Evening Star Newspaper, May 16, 1937, Page 65

AMUSEMENTS. Over Future Acting Talent Raiding Legitimate Stage to Point of De- struction Would Not Leave It Without a Cast to Carry On. = J tors yell through microphones? interpret the persons in its stories? UST across Anmabella from here, future supplies of acting talent. By Jay Carmody. Mr. Richard Watts, jr., examines the plight of the stage and screen with reference to the existing and If the screen kills the stage, he wants to know, where will the former go then for the people at whom direc- Where will it find the persons it needs to In the course of the past week, Leslie Howard, out in Hollywood answered Mr. Watts, thereby hatch ing the neatest trick of the week, | since the latter's question was not asked until today's paper. “I'm willing to bet,” said Mr. How- #ard, “that in 10 years' time there will not be any screen performers with stage acting experience.” But in that statement he did not fmply Hollywood would be an arid wasteland then, somebody's billion- dollar folly to an entertainment dream that did not come true. Rather How- @ trd is of the opinion that the stage i8 not the important reservoir of acting talent which it is supposed to be. The screen can get along with- out it. Woody Van Dyke, the M-G-M di- rector, who was here a few weeks ago, strewed implications all over the place that he agrees with Howard on the subject.. Van Dyke is second to no man in his admiration of acting ability. And to none in making use of that talent in pictures. His idea of what it takes to make a success- ful screen actor or actress, however, 15 an arresting personality plus a good camera face. Stage training is quite dispensable if Van Dye and « Howard are right. Arresting per- sonalities and good camera faces may not be a dime a dozen in this world, but Hullywood has found them in the funniest places other than before Broadway footlights. An it has done right well with them, too, if more from the box office than the artistic standpoint in numerous instances. Of course the screen is not going | to kill the stage. The stage right now s growing lustier and lustier. It will continue to do so. And Holly- | wood will continue to raid it, giving both Mr. Watts and this department something to write about when the Summer doldrums come thundering down F MR. WATTS were to ask us point | blank to name our two best each of actors and actresses in }#1\\\0@(1 we admit that he could have con- siderable ground for sneering at us. ‘We should name among the men Bpencer Tracy and Paul Muni. Of the women our choices would be Luise Rainer and Greta Garbor. Of this quartet only Miss Garbo can be | claimed by Hollywood as its very own creation. The others carry over, and very conspicuously, the effects | of their stage training and experi- | ence. It has been modified, of course, | to permit the cinema moguls to eat | while they are tmaining finer acting | material. In other words, he will pay | the way of others through the kind of schools, academic and practical, which will make them the types with which | Hollywood can carry on regardless of what happens to the stage. Instead of worrying about where all | the Hollywood raiding is going to end, it seems much more pleasant to sit back and contemplate the improve- ment in pictures in the last two years. Certainly not all of it is the result of invasion of the legitimate drama field by barbarians from the West. lF‘ YOU are curious to know just who is going to attend the first national convention of the theater in New York next week, Ray Henderson and Helen Deutsch can tell you. A document from them lists the follow- ing: Actors’ Equity, American Theater Society, United Scenic Artists, Theater Guild, Theatrical Managers, Agents and Treasurers’ Union; New York Theatrical Press Agents, all magazines and periodicals having to do with the stage, representatives of ticket broker- age agencies, play publishers, costume designers and costume studios; legal representatives of theatrical enter- prises, a large number of colleges, lit- tle theaters, and theater-goers’ clubs. In addition there will be hundreds of | Individuals in the theater and out. “Anybody may enroll,” is the idea. Everybody apparently has. Every producer will be represented and as for players registered, there never has been such a cast. It ine cludes Arthur Byron, Lucile Watson, Kenneth MacKenna, Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt (who are sending a proxy), Jane Cowl, Helen Hayes, Maurice Evans, Richard Hale, Peggy Wood, Florence Reed, Charles Coburn and Blance Yurka. A great many interesting things should be said. Today’s Film Schedule CAPITOL—“Cafe Metropole,” at 2, 4:25, 7:10 and 9:55 pm. Stage shows at 3:35, 6:15 and 9:05 p.m. EARLE—"The Prince and the Pauper,” at 1:50, 4:30, 7:15 and 9:55 p.m. Stage shows at 3:55, 6:35 and 9:20 p.m. KEITH'S—"Shall We Dance,” at 2:20, 4:40, 7:05 and 9:25 p.m. The lovely French film star seen here recently as the heroine of “Wings of the Morning,” at the Earle, has the beauty of a Dietrich and the appeal of a Bergner, a combination which bodes well for her screen future. | Outdoor || | cursion season ANNABELLA, were featured at New York's Hol!y-‘ wood Restaurant. The Wilson Line's City of Wash- | ington has started its Summer ex- with near-capacity | 10 am. and the other at 2 pm., and \‘lll include Marshall Hall Park as another port of call when the amuse- ment resort opens May 29 With warmer days and nights busi- Brings Peril to Stage Possible Loss May React on Films, Which Must Find Future Talent in Realm of Legitimate Theater Acting. By Richard difficult in the theater. As A with almost hysterical rapidity, andg some of the recruits must actually be able to act. Thus, as every one knows, the stage is constantly being pillaged by the screen talent scouts, with the result that no sooner is a stage player of ability developed than he—or more likely she—is whisked off to the Hollywood fleshpots. The | theater has become just a talent farm | for the training of new cinema stars, and is so busy educating potential actors in the preliminaries of becom- ing film glamour boys and girls that it has little time to attend to its own concerns. It naturally takes a pretty grim determination on the part of a young actor to make him resist the Holly- | wood blandishments. The conditions of getting and holding & job in New York are so hard and perilous, while in California they seem so much simpler and more enjoyable. The rewards in the West are so much greater in money, in ease, in comfort and in fame that it is no wonder so few are able to hold out against them. Why should an actor engage in all the hardships of job hunting, script seeking, rehearsal and possible failure, with the chances decidedly against the success of his play and the likeli- hood of his going through the same thing all over again, when he can find fame and fortune beckoning to him in the Lotus land of the cinema? Even actors who are honest in their preference for the stage are provided with their own special temptation. Satan, in the person of the talent soout, whispers to them that they can | go to Hollywood for just & short time, make a vast fortune and then have | the opportunity they always have wanted of coming back to the stage | and doing just that classic repertory they have dreamed about. I can remember Mr. Charles Laughton tell- ing me of his great plans to do just that several years ago. Well, he has | the fortune and the liberty, but what has become of the plans? Save in | the rarest of cases, they never come | back. IT IS entirely understandable why the cinema must have more and more new faces to satisfy the Audh\ | ences’ demand. but I suspect it of | | being shortsighted, nevertheless. There is, in fact, the grave danger i e 9TH ST. ABQYE C OPENS 10.30 A W LTHOUGH this has been a season distinguished by excellent acting, it still is true that the problems of casting are growing increasingly usual, cinema is a modern Moloch that lives upon a mighty diet of new ‘people, and it cannot survive without them. cession of new players, because film followers grow tired of the old ones AMUSEMEN W atts, jr. Hollywood is to blame. The It must have a constant suc- that it is slowly getting itself into the predicament of the owner of the goose that laid the golden egg. If they do manage to wreck the stage by taking all of its talent away from it, what are the film people going to do for actors? In the fleld of the glamour girls and the heart-throb boys the problem is not so serious. They can always pick up the Loretta Youngs and the Robert Taylors some- where. But they do need a few players who can act from time to time. There must be some character actors to do the real work of the film. Already they have taken away the previous generation of this important thespian school, burning Hollywood | into a sort of millionaire’s version of the home for veteran actors. But as soon as these boys with the beards, the crape hair and the putty noses die Off there will be no place from uhxch; to recruit any more if the stage has been slain. The screen insists that it | is an acting medium, but it is going to hn\e a fairly tough time prov\ng | TE WHILY HOUSK If the @reeks Had a Word for I, It w Be “COLOSSAL” NOW French Musical Mirthquake ‘THEGODS AT PLAY' TS it if there are no stage players to draw from. It can’t count on getting Gar- bos with any regularity. ESPITE everything, the cinema's raids upon the stage have not yet reached really perilous proportions, When we have in a season such per= formances as have been contributed for example, by Maurice Evans, John Gielgud, Katharine Cornell, Katherine Locke, Peggy Conklin, Lucile Watson, John Halliday, Marta Abba, Henry Travers, Dudley Digges, Whitford Kane, Gertrude Lawrence and Noel Coward, to name a few almost at rane dom, the business of stage acting has not yet shown any serious sign of dying out. But it is a little bit dis- couraging to find that just as soon as & Katherine Locke, a Jules Garfleld or a Flora Campbell appears upon the stage a cinema scout emerges with the irresistible Hollywood bait to offer. In its less wholesale way the stage needs youth as much as the screen does, and it is upsetting to be deprived of it so contmuomly NOWKEIT_H,",S 2w w:sx.. ASTAIRE * ROGERS “SHALL WE DANCE” GERSHWIN'S MUSIC EDWARD EVERETT HORTON ERIC BLORE HARRIETT HOCTOR AND . . the NEW Edition of “The MARCH of TIME” QGoming IOHN BOLES “A8 GOOD AS MARRIED" with DORIS NOLAN A Warner Bros Hit With Emol Fiynn & Mauch Twing N, HALAEWP £ Ok 'Mlh'fl"hhh!fl‘fi! (AMPHITRYON) Wih Henry Garat Jeanne “A mew technique in motion Slcmm—chyth- mie dialogue.” “Nsughty But Nice, Bawdy But Beauti- ful.” Robert Garland, N. Y. American. COMPLETE ENGLISH TITLES WASHINGTON=3 DAYS UNION MARKET, 5th & Florida, N.E. ? ln Illl A Gaumount-British Picture With Open 1:30. 25¢ & 40c ‘ Doors l RIALT W Fields ‘IS A, GIET MON 'MAY crowds, too. Music for dancing on | ness is booming on the coaster dips, the moonlight trips is provided by a the whip, the merry-go-round, the Sidney orchestra, under the direc- | drive-'em-yourself ®notor boats, and | tion of Pianist Sammy Marks, well |all the 50 other different amusgments known aboui town. The moonlight at Glen Echo Park. leaves Seventh and Water streets | = every night at 8:30 o'clock. The ! TUES. MAY WED. MAY to fit the new medium, but it would | “March of Time,” at 2, 4:20, be impossible to say (and sad to 6:45 and 9:05 p.m. believe) that all traces of the origi- | | BELASCO—"The Gods at Play,” SaEned e Meracen i | _at2 4. 5:50, 7:50 and 9:50 p.m. Assuming that Mr. Watts would like | | PALACE—"A Star Is Born,” at to make our rout complete, he might | 2:15, 4:45, 7:10 and 9:35 p.m. @ B0 on and ask us to select another | METROPOLITAN-"Silent Bar- Amusements On the same bill Jan 17 18819 ITA RIO, “the streamlined mis- tress of modern melody,” has brought her all-girl orches- favorite screen actor and actress. In | riers,” at 2, 3:55, 5:30, 7:30 and that case, we would name Burgess 9:40 p.m. ) Meredith and Miriam Hopkins. They, | | €O L UM BIA—"Personal Prop- too, are Hollywood snatches from ;"'-Y- at 2, 4, 5:55, 8 and 10 Broadway. .m., TRANS-LUX—News and shorts. tra to the steamer Potomac | to play for dancing on the moonlight cruise. The eight-day engagement started yesterday. Rita and her daily trips to Mount Vernon, one at " THEATRE PARKING | City of Washington also makes two GA\ ETY BLRLESK Starting Sunday Matinee The Brown-Skin Models Babyle e [ TONIGHT ONLY ROSALMIRA COLOMA, Contralte \ even though we are unable to get but one out of six of our own Hollywood favorites in the non-kid- naped class at the moment, it does not seem that the cinema plants ever would have to close because they could get no more prefabricated material from New York. Pomona College in | Nebraska laid it a considerably more | # golden egg in the shape of Robert Taylor than Broadway ever did. And, | while Mr. Taylor is not precisely what Mr. Watts and all other critics demand, he will make enough money TRANS-LUX THEATRE Latest News Pictures. SHORT SUBJECTS m “ FRAUENHEIM Piano Recital oLy snecrio Pleree Hall, 15th and Harvard Sts. Friday Evening, May 21st, 8:45 All seats reserved—$2.20. $1.65. $1.10 Mrs. Dorsey’s Concert Bureau —___ DROOPS—13th 4 G LOANS 71 years of buying, selling and lendingondiamonds, jewelry, etc. Libera) Loans at Lowest Possible Rates CASH FOR OLD GOLD (Government License) Retail Store 1215 H St. N.W, Established 1866 Show runs 1 hour and 15 min- utes; continuous from 2 p.m. LITTLE—"David Copperfield,” at 2, 4:20, 6:40 and 9:10 p.m. RIALTO—"Be Mine Tonight,” at 3:05, 5:50 and 8:40 pm. “It’s a Gift,” at 2, 4:40, 7:30 and On Washington's Finest and Mest Modern Excursion Steamer “City of Washington” MOONLIGHT Cruhele;lltly l.‘en" 8:30 P, M. unday an 2| 606 Seventy-Five Co:u FREE DANCING Sidney’s Orcnestra—Addea Features MOUNT VERNON Le: lzmrl’ ; only Iifi Marshall Nall Park Opens Sat., May 29th WITH OKLAHOMA ROUND-UP 10 A. Sundays 2 Round 'rrlp 40 ACRES OF MORE THAN FIFTY FINE RECREATION FEATURES AT 1'P. M. DAILY TO MIDNITE FREE ADMISSION AMUSEMENT PARK STREET CARS MARKED CABIN JOHN OR GLEN ECHO IN 40 MINUTES TO ENTRANCE OR USE WEEKLY PASS OR BUY 25¢ R. T. TICKET FROM CONDUCTORS MOTOR STRAIGHT OUT MASS. AVE. IN 20 MIN. TO FREE PARKING LOT AND SPECIAL ENTRANCE TO THE PARK, OR VIA THE CONDUIT ROAD IN 30 MINUTES. Dancing ° STARTING MAY 27 s b ga TO 12 P. M. WEEK NIGHTS wimming . M. to ll“ P. M. FREE PICNIC GROVES OPEN 10 A. M. DAILY Rhythm Girls are known here, having made a stage appearance at one of the local theaters, and recently they 6P.M.TO 35° 1AM. CAPITAL GARAGE 220, %, % Ave TONIGHT AT 8:30 THE MIGHTIEST of all MOTION PICTURES Ctsscves/ ROLL OF HONORS That Have Been Heaped on This Great Hitl —— e READ THEM AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF WHETHER YOU CAN AFFORD TO MISS THIS SUPERB ENTERTAINMENT! _—_— “Picture-making at its finest.” — — — N. Y. Journal “Don’t fail to see ‘Lost Horlzon"."— Chicago Tribune “A cinematic masterplece.”— Philadelphia Inquirer “As inspiring and satisfying as anything we have ever sten on the screen.”— — —N. Y. World-Telegram “Touches a new Hollywood high.”"— Liberty Magazine “Anextraordinarily and completely absorbing film.” =—San Francisco Call-Bulletin [ New, Simultaneously with s Record - B way Run, You Con Ses This Supreme Acl FRANK CAPRA Columbia Pictures is proud to offer RONALD COLMAN n the scrcen presenta: ames Hilian novel LOST HORIZON ESWARD EVERETT MO2TQN A 8 WARNER ML ANE Wty gt FFE THIS PICTURE POSITIVELY CANNOT ANY OTHER LOCAL THEATRE THIS SEASON! Twice Daily (After Sunday)—2:30 and 8:30 All Seats Reserved—Order in Advance s oo JATIONAL 5555 Taz Incl NA. 0501 Sl'xty Sepl'a Stars with PEARL HAUER. AMBASSADOR 18th St & Cel. Mat “THE PRINCE AND PHE PAUPER." Toitn ERRO )!..L FLYNN and MAUCH | S.__Also ACA DEMY © Pertect Sound £ Photeplay G Lawrence Phillips’ Theatre nuumul Continuous From 200 P.M «CRIMINAL TAWYER,” vith LEE TRACY. MARGOT GRAHAME. W GENE AUTRY _in “Round-Up Time in Texas.” ARLINGTON, VA. wlmN on Wilson ASHTON m-leuu Lo MORROW 'WITHERS and ERIC.) NRBER and ANTHONY MARTIN CECILIA le.xlm 3 h'd in "8I FerAGH CHITDREN” 505 7th St. S.W. A§HEEY THUDOSILE T M*IHE HOLY TERKOR.” CAROLINA " tkcts &7 B CIRCLE FRANCINE FBADE B TWOMAN. " DUMBARTON 'S8T wtndlss and ALICE BRADY in “MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.” News and Comedy. FAIRLAWN !}"M‘os'ru > ONEL BAR.RYMOR.E in “A FAMILY A 3227 ri' St. .mm: WITHERS in_ ' Comedsy. Matinee. meDNmMgac'Bon eyt ng NELSON AVALQN 6% G sy *w | Matinee, 2:00 P.M. | SIMONE SIMON and JAMES STEW- AVENUE GRA «u Pa. Ave. SE Li 2406 CAROLE N OMSARD CLARK GABLE | in “NO MAN OF HER OWN CALVERT ° Cleve. 2845 Mlllnn‘ 2:00 JEAN ARTHURS CHARLES BOYER LYY c:usmm' I8 MADE AT NIGH 2324 orisee Ave. Nin Fhrome. Met. 2841 :00 P “MARKED WOM- Also Popeye Short. COLONY % &5 ™ 2 Geo BETTE DAVIB in MARKED WOM- HOME on_and_News. BETTE DAVIE i * AN 5 Penna Ave. N.W. ’wnv. :}?".ARNOLD md TMORE News. Comedy. P.M #ARKED WOM- Also Cartoon and Ne 650 Penna._ Av Line. 2176 RLES BOYER in ne R’ “HISTORY 18 MADE AT NIGHT.' Also News and Short. SAVOY 3030 14ip 8¢ NW. “WE _HAVE OUR MoM‘EN'm SHERIDA G‘u‘v’v’" nFi00 RcBONALD and NELSON EDDY in - MATTAM] Nem T11p 6 8t NE 2:00 P. RETT. NE POWER “LOV] NEWS.” _Also GEORG! S lgN‘lnlds BEATRICI! !wm:a'n! i VENUE WARNER BROS. THEATERS 8244 Gooul- Ave. MatgSilvey, Sering “THE PLAINSMAN 4 GARY COOPER and .mm An’rflu'n, STANTON 5% %258 T s ailne e Continuous From 2 SYLVIA SYDNEY FONDA_in “You o P aReL GENE AUTRY «THE BIG SHOW.” STATF RETHESDA %iosi B@thuflu ERROL FLYNN i “GREEN LIGHT.” Musical Comedy and News. TAKOMA ‘th .F‘ llllgrr:llll Ml. oonunuoun From. 210 DICK POWELL and N 8 BOYER in AHISTORY XSdMADE AT NIGHT.” P.M NALD and NELS MAYT‘KME R MU! in WING. SWING LOW.” Also Cartoon. K Near oth HIPPODROME . Mear ot LORETTA YOUNG an DON AMECHE in “RAMONA.” CAMEQ ™F. RAnTes. oo WILL ROGERS in “AMBASSADOR BILL.” ARCADE PYATTSUILE M. KATHARINE HEPBURN and FRANCHOT TONE in “QUALITY STREET.” RICHMO ALEXANDRIA, Vi Tomorrow-Tues, Frances Langford and Phil Regan in it Parade A VA REED _ AS0RE BING CROSBY and BOB BURNS in “WAIKIKI WEDDING.” MILO o0 Romorio: BARBARA STANWYCK and JOEL McCREA in ALIOE BRADY in “ON THE AVENUE.” Selected Short Bubjects. FALLS CHURCH, VA. STATE NO_PARKING RRIES wol TOMORROW LIVIA BE. HAVIL- ) D, end IAN A BAYS | MBLOBY OF 1036." JESSE THEATER '*&i.2 43 “THE KING AND THE CHORUS GIRL,” FERNAND_GRAVET. and JOAN BLONDELL. Wu and R L Ave. N.W. “THE HOLY TERROR,” ‘WITHERS. Also «¥OU "CAR'T GET AWAY WITH IT.” m DIRECTION OF SIDNEY LUST LL NEW THIS YEAR X [ 1ot The s Colossal New Specuacle INDIA GIGANTIC HOST OF CIRCUS WIZARDS | NEVER BEFORE ON THIS CONTINENT Cel. Tim A& Wow Leagth RAILROAD CARS LOADED WITH WONDERS FROM EVERY LAND wice Daily - 22 8 P. M. m DOORS OPEN 1 & 7 P. M. at American Auto ursh & Bro. Dept. May 16, “at’ yellow Tickets mow on Association and La Store. and Sunda MOONLIGHT CRUISES NIGHTLY STEAMER POTOMAC ¥ ¥ ¥ RITA RIO |\ and her 15 talented RHYTHM GIRLS This all-st; girl erchestra for 7 more Enlarged dance er system. Re- freshment bar. Dining room. 8:45 TONTE Anp o EVERY NIGHT FREE DANCING 60C sidays, 756 FREE PARKING SUNDAY CRUISE TO QUANTICO wi'h RI!. Rio! Leave 2 —Back Bebenetar 35 e Free Dancing Adults 75¢—Children 33 Phone Dist. 5611 "$P200040000100000040¢0800)0 POTOMAC RIVER LINE PALMTHEATER >™+E*™ “TEORY g “INTERNES CAN'T TAKE-MONEY.” Tth & Water Sts. SW. * NEXT MONDAY TO &fl/ THURSDAY inelusive / See entrants in M.C-M voice and screen test making actual movies. ON THE STAGE SIBYL BOWAN COLLINS & PETERSON 3 ARLEYS Fridoy— IN PERSON PAUL WHITEMAN and his ORCHESTRA Screen, WALLACE BEERY in “GOOD OLD SOAK" JARET GAVROR LRLORIC HCHI[L‘DLM FRIDAY First popular-priced showing NORMA SHEARER LESLIE HOWARD “Romeo and Juliet”