Evening Star Newspaper, October 12, 1930, Page 57

Theater, Screen and Music Part 4—10 Pages AMUSEMENT SECTION he Sunday Star, Motor, Aviation and Radio News WASHINGTON, D. C "y SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 12, [ AGIE an d SCREEN WALTER HUSTON and ANN RUTLEDGE: - CHARLES FARRELL ar0 RosE HOBART=- /7 N Litiom” Fox In Sereen Prodvction 4 * AgRAHAM LINCOIN /Va'//bfla/ As Autumn Days Roll By By W. H. REMIERES are apt to crowd upon us thick as leaves in Vallambrosa, if we don’t watch out. It isn't an en- tirely happy anticipation, because premieres always suggest post- mortems, and who really cares for post-mortems in the vast or not 80 vast army of theatergoers which now, most of all, the anxious producer is trying mighty hard to please? Washington, for lo these many years, has rather been disposed to eye premieres with suspicion. It used to be the annual habit of the brilliant David Belasco to honor us with them, and really he taught us to love them. But then, suddenly, due doubtless to the vaccilations unavoidable in the always un- certain producing world, Mr. Belasco stopped premiering in Washington, and transferred his activities to the small towns of Connecticut. - It was then that Washington began to mistrust all premieres, and prepared to resist all t-mortems. Now it isn't awed even at the favorite an- nouncement by the movie of a “world premiere.” *ox o A‘r the present moment, there is not the slightest disposition of this column to send Mr. George W. Lederer nor. delightful Lester Allen New Yorkward with feel- Ings of uncertainty, and most as- suredly not with the inspiration that leans toward resentment. “The Pajama Lady” had its Wash- Ington world premiere a wee bit In advance of its real world pre- miere in the Great Metropolis. But the Washington event being more in the nature of a dress rehearsal, the polite term for try- out, it was not at all surprisin that the glorious trilumph was nof sprung here but was reserved for Manhattan, where such things are not only possible, but fre- uent. Admirers and patrons of e famous brand of Lederer girl- music-and-laughter twpe of en- tertainment need not despair in the least, for history has already shown that Mr. Lederer is a wizard when it comes to fixing &P a show, and there is little, if any, doubt that when New York sees “The Pajama Lady” Wash- ington will add another bay leaf to its reputation as “a rotten show town.” * % % % THE first Washington venture of the Professional Players of Philadelphia appears to have passed smoothly and pleasantly. At least “Everybody’s Secret” re- celved the traditional hand of ap- proval; and those who had the good fortune to see it, doubtless, are settling themselves into a flea&am receptive mood to await adge Kennedy in “Michael and Mary,” the second play in thelsend the Llndvaigt. series which is to entertain the Belasco patrons every third week, according to present expectations. This series of entertainments, it has been explained, is sponsored by professional theatergoers, rather than professional players. Its purpose is to demand and to deliver plays worth while, pre- sented by players of quality and experience. It is a most worthy aspiration, and Washington is eager for its success. Plays worth while are not so glenmul in the Machine Age as when the theater moved its stately course under the restraint of Victorian ethics. But many a play in the interim which has had occasion to blush at its own shortcomings has drifted serenely into innocuous desuetude, leaving pleasant memories of the ylayers who, in presenting it, had he art and the ability to lessen its defects almost to the vanish- ing point. The fine character- ization, or the deft theatrical art of the player, will linger often in the memory after the play that made them possible has been for- gotten. * % x ¥ "THIS week at the National the lion will lie down with the lamb, if for no other reason than simply to illustrate how easy it Is for the stage legfllmate to live and move and have its being peacefully and happily alongside the rivalry of its brilliant and dar- ing counterpart. “Abraham Lin- coln” is a theme of interest to the entire world, for all the world has come to know and admire Ameri- ca’s one rugged, classical hero. Both the stage and screen have ‘Eatd their tribute, and the world as acclaimed them. But one play, one screen production, how- ever mnfinmcent it may be, can never exhaust the theme. And so Washington will feel an especial interest in the present work of the master screen director of them all, and his treatment of a sub- ject worthy of the greatest wielder of ~ plastic power and theatric art. Mr. Griffith does not ‘pretend to present a new Lincoln, but a Lincoln more in the human than the heroic mold, 2 Lincoln not the ideal of tradi- tion, but a Lincoln who lived and loved and won the love of his fellowman even as might you and I * % % % JF the signs hold good, Washing- ton, at least, will experience a theatrical “renascence,” which should bring with it more of dignity and of quality dur- ing the present season than has been bestowed upon it in some time. Two theaters remain to support the dra that once was. The Erlanger which are allied wi e of th news that interests, | i, w, ETHEL BARRYMORE- : * Scarlet Sister Mary Shubers- : RuTH RoLa ND - , 7 . Belasco i /18 Scene Metropolitan son has opened most auspiciously, while the other, which is linked with the Shuberts, is_countering with the Professional Players’ or- ganization and alluring promises of good things to come. The latest reports add Grace George in “The First Mrs. Frazier” to the list from the latter, while as early as October 26, Ed Wynn will be here with “Simple Simon,” maybe. All in all, it looks as if the big talk- ing Froducnons will have genuine rivalry in the living theater, which now has so many aliases that it is with difficulty the fasti- dious writer selects the choicest. One thing seems unmistakably obvious and that is that the drama of the good old days will not require funeral obsequies for at least a year in the National Capital, always providing the New York booking offices do not muss up the situation. “Bob" Downing as of Old. IN the mad rush of time much is lost and many are overlooked that merit 8 better fate. Even celebrities pale with the passing years and, if they do not find a place in the Valhalla of the truly great, where eventually they become myths of tradition, they are lost in oblivion, so soon do folks forget. Robert L. Downing, once familiarly known as “Bob” Downing, years ago was leading man for Mary Anderson, one of America’s most gifted actresses. At various times hew'i;lugl&nl"!{:; leading support of Eds , Jol McCul!mfi. Joseph Jefferson, Law- rence Barrett and others, all celebrities in their day and among the truly great of the American theater. Last Monday evening at the Hemi- cycle, before the Shakespeare Soclety, Mr. Downing gave his famous recita- tion of “The Seven Ages of Man” and told the most interesting of stories about the theater of his time and those who made it great in the world of literature and drama. Never in his proudest day had he a more appreciative audience. And singu- lar to say, Mr. Downing’s voice is as rich and resonant as in the days of his youthful success, and his art as ripe and rare as it ever was. Stranger still, Mr. Downing is even now seriously contemplating the estab- lishment in Washington of a school of dramatic expression. He is a master of the art, but he is not as well known , his home city, as he should be, save by the faithful few that the irreverent now call the aldtimers. 1930. FALLS,ReADING an/BovcEs Bubbpy RoceRrs Nancy CarROL a7/ THELMA TODD- /n GLonriA SWANSON and § | OweN MoorE - "\t & Wdoww ¥ Columbia fi—;om“i?No" Stage and Screen Attractions This Week On the Stage. BELASCO—*“Scarlet Sister Mary.” Opens tomorrow evening. GAYETY—"“Novelties of 1930” (burlesque). This afternoon and On the Screen. NATIONAL—Griffith’s “Abraham Lincoln.” This evening. EARLE—"“Girl of the Golden West.” This afternoon and eve- evening. ning. PALACE—“Follow Thru.” This afternoon and evening. R-K-O KEITH'S—“Her Man.” This afternoon and evening. METROPOLITAN—“Reno.” This afternoon and evening. FOX—“Liliom.” This afternoon and evening. RIALTO—"All Quiet on the Western Front.” This afternoon and evening. COLUMBIA—“What a Widow!” This afternoon and evening. Molnar’s Best Drama. IT was in December, 1009, that the play “Lillom” had its premiere in a theater in Budapest. Crowds clamored about the theater trying to get in, for the opening of one of Molnar's plays was an event of utmost importance to Hungarians. They had come to expect marvels from the author of “The Devil,” which had run for a period of two years on the continent. ‘When the last curtain had fallen crit- ies and audience were alike astounded. Could it be that Molnar, never content with realty and ever attempting the fantastic in his plays, had at last car- ried fantasy to unintelligible lengths? They were hfl“”"m that the playwright hero off in the fifth scene, shown him in heaven in the sixth and brought him back to earth in the seventh. ‘The exact niche for the hero was im- possible to define also. At times it seemed that Lillom was an ordinary tough; then Molnar had him speak lines | be which brought him up to the level of a dreamer. themselves disappointed. It through 30 or 40 performances and was withdrawn. Molnar was not content to see what he considered his most beautiful work die without a chance. He had the play published. Immediately it received wide distribution. Whether it was because the public became familiar with the whimsical characters or cannot be definitely ascertained. Nev- ertheless, when the play was revived 10 years later it was an overwhelming triumph. Some writers think that the tragedy of the war made Molnar’s public more sensitive to spiritual values. Anyway, the Budapest that had rejected “Liliom" ten years later stampeded the theater to see it. Pantomime Dancers. TWD young men who knew what they wanted and got it are Sid Gold and Don Raye, the clever pair of danc- ing comedians who are featured in “Bye Bye Blues,” a Capitol Theater stage show, at the Palace. Sid Gold wanted to emulate his grandfather, a well known dance maestro in_ Austria. Don Raye, who hails from Norfolk, Va., also wanted to & dancer. He won the Charleston championship of his State and imme- ;‘llluly hied to New York in quest of where particularly, until they a theatrical party about . 'y started N Follow Thru” 7 HARDING- /0 G/ of Fhe \Golder Wes?” | Earle TEDCLAIRE - MastergfCeremonies + the Palace Farewells Dumbdoras. DAVI.D ‘WARK GRIFFITH, most wide- ly known of all directors, sees no future in the movies for unintelligent beauty. Not tisat he believes all beauty will be barred from the screen, but that looks will be inconsequential and the face will be of secondary importance. “But what of the close-ups?” he was asked. “They'll go out because their use- fulness is over. We will have a new screen technique with the movie public liking better what it hears than what it sees. Screen figures will not be unat- tractive, but we will not subject them to close shots which at present bar out a talented actress because she hasn’t a perfect nose or a pretty mouth. “The dumbbells are going off the celluloid, thank God,” said Mr. Griffith, with a vehemence that was not entirely attributed to the thermometer. ‘The famous director believes the big- gest production of his entire career is “Abraham Lincoln.” And don’t forget, the exacting Russian school of the cinema still uses his “Birth of a Na- tion” and “Broken Blossoms” as a standard of screen technique. Oleroh tioiToese: EATRICE TERRY, who acts Maum Hannah with Ethyl Barrymore in “Scarlet Sister Mary,” is the niece of Kate, Ellen, Marion, Florence, George and Pred Terry, the royal line of the English stage. As might be expected, she made her stage debut as a baby in “Olivia,” a dramatization of Oliver Goldsmith’s “The Vicar of Wakefleld,” with Sir Henry Irving and Ellen Terry. She has acted with Fred Terry and Julia Neil- son and also with Edward Terry, a famous English comedian, who was not & Terry at all, but made his reputation under this name. Lately she has been a member of Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theater, but one of her outstanding successes in the American theater was as Laura Atherton in Martin Flavin's “Children of the Moon.” 2 P AR “Roxy" Ballet Coming! TH.I Roxy Theater ballet is announced Theater forthree weeks, siarting Frc eater for weel - day, October 24. famous ballet, under the direc- tion of 8. L. (Roxy) Rothafel, has es- tablished an enviable tation Ralace: BELASCO—"Scarlet Sister Mary.” THEL BARRYMORE comes to Washington tomorrow night in “‘Scarlet Sister Mary,” which Lee Schubert will present in the Shubert-Belasco Theater. Daniel Reed made the play from the novel by Julia Peterkin. “Scarlet Sister Mary” perhaps has | attracted more attention than any the- atrical production made in the Amer- ican theater in many years, largely because it marks the first time that Miss Barrymore has acted the role of a is the occasion for the debut of Ethel Barrymore Colt, Miss Barrymore's daughter, who thus carries on the fa- mous Barrymore- Drew family in stage history. It also brings Mrs. Pe- Ethel Barrymere. terkin, a novelist of 3 wide reputation, to the theater for the first time. Mrs. Peterkin has lived among the Gullah Negroes all her-life. As mistress of the Lang Syne plantation in South Carolina, she has come to know this race well. The Gullah Negroes were brought to this country from Africa many generations ago, and they nave retained many of their original char- acteristics and have resisted all outside influence. Their speech is distinct from that of other colored people in America and their appearance and manners and customs are different. Miss Barrymore has been seen in many contrasting roles—Juliet, Portia, Ophelia, Teazle, and in Olhwomr Pinero and Ma May-e, Negress, and also it | 1y Earle (SYage) RHiLLPS HolMES:and Hi ELENTWELVETR REES GAYETY—“Novelties of 1930 “NDVILT!LS OF 1930,” & new bur- lesque and vaudeville M. B. A. attraction, is playing this week at the Gayety Theater. It promises entertain- ment with many laugh surprises, and & well balanced program of songs and dances. The production also is well equipped scenically and from a cos- tume point of view. A competent company. is headed by Harry Clexx and Harry Meyers, dis- tinguished comedians, and Jean Bodine, versatile artist. Ot include the n Sisters, Helen Carlson and i Lloyd, Reynolds, Andy White, Peggie O'Neil and a nimble chorus that deports %; in the two biggest scenes, * Dance of the Rose” and “The Garden of Girls.” Hindu Wassau Coming. THROUGH the personal persuasion of Manager Lake of the Gayety Treater, burlesque patrons are in for a rare treat, none other than Hindu Wassau, one of the outstanding stars in burlesque, who will arrive by airplane Saturday, October 18, from Hollywood, to join Prank Silk’s show “Silk Stock- ing Revue.” Since last August when she left the Gayety, Miss Wassau has been a picture in Belles” and other shows in which she aopeared here. Twice Makes Perfect. “coMl on over! I want you to hear my new picture!” This is the Intest sentence to be added to the pro- fesgional jargon of Hollywood movie ers.