Evening Star Newspaper, March 12, 1937, Page 43

Mae West Starts Dieting, Works on New Film Story Gloria Swanson Decides Against Appearing as Woman of 40—Luise Rainer Gets Raise After Academy Award. BY SHEILAH GRAHAM. OLLYWOOD, March 12 (N.AN.A)).—Newcomer Joan Fontaine's salary has already been upped from $2. earns $750 per week. Not bad for two sisters, both of them under 21 ... Mac West is dieting and has eliminated breakfast and lunch. She spends most of her day in bed, cl on the story of her next film . . . If Jea; sing during the wedding ceremonys< uniting her to Gene Raymond . . . Gloria Swanson has decided against playing a woman of 40 in “Mazie Kenyon" the film in which she was scheduled for a screen come-. back, and is now searching for a story in waich there is a younger heroine . The Radio City Rock- ettes, who appear in Jesse Lasky’s “Radio City Rev- els” are unable to obtain leave 3 | of absence for the ~ Sheilah Graham. | Hollywood jaunt and will perform their film chore in New York . . .| Luise Rainer has demanded—and re ceived—a substantial raise on her pre- academy award salary . . . The Frank Morgans are currently enjoying a yachting holiday. Few people were aware of the seriousness of Frank's recent illness, which was accelerated by an overstrenuous game of tennis at the West Side Tennis Club. Columbia studio executives are hop- ing that, when Jean Arthur returns 250 to $300 a week. Olivia De Havilland ad in a pink or rose negligee, working nette MacDonald has her way, she will and Frederic March are shown in a projection room looking at a black and white close-up of themselves, was the bright idea of Jock Whitney, a heavy investor in technicolor. The startling | comparison of black and white in the color film is guaranteed to make audi- ences see the error of their non-color loving ways, and pave the demand for more technicolor productions. Tyrone Power has promised to at- tend Sonja Henie's skating exhibition | in Detroit . . . Ever since the report was printed of Michael Whalen’s mat- rimonial intentions toward Katherine De Mille, the piqued lady has refused him access to heart and home . . . Paramount’s praise department de- | scribes Olympe Bradna as a 16-year- | old miss who had her first glimpse of | a night club a few evenings ago. But | | how do they account for the fact that this writer saw Miss Bradna dancing in a New York night club thres years | | ago and she was supposed to be only 16 then? Kay Francis, who never bets on the horses, won the pool at Warner’s three times . . . Allan Jones, undecided for some time whether to buy a house or a horse with the money received from her vacation, she will be more | from the sale of his yacht, Airene, has co-operative regarding publicity. Next | now chosen the horse as a more eco- to Kay Francis, Miss Arthur is prob- ably the most difficult actress to corral into the portrait gallery. And as for giving interviews, the very word causes Jean to shy like a frightened colt . The sequence in “A Star Is Born, color film, in which Janet Gaynor nomical investment . . . Recluse Greta Garbo is one of Hollywood's most avid readers of film gossip and preserves every piece of paper on which her name is mentioned. (Copyright, 1937, by the North Americaa | Newspaper Alliance. Inc.) | COOLIDGE QUARTET ENDS SPLENDID SERIES HERE| Works by Thompson and Hinde- mith Are Heard on Last Pro- gram at Library. The saying: well,” may be applied to the last pro- gram of the Coolidge Quartet series at the Library of Congress yesterday afternoon, the choice of compositions | and the manner of execution being the crowning point of their efforts. The members of the organization: Willim Kroll and Nicolai Berezowsky, | violins; Nicolas Moldavan, viola, and Victor Gottlieb, cello, presented in a course of eight events 24 major works by classic and modern composers, which included four quartets by Beeth- oven, three by Haydn, two by Mozart, one by Schubert, a quartet by each of two lesser known masters of the same period; Pierre Vachon and F. J. Gossec and 12 works of composers of various nationalities who have adapted the | modern idiom of writing. Taken in | chronological order according to the | years of their birth the following were honored: Serge Tanejev, Ernst von Donanyi, G. F. Malipiero, Bohuslav | Martinu, Darius Milbaud, Walter Piston, Quincy Porter, Paul Hinde- mith, Randall Thompson and Nicolai Berezowsky. Making a summary of this gigantic undertaking, one can only have words of praise for the group which, with each concert, grew in the estimation of its public and emerged victorious | from many pitfalls invariably con- | nected with such an undertaking. Re- hearsed to perfection, the artists marked their performance yesterday by a choice use of nuance and dy- namics, while the quality and beauty of tone made their rendition one of real enjoyment. It may be a matter of preference, but the Haydn's “Quartet in F, Op. 77 No. 2” may be termed the most beauti- ful of the three heard in the series. Aside from its melodic contents the quartet has an originality of its own especially evident in the “Menuetto” movement. The execution by the Coolidge emsemble left nothing to be desired. *“The Wind in the Willows,” by Ran- dall Thompson, suggested by the book for children by Kenneth Graham, in three parts, unfolded pictures in keep- | ing with the titles. “River Bank,” with its opening duet for violin and cello | technical facility and an intelligent and its prominent first violin part | aPProach to his music. His throughout, was original in its treat- | mellow and expressive and his fingers ment of harmonies and beautiful to the ear. “Toad Esq.” had delightful mo- ments of grotesqueness suggested by the cello, while “The Wild Woods” played practically all through con sordino, full of weird melodies, gave food for imagination. Of the two modern works on the program, the last one being that of Paul Hindemith “Quartet No. 3, Op. 22, the average listener would un- doubtedly give preference to that of Randall Thompson. It is difficult to be enthusiastic over Hindemith, whose careful planning of proportion and symmetry of architectural nature and & constant reiteration of given themes by the four instruments in turn, gives | one the impression of an innovator who delights in invention for invention’s sake rather than of one who creates because of an inner urge for self ex- pression. True it is that there were moments of lofty melodic strains carried by either of the four instru- ments or in ensemble, but on the whole the objective of the work is obscure except for the idea suggested of a preeminent satisfaction of the com- poser with his own self. The artists were warmly received and recalled several times by a ca- Ppacity audience. —E. de 8. 86 PERSONS GRADUATED FROM W. P. A. COURSES ‘Women and Girls Get Certificates for Finishing Classes in Domestic Training. The District W. P. A. last night held graduation exercises for 86 wom- en and girls who, had completed courses of domestic training at the two units of the W. P. A. Household ‘Workers’ Training School. Graduation certificates were pre- #ented to the groups at 1114 O street, one of the units of the school. The certificates were awarded to the stu- dents by Mrs. Mary Mcleod Bethune, president of Bethune Cookman Col- lege, Daytona Beach, and at present director of negro work in the Na- Sonal Youth Administration. ] “All is well that ends | At Howard LOUISE BEAVERS, Popular motion picture player, is appearing in person this week as the headliner of the stage show at the Howard Theater. LYOUNG PIANIST HAILED ‘ IN BRILLIANT CONCERT | 11-Year-01d Lester Taylor Shows Astonishing Maturity in Interesting Program. In a program designed to bring out every evidence of pianistic talent, Les- ter Taylor, 11-year-old pianist, made his debut last evening at Barker Hall. The youthful player from Troy, N. Y., was presented by his teacher, Thelma Stein, with whom he is passing the Winter, before a good-sized audience, which by its enthusiastic reception, received his performance in a manner befitting his mature presentation. For as far as his physical development will permit the young boy showed as- tonishing maturity in everything he | essayed. He is rarely gifted, combining in- nate musicianship with well-developed His tone 18 strong and fleet. There is as yet a | lack of brilliancy and smoothness in passage work and of sustained power in more dramatic moments, but this is something time will remedy. For the more subtle elements, such as ap- preciation of nuance and balance of effects, he has an understanding which comes from within and which is al- ready guided by mind and feeling working together. Again one must lay to his youth the. reason why some of his interpreta= tions yesterday fell short of others. In the graceful evolutions of Mozart's “Sonata in A Major” and Petri’s ar- rangement of Bach’s “Three Menuets” he was in a sympathetic milieu. The variations of the andante grazioso were clearly expressed with intelligent re- gard for their individuality and the menuetto and rondo delicately given Wwith the proper amount of gusto for the finale. In Rachmaninoff’s “Pre- lude in C Sharp Minor” he was again at his best, portraying the character of the composition with crisp accents and with all the sonority of which he was capable. Chopin’s “Waltz” and “Fantasie- Impromptu” held suavity and mel- lowness and were technically sound. But in these his musical insight did not quite grasp the reason behind the nice gradations of color which he achieved. But once more this is un- derstandable and will be changed with time. As concluding number he played the first movement of the “Concerto in C Minor,” by Beethoven, with Miss Stein at the second piano, with the poise and assurance of a virtuoso. He was positive in his en- trances, expansive in his dynamic ef- fects and thoroughly imbued with reverence for the work. Master Taylor has all the attributes of a real artist and his future lies bright before him. He is furthermore fortunate in possessing a winning per- sonality and With the solid founda=- tion he already has attained and the rich musical feeling of his nature he can attain great heights. It will be interesting to follow his future de- velopment. A E. —_— . Holland has a shortage of mued‘ workers in several industries. [} THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €, FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1937. THE HUB FURNITURE (0., 7th AND D No Money Down! Easy Terms! A Complete 10-Piece Living Room This charming modern ensemble is an outstanding value . . . you'll like S it. Consists of sofa and chair covered in combination color tapestry, 2 studio end tables, coffee table, occasional table, 2 table lamps, occa- A Complete 8-Pec. 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