Evening Star Newspaper, April 26, 1940, Page 16

AMUSEMENTS. Something Must Be Done About Press Parties This One Produces No News at All, Just Some Amiable People With Whom One Chats By JAY CARMODY. Something really will have to what, we don’t know. A good earthquake, maybe, or a flood, or perhaps a case of love at first sight between an ass{stant critic and an incipient star. Anything that will provide a versation, the soft gurgle of ginger ale, will do. Until something of the sort comes along, press parties are of news than the western front.- They will go on being simply pleasant affairs at which the lamb- like press sits down with the : screen nothing much happens. This medita- tion on the no- news-today as- pects of press parties is the result of the one given yesterday afternoon at the Carlton for the 3 carload of cin- ema celebrities ~ Jay Carmody. which became the Capitol Theater’s stage attraction today. The visitors, including Bela Lugesi, Marjorie ‘Weaver, Vivien Fay, Betty Jaynes, Douglas McPhail, Arthur Treacher, Walter Long and Helen Parrish, were famous or lovely, or both. The hors d'ouvres, from Frank Swadley's hors d'ouvres cache, were excellent. The ice, and the liquids with which it was decorated, was perfect. So every one sat around and munqhed and gulped, had a pleasant time, and then went back to his type- writer a pair of empty hands. * k X K . Nearest thing to something to write about which this department ran across was the moment in which every one started showing every one else pictures of his, or her baby. Betty Jaynes and Douglas MacPhail, who are Mr. and Mrs. MacPhail on their calling cards, started it. The MacPhail infant’s photo brought out the Gene Fords’ infant’s photo, and some man with a 4-year-old daughter produced a snap of her. Every one oh'd and ah'd the proper amount, including those among the guests having children, were too lacking in foresight to provide themselves with suitable photographs for participation in the game. * ¥ Xk X Necessarily discarded was the idea that maybe their long and busy road tour had done something to the Hollywood traveler. With the zeal of a man who desperately needs something to make a Friday column, this department—to a man ~—scanned the faces of Miss Weaver, Miss Fay, Miss Parrish, etc., for a sudden resemblance to an old faded tea rose. Not a sign was apparent. ‘They looked like so many kids from boarding schools, instead of a col- lection of celebrities fresh (or un- fresh) from five shows a day. * % ok x Even the corny idea of asking Mrs. Lugosi who was boss in the Lugosi menage proved futile. The Dracula man, as harmless looking | as the Potomac in June, turns out to be a fellow who lives in a home which has no boss—unless perhaps it is the Lugosi baby, who is now | 21, years old. Mr. Lugosi’s voca- tion may be horrifying people who €0 to movies, but his avccation is | collecting objects d’art and listening | to good music. | He didn’t frighten us a bit. * ok %k X A nice, comfortable person to set- tle down with in a pair of Mr. Swad- who had no children, or,! be done about press parties. Just variant to the caviar, amiable con- likely to prove no more productive idea that something might happen to make a story—is Miss Fay. In spite of the fact that she is in the movies now, and thinks highly of the movies, she has not recovered from an acute attack of being stage struck. Any time any producer wants a ballerina, who was such a bright and excellent ballerina in “The Great Waltz,” Miss Fay inti- mates that she would be available. Miss Fay turns out to be a person with a nice warm spot in her heart for Washington. - Not illogically, either, for it was here that a Holly- wood talent scout scouted Miss Fay at the National. The movie scdut, pretty much in the plight of a col- umnist looking for news at a press party, was harassing his locai friends to save him from that fate. One of them all of a sudden remem- ‘bered M#ss Fay, sent the scout to the National. There the scout dis- covered Miss Fay had already been discovered and was fresh from “A Day at the Races.” But it was a good idea. * ok ok X About the only other thing we learned was'that Miss Weaver, who is as pretty as a Kentucky girl is supposed to be, is going to become the sweetheart of Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity, American U. and other local chapters, tonight at a dance at Hotel 2400. Chance there for some one to write a song called “Sweetheart of Phi Sigma Kappa.” * ok ok % 5 Oh, yes, and Lyle O'Rourke was there. * ok ok X Those will be noble footsteps in which Lansing Hall and Morris Arkin follow in “At Mrs. Beam’s,” | Civic Theater’s next attraction, | opening at Wardman Theater, May | 6 . . . The original roles were cre- | ated by Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fon- | tanne . . . Today’s statistic: When Twentieth Century-Fox was look- ing for a stand-in for Charlotte Greenwood, it forlornly specified | that it should be a girl, blond and | with legs 43!, inches long . . . It| | didn’t expect really to find one | | but, by gosh, it did, according to | the publicity department, which | makes the thing sound sort of like a miracle. | . | Blackfriars Stage € > & £l Nothing Begins | “Nothing Begins,” three act play | 5y Rev. Brenden Larnen, O. P., M. A, will be previewed by the subscribing | members of the Blackfriars Guild and their guests in the Guild's| | Little Theater at 2115 Fifteenth stree N.W,, Sunday at 8 p.m. | Included in the cast of this story |of New York tenement life are | Margaret Stack, Gertrude Heagney, | Frank Keene, Barbara Van Wall, Karl Hess, Carol Rogers, Bette Bul- lock, Rita McGarry and Eleanore Mitchell. ‘The play is under the direction of Rev. Larnen, who has taught play writing at Dumbarton College and Catholic University and au- thored memy plays. He also edits a theater cciumn for the Holy Name Journal. Rev. Larnen most recently ley’s comfortable chairs—after, of course, one has given up on the AMUSEMENTS. directed “Shadow and Substance” for the Blackfriars. __ AMUSEMENTS. 2 John Wayne & Claire Trevor in “DARK COMMAND™ 4 Dorothy Lameur & Robert Preston in “TYPHOON" 6 Bette Davis & Charles in “ALL THIS AND HEAVEN T00" Coming Immediate Hits of Our MERRY-MONTH-OF-MAY HIT PARADE 3 John Garfield & Ame Shirley in “SATURDAY'S CHILOREN" § James Cagney & Amn Sheridan in “TORRID ZONE" Boyer 1st Hit May Hit Parade 's a plain case of heart |t‘rguh\g with n_u\rage(:us comedy complications: oretta R VUG ML in the Columbia Reginald GARDNER Gail PATRICK Seventeen Jackie's Irfib}(fo:ggd never been ki JACKIE Coppep. Sey o om,fi:mfl‘l!!u Warner Bres, EARLE TODAY 60 Entertainers On Stage 2nd EDITION GENTLEMEN BE SEATED AN White Cast o Enertig GUS VAN 2 hieoctyy = Charles “‘Sjm TIHBLIN * ogiy 5 And in the Circle Y SMECK ( ed . ., You'll Laugh and Screaanl:!t JOPER - BETTY Fietg HE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1940. A MAN OF COMPOSURE—Turning the tables here hasn’t seemed to work at all. Marjorie Weaver works herself up into quite a fright, but Bela Lugosi, that expert on scaring people, just grins at her. Where and When Current Theater Attractions and Time of Showing National—“There Shall Be No Night,” new Robert E. Sherwood play, with the Lunts: 8:30 p.m. Palace — “Strange Cargo,” with Clarke Gable and Joan Crawford: 11:15 am., 1:45, 4:25, 6:55 and 9:35 pm. Earle—“The Doctor Takes a Wife,” comedy d’'mour: 11 am., 1:35, 4:20 7:10 and 10 pm. Stage shows 3:25, 6:15 and 9:05 p.m. Capitol — ‘“Johnny Apollo,” T. Power visits the ganglands: 10:45 am, 1:40, 4:25, 7:10 and 10:05 p.m. Stage shows: 12:45, 3:30, 6:15 and 9:10 p.m. Columbia — “Grapes of Wrath,” screen translation of the Steinbeck novel: 11:15 a.m.,, 1:55, 4:25, 6:55 and 9:35 pm. Keith's—“It's a Date,” the new Deanna Durbin adventure: am., 1:45, 4:20, 6:55 and 9:30 p.m. “March of Time": 1:25, 4, 6:35 and 9:10 pm. Metropolitan — “Seventeen,” film version of the Booth Tarkington story: 11 am, 1:10, 3:20, 5:20, 7:30 and 9:40 p.m. Little—Scarface,” revival of the Muni hit: 11 a.m., 12:45, 2:35, 4:20, 6:10, 7:55 and 9:45 p.m. Belasco—“Ecstasy,” at 11 am, 12:30, 2, 3:30, 5, 6:40, 8:10 and 9:40 pm. Trans-Lux—News and shorts; con- tinuous from 10 am. Open-Air—“The Human Monster,” with Bela Lugosi: 8:15 and 10:35 p.m. Basso Is Soloist Anatole Grosheff, basso, will be the soloist at Ladies’ Night of Congress Lodge tonight in the Dragon Room of Wardman Park Hotel. 'DANCING. in_the Romantic Atmosphere of the Canellis Baliroom Tues.-Fri.-Sat., 9-12 Private Lessons by Appointment. Rates lower than ever before! . Find out how littie it costs now to learn to Dance from experienced teachers in the AIR-CONDITIONED Canellis Dance Studies 324 11th St. N.W. District 1633, n' o9 TYRONE 11:15 | Lonny Wilfong, with Paul Kain and his orchestra, week nights at Glen Echo’s beauti- ful Spanish garden ballroom. Lonny plays trumpet and does all the arranging for the orchestra. School Operetta The operetta, “The Magic Bean- | stalk,” will be presented tonight at | 8 o'clock in the auditortum of John | Quincy Adams School. The cast| includes Peyton Conway, Skippy Crissman, Peggy Porter, Jean and Marjorie Simmons, Ann Schwartz, Joseph Kaspar, Saul Phillips and Calhoun Pittman, the announcer. The scenery for the play, which is being directed by Miss Estelle Gil- christ, with Mrs. Mary Allman in charge of the rhythm band, has been | constructed and painted in the work- shop of the school by the children themselves. AMUSEMENTS. The TODAY! John Steinbeck’s k! w\.\*( W POWER DOROTHY LAM e with EDWARD ARNOLD « Charley Grapewin . ART OUR thES' inging Sweethearts of % "Svlnlsl::z:;‘fig“ a:d “Babes in Arms' LLOYD NOLAN Lionel Atwill IS BROWN —Star Staff Photo. ‘Yankee Doodle Boy’ Back Sunday Night “Yankee Doodle Boy,” the musical comedy which gave George M. Co- han his “greatest night in the American theater” will be revived by Catholic University’'s Harlequins for six performances, starting Sun- day and continuing through Friday evening at the Catholic University Theater. “Yankee Doodle Boy” is based upon the life of Mr. Cohan, and the Harlequins, with the veteran song- and-dance man'’s blessing, first pre- sented it before four soldout houses last December. It is expected that Cohan, who is appearing at the National Theater next week in “The Return of the Vagabond,” will be present at the opening night of the revival, Using 22 of Cohan's own songs, “Yankee Doodle Boy” tells in 18 scenes the story of Cohan's 61 years—from his birth in the classic thespian manner, in a theatrical trunk backstage, through his early failures and successes to his present eminence. When Cohan first saw the production last December, he said, “This is the greatest night in the American theater as far as I am concerned.” The book for “Yankee Doodle Boy” is the work of Walter Kerr and Leo Brady. Kerr, who got the | idea for the show from some old Cohan songs he found in his moth- er’s trunk, is a young instructor in the speech and drama department at Catholic University. _ THEATER 9th at Penn, Ave. Friday Eve, Sat. and Sun. "3OPPoN3 '193?‘11" Outstanding Jewish M Continuous 2 to 11. 35¢ t Joads are back to jolt you out of your seats! “The GRAPES of WRATH' A MUST on every movie list! CorLsimnBIA DOUGLAS MecPHAIL ON HAND TODAY, TOO! Dance Playhouse Repeats Concert The dance coficert presented last Sunday by the Dance Playhouse Group met with such notable suc- cess that it will be repeated next Sunday evening at 8:30 o'clock in the Daace Playhouse, 1742 Church street N.W, The program remains unchanged and includes four dances widely varied in thematic inspiration, choreographic structure and music composition. “Curtain Raiser,” cre- ated by Director Evelyn Davis to music by Frances Brunt, opens the concert. This gay dance is followed by a solo dance featuring Miss Davis—a satire of three ages, “Six, Sixteen and Sixty”—set to music of Gossec, Kreisler and Jacobi. Next is a dance designed by Elizabeth Burtner, member of the group, in collaboration with Miss Davis, with music by Miss Brunt. AMUSEMENTS. HEDY LAMARR * 11 & m. Continuous 250 wntil | p. m 350 watil § p. m, 88e until closing Coming! “LIGHTS ouT IN EUROPE” AMUSEMENTS, The most impressive dance of the program closes the concert. It is the “Penitente Suite,” in five move- ments, designed by Miss Davis to music composed by Charles Mag- nan, in which the secret rites of the penitente cult, now existing in the Southwest, and the penitentes’ re- enactment of the crucifixion are cepicted. AMUSEMENTS, ATHONAL TONIGHT AT 8:30 Next Mat. T'm’r. at 2:30 LUNT- FouTANNE NT- FONT i« ROBERT E. . THERE SHALL BE RO NIGHT Woek Bog. Noxt Mon. weda’sae, ~—Prior to New York— George M. Cohan in “THE RETURN OF THE VAGABOND”’ HIS SECOND VISIT TO THE TAVEEN Direction by Sam Forrest Eves. $1.10, $1. 20, $2.35, $3.30. Mats. 85¢, $1.10, $1.65, $2.20 (Tax Incl.) —SEATS NOW— B B R AR AT LOEW’S AMUSEMENTS. —___AwusEMENTS. w KEITH'S™: . ....WALT DISNEY'S *“The RIVETER "with DONALD DUCK o Gnd . ... the latest edition of The MARCH of TIME Couiny..GINGER ROGERS ausd/ JOEL McCREA «\\The Primrose Path’’ THEATRE I Rlfls-fiu Hanshnw, NEW WAR FRONT PIX : TROJAN HORSE PLOT : ARGENTINA SPORTS : CARTOON. 15 SHORT SUBJECTS siuecten MORE THAN 50 FEA AND THE NEW THRILLER “Flying Scooter” EVERY DAY 1 TO 12 P.M. [FREE ADMISSION ] GLEN ECHO PIENIE CROVES Open 10 . DANCING WEEK NIGHTS 9 TO 12 P.M. PAUL KAIN & ORCHESTRA