Evening Star Newspaper, November 10, 1936, Page 33

AM USEMENTS. First-Nighters Applaud .Three Noel Coward Plays But Amaze Author-Actor and Miss Lawrence by Discreet Silence During Best of Satire, Reviewer Says. BY E. de 8. R. NOEL COWARD has been typically gracious in allowing Washe ington his series of one-act plays for two weeks. Boston saw them Washington saw the first batch of them and halloed throughout. M last night, too. And while discreet silence during some of the least good enouzh to applaud when it seemed natural to applaud, and it -— gave Mr. Coward and Miss Gertrude. Lawrence the ovation they more than deserved. The author’s curtain speech was brief and to the point. He vouch- safed the epinion that he was grate- ful for his welcome. And yet one couldn't help but feel that the audi- ence had not boiled to the enthusiasm which was expected—that such a bur- lesque, hoydenish, roguish gem as “Red Peppers,” had not met with the reception which it undoubtedly will in towns which know thelr vaudevilie end their theater better. When, for instance, Miss Lawrence, hangsomer than she has appeared in several (and that doesi’t mean so many) years did a hornpipe up and down the stage, it is this reporter's humble view that many in the audi- ence actually thought she was doing | it seriously. And when the Pepper | tribe ironed out its family affairs be- | fore the disgruntied manager and | others of his particular ilk, several members of those present felt inclined to say that all of this was stuff and | nonsense. Of course it was stuff and nonsense --but it was good, ribald, intoxicating | nonsense—and the sort of business out of which, on a more loftily insane | plane, such a major entertainment as *“Design for Living” was fashioned. * %X % % NIR. COWARD will live forever | and a day in the theater for no | other reason than that he has never done the same thing twice. His “Cavalcade” (and this is an old *bromide”) was certainly no ‘‘Vor- tex,” and his “Conversation Piece” was a far cry from “Hay Fever." Whatever he has done he has done with sincerity, hard work and a great love for the theater. MELCHER. the town amazed the principals by a greater satirical moments, it was at | opposite, twists Miss Lawrence from !a toe-painting nincompoop to a yowling tear-font; jumps out of a window himself and then does a jig on the stage, and emerges as Eng- land’s best entertainer of this decade. ¥k k¥ FOR say what you will' (and only the lady to the right of us was going against the grain last night) “Massa” Coward, in the old, fertile language of the theater, knows his onions. His first play, “Hands Across the Sea” is a frothy comedy built along the lines of nothing, and vastly amusing. His second, “The Aston- |ished Heart,” is a dramatic, phycho- logical thunderbolt with more depth to it than the casual observer might allow. And the sforementioned, | “Red Peppers,” is an amazingly | amusing travesty on those who par- | take in the rapidly declining art of vaudeville and one which strikes | closer to truth than that same casual observer might also allow. 4 Bind these three “bills” up together | and you have a refreshingly different evening at the National which no stu- dent of the drama will want to miss. Beyond the point that Mr. Coward is | a clever actor as well as a clever play- | wright, beyond the point also that | Miss Lawrence never looked lovelier (nor is this borrowed from a West | Coast pamphleteer), and that we sus- | pect that they have moments in “The Astonished Heart” which are well- | nigh great, the cast, the costumes and the “decor” are faultless. There is Joyce Carey, who goes from {a Mrs. Wadhurst to Barbara Faber | (in opus No. 2), with the greatest of ease. And there are such other tal- | ented performers as Edward Under- His new try at the moon is then | down, Alan Webb, Joan Swinstead, gomething which should and must Anthony Pelssier and Kenneth Carter. and will be seen. He has created a | Each of these does his or her job crop of one-act plays, some of which With the engaging ease which is a | will be liked, some of which will be landmark of any Coward show. And | disliked, but most of which are ex- cellent examples of Coward in a new and facile mood. He doesn't stick vou in the ribs with the savage traffic of “Point Valaine”; he doesn't sentimentalize all night long with the long-winded enthusiasm of an author bent on sending his customers home with smelling salts, lilac, and the memory of a balcony scene; nor does he find ! it necessary to indulge in the long, w loud laughs of whick he is capable. He mixes nonsense up with its when you add the fact that the Na- | tional Theater's pit is chock-full of | musicians, and that there are brief interludes of music and dancing, it would seem to us that any soul would | get more than his money’s worth. l; There will be more to tell after this Wednesday and Friday—when the ‘o!her six plays are presented. In the ; meantime, we advise you not to miss | what has gone before. And to get whatever you can later. Remember, Washington this time is ' ahead of Broadway. - In “Carnival” Bernard Lancret and Mich- eline Cheirel are two who have important roles in “Car- nival in Flanders” (“La Ker=- messe Heroique”), the French comedy success which is prov- ing, popular this week with audiences at the Belasco Theater. S SR D Laurel Hearing Delayed. 1.OS ANGELES, November 10 (#).— Hearing on the suit of Mrs. Mae Lau- rel against Stan Laurel for $1,000 monthly temporary alimony was post- poned yesterday for one week because her attorney, S. S. Hahn, is out of town. Mrs. Laurel contends she is the actor’s first wife. Roller Skating Silver Spring Armory Open Tom’g‘h‘t. ::‘r.ns."" Night Except Thursday, 10-12 P.M. New Floor—Popular Music ‘Theater Restauras: 505 K St. N.W. Met. 0770 70 years of buying, selling and lendingondiamonds, jewelry,etc Libera! Loans st Lowest Possible Rates CASH FOR OLD @OLD (Government Licensé) 805 lh‘ St. Wash. O Va. ; E. HEIDENHEIMER Established 1866 |GUESTS ARE INVITED FOR “YELLOW CRUISE” Diplomatic Corps Members Are Expected at Special Preview at Little. 3 THE YELLOW CRUISE” film record of the Citroen-Haardt ex- | pedmon across Central Asia, will { be shown locally for the first time at a special guest preview at the Little Theater following the last showing tonight of “All Quiet on the Western ,Frum " The picture opens its regular »cngugement at the Little Thursday. Invited guests include Ambassadors and staffs of the British, French, Turkish, Belgian and Chinese Em- | bassies, through whose countries or | possessions the expedition _passed; | officers and trustees of the National | Geographic Society, members of the staff of the- Smithsonian Institution, | the National Museum, the National | Archives and the Natlonal Zoological ‘Pnrk other government officials and | local drama editors. “The Yellow Cruise” won the ac- claim of Continental papers, both for its ;clentmc value and for its photog- rapl TOMORROW e Direct MARION CLARK n Worne Bron WALTER CATLETT LASTDAY A MIDSUM TODAY of the world's foremost UN THRILLS @omin 9 ERIC BLORE © THE SMARTEST | monies. Lee Everett of WRC will =IOREITH'S & THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON. D. Stars of New Film at Keith’s Betty tumm and Henry Wilcozon play the leading roles in “Thc President’s Mystery,” adapted from a story conceived by President Roosevelt, which opened today at R-K-O Keith’s Theater. TRIPLE SHOW PLANNED AT VARIETY CLUB FROLIC Earle, Capitol, Night Club and Radio Talent Are to Be on Program for Nov. 21. A HUGE entertainment has been \planned by Entertainment Chair- man Guy Wonders and his associates for the third annual Variety Club frolic, to be staged at the Willard | Hotel November 21. The colorful affalr will have three separate and distinct shows, each packed with talent it ordinarily would require about four weeks of vaudeville to rival Johnny Perkins, the rotund comic who recently played a week at the Capitol, will return to officiate over one portion of the entertainment. An- other show will have the Earle’s Audrey Sieber as mistress of cere- preside over the third section of the Variety Club entertainment. Talent taking part will include the complete Earle and Capitol vaudeville programs and perform- ers from virtually all of the night clubs and radio stations in the Dis- trict and Baltimore. Gene Ford, Phil Hayden, Harry Lohmeyer, Clarke Davis and Pete Macias are associated with Mr. Wonders in preparing the show. Origin of Pecans. The first authenticated record of the existence of pecans is that of the Stage shows at 12:40, 3:30, 6:20 and Spanish explorer, Cabeza de Vaca, who in 1520 mentioned “Texas wal- nuts” in a letter to his King. ST 3 TS Eml . Oivia FLYNN * OE HAVILLAND In Warner Bros. Masterpuece HE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT IIIH’I'E_" In Columba's Lough Rist *ABVERTURE IN MANBATTAN from Earle Engage DAVIES GABLE = Cosmopeiitan’s "CAIN and MABEL wis ALLEN JENKINS » ROSCOE KARNS * DAVID- CARLYLE NOBART CAVANAUGH METROD [here: OLITAN MER NIGHT'S DREAM - ] A WASHINGTON INSTITUTION U. 5. Treasury e . FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, Pundont of the United States CONCEIVED the STOR' authors wrote thonhry... RUPERT RUGHES « SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS « ANTHONY ABBOT « S. 5. VAN DINE RITA WIEMAN « JOHN ERSKINE HENRY WILCOXON SIDNEY BLACKMER BETTY FURNESS- EVELYN BRENT L] nsational added attraction #gPAIN inREVOLT” actual battle scenes | THRILLS! snd more THRILLS! ANN SOTHERN o GENE RAYMOND o munnonnmt ERIK RHODES GIRL IN TOWN" Where and When Current Theater Attractions and Time of Showing. National—“Hands Across the Sea,” “Red Peppers” and “The Astonished Heart,” at 8:30 pm. 5:53, 7:35 and 957 p.m. | Capitol—"Ladies in Love,” at 10:45 am, 1:30, 4:20, 7:10 sand 10 pm. 9:05 pm. Palace—‘Libeled Lady” at 10:30 am., 12:45, 3, 5:10, 2:20 and 9:40 p.m. Earle—“Charge of the Light Bri. gade,” at 10:30 am., 1:15, 4:05, 6:55, and 9:45 pm. Stage shows at 12: 40 | 3:30, 6:20 and 9:10 pm. Metropolitan—“A desummer Night's Dream,” at 10:30 a.m., 12:40, 2:50, 5:05, 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. | Columbia—“Devil 1s a Sissy.” at| 11:40 am, 1:40, 3:40, 5:40, 7:40 and 40 p.] Rialto — “Hell's Angels,” at 2:30,] 4:45, 7:10 and 9:35 p.m. Belasco—"Carnival in Flanders,” at | :55 a.m., 1:55, 3:35, 5:55, 7:55 and| :58 p.m. Little—"All Quiet on the Western Pront,” at 11:20 a.m,, 1:25, 3:30, 5:35, and 9:45 pm, Ambassador— “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” at 5:18, 7:15 and 9:15 pm. <PALACE A STARTS | Park Theater November 18, 19, 20| CIVIC THEATER DATES “Kind Lady” to Be Presented at Wardman Park. THE Washington Civic Theater will | present its second production of | its first season, the Chodorov-Walpole | play, “Kind Lady.” a Broadway suc- | cess of last season, at the Wardman | and 21. | ‘There will be four night perform- ances at 8:30 o'clock each evening nd | a Saturday matinee at 2:30, Tickets| | will go on sale at the theater's| ticket desk in the lobby of the Raleigh | Hotel November 12. National Symphony HANS KINDLER, Conduator. in joint performances with the BALLET RUSSE De Monte Carlo ny of Symphony Orchestra ancers { 80 Musicians Constitution Hell 8:30 P.M. November 11 Com) 100 November 12 Les Sylphides 'rm.e.a;- 1 te 83 Now on usle Shore, Natlonal 1730, CII”L Manager. FRIDAY C., TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1936 AMUSEMENTS A A ; ? . : Margaret Sullavan Plans To Quit Films for Good To Devote Future to Stage Work—Frances Farmer Seen: Near Stardom. Binnie Barnes Celebrates. BY SHEILAH GRAHAM. OLLYWOOD, November 10 (N.A.N.A.) —Margaret Sullavan plans to where she is He from the screen and devote her future to Broadway, appearing successfully in “Stage Door,” the George Kaufmian-Edns Ferber Holiywood-deriding play . . , Howard Hughes and Ruth Hollingsworth are a new romantic combination , , , Ditto Olivia De Havilland and Carl Laemmle, jr. Henry Ford is dickering with M.-G.-M. for the exclusive use of the polssinSiodSesdbrramnbdintefand studio’s stars for a weekly radio broad- cast at $25,000 per performance . . . Paramount will shortly produce Kip- ling's “The Light That Failed,” with Ronald Colman in the lead . 'fluonhm.ov- ernment 8 ex- ceedingly worried because the * quintuplets can- not speak co- herently. And they are getting . to be such big girls now! iy order with & | l‘°,“_°.:d :v‘e"r'; Shellah Graham. three months receives a pair of shoes made with minimum soles and maxi- mum comfort for his million-dollar feet . . . The world premiere of “The Garden of Allah” will be held in Lon- don as a tribute to Marlene Dietrich, who is fiim-marooned in the British capital . .. The latest California cold victim is George Brent, who caught it kissing Jean Arthur in the film, “Help Wanted: Female” . . . Douglas Fairbanks is trying to persuade Robert Benchley to accompany him to China next year . . . Photographs of the Swedish country house recently pur- chased by Greta Garbo reveal an | exact duplicate of the mansion oc- | cupied by Garbo in “Anna Karenina.” Cecilia De Mille, daughter of Cecil | B. De Mille, is planning to file suit JEAN HARLOW in ‘‘HELL’S ANGELS" Also CHARLES LAUGHTON in| “FRANKIE and JONNNIE” 106 PARKING AFTER 6.30 WE THANK. THE PRESS—IT’S UNANIMOUS WHAT THE FILM CRITICS SAY ABOUT THE AA KA HIT Doty tenns = T for divorce against Husband Frank Calvin . . . Tough Guy Eddie G. Robinson dislikes the sound of pistol shots . . . Jean Muir is Hollywood's most fervent fan for unionized labor + + - Madeleine Carroll received m,ooo for her role in “Lloyds of London.” . Clark Gable curtailed his New York visit because the sutographists would not leave him alone . . . Mrs. Fredric March (Florence fldfldll) will shortly appear-in an untitled Lillian Hellman play . . . Carole Lom- bard spotted in her nudh restaurant lunching on orange juice, graj complains of feeling below par. Samuel Goldwyn’s production, “Come and QGet It,” spells near-future star- dom for Ingenue Frances Farmer. ‘Two years ago Miss Farmer worked as an usher for 36 cents per hour at the Liberty Theater, Seattle. She wrote an essay which won her a trip to Europe, but her family objected. so Miss Farmer left Seattle on a bus for New York and Europe anyway. She arrived in Hollywood little more than & year ago, went supperless to hed for & long few months, received her big chance in Bing Crosby's “Rhythm on the Range,” and is now sought after by every sensible producer. A ‘ew days ago she attended the “Come and Get It” world premiere at the same Theater in Seatttle in which she served her movie apprenticeship as| an usher. (Ccpyright. 1936, by the Norcn American Newspaper Alliance, Inc.) NATIONAL TONIGHT—ALL NEXT WEEK JOMN €. WH.SON prorents Lawrence ® Cowarn “TONIGHT AT EIGHT-THIRTY” Three Plays by NOEL COWARD Sat. it Orchestra, $2.75; P o T W T Ao CARNIVAL I FLRANDERS wu-nmtou Best foreign comg —Nel, Bl It was a pleasure to sit bef gontinental story that challenges the Best Hollywood output in both produc- | tion and gcting, downriont clever. — A R. Kelly, Wash. Times Its nnaum has seldom been equalle Betty Hynes, Wash. Heraid 4 Ileture you must se arey McArthur, Wash. Eve. Star One of the best. —Don. Craig, Wash. D ENGLISH llent DIALOGUE TITLES. Palh Post | the best foreif fore a_saucy | —Walter Wlmlfl, N. Y. Daily Mirror News | —Howl"d lamn N Y. }lemld Tvlbune CONTINUQOUS FROM 11:30 A. M. UNTIL 11:30 P.M. The film rv-mu‘ &mb‘b’e selection as One of the most refreshing and witty | Zctazes of 7 like, ail areat comedies, universal language. = gent, N. Y. rmu. With this work Feyder takes Ms with and Charite Chapiin a3 ou ,of the di Gistinpuished comic artits CO! NO ADVANCE IN P!lCIS Handspring of approval—Archer Winston N. Excel Y. Pos You don’t have to_understand one word of the lam ats ts dut he tiyi's’ deticious favor, udy . . . Funny . BELASCO Ttll your Ifltflu—Wflndn Hale, OPP THE WHITE HOUSE N. Y. Daily News Wicked.—New Yorker i eclwn of Sidney Lust WARNER snos. msums Added Features EDNA DEE and MARSHALL and LEONARD ACADEMY Oih w o RE T :H ;'é;:;fon nilipe. Theatre, Bo Besutitul BEAL in M'LISS." v ASHT CLABENDON, VA. ¥ “THE GREAT ZIEGFELD.” CAR 2 "'MnSX* TOR.” lnfl MRKD A_SPECIAL. CIRC 2105 Penna. [on ) Free Parking. K FRE'D guHUR.RAY JACK OAKIE, N m AIOIM BUMBAfiTON P e FRED ASTA! swmo“w 208 GINGER ROGERS in OlflA N oL Tfll CA!I LUA“ l ifii E h ln'ee Acousticon “ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT.” ! Also March of Time, “THE YELLoW CRUISE” mmfim "'p‘g‘" CCII‘III'!C‘ bl GEORGE RAFT in -E ROROE ] o é’mu“av NIGH: 244 Georeia Ave. “SBECOND W] !IIver Sw‘nl 'dl SECO Show Start “ANTHONY ADVERSE, FREDRIC MARCH and All-Star STANTON .28 ‘s’" 3 % Cammuou PRED STONE. “GRAND JURY . SECRET Gm h MADELEINE CARROLL. STATE-BETHESDA “n“.’.’:‘m‘“ e FREDRIC MARCH in “ANTHONY ADVERSE.” CARTOON and NEWS. Last Feature, 9:00 P.M. FALLS CHURCH, VA. TAT “WORRlES C LE" JANE WITHERS in i1 DE MICH. __“PEPPER" “THE GOLDEN ARROW GENE RAYMOND ,KI _ “WALKING ON Arlingten, Vl Grand Opening | “SWINC Tomor.,6:30P.M.| TIME.” HIPPODROME ‘goubln‘e;-i!u;;w adeleine Carroll 1 + Baby." MT. IAI\IEI, MD. Brian Donlevy. “34 Howre To RuL" nnrsvn.u WD ARCADE BrATTSyiLLE w JOAN CRAWFORD and ROBERT TAYLOR in “GORGEOUS HUSSY.” RICHMOND *£ExAvpmis vx. DON AMECHE and LORETTA YOUNG in _“RAMONA. MILO [ S R N WILLIAM POWELL and MYRNA LOY in “GREAT ZIEGFELD.” BASSADOR R3™ & %55 “The Charge of the LiE}zE Brigade” With Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland smrlev ‘Beane. CAMEO WALy BURRI RANG. " » 'YTHM ON CENTRALR S T comNY o and lwom As'rAmz in * s“?ncmz ot HOME Pni230.C StNET 10208 W_%m\r in om HUTCH.* Penna. A EDMUND LOWE CUMMINGS in * Tith § TIVOLI __children, 15c. S YORK 2 % ™ 3, Joan Crawford & Robert o G’I(;aylor in e Gorgeous Hussy” JESSE THEATER ™ LE. Carrier Air Conditioned. “The Texas Rangers,” PRED u-cuumr JACK OAKIE. Cablitm Mr God uuu e PEI fi{xm:« o FALM THEATER eegher “THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN.” GARY Ci and MADELINE BERNI{EIIER'S DANCING. e T S Tflt b BTSN fog “America’s Noted Daneing Insiructor” DON MARTINI \:n!h l‘nr T;-I-Tcn‘ -Rumbe-Tap slentea Teache rivat RS ADVANCED - LOW RAFES llll l ll. NW. National 3767 KATHLEEN WRIGHT Assisted by Georse Le Ciaire SMART DANCING BALLROOM AND TAP 000 Conn. Avl. NW. BELIEVE IT OR NOT % 14 1-br. lessunsSlo Ballroom Classes for Beginners Complete found: “‘uom all fundse -umu up to Tuesday, Nov. 10 : CLASS POSITIVELY LIMITEDY 13¢ § i im JACK ROLLINS STUDIOI: 1611 Conn. Ave Dee. 5770 ¥ BRRERRERRR R R REREE R R ’