Evening Star Newspaper, February 20, 1932, Page 3

| _IFrom the Front Row . Reviews and News of Washington's Theaters. New Arliss Film At the Metropolitan, EORGE ARLISS at the close of his newest film. “The Man Who Played God.” is sitting at a church organ playing “Onward, Christian woltders,” and thus reawakening a faith which had long lain dormant. As a glant pianistic virtuoso, who in %is dar of days had had kings and jueens and lesser humans bowing low be- fore him, he is thus giv- anks to a Creator _whom he had doubted for that initial period when his hearing had been taken from him. The final curtain hiding further sound, you know that once again, as far as he is concerned, “God's in his heaven and all's right with the world.” This film has that kind of philo- sophical finale which may surprise those who believe that there is lit- tle room_ for such things in the cinema. It is surprisingly effective, too, and but for one other scene of more melodramatic nature, is probably the high point of a curious an unfortunate man who Grorge Arliss. moment had come when this great pianist, gone ractically insane at the sudden re- 1 of the sound of music and > to enjoy even the smallest B of happiness, had tried to take his life by walking out of the window of his apartment, and was saved only by the verbal entreaties of Batt his devoted servant, who called him “coward” instead of pleading with him in more decorous fashion. These two scenes and one or two others, and the alw smooth and silken acting of Mr. Arliss (thank- fully divorced from his Hamiltonian ) are the best of a film which has great power in some places and great voids in others. These voids come when the love story between he man of over 50 and the young becomes acute. and when cer- 1 characters say foolish things ven more foolish. In the those who believe t A can act anything he chooses—and he can—and that he may be supposed to be real even when he is shown as a great virtuoso plaving the “Moonlight Sonata” be- fore a vast concert audience, will find this varicusly interesting. if a trifie morbid. Somehow, however, we prefer Mr Arliss as a_“million- aire” rather than :s an “arteeste.” In either case, though, he resembles America’s foremost dime promoter. Added to the program is the War- ner Brothers' contribution to the Bi- centennial _Celebration, in which Clarence Whitehill _assumes the words and wigs of George Wash- ington, and in which the city itself 5 presented from White House to the Capitol. E. de S. MELCHER. Murders in the Rue Morgue” Given With Thrills at Rialto. DOE'S capacity for creating stories of mystery and horror gave him a place in the realm of books which mak t of his plots fa- ge audience. For urders in the Rue comes as a means of ferring some of his characters from the printed page to the screen. Local interest in the career of Poe gives increased interest to the pic- th is offered at the Rialto. kle, played by Bela Lugosi, another of the series of unnatural characters which may be set down to his credit, for he makes the com- pletely unsympathetic scientist a living person who delights in evil deeds. Contrasted with the cruelty of this chief character is the dis- tinctly feminine role of the young woman who barely escapes the clutches of the degenerate doctor and his giant ape. This character is created with the finer qualities that are associated with the work of Sidney Fox, and she is most capably assisted by Leon Waycoff, as Dupin, the medical student who solves the mystery of the Rue Morgue and save the life of the young woman, after a spectacular scene in which the ape, with the girl in his clutches, is pursued over the housetops and finally disposed of in a thrilling encounter, while Will Rogers TULSA, Okla.—Just flew in from Chicago. Was going over to Clare- more tonight, but the hotels are all so full, going to have to stay here in the edge of town. I see where some line is going to make aviation pay by taking it sut of the pilot's salary. When they start hiring cheap pilots I will stop flying. That's what's built up what confidence in aviation we have is the experience, character and dependability of our pilots. I think they are just about the high- est type bunch of men we have. I am interviewing all the candidates to sce what they are running on, if anything, just outside a desire. So I got to see our Gov. Bill Murray. T WILL NOT BE dents contracted by any o self. (Signed) LEWIS F. K 4] WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUR- by persons other than myself. AN. 632 K st ol ED: P IBLE FOR ANY Lavityee West'0634 by 10 am 1 WILL NOT BE RESPONS 115 tinless contracted by myself. Earl Collingsworth. 5010 1 ERMONT MAPLE SYRUP. GALLON il ration ¢ W, E. FIELD, 3317 tional 2082, Br. 178. T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY one _other I WILL fan AYLOR, 22+ ontracted by any o ned) "’ MARVIN F. T. e RENT. SUPFTABLE _FOR PARTIES. barquets, weddings and 10c up per day cach: new chairs 1id rolling chairs for rent or sale. TES STORAGE CO.. 418 10tE an 1844 West also pack snd anywhere RAGE CO. D VAN LINES FH A FRANSFER & STO 1213 P 2 TR S Bhones. North 3342-3343 Koons Roofing' Company Roofing and Waterproofing Contractors, Announce the remov f their e and Shops to 933 V' Street Northwest Telephone North 4423 I HAVE AVAILABLE FOR INVESTORS rot-mortgage construction loan of $65.000 100x140 on CONNECTICUT AVE. to RCIAL BUILDING of 2 stories and covering 60x140. Ten-year Jease at 31200 per snnum OOMES, at. 1768, Our Customers Appreciate e of PRINT- | mark of qual- | excels—cn The National Capital Press FLA. AVE. 3rd and N NE. Linc. 6080 _1710 Eye St NW. the crowds of Paris onlookers watch the battle. The use of the ape as an adjunct of the perilous side of life and of the dangerous dabbler in science who imperils innocent persons has been found in other fiims, but by returning to the originals created by Poe, there is special satisfaction in knowing that it is more than a crude effort to depict horrors; that it is a picturization of one of the great works of a literary genius. ‘The scenes are created with careful attention to the effect of the mys- terious career of the chief charac- ter and the mystery is developed logically. It is to be observed, how- ever, that the matter can be no mystery to an audience, for the guilty acts of the doctor are to be observed from the beginning. Other actors who have a share in the play are Bert Roach, Brandon Hurst, Noble Johnson, D’Arcy Cor- rigan and Betty Ross Clark. An at- tempt to reproduce the ancient pe- riod in which the famous author wrote gives an atmosphere of truth to _the picture. There are short reels on the Rialto program, including one of the typical Slim Summerville com- edies, which arouses interest among those who have become acquainted with the Summerville idea. D. C. C. Joan Bennett in Play at Fox With Picturesque Stage Show. HUMAN incidents of a beauty show and perilous experiences in marriage to a man of brutal in- stincts serve to give more than the average spirit to the play, “She Wanted a Millicnaire,” presenting Joan Bennett and some excellent as- sociate actors at the Fox Theater. In addition. there is a stag> en- semble in observance of the Bicen- tennial period which reveals elabo- rate costume and scenic accessories impressive in their artistic effect. Colonial ays are recalled, and the music, under the direction of Al Mitchell, is reminiscent of those periods in American history which have inspired old-time composers. A third feature of the program is the “Hot Java Idea,” with a succes- sion of musical and dancing acts which round out the entertainment. Miss Bennett. in the role of Jane Miller, who becomes “Miss Uni- verse,” after having achieved the beauty title cof “Miss Missouri,” plays with the poise that is required of the determined young miss who seeks wealth in order that the fam- ily at home may be relieved of the distress of a meager income. When the man of wealth, played by James Kirkwood, offers marriage, she re- jects the young William Kelly, played by Spencer Tracy, and turns her back upon the old friends, with an assumed air of satisfacticn, but as the cruelty of the husband de- velops, she faces a climax which calls for the discriminating work of which she is fully capable. Marriage to her ends in a pistol battle, a situation that arouses no doubt as to just where in genuine social life a parallel to this story is found. Una Merkel, tamiliar figure on the screen, is developed into one of those comic ‘experts that instinctively give fine relaxation from the thrills of a fight for release from bondage, and for that reason is one of the out- standing members of the cast. Dor- othy Peterson, as the mother of the young beauty. again performs with skill that adds to the dramatic ef- fect of the play. The stage performance offers an opportunity for Armanda Chirot, coloratura soprano, to sing with a generous volume of melody, while the remainder of the features are provided by the specialty of the Caligary Brothers, odd entertainers: Neres, a dancer; the three Samuel Brothers, tap dancers, and Vincent Yorro, Japanese impersonator. ‘The Bicentennial ensemble is made realistic by a ballet number employ- ing 12 local girls, a duet by Beverly O'Brien and Bert Bagranoff. and a solo toe number by Beverly JIz;yce. = Wallace Beery In “Hell Divers.” WYERE it not for the extremely satisfying performance of Wal- lace Beery and for some aerial pho- tography, which is the best of its kind, “‘Hell Divers,” at the Columbia, might be set down as just another one of those “stunt” films so adroitly sponsored by the U. S. Navy. As it stands, however, it is more than stimulating air spectacle, battle- ship spectacle and U. S. S. Sara- | _toga and dirigible Saratogo spectacle, Open till 6 P.M. Sundays eautiful Floral Tributes for all occasions, $3.50 up 1407 H St. N.W. Nat’l 4905 At the entrance to TIIE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. (. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1938, aided and abetted by the génial Mr, Beery, who, unfortunately, “gets his' in the end. This funereal ending is, however, the only lugubrious note; the rest of it being rough and rugged, spoken in the language which actor Beery handles best, acted with .especial skill by him, and to_a lesser extent by Cliff Edwards, Marjorie Ram- beau, Marie Prevost and Conrad Nagel and including that patent leather idol, Clark Gable, who seems for the first time not 50 good as some say he is. In a role “opposite Beery, inasmuch as ke is the man in continual opposition to his hard- hitting superior, it is perhaps diffi- cult to feel any sympathy for him, particularly since Beery is the be-all and the end-all. But treason or no treason, Mr. Gable acts as though he knew the camera were waiting for him, and as though he were saying, “well, you lady fans, here I am. The most eloquent aspects in this have little to do with its plot. The latter, in fact, has been constructed only as an afterthought to tucking in all the latest Navy gadgets. These “gadgets” are, however, extremely interesting and have been photo- graphed more adroitly than seems possible. The landing of the planes on the Saratoga (without letting you see too closely how they are able to stop), the demolishing of & bat- tleship from the air, the dirigible in flight, what some of the fleet looks like in California and in Panama— all are worthy of the impetus which has been put in their revealing. The introduction of the story ele- ment doesn't really matter -except in so far as it allows Beery to say caustic things to Gable, and Gable ditto to Beery, and to let them roll around on the floor in Battle and to put Beery eventually into the “hoosegow.” While this is going on the producers are merely marking time for the next nautical spectacle —and these spectacles are so good that the rest, even Mr. Beery's un- fortunate death at the end of the film may be overlooked (if you walk out in time). Considering the “star's” bsilliance and the effective handling of peace maneuvers in the Navy, this may be set down as a first-class picture which rises to many heights—more on sea than on land. E. de 5. M. The Cinema Goes “Freakish.” ONLY the morbidly curious will enjoy “Freaks" the new offer- ing at the Palace Theater. The pic- ture is different. That is all which can be said in its behalf. The plot is far-fetched and borders on the repulsive. It is a circus show devoid of all the whols . _interesting phases of circus life, and it is diffi- cult to believe the things depicted by the picture ever would happen in real life. A midget with a bank account which would do credit to a 6-footer and an ambition to marry a normal woman is the leading man. He is accepted by Cleopatra, queen cf the air, who piots, with her lover, Her- cules, the strong man, to poison him. The midget's friends learn of the scheme. To disclose the revenge they take would detract from the element of surprise. Nevertheless, it is sickening. As a matter of fact, most midgets lead cheerful lives. They travel, they live like aristocrats and they do not seek sympathy. One would never know this from seeing “Freaks,” however, becguse the ap- parent purpose of the picture is to exaggerate their shortcomings. In other words, there are circus pic- STARTLING NEW PRICES NOW AVAILABLE ON BEAUTIFULLY BUILT DISTINC- TIVE HOMES IN THE FOREST SECTION OF CHEVY CHASE Luxury Homes at New Prices DO THIS SUNDAY Ride out to see these homes. Sic for youreel ohat your dollars can do for you TO- DAY. Heated Sample Homes. TO INSPECT’ Drive out Conn. Ave. to Bradley Lane (Chevy Chase Club), turn LEFT 2 squares, S e sign. DON'T PUT OFF COLONY HILL Created and being developed by BOSS & PHELPS. . . A Village of smart homes charm- ingly designed by Horace W. Peaslee in the Early American and Georgian motif, with landscaping by Rose Greely. $25,000 and up. 1705 HOBAN ROAD. Open daily. DRIVE OUT QUE ST. TO WISCONSIN AME. NORTH ONE BLOCK TO RESERVOIR ROAD, WEST TO 100 FEET BEYOND 44TH JT. BOSS & PHELPS Creators and Exclusize Developers of Colony Hill and Foxhall Village District’s Heroes in the World War Compiled by Sergt. L. E. Jaeckel. 8 recorded in the official citation, Thomas H. Parnsworth, first lieutenant, pilot, 96th Aero Squadron, Air Service, Ameri- can_ Expeditionary Force, re- ceived the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in action with the enemy near Thiaucourt, France, September 13, 1918. After being badly wounded, Lieut. Farnsworth shot down an enemy plane and made & perfect landing. His first thoughts upon landing had' been, & for his observer, who had been thrown from the plane during the action, nor would he permit himself to receive attention for his own wounds until he had ascer- tained the condi- tion of his comrade. Lieut. Farnsworth died of his wounds shortly after being taken to the aid station. Posthu- mously awarded, Medal presented to father, John Farnsworth, (Copyright, 1932) NAMED FOR WEST POINT Son of Col. P. M. Rixey Is Desig- nated for Examination. Franklin Stearns Rixey, son of Col. Pressley M. Rixey of the Marine Corps, stationed in Washington, has been des- ignated by President Hoover to take | the examinations for the United States Military Academy on March 1, with l% view to admission to the academy next July. Willlam Denton Cairnes, Chevy Chase, is the appointee from the sixth Mary- land district, with William Anderson wi of Rockville as the alternate. tures, and then there are circus | pictures. Following the idea of the German producers, the director of “Freaks” attempted something quite different from Hollywood routine. This might have turned out very well if he had possessed a better story and had not tried to out- German the Germans. The side show has always appealed to a very small proportion of circus custom- ers; “Freaks” will appeal to a lesser number of theatergoers. The stage revue opens with “Fol- lles of 1932” and progresses through & number of wcrth-while vaudeville attractions. On the program are the Chester Hale Girls, Joyce Cole, bal- lerina; the Three Pasqualas Brothers, gymnasts: Nicholas Daks, and Cook and Brown. Stan Laurel and Oliver WILBUR TO BE SPEAKER Interior Becretary Will Address Chicago U. Dinner. Secretary of the Interior Wilbur, Robert Maynard Hutchins, president of the University of Chicago, and Charles H. Judd, dean of the School of Edu- cation, will be the principal speakers at a dinner of the University of Chicago Doctors of Philosophy, Wednesday eve- ning at 6:30 o'clock in the Willard Hotel. WHY WE SOLD TEN HOMES HERE while cheaper houses stand. THE ANSWER REAL VALUE REAL CONSTRUCTION including Celotex floors and ceilings, furred walls and the New First Floor Service Room. PROTECTED NEIGHBORHODD PROTECTED INVESTMENT Go See WRENWOOD A visit will help you know how to judge values. Rittenhouse St. & Broad Br. Rd. Chevy Chase, D. C. To inspect: Drive out Conn. Ave. to Chevy Chase Circle, turn right on ‘Western Ave. 3 squares to Rittenhouse St., right 2 squares to property. THE FINEST RESIDENTIAL AREA IN CHEVY CHASE, D. C. Hardy contribute one of the funny two-reelers. ! Connecticut Ave. at Porter St. 1435 K Street N.W., NAtional 2343 Phone CL. 6900 DINNER Saturday, February 20, 1932, 5:30 to 8:30 ' 75c 12 Grapefruit ‘Tomato Juice Puree of Green Sweet Mixed Pickles Pruit Cocktail Sauerkraut Juice Split Pea Soup Broiled Spanish Mackerel, Maitre De Hotel Sea Food 2 la Newberg, in Patty Shell Fried Lamb Liver with Smothered Onions Chicken and Smithfleld Ham a la King on Toast Roast Loin of Pork with Virginia Fried Apples Caulifiower Au Gratin Mashed White Turnips Creanred Young Onions French Fried Potatoes Hearts of Lettuce, Fresh Apple Ple Mashed Potatoes , Bacon Dressing Napoleon Slice Ice Cream Hot Rolls ‘Whole Wheat Muffins Cuisine under direct persomal charge of owr Internationally Famous Chef Furnished and unfurnished apartments. Com- plete Hotel Service. I ¢ Garage accommodations HOME BARGAIN. DETACHED HOUSES BIG PRICE REDUCTIONS 5909 16th St. N.W. (Corner) New. beautiful detached home. 15 rooms. 4 bathe porehe s, double brick from $85.000 to 337,800, Will ex- Open. 20th and Bunker Hill Rd. N.E. These homes are the last word in up-to-date improvements: 6 rooms. bath, kitchen. General sun parlor, large porches. linoleum on ta omes values on the market. Only $8,950. on large lots, with or without.§ Electric refrigerator. rage. They are the best 3402 15th St. N.E. Bemi-detached, beautiful new home: bullt-in & Tence Btreet and just South of Monroe Street; busses. duced $2,000. 6411 3rd z th of Law- age: just north of Law- and lighted. St. N.W. y New detached. Lots 41 by 110 to alley. Drive out Georgia Avenue to Rittenhouse Btreet and thence east to Third Street, or cars pass door. Only 1 left. 4016 21st St. N.E. brick. age and paved alley. ce. Sun pi Very attractive and open fireplat e e A_Philadelphia style tric_refrigerator. hom 1 Electric ref or: house arior. A GENUINE BARGAIN 715 17th St. S.E. Just south G St. and just h home.” ¥ ramme aod Pt and built-in crete strest; large lot to alley; Pa. Ave. 8. ll:::‘"' new, :z'i’rlet‘fl';' Y rehes. re Con: g lighted, attiaciive. colored tile fixtures. Drive down and look at s very pretty home at a low price. Inspect Any Time—Open Till 9 P.M. v [ KBl H STREEV | sarage and every convenience. Reduced change for smailer houses or business property. ‘ INCORSQRATED NORTHWEST ¥ X X X X XN XN NN XX Stortes Concerning The Life and Associations of ‘George Washington will appear in a 3D, e MAGAZINE SECTION Tomorrow A complete section of brilliant articles on the many sides of Washington and his influence on the present day. There will also be an 1 8 PAGE ROTOGRAVURE SECTION This will contain an unusual and historical collection of photographs and reproduc- tions . . . a glamorous pic- torial history of the life and associations of Washington that will be preserved as a souvenir of the Bicentennial. Look for them in the ?g W g XXX X XXX X NEXEXEXXXXXXEXEXXEXXEXXENXXXEXEXEX¥EEY Tomorrow Py