Evening Star Newspaper, March 25, 1937, Page 16

A—16 AM “The Great Waltz’ Turning lnto awMaI?thor_l_ Dance It Will Resume Road Tour in Fall—Bert Granoff to Headline Earle Bill—Tal- bert Hasslet BY JAY CARMODY. OME day there is going to be a great void in the theater. There have been some pretty momentous voids in it before, to be sure, but none s large as that which will exist when “The Great Waltz" comes to an end. Just how it will end, no one knows. Nor when it will end. Maybe some day the cast will die ot old age and, leaving no heirs, or perhaps heirs without talent, the thing will quietly fold and be no more. And the world will have lost something fine and riche — - S and universally satisfying. For four years it has played now with the usual Summer recess. Next Fall again its 100 company members will pack their several hundred bags, the scenery will be loaded into enough freight cars to assure the railroads an | operating profit on the year and once more it will take to the road. ‘There still are persons in the coun- try who, Max Gordon figures, have not seen the gigantic musical which deals with the life of the Strausses, pere et fils. They are going to get their chance if the show has to be set up in the smallest Elks' hall in the country. It has played just about every other type of building, including one-night stands in high school audi- | toriums, sportatoriums and similar spots hardly designed for the accom- modation of such things as “The Great Waltz.” X kX % 'HE road has been kind to the most monumental show that ever traveled it. It is only just that it should have been, of course, for it took a great deal of courage to send anything so big and costly on tour. More spectacular, however, than the courage of Gordon has been the in- genuity of the stage crews who have set the thing on some stages ranging s0 small the cast dared not take a deep breath lest the member next in line be toppled into the orchestra pit Movie houses have sheltered “The Great Waltz” on many of its over- night stops during the last eight months. Their stage facilities on most occasions were enough to con- vince the company manager the show would have to be cut in half (as to breadth, not length). But some one always thought of some way to avoid that catastrophe no matter what miracles of congestion confronted the audience when it looked at the stage. “The Great Waltz” turned out to be quite a revelation to some of the pic- ture house managers who grudgingly gave it hospice for the night. There was one, for instance, who insisted that he would have to have a $45 guarantee before he would consider supplanting | his picture with anything so strange and alien to his community. That was all right with “The Great Waltz" people. They knew their product They gave the guarantee and played to sothewhere close to 100 times that amount—to the complete astonish- ment of the house proprietor. * ok ox ox HERE was another picture house owner who took in the company and the production for a night with the expressed hope that it would be a failure. “Why?"” he was asked | “Because if 1t is a success, we'll have to take others, and I don't want to be bothered,” was the reply. | In the main, however, the produc- tion was treated handsomely by every | one, not just audiences, but those who | were most intimately connected with its presentation. | There was talk recently of reviving | it in New York next Fall. It ran| there for two years. It is not definitely | settled that it will not go buck again, | but it will not do so until it has had | another year on the road. * % ok % 'HE EARLE is going to be pretty satisfyingly musical during the next couple of weeks. Jan Garber and his band initiate the cycle with a week's engagement starting tomorrow. Next week, pleasant surprise, it will be Bert Granoff. Bert, the local boy who made good everywhere, has just signed with Warner Bros.' zone manager, John J. Payette, to headline the Earle program starting April 2. He will be helped in ACADEMY ©f Perfegt Sound Photoplay 8th at G S.E. E. Lawrence Phillips' Theatre Beautiful Continuous From 4:30 P.M. *“LOVE LETTERS OF A STAR' with HENRY HUNTER. POLLY ROWLES WARNER OLAND vs. BORIS KARLOFF in “CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA." ASHT()N ;D _ CLARENDON, VA. RICE, “UNDI CAROLINA cifhei "afind ROBER’ 13 BEVERLY SN COUNTRY AND THE WOMAN. aRCLE 2105 Penna Ave. N.W. Free Parking 2000 K St. BARBARA STANWYCK and PRESTON FOSTER, “THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS.” Comed: DUMBARTON J3i “icenn JOAN BENNETT in “TWO IN CROWD.” Comedy. ANACOSTIA. D C. FAIRLAWN SEACOSTIN Dorl 1n “THREE SMART GIRLS ve, and A | row. | equestriennes, etc. USEMENTS. on Way Up. an act called “Melodic Moments” by Carolyn Henry and Dean Herrick. Miss Henry is a soprano, Mr. Herrick an organist. * ok ¥ ok ON'T look around for the big tent when you get that whiff of circus at Fourteenth and F starting tomor- There is no tent, just a circus. A comvlete circus that will constitute the Capitol Theater stage bill. Will there be elephants? Certainly there will be elephants. There will be everything, indeed, but pink lemonade. Ray Bell, whose chaste prose usually is devoted to less mammoth forms of entertainment, lists the following as features of the circus: “Snarling beasts, handsome horses, huge pachyderms, camels, flocks of clowns, the theater's circus orchestra, pretty girls in pink tights (what, no spangles?), trick bears, dogs that are almost human, seals that also are near the human mark.” We'll take a snarling beast. X ok k% SOME two dozen extremely fortunate Washingtonians, mostly ink and grease-paint people, drank lightly, dined heavily and were delighted hugely by “The Good Earth” last night. All this as the guests of Nor- man Pyle, M-G-M's official escort for the picture in this territory. Mr. Pyle, who has promised to bring a water buffalo to town in connection with the picture’s opening at the National on April 4, exhibited nary & water buffalo, but no one mjssed it. | It was a pretty full evening without one. Under the circumstances, a water buffalo probably would have been a darned nuisance. * % ok X TALBERT HASSLET, whose bari- tone voice is curling so pleasantly off the walls of the Capitol Theater this week, goes up to New York next Monday to check a pretty good job. He is being considered as a sort of vocal and otherwise “stand-in” for no less a baritone than Nelson Eddy. Mr. Hasslet is happy and flattered. Wash- ington, his home town, should be. % Kk % “"TMOBY TYLER" will close the chil- dren’s theater local season. When it comes up on April 10 it will be the National’'s turn among Washington theaters to take on the atmosphere (or is it aroma?) of the circus. The characters, ot :ourse, are circus pere sonnel—fat ladies, thin men, clowns, BOY SLAYER SENTENCED ANDERSON, Ind., March 25 (#).— Claude Allen Small, 11-year-old El- wood boy, who fatally shot his father, Ray Small, must spend the next 10 years in the Indiana Boys’ School. Judge Charles E. Smith sentenced the lad yesterday to the school until he is 21 Claude killed his father at their home on February 21, police said, be- cause he was angry over a switching he and his brother received for get- ting their shoes muddy while playing foot ball. BELASCO THEATRE Opposite the White House Wo “Beginnin, WK yonies Evesins March 29 Malcolm L. rson and Donald E. Baruch Present “HITCH YOUR WAGON*” (A SKY-ROCKETING LARK) By Bernard C. Schoenfeld Prior to New York Opening FALLS CHURCH. VA. TATE | "% SaBA TLSO! Ao - Arli . Va. ”» PENROD AND SAM, with BILLY MARCH (Young Anthony Adverse). 18th St. & Cel, AMBASSADOR ’# &, 53 GARY COOPER. JEAN ARTHUR in “THE PLAINSMAN." News. APOLLO 621 H St. N. L Phone Linc. 3335 PAT O'BRIEN. HUMPHREY BOGART in “GREAT O'MALLEY." Popeye Technicolor_Cartoon AVALON 540 o wow KAY FRANCIS in “STOLEN HOLI- Y."” Also News and Short. GRAND R, A I LILY PONS, GENE RAYMOND i “THAT GIRI = LIDO “A _MAN BETRAYED," AMERICAN CHUMP." ETTLE 9th Between F and G CECIL B. DeMILLE'S “KING OF KINGs PRINCESS 1119 B_St E. Double Feature. DORIS KENYON. “ALONG CAME LOVE." LLOYD HUGHES. “NIGHT CARGO." SECO i e Continuous From 6:00 P.M. “MAKE WAY FOR A LADY,” HERBERT MARSHALL, ANNE SHIRLEY “MAD HOLIDAY,” EDMUND LOWE. ELISSA LANDL STANTON rifih %258 Eoircincor Continuous From 5:30 P.M. “SWORN ENEMY.” with ROBERT YOUNG nd FLORENCE RICEGEORGE AR- 1SS in “EAST MEETS WEST.” STATE-BETHESDA ‘sédfax & LEW AYRES in “MURDER WITH PICTURES.” JACK HALEY in “MISTER CINDERELLA.” TAKOMA_"«n and_Butternut 8ts. No Parking Troubles. LADYS SWARTHOUT {n “CHAMPAGNE WALTZ.” jESsE THEATE 18th & Irving Sta. N.E. “CAMILLE,” GRETA GARBO. ROBERT TAYLOR. SYLVAN 1# snd E. L Ave. N.W. “MAN OF AFFAIRS,” —__GEORCE ARLISS. PALM THEATER °=i** “STOWAWAY,” SEIRLEY TEMPLE, ROBT. YOUNG. A BERNHEIMER’S L _FROM PARIS.” T 425 Ninth 8t. N.W. g!‘:nfl!u.l‘}ABlém Phone Met. 2841 4935 Ga. w. COLONY . 8500 KAY FRANCIS in “STOLEN HOLI- DAY.” Also_March of 'nmg.o“ Plh2. 0 (lil St. INOEDQ lone N 21 JOAN BENNETT. CAR\:":GRANT in 650 Penna. Ave. S.E. Line. ‘2179 NG YO M. POWER in "LOVE 18 NEWS 1o = SAVOY :Ii‘t’i)?onl:lh St. NW. Col. 4968 ROSALIND K & OSALIND. KETTH *in "FIND TH] Also_Short_Subjects. mm Ave. & Sheridan N.W. Ran. SYLYIA SIDNEY, HiNRY é‘: o YOU ONLY LIVE ONcES —~ P 14th St. & Park Rd. N.W. L 1800 =EXOU O TIVOL! 0% fient S __Southern_Btars” Short. YY(;%Y( 85N, Feve Foroa Ga. Ave. and Quebee o] N.W. Col. JOAN BENNETT CARY ‘GRANE ““WEDDIN( RA] G PRESENT O TANT HIPPODROM Kay Francis. “White Bennett, CAME Gladys Swarthout in “Champagne Waltz.” P ARCAD) "Today-Tom. Jack Benny. “Collese Holiday.” RICHMONT) ALEXARDRIA, VA RICHMOND *“*X%2t* Jean Arthur, “Adventure in Man- hattan.” MILO Toer o o 8ylvia Sidney, “You Live Only Once.” I WARNER 'BROS. THEATERS K Near Sth Double 8how Angel.” “wedding Present. "°"" MT. RAINIER, MD. Last Da E = > @ = =] = w2 HYATTSVILLE, MD. - °© [ ] - © @ & THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON D. C, THURSDAY Somebody Loses, Somebody Wins At the moment Dorothy Mackaill seems to be the girl in the title role of the film “No Man of Her Own.” The winnah, in this scene, is Carole Lombard and the prize is Clark Gable. The picture has been reissued by the studio and opens tomorrow at Warners’ Metropolitan. “MERCHANT OF VENICE” IS PLAYED BY CHILDREN Lines Discarded for More Natural Expression, Achieving Good Results. WITH the author’s lines discarded in favor of spontaneous verbiage, Shakespeare’s depiction of cruel re- venge near realized, “The Merchant of Venice,” was presented last evening by the Children’s Community Theater in Roosevelt High School auditorium. Shakespeare's The average age of the player. was a | mere 12!; years, but the unique mode of production endowed them with an assurance and refreshing ease pos- sessed by too few mature thespians. Evolving their characterizations through sedulous study of the plot and action, the youthful actors arrived at a completely entertaining version of the classic, with dialogue possessed of Shakespearean flavor in marked de- gree, albeit conceived in the minds of the participants. This experiment in practical teaching of the dr-ma, as introduced locally by Director Helen 1. Burton, has produced results which have been both interesting and worth- while—the production last night repre- sented not the least of these. The efforts of all performers were marked by remarkable fluency speech and pantomime. Singling out is somewhat unfair, but particu- larly impressive were the Shylock of Frances Shiflet, Pauline Hurley's An- tonio, Jean Holzbeierlein as Bassanio and Antonina De Luca playing Portia. AN GARBERs ORCH. And Other Acts among more 1 in | Others who had words to say and made them count were: Charles Hern- don, Judson Lincoln, Milly Lou Linton, Florence Bachrach, Dolores Dahl, Gerald Lubarsky, Gene Mendelsohn, Jack Cohen, Marian Crane, Francls Fabrizio, Sidnor Chichester, Francis Moore, Peggy Nairn, Dorothy Ann Washington and Juanita Isherwood. Preceding the play Antonina (Por- tia) De Luca offered several plano selections, Further musical contribu- tions were those of the Washington Civic Orchestra, S. Page Ford con- ducting. C. A M. GAYETY BURLESK What Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire are to Motion Pictures “MIKE SACKS" AND “ALICE KENNEDY” Are to Burlesk. Come and see them 1n their new show with LOVELY LILLIAN DIXON THEATRE PARKING sPMTO PEe 1 AM. CAPITAL GARAGE 82,30 % 2 TOMORROW ROMANCE WAS JUST A GAME TO HIM ... AND THEN HE MET A GIRL WHO COULD OUT-GAME HiM. (LARK GABLE’L CAROLE OMBARD/ In Their Only Picture Together llo Man of Hen Dum - . Brought Back By Popular Demand .. M.o.! the Contin FERNAND The idol of Frcnu.(so, makes his America ever heard whispered! o W= WARNER BROS. present: NDE ‘Picture . « Music and YN LeR ALAN MOWBR A Warner Bros. Q LL-E ANE WYMAN Norman Kra! ty mamselles singing’ MARCH 25, 1937. STRING QUARTET PLAYS Program Given at Branch of Library in Georgetown. ’I’HROUOH the courtesy of the Hon. and Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss s ooncert of chamber music by the ‘Washington String Quartet was given ‘Tuesday night at the Georgetown Branch of the Public Library. The program played by Milton Schwarts and Paul Brightenbyrg, violins; George Wargo, viola, and Howard Mitchell, cello, consisted of “Quartet in C Major, Op. 54, No. 2,” by Franz Joseph Haydn; “Nocturne,” by Alex- TOMORROW Thrin AMUSEMENTS. | ander Borodin; “Serenade,” by Hugo ! Wolf, and “Quartet in D Flat Major, | Op. 15,” by Ernest von Dohnanyi. The finely balanced program was played with precision and spirit. One of the high lights of the program was the seldom-heard Hugo Wolf “Sere- nade.” The room, charmingly decorated with flowers, was filled with a large and appreciative audience, chiefly res- idents of Georgetown. SR British Air Travel. Passengers carried by air from Eng- land to the Isle of Man last year totaled 12,744, gl -tingling fole of a __ bewitching minx on the oil of a man} ental sensatio 000 Frenchwomen can'tb v've n debut i? the gayest scandal yo DW. EVERETT «KENNY B LAST DAY AL:XANDFR KORDA'S “FIRE OVER ENGLAND" n of stage and scr \ /’ sna and and Ted Koshler GRAVET e wrong) Maxflower Hotel Friday Morning, 11:30 FRANK BOHN The Church and the Social Crisis TRANS-LUX 14th & H Sts..n.W Films of Headline News . Travel, Sport, Comed. Cont. 10 AM. o M(dnl’[l‘ Programs Change Friday Admission (ANl Hours) 23e KEITH' 1511! Arcy hrilling Star;w in a ing Game of Love! { y YOG ens. A Pandro §. Berman Production ; RKO-RADIO PICTURE | the NEW issue of SPECIAL AWARD o AKER«LUIS ALBERNI Groucho Marx uchnfl TOMORROW Warner Bros VEARLE Sor Cics significance to motion pictures and for having revolutionized the newsreel . . 9 o 4 do no wrong— ‘N\g;: ot for an ex-king) CRI)