening. Billy Arlington. This afternoon and This afternoon and Ghosts of Yesteryear. TH]: ghosts of yesteryear have re- turned to the silver screen. But not the silhoueited ghosts of panto- mime. The ghoste are all dressed up in 1930 _clothes. “The Birth of a Nation” is coming back! Filmed as a silent picture 16 years ago, making its debut in New York City in March of 1915, this epic of the Civil War, it is estimated, has been wit- nessed by more than 55,000,000 persons throughout the world. This Spring the Triangle Pilm Corporation, dormant for eight _years, was brought back to life, and David Warl: Griffith returned to the movie lot—now the inside sound stage—of Hollywood, where he has just completed the revision of the picture. It was-released throughout the country September 1. The announcement has caused a wave of controversy. Thousands of let! and telegrams have poured into the Tri angle offices. Some have called the vision with sound an insult to the mem ories of the silent picture; many mori welcomed the “Rebirth of a Nation” with frank delight. The original film for the most part remains unchanged. The original cast ~—Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh Henry B. Walthall, Donald Crisp, Spottiswoode Aiken, Mary Alden—survives. The yard- stick by which all great motion picture classics are still measured is still intact, but glorified by the modern improve- minu in sound, dialogue, music and color. The technical task of injecting sound into a film taken 16 years ago was & staggering poser at first. overcome by improvision and invention, and thereby Hollywood has learned some curfous technical lessons. In the injection of sound, six sound tracks, taken at different times and in different places, have been unified into one, an accomplishment never before realized. Ot on location at the Lasky ranch, in Ventura County, 60 miles northwest of Hollywood, the flery horses of the Ku Klux Klan thundered before the It has been|try as microphone. At another place the sound of the battle scenes before Petersburg, Va., were staged and recorded. On still another location the mob scenes were taken, each on a single sound track. In the studio Louis Gottschalk, after several weeks of rehearsal, recorded the music which runs through the entire film with a symphony orchestra. Then the job was turned over to the Western Electric and its technicians. David W. Grifith 1. now in the East to witness the premiere of his “‘Abraham Lincoln,” which will open on Broadway and move West about the same time that “The Birth of a Nation” opens in the West and moves Eastward. S R Growing Older. RENE RICH'S daughter will return to college this Fall and complete her college course, regardless of the fact that she has been appearing in pic- tures this Summer. Mother Irene is one of Hollywood's sought-after actresses, now appearing with Amos 'n’ Andy at R-K-O. She has no objections to daughter Frances working, but does not wish the ex- pensive college career interfered with. The girl is almost as pretty as her mother and, it is said, promises to go far in the film career she has chosen. Alien Talent to Linger. JAMFBON ‘THOMAS, newly arrived English actor in Hollywood, believes in redness. He came in this coun- i resident alien, with a quota number, and will not have to leave the States at the end of six months. Many romising film careers, it is claimed, ve been interrupted by this clause in the foreigner's papers. Once out of Hollywood, an_actor is quickly for- fouen. and often never regains foothold. Thomas Went to work opposite June Collyer in “Body and Soul” soon after his arrival, and has been approached by several mueem His best known I lish_pictures ‘were “Plccadilly” .and | will \WILLIAMS - Ga)/e+>/ Art at the Fox. **N[ODERN entertainment set off by profoundly beautiful and de- lightfully artistic settings harking back to the Periclean age of Grecian splen- dor” enthusiastically describes the Fanchon and Marco “Marble” Idea being presented on the stage at the Fox this week, according to Manager Meakin. “In keeping with-the colorful classic dignity, three separate lo teams are brought to the fore, exhibit- ing an array of flesh and speed seldom seen on any stage. Garbo May .Quit Movies. TWO more years, it is said, and Greta Garbo will be through with motion pictures, no matter what salaries the producers offer. Her present contract has two years to run, and her one b.rning ambition after that is to fill the place once held by Sarah Bernhardt on the living dramatic stage. This is the prediction made in the current_Photoplay Magazine by John Loder, British actor, who is one of the half dozen intimate friends ever invited to the mysterious Garbo's Hollywood home. Through him it comes directly from the actress herself. Loder in an interview declares the actress really is as sensitive about pub- lic attent: n as speculative reports have made her. To avold the crowd which inevitably forms around her she has given up attending the legitimate thea- ter and concerts, and she dines in pub- lic in only two places—one dimly lighted restaurant, where she will be just an- other obscure one. Her last rented home in Hollywood was leased in the name of the caretaker, and the tele- phone also was listed under his name. Perfection Not So Good. plmrmc'ron is not desirable in players of the entertainment world, according to Laurence Schwab, New York musical comedy producer, now co- directing his own show, “Follow Thru,” as an all-color. picture at the Para- mount studios. “Perfection isn't human,” Schwab says. “Things ‘hat aren’t human aren’t likable. Perfection is tiring and bore- some. Perfection isn't truth, and things must be true to be human. No one is flawless. Audiences must see a sir:i- larity between themselves and the player before the latter is a success. For that reason a blemish of some kind in ap- pearance or in voice is an asset. —_— To Play Opposite Eowell. FAY WRAY has been elected as Wil- liam Powell’s leading woman in his his | next Paramount picture, “New Morals,” from the screen play by Frederick Lons- dale, which is to be directed by John Cromwell. Miss Wray has just com- pleted the leading feminine role with Richard Arlen in “The Sea God.” It be her first victure. with Powell since “Pointed Heels.” Motor, Aviation __and Radio News /In" Romance” Columbia R-K-O KEITH'S—“Monte Carlo.” P74 ONTE CARLO,” with Jean- ette MacDonald, who charmed with her loveli- mount picture, which was directed by Ernst Lubitsch, is now current at R-K-O Keith’s. ‘Monte Carlo” is described as .a concoction of love and laughter. The story concerns a comical and com- plicated romance world — Monte [\ Carlo, the pigmy prineipality, with its gay life and its Jeanette MacDonald. gaming tables. Added to these are six, popular songs—some with comedy lyrics, some of a romantic nature and three brief, colorful operatic numbers. ‘There is no dancing, no chorus routines of any kind. The songs are introduced in each case to further an entertain- ing plot. ‘The music for “Monte Carlo” was written by Leo Robin, Richard Whiting and W. Pranke Harling. Robin wrote the lyrics and also wrote the words for “Louise,” ‘“Hallelujah,” “Jericho” and “The Blue Lou.” Whiting. collaborator with Harling on the music, is one of the most prolific producers of song hits in the business and Harling has 140 published songs to his credit. One of them is “Sing, You Sinners.” METROPOLITAN—AI Jolson in “Big Boy.” AL JOLSON, in the type of role that first brought him fame, appears in “Big Boy,” the Warner Bros. and Vita- phone production, this week, at War- ner’s Metropolitan, where he sings, jests, tells stories, and what-not throughout the picture, as a jockey, who for years has taken care of and groomed “Big Boy” for the Kentucky Derby. ‘The story is said to have plenty of ;cth:n. with Jolson always in the fore- ront. “Tomorrow Is Another Day,” ‘“Hooray for Baby and Me,” and “Little Sun- shine.” He also is heard in several spirituals. The love interest is taken care of by Claudia Dell and Johnny Harron. Lloyd Hughes appears as the weak brother, and others in the cast includes Louise Closser Hale, Noah Beery, Eddie Phillips, Lew Harvey and Franklin Batie. The production was made by Alan Crosland, who directed “The Jazz Singer.” Other atractions on this program in- clude & Mack Sennett comedy, “Aver- age Husbands,” with Pat O'Malley, Natalie Moorhead and Albert Conti; a Krazy Kat comedy cartoon, “Fide Around,” and the Graham McNamee Talking Reporter Newsreel. FOX—"“Last of the Duanes.” “LAST OF THE DUANI a Fox Movietone of romance and thrill- ing drama of the great Southwest, adapted from a Zane Grey story, is the current screen attraction at the Fox Theater. George O'Brien is the herolc “Buck” Duane, and Lucille Browne, fresh from the Broadway stage, is the lady of his heart. Others of the cast indlude Myrna Loy, Frank Campeau, Lloyd ham, Walter McGrall, James Bradbury, jr.; Nat Pendleton and ‘Willard Robertson. “Last of the Duanes” is filmed against the picturesque background of the Arizona mount . _The story is one l:‘ the best gnown of Zane Grey's works. Eddie Peabody, with his banjo, who scored a decided hit on his first ap- pearance here last week, continues as master of ceremonies and will direct the presentation of the Fanchon and Marco “Marble” Idea, which features Ggng, & troupe and LEWIS STONE- " 74@0//59 \Wite ecla and Al and Jack Rand, and of Sunkist. les. i Opening” at Loew’s Palace this week with Wesley Eddy, who will appear in the Capitol Theater revue, “Rubes and Dudes,” as the stage attraction. “Call of the Flesh” is the story of the love of a cabaret and & girl in & convent who has _in love with the singer from hearing ~is sonus. She leaves the convent to join him, and he gives her shelter until they can be married. His jealous dancing part- ner, however, implants a sinister sus- picion in the heart of her brother, and the girl is compelled to return to the convent. Given an opportunity to make an operatic debut, the singer wins a t ovation, but is heart- broken withal at the loss of his sweet~ heart. This so affects the jealous danc- ing partner that he confesses truth, and & new joy is born in w orld. “Rubes and Dudes,” the stage traction, in addition to Mr. Eddy, will feature Sylvester and his midgets, lit= tle men who do big things; the Crack- erjacks; Blanche Bow, who is suspected as a rival if not a successor to Helen Kane: Geraldine, acrobatic dancer; the Hale Girls and the Palace Syncopators. Short subjects, the Hearst Metrotone News, organ music by Charles Gaige and the Palace Orches- tra under Harry Borjes will complete the program. EARLE—“The Office Wife.” “TH! OFFICE WIFE,” a Warner Bros. and Vitaphone production based on the story of Faith Baldwin, is the attraction this week at Warner's Earle. ‘This photoplay, which co-stars Doro- thy Mackaill and Lewis Stone, ushers in a new show season at the Earle. It concerns the love affair between a man, his wife and his secretary. Ine stead g the wife the quiet, sub- missive creature of His new songs are “Liza Lee,” | ghe is that the husband turns to his tary for consolation. To add to these complications, the secretary is el to married to a young reporter although she loves her employer and is only considering e use she does not want to her employer’s home. Dorothy Mackaill appears as the sec- retary and Lewis Stgne is her employer. Natalie Moorhead appears as the wife and other players include Blanche Frederici, Joan Blondell, Brooks Bene- dict, Dale Fuller and Walter Merrill, Supplementary entertainment in- cludes “Hello Television,” with Andy aghone Vority AU ierge ang e “Let’s Merge,” an the Eule News. 4 COLUMBIA—Garbo in “Romance.” GRITA GARBO, in the Metro-Gold- wyn-Mayer production of “Ro- mance,” has made such a pronounced impression upon the admirers of the Swedish screen star in Washington that, naturally, the attraction has been {’l‘lll; :‘v:{n.for another week, inciden- a the’ ofeninig ot 'the Loew Fall ssason, which also is being heralded. It seems scarcely necessary to repeat B R 3“0 iliar through its pplemental entertainment will in- Chase presents {esime, the Harris Trio, Georyens 0 3 lo, Henry, and Flobelle and m’ Fran- Charley comedy, “Dol« lar Daze”; a Fltzpatrick tra REJ:. Hearst Metrotone News an'; 0‘: