Evening Star Newspaper, April 26, 1931, Page 45

Stage and Screen News and Gossip AMUSEMENT SECTION he Sunday Star. Mofor, 'A\}iatiofi: \ r | Radio Programs 5 Part 4—12 Pages WASHIN D. GTON, SUNDAY MORNING, APRIIL 26, 1931. ASTAGE and ROBERTA BEATTY, RUTH CHATTERTON, S0 NFAITHFUL' Columbra. " HeDEVIL” Delasco Who Spilled the Milk? By W. H. Landvoig(. ington, during the past week or so, was busily whispering to himself or into the listening ear of his neigh- bor, a big local secret suddenly leaked out in the news reports from New York, and blah went the gossips. Manager Cochran of the Na- tional Theater Players now spring: another surprise, He has a nev leading lady. Nancy Sheridan. The name has a classic ring, and heralding voices attest the beauty and the gifted accomplishments of the new stock star. Whence she comes and why she came will make a story to add to the small talk of a lovely Spring. Every- body knows that the leading lady, who, only recently, started the most auspicious season the play- ers have ever known, shot her- self—in the play, of course, and for the last time at the National in the performance last evening. And everybody was sorry. Many shed real tears. Of course, the shot did not produce real death, but a little billet doux delivered to Manager Cochran two weeks before, just one short week after the young lady had started on what seemed a glorious adven- ture, turned the trick as effective- ly as would have an earthquake or a cyclone. And the mov. are charged with it all*~the mov ies and a woman’s whimsical am- bitlon. For it appears that while our second leading lady was tight- HILE everybody in Wash-| gent, Anita Perry, Betty Linley, Edna Hibbard (who was last seen here in Belasco’s “Ladies of the Evening”), and Eleanor Phelps (who. played the leading role in the Pirandello play, “Six Charac- ters in Search of an Author”). To win the preference in such a list is, indeed, a compliment, to | say nothing of an assurance as to i 1y bound by contract to Crosby | Galge, producer of Channing Pol- | Jock’s “The House Beautiful,” in the big, wicked city, our first lead- ing lady, deliberately forgetting the National Players, was angling in the placid waters of Filmland and earnestly hoping for a bite. She got it. And, therefore, “The Queen is dead! Long live the Queen!” * % ¥ % So that, as Miss Leneta Lane Fies herself to Hollywood, or to “Honyemoon Lane,” will, it behooves those who follo the poet’s advice to be “up an doing, with a heart for any fate, to bury their sorrow in airy pers flage of “the living present” an the hopes ahead. stager as Clifford Brooke feels ab- solutely confident that in Miss Nancy Sheridan the National Players will have leading lady.” hope so, whether he believes it or not. Certainly Miss Sheridan would make a beauty what we are be. She was chosen from a pa- “their very best | 1 Everybody will|exalts its acquisitions blew into \ i i- | tack upon d | Annihilation seems to be their As sly an old | goal, and, even as in love and war, | O what may be expected and what | is delightful to contemplate. Manager Cochran tells us, “there wasn't any lingerinz in reaching a decision.” Morcover, before Miss Sheridan could be engaged, there was her contract with Cros- by’ Gaige and “The House Beau- tiful,” which had to be gotten rid of. But that obstacle was happily surmounted. Miss Sheridan is to appear in the cast of “It's a Wise Child” at the National tomorrow evening, the Cochran statement promises. She had played the lead in “Sure Fire,” which is-numbered among the big Broadway successes. She comes direct from “The House Beautiful.” *“Not so ripe in years as in trained experience and in successful accomplishment,” says Clifford Brooke, who ought to k v, “she promises to be the est leading woman we have ad.” Which, to repeat, is y and all that sort of thing. And, to remove all possible doubt, Mr. Cochran adds, “Washington | That's | is going to adore her.” going the limit. PR ‘\’OTWITHSTANDING unpleas- +Y ant rumors concerning Miss Lane'’s brief engagement with the National Players and the surpris- ingly sudden manner of and the method that brought about its termination, Washington will still retain very pleasant memories of Miss Lane’s performances during the years she has been with us. Few, if any, will withhold from her a bon voyage on the uncer- tain sea of the cinema, with sin- cere wishes for her ultimate suc- as you|cess. But, lest it be forgotten, w | “with a smile in their heart” and d|a keen dagger in their hand, the " | movies are ever alert in their at- “the spoken stage.” everything’s fair in the movies. * oo ox NE of the very amusing press stories with which Hollwood this “key city” last week. It was intended to extol, but not above comely model tor[their firmly established worth, and truth, and that is/Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt, told drama should | who recently have determined to vary their work with the New rade of stock celebrities that in- | York Theater Guild by a diversion % } cluded Peggy Allenby, Ruth Nu-'in Celluloid Talkieland, ~While ADELA DE e LOCA. . Pox - (Stage) - » &7 "/_« - | JERRY M<CAULEY ‘ “The French Maids GAYETY R =3 carefully suppressing anything |like enthusiasm over the talents and accomplishments of these | splendid thespians, it did careful- {1y explain that their success is due in large measure, if not en-| to their co-ordination, | is described as “married " a new one in this neck he woods. The story ran “Generosity 1s the keynote oi their work together, and that of- fers, in its own way, the key to |the talents they possess and the pleasure they provide.” This gen- | erosity, it 1s explained, “is not | based upon the nonesthetic prin- | | ciples of philanthropy. Its source, | | its solitary source, is the unerring | instinct for the theater which they both possess and from which it springs.” | _If the reader, perchance, had |the good fortune to follow the | magnificent performance of Lynn Fontanne as “Elizabeth the Queen” and also that of Alfred |Lunt as Essex, he may be able to appreciate where and how the | “married acting” crept into enter-| tainment. tirely, which g2 Vale Proféssional Players. WWITH the coming of “Up Pops the Devil” to the ' Shubert-Belasco Theater this week, the -Professional Players will sing their “awan song” in Washington for the current season. Six plays in all have made their| | debut here under the Professional Play- i ers’ banner since last November. They have been diversified in theme and | content, and, it is said, have appealed to | the varied tastes of their audiences. | | _Opening with the frothy comedy of a mythical kingdom, *Everybody's Secret, carly in the season, they presented in turn the delightful “Michael and Mary of A. A. Milne, with Madge Kennedy; a | few weeks later, Grace George and her original New York company in St. John Ervine's “The Pirst Mrs. Fraser”; “As You Desirc Me,” by Pirandello, with | Judith Anderson, and recently Philip Merivale in Sir Arthur Wing Pinero’s “Dr. Harmer.” Their last presentation will be “Up Pops the Devil,” opening Monday evening at the Shubert - Selasco. It is reported from the orgarization headquarters that plans are beig made for next season’s productions in Wash- ington. Eight plays will be chosen for | presentation—one "a month .for eight months. Active work for next year's subscription season will start early in the Autumn, when the entixe list of plays selected will be announced. Workmg Overtime. FOR the first time since the establish- ment of the National Theater Players, a play will open on Sunday night. This is the special performance scheduled for Sunday, May 3, when social and civic leaders will gather to see the big benefit performance of “Death Takes a Holiday,” the proceeds of which will | ®0 to the Gteater Washington Cam- |in paign Committee. . "Its A WiSE CHILD atonal. *DOCTORS” WIVES! ’ Fox. “TEN NIGHTS IN A BAR ROOM ” IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE" AHetropolrtan Stage and Screen Attractions This Week On the NATIONAL PLAYERS—“It's a Wise Child,” Belasco play. morrow evening. BELASCO—"Up Pops the Devil,” comedy. Tomorrow evening. | (burlesque) . GAYETY—“French Maids” evening. “FESTIVAL OF NATIONS” (Constitution Hall). row evening. On the EARLE—“It Pays to Advertise.” PALACE—“A Tailor Made Man.” COLUMBIA—Ruth Chatterton’s and evening. FOX—"“Doctors’ Wives.” ning. R-K-O KEITH'S evening. METROPOLITAN—"“Ten Nights noon and evening. Wh 'l‘HOU(ill the makers of American entertainment in the playhouse, whether it be spoken or scre:n, smile when they meet and often dabble cach the other's undertakings, all the world knows that the movic and ths stage are engaged in a war fo the death. And while these pleasantries are born | in the memory, it may be inter;sting to | learn that one of the loyal old lovers | of the stage, who says he never would | and never could see anything in the | movies, is now calling the latter “vam- pire.” Isn't it wicked in a Christian world? More. the lifeblood of the theater to keer “noisy glue substitute up and going He even says the movie ;uciks ts | This afternoon and evening. RIALTO—"The Virtuous Husband.” “Bachelor Apartment.” o’s a Vampire? | Stage. | To- This afternoon and Opens tomor- Screen. This afternoon and evening. | This afternoon and evening. “Unfaithful.” This afternoon This afternoon and eve- | | This afternoon and | | in a Bar Room.” This after- own, they turn to the plays of the stage, doctor them as.a veterinarian would a baby, tack on a suggestive title and | brazenly flaunt the product before the | world as a great screen accomplishment. | “Zoe Atkins' ‘The Greeks Had a Word | for It' was swiped for Ina Claire; ‘Bull- dog Drummond’ and ‘Raffies’ were cab- | baged for Ronald Colman; Donald Og- den Stewart’s comedy, ‘Rebound,’ was | appropriated for Ina Claire; ‘Dancing | Partner,” a New York play, for Willlam | Haines; ‘Parlor, Bed Room and Bath’ for Buster Keaton; ‘The Squawman’ for Warner Baxter; ‘The Man in Posses- sion” for Bob Montgomery; ‘The Truth Game’ and Ladisla’s ‘Ferike as a Guest’ for Ivor Novello; ‘Sunway Express’ fori ~NINA OLIVETTE, ‘LeTS GO COllEGIATE" Palace ( Stfia S "TAILO MADE. MAN " Palace FEarle. Ny - - ” SINGING HILLBILLIES Zarle. (Stage) "Aflm;rablc Crichton.” THE reproduction of J. M. Barrie's| “The Admirable Crichton,” which opened at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York March 9, with Walter Hampden, Fay Bainter and a distin- guished company, had its farewell per- formance this season last ‘hight, accord- ing to an announcement by George C. Tyler, who sponsored the production in association with Erlanger Productions, Inc, by arrangement with Charles Frohman, Inc. It closed with seven weeks and 56 performances to its credit, establishing a record for the longest engagement of any of Mr. Tyler's star-cast revivals, | outdistancing not only “Diplomacy,” | | but also “Trelawney of the Wells” and | “Sherlock Holmes.” Hitherto John Drew and his associates in the Wel farewell Holmes' “Trelawney of and William Gillette in his engagement in “Sherlock jointly held the record with | s1x weeks each. In announcing the conclusion of the Spring sgason of “The Admirable Crichton” on Broadway Mr. Tyler veri- fied the rumor that he intends to send the production on a long tour next sea- son. Walter Hampden has agreed to head the cast, and in order to do so has postponed for a season the resump- tion of his own independent activities as an actor-manager. The tour will take the comedy, which has helped to celebrate Barrie’s seventieth anniver- sary year, to Boston, Plriladelphia and other cities on the Atlantic seaboard, to Chicago and the Middle West and, probably, as far as the Pacific Coast, | with bookings throughout the season. i S g Explons to Be Filmed. TWO epochal adventures over the land and under the sea will be exclu- sively recorded by Paramount Sound News. These exploits are, respectively, the venture of Sir Hubert Wilkins, noted polar explorer to the North Pole in the submarine Nautilus, and a solo flight and he is actually beginning to cit: | the Columbia Picture Players; even ‘The | by Ruth Nichols, noted woman fiyer, things in support of the charge. “With all their bought and borrowed talent,” he savagely proceeds, ‘‘these | picture fellows (it is possible he said | ‘fell:rs'} have' never been able to pro- duce onc great dramatic offering that can b: compared with the great plays of the living theater. They claim they | have a technique of their own, but no- | body can lcarn it from the Hollywood | gang, who keep it a closely guarded treasure. Even the great Maetterlinck fell down before that claim—and there arc other dramatists just as great who seem unable to catch ‘on to the trick. “But when they find that they simply | have to produce dxAnla to hold their | | “CONFESSZONS OF A CO-ED,” said | these only recently. The list might be extended to cover every credlhbl‘:i screen drama that was ever made over since the movies began to chesty.” ns of a Co-Ed." | " Corilorats to Be a story from the diary of a college girl who wishes her identity kept secret, has gone into production at the Paramount Hollywood studios. Phil- lips Holmes and Sylvia Sidney head the cast, - | Great Lover’ for Adolphe Menjou. And | who will take off by herself in an at- tempt to fly from America to Europe. Sir Hubert has just signed a contract under the terms of which a Paramount cameraman will presently leave London and go to Spitzbergen to connect with the Wilkins undersea boat. After mak- ing preliminary shots, the cameraman will turn over his equipment to the sub- marine crew, which will make exclusive pictures on the dash to the Pole. Miss Nichols broke the speed record for woman flyers recently, attaining a speed of 210 miles an hour. Now she will take off for Europe at a date to be determined ,later, and Paramount will make shotsdof the gight. . P y SN, NATIONAL PLAYERS—“IV's a Wise Child.” \OMORROW _ night the National ‘Theater Players - will present It's a Wise Child,” the comedy written by Laurence E. Johnson and produced by David Belasco. “It's & Wise Child” has been known | as a Belasco comedy. It ran a full sea- son on Broadway and two years on the road. The Old Master of the theater labeled it his best work in 20 year ‘There was a rea-} son: Small - town| stuff, to_begin with, “It's a Wise Child” developed into the | best big city come- {dy of the decade. It combines all the elements of modern life — sophistica- tion, modernism, | altruism — and in- nocence. There is an old | adage, “It's a wise | father that knows his own child.”, 1Ty Johnson, Who 3 warren-Wilspn, He figuted out, in this age and generation, that “It's a wise child who knows its own 'father. or words to that effect. Now this, of course, going “the other way around, | is putting the shoe on,the othex foot, so to speak, but it has itd own usefulness— as may be divined. “It's a Wise Chi might properly be classified as “farce. The truth would not be stretched in this case. The whole story is some- ’“'hjt ridiculous. Yet it preserves its | of its way it was classed as ‘one of the greatest hits Broadway has seen in | many years. ‘The principal parts will fall to Stan- ley Ridges, Mrs. Hibbard, John War- burton, Daphne Warren-Wilson, ‘Purkc Clarke, Forrest Orr, Eddie Poland, Ro- berta Beatty and Raymond Bramley. cess there has been talk of “extra mati- nees” by the National Players on Fri- day, but unless there is “box-office call” for it, only the usual Wednesday and Saturday matinees will be given. BELASCO—*“Up Pops the Devil.” a title 1s an indication of the, humor IF at the Shubert-Belasco Theater this week, commencing tomorrow evening, under the auspices of the Professional | Players, may with propriety be classed | s a comedy of speed. purpose and pos | sibili The authors, Albert Hackett amd Frances Goodrich, with “Up Pops the Devil,” kept New York in excellent spirits for six months this season. The original Broadway company is promised here, with Roger Pryor and Sally Bates in their original characters of Steve and Anne. . The story centers around Steve and Ann, a modern couple, whose carefree existence is marked by a series of par- ties and good times.. Deciding to be- come more practical, Anne gives Steve an opportunity of achieving his ambi- tion to become a writer by inducing him to resign his position, while she as- sumes the burden of their support on ber qwn slim shoulders as a dance They give up parties, and Steve com. mences on the great American novel. Discontent creeps in when Steve does a bad job of handling the household dutles. Further complications are caused by the .interyention of their many individual and mutual friends, and around the ensuing situations the authors have constructed a swift and merry production, not withoyt its touches of pathos amd drama. In support of the featured:players are ‘Walter Glass, John . Marston, Brian Donlevy, Isabel Jewell, Florence Auer, Florence Golden, Henry Haward, Mabel Montgomery, George W. Callahan, James G, Morton, Jack /Klendon and éll’ e Pewis nas been airect- rthington M ed by GAYETY—"French M: "chfl MAIDS,” a ne ‘burlesque entertainment, talnifig at the Gayety this weel algtost every form of ‘fun gnd fro balance, and because of the even tenor Becallse of their unpreeedented suc- | or sobriety of a play, the offering| taat | iry i unbeug-eni into two and. ome-half ‘hours’ = | _'The leads are Al Pharr, H Scotty Freidel, eccentric funster, and | Jeri McCauley, ingenue, with Jessie Mc- | Donald, soubrette; Joé Land, snappy | juvenile; Harry Allen, ms: man; Lillian ‘Rose, number leader; Smith, | ingenue, and a dancing: ensemble of 20. Friday is Amateur night at the Gayety. ° CANTOR ROSENBLATT, Tonight. 'ANTOR JOSEF ROSENBLATT and associate artists will present an ali- request program tonight in the Wash- ington Auditorium suited to an audience | of all peoples. | . As guest artist at the Jewish Com- | munity Center not_long ago, Cantor | Rosenblatt drew such'huge crowds that the capacity of the hall was taxed, and | many of his admirers were unable to gain admissipn. To give every' one an | opportunity to hear one of the most re- markable voices in tHe world, friends and admirers of the noted cantor pre- vailed upon him to sing this Sunday |in the Washington Auditorium, the largest concert hall in the South. | ‘The cantor is said to be anxious to give a rounded program, so that the concert will represent the finest musieal compositions from at least 10 countries. | The songs will run the gamut of musical emotion, and range from grand | opera to the Negro spiritual, from the | folk songs of the older countries to the | rhapsodies of newer lands. | With Cantor Josef Rosenblatt are three artists of unusual gifts—Jascha Zayde, pianist, from the Argentine, a master of | the pianoferte; Joscph Gingold, violin- | ist, from Brest-Litovsk, who has never | been heard ‘in Washington, and Henri | Rosenblatt, son of the cantor, & bass- baritone of note, who will be heard with | his father in-two duets. | The accompanist for the cantor’s | solo work will be William Priedman, a { {guxl)g pianist from metropolitan music cles. Tickets may be obtained at the Jewish Community Center, Sixteenth and Q streets; the T. Arthur Smith Concert | Bureau, at the Homer Kitt piano store, | G street; at Chapneck & Singer’s, 4825 | Georgia avenue northwest; in the ‘Wmnl’d Hotel, the Washington Audi- torium and at the headquarters of the | American Automobile Association. “FESTIVAL OF NATIONS.” FOUR major episodes laid in foreign lands, with prologue, interludes and epilogue, entitled “The Pathway of Life," | and a brilliant finale, replete with spec- tacular pageantry, will make up the | routine of “The Festival of Nations,” to | be produced this week at Constitution | Hall, beginning tomorrow night, and con- | tinuing through Saturday. The festival is being presented under | the auspices of the Girl Scouts of the | District of . Columbia, and is directed by Chalmers Brooks Fithian, assisted by |Kurt Hetzel, musical director; Rita | Helmes, dance director; ‘Helen O'Neill, | dialogue director, and a staff of Wash | ington_artists, including Robert Byrne, | John Pike, Charles' W. Barkley, Thom: Bendall, Duff Merrick, Anna _Cas! William Cheatham ~and- Latimi Snowden. Dramatic intensity and artistic - tomime will characterize the symbolic scenes, wherein Youthsets forth tolearn of Life, guided by The Past, and the Bearer of the Torch. Phillip Clarke, ‘Dwight Rorer and Helen ‘O'Neill will appear in the three.leading symbolic roles. Sophie Skins the Scotch. (CABLE advices from Europe frem time to time, it is said, have indi- cated that Sophie Tucker, oncé & &me‘relc-n c::;upl.‘dhu beuxh g eater records and sef the ancient English nobility wild wglh‘%fili‘h& It is now alleged as a matter of rec- ord that more Scotchmen have t and for the e rwe’:e:m and for the same. pu -see and hear Sophie, the “red-hot mamms .of America”—than ever before in the his- tory of both the Highlands and- the LN ther a it of smashing st Bdin r & hit of sm: a phi2, on 4, is going tricks on the Irish.