Evening Star Newspaper, February 21, 1935, Page 39

AMUSEMENTS Hollywood Tests Actors Tullio Carminati Tells of Keen Competition in Film Colony and Gives General Impressions of Pictures. Tullio Carminati, who became one of the leading matinee idols of New York when he played in “Strictly Dishonorable” and is now one ©f the screen’s most popular players, substitutes for Mollie Merrick. BY TULLIO CARMINATL Bpecial Dispatch to The Star. H OLLYWOOD, Calif., Februa fession. other countries realize, per! that Hollywood is the world’s proving ground for the pro- 21 (N.AN.A).—We actors from aps even more than producers, I do not mean to imply that Hollywood is the only place where excellent pictures are made. On the contrary! My own country, Italy, is trying very hard to make good talking pictures. In silent days, Italian pictures ranked among the best, but sound equipment 1s expensive and progress has been slow. Britain has marvelously increased its prestige in the cinema by such pro- ductions as “Henry VIIL” “Catharine the Great” and “The Scarlet Pimper- nel.” But in Hollywood competition is keener than elsewhere. Sooner or later, actresses and actors from every part of the globe come here for tests. Often the results are tragic, for a per- sonality that may appeal to one nation may not have the slightest attraction in another, and Hollywood judges by its own standards. One must, as you say, “click” ac- eording to American tastes. That in itself will assure a following in many countries and ample financial rewards. But to attain the fuilest measure of success (and, after all, real actors are primarily because they love their pro- fession), one must be aware of the subtleties that appeal on the conti- nent, in England, in Latin America— everywhere. Travel Declared Essential. That is why I regard travel as ab- solutely essential to an actor or actress. Travel and a thorough training in the art of acting would greatly reduce the large annual percentage of Hollywood heartbreaks. Luck counts in getting one’s start, to be sure, but in the long run it does not have much weight. So I left the United States last Bummer just after having completed “One Night of Love,” though some of my best friends begged me not to go abroad. However, I felt that if Hollywood liked Carminati as Monteverdi the chances were that Hollywood would continue to offer me equally interest- ing roles. I did not think that a few months away would make any differ- ence. Producers do not hesitate to telephone London—or even Rome—to get what they want; (as a matter of fact, I had two calls from Hollywood while I was in Italy)—and I was arxious to see first-hand, the strides motion pictures had made in my native land. Naturally, I was inter- ested, for during silent days, in a modest way, I had produced and di- rected my own pictures there. ACADEMY Of Perfect Sound Photopiay 8th at G SE B. Lawrence Phillips' Theatre Beautiful Continuous Prom 4:30 P.M. L ASHTON cuaSHASENPOY 2% 11 LORETTA_YOUNG in_“CARAVAN.” CAROLINA '8, Gelis S® “GRIDIRON FLASH' and “FUGITIVE CIRCLE 3% Foeo iuras S0 000 PRANK MORGAN. GENEVIEVE TOBIN in “BY YOUR LEAVE™ ' Nei Cartoon, Open 2:00 P. ‘Tomorro o BIELLE S e b 0 se L st DUMBARTON &55 88 %er e JEAN PARKER i “SUNSHINE BLUES." Comedy. _ “La Cucaracha.” FAIRLAWN , ayacosma o o “THE MIGHTY BARNUM.” PRINCESS vwimtii% B8t wobraey o ACKIE BARBARA STANWYCK. LYLE TALBOT “A LOST LADY.” Comedy. _News. STANTON i532n.S Cont Finest Sound ntinuous Pro 5:30 P. VIRC?I“N‘IA %%UCE lnM “AGAINST THE LAW.” NOW THROUGH SA'TUI‘Zg(A)YP‘M. SHIRLEY TEMPLE in “BRIGHT EYES.” Also “HOLLAND IN TULIP TIME.” Entire show changes at 6 p.m. Saturday. Pouble feature—'‘Private Scandal” and “Dangerous Corne; T AKOM A 4tb and Butternut Sta. « No Parking Troubles “Sonotone Equipment for the Deaf” “COLLEGE RHYTHM.” HIPPODROME o, ", Near ot Double Feature Mary Carlisle in “Million - Doliar Ransom.” ] James Durin, “Girl Without a Room.” CAMEQ YT, FANIER mp.~ JACKIE COOPER, “PECK’S BAD BOY.” ARCADE ™Y3ISYCs. o GABLE, CRAWFORD, MONTGOMERY in “Forsaking All Others.” RICHMOND AteXARDRia- Vi John_Boles. “Music in_the Alr.” ARCADE o Frirs ‘Today-Tomorrow pr:ru:}‘" Loretta Young fn “White AMBASSADOR 2 APOLLO Comedy. Direction of Sidney Lust 624 H St NE TRENE DUNNE. DONAI 00D8 “SWEET ADELINEComaet Conn. Ave. and AVAI.?IN" McKiniey S5 N-W. WALLACE ‘BEER Y. in BARNUM. o A TENTRAL * Fro 5o 3 0 AT o PO COLONY G a5 § Grreset BINg clitinge. 2:00 PM. - HEART.” Laurel and Hardy. HOME 1230 C St. N.E. MORRISON in “ONE HOUR TR Musical Comedy. fivoy 14th 5¢. & Col. R4, N.W. BEN LYON. |LIGHTNING STRIKES TIVOLI 14th St & Park B4 N.W watzaok "8 ¥% #3° & arramry BARNUM.” _Cartoon. YORK G+ Ave. & Quebec 8. N.W- OAROLE LOMBARD _and ) “*SiORR18 P GAY BRIDE." Musical: &IPES'SE THEATER "%8.° N2 “BABES 1N TOYLAND.” JOE PENNER and LANNY ROSS ‘ll “COLLEGE RHYTHM.” WARNER BROS. THEATERS ™ SYLVIA STONEY and GENE RAY: HOND n BEHOLD MY WIFE" Comedn.” News. Besides, I really needed a rest, and a trip home is always lovely. Rome I found inspired with confidence and fullsof plans for the future. And as if to make my stay there the more interesting, the “World Congress of the Theater,” under the direction of Gordon Craig—Ellen Terry's son—was held during my visit in the Eternal City. Offered Starring Role. Mander Film, the largest Italian motion picture company, offered me the starring role in “The Wedding March,” by the late Henri Bataille. I accepted with alacrity. Bataille, as you know, was one of the greatest of the French dramatists, 50 the play was all right. I soon found the studio equipment modern and adequate, too; but there is con- siderable lack of organization among the producers. Hollywood is top- heavy with organization—Rome errs on the other side. The first few days of shooting were chaotic. Nothirg went on schedule. But I flatter m self that I helped, and soon the pi ture was being made in a very busi- ness-like manner. All my scenes were done in 18 days. But I must tell of an amusing inci- dent, and as you Americans say, “the joke was on me.” I nad been away from Italy for sev- eral years, of course—during which time I had worked very hard to over- come my Italian accent. For Ameri- can pictures, I now play any foreigner, as my accent does not identify me— a distinct advantage in getting & va- | riety of roles. But home in Italy, | when we listened to the play-back in the first “rushes” on “La Marcia | Nuziale,” both the director and I realized that my Italian had become | slightly Anglicized and so, was no longer acceptable in Rome. I had to | make re-takes of the sound track! | The last three days of shooting | were on location at Stresa, a charming | pink stuccoed village on Lake Mag- Jean Parker (at left) is shown the cast in “Sequeia,” which opens tomorrow (at right) plays the lead in “Red Metropolitan featare. with another prominent member of Loew's Fox. Mary Astor Hot Tires,” which will be the new giore in northern Italy, where va- cationists from the world over were gathered. The Maestra Toscanini, to whom I am bound by a very devoted and old friendship, has a villa, “Iso- lino,” on a tiny islet in the lake. Meeting him there was one of the pleasant incidents of my trip. Despite the fact that Mander film wanted me to make another picture, their director had purposely arranged his schedule so that I could leave when my scenes were done. This I appreci- ated greatly, for I wanted to go to Paris and London. The latter city gave me such a warm welcome that I was half tempted to | stay there. It had amused me very much last year when I came to Cali- fornia from New York on the same train with Clark Gable, to watch the crowds that flocked about this popu- lar American star, wherever the train stopped. He hadn't & moment's pri- vacy and spent hours writing his signature for autograph collectors and fans. Well, somewhat the same thing occurred to me in London. Hence, though many people warn me that it is “bad business” to run away from Hollywood, I still believe “Is my opinion *Sequoia’ is one of the finest nature pictures I have over soem. . of L I shall “keep fit for my work"—as the fan magaZines say—not by any- body's breakfast food or any special brand of exercise or cigarette, but by a knowledge and understanding of people and things in all parts of the world. Also, I enjoy coming back. I will not “wear out my welcome”—by ‘ remaining too long any place. And the trips—they rest me. Few people | realize what hard work motion picture acting really is and how trying on our { nerves it is to be constantly “on call.” | A change of scene keeps one fresh and | eager for work. We actors need travel. | (Copyright. 1935. by North American Newspaper Alliance. Inc.) BED ACTS AS RADIO ERIN, Ontario (#).—Elmer Groves, | Caledon farmer, has only to lie abed | | these nights to hear sweet music. | Barring vague suspicions that his | metal bedstead has something to do| | with it, he has no idea where tHe music comes from. He has no radio and no telephone, but he claims com- mercial musical programs come reg- ularly. LAST DAY—CLARK GABLE—“AFTER OFFICE HOURS"—BIG STAGE SHOW CREATED BY THE MAKER OF ALL THINGS High in the wilderness of the mighty Sierras, in a land untouched by man, Nature unfolds drama more thrilling than any ever con- ceived by man—as you follow all living things in their strug. gles, their warfares, their loves! Only the Great Director could natural motion picture ever made... A new experience awaits you! Jean Harlow *“To me there has Clark Gable “Nothing could be more thrilling or romantic — only Neture in all ite primitive glory could have s0 per- foctly cast its meg- their fourth production of the season, “Uncle Vanya” by Anton Chekov. | The play will be given at Pierce Hall, | Fifteenth and Harvard streets north- west, March 13 and 14. I PALACE .. THEIR FOURTH PLAY. ‘The Columbia Players announce n} Aurora Pos- lecond Week J outss * DAVID RFIELD” ’ Ronald COLVAN - Losetta _ = °CUVE of INDIA® Let those who have seen it, speak for “SEQUOIA” A Young Goddess of Nature leads the’ revolt against man! “MALIBU" - "GATO" O the 5%, FRANK o R, HAJBV”IMJ' %“%flhfif' X % e E FONé’ L LAMEKI IN PERSON! PARKER RY, HOWARD }flug N Overiure ton will direct the production and the settings will be designed by Jane Lasater Rubey. The players will use the same translation as that of the Jed Harris production which was seen in New York several seasons ago and | in which Lillian Gish was starred. | Last times today ! * LIVES O ® /ow: COLUMBIA RIBNY / potz s, ® °MENw WHITE") 'SOCIETY D with CHESTER MORRIS VIRGINIA BRUCE-BILLIE BUR! ROBERT TAYLOR. AMUSEMENTS. e e N A RHDMUSIN SIS U MENTSE S Bl Matinee Idol Declares Troupers Glimpses of Stage Folk in Washington. ’rnl talent that brought Jack Benny into show business has now be- come merely his most famous gag. We speak of M. Benny's gifts as a virtuoso of the violin, ere he had in all his life dropped a droll wisecrack or made a funny face, the Benny fid- dled while hoofers, Hamlets and comics burned—the stage of a tiny theater in Waukegan, Iil, his home town. ‘When the show shop closed “on ac- count of molasses,” as Mr. W. C. PFlelds has it, Benny scurried around and found himself a pianist, evolved a few tricks to give the boys a laugh whilst he fiddled, and launched upon a vaudeville career. His musical act was his meal ticket until after the war, when he relegated the violin to the prop class, took up the fine art of being a comic. Benny'’s {echnique as a comedian includes no Cantorish eye-rolling and hopping about. He does not giggle like Wynne or gurgle a la Penner. He puts his gags over straight, depending on in- flection and timing to point them. For that reason he has become, in the last three years, one of the most popu- arm lunch. “It's so quiet, you can hear a plate drop.” “I've been eating there so long I've got my own hat back.” You think not? The audience roared, which proves that Mr. Benny knows how to say what he has to say. That, of course, gives him a great ad- vantage in radio, where a large per- centage of the gags are much too old or too feeble to walk alone. Benny says he expects to make an~ other film soon, thereby rounding out & cycle which has embraced within a year “ a cinema, alegitimatestage play (“Bring | on the Girls,” folded before it reached | New York), the customary radio pro- grams and the current “personal ap- Ppearance” vaudeville tour. It is rather a laugh to call the return of a vaude- ville actor to his metier “personal ap- | pearance,” but thus go such things in the days of ether and pictures. “I've an idea for a great radio story film,” says Benny, “s0 I think Il fly | oue there and explain it to them, and | then fly back. Of course, if I wrote it and sent the synopsis, they would |say ‘No. Radio pictures have not made money. Particularly the bad | radio pictures. Well, I think this is & | good story. I thought maybe if I was |right there to explain, to draw charts——" R.B.P,Jr. Where and When Current Theater Attractions and Time of Showing. lar of radio funmakers, especially | with audiences inclined to become quickly bored upon hearing the same weird noises plugged over and over again as if they were endlessly funny. Benny's forte is the wisecrack. He has been at it so long his habitual reaction to anything whatsoever is a blurb. About 50 per cent of these are fair. He is walking around backstage at the Earle (where he now appears as a vaudeville headliner) when an unbathed dog wanders by. He reaches | down, pets the pooch and says, “I bet this animal is just full of Milton Betle's jokes.” In his dressing room he is dressing to go on. He sings absently, “If I a Million Dollars” . . . pause . . wouldn't be doing five shows a day. Oh well, did you ever read the rec- ords of the late and lamented James J. Walker’s long-distance sallies into | wit? He was regarded as a genius at | the smart crack, yet his average score was certainly no better than 2 in 10. | On the stage, Benny speaks of his fondness for eating in a certain one- | F A BENCAL LANCER' U OCTOR; TECHNI-Co oDy & KE g SR Gtdoow, National—D'Oyly Carte Company in “The Yeomen of the Guard” tonight |at 8:15. Earle—“Carnival,” at 11 a.m, 1:30, 4:20, 7:10 and 10 pm. Stage shows with Jack Benny, at 12:35, 3:25, 6:15 and 9:05 p.m. Loew’s Fox—"After Office Hours,” at 10:45 am., 1:25 4:20, 7:15 and 10:10 p.m. Stage shows at 12:15, 3:10, 6:05 and 9 p.m. R-K-O Keith’s—"The Good Fairy,’ at 11:42 am, 1:41, 3:40, 5:39, 7:38 and 9: “The Scarlet Pimper- nel, p.m. Met David Copperfield” at |11:10 a 1:45, 4:20, 7 and 9:35 p.m | Columbia—"Lives of a Bengal Lan- cer,” at 11:40 am., 2:10, 4:40, 7:10 and 9:45 pm. 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