Evening Star Newspaper, September 29, 1935, Page 79

AMUSEMENTS, THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SEPTEMBER 29, 1935—PART FOUR. AMUSEMENTS, F-7° WHY NOT POPULARIZE SHAKESPEARE IN THE CINEMAS? Most Conservative J udges Laud “Midsummer Night’ '"Admit the Films Have Facilities Unknown in | Elizabethan Days and the Bard Would Like Them. By Robert B. Phillips, Jr. ACK in the days when stocks were galloping along a new plateau it was a common thing for first-nighters to pay $100 for seats down front at the opening of an Earl Carroll show. That was considered no indicator of the artistic merit of Mr. Carroll’s ventures. it represented a sort of popular weakness, like the taste for onions. Nevertheless, the practice was smilingly deplored by those who pointed out that any highly artistic product, like an all-<» usually | star Shakespearean revival, had to lure the public into its fold with exceedingly modest tariffs. Today the worm has whipped into reverse. Anybody who desires may collect a Carroll coupon around the Broadway agencies, but only the gilt- edged shall attend the opening of Shakespeare’s first major movie pro- duction, “Midsummer Night's Dream.” ‘That merry epic will have an $11 top premiere in New York on October 8. No such movie prices ever were heard of before. And the Warner Bros., who financed Max Reinhardt’s produc- tion of the fantasy, claim mo such movie ever before appeared. Their claims have been authenti- cated by the scholarly and the con- servative. In the first place, the open- ing is to be sponsored by the English- | Speaking Union, an organization noted for its literate right-wing tastes. That alone would guarantee its merit to| many, but there have been other praises sung in the same vein. From | Yale professors to Oshkosh kinder- garten teachers the Reinhardt reel has | met with unbounded praise after its advance unreelings. Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach. the coun- | try's leading bibliophile and president | of the Shakespeare Association of America, wrote to Will Hays after a | the picture | preview, declaring that “deserves the support of all Shake- spearean enthusiasts.” “To me, it is the Midsummer night's | dream of Shakespeare’s imagination,” he said. “It is produced in a manner he would have liked to have seen it, but which was impossible on the Elizabethan stage, or in fact on the stage of the modern theater.” This seems to answer in advance all the wary speculations of scholars who did not credit Hollywood with the In- telligence to create a true masterpiece. TUNNED by the prospect of the master’s whimsy interpreted in the worldly mannet of Mr. James Cagney, Mr. Joe E. Brown, Mr. Arthur ‘Treacher, Miss Olivia de Haviland and other cinemactors who make the box office go zoom, certain essayists implie that if the Bard of Avon were alive he would deny his manuscripts to the moguls of celluloid and preserve them only for presentation by such artistic gentlemen as Mr. Walter Hampden and his fellow elocutionists. Some sly suggestion also was made that the flicker producers favor Shake- speare because he has been dead these many years and cannot collect royal- ties. Such a situation is, they say. highly pleasing to a commercial impresario. who is enabled to buy a | first-rate “name” for the screen credits without laying $3.000 on the line every week while a product is in prepara- tion. This latter accusation seems particu- larly cruel and unfair, since it is a well- known fact that at least one celluloid tycoon, now retired, a number of years ago told his scouts to repair to England pronto to find this fellow ‘Will Shakespeare and import him tor story conferences on a proposed edition of one of his plays. Had not ‘Will, unfortunately. been beneath tine Instead, Personally, we see no reason why | “Midsummer Night's Dream” should not be a legitimate wow in the movies. Its director, while faintly addicted to the De Mille penchant for using the whole population of Hollywood in his casts, is & man of imagination, erudi- tion and proven ability. The players may have made their reputations and fortunes in popular entertainment, but for that reason they have a much better chance of popularizing the im- mortal bard. There is little reason to suppose that Shakespeare would have scorned their talents, or preferred to | | have his lines read by a battalion of | the stuffed shirts, attitude-strikers ana stalking horses who in recent years | have done their best to drive every- | body out of the Shakespearean thea- ‘!cr and back to reading his works in | the privacy of their own boudoirs. | We have a definite feeling that the | i vigorous, lively Will would in this age select Mr. Ernest Cossart as his favorite Falstaff, that he would have | laughed heartily at the sight of Mr. Cagney strolling about crowned with the head of a jackass, and that he | | would have thanked the Warner | Bros. for their earnest desire to suc- | ceed in making him a popular fellow in Squeedunk, Iowa, as well as in the Yale Dramatic Society. He also would have understood | that the producers, fearing a storm | ‘o( academic yowls if they were too ‘ free with their blue pencils and addi- | tional dialogue, would be apt to take every precaution against adulterating his script, vhile translating it into the terms they hope will earn a few petty millions in profits, "HOSE innocent bystanders who | rancerously observe the attenua-! tion of film “trends” will be relieved to note that the Long Island comedy and the G-men flickers are on the wane. For several months lately every important picture blossomed forth with its principals armed with a brace of tommy guns or a fistful of cocktail glasses, until audiences could hear the wisecracks and the bullets | even before they began to whizz. | While undoubtedly there will be | too many belaying pins and jugs of | rum seen about before we finish the | imminent adventure cycle beginning | with “Mutiny on the Bounty.” “An-| thony Adverse” and “Captain Blood,” at least the costumed Rover Boys | series offers a change. Furthermore there is around the studios a roticcable tendency toward the native American yarn, typified by “The Farmer Takes a Wife,” “Steam- hoat 'Round the Bend” (which was | farcical. but rich in atmosphere of the bygone days) and now, the Mis- souri farmers’ classic, “The Voiee of Bugle Ann.” This poetic story of a silver-tongued foxhound and her hardy owner is earthy. realistic and consecrated to the spirit of a remark- able type of man hewn straight froin the stuff of our pioneers. We trust it signifies an intent to dramatize more Southern and Midwestern tales, ir | liew of giddy incidents in New York, | Chicago and other !orclg'n ports. sod, the generous film manufacturer | doubtless would have paid him murh[ more than paltry beer money to come | to the Coast and sit pontifically m an office. T DOES not seem sporting to taunt | the Great Minds of filmdom for scraping pennies. They are well known for their willingness to waste a half a million dollars in the interests | of art or a half-baked idea. Neither should they be flayed, without a hear- ing, for attempting to invade the | realms of classic drama. Such attacks | may discourage all efforts of the | cinema to grow up and become digni- fied, and send the research depart- ments back to looking for masterpieces entitled “Down to Their Last Yacht” or * Lme in a Eucke' 2 more | Women chted. ESSE L. LASKY, president of the newly-formed Pickford-Lasky Pro-| ductions, has left Hollywood for a trip |to Europe via Chicago, Quebec and | London. In Europe Lasky will com- | plete arrangements for the production | of one film abroad, in addition to the | five recently announced for production | at the United Artists’ Studios in Cali- | fornia. An extended journey on the continent also is planned for the pur- pose of acquiring prospective acting | talent for the new organization, par- | ticularly feminine stars to lay oppo- site Nino Martini and Francis Led- erer, both of whom are already under "contrncl to Lasky. GAYETY BURLFSK Starting This Sunday ‘Wnlmle "COLLEGE CU ES” JOAN COLLETTE Jack LaMont—Jack Rosen nd JUNE—Sensational—MORGAN ) KEITH’S'"-° A Washington Institution S5“WeeK! FRED GINGER ASTAIRE + ROGERS PATIO PRHA T trcs o IRVING BERLIN. LYRICS oY AND...Extra Added Attraction be Sieth liree of “"c Hllcl of TIME” Coming... EDWARD ARNOLD in"DIAMOND JIM* IN PARAMOUNTS TWO FOR TONIGHT D:ors Open 1:30 —— v WOV Subil Jason umié i"i'锑s’iior Cnnum SHOREHAM HOTEL Intimes Tuesdays, 5 o'clock KUBELIK pkc. 3 | PETRI JaN. 14 SEGOVIA FEB. 4 Series price: 05, i o .00 %8.50. fotelTieker” Arcace: Mail orders: Concerts Intimes. i “sayn. h St.: hours, | Barrat. | brimstone” | his son. The son, of course, is young | Elena | R In a Tale of Mysticism Claude Rains and Fay Wray opened yesterday at the Belasco in “The Clairvoyant,” a foreign cinema dealing with the adventures of a gentleman who kuew what was going to happen next. Clergyman s Play a Phony Frqm Start to the Finis Every Character, Word and Action False in| Political Drama by Dr. John Haynes Holmes. By Percy Hammond. D R. JOHN HAYNES HOLMES, as a helpful clergyman, has been give ing advice for many months to a multitude of N. Y. parishioners, directing their footsteps in the way that footsteps should go. understanding counsellor, bearing credentials from the throne, he An is one of heaven's most fervent ambassadors, apt in making the paths clear to the confused and mystified. many souls thumper from Billy Sunday to Dwight L. Moody. In his Sabbath hatred, and that men should dwell on earth in peace and amity. . should be so dishonest as Dr. Holmes in his first play, “If This Be a character, a word or an action that isn't false. A phony show from its phony president (Mr. McKay Morris) to its imitations of the patriots— Farley, Tugwell, Swanson and Hull, it is rouged and artificial. Even the four-square Japs who take Manila from the Stars and Stripes seem to have been bred In the Winter Gar- Coming Attractions. | WARNER BROS,, who started the | G-Men cycle, take up a hew phase of the Government's efforts to rid the country or criminals in “Spe- cial Agent,” which comes to the Earle next Priday. Bette Davis and George | Brent are featured in the production, > | which -reveals the inner workings of the Treasury Department’s under- | cover men, who have been responsible | for the capture of many gangsters able to escape every charge except that of n §-payment of income tax. The porting cast has Ricardo Cortez, fb@n Strange, Jack La Rue, J. Car- | | Naish, Henry O'Neill and Robert William Kcighly directed. El Brendel, screen comedian, is fea- tured on the stage with Flo Bert. Others on the program are Herbert Kingsley and Evelyn Chase of Roxy's | | gang, Vernon Rathburn and his Ultra- | Rogers film modern Revue and Clare and Sana. Slissa Landi comes to the screen of the Metropolitan Friday Paramount film, based on the play “Interference.” Roland Pertwee and Harold Deardon It is the story of a lovely woman hap- pily married, but haunted by the spec- ter of a past love. Blackmail, intrigue | and murder all play their part in the | drama. The supporting cast includes Kent Taylor, Paul Cavanaugh and Frances Drake “Without Regret” was directed by Harold Young, English dircetor who made “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” with Leslie Howard. Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper, ;lmable rogues of such hits as “The Champ, “Treasure Island,” and other film successes, are together again in| “O’Shaughnessy’s Boy.” vivid story of | cireus life, which will be the screen attraction at Loew’s Fox, starting next Friday. Beery plays the role of a father who *“goes through fire and | to win the affections of Mr. Cooper. Much humor, action and | a smashing climax are promised. | Spanky MacFarland, Henry Stephen- | sou, Sarah Haden, Leona Maricle, ‘Willard Robertson and others appear | in support of the starred duo. The stage portion of the program is head- | lined by Tito Guizar, radio’s romantic | troubador, and his guitar. Mells, | Kirk and Howard, knockabout come- | dians; Hall and Dennison, musical | HILADELPHIA P ORCHESTRA = l)(\;‘név\n:vé: series of SONCERTS OCT. 1. DEC. 19, FAPR Coric Pl ion Hail ¥ SEASON PRICES. $12.'10, 9. Program: Brahms. Arthur Smith Bureau, 910 G In Wit Hamin Musie Co. NATIONAL Week Mon.. Qet 14 Mats.. Wed. KATHARINE CORNELL | Romeo and Juliet with FLORENCE REED RALPH RICHARDSON MAURICE EVANS ad Mall orders $2.° siie o bale., t NATIONAL , THIS Is N WIS 1S NO TRYOUT. ~ Strboon M BURGH SEES IT FLORENZ ROY Bencr Sngod by WLIAM o QROERS NOW-—_Eres, Oreh. Mat., Onl‘. Bal, $2.2 ONE WEEK STARTING Mats. Wed. & Sat. OPENING THE REGULAR STAGE SEASON oy RS BB, e ACC Ao kel Ll il < OCT. 14, AT THE ADELFHI THEATER. A AMES GORDON COLE & Book Stagedt by LEKE COLVIN * Orchestra Conducted NOLBAOOK - MOI., 001'. 7 LAIMED AS ACC 1oTe S “VENUS THE N. Y. LAUR MJSUI?NH%’:.:. ‘C“WAl “GOOD NEWS:. 2 rouow “Jke Gay New Musical Play " LAURENCE SCHWAB & LESTER O'KEEFE. Lyrics by LESTER O'KEEFE. hasiz by ROBERT S10LZ J.HAROLD MURRAY " JOSEPH MACAULEY GILBERT LAMB NANCY McCORD AUDREY CHRISTIE JOHN SHE!HMI CK ALIC| BELA DUDILY LUBLOV By GEORGE NIRST Crtumes by KAY MORRISON Settings by RAYMOND SOVEY .on IIH ll“ I)ll.l. novelty specialists, and the Gaylene Sisters in their dance revue are other features of the bill. The Phil Lamp- kin overture, news and a comedy will will complete the entertainment. “Broadway Meclody of 1936," sncc— tacular and highly touted M-G-M musical, comes to Loew's Palace fol- lowing the current engagement of “Call of the Wild.” Jack Benny, top radio comic; Eleanor Powell, tap-| dancing marvel just discovered by the movie makers; Robert Taylor, Vilma and Buddy Ebsen, June Knight, Harry Stockwell, Sid Silvers and Una Merkel head the parade of personalities which takes part in the fun-filled produc- tion. Roy Del Ruth directed “Broad- way Melody of 1936.” News events, comedy and short subjects will be added. “Steamboat 'Round the Bend.” Will which delighted Palace | audiences for two weeks, returns to F street Friday for a week at the Colum- bia. Irvin S. Cobb, Stepin Fetchit, Burton Churchill, Anne Shirley, Fran- cis Ford and many others contribute to the robust episodes which generate a succession of hearty laughs. The film has the most exciting and fun- niest steamboat race on record. “Diamond Jim,” film based on the life of Diamond Jim Brady, which has been dragging gold to theater box offices in other parts of the country, | comes to Keith's some time in the fu- | ture, when and if local movie fans have enough of “Top Hat,” Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and the Irving Berlin music. Edward Arnold is | starred in “Diamond Jim.” aen. “Crusades” Tonight. O'['Hm recent events in the Broad- PROMINENT audience is expected | to attend the gala local premiere | consideration. Mr. John Golden has -heraided Cecil B. De | produced a play named “A Touch of o :he “?:‘-{1 s des,” at the Na- | Brimstone,” in which Mr. Roland | Mille eplc, “The Crusades,” at the Na- | young “acting a flossy Times Square | tional tonight at 8:45 o’clock. entrepreneur, is unfaithful his wife | ‘ “The Crusades” brings to the screen | (Miss Mary Phillips). In t Home one of the greatest struggles of history, Abroad.” a Shubert show, Miss Bea- | a battle which daily brought a new, trice Lillie cracks some foul jokes in | colorful, history-making adventure. | the delicate manner for which she is H!ehmd the dramatic spectacle is the celebrated; and in “The Night of Jan- | story of the love of Richard the Lion | uary 16" Mr. Al Woods presents & Heart, England’s red-blooded, two-|gaudy sex and murder play. In an- fisted King, for Berengaria, Princess | other drama, entiled “Life's Too of Navarre. Loretta Young, Henry Short” Mr. Jed Harris sheds tears Wilcoxen, Joseph Schildkraut, Kath- over a white-collar tragedy well acted erifie De Mille, Ian Keith and C. Au- | by Miss Doris Dalton, Mr. Leslie | brey Smith have leading roles, sup- | Adams and others too numerous to | ported by thousands of De Mille extras. | mention. Ti The film will be shown twice daily Usual and there are hopes. at the National, at 2:45 and 8:45 pm., “rHEN Lady Peel (Miss Beatrice all this week .Il will not be shown Lillie) is aboard a musical ex- SEARIOGHINELIES ot cursion it moves with celerity. In the new revue at the Winter Garden she exerts her familiar endowments with a | bland good humor that is a little dulled by usage. She says things that —— g e Record Cast. I_]ERE‘S a record for big productions to shoot at. *“The Great Ziegield,” which Producer Hunt Stromberg and | his associate, Willlam Anthony Mc- Guire, have ordered into production on a grand scale, will have no less than 105 speaking roles. ‘Topping the cast will be William Powell as Ziegfeld. Louise Rainer as Anna Held, Fanny Brice as herself, and Nat Pendleton as Sandow. | Robert Z. Leonard will direct the musical extravaganza for Metro- | | Goldwyn-Mayer, | TIONAL DANC‘E THREE GREAT Sunday Night (enly) November MONTE CARLO BALLET (Al New Ballets) THEA pSundar \I(m m.ln Janus TRUDI SCHOOP COMIC BALLET Fridav A"( TED SHAW! (An Entirely Season Tickets, $° sermons he has advised the human | race that love is more satisfactory than | It is odd that so honest a preacher | Treason.” In it, I think, there isn't | way drama deserve more or less | I suspect that Dr. Holmes has saved as as any honest tub-g ;ought not to be said in public; but her behavior is a matter that should be considered only by her and ydu. “At | extravaganza, good in spots, but as a | whole audaciously indifferent. N a smart comedy about the Broad- way surfaces, Mr. Roland Young | appears in fits of infidelity to his faith- ful wife, Miss Mary Phillips. He is “A Touch of Brimstone,” a prosperous Times Square impresario. His produc- tions of plays by Sidney Howard or Eugene O'Neill enrich him mentally and financially and cause him to be a Broadway first-nighter, a person to be envied. Miss Phillips, as his bride, is a patient girl, who forgives his tres- passes, knowing that they are the forgettable errors of life in Times Square. When on shipboard he se- duces the heroine of his play, “The Hurricane,” her heart is not broken and neither is that of the betrayed ingenue. It is just a moment in show-business, not much mattering one way or another—the flip ex- pression of Songceria's emotions at their warmest point. Mr. Young is a | suave and innocent seducer, able to The season starts as well as make a girl a woman with the utmost nonchalance. Miss Phillips, as his wife, is gorgeously indifferent, and Miss Audrey Castle, as his victim, is pretty and ingenuous. The speech of the play is full of wise crackles, | current Home Abroad” is a routine Shubert | Local Players. EORGE BERNARD SHAW'S pop- ular comedy, “You Never Can 'I'ell' will be the first of six plays offered by the Drama Guild for the season. Others definitely | scheduled are Elmer Rice's potent melodrama, “Street Scene”; Frederic Lonsdale’s “The High Road." James Bridie's whimsical “Tobias and the Angel” and “Lady Precious Stream.” a new drama of Chinese life, which has caused a lot of comment in Lon= don for the past two seasons. A new venture by the guild this sea- son is the opportunity offered those interested in stagecraft to get some personal experience in backstage work, under the supervision of Edith I. Al- len, graduate of the Yale School of Drama, and technical director of the Roadside Theater. Miss Allen will or- ganize a stage crew for each produc- tion, personally oversee the design- ing and construction of each set and give special attention to those inter- ested in learning the craft. ‘The venture marks the first effort in ‘Washington to give practical and in- structive aid to aspiring artists with a bent for stage designing and meets | an insistent demand of little theater groups in the city for a source of ex- | pression in the theater other than act- ing or directing. All work will be vol- untary and no set schedule will b> inforced. Tryon Directing. GLENI\ TRYON, once a popular star of silent films, has been signed to a long-term contraet as writer and director by R-K-O-Radio Pictures. Tryon's first assignment urnder the new ticket will be “Fugitive Gold,” a story by Earle Stanley Gardner. tou " " BELLE HOLTZ: €XTRA ATTRACTION S CREEN: LAURELsHARDY IN THEIR NEW FULL LENGTH FEATURE naughty at times, but always reason- | ably nice, and the players who speak it | are skilled. The entertainment is meant to please you in an idle moment | and if you are not too hard to recreate EVENTS N you will have, at “A Touch of Brim- stone,” what is known in the theater as a good time. A shallow play about shallow people, it will keep you awake | until 11 p.m—which is as much as| you can ask from any drama. ATIONAL SYMPHONY Hans Kindler, Conductor Announces 163, i Beason 8 Thursday Concerts 12 Sunday Concerts Noted Artists as Soloists A Series of Student Concerts Descrvations ready for distribution 'll(‘h!likon Sale at Ju HJ\ Gart kel Co. Store. c 8 Catper. Mares A e T s g CECIL B. De MILLE’ =THE CRUSRDES with LORETTA YOUNG - HENRY WILCOXON and a cast of many thousands s s s A PARAMOUNT PICTURE. TONIGHT AT 8:45 NATIONAJ THEATRE o POSITIVELY WILL NOT BE SHOWN AGAIN THIS YEAR ‘Twice Daily Thereafter—2:45, 8:45 p.m. All Scats Reserved. Tickets Now on Sale. Mats, 55c to $1.10; Eves, 55c to $1.65 (Federal tax included). Richard the Lior Heart defies the tury ot 11 kings for the b brautiful and un and thnll to the romance that set a world aflame. The gigantic bastle of Acre the huge war-towers, the largest, motion picture props ever built 1o tollow Richaid the LionMeart “to the death Fnidag WALACE FERY-IACE COORER. -VS HNESS X CLARK GAII.I in JACK LONDON'S oo "BROADWAY MELODY of 1936 i JACK LRNY-ELEAROR POWELL "ThunpER SOMUND LOWE XAREX MORLEY ACADEM Lawrence P! TTh &N C Ave RE WILL ROGERS CAROLINA HOMAS." News. Ci | __"DOUBTING THO; DUMBARTON * JULI! HAY] DE\ in * % FAIR' AWN ANACOSTIA. D. C. LORETTA YOUNG in_“SHANGHAL® \LITTLE, i ewen, 1 sngic | CLARK GABLE and | “MEN THE SCOI 119 B ST N ! Double_Featur CHESTER ‘10Rms Y BRADY in 13 Georgia Ave. SECO_ Siiver Sarine M | SEECTAN POWELE sni Lus: RAIhER n “ESCAPAD: __Charley Chase Comedy STANTON Matinee EDMUND w\v: an CK gxpgrn Lty Mary BOLAND PEOPLE_ WILL TALK ter sda. Md. 60 B M. e By MATINEF DAILY THIS WEEK. 2:00 P M_. CONTINUOUS. BAER-LOUIS FIGHT, EXCLUSIVE FILM. ROUND-BY-ROUND PR”‘J FY\GS“‘)E Shown at 2. 345 330 00 10:50 Also CLIVE BROOK and MADELINE CARROLL in “LOVES OF A DICTATOR % Feutur!< at 2 ATE | 4th and Butiernut Sts. No Paking Troubles Continuous From 304 HIRLEY TEMPLE In __“CURLY TOP.” HIPPODROME 5, .%:r, > Todar-Tomer. Charles Boyer, Loretta _Young, “SHANGHAL” CAMEQ ™7, mamer wo Charles Bover Lorette. Young, “SHANGHAL"” ARCADE HYATTSVILLE Mo ‘oday-Tomorroy Jane Withers 7"Gmgcr Direction of Sydn;y Lust s Tomor ‘Accent on Youth AVENUE GRAND & & 55 Matinee. “CHINA® SEAS 5 Wm 9th St NW. Fhone Me 284 JOAN BLONDELL Hucfii H’F.Rn!‘l.‘l‘ RE_IN MAHONEYTDON GEORGE WHES- WELL ‘Robber_Kitten 230 C 'hone L1 10266, JANET CAYNOR. (oFARMER TAKES utm A C RLNw. HAURIIN o ULLIVAN nnd JO!L WOMAN W WARNER BROS. THEATERS Ga. Ave. & Place N.W Sot JAMES CAGNEY PA’ RIEN 1, THE IRISH IN U Goere: JESSE THEATER "% k7™ “Farmer Takes a Wlfe g JANET GAYNOR. HENRY FONDA. us! Come: m“ st &R L Ave N.W. “CURLY TOP,” SHIRLEY TEMPLE JOHN BOLES. Musical Comedy." Cartoon PALM THEATER ', =7 Tomorrow— " ESCAPADE. * mx. JOIE RAINER. Masicat A uebee 1616, BERNHEIMER’S