New Britain Herald Newspaper, December 23, 1922, Page 5

FOX HAS WES BARRY IN HIS BEST DRAMA “Heroes of the Street” Opens Mon.~Harry Carey Last of Week Wesley Barry, the lad of the many emiles and freckles that won't come off, or vice versa, 18 announced for an appearance at the Kox theater on Monday, Tuesday ang' Wednesday of next week, where he will be seen in his latest 'picture, “Heroes of the Btree! One of the vaudeville attractions Monday will be “The Three Mast Sis- ters,” one of the best juvenile musical and novelty acts obtainable, For the last half of the week two speclal at- tractions will be Pot Pourrl, a dazzl- ing vaudeville sketch ‘including about everything Imaginable, and Seymour's Happy Family," one of the biggest and neatest animal acts on the east- ern vaudeville circuit, For Christmas eve this theater of- ‘ers Alice Calhoun in “Rainbow” and John Gilbert in “The Love Gambler,” while the management also announces an early showing of several new high including “Bull- eserted at the Altar,” “Silver Wings" (Mary Carr's greatest picture) and “My Friend, the Devil” (from the novél ‘“Doctor Rameau”) Harry Carey in “Good Men and True" is next Thursday, Friday and Saturday features. An alluring vaudeville program will accompany the showing of Freckles Barry in “Heroes of the Street.”” In this production, Kreckles is seen as a plucky boy whose bravery helps him to do things at which his grown-up superiors fail. He is cast in a role that gives him an opportunity to show & slde of him that has not been call- ed out in his other pictuges, {'Pen- rod,” “School Days” and “Rags to Riches.” In these he was simply a rollicking youngster; here he is that and more. . Humor and pathos are persuasively blended in telling the story of Mickey Callahan, very much Irish and showing it in his fistic en- counters with the other youngsters. He handles them all, one at a time, but when they come too fast his bull pup, Camisole, is always ready to an- swer an 8 O 8. In the midst of his checkered boyish career, his father, policeman, is slain, whereupon Mickey becomes a serious lad and starts out to find the murderer and avenge his father's death. A tender love theme is cleverly interwoven, the fair young damsel being the vivacious Marie Pre- vost. Out of the welter of mediocre west- ern pictures comes this positively amazing thriller *“Good Men and True,” with Harry Carey. In it Carey appears as a two-fisted cowboy who fought his way through the fires of fate. 403 THEATERS JOIN AGAINST ARBUGHLE Eastern Penn,,: New Jeresy and Dela. Put Up Bats Philadelphia, Dec. 23.—Motion pic- ture exhibitors of eastern Pennsyl- vania, New Jersey and Delaware to- day prohibited the showing of atty"” Arbuckle films in their 403 theaters “‘until the public wants him back.' The exhibitors’ association met to- day to consider what course it should pursue relative to the Arbuckle pic- tures. Will Hayes' recent permission for Arbuckle to return to the films was attended by such a storm of pro- test from newsepapers and public in all parts of the country that the ex- hibitors were at a loss what to do. But there misgivings were set at rest today. Michael J. O'Toole, city chairman of the public service com- mittee of the Motion Picture Theater owners of America, representing 12,- 000 theaters, presented the case of the public against Arbuckle so ef- fectively that the decision to prohibit the pletures was quick and unani- mous. Blockade is Unanimous Despite the additional permission of Harry L. Knapp, president. of .the State Board of Censors, to exhibit the films, the association adopted a reso- lution declaring: ¥ “Resolved, That we stand against the return of Arbuckle to the screen until the public wants him back.” It was first resolved that the “Fatty” films be entirely banned. But some exhibitor saw a flaw in that. He protested and proposed an ‘amendd ment. It was that the films be cut out only until public opinion should change. “Will Hays has repeatedly declared his purpose to dignify the screen,” said Mr. O'Toole. ‘“The present ques- tion before the house is whether his act in readmitting Arbuckle to the fllms is destined to advance the moral and material welfare of the United States.” Mr, O'Toole then read clippings and telegrams agalinst”Arbuckle. Boston Will Deliberate Boston, Dec. 23.—Col. " Alfred E. Foote, commissioner of public safety, who has the say so on Sunday film display in the state, declares no Ar- buckle fiims will be permitted in Mas- sachusetts on Sundays. New Year’s Eve Show Is Planned at Lyceum Tomorrow, Sunday night, the Lyceum theater will present an ex- cellent double feature picture pro- gram, starring Will "Rogers in “One Glorious 'Day,” and Joseph Vance's great mystery drama “The Bronze Bell.” o The big plctures for next week are for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday “Me and My Gal,” featuring Betty Balfour. ¥or Thursday, Friday and Saturday Marjorie Daw will be starred in "“The Lying Truth,” a sensational story of political intrigue and its expose; a mystery drama that proves circum- stantial evidence is not always correct .Beginning Monday, there will again be six big time vaudeville acts at each newspaper protgsting NEW. BRITAIN DAILY HERALD, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1922, DAILY FASHION SERVICE. Right Way To Rest Is To Dress Accordingly Lelsure is a state of mind., It's in- duced in any woman by tea, an open fire, candlelight and a new tea gown. The new tea gown's the one abso- lute essential. All the shops are offering negligees or the fabrics from which they're made, in thg not unreasonable hope of holiday business, So attractive is the idea of leisure trat this apparel conjures up as to make althost any woman invest in such raiment. She'll even buy a leunging robe for her husband in order to be comfortably, lelsurely her- self, Most of the ‘models favored are of chiffon velvet, lined with brilliant silks which flash into sight as sleeve linings. Others are brocaded crepe de chine, Moufflon is the preferred trimming, with Paisley silks and velvets a close second. The woman who likes frills will find entrancing affairs of billowy lace jand sheer ruffles, delicately framing her chin, —— e - performance, featuring everything that s bes 3 On Sunday evening, December 31, the Lyceum plays a New Year's eve frolic and will give a midnight show of exclusive vaudeville features, en- hanced by local novelty stunts. Re- crved seats are now on sale. The show will begin promptly at 12:01 o'clock, O'BRIEN'S MINSTRELS First Road Show of Season Pleases N. B. Andinence (By Herald Reviewer.) An exceptional group of perform- ers, songsters, dancers and funmak- ers easily sums up the good qualities of the Neil O'Brien minstrel troupe which played to a good sized and de- dedly appreciative audience at the Lyceum. theater last evening. The show was 100 per cent entertaining from the rise of the curtain on the traditional first part, to the grand finale. Musical and dancing numbers were applauded: until it was necessary for the' performers to respond to three and four encores. Fred Miller, the eccentric acrobatic dancer was without doubt the hit of the evening. He stopped the show in the third scene with his dancing which was quite extraordinary ‘and different than from what has been seen on any New Britain stage in some time. Jack (Smoke) Gray provided most of the fun although he was ably as- sisted at various times by Jay Clay, Frank Quinn, Tommy Wiggins, Roy Francis, Fred Miller, Stephen Ondeck and James Overholt. Gray was a riot and brought forth volumes of ap- plause from the audience with his comedy singing and dancing bit in the first part. An unbilled soprano possessed a voice which could be heard above the unison voices of the chorus. He scor- ed, however, in the singing of an un- billéd ballad at the opening of the sketch called “In the Days of Old.” This sketch consisted of songs and dances familiar to early day minstrel patrons which were quite pleasant to hear and see. An unusual incident occurred last evening, inasmuch as it is very, very seldom done in New Britain, when the Q.ndience applauded the opening scene of the fourth act. There were many beautiful scenes staged during the show which are worthy of note. This is especially true of the old colonial garden scene and the everglades in the south. The accompanying orchestra music was all that could be desired and all in all the Neil O'Brien minstrels was a fitting show to open the road pro- duction season in New Britain. BIG ATTRACTIONS T0 SHOW AT PARSONS “Liliom,” Hungarian Fantasy, Ghristmas Offering When Franz Molnar, way off in his garret work room in Hungary wrote “Liliom” some twelve or more years ago he little thought that it ever would become the standard of ' the theater in America, and if you had told him so, he undoubtedly wauld have told you in the plainest language at his command (and after seeing Allom,” for you will see ‘Liliom" for everyone does, you will know that his command of language is not in- fantile) that you were crazy. For Molnar wrote this glorious comming- ling of delicate fantasy and cruel real- ism, becavse he had to write it, it was in his soul and it had to come out but to believe that it ever would be a financial success in a foreign country was something that never entered his brilliant mind. Produced by the Theater Guild “Lillom” because of the very human- ness of its theme was an overnight hit, and after running in New York for many months is repeating its tri- umph on tour, and the Parsons the- ater, Hartford, is luckily included in matinee on Wednesday. Winchell Smith fs' responsible for the direction and staging of “Polly Preferred” which will have its pre- miere on the stage in Parsons' the- ater on.Thursday evening, December twenty-eighth. This new comedy by Guy ‘Bolton, will be offerdd to Hart- ford theatergoers by F. Ray Com- stock and Morris Gest for three eve- nings and a matinee prior to its in- troduction to New York audiences at the Little theater beginning on Janu- ary first. For the leading role in this newest comedy Mr, Smith has select- ed Genevieve Tobin who last year cre- ated a sensation in “Little Old New York.” In “Polly Preferred” Miss Tobin finds a role fitting her like the proverbial glove, and one in which she should meet with another tri- umgh. Chief in her support will be William Harrigan and Thomas Ross, both sterling artists who have been assoclated with many Broadway suc- cesses, An excellent musical attraction is promised for Parsons Theater, Hart- ford, for the first three days of the new year: Mr, Lew Cantor will pre- sent for the first time irf this city his new musical rainbow entitled “Sun Showers,” the cast is a lengthy one comprising many artists of note. Amongst the headliners may be men- tioned Harry Delf, the featured come- dian and dancer, well knowr for his prominence in “The Rainbow Girl,” Geo. M. Cohan's Revues, and *Jim- my"”; Ryan and Lee, the well known comics and headliners of the Keith circuit; Kathlene Martyn of Ziegfeld fame, and many others too numerous to mention. Freddie Miller, ’m offered some of the best dancing” bits seen in New Britain in some time, at the Lyceum theater last evening with the Neil O’Brien’s minstrel troupe is a Meriden lad and was tendered quite a recep- tion when the show played in that city last week Thursday at the Com- munity theater. LYCEUM Where Everybody Goes Sat, Continuous 1—11 25—IN COMPANY—25 MUSICAL COMEDY ANGEL CHILD Mon.—Tues.—Wed. BIG ACTS 6 VAUDEVILLE CONTINUOUS MON. 1-11 “ME AND MY GAL” with BETTY BALFOUR Sunday Night “ONE.GLORIOUS DAY” “THE BRONZE BELL” | magazine and threading the machine it, for “Liliom” comes Christmas night | |for the first half of the week with a | A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE A PAGEANT-PANTOMIME “AT THE DOOR OF THE INN”- CHRISTMAS CAROLS AND OTHER MUSIC BY QUARTET, CHORUS AND ORGAN SOUTH CHURCH — SUNDAY EVENING, 7:30 THE PUBLIC MOST CORDIALLY INVITED MOVING PICTURE OPERATING MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT SEEMS TO BE 80 that the film rests betweer two guide rollers.. It is then run into a lower magazine from which it is later taken and rewound only to be placed back in the upper magazinue for an- other showing. ’ The lens as well as the distance of the machine from the stage regulates the size of the picture on the screen. It the machine is on the third floor( it is' considered best by many man- agers to have a slanting screen such as is the case at the local Fox and Lyceum theaters. After the machine has'been thread- td everything is ready for the opera- tor to)take a final look at his lights and then start the motor which in turn starts the machine in motion, In case of a break, it is necessary to thread the machine all over again, and‘breaks are not seen by. the oper- ator unless he is watching the picture on the screen, as he is supposed to do. There isino means of detecting a bredk within the booth. Underneath the bottom magazine of the moving picture machine there is a motor which operates the ma- chine and continually brings down the/ film, There is also an the ma- chine a lever with which to frame the picture when it is ‘out of place. 1,00 Feet in 14 Minutes Approximately 1,000 feet - of film pass by the lens every 14 minutes and if an operator desires to run his ma- chine at a lower rate of speed he would have to do it by hand. In the modern up-to-date booths, which are of asbestos, there are two { machines as well as a single and much smaller machine upon which the films are rewound after having passed through the larger machines. The operator also patches and bad places in the films. This is done after the first showing with the help of the “reel boy” who is an assistant to the operator, No match, fire or open light is per- mitted in the booth while' the publi¢ is on or has access to the premises and no film other than that on the projecting machine or on the rewind- er is allowed to be exposed in the booth at any time, Operators Must Watch Pic- tures on Screen From Booth as Well as the Au- dience From the. Seats, Of the thousands upon thousands of New Britain people who attend the movies during the course of a week there are perhaps a very few who understand or appreciate the work of the operator of the moving picture machine in" the hot asbestos booth way back In a remote section of the theater. His job, for it is really not a posi- tion, is not by any Ineans a pleasant one And it requires a good deal of pa- tlence as well as experience and abili- ty. The operator must be alert, must always have his eyes open for mis- takes which might occur and is re- quired to watch the picture on the screen as well as the audience so that he might detect any breaks in the film. His First Task The first thing a moving picture operator has to do when he comes to the theater is to look over his reels and see if they are wound properly. He is then required to clean the lens on his machine and must do this be- fore each performance, He also cleans the two condensers and then takes a look at the two carbons. The upper carbon is usually seven eights of an inch in diameter and the lower carbon three eights of an inch. The placing of the film in the top which is much similar to the process of threading a sewing machine, is the next process. | The machine is ‘“threaded” by bringing the film down from ‘the up- per magazine under the large roller in front of the top sprocket and up over the sprocket, closing the top idler bracket ‘down on the film. The film is then carried down across the aper- ture and engage -sprocket holes with teeth of intermittent sprocket, .the operator forming an upper loop of about six inches with the indéx finger of the right hand, while closing down the intermittent idler bracket with the left hand. The gate is then closed FOX'S Tuesday Wednesday SPECIAL HOLIDAY PROGRAM Direct From Strand Theater, New York First Showing in the State of Connecticut Wesley Barry -l — Heros of the Street From the novel by Lem Parker. A picture that will make you chuckle and roar, weep and sympathize. The kind of a picture you have often wished for but seldom see. “Freckles” Barry in a picture that will linger long in your memory. One of the largest - farms in the world, said to be in Mexico, includes 8,000,000 acres of fertile land. » Monday EXCELLENT VAUDEVILLE featuring Heroes of the Street The Best Juvenile Act in Vaudeville Thursday Friday Saturday HARRY CAREY bt — in — GOOD MEN AND TRUE. “POT POURRI” Special scenery—a surprise “SEYMOUR’S HAPPY FAMILY” A Wonderful Animal Act. Kenneth Harlan for ohe season leading man with the Lyceum play- ers at the Lyceum theater in this city, has signed a contract to appear in Preferred Pictures. In “The Beauti- ful and the Damned,” an F., Scott Iitzgerald story which has been read by several of the local High school students, Harlan is taking the role of Anthony Patch, the lg¢ading charac- ter. The release date of this picture will be watched with interest locally. Because of the pour service on the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad company lines, the Nell O'Brien show was not able to give a matinee yesterday. The baggage and scenery was late in arriving, Miss Adeline Ohman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. 8. Ohman of 407 Park street is studyinz music in New York city. Miss Ohman is a cousin to Fillmore Ohman, the accomplished musician appearing with Paul White- man's orchestra in (feorge White's Scandals of 1922, ___INCORPORATED Wishes You All A Merry )?mas £ Our Inventory Sale Starts Tuesday Morning P ARSONS sartroro Christmas Attraction, Dec, 25, 26, 27 Only Matinee Wednesday The Greatest of All Theater Guild Successes ?f " -~ LILIOM With - Joseph Schildkraut and Eva Le Gallienne -} i New York Cast and Production Eves. 50c to $2. Wed. Mat. 50¢c to $1.50 Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Dec. 28, 29, 30 Matinee Saturday Comstock & Gest Present “Polly Preferred” Under the Personal Supervision of WINCHELL SMITH With Genevieve Tobin and Noteworthy Cast Eves. 50c to $2.00 Sat. Mat. 50c to $1.50 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2, 3 Lew Cantor Offers ~ “SUN SHOWERS”| A Musical Rainbow With HARRY DELF and Metropolitan Cast of Players SINGING DANCING