Evening Star Newspaper, December 12, 1936, Page 36

AMUSEMENTS. Errol’s Knees Still Move Audiences to Deep Mirth “Hollywood Follies” at Earle Is Snappy Musical—Crosby Film a Light, But Merry Creation With Comedy Stress. BY JAY CARMODY. O Bing Crosby’s “Pennies from LD MASSA’ LEON ERROL, ‘deflantly spry in the fact of history, found a rich vein of laughter in a rainy day audience at the Earle Theater yesterday. His elaborate “Hollywood Follies of 1937,” together with Heaven” make a very pleasant eyeful and earful. The emotions are deeply stirred at no time but mirth rises easily and frequently to the lips. One hardly could ask for more. Errol is surrounded by a cast of talented individuals and a pretty chorus, ——— e but he is not content to act merely: as master of ceremonies. He is ever busy and along toward the end of the tabloid musical— it runs one hour— Errol goes into his dance. Errol's dance, of course, is the one built around the most profoundly collapsible knees ever seen on the stage. What- ever the secret of those knees and | that dance, Erroll has communicated it to 12 girls of the ensemble and | when the 13 of them start dippmx‘ and weaving and falling around the stage, the thing is grotesquely amus- ing. Nothing has been left out of the recipe from which the Errol show is concocted. It has comedy; mostly by Errol in spite of a disposition to spread it around. It has dancing, done admirably and acrobatically by Sunnie O'Dea and Jimmie Madreas. Madreas is the more acrobatic of the two and his tricks less like those you have seen before. Miss O'Dea, how- ever, is only slightly behind him in technique and she is pretty enough to even up on honors and applause. * Xk X IF THE entertainment has a weak- ness, it is in its vocal phases. Either by comparison with the danc- ing, or with songs in the Crosby show, the voice section misses out. The lads and lass who sing are given noth- ing to handle that will send you out of the theater whistling. That, of course, makes very little difference since Crosby has planted “Pennies From Heaven” and “Let’s Call a Heart a Heart” right in your pretty little lungs. No one really would have time to whistle “Hollywood Follies” music anyway. Errol is the good comedian, as he ought to be by now, even when he relies on the gag instead of his gang- ling knees. His lines show the per- fection of inflection and accompany- ing gesture which come with the mel- lowing years. Yet, his pantomime remains his best bet. He still is the only stage figure who can fall down a flight of stairs without losing his balance completely and who can appear to be standing still while inanimate things move away from him. His interpretation of a drunk reaching for a mail box which starts out only a foot away and ends up 10 feet dis- tant is one of the best moments of his revue. Youll like it, or you've got a toothache. Errol's Follies are rich in eye- appeal. The sets are big. The cos- tumes are fresh and piquant. The chorus is a talented ornament, if there is such a thing. A song or two would help it, but it really does not need much help. * ¥ ¥ *x ENNIES FROM HEAVEN,” a Columbia offering, is not the best of the Crosby films. It does give the | first crooner of Hollywood four songs, | two of which are good, s lute for | accompaniment, and an orphan for a story. Young Edith Fellows is the orphan and a mighty appealing one at that. She is cast on the brat side, with a dash of the minx. If you have seen too much wistfulness in some of your recent film children, this “Patsy” is just what the psychiatrist would order. The amateur psychia- trist, one hastens to add, to forestall the “bahs” of the professionals. Madge Evans is the love interest of the film and Donald Meek is in it as a worthless but charming old scamp of a grandfather. Both turn in deft performances, which is like saying two more men have been bitten by dogs. The lute, said to be authentic, really is the newest thing in “Pennies From Heaven.” Straight out of mythology though it may be, it goes nicely with Crosby's crooning. The story of “Pennies from Heaven” could have been interpreted with a sticky sweetness. Everyone connected with it, however, had the good taste to infuse it with more comedy than sentimentality. That, one must say, was very nice of them. * k% % 8 TF' ERROL and Crosby were not enough, the Earle management has supplemented them with a timely film sketch “The Life of King Edward VIIL” The release, a special con- tribution to the moment by Universal, is interesting in itself. It is doubly 80 in view of the tremendous drama in which David Windsor has just played his history-making part. One sees the life of the abdicated monarch unfolded, his life as Prince of Wales and as King. One sees the pomp and circumstance of that life, the love and loyaity it inspired. One seer and one wonders! Bad Breaks Make Hour Of Simple Little Scene BY SHEILAH GRAHAM. H bunch of radishes. OLLYWOOD, December 12 (N.. The scene—a super-elegant British food emporium. Roland Young has to bump into Frieda Inescourt, scattering her newly purchased ‘The sequence is shot fivz times, but instead of AN.A)—The picture—"Call It a Day.” dropping the radishes, Miss Inescourt drops her bag. The sixth time she drops the radishes—and Mr. Young forgets his lines. Shot Number Seven: Miss Inescourt “blows up.” man. “It's all right,” says Director Mayo. “You're entitled to a blow-up, too.” Next round, the weighing scales clat- ter to the floor. An hour has elapsed since the begin- A ning of the scene. But the time- piece in the store still shows 8 o'clock — a bad hour, whichever way you look at it. Mayo calls a halt in shooting to tell me he has lost 55 pounds in eight months via the diet, mas- sage and exercise route. b " Jean Arthur s Shellah Grabam. @iggling hysterically on the set “His- tory Is Made at Night.” She is going to elope with Colin Clive on the Hin- denburg that night. Charles Boyer, acting as a waiter, does not like this at all and gives her a melting look while taking the pre-nuptial dinner order. Jean wears a man'’s coat over her black Where and When Current Theater Attractions and Time of Showing. National—“The Show Is On,” at 2:15 and 8:15 p.m. Capitol—“Banjo on My Knee at 10:45 a.m., 1:35, 4:25, 7:15 and 10:05 p.m. Stage shows at 12:35, 3:25, 6:15 and 9:05 p.m. Earle—“Pennies From Heaven,” at 11 am., 1:35, 4:20, 7:15 and 10:05 p.m. Stage shows at 12:30, 3:20, 6:15 and 9 pm. Palace—“Born to Dance,” at 11:55 am., 2:20, 4:50, 7:15 and 9:40 p.m. Belasco—“Love in Exile,” at 11:30 am, 1:13, 3:23, 5:33, 7:43 and 9:53 pm. “Life of Edward VIIL,” at 12:20, 2:30, 4:40, 6:50, 9 and 11:10 p.m. R-K-O Keith’s—"“Rembrandt,” at 11:57 am.,, 1:40, 3:43, 5:46, 7:49 and 9:52 pm. Columbia—*“Come and Get It,” at 12, 2:25, 4:50, 7:10 and 9:35 p.m, Metropolitan — “Theodora Goes ‘wild,” at 11 am., 1:05, 3:15, 5:20, 7:30 and 9:40 pm. Rialto—“Mutiny on the Bounty,” at 2, 4:30, 7:06 and 9:42 p.m. Little—“Evergreen,” at 11 am., 1:09, $:18, 5:27, 7:36 and 9:42 pm. Ambassador—"“Wives Never Know,” &t 3, 4, 6, 7:50 and 9:40 p.m. Uptown—"Pigskin Parade,” at 1, 8:15, 5:35, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Tiveli—“Adventure in Manhattan,” a4 1:45, 3:50, 6, 7:50 and 9:40 p.m. Howard—“The Captain’s Kid,” at 8 and 10:20 p.m. Stage 10, 6:40 and 9:10 pm. Eight,¢— and the same thing happens to a sales- | evening gown—for two reasons. She of Boyer—only her voice is required —and she is cold. You would hardly know a film was being made on “the last of Mrs. Cheney” set. Frank Morgan is swap- p\ng stories with Robert Montgomery. {Joan Crawford, wearing a modern {gown of blue silver lame and two | diamond stars in her hair, looks very | attractive (someone should tell her | to stick to 1936 vintage clothes). Nigel Bruce stutters in an impossible Eng- | lish accent, “I've lost a lot of weight— |see? I started dieting because of an accident that occurred at Sir Cedric Hardwick's place. I breathed heavily and all my buttons popped off—devil- ish awkward, don’t-cher-know.” Miss Crawford rubs Frank Mor- gan’s back and is rewarded with an appreciative “Ah-h.” “What are you scribbling?” de- mands Montgomery. “You're making me nervous.” Bob has recently re- turned to Hollywood from his Con- necticut farm. It is no secret he dis- likes California. “Coming back, I went to sleep at San Bernardino,” he tells me, “and I've been asleep men- tally ever since.” (Copyright, 1036, by the North American Newspaper Alliance. Ing.) — KING EDWARD IS CENTER OF PICTURE AT BELASCO Tl-m Belasco is taking advantage of the greatest free publicity cam- paign in years, and brings to its screen, starting today, “The Private Life of Edward VIIL” The film is a newsreel compilation, telling the story of Edward’s life from the cradle to the throne, covering with particu- lar emphasis those years when he was the Prince of Wales. On the same bill the Belasco will present “Love in Exile,” a Gaumont- British film telling a strictly fictional story of a king who gave up his throne for love. Clive Brook, Helen Vinson and Mary Carlisle are featured in “Love in Exile,” a motion picture adaptation of “His Majesty’s Py- jamas.” “Crime et Chatiment,” the French flm version of Fedor Dostoievski's “Crime and Punishment,” will be brought back when the current bill, which replaced it, completes its run. is not in the picture—a close-up shot THE EVENING STAR, Civic Players Lansing Hall (above) will have the leading feminine role, and H. H. Bratsburg (be- low) will play Duke Mantee, the gangster, in the Washing= ton Civic Theater’s produc- tion of Robert Sherwood’s “The Petrified Forest” next Wednesday, Thursday, Fri- day and Saturday nights at the Wardman Park Theater. |“THEODORA GOES WILD” NOW AT METROPOLITAN Irene Dunne Gets New Place in Comedy Field Which Is Among High Lights. Tflm is, as you no doubt have heard, a new Irene Dunne. In “Theodora Goes Wild,” which yester- day opened at the Metropolitan for a second week downtown, the young lady, whose voice and rather cool beauty have been responsible for her previous cinema fame, turns out to be a comedienne of the most adept | and engaging sort Her singing of “Be Still My Heart.” with a double meaning to the title and a triple emphasis on the “still” probably is one of the comedy high lights of the year. for the first time remained too long by the flowing bowl is something which shouldn’t be missed. The role of the small-town girl, who wrote a novel that set the staid citi- zens of her village on their respec- tive ears, and who then went to New York to let down her back hair and raise merry Ned, is certainly a far cry from anything Miss Dunne has at- tempted heretofore. But she dis- plays a knack for getting the best out of light comedy which should make Hollywood sorry it has hidden the talent all these years. “Theodora,” in all of its other aspects in addition to Miss Dunne, is & merry farce which in any number of opinions, tops “Mr. Deeds,” an- other Columbia riot. This, no doubt, is due to the canny directing of Rich- ard Boleslawski, another of Holly- wood's serious inmates, who has pulied a surprise act and turned out a pic- ture as pleasantly batty as any film | of the year. The pace maintained by Mr. Boleslawski in “Theodora” is not an even one—at the outset the pic- ture is completely hilarious for a good long time, and then the tempo drops. But when it picks up again you real- ize that Boleslawski was being smart and not slipping when he got midway into his task. He provided that breathing spell so the customers would be able to live through the complete film. “Theodora Goes Wild” also is the better for Melvyn Douglas' skillful playing of the illustrator who helps and hinders Theodora in her going wild, and for Thomas Mitchell and a number of other people. —H. M. NEW KING IN PICTURES Rialto Exhibits Collection Cover- ing His Career. Rialto now is showing the latest coliection of pictures of the former Duke of York, new King of England. ‘The film, a group of newsreel scenes, shows all the high lights of the career of the new ruler. It was ob- tained late yesterday afternoon from the New York offices of R-K-O. velop poise. few lessons. Call for an dance -n-unp—wmmu\ obligation. Studio 10 t 1315 c.nnecucnt Ave. Me. 4121 LANK BOOK Yn- gct variety and volue our big stock. E. Mon-ilon Paper Co. 1009 Pa. Ave. Phone NA. 2045 the Ton Blue Rul.e. V-., H-rd And her accurate | portrayal of a young lady who has | Dave Apollon Back Again In Capitol Stage Show Johnny Barnes, Tommy Brent and Charles and Charlotte Lamberton are Stars . of Current Revue. BY ROBERT B. PHILLIPS, Jr. a-day. the spotlight follows him around the: stage rather persistently through a series of specialties varying from nip- ups to plano twiddling, and occasion- ally there is a really top notch act in the collection he brings with him. This week the Apollon tenancy of the | Capitol could be justified by one phrase | alone, if nothing else happened at all. | I refer to the program billing of a | “Continental Milk-Fed Chorus,” prob- ably the rarest piece of theatrical im- | agery concocted this season. ‘The stars of the current Apollon revue are Johnny Barnes, 8 Washing- ton lad who is rapidly developing into | a first flight hoofer; Tommy Brent, whose savage Punch and Judy show is welrdly pleasing, and Charles and Charlotte Lamberton, two deaf mute youngsters whose competent dancing is a tribute to their courage as well as a. very decent performance in itself. The trick is that they follow the music by feeling vibrations through the floor. At least & half dozen other reason- ably skillful workmen, an able chorus (these are the milk-fed babes) and one truly remarkable novelty round out the stage offering. The rarity is a fellow who manages to steal the show from almost every act by playing a steel guitar somewhere far in the background, mixed among the other musicians. Listen and notice how many times his music stands out, more |or less distractingly. * % %% "T"HE Capitol picture fare is also satis- factory this week when it goes straight vaudeville. Otherwise “Ban- jo on My Knee” just misses being. a burlesque of its own story. Presum- ably a profound study of those quaint | characters, the shanty-boat people of the inland waterways, the tale has the true ring of a lead half dollar. At times, however, it abandons all pre- tensions and breaks down into some good song and dance stuff, with Buddy Ebsen doing the dancing and a fetch- ing chap named Anthony Martin turn- ing in the vocal chores. Ebsen, who is playing in at least half the pictures in town this week, is too much in evidence to heed a send-off, and Martin, a newcomer, will not long be among the unknowns. Their work is the only sal- vation of some forced and untidy drama. ‘The players caught on the more | embarrassing side of the fence are Joel | contented man, an elderly romantic, McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck, who are involved in much wishy-washy deep river love; Walter Brennan, whose part is essentially 5o phoney that his most faithful labors cannot make it jibe, and Katherine DeMille, Walter Catlett and Helen Westley. Phil Lampkin, with that unerring sense of the timely and the appropri- Starting Sunday ROBERT TAYLOR i his first and famous featured role "THElE'S ALWAYS TOMORROW" Barnes—Frank Morgan Last smmg—snumy LAUGHTON—GABLE—TONE “Mutiny on the Bounty” and organizer of what used to be known as vaudeville units, comes into Washington with a troupe of hoofers, singers and whatnot to occupy the stage of Loew's Capitol for a week. Statistics on the number of Apollon’s visits in the past three years are not readily available, but he has yet to appear without lifting slightly the average of the town's four= ONCI or twice each year Dave Apollon, & versatile Russian entertainer ‘The Apollon humor is more or less primitive, his music invariably good, A SR S AR i ate, dedicates his overture this week to former King Edward VIII. It is rendered complete with poetry, sound effects, and the flashing of the British flag on the screen. {“COME AND GET IT” BACK AT COLUMBIA THEATER Film Is Vigorous, Colorful Saga of Lumber Man’s Rise in Its First Half. R the first half of its duration, “Come and Get It,” the picture which returned to Loew's Columbia yesterday for a second week on P street, is & vigorous, colorful saga of an ambitious, man's rise to wealth and power in the lumber industry. Not unlike the gentlemen who have had similar histories in the rags-to- riches business, in its later stages the tale inclines to become somewhat weighty, loses part of its momentum, much of its lively spirit. Above all the film provides an- other bountiful characterization for that consistently brilliant actor, Ed- ward Arnold. In the beginning Ar- nold is able to delineate clearly, inter- | estingly, the qualities of cupidity, wilfulness, recklessness, which even- tually make the great lumber baron. ‘Thereafter, he is reduced to the status of a successful man who wants some- thing he cannot have, namely the love f a girl who is the daughter of a | 2 . . | p.m. at the Masonic Auditorium, Thir- | woman he once loved and did not marry—for business reasons. Since the contemplation of a rich and dis- is not the most thrilling sport in the world, the picture suffers accord- ingly. Before that, however, it has given us Arnold in top form, Frances Farmer and some gentlemen with bier- garten mustachios doing some swell song numbers, and a fair idea of the Northwest's lumber pioneers, who may not have been of great concern to you lately unless you've been buying up old pulp. —R. B. P, Jr. HOWARD 5/55[[ AND HIS 73] ilh A~ éilga.nflc Stage Show MIDNITE SHOW TONIGHT clo zation and sanitation. liance of fast-color fabrics. inuous laboratory tes! ile strength of fabrics. WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1936. In “Othello” NAN SUNDERLAND, Who in private life is Mrs. Walter Huston, will play op- posite her hu.!band as Desde- mona, when he comes to the National Theater Monday night in the Robert Edmond Jones’ production of Shake- speare’s “Othello.” {OPERA AND FOLK SONGS TO BE GIVEN TOMORROW Singing, Piano Music, Acting in Program on Masonic Audi- torium Stage. NIAXIM BRODYN, famous tenor and actor, formerly with the Chicago and San Carlo Opera Com- panies, and Zelda Zlatin, well-known pianist and actress, will appear in a program of operatic arias, Soviet and Yiddish folk songs, one-act plays and recitations, tomorrow at 8:30 teenth street and New York avenues, under the auspices of the Icor So- ciety. These two artists have just returned from a trip to the Soviet Union, where they made a study of Soviet music and art, and are, therefore, well quali- fied to depict the hopes, joys and tribulations of the pioneers in Biro- Bidjan, Jewish autonomous state in the Soviet Union. I "BANJO 25 KNEE- Barbara Joel STANWY Cl McCREA DAVE “APOLLON "STAR PARADE /1937 SO INTERNATIONAL STARS V... PALACE F-AT 13TH GARBO-Robt.TAYLOR. G CAMILLE® The ELITE 9-Point Money Back Guarantee 1. WE GUARANTEE the return of every article. 2. WE ““‘”m! positive identification with invise ible ink. 3. WE GUARANTEE washed in protec 4, WE GUARANTEE cont serve maximum tensi 5. WE GUARANTEE health protection through pasteuri- thes and linens scientifically tive net bags in pre-softened water. to pre- 6. WE '“l“mi retention of original color bril- 1. WE fi“lm our tudlhonnlly prompt, gourteous and efficient service. 8 ed temperature ironing. 9. WE GUARANTEE entire satisface * tion or money back. POTOMAC WE WIIIITEE smart, stylish, expert finishing through controll AMUSEMENTS. ‘Rembrandt’ Held Over At Keith’s Laughton Portrayal Gives Somber Film Its Greatest Appeal. g EMBRANDT,” with Charles Laughton in the title role, moves along toward a sec- ond week at Keith’s; not because it is about the great artist, but because it has Mr. Laughton. It is an extremely convincing portrayal of an ill-fated and bewildered man that Laughton gives in this film which Alexander Korda directed. It is not, however, the most dynamic of tales which have been transcribed for the screen. Its mood is as somber as its photography is vivid. The re- lief of laughter is denied the audi- ence. Such treatment probably is en- tirely justified, of course, in view of the fact that it also was denied Rembrandt van Rijn. His story was :’;fi and Korda has kept it a stately There are artistic performances other than that of Laughton. Gertrude Lawrence, that brittle beauty who has contributed so much altitude to Noel Coward’s theatrical art, appears in this film in a completely alien role. She is Geertje, the shrew. And she is a terrible shrew because she is such & good actress. Elsa Lanchester, as the maid servant who reinspires the artist to great and lasting work, casts her usual glow about an extremely sympathetic role. Recent months have indicated that immense difficulties confront those who would capture the essence of genius in film or stage biography. “Rembrandt,” while short of perfec- tion is much more successful than many similar works have been. -J. C. BELASCO Now Flash! Scoop! 2 Big Hits! The Life of EDWARD Vil From Childhood—As Prince of Wales— Made iy !mlamluhl of Exchusive Washiagton Showing Prices KIKG EDWARD Vill ALso Reve, LOVE IN EXILE Clive Brook Adspted From Gene Markay's Novel, “His Majesty’s Pyjsmas.” GAYETY BURLESK STARTING SUNDAY MATINEE A PRE-XMAS PRESENT SAM RAYNOR t G S.] Continuous From 1 ')lIeP M.‘"“‘u CLARENDON, VA. MARTINI s DESPERADO. CIRCLE 'uu Penna. Ave. ;w JACK ‘IOLT Free Parking. QUISE H ARE !-n. suna No. 1o At Ancosrn n c. V CRA!B! in “ARIZONA RAID!RS Startihe sundar BEREELE PR]NCBS et ’Cr r diti =T S o g et sad gl >0 IO O SECO Shiver Sorins ¥ Cflhfifl“fl\ll From 1: “Co T, CHESTER mArdAml GRAHAME. “YELLOWSTONE," STANTON 1o Gil -n‘ Clil. N.E. CARTOON, NEWS and ___ MICKEY MOUSE. ~_ FALLS CHURCH. VA. __ STATE “wEaafse NING wmntk BROS. mumans TONIGHT TIONAL 2% Nights $1.10 to $3.85. Mat. Today. $1.10 te $3.30 MESSRS. SHUBERT Present Beatrice Bert Lillie Lahr in Vincente Minnell’s New Musieal “The Show Is On” RECINALD MITZI PAUL GARDINER MAYFAIR HAAKON GRACIE CHARLES VERA BARRIE WALTERS ALLEN Next Week Bog, Monday. Dec, 4th SEATS SELLING MAX GORDON WALTER HUSTON ROBEAT ZDMOND JONES " [ ey lljll. IM fo $3.30. Mats. Wed. & 85¢ to $2.20 (Ine. Tax) The International Travel Bureau Urciolo Realty Co., & The In- terstate Small Loan Corp. EIATVOLURTAS DEI (“Your Troubles Are Mine”) with ANGELO MUSCO MON & TUES., Dec. 14th & 15th, 8:30 PM, AT PIERCE HALL, 15th and Harvard N.W. Admission 45¢ o 7KEITH * & wasningrow 2"° WEEK..! CHARLES LAUGHTOD in his greatest role as ‘REMBRANDT GERTRUDE LAWRENCE -8 New Editian of . . . “THE MARCH OF TIME® Comme - “WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE” PRESTON FOSTER ANN DVORAK JOHNBEAL IND ... BING, CROSBY “Pennies [r_qg! Heaven” LEON ERROL And His Hollywood Folies Of 1937 g Sunnie 0'Dea Pomies From Neaven™ Can Aiso Be Seen Tomorrow, g l Toss., lt METROPOLITAN IRENE DUNNE i Columbia's Grand Comedy “THEDDORA GOES WiLD") Al Seact Shorts AMBASSADOR i* £ %5 ALL-STAR-CARTOON SHOW at 10:38 AM. One Performance Only, Adults, 20c: Children. 15 #0L0 AVALO s DA LUPINO. -nd NINO MARTINI in “THE G. ESPERADO.” | Doors g Shows Continuous ’AA}"ENUE GRAND SPEAY ES DUNNCInd Mmo&)!lmmg Y, MAE E KENT."” " " Doors Gho'l Cantmuoul Conn. A W. 435 oth St N.W. CENTRAL Ty EIGADL t] a OH’VIA Blzhnmkob PLYNN Ave. COLONY %% &%, DA LUP!NO lnd NINO uuum ln and Farrscut Geo. 6500 Drimmong" No. 2. ALL-STAR-CARTOON SHOW at 10:30 AM. One Performance . Aduits,_50c: children: 156, 00 PENN «f." tinuous SAVOY lltl lt. . COL u N'. Ol:.ld)Yl R?.I‘NDEROI JOHN ‘;OWARD ARBI! Doors Open - tl'moul Ptmn l lm Pllm'. S Tlvou 14th !l l h!l I‘ N.W. "'A’;,, An‘rkun lnd JOIL ue m.um..°fim o P31 U‘ Io Newark St. N'- Phene Clevelan Matinees Daily at l“ P.M. A Quebec 2% AT L, u.x.:‘g'r'm-cmmou SHOW at 10:30 Aduite, S06; children. 156 © .IESSE THEA'I'ER .y "i"‘ vaN llt ll‘ l. L Av-, NW, Double Peature A