Evening Star Newspaper, October 17, 1931, Page 5

From the Front Row Reviews and News of Washington's Theaters. Ted Lewis and Co. Come Back to the Palace, HOSE who like their entertain- ment noisy and fast and furi- full of “Is everybody happy” and “Yes sir!” and the dronings of saxophones and the howlings of clarinets will find Loew's Palace just the place to go this week. There may be found Ted Lewis and a bunch of the best “roughians” in a show which is certainly his best, and which goes along at a tempo almost unparalleled along F street. Mr. Lewis, whose “high- hat” methcds of drollery remain true to the orig- inal, brings with him this season & troupe which plays rings around most troupes and for various reasons, ety Jobn Gilbert, leaves little to be desired as far as mere jazz and its virile corrolaries are concerned. While this gentle- man, who sings with his hands and tosses his hat around like a rubber ball is never anything but Ted Lewis, he still has that hippy faculty of putting so much of himself into his work that you can never say that he is letting you down. Even if you don’t admire the mediums which he employs, you have to hand it to him as being one of the most tire- Jess and willing maestros of jass on record. His show is swift, nolsy and full of the dusky kind of dancing, ‘which means swinging hips, clipping hands and the exhilarated frenzy of frenzied feet. Mr. Lewis' sentiment may be redolent of New York's East Side, but that needn’t interfere very much with your good time. As for John Gilbert, the strong- armed lover of the silent screen, who is persistently trying to come back in the talkies, he and his new film, ““The Phantom of Paris" are both entertaining, but for different rea- sons. The former because it is im- K‘)&“ble while watching him to take im seriously, and the latter because this version of “Cheri-Bibi" has a pretty good story to start with and ends by cutting it to ribbons. This is mostly the fault of Mr. Gilbert, who, unfortunately, tries very hard and succeeds only in being an actor ‘with a great command of noise. He rants and he roars, but you can never believe him—and his only nat- ural moments seem to come when he has his arm eround a lady. It is too bad that M-G-M should give his such difficult roles. In simpler, smiling moods he is quite pleasant and his voice has been trained down and is no longer an ordeal to lis- ten to. The members of the cast who sup- port him don't do it with any great devotion either. Miss Moorehead— a villianess of sleek proportions—is for the first time in her life com- letely out of gear. Lewis Stone ks as though his life was being despaired of, and even the lovely Miss Hyams doesn't seem to realize that when Gilbert comes back as her dead husband his nose is quite un- like what it was before. ‘The first part of the film, how- ever, is good, and it is interesting to watch it go to pleces. And then, of course, you're only there to hear “Is everybody happy?” E. de 8. MELCHER. Eddie Cantor Stars In “Palmy Days” at Columbia. UT for one or two hilarious sequences the new Eddie Cantor film, “Palmy Days,” now at Loew's Columbia, lacks something which his other pictures had. Possibly the fact that it doesn't seem as devastating as some of its antecedents, is due to the late cavortings of the Marx Brothers, who vacated this theater 1o give place to Mr. Cantor. Com- parisons are, of course, odious. Cut the memory of these four un- E!nlleled horsemen of the comic ingdom still brings guffaws to the throat, and perhaps are the reason why Mr. Cantor seems to have ;Hll])ped a little down the cinematic il The rime or reason for all this is, however, truly Eddie Cantian. He is wooed and pursued and consider- ably, unnerved by the gaygantuan Charlotte Greenwood, who loves him as no wofman has loved before. He sings, he chatters and he gets into the ladies’ swimming pool and at this point deserves’ the howls of laughter which are thrown at him. No gentleman with eyes and a face like Cantor can help but be funny ‘when, robed in a shower-curtain, he ‘walks briskly through the opposite sex's dressing room to find himself about to plunge into a pool of | | was orga. Colonial period. created a stag line in the emotional ife. It is to the credit of that most en- gaging couple, Wheeler and Woolsey, that they have achieved the unusual in making & minor film, “Oh! Oh! Cleopatra,” one_ of the features of the program. It has real humor, which these comedians bring out in their effective way. Cravath Wells, in a travel talk of charm, shows un- usual views and illustrations of ex- tremes of heat and cold at the Equator. D. C. C. “Wicked” on the Screen And Estelle Taylor at Fox. ACK of a drama of realism, which also involves the refine- ment of emotion and flashing dis- play of sentiment, prison walls cast a shadow and human dregs scorn- fully ridicule sensibility. A cold and mechanical justice imprisons a ‘woman of undoubted quality—be- cause a pistol in a nervous hand in the midst of a more important trag- edy of life sends a bullet into the body of an officer of the law. But there is a way out of the distress of such a situation, and in its unfold- ing there is the Allan Dwan picture, “Wicked,” which adorns ‘the "Fox screen for the week. Elissa Landi is the woman, and her conception of the impulsive wife of a dishonest banker is an effective contribution to the list of film characters show- ing talent. Despair is strongly pic- tured, with its impression on the observer, while. there are emotional climaxes, notably in the scene when sentence is given in court, and in the display of hysterical protest against the cruelty of the repulsive face of a fellow prisoner, who has slain her own child. The significance of this incident is in the fact that the person repre- sented by Miss Landi is about to become a mother, and that her child is to be born in prison. ‘Through the story are the two outstanding and impressive factors —the love of a mother and the de- votion of an old friend who is still appreciative of the fine character of the woman who has become a prisoner, and, with command of wealth, finds legal talent to ter- minaté her imprisonment. That this role is in the hands of the master- ful Victor McLaglen is one of the reasons why this play is above the average. Una Merkel adds another to her distinctive achievements in the creation of feminine personal- ity, and a cast of well known actors completes a story which, in addi- tion to its quality, is filmed with vividness. A feature of the stage program at the Fox is the appearance of Estelle Taylor in a series of songs of ap- proved caliber, in which she reveals a voice notable for its strength, range and sweetness, Insistent en- cores yesterday forced the stage management to turn back its pro- gram in order that Miss Taylor might _acknowledge the applause and tell of her early experiences in ‘Washington. Al Mitchell's Orches- tra also won recognition for its play- ing of the famous Von Suppe over- ture, “Morning, Noon and Night.” ‘The Fanchon and Marco “Broken Dolls” idea shows dancers in appro- priate awkwardness in keeping with the subject, with a backdrop which was produced by an artist, and the following numbers on the prcgram Charles Bennington and Newsb Harmonica Band: Mowatt and Hardy, comedy jugglers; the Three Comets, in adagio; Edward Hill, baritone, and Cautiers’ dog perform- ers. Red Grange is shown in a spe- cial serial. D.C.C. ARTILLERISTS PLAN TO JOIN IN ’32 FETE Ancient and Honorable Company of Massachusetts Accepts Bid to Visit Capital. An invitation of the George Washing- ton Bicentennial Committee of the local American Legion to participate in the Amistice . day celebration and parade | here during next year has been accept- ed by the Ancient and Honorable Artil- lery Company of Massachusetts, it was announced today. The invitation was presented by Col. M A. Winter of Washington during the recent annual cruise of the Ancients to Nassau. Representatives of the historic Boston Fusiliers also have decided to participate in the ceremonies here. The Massachusetts Artillery company nized in Boston in 1638, and functioned as a West Point during the It aso served as a training organization for the officers who participated in the French and In- TYHE EVENING STAR, WASLINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1931 WoobpwARD & LoTHR 10" 11™ F/anD G STREETS rr MR ‘ » in s is 4 W% ! P rl.?u Fex New Case Arrangements—More Selling Space— Comprehensive Displays—dedicated to GLORIFYING THE AMERICAN BLANKET We know our blankets and comforts—we know you want: —blankets long enough (84 inches long) to tuck in at the foot —blankets and comforts of the finest material that can be secured for making them. —blankets and comforts that successfully combine warmth with light weight —blankets that have the added convenience of being cut and bound separately. —lovely, solid color, two-toned blankets and comforts. mermaids. Like all Cantor pictures this is not to be ignored. In fact, it is probably better than all but one picture in town. The ideal Jaugh provoker for after-dinner relaxation, it will neither tire nor provoke and should do much toward loosening depressed jaw bones. One of the few films which now boasts (or otherwise) a chorus —you may see “trick” photos of comely ladies besporting themselves in gymnasiums clad in less than warm attire, and through a swarm of fortune tellers and gyps and Jip- pers you may find that Cantor fsn't what he is meant to be and that his love isn’t what he thinks it is either. It's all very good fun, perhaps— and probably would be 100 per cent but for the lingering tonic which the Marxs provided. See it and laugh— but you won't die laughing. E. de S. M. dian Wars prior to the Revolution. The list of notable members of this ancient organization includes the names of -Israel Putnam, Gen. Warren of Bunker Hill”fame, Paul Revere, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Daniel ‘Webster and Maj. Gen. Daniel Dennison. The present organization of the Ancients includes many high-ranking officers of the regular Army, some of whom serve as sergeants and corporals in this his- toric organization. . There are a_handful of persons who hold' membership in this organization by right of descent, among whom are Charles G. Dawes, a descendant of Rufus Dawes of revolutionary fame, and Col. M. A. Winter, who is a descendant of John Johnson, a charter member of the Anclents. IKIWANIS OBJECTIVES ANNUAL MEETING TOPIC |Rev. E. H. Roach and Several Others Address ‘“Educational” Meeting of Club. ‘The Washington Kiwanis Club held its annual ‘*educational” meeting in the Washington Hotel yesterday, at which the purpose and objectives of the Kiwanis International were outlined. Rev. E. H. Roach,” pastor of St. Mat- thew's Catholic Church, addressed the luncheon session. ‘Talks on Kiwanis objectives were made by Charles W. Pimper, T. Hardle Seay, Z. D. Blackistone, Willlam N. Freeman and Gecrge H. Winslow, mem- bers of the club. Harry G. Kimball, chairman of the Educational Committee, discussed administration policies of the organization. Dewey Zirkin, a member of the club, urged co-operation with the Washington Halloween Celebration Committee in providing suitable prizes and arranging the event. Plans for the formation of a bowling team were outlined by Earl D. Krewson, chairman of the bowling group, which is meeting tonight at the Racquet Club. eVERFRESH CITRATE or MAGNESIA Our. large stock of blankets and comforts is now offered in one of the best ara ranged departments of its kind in this part of the country. We invite you to inspect it Monday>note how easy and plcasurable it is to see and select blankets and comforts of established quality and- correctness. Our blanket and comfort prices are based on today's production costs—you will - - find them attractively low. Both the blankets and comforts are ar- ‘ranged by colors and sizes. Making se- lections is extremely easy. The ten |2-compartment cases are light- ed within, showing the beautiful colors of blankets and comforts. ~ Better AII-WooI : 72x84 Blankets, 3595 The best blanket we can offer at this low price—from one of Amer- ica’s well-known blanket houses, that makes blankets which regu- larly sell mych higher. This single blanket weighs four pounds— and comes in a wide variety of solid colors. “Friends and Lovers ‘Well Acted at Keith's. BEAU‘PKP'ULLY impressive in its theatrical quality, but utterly devoid of moral purpose is the mo- tdon picture “Friends and Lovers” at R-K-O Keith's, It offers the privi- lege of viewing actors of capacity in a play which has the unmistaka- ble merit of holding the attention in all its development. with the added point of high commendation that in the quieter portions of the plot it enforces that rapt attention which is the goal of all wise playwrights. ‘There are four well trained play- ers—Adolphe Menjou, Lily Damita, Eric von Stroheim and Laurence Olivier—nobly assisted by the wholly convincing Frederick Kerr, in a forceful tale in which the central feminine contributor is an example of imperturbable falsehood. It sur- passes the customary triangle in its sweep, for there are four corners and a few other angles in this geometri- cal figure which carries the observer onward to the most remarkable de- | velopment—the lady really falls in Jove. She is apparently not entitled to happiness, but achieves it beczuse of the onrushing course of events. And as the final partner of the wom- an is Mr. Menjou, recognized expert in affairs of the heart, it is easy to conclude that he took her with all her defects, and that she found his phase of devotion an inspiration to honest affection. Miss Damita performs with dis- tinction in the representation of this enigmatic_character. and, with the others, offers the privilege of view- ing the development of a striking ufe without intrinsic importance. ‘Mr. von Stroheim has in the injured but relentless husband an unusual task, which he performs in such a way as to convey the impression that he has the conception of an en- tirely new film personality. Varlous other members of the company give force to the experience of a plausi- 1% vampire who may be said to have Illustrated at the right—a special room which contains our great variety of single blankets and wool throws 'BLANKETS, SECOND FLOOR. . 25; IN CLEAN NEW BOTTLES