Evening Star Newspaper, October 25, 1931, Page 51

E Stage and Screen AMUSEMENT SECTION he Sunday Star. WASHINGTON, LILY DAMITA and LESTER VAIL CWOMAN BETWEEN” = RIALTO ————— Survey of Ne w York’s Dramatic Efforts' Fails To Reveal Box-Office Hit Musical Productions Have Reaéed a Harvest, While the Drama Rec eives Little Attention. The Situation Here in Washington. By W. H. Lanavoigt. that Broadway is still wait- | ing for its first dramatic hit of the new season. Columns have been written of prospects that after a brief peep have fold- ed up their tents like the Arabs and have as silently stolen out to Forget-me-land, or else to Cain’s storehouse, the morgue of shat- tered hopes. Several shows that were scheduled to close, we are told, "are still hanging on; some half dozen are playing to flatter- ing returns; musicals are in the ascendant, George White's “Scan- dals,” “The Band Wagon,” Earl Carroll’s “Vanities” and Ziegfeld’s “Follies” being the “outstanders,” with hope haloing the coming in of “Everybody’s Welcome” and “The Cat and the Fiddle.” The plays, those whose authors believe contain elements of real drama, are few ana far between—scarcely worth mentioning, at least, until some mews arrives that indicates lhedy may find shelter on the road, and, who knows, perhaps in Wash- ington. This a &n‘enu status of the tluz T in N{w York, the home of unborn drama, the workshop of theatrical creation. e SPICULATORB in the possibili- ties are pondering over the big| news of the week that one of the fountainheads of our local drama supply has fallen heir to a court receivership. Where would the legitimate theater of America be now had this occurred, say, 20 years t{o? Evil minds will have their evil thoughts and malicious tongues will wag in gossip on themes like this, in spite of our President’s earnest appeal for the unemployed, in its very essence flavored with the suggestion of a| divine appeal to “love thy neigh- bor as thyself.” Unhappily, how- ever, the divine charge to “do unto others” is often twisted by the temptation of the thought “as they do you"—and so the wicked world goes merrily on its way. W JOE COOK'S amusingly pleasant “Fine and Dandy,” not for an instant forgetting Joe Cook’s hard-working ranks of feminine beauty, which nearli'. if not quite, | achievea perpetual motion | rivalry with his gadgets, was one| of the agreeable, if not brilliant, | offerings of the theater in Wash- | ington this season. It was free of offense and enjoyable throughout, | a maker of honest laughter and a| mouth cleanser. And yet, even in this pious and well meaning com- munity, its local collections fell short of those that rewarded the wicked “Vanities” by a full 50 per cent of par. Who can explain this? And another inquiry, seem- ingly quite as pertinent, is why should that well and widely be- loved grana dame of opera be drafted to bolster a losing propo- sition—and that with a pathetic mockery of sentiment sickening to ! l ATE surveys inform the world | the host of admirers who love her very name, and did when names of that t; weren't being held in such high esteem in this land of the free and home of the brave? * ¥ % X IT is 56 easy to fool people, be- cause, after all, the generality of what we call people, home folks, are so simple, so unartificial. The acroamatic technique with which the creators of movie art have so long awed play geople, not to mention playwrights and even great authors like Maeterlinck, are an instance in ‘gmmt. It is chiefest among the finearts of the press agent and has often, oh, so often, lifted rank mediocrity to high pinnacles in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame! When all is said and done what is fame any way? Men have striven and died for it. The hm.or{ of avia- tion is fairly smeared with it, and et, exceé;t for the palaver of a ald-headed orator, a few meaals or a cup and maybe a citation the dead hero’s consolation, of what use is it any way? The thoughts are suggested by the misfortune that has come to Messrs. Lee and J. J. Shubert after all they have done for the theater. * X ¥ ¥ JAMES BERNARD FAGAN'S sur- | prise comedy, “The Improper Duchess,” it appears, is not vet to reach the Manhattan Walhalla.| It is reported to be in the work- shop for drastic recasting, which may or may not mean that it is also to be redrafted, although the news | report states only that all the players that had a hand in its Washington presentation may be eliminated save the vivacious and intriguing Bordoni. There does seem to have been some sub- stance to the Washington estimate of the play, after all, despite the admitted excellence and personal- ity of its gifted author. R e e IF the Eugene O'Neill trilogy, “Mourning Becomes Electra, which makes its entry into New York as a one-day show, starting at 5 p.m., with a dinner intermis- sion at 8, and at a $2 to $6.60 scale of seat prices, breaks into Washington on the same terms and conditions, “mourning” may not “become,” but certainly it will be visible in the Nation’s Capital. However, it might not help mat- ters very much to divide the pro- duction into a two-day entertain- ment, unless the patrons can ef- fect a saving with a home-cookea dinner in lieu of the cafe-bought article. Some wise creature has said “You can’t get something for nothing,” and it seems to apply right here. ok ok % ‘\ND, as a closing thought, gentle “™ reader, have you noticed that even as the he-man seems to have been entirely overlooked in the in- spiration which creates our mod- ern songs, in direct contrast, the cave-man seems to be the fellow our modern theater is trying its hardest to satisfy? Stratford HE Stratford-Upon-Avon Co., which will begin a limited engagement of one week at the National Theater Mon- day evening, November 2, has a back- ground of tradition which is an inspira- tion to all connected with the famous * organization. The company has exist- ed for nearly half a century, giving a season of Shakespearean plays in the Spring and Summer of each year at Stratford-Upon-Avon. | ‘In its early years there were frequent changes n the personnel of the com- | pany, but during the past 10 years, | since W. Bridgel Adams became the | director, a strong effort has been made | to keep'the same players together year after year, so that in time the company | will develop in precisely the same fash- fon that a symphony orchestra is devel- | oped through long association. ‘The first important performance of a | Shakespearean play at Startford oc- curred in 1748, more than a century after the poet’s death. John Ward, the grandfather of Mrs, Siddons, with his #fl. then presented “Othello” to funds to repair the monument of Cofilpany Shakaspeare in the Stratford Church The first Shakespeare Festival tool place at Stratford in 1769, under e di on of Garrick, Dr. Arne and Bos- The_ festivities were repeated in 1827 and 1830, and it was planned to hold a similar celebration every three years. The plan was abandoned, how- ever, for the next Stratford celebration | wus the tercentenary celebration of 1864 In 1875 a few Stratford men, headed by the late Charles Edward Flower, formed the Memorial Theater Associa- tion and erected the fine Shakespeare | Memorial Building, which was opened in 1879 and was destroyed by fire three years ago. It was in this theater that the festival company played. Since the calamity the organization has appeared |in @ small theater in the town of Strat- ford, but in the Spring it will move into a magnificent new structure, the corner stone of which was laid last Summer, ‘The new: theater, with the endowment, will cost u'::oo‘ooa. entire pro- ceeds from the preser will that fund. - e PAUL LUKAS “rue BELOVED BACHELOR” NATIONAL—“Three’s a Crowd.” ’l'\HOSE who saw the first “Little gagement in New York will need no introduction to the stars of “Three's a Crowd,” the big present in 'the National Theater this week, beginning tonight, with pop- Show"” during its successful en- musical revue which Max Gordon will ular matinee Wed- nesday and Satur- | day. Clifton Webb, suave dancer-com- edian; Fred Allen, droll monologist- juggler - musician, and Libby Holman, | langorous blues singer, gether 1 a Crowd.” The songs are the work of How- ard Dietz and Ar- thur Schwartz, two young writers who Livby Holman. YOUUR TSt of the melodies in the first “Little Show.” Mr. | Dietz, moreover, compiled and super- vised all of the material in “Three's a Crowd.” Various sketches were written by Corey Ford, Newman Levy, Groucho Marx and Fred Allen. Hassard Short, remembered for di- recting the famous Music Box Revues, staged “Three's a Crowd.” Albert John- son supplied the stage designs. while the costumes are the work of Kivietts. The dances have been directed by Albertina Rasch. For the first time, Mme. Rasch has deserted the classical ballet in favor of modern dance rou- tines. In addition to Mr. Webb, Mr. Allen and Miss Holman, the cast of hree's a Crowd” includes Tamara Geva, the dancer last seen in “Whoopee”: the California Collegians, Joan _ Clement, Helen Ault, Harriett Hamil, Fred Mac- Murray, Percy Launders, Lou Wood, lly Cole, Portland Hoffa, Allan Jones | and others. GAYETY—“Frivolities of 1932 RIVOLITIES OF 1932, a new Columbia Burlesque attraction, is | this week’s attraction at the Gayety Theater, with @ matinee performance today. A happy blending of comedy, | pretty dancing girls and jingly tunes are | said to be the assets of the offering, with & cast'that rates among the best on_the Herk circuit. Featured are - Charles (“Bimbo”) | Davis, = droll tramp character come- dian, and Bartel, one of bur- lesque's 1 , whose dancing is & big asset of the show. The coterle of players also includes Bobby | 46 Motor, Aviation, Radio Programs D0, SUNDAY MORNING, WILLIAM BOYD end LILYAN TASHMAN ¥ THE ROAD TO RENO ” ~ FARLE | Vail, eccentric funster; Jatk J. Lamont character straight man; Bernie Monte, who doubles with Flo Maye in a step ping and musical turn; Harry Hamlet, | juvenile; Gladys Leland, a pert. red- head, who offers a banjo playing spe- clalty and dances, and Jean Burt. The chorus, numbering 18, appears to good advantage on a dozen occasions. |: Sesrch for Good Plags. ‘HE survey, Nation wide, being made by Lawrence J. Anhalt, whose studio | 1s at Essex, Conn,, to find & play or sev- | eral plays, modern or ancient, for early | New York production, is said to have revealed great interest among the thou- sands of “best minds” to whom a ques- tionnaire has been addressed, request- | ing an opinion as to what is considered “the best play ever written.” Replies have been reccived and ar® still coming in from university presi- dents, professors of dramatic literature, dramatic editors, literary editors, men and women distinguished in arts, let- ters, sclence and industry; political and legislative leaders, eminent chruchmen, and just everyday lovers of the theater. As the uery has been sent to addresses all over the country, “votes” are still coming in. The comments and opinions are diverse and interesting. A digest will be released as soon as all replies are in and can be tabulated. Any one interested in the best tradi- [tions of the theater who has ot re- | cetved & questionnare is urged to send | inl a selection of a play or several plays. | What is the best play ever written, or, | what play or plays would you like best to_see produced? The object is really to secure & selec- tion of “immortal dramas.” the produc- | tion of which would be an event in the history of the theater and culture in | America. Address letters to Anhalt | Production Studio, Essex, Conn. evening. ON FOX—“The Cisco Kid.” EARLE—"“The Road to Reno.” THE evening. GAYETY—"Frivolities of 1932.” OCTOBER 1931, CLIFTON WEBB - FRED ALLEN and LIBBY HOLMAN STHRFES A CROWD "~ NATIONAL WARNER BAXTER and EDMUND LOWE “THE Cisco kID” FOoXx FOX—“Cisco Kid.” HENRY'’S romantic bad man and his avowed .nem{ the | self-admiring but le o Army sergeant, who made “In Old Arizona” one of the greatest talking pictures, are back again at the Fox Theater, at their old | tricks of fighting and loving and Sergt. Mickey Dunn. The fem- inine {interest is supplied by a new 1931 Fox debu- | tante star, Con- chita Montenegro, and another new- comer, Nora Lane. ‘The story, with the elusive Cisco Kid again in the saddle and fleeing I from the pursuit | of his old enemy, . Dunn, is to contain enough thrills and unexpected situa- | ur;ns to satisfy the most exacting spec- tator. On the stage Fanchon and Marco of- fer a costly stage extravaganza entitled ‘North, South, East, West” idea, which | depicts Canada, the Colonial South, China and sunny Spanish_ California. Heading the cast are Jack Waldron and | Miss arviett, comedy team. Other | entertainers include Elivira Tanzi, Glen | Dale, tenor; Helen O'Shea, late of Zieg- | feld Follies, and the Sunkist singing and dancing enseinble, with Al Mitchell conducting a popular overture and the Fox Movietone News. EARLE—“The Road to Reno.” | RENO, the city of false gayety, pro- vides the background for “The Road to Reno,” the screen feature pre- | sented this week at Warner Bros.’ Earle Theater. Al Shaw and Sam Lee, well iknuwn musical comedy stars, headline the vaudeville program. | .. “The Road to Reno” shows the scram- | bled and unscrambled lives of those Who | take their yearly divorce seriously. It shows how folks start by promising to love, honor and obey end end up Wwith “Hey, Hey,” roulette and the pursuit of pseudo romance and false happiness. The cast includes Lilyan Tashman, | Buddy Rogers, Peggy Shannon, Willlam | Boyd, Irving Pichel, Skeets Gallagher | and Wynne Gibson. Shaw end Lee, who head the stage show, are late stars of “Five O'Clock Girl,” “Artists and Models,” “Pleasure Bound” and “Grab Bag.” These noted comics are seen in 20 minutes of fun. | Other” acts "include “Oklahoma” Bob | Albright, funster, assisted by Beverly Birks and Elinor Hoffman;_ Primrose Semon, the red-head comedienne of song, assisted by Blanche Saure; the | Four Robeys, novelty entertainers, and | Maxine Doyle, mistress of ceremonies. Warner Baxter. THE RIALTO—"“The Woman Between.” ‘API'ER. playing successfully on the | musical comedy stage, Lily Damita, | returns to her late of “Sons O' Guns,” “The | first love motion pictures in Stage and Screen Attractions This Week NATIONAL—“Three’s a Crowd, ” musical comedy. Opens this This afterncon and evening. SCREEN. This afternoon and evening. This afternoon and evening. RIALTO—"The Woman Between.” This afternoon and evening. PALACE—“The Beloved Bachelor.” This afternoon and evening. KEITH'S—“A Dangerous Affair.” METROPOLITAN—“Twenty-four Hours.” ‘This afternoon and evening. This afternoon and evening. This afternoon and SKETCHES BY. NEWMAN SuDDUTH Woman Between,” a modern and dramatic story which is now at the Miss Damita is sup- y O. P. , Lester Vall, Lincoln, Stedman, Miriam Louise, -Halliwell Hobbes Fridericl. The picture was directed by Victor Sche after the play by 3 “The Woman Between” is a story of second marriage and the consequences in the lives of the husband’s grown children. In addition, the Rialto offers a short sereen comedy, the Universal News with the Talking Traveling Reporter and the music of Otto Beck at the organ. PALACE—“The Beloved Bachelor.” ¢'T'HE BELOVED BACHELOR,” Paul Lukas’ first title role for Para- mount, is unfolded at Loew's Palace Theater this week. “The Beloved Bachelor” is the story of a man who, after surviving many love affairs, finally falls in love with a street waif without name. Dorothy Jordan is seen opposite Lukas, with Charles Ruggles and Vivi- enne Osborn in supporti roles. On the Palace stage a Capitol Thea- ter, New York, revue’has the title of “'Going, Going, Gone.” Adler and Brad- ford head a cast of specialty artists in this production that is reported as ing one of the swiftest moving and en- tertaining productions of this year. KEITH'S—“A Dangerous Affair.” WABHINONN'S first mystery thriller in several months is currently be- ing shown on the screen of the R-K-O Keith Theater. It brings together again the team of Jack Holt and Ralph Graves for their first starring vehicle, a Columbia picture with a mystery angle story, titled “A Dangerous Af- fair,” in which Holt is a “copper” and Graves & newspaper reporter. All the ingredients of the mystery to appear in “A Dan- \" with a different twist in the development, not h the usual trickery, but through the plausi- bility of the. story. iIn addition to Messrs. Holt and Graves, the cast includes Sally Blane, DeWitt Jennings, Tyler Brooke, Willlam V. Mong and Charles Middleton. METROPOLITA “Twenty-four | Hours.” | ¢ WENTY-FOUR HOURS,” Para- | mount’s screen version of Louis Bromfield’s novel, “Shattered Glass,” is held over at Warner Bros.’ Metropolitan Theater for a second week. Clive Brook, | Kay Francis, Regis Toomey and m Hopkins, who won sensational success in “The Smiling Lieutenant,” are the featured stars. The story depicts how stray husbands and misunderstood lovers are inter- Iocked by & queer prank of nature. The hopes, loves and desires of each are graphically shown. All the action of the story takes place within two turns of the clock, and leads up to a climax that is said to leave you breathless. Short subjects which will continue on the bill include a Vitaphone short, fea- turing Ruth Etting, “Words and Music”; Edgar Burgenrthe ventriloquist, in “The Eyes Have It,” and the latest issue of the Paramount Sound News. COLUMBIA—"“Palmy Days.” EDD]! CANTOR'S latest production, * Days,” remains a second 1t Bas" been arawing Targs. audiences en aydiences. mnn{ claim this . production is even funnier than * hich voyant’s assistant who o ciency expert in a bakery, and who is loved by the physical director. Cantor plays the role of the efficlency expert and Charlotte Greenwood the role of the physical director. Besides a great deal of comedy and new songs, the al;‘:; ture shows 50 of most beautiful SALLY BLANE A DANGEROUS AFFAIR - KE/THS Mary Pickford Denies She Will Give Up Her Motion Picture Work Says She Could Not Leave the Films With "“Kik:" as Her Last Effort—Estelle Taylor Prefers . Costume Réles—News and Comment. ByE. De_ S. Melcher. ARY through. means. PICKFORD isn't Not by, any Said she re- retire now and ‘Kiki’ as my last picture!” that would seem to indicate that Queen Mary is not going to let fate drop her out of the picture game with a smirch rather than with a smile. For even thre stanchest of her leave picture for and right for the picture. haj to be a Pickford gamin wi lden ringlets and an “our 8 eart” e, and try as she would Miss Pickford couldn’t bite her teeth into the rougher pas- sions and toss around lure, wicl edness and an over-the-shoulder- come-hither expression. This isn’t the moment for Miss Pickford to retire, and it comes as news that she isn’t defi- y planning to. After count- less rumors to the effect that while husband Fairbanks was get- ting “one up” and “two downs” on British royalty Mary was sitting by the fire burning up ancient and honorable films and preparing for old age, and that all this signified a “give-iny” feeling to abandon- ing the films, Miss Pickford’s an- |is nouncement that she’s still fight- ing comes as a welcome shock. The path before the one-time Pouzannn is, however, not likely to be all roses. The question whether to grow up or not to grow up has long been on Miss Pick- ford’s mind. Now that she is de- cidedly out of the romper age, and that her public coesn’t want her be, the method of procedure is none too clear. Orchids and lilies of the valley have not been reaped by our Mary because she was an Ina Claire or a Hope Williams. No one has ever clamored to see her as Camille. She tried “Rosita,” and she was calm and quite beau- tiful, but not at all convincing.| She threw things around in “The Taming of the Shrew,” but even Shakespeare, wherever he is (with or without Bacon), was heard to utter & yowl. And try as they might, e- who wrote about Miss Pickford’s “sophistication” seemed to freeze in the middle of their words. Which is to say that Miss Pick- ford’s forte is sprightly comedy— long and loud and girlish—and | that mixed in with all this she| has to have the box-of-candy- chewing type of romantic whimsy, which makes the matinee ladies use their handkerchiefs and think of their own legs when they were shorter and thinner—ana that there are very few stories being turned out these days which would be at all serviceable to this star. But Miss Pickford is coming back, and that’s enough for the moment. From the way in which she says: “I couldn’t retire now and leave ‘Kiki' as my last pic- ture,” it would seem that there won’t be any more Kikis. But who cently: “I simply couldn't | Shaw! And ! never, | Montenegro is- destined for knows what there will be instead? her away espeare or Bernard Well, maybe it will be yet, we hope, LR PEAKING of Miss Pickford re- 15"5‘3’3 us of “Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall,” and a handsome figure in the 's Efid&y at admits to liking b sort of . “Give me costume parts—roles like L s which you can read up on you play them. Give me—" Well, frankly, she would like to do “Carmen.” But there is a rumor whosc Bernard Shaw—and e g o on the naugl - ish Carmencita, and that uni has taken her over the jumps no one else can. So Miss Taylor, much and thinner and more vivacious than you or I suspected, will have to do somthing else. But she WILL sing—better, she hogea, than she did at the theater. “The theater frightens me so. You can’t make a mistake. But in the films—ah, yes—you can over and over again, and when it rfect they will record it. Not until then.” % * % % AMONG those young “Wampas” laaies, who are supj to flame from their baby days into stars within two or three moments, or rrhap.s she’s only a “debu- tante”—well, whatever her rank at the moment—Conchita (her name came out in bold type as something else a week or so ago) eat things. fter viewing “The g.sco Kid” we are sure of this. She is young, not too good looking, but full of a certain fire which is the grandest leaning post for the young actress. Senorita Monte- negro can smile and knock you off your feet—but she can act, too —and what with this and that and the other she seems headea fo: freat popularity. Watch her close- ly at the Fox this week, * x x % CCORDING to rumeor, “Grand Hotel” is to be a four-star pic- ture—a cinematic four-star pic- ture. If, after “Mata Hari,” l&iss Garbo is free from her toils (never a week goes by, it seems, without news of this lady) the M-G-M forces will launeh her into “Grand Hotel.” Others who may join the cast are Joan Crawford, John Gilbert and Clark Gable. After “Susan Lenox” there may. of ¢ourse, be nothing left of Mr. Gable, but Miss Crawford is still very much there, and Mr. Gilbert certainly couldn’t have lost musn sleep over “The Phantom Of Paris.” The only other news note of the week is that Miss Chatterton hasn’t dyed her hair. It's a wig, that’s all. * Artist and N WEBB, the tall, comedian, co-starred with Fred Allen and Libby Holman in the new revue “Three’s & Crowd,” is not only internationally famots es a dancer, but he has won recognition as an artist, whose paintings were exhibited before he was 10 years old. Also he bas achieved recognition as an actor .in straight comedy and tic roles. Mr. Webb comes from an old South- ern family. He is the first of the Webbs to adopt s stage career. The credit for' starting him on his career belongs to Malcolm Douglas, the former business manager of the New Amster- dam Theater, New York, where, incl- Comedian suave | den! THR] E’E’?Si? B=g gf3% I 2E% 7T