Evening Star Newspaper, January 18, 1931, Page 49

Stage News and Screen and Gossip Part 4—8 Pages VIRGINIA BDoswELL- Palace (S7age) AMUSEMENT SECTION he Sundwy Star, B K/I;tor, Aviaiion, : Radio Programs WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY EDWYYNN- /ra (SCefle fiofll ~ " FoLLow Tie LEADERY - Pansies for Thoughts By W. H. T’S the fashien nowadays, if you have a past that troubles | you, to forget it. Lots of things| have been and still are being| forgotten, which, if remembered as horrible examples, might serve to make the world wiser, if not better. It is with the theater much as it is with the individual, and many’s the time it is far better to forget than to try to explain the whys and the where- fores. Perhaps the week just closed can be blotted out of the happy memories without loss to anybody or to anything. “The Blue Ghost” was one of those sad things that might be buried in forgetfulness and with pity. It was too frail to bear even a scolding. “Storm Song,” however, sturdier of tex- ture, was of the kind that breeds nightmares. Not so pleasant, and with little to be gained in trying to forget it, because, like Banquo’s ghost, it is certain to rise again without waiting for the general judgment. To sum up briefly, last week’s theater was poor, but to quote the statesman “God reigns | and the Government at Washing- Landvoigt. least we may be certain of a well acted performance, and that often goes very far in making up for any inherent defects in a play. “In the Best of Families” is also bidding for approval. * ¥ % X JOY supreme reigns in the Na- tional Theater in being able to announce the “almost premiere” of “America’s Sweetheart,” the new season’s offering of the famous firm of Schwab & Man- dell, who have to their credit six, seven or maybe eight of the out- standing musical productions of the recent past. “America’s Sweetheart” will bring to Wash- ington “the most colossal, the most grandiose,” as it were, “spectacle in music and beauty it has had since the advent of the famous ‘Whoopee.’” Schwab & Mandell are believing that “Amer- ica’s Sweetheart” is the most lav- ish production of its kind they have ever created, and as they were the makers of “The Gingham Girl,” “The Desert Song,” “Good | News,” “Queen High,” “The New | Moon” and “Follow Through,” ton still lives.” ¥ e | TRANGE, is it not, that in the‘ effort to come back, or to satch up with the movie, pmducers‘l will spend their time and money— | if they do—on plays that but a| momentary glance would adjudge | unworthy. Is it to fool the public? | And, if so, is it wise to kill the| goose that lays the golden egg— | always with apologies for the| metaphor. True, it must be ad- mitted that Jimmie Cooper, who | sponsored “The Blue Ghost,” does not appear in the list of true and | tried producers who might be ex- ted to know. Nor, indeed, is bert V. Newman, “youngest of the New York producers,” as his| publicity man so eloquently de- scribed him in the advance notices, who fathered “Storm Song.” Both may be guiltless. Perhaps they did not put their money into their enterprises. Per- haps they merely and graciously loaned their influence to put things over. Maybe, after all, it is Bernard J. McOwen, and John | P. Reiwerts, who playwrighted “the ghost,” and Sidney R. Buch- man, who brewed the “Storm Song,” none of them by the way Pulitzer prize winners, who felt the urge to rush, and now are sadder but wiser men. Be that as it may, it is doubtful that, even with two seats for the price of one, the public lost much on either venture, * % * % UT as two flies don’t make a Summer, the joy of living need not vanish from our National Capital surrounded by billboards Just because we have had an off week in the theater. We have had 80 many in bygone days that we should be able to take on another from time to time without shaking the foundation of our confidence in man. The future always looms brightly ahead whether it makes good in the finals or not. And Washington really ought to find pleasure in the new Theater Guild offering, “Green Grow the Lilacs,” & folksong in drama and by a Foet and a Guggenheim Fellow. “Cimarron,” the big Oklahoma movie effort, has not yet arrived to inform us as to matters down Oklahoma way; but the sponsor- ship of the Guild and elo- quent advance notices ought to anything seriously sponsored by | them should be of more than ordi- nary interest. They have been assisted in the preparation of their newest offering by men who rank | high in stage craftsmanship in| their various lines, including| Bobby Connolly and Alfred Good- man, than whom there are no wiser in the matter of dance| ensembles and musical direction, respectively. Besides, “America’s Sweetheart” is merely “Holly- wood” by another name, and Gus Shy, Inez Courtney, Jack Whiting, Jack Sheehan and Jean Aubert, not to mention the Foreman Sisters, “from down Mississippi way,” and’“the Cheer Leaders” quartet, with an army of stars and safellites, are heaven bent on glory. * % X ¥ JF, after all this, there still be doubting hearts and uncertain minds in our fair city as to the future of the theater, sound and silent; if, indeed, since the ter- rible conflict that wrenched civi- lization from its bearings, the proletariat has gone glimmering in matters of morals and ethics, there is yet reason for hope that out of the new crop of ambition- ful youngsters who wish to try their hands at creating amuse- ments for the world at large something will bob up to give us joy and to make living, after all, really grand and worthwhile. If the old producers can’t or won't maybe the new ones or some of them can and will be able to. It's a hard matter, it's true, to coin |into attractive inspiration minds burdened with the desire for money, but some say it has been done, and we should never forget that other famous old maxim, “What man has done, man can do again,” or something to that ef- fect. An expectant world is waiting, oh, so patiently waiting, simply for the sun to rise, ® X % ¥ SOMEBODY who had more wis- dom than the desire for pub- licity, citing the long list of play failures in the Great Metropolis during the season now about half gone, suggested that perhaps the great need in the theater, after all, is “a new deal all around in the item of producers.” After the hectic week just vanished the ) be enough to establsih confidence & “Green Grow the Lilacs” At idea doesn’t sound at all silly. putting it over with all possible| A Perhaps the great ucers of Patace MORNING, JANUARY TAGE and SCREE JUNE i WALKER -4 GreenGrow #e Lilscs” ational DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS Jr W Liftle Caesar” iR RuUTH SThe % HATTER 1947 7o Love”Columbia ZQ[% Bouwpoip DipLomar” TON- /n Wandering Titles. TITLE is a title, and the studios of Hollywood always welcome a good one with open arms. Even if there is no story to fit it, the word or phrase, destined some day to blaze in electric lights before the doors of theaters, is registered and, as it were, lald up in lavender for future use. Sometimes a title has many surpris- ing adventures before it finally makes its bow to the public, irrevocably fas- tened to a motion picture till death do them part. A few weeks ago some one in the ‘Warner Bros. studios thought of “Beauty and the Boss” as a good title for a pic- ture. It was euphonious, alliterative and had about it - thing which the show business sums up bllinny ud“ll)ox office.” B t was duly registered wi e Mo- tion Picture Producers & Distributo: of America, Inc, otherwise known as the Hays office, and other companies were notified that “Besuty and the Boss” was pre-empted and that they must “lay off” its use. But up to that point it was simply a title without a story. Then a story was found. Warner Bros. have been considering for some time a screen version of Harriet Henry's novel “Jackdaws Strut.” Would “Beauty and the Boss” fit the plot of “Jackdaws Strut”? A conference was held, and the decision was reached that it would. Within a fortnight, however, the pow- ers that rule the studio had arrived at & new decision. “Ex-Mistress,” with Bebe Daniels, Lewis Stone and Ben Lyon, has recently been completed. For various reasons the title “Ex-Mistress” was not judged suitable. Why not use “Beauty and the Boss” instead? An- other conference resulted in an an- nouncement sent forth to the news- papers of the land that “Ex-Mistress” Was to be “Beauty and the Boss.” And then there began to be yet an- other change of heart. On further thought it appeared that the title and the story, after all, did not suit each wothar in an lde;lflrg:nner. Th.h peaxecc ny approj to such matings was lu‘ilnl So, within the few Croed, " e and creed. “Ex-] ” and “Jackdaws Strut” are still languishing under their original names, which will not be used when they are publicly shown on the screen, and “Beauty and the Boss” is still a ghost, floating in the void until some motion picture of the future claims it by right of unchallengeable affinity. en de- the past have tired of their task and are disposed to lie down upon their jobs. If so, what more natural than a new stock to re- vive it if the theater is to go on resurging? Ambition has accom- plished wonderful things in the centuries, even those behind the machine age. Only the chap who is to do the resurging should know someéthing of the work before him, and really he ought to have ideals, if possible, an improvement upon those which have preceded. An amusing story is told of a young Washington lawyer of years :5:). In his first appearance before the U. 8. Supreme Court he persisted in quoting text-book law until the Chief Justice, a bit impatient, suggested “But, my young friend, don’t you assume that this court knows some law?” “That was the very mistake I made in the court below” came the quick response. “That’s why I'm here.” Lack of confidence may be a failing of the bar, but overconfidence too often a failing in the theater. Perhaps there is a bit of both in the theater business of today, with the theatrical gentleman of the press vainly endeavoring to overcome the one as vigorously as they are endeavoring to head off the other, 1 V4 18, 1931. DoroThy MACKAILL and JouN HaLLiDay - p n*Once aSimer” Fox OTis 3 SKINNER - Skismet LiLLian Dixon- Gaye%)/ —op | Miss VANESSI- (Stage) Earle ; NCEO'NEIL MARY AnBENZ- "l the Bestof Fomilies” Belaso woop Stubio GinLs” Fox (S—faye) “Metropolitan and LOWELL SHERMAN- /7 S The Roya/ Bed” RKO.Kertts Just a Stage Joke. VERY day this week the manager of Loew's Palace Theater will stand in the wings and tear his hair as the time for the stage revue approaches.| | And then, one minute before curtain time, a taxicab will drive up to the stage door and out will rush the two men who have caused his worries. ‘Those truants are Marty Collins and Hnrr{ Peterson, comedians and stars of the “Monkey Shines,” the . stage presentation. “Sorry, but we just had to finish that last hole,” will be their apology. And the show will then go on. Collins and Peterson are golf bugs as well as comedy bugs. No manager is safe from worry, it is said, if there is a golf course within driving distance of the theater, for they are now in the malignant stage of the game—meaning that if they are playing a city where no links are available, or the weather is bad, they set up tees e be- tween shows and practice driving against a theater curtain. Strangely enough, however, they make no allusion to the game during ;hilr hilarious act before the foot- ghts. Advance Sale of Sea ECAUSE of the unusual interest in the forthcoming premiere of Lau- rence Schwab and Frank Mandel's new Euarl::-l production, “America’s Sweet- eat day, January 26, the management will open its box office sale at 7 am. on ‘Thursday of this week. This will be done to accommodate Government em- ployes and others who already have made early application for tickets. “America’s Sweetheart” is, perhaj the most important musical production of the season. It marks the return to production of Schwab and Mandel after an absence of two years. It will be remembered that this firm of theater- wise young men has produced seven consecutive outstanding musical hits, including “Capt. Jenks,” “Queen High,” “Sweet Little Devil,” “The Desert Song,” “Good News,” “The New Moon” and “Follow Through.” Immediately after the local ment, “America’s Sweetheart” will be ?flm to the Broadhurst Theater, New t the National Theater Mon- |4t Henry James’ Monologue. ‘OR many years Ruth Draper has been appearing before audiences— American, ~British, German, French, and notable celebrities, the King and Queen of Spain and the King and Queen of England among them. And always there has been some one so thoroughly swept away by her magic 1!; '?tb‘ moved to expression concern- g it. Henry James’ father and Miss Dra- per’s grandfather were great friends, and_it was Miss Draper who aroused in Henry James something he had wanted to do for a long, long time— write for the theater. Not that he had not tried before. Only too vivid was the memory of theatergoers who evidenced in no shy or uncertain man- ner that they did not like his play, “Guy Domville.” He had also made several other attempts for the foot- lights, but each proved unsuccessful. Now, however, he had found a per- son with a fine talent who could breathe life into his works, who could meanings to overcome whatever de- ficlencies his words lacked. And so it was that a messenger was dispatched to Miss Draper, with & letter inclosing & monologue. ‘The letter, so characteristic of James, read: “I am posting you herewith, separately, the monologue stuff that I wrote you a few days since that I was attempting. It has come out as would or could and perhaps you may find it more or less %o your pur: see W] ch | Bow smile, not to mention her equally gen reference will glimmer out to you as mw:mdy it. " It's the fatuous, but ntly fatuous, female compatriot of ours let loose upon a world and a whole order of , this one over here; which she takes so se- renely for granted. The little scene represents her being pulled up in due measure, but there is truth, I think (and which you will bring out) in the Shpla 5o tecopnise calngs watn they when_they her—as in Ameris to in 10050ttty ave ot "Bey are put to her over here—and this is a little case of it. She rises to that—by a certain shrewdness in her which seems almost to make a sort of new chance for her qllmmer out—so that she doesn’t feel snubbed so very much or pushed off her pedestal, but merely perhaps furnished with a new oppor- tunity or attribute. That's the note on which it closes, and the last words will take all the pretty saying you can give them. But I needn't carry coals to Newcastle or hints to our Ruth, who, if she takes to the thing at all, can be trusted to make more out of it by her own little genius than I can begin to_suggest.” Miss Draper accepted and memorized the only monologue not of her own authorship. It was tried out, but to in- dicate Miss s 16 , as_well as that of the public, found a place in her repertoire. Per- haps she felt uncomfortable reciting another’s lines. Perhaps—but, there were a number of reasons. fact is that since then she has never per- I'flamndu in anything she herself did not Clara Bow Photos in Demand, 'LARA BOW, “the Brooklyn bomb- shell,” is the most photographed person in the world, according to sta- tistics thrown out the windows at the Paramount studios in Hollywood. In addition to having her famous famous anatomy, on approximately 10 miles of motion picture film each year— counting trailers, features and special | - sales-promotion releases—her face and figure are offered photographically on approximately 10,000 separate portrait studies every 13, iths. When it is m.pered that Miss Pomed Bow has been st photographers for deny that she holds reeord, for during that Paramount’s e years, none me sort of a e #pproxi- New Star in the Films. 'ONSTANCE CUMMINGS, who has the feminine lead in Columbia Pic- tures’ epic of prison life, “The Criminal Code.” also makes her initial screen ap- pearance in the picture. Miss Cum- mings, a former stage player, appeared on Broadway in “The Little Show,” “This Man’s Town” and “June Moon.” At the close of the “June Moon" show she decided upon & picture career and took some tests in New York. She was invited to the coast by Samuel Goldwyn to be Ronald Colman’s lead- ing lady. On arrival she was found to be not quite the type for the Colman picture, and so, after taking a test at the Columbia studios, she was cast for the feminine lead in “The Criminal Code.” Her work in the picture proved sensational and the company signed her on a five-year contract. Wash., the daughter of a lawyer and & non-professional mother, and educated at Seattle and Coronado. She is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 117 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes and calls May 15 her birthday. Miss Cummings is very proficlent in character dancing and ballet work. reads history and biography, modern writers on these subjects bein, her favorites, but “Alice in land” is her favorite book. Again Breaking Record. D coxmy ang Sl o Moon,” broke all records of the Crite- rion 'Theafer during its first “Hell's Angels” had More than that, it is sai igi § hit, apparently, so strongly as has the film Edmund Goulding, who gave mately 430,000 fan pho t out have sent to as the world, ™y i’%gag di Swanson in “The Tres her Garroll in hit and N 's Holiday” her finest Sl