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| Efage and Screen AMJISEMENT SECTION Zhe Sunday Star. r“Motor; VA\rrriéition, Radio Programs NGTON, Svere from” HELLS ANGELS " O]LIVT‘I’WI Gl RITICS, from those with the long earrings and high Let Us Be U pointed heels down to the By W. H. heavyweights of the funny column, have' long been landing their wallops right and left, until the cub reporter assigned to the dramatic department has been made to tremble in his shoes, wondering what is likely to hap- pen to his stipend if he doesn’t stir up something new and cheer- ful in the theater, no matter what may be the trend of the times. The wagld seems to have been fighting over .sex, . marriage, morals and manners until they are even reincarnating Shake- speare’s comedies a la English, be- cause we have never done them right before. As proof of this Andrew Leigh, fresh from dear ol’ Lunnon, is over here to school Jane Cowl in the art. Why, even the book writers, in their philo- sophic and descriptive wander- ings, have landed a savage upper- cut—and the poor old stage, which has borne everything from the condemnation of the church to the encroachment of the movie, has been the butt of it all. Some one has said that all things mortal have an end. Why isn’t the ad- vent of the New Year a time auspicious to help the dear old theater out of the mire and on to solid ground, not with further lambasting, but as the savant would say, constructively. The beautiful song says “all things come home at eventide.” Why may not the eventide of 1930 be a time to start the run of the pure, the beautiful, the good, back to the theater and-thus clear the way to a grand, glorious and really happy New Year? Will not some one make the motion? * % ox x As an humble suggestion and with nothing sinister in the back- ground, why may we not ask the movie not to perpetuate upon the talking screen any wickedness that may have previously cropped out on the stage? Why not ask good Mr. Will H. Hays to assist in this because Mr. Hays, really, has had good church training and, in- deed, some one has said that in his eventful career he has even sat as a deacon .in church. And why, bringing the uplift a little nearer home, may we all of us not include in our New Year resolutions the firm resolve never, never to patronize a’ wicked play or per- formance. Perhaps some of us will have to be enlightened as to what may be a wicked play. But to make the solution of the diffi- culty as easy as possible, let us and each of us undertake to de- cide for ourselves just what we think is a wicked play, just what jwe think 1§ unwholesome, sugges- tive dnd, to use a very strong J4term, demoralizing, and then firmly resolve ®hat not only will ggwe not attend such a perform- ance, but that we will not even read about it, or give it fostering care, no, not even in our sub- onscious minés. Most important of all, during this wonderful en- avor in desirable uplift, let ws a e p and Doing Landvoigt. | regulate ourselves first, not begin lon our neighbor. And when we | have succeeded, right well, indeed, |may we exclaim, “Lord I thank | Thee I am not as other men are.” | There really does seem a possi- | bility, if we do this, that we may get somewhere, and with all of us working in the same direction, we |may ultimately create a great composite notion or idea from | which we may be able to deduce | a code of ethics, morals and man- | ners, with set rules of observance, |that will admirably regulate all {lines of human eonduct. And !they will be rules which we will all gladly obey, or ought to, be- cause they will be the pe: ted judgment of a world of endeavor to be good and proper. * o ox % Now it is perfectly fair for each and all of us, at the outset, to recognize and to give serious con- sideration, in this business of making the world brighter and better and purer and more beauti- ful, to the recollection that our perfectly natural method of con- ducting all reforms is to begin on our next door neighbor and root out from him everything evil we believe to exist in or around him. But that method is not go- ing to get us as far in our present great work as if we start, not on our neighbor and what he does, but on ourselves and what we do that may be possible of correction. (It is always to be remembered that there are certain exemptions which apply to us that it would not be wise to allow to our neigh- bor. But the idea, indeed the basic idea, of the present sugges- tion is that we begin exclusively with ourselves and confine our efforts as exclusively to ourselves until we reach that high state of perfection at which we aim, be- fore we present ourselves and our ideas as a general model. This course seems perfectly fair. | does not in any wise conflict with any possible notion of personal | liberty, save our own, and that, | the world will readily concede, we have a perfect right to curtail as we will. And even when we sub- mit our perfected selves for the world’s consideration, let us not do it aggressively, nor with any suggestion that the other fellow must do and believe as we do. Let us remember we are trying to |reach a general opinion on rules and regulations that not only will make our the- | ater what it should be, but, in- | deed, may help in the general ad- | vancement of mankind in other things. It is a consummation to be yearned for, to be sought after, to sacrifice much for. Fop then will come, indeed, the great de- siderata of life, a world well with doing and a world that may even try to purify its politics. -It's u'; .Frrenc}n DO you know your French? Then ( you're sure to enjoy a breezy song sung in French by Sandra Revel in l’re&c.h cafe scenes of “'War Nurse,” now onest | It | consensus of | D C U TAGIE and NDAY MicoreoMCoy 577 MINOR WATSON> i lts A Wise Child” National CONSTANCE BENNETTI; /n°Sin Takes a Holiday * M@fro/oo/fl an Boy Scouts and Jackie | ENSING the value of the fact that | Jackie Coogan is an honorary mem- | ber of the Boy Scouts of America, of | Great Britain, of France, of Germany | and of Austria, Manager Hardie Meakin |of the Fox celebrated his appearance | yesterday. morning in “Tom Sawyer” by | having a delegation of 40 of the District | Scouts, under Col. E. L. Mattice, on | hand to participate in % salute to the | flag, with the entire. membership of 1,200 in full uniform invited to be pres- ent. The Scouts were augmented by a vast audience of Washington school chil- | | dren, who sang familiar songs that made | the rafters ring just prior to the show- | ing of the picture. | It was a rousing celebration beyond | question. \ | s [ An Actress of Quality. | THAIS LAWTON, who will be seen as Mrs. Randolph, in the new George Kelly play, “Philip Goes Forth,” for two years was the leading woman for John Drew. She played with Guy Bates Post in “The Masquerader” and in “The | Wandering Jew” .under Belasco. She has also appeared in the musical pro- duction “Castles in the AIr.” She is adept in Shakespearean comedy and a | | versatile actress. of quality. | Miss Lawton was first brought to New) | York by Winthrop Ames for the New Theater production of Galesworthy's | “Strife.” "With this company she aiso (played Lady Sneerwell in “The School | for Scandal.” Mr. Ames first siw Miss Lawton when |she was appearing with Henry Miller im “The Great Divide,” and she was engaged by him for his stock company | in Boston, where she played all kinds of parts, including Shakespeare. David Belasco's brother Fred gave Miss Lawton her first opportunity to go on the stage, when he placed her in the famous Alcazar Stock Co. in San Prancisco. Goldwyn Seeks Talent. MICHAEL ARLEN and Walter Hack- ett have been signed to write for a Ronald Colman picture by Samuel Goldwyn. ‘The Arlen-Hackett screen play will be called “What Fun Frenchmen Have,” and is to be based on the new Michael Arlen novel, “Men Dislike Wome: s In bringing Arlen and Hackett to Hollyvloo’ Goldwyn continues his pol- icy of “attracting the highest literary talent to screen work. Frederick Lons- dale, Louls Bromfield and Sidnéy How- ard are among the writers recently employed on originals for Mr. Golg- MORNING, DE N " WALTER EowiN- /n Bird InHand ” Be/ssco o ANTA PAGE and ROBERT AMES -/ “War Nurse” Pslace Stage and Screen Attractions This Week ON THE STAGE. NATIONAL—“It's a Wise Child.” BELASCO—“Bird in Hand.” ning. Opens tomorrow evening. Performance tomorrow evening. GAYETY—“Girls From the Follies.” This afternoon and eve- ON THE SCREEN. EARLE—Otis Skinner in “Kismet.” This afternoon and evening. FOX—“Tom Sawyer. COLUMBIA—"“Hell's Angels.” This afternoon and evening. This afternoon and . evening. RIALTO—"“The Cohens and Kellys in Africa.” This afternoon and evening. PALACE—“War Nurse.” This afternoon and evening. R-K-O KEITH'S—“Hook, Line and Sinker.” This afternoon and evening. METROPOLITAN—"Sin Takes a Holiday.” This afternoon and evening. The Theater as I Find It. BY JOHN DRINKWATER. JT is now something over 20 years since Barry Jackson and myself and two or three other friends conceived the |1dea of establishing an English reper- tory theater in Birmingham. We were then all very young and confident and willing to put in anywhere up .to 16 hours a day on the job, This sometimes meant frayed nerves and tired brains, and it was in those days ¢hat I found a little fishing inn in Gloucestershire that was full of conso- lations. It was there I would retire with or from my troubles, and I have been wvisiting it on and off ever since. It was there, in a community which, less than most, has felt the touch of modern industrialism that I found most of the material for the quiet little comedy “Bird in Hand,” that is now fending for itself. As 1 look back there seems to me to be something fitting in this. Barry Jackson and the rest of us at Birming- ham were never doctrinaire or high fiown in our views about the theater. ‘We merely believed that the drama was an’ art of equal rank with painting, music and poetry, and that it ought to be treated with as much respect. We had no intention of secluding ourselves and our work for the select and precious audience. We were immensely eager to go out and take possession of the great commercial theater with a drama that had more wit and imagination than commonly appeared on the stage. The ambition may have had some arrogance in it, but it was a real one. ‘We have since learned that the sald great commercial theater has its own 1@ look Are 0ot ours. ALa QWeter Hmes o Dleges. But the fact remains that in England enterprises like those of Birmingham— the Abbey Theater in Dublin, Miss Hor- niman’s Theater in Manchester and Nigel Playfair’'s. Lyceum Theater at Hammerstein—had in the course of 20 years made it possible for dramatists { who really cared for their work to make from time to time a successful appeal to a great, popular -audience,- without any loss of self-respect. And I think that in America there has . been an even gerater betterment. Broadway has some 60 ‘theaters. But that there could be wit or imagination in 60 theaters at one time is more than any one who is blessed with either could expect. The average level of entertain- ment in a vast- modern community in any part of the world is not likely to be a distinguished one. And yet in this great competitive challenge of Broadway season after season sees the appearance of two or three or maybe half a dozen plays that really spring from some con- viction in the people who write them. And these plays do succeed against all the odds in surviving the challenge. Some quiet, reflective mood - from the remote country side, or a fantasy recov- ered from a long-forgotten , Or 2 chronicle of rustic souls who wouild cer- tainly perish on passage from east to west of Broadway may drift into the vortex, and in some strange way not only escape destruction but surely hold the attention of the crowd that is sup- posed to be too busy to attend to any- 8. And the fact is that the condition of Piccadilly Circus and Broadway has not really changed human nature. If some- ly says a simple thing and means it, he may still be heard amidst the mod=rn metropolitan uproar no less sure}y. PURSEETS "EMBER BerryCouon- CHARLES Gayety 1930. JAckiE COOGAN- /n Stene from* TOMSAWYER” f SKINNER- /" Kismet! Earfe GEORGE SYDNEY 21 CHARLEY MuRRAY 288 " Jhe Cohens and Kellys in Africa Rralto S Musical Comeay Muske- teers. | HERBERT FIELDS, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, known to Broad- way as the Three Musketeers of Mu- sical Comedy, are the librettists and composers of “America’s Sweetheart,” the new musical comedy which Schwab first time on any stage, previous to its New York opening. Flelds, Rodgers and Hart number among their stage successes “Peggy Ann,” “Present Arms,” “A Connecticut Yankee,” ‘“Heads Up,” “Spring 1Is Here” and “Simple Simon.” They are responsible also for the current Lon- don success, “Evergreen. . 2 A0 RibaeiBloms e g Didniin EORGE SIDNEY is a product of New York's famed East Side. His father was & shoemaker and while young Sid- ney put in many hours in his father's little shop, he established his indepe: dence at the age of 14 when he secured a job in a pawnshop for the glorious salary of a dollar‘and a half a week. It is about 35 years since hg .first began to build his theatrical career by occasionally appearing at Miner's Bowery Theater on “amateur night” and winning the barrel of flour or ton of coal for his fine performance. He made his first professional ap- pearance one night at the Harlem' Mu- seum along with another adventurous youth, Lou Heyman, Their act was so well received the two teamed for several seasons, singing songs and “sidewalk patter” in museums and burlesque the- aters.on the Bowery and in Harlem. ‘With the passing of time, Sidney be- came recognized 'on - Broadway. He made his first successful appearance on the legitimate stage in “Welcome Stranger,” produced by Sam H. Harris. Several stage ‘successes followed. Sjdney was finally drawn into motion pictures by Samuel Goldwyn, who in- -duced ‘him to take the glnce of Barney Bernard in the “Pgtash and Perlmut- ter” series. He made his screen’ debut in 1924.' His success was instantaneous and from then on his advance in motion pictures:was a rapid one. Idol of Parisians. EANNE AUBERT, an. idol of the Parisian ‘stage, who was:brought to America last Summer by Bobby Con- nolly for a featured role in his oper- etta, cess Charming,” and suc- ceeded in captivating the critics and theatergoers of New York, has been engaged by Schwab and Mandel for an important part in their new musical comedy, “America’s Sweetheart,” which than | has its Jgr.at showing here at the Na- fly“ WITHERS - Earle (Stage) and Mandel will produce here for the |. B Palace Brady's ample. pocketbook, . he still is inconsolable about the state of the drama. Enriched by “Street Scene” and “The First Mrs. Fraser,” with added revenues from his .theater, the Playhouse, Mr. Brady is in a position to- be glad that he is un- harmed by the catastrophes that have laid some of his brethren low. Yet from his lips no hymns of thanksgiving issue. Discontent preys upon him and he sees sad visions of show business as it ought to be but is not. In melancholy con- versation with a critic he complains that the stage is barren of good actors. That New York theaters are closed on Sunday, remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy. That Erlanger and the Shuberts pojson.the. drama with their venomous feud. That the rapacious labor ,unions -ravish esthetic enterprise by tHeir ‘ruinous voracity. That the pampering cinema makes spoiled dar- lings of the talented show-offs, both male and female, and that the racket in general is hurrying headlong into the abyss of lost arts. If I may be indulged for a moment of reminiscence I shall recall a day when Mr. Brady was a devotee of hope, not an apostle of despair. I .was then an urchin, aged 13, and one of the few drama lovers in an Ohio hamlet in- habited by 1,600 souls. Into that village one Wintry night came a little troupe ‘of players bent : upon peflnrmlnfie. dramatization of Rider Haggard's “‘She. My father, a devout Presbyterian, had forbidden placards of the event to be pposted in the windows of his Main street emporium of dry goods, carpets and no- tions,’ for he believed, as his son does now, - the’ theater to be an: agent of Beelzebub. The impresario of this pro- duction - of “She” was a youth named Willilam A. Brady. He was.manager, Stage director, financial sponsor, scene- shifter, and in his own version of the tragedy he acted the role of Pat Mul- 'cahy, an Irish hero, who brandished a s=illelah’ and sald ‘“be-jabbers” -every now. "mx:'nly then. me\vlb e Ipts :::o $34, a sum lent to pay ‘the com- ¥ ‘s, hotel .bill Co louse.”The communit ’ls}l:ylm’n had been, smtiated earlier season by two '‘Tom shows, . in “Virginius” and Duprey & Benedict's Having house, I visited the stage after.the end of ‘the performance and shyly watched the weary Mr. Brady as he folded the back drops and arranged them for to™ ext town. “Mr. Brady,” ‘1, helping to put on, his plaid géape overcoat, “I gt to be LTHOUGH Fortune ‘empties her A whole quiver in William A. vileged access to the opera | Senoritas from” MEXICANA' (Stage) Mr. Brady and the Theater By Percy Hammond . “Yes,” he answered, diary. “I am brgke, tired stomach aches. One of my hock at Bucyrus. I am ‘every railroad tie from Xi lipolis, and I will be h ville and Coshocton. But so will you, my lad.” Brady’s advice, and now I resent his lamentations morosity of a dyspeptic knows as well as you do thal get all the good players satisfy his ambitions; open Sunday theater would be significance in the lives of th playgoers. be L [} B 5% B : § iE feet Erez i) EEsiy % newspaper obituaries last week was the stark announcement that Andrew J. Lawler, jr., had died after an opera- tion for appendicitis at the of 22. In my casual observations of the young people of the stage I had estimated Mr. | Lawler as a promise that had airesdy | been fulfilled. He was an honest, know» ing and clairyovant player, and I owe to him one of the most moving of my experiences in the drama. I shall never forget that moment in “Coquette” when, as the kid brother of the heroine, he tried desperately to soften the news of her suicide to her father. That was perfect acting, and I shall re- member it as one of the real moments in my adventures in e | never saw him off stage, but it makes me blue to know that he is dead. * ok kK ED Feathers.—Walter Damrosch and the Genenillluh‘ thf:’lre‘ fitd W. s‘. Pields surmounting bretto “Ballyhoo.” . . . “Gtand Hotel” and all who are concerped in it. .. . “Overture’s” ‘acid and dramatic - ment on the everlasting strife between workers and work. ascha Hei- fetz playing his « . .. Arnold Bennett's Sist Visk Beium's wovel, “Grag Hoteh c} um’s novel, * a4 Jodrama ; “Ten Cents-a Dance.” WTEN CENTS A DANCE” is the title finally decided Pictures for the new dramatic story. of of New York. 4 for Columbia » showmgn. Would you advisthme to %‘.fl‘“‘fll P Miss. Stanwyck. in “Ladies 0‘;’ uhwun'ipkm which