Evening Star Newspaper, July 5, 1931, Page 33

. Stage News Part 4—8 Pages and Screen and Gossip Psychiatric Drama Opens Virgin Field of Thought With Rare Possibilities ‘peculations on "Strnnde Int:r]ude"—Eugene O'Neill's Strange Play—Taking the Theater Back to the Road. By W. H. Lnnavo;gt, HEN Eugene O'Neill fin- ished his study of minds disordered and wrote his “world’s greatest drama,” he started something. “Strange Interlude” offers as fts chief item of interest, Nina Leeds, a rare psychiatric subject fn an evolutionary course of sex adventures that seem to have as- tonished the world, meaning, of course, the great writers of the stage—for none other matter. California, which for some con- siderable time has been a sort of hotbed of psychiatric disturbance, gid not succeed in making its great hit demanding spotlight at-| ntion until Mr. O'Neill lifted the | eover off the world’s mental dis-| prder science and gave that world T # peep at itself as the psychiatrist egg.rgs it. And now, being ad- ;ised of its possibilities, the dear bld world is beginning to manifest | tself in a venture the end of! L’hich only the profoundest psy-| ehiatrist may dare to predict. Old age is absorbing youth, and even the unsentimental Manhattanite, who heretofore has confined his explorations to the field of finance, | is beginning to sit up and take motice. 'This may read like hog Latin to a wild Indian, but never- theless it heralds the coming of an epochal age in the Drama. Andi the Drama is or ought to be the| chief item of interest to engage| ghe effort of this modest column. * ok ok o* ITH psychiatry for its basic L element and sophistry as the magic wand, the wise and fore- geeing dramatist may now_begin to weave spells such as Merlin| mever dreamed of. And, this,| combined with the imitative effort of the movie dream weaver, should roduce a new type of dramatic ntertainment to startle the world with its unique concep- tions of human experience, ideal- ized and let loose, all dressed up and with a boundless wealth of possibilities for its fearless ad- venture. Religion, to which the world has looked throughout the centuries for uplift, civilization, culture, refinement—oh, let'us say for all that is true and. tiful, has been said by some of the very wisely discerning writers, to have lost its grip. If that be true—and there are a great many who just simply won't admit it—the dram- atist hereafter will have an ‘added asset of originality to blend with his sophistry and psychia- trics—a new conception of reli- gion. The result should prove change being the order of the day, old rules of dramatic construction and old techniques, stage and movie, might be discarded, so that everything in the way of drama may be entirely different, new, unique. Who knows, it might even be possible to dispense with the old critics and the art of criticism, supplanting them with bright, snappy, original things conceived by virgin minds of the purest fiber of gray matter. Then, in- deed, would our old world take on a new lease of life, and the ex- pense of sending out press agents to bring back the precious Road to the Theater might be called off to cut down the overhead. * X X ¥ 'HIS is a time for profound thought. Even the wildest movie fan should be led to think, not about persons, but about things. Somebody is going to make over this old wornout rest- less World, cure it of its craving for something, it does not know what, and start a new civilization that will be independent of the Shuberts, the Zukors, the Laskys and the other celebrities that have, it might be confessed for the sake of argument, made our old World what it is—not to men- tion Drama, Religion, Ethics, and even Psychiatry. Meanwhile those who must be discarded, even as the mystic corner stone which was rejected by the builder, should quietly sit to watch, look and listen, for great things will be doing in the sweet by-and-by. * Xk X X . OWEVER, be that as it may, as a faint crumb of comfort to those who lack initiative, to whom the ms})lrauon unique is never vouchsafed, but who must continue to live out life as the ancients outlined, there is still a faint hope in the vagrant mind of the idler that when gleaners have gathered their rich harvest in the Fall, when vacation time comes for the hoe and the plow- share, when the old drum stove in the country general store is repolished and made ready for the warm fires of Winter, around which the rural mind will un- burden itself, there is a bare pos- sibility that George White and Earl Carroll may be discovered in the veil-like haze and that some of the dramatic monstrosities that have helped along a tedious past may be heard, albeit, rumbling along on the creaky truck, haul- ing Drama as the ancients learned to love it, and taking the surpassingly wonderful. And Theater back to the Road. Lovers of Out of Doors Find Their Mecca Here fl'he Bracing Air of the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay, With the Joys o and a Fu GLEN ECHO PARK. LEN ECHO PARK should be the spot ideal to escape the heat and spend the day in varied pleasures at this time of the year. The new crystal pool, with its sandy beach for bathers, and its wading pool, sandpile and whatnot for the youngsters is & big msset, while the park proper is equipped with all the joys of the outdoor amuse- wment resort, including roller coasters, dodge ’em rides, airplane swings, & new edition of the old mill and innumerable gadgets and devices for fun and en- Joyment. ‘Admission to the park is free; the ride from the city pleasant, either by carline or motor road, and parking space is available at- Glen Echo, both free and for a fee. MARSHALL HALL. HE Charles Macalester leaves ‘sev- | enth street whart daily at 10 a.m. '(10:30 a.m. on Sunday) and 2:30 and €:30 p.m. for Marshall Hall, a historic playground down the Potomac, where the amusements are varied and enjoy- mble, including roller coaster, etc., for the children and grown-ups, and a pa- wvilion, with music by the Rob Roy Or- chestra for dancers. Playgrounds for children and ideal lunching spots in the shade of stately trees for picnic parties are features that strongly ap- peal to those seeking a day's outing. MORGANTOWN-ON-POTOMAC. ORGANTOWN ON THE PO- TOMAC, which once was known by the alluring name of Lower Cedar Point, situated on the Potomac River at its widest sweep and adorned wfl;: ves of cedar and mulberry trees, :r:w being operated as a high-class picnic and bathing resort, with facili- tes for fishing, crabbing, bathing' and boating to those in search of a day’s restful outing and away from the con- Tusion and annoyance of the exuberant excursion crowds. Busses are runnt to Morgantown four times & day, extra trips on Sunday, by way of Ana- costia, Waldorf and Cr Highway, & distance of 47 miles from Wi SEASIDE PARK. EASIDE PARK, a delightful resort on the beaches of the Chesapeake, with an excellent bathing pool and other varied amusements of the Sum- ting is attracting picnic m“md &'2' in search of a day’s outing, both from Washington and Bal- timore. Airplane swings, coasters and dips, along with a miniature reilway, | peri will be found for the enjoyment of the young and old alike, in addition to dancing, power-boating and canoeing. Trains run on fast and frequent schedules from Washington from the District line, while parking space is ¥ provided for those who prefer to i‘ ‘Washington and elsewhere, ) fBathing, the Picnic n Fl’OliC. WILSON LINE RESORTS. CHAPEL POINT—COLONIAL BEACH. THE Wilson Line steamer City of Washington has inaugurated = service of moonlight trips down the Potomac every night except Saturday in addition to its trips to Chapel Point and Colonial Beach, havens of enjoy- ment for the bathers and pleasure seekers who wish to escape the heat of the city for an outing of a day or|in longer. The management has provided A large orchestra, directed by Harvey Brasse, for those who long for music and for the ever-present dancers. The outstanding appeal of these excursions is the delightful ride on the beautiful Potomac and the exceptional bathing facilities, along with other amusement to be found at both the resorts men- tioned, each of which has a reputa- tion of long standing. 'AMUSEMENT SECTION The Sunday Star. WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 5, 1931. i £ Betty Ro!l CIITLC. From London. ETTY ROSS CLARKE, former Lon- don stage star, will make her debut before the motion picture camera “The Age for Love,” a Howard Hughes production. This is the plc- ture in which Biille Dove will make her return after a year's absence and for which Lois Wilson was loaned by Universal. Adrian Morris, brother of Chester Morris, also has been added to the cast, which also includes Edward Ev- erett Horton, Charles Starrett and Mary Duncan. Frank Lloyd is di- recting. Late New York News EW YORK, July 4 (#)—Bernard Shaw's new play will be ready for production in this country in September, he practically as- sured the Theater Guild today. Learning that this drama, entitled “Too Good to be True,” was nearly com- pleted. the Guild cabled Shaw, if it was possible, would he have the play ready in time for it to present as its first offering of the new season. Being a generous fellow who tosses away his money on lengthy cablegrams, Shaw wired back: “Quite possible.” “Too Good to be True” will have its premiere in Baltimore, which first saw “The Apple Cart” in this country. About the same time that “Too Good to be True” opens, the Guild also will Eugene O'Neill's new play into re- . This is that marathon plece, “Mourning Becomes ,” which will reguire three nights to act. “Pirates of Penzance” was revived on Broadway this week, but the celebra- tion opening night took place when the new edition of Ziegfeld “Follles” ar- .m. It will last only an hour and a alf, and afterward audience will join the actors in general dancing. OHN GOLDEN'S new play will have ten by himaclt - Huge Stange, it will have its pre- Broadway showing July 18 in a theater aboard the steamship Belgenland. The steamer is being run on a special “show- boat cruise” to Halifax for the occasion. Following its sea venture, the play will be taken to Broadway. Wrm “The Band Wagon” s sensa- tion, Max Gordon is turning to gum for his other productions. The rst will be & new operetta by Otto Har- bach, with tunes by Jerome Kern. Since the success of his music in “Show Boat” and “Sweet Adeline,” Kern's shows have become something of a much awaited event. He is de- voting all his time now to writing music. Once he divided this occupation with book collections. For years he spént 5 S0 them a1 o realicod sameihing real somethin, like a million dollars. * The authors of “The Band Wagon,” Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz, are wwklngeupon 2 new musical show. It is to something ra new in form, and probably won't be ready for some months. Dietz is one of these authors who won’t be rushed. Last of the Six Hundred. Tnl decadence of the theater is ex- by the screen writers in stories from squibs to volumes. ‘The latest in the line is that but 17 personages of the legitimate stage have survived the foray of the movie stu- —, They are Fannie Brice, Phi Ted Healy, Madge Kennedy, Otto Broderick. - Alcxaade trice erick, lexander ~Carr, Lillie. Ernest Truex, i and Ethel Waters. 17 are in legitimate drama, that is wih aay, serious Above, at left: Norma Shearer, at the Columbia. At right: Marion Nixon, at RKO-Keith's. Center, left: Joe E. Brown and Marjorie White, at the Earle. Center right: Sally Eilers and George O'Brien, at the Fox. At left: Irene Delroy, at the Metropolitan. At right: Gary Coope: the Palace. Screen Attractions for the Current Week COLUMBIA—Norma Shearer in “A Free Soul.” and evening. R-K-O KEITH'S—Eddie Quillan In “Sweepstakes.” noon and evening. FOX—George O'Brien in “A Holy Terror.” evening. PALACE—Gary Cooper in “I Take This Woman.” noon and evening. This afternoon This after- This afternoon and This after- EARLE—Joe E. Brown in “Broad Minded.” This afternoon and evening. METROPOLITAN—"“Men of the Sky.” ning. This afternoon and eve- Photoplay Attractions COLUMBIA—Norma Shearer, “A Free Soul.” ORMA SHEARER's widely claimed picture, “A Free Soul, is being featured at Loew's Columbia Theater. “A Free Soul” is the story of a young woman who thought she could meet men on a common plane and come out of the fire unscathed. The net she weaves about herself and the sacrifice that fol- lows lead to a very dramatic climax in the picture. Lionel Barry- more has the lead- ing male role and Clark Gable, Les- lie Howard, James in 'Ilhc suv‘;:rt&g fact that “A Free (¢ QWEEPSTAKES,” s screen Tacing classic from R-K-O Pathe’s West Coast studios, is the main attraction at the R-K-O Keith Theater this week. with Eddie Quillan as its star and Marion Ntmm.k J;m:‘: nm;n.s&n, “'l‘;e‘_:vt Cody, Frederic! urton, tt in the toon “Younger Years”: 8) - mfiifld the Pathe News complete bill. X—“A Holy Terror,” George o O'Brien. ploited even during the dog days |8 ranging METROPOLITAN—"“Men of the Sky.” ““ EN OF THE SKY,” First Na- tional Vitaphone's romance of the air, starring Irene Delroy and Jack Whiting is featured at Warner's Metro- politan. ‘The story concerns a boy and girl, both spies, who subli their hopes of life together in the greater passion— love of ‘country. Otto Harbach, who has written many show hits, wrote it. The fortunes of war break up the love romance, and the young couple con- tribute their services to their country. ‘The elimax is said to be full of pathos and action. In the cast also are Bram- well Fletcher, John Sanpolis, Prank McHugh, Edward Maxwell, Otto Mat- mem Loder, Armand Kaliz and “Mlln Eaters,” a new “Adventures in Africa” episode, showing the capture of & viclous, spitting, clawing leopard; the Graham McNamee talking news and other short films will complete the program. PALACE—*“I Take This Woman.” ARY COOPER'S latest picture, “I ‘Take This Woman,” is featured at Loew’s Palace Theater. It is described as a ical Cooper production with a Wm‘r{:’mmfl that depends on a great deal of action to carry it through tv a whirlwind finish. Carole Lombard heads the sup- porting cast, which also includes Lester Vail, Helen Warex and Charles Trow- bridge. On the stage, Dave Schooler heads the stage unit titled “Get Set,” with many well known Loew acts, among them the Three Swifts, the Three Jacks, the Phelps Twins and the Schoolerettes, EARLE—“Broad Minded,” Joe E. Brown. “LAUGH WEEK" is being celebrated | ganiza this week at Warner's Earle, where the wide mouthed screen come- dian, Joe E. Brown, and the stuttering stage funster, Joe Penner, are featured, ::::neonthemn,mmeron . Minded” is Bro newest First National Vitaphone riot, with Joe as Ossie Sim) e .'x'm'cmu of & wealthy piayboy 'n given e of & i whose father wants to get hlm’:uz of the reach of scheming blondes. “Broad Minded” was written by Kal- mar and Ruby, authors of “Animal Crackers” and “Hold Le Gallienne Repertory, THE New York Civic Repertory Co., which, under Eva Le Gallienne, has earned an enviable fame for distin- guished productions of classical and modern drama, is organizing to play next season important cities and edu- cational centers throughout the United States and Canada. Washington, it is sald, has been included in the itinerary. ‘The company includes artists asso- ciated with the New York organization. Egon Brecher, leading man and stage director for the past five years, will personally direct the company. He is recognized as one of the foremost Ibsen interpreters on the English-speaking stage. I%Se'n'l “John Gabriel Borkman” will be the featured bill of the Civic Reper- tory University Players, with Egon Brecher in the title role. afternoon program of Shakespeare, in- cluding scenes from ‘“Romeo and Juliet,” “Julius Caeser,” “Twelfth Night,” “Merchant of Venice” and the Sonnets, will be given also in most cities. v I It is the hope of Egon Brecher and Ernest Briggs, by whom the tour is being arranged, to establish in other communities the Civic Repertory policy of ‘}Vln‘ the b&;t cl’:]“‘c:il plays “:'. ular prices. price conces- B wl'be aade 1o stugents of uni- versitles and colleges, public and pri- vate schools, including the teachers and all educational effort in the plan- n'egnfif"c irited citizens and civic or- ic-spirited cf = mfl ‘will be invited to underwrite the expenses of the engagement. T iR Drama Reaching the Screen. TBE movie has always beel: :f;:td of tragedy. More good plays have been fairly butchered for & “happy end- ing” that turned them into weak, silly -itlon de s , Without e | Will Hays says: Motor, Aviation, Radio Programs David Graham Phillips Novel to Serve as Story For Greta Garbo Picture New Stars Are Real Acrobats—Warm Weather and Warm Words—Proposed Revival of the Screen Musicals. By C. E. RETA GARBO is one of the outstanding figures in the screen world today. 8o it is natural that her next picture has created consider- able discussion and special inter- est among those who pay hard cash to see her perform. The star, having constructed a wall of TPromote the objective. mystery around her life and per- sonal affairs, gives the public lit- tle to talk about, except when she takes up a new screen story. Gréta knows the value of this “mystery wall,” and her public grasps at the straws of publicity which now and then come from Hollywood. Some time ago it was announced that the Garbo picture had been decided ugan. It is the old David Graham Phillips story, “The Fail | and Rise of Susan Lenox.” If you remember, this novel came from the presses in two volumes, and you will still find it in some libraries. A large part of the story dealt with affairs around the metropolis of the Ohio, Cincin- nati, where Susan went through a series of adventures—these being accounted for as the “Fall” section of the novel. Also, it is| probable that this was the first time a river show boat was promi- nently worked into an American novel. “The Show Boat” came at a much later date. Naturally, the story will be| changad somewhat when it reaches the theaters. Susan, on the screen, will be a daughter of a Swedish farmer in Minnesota. Care has been used in the selection of an actor to play opposite the Garbo, and Clark Gable will handle that| role. Others in the cast are Jean Hersholt, John Miljan and Mar- jorie Rambeau. The construction of the sets, which number 35, was intrusted to Alexander Toluboff, a young Russian architect. In most modern movies there are only 10 or 12 sets, so that “Susan” will be an elaborate affair. Work on the picture has been going on for the past three weeks. As to the future, no definite plans have been made for Greta, although it is expected that she will start, as soon as “Susan Lenox” is completed, a dramatic story of Mata Hari, the World War spy who was executed in 1917 by the French. Another story which studio executives have in mind for her is called “Red Dust,” a tale with a troglcul setting pre- pared by John Colton, co-author of the Jeanne Eagles play, “Rain.” * * x % OVIE stars come and movie stars go, but the newest stars are a talented group of fleas! Yes, fleas! The common, ordinary— very ordinary—variety of hop- skipping acrobats that have been more or less ostracized by polite sociedy since the day when Noah and his strange passengers pulled up anchor and sailed away. (That really was the first record of fleas becoming a public nuisance.) The newest film novelty is a “flea circus” picture, titled “Up To the Scratch,” done with microscopic cameras, in which the various pro- tagionists go through their paces the way the dog and monkey ac- tors do. Next we shall have the| famous waltzing mice. * % ox ‘OUNG Carl Laemmie is plan- ning a picture which will be | a sort of monument to the memory of Knute Rockne, late foot ball mentor of Notre Dame. There will be no hunchback in the story, and its title will be “The Spirit of Notre Dame.” The famous foot ball coach, some time before his death, selected Lew Ayres for the leading role, and, of course, the | S original plans included a promi- nent part for Coach Rockne. Others in the cast are the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame’s great- est foot ball team—Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Walsh—with the added services of Frank Carideo, two times an all-Ameri- can quarterback. The story for the picture has been arranged by Christy Walsh, sports writer. * % % % F it isn't one trouble with the movies, it is another. And now, the weather being nice and warm, the Federated Council of Churches of Christ in America, through Bishop Francis J. McConnell, has found the season appropriate for making it hot for the movies. Will Hays, sometimes called a “czar” and sometimes referred to as a “buffer,” took two or three days off and wrote an answer to the “Report on the Public Relations of the Motion Picture Industry,” issued by the department of re- search and education of the Fed- eral Council of Churches of Christ in America. In part, he says: “We are at a loss to understand thé purpose in broadcasting a statement to the press based sole- ly upon your research and educa- rtment’s conclusions tributing to the news- papers at the same time the facts developed by its own investigators, and upon which such conclusions must necessarily be based. We do challenge the validity of some of Em de; ent’s ~ conclusions. as the facts omitted in the report and the facts admitted, we are entirely content to rest upon the judgment of public opinion.” ‘The church &eople complain that, among other things, the “code” promulgated by the photo- y magnates has failed to fon. That is, if a story was found unsuitable, it was salvaged, and worked over, Bul “U. the ¥motion pic- Nelson. | ture industry has secured the eo- operdtion of social, religious, edu- cational and other organizations in the constructive movement for | better pictures, it is because Amer- ican motion picture producers have held the door wide open to every agency able and ng to It is {through such counsel and co- operation, invited and developed by the motion picture ind A that higher production standards have been attained. It is by focusing attention on the hetter | pictures, through the co-operation of the public-spirited groups, that | year by year an increasing num- ber of such pictures are produced with less chance of financial fail- ure. It is through the advice and opinion of religious and other |leaders in the treatment of cer- tain themes that offense to reli- gious, racial and national suscep- tibilities has been largely avoided. This has encouraged the produc- tion of such pictures as ‘Tom Sawyer,’ ‘Skippy,’ ‘Donovan’s Kid,’ ‘Father’s Son,’ ‘Daddy Long Legs’ and similar features. It is through the previewing facilities now widely established that lists are published which grade pictures in accordance with audience suit- ability. “There is, and always will be, honest differences of opinion with regard to motion pictures. This is inevitable from the very fact that the screen is a popular me- dium of entertainment, not a me- dium of class appeal. There never will be a time when it will not be subject to the full impact of con- structive criticism, for it is only | by such criticism that the screen can advance. There will never be a time when a thousand hands— a thousand honest hands—will not be raised in criticism of this or that theme, of this or that adver- tisement of a picture. And as long as there are irresponsible critics there will never be a tim wher the screen will be free fro; purely irresponsible and self- seeking criticism.” There is no getting away from the fact that Mr. ys has his work cut out for him. He bears the brunt of the criti general public, from rel oups, from professional 7 rom amateur critics. He cannot vision a period of peace and quiet ahead; he must fight the battles of the producers. But, looking at the matter from a point man: hundreds of miles from Holl; formity in the output of the st dios. Mr. Hays mentions several pictures which really are worth- while—clean, wholesome enter- tainment. But he does not men- tion the fact that for every “Tom Sawyer” and for every “Skippy” we must have a “Women of All Nations” or a similar picture. * X x ¥ N order to “promote responsible citizenship and all-around bet- terment,” the department of re- search and education of the Fed- eral Council of Churches of Christ in America announces that “mo- tion pictures cannot be improved by cuts and eliminations. Censor- ship of objectionable scenes and lines is only the negative aspect of the problem, and community agencies should make their influ- ence more broadly social, so that the industry would be made to feel a demand for more socially useful pictures.” ‘This is only one of the phrases of the report, which led to the resignation of Carl Milliken, Hays associate, from the council. * ¥ ¥ ¥ HORT FLASHES: Richard Barthelmess is having the time of his young life in selecting a new story. In New York for a week, he has spent the greater part of his time in visiting literary agents, looking for something really suit- able for a star. His newest pic- ture, written by John Monk Saun- ders, is “The Last Flight”.... Marilyn Miller has returned to studio- work, although her new picture, “The Social Whirl,” will not be started until August.... “The Upper Underworld,” starring Walter Huston, has been changed to “The Ruling Voice”....Young Doug Fairbanks, like Di Bar- thelmess, seems to run to avia- tion pictures. His next will be “Flying Eagles” ‘The Booth Tarkington picture, “Penrod and Sam,” starring Leon Janney and Junior Coghlan, has been com- pleted and is on its way to New York....The return of Pola Negri to the screen will be through the medium of “A Woman Com- mands”....Madge Evans, Dorothy Jordan and Anita Page have been assigned the leading parts of “Boarding School”....John Gil- bert has finally attached himself to a picture, which will be known as “West of Broadway”....Holly- wood has cut out the high-priced premiere performances ames Whale, who directed “Journey’s End” and “Waterloo Bridge” for Universal, will have charge of “Frankenstein,” starring Bela Lugosi....And Tala Birell, re- cently arrived German star, is claimed to be “a combination of Marlege Dietrich and Greta Gar- bo.” She ‘has just completed a German version of “Boudoir Diplomat.” By the way, Mar- lene’s name is pronounced “Mar- lay-na’ permane; of the Los Angeles Theater, where a revue is holding the boards.... William Haines is an r He fur- architect” on the side. hed the designs for the homes of Joan Crawford, Le! Hyams