The evening world. Newspaper, May 20, 1922, Page 12

| _* "As for that boy \Eliiott, —————. Theatrical Ne “legit” is noteworthy. Attention bi coming of the Nugents in “Kemp: two-n-day. Now, it is not altogether unlikely that this worthy enterprise had its Inspiration in the heartening exper!- - ence of Frank Bacon. He grew gray in vaudeville, most of the time giving the sketch finally elaborated into the play “Lightnin’” that has become one of the most valuable pleces of prop- erty in the theatrical world. Bacon, Mike the Nugents, made bis work @ family affair, and probably never re- garded it as a picnic. Now and then, _by way of variety, he would get an “old man” part in a play and give the women of his family a chatice to do @ little mending, But the Inevi- table reunion would take place in the same old sketch, with the same old State line dividing the same old hotel. Although Frank Bacon must have oot wick and tired of the thing, he kept on improving and enlarging it ‘intil it was a full-sized play. Then he took it to Winchell Smith. That expert craftsman both nodded and shook his head. At the end of a try- ing season, with sickness in the fam- ily and debts piling up, Bacon found Dimself in Los Angeles. He wanted to stay there through the simmer, so he took his only possession to the jocal market and sold it for less than it now brings him in a single week. The motion picture man bought the play outright, with the agreement that it should be his next production A few days later the idle author learned from a local paper that Win- chell Smith was in town, and he ambled over to his hotel. The mo- ment Smith heard what had happened he cried: “Get that play back at any price! I'm going to produce It.” Bacon accordingly jogged out to the studio wondering how in Hollywood he could manage the dificult busi- ness. laicklly, the movie gentleman at ‘once relieved bis anxiety by apologetically that he would obliged to produce another plece b fore he could get to “Lightnin, whereupon Bacon nonchalantly re- ‘marked, “Oh, very well, I'll take it off your hands.” An houe afterward “smith had the manuacript locked in his trunk. zs ‘ 18 fabulous tale is doubtless an Tres story to J. C. with his son El “Kempy.” He may have pondered over tt many a time before putting ‘*Kempy” into three-act shape. Mo: than once, perhaps, he swept aside argument tn the family council with nothing more thao “look at Frank Bacon!" 4 ’* At sight the elder Nugent might readily be taken for a man of de- cision. On the stage, at any rate, he has authority, or, if you like, poise. He never hurries, and he acts ax “though he knows what he |s doing. Only a man who is sure of himself s¢an wear Lis hat in the house, e: pecially when there are women ground, You feel he has his family well {n hand he pram- iaes to go a long way on the stage. Kirst of all, he has the ingratiating pane of youth. He has, too, an eager freshness rare in the theatre, a fresh- ness wholly unlike that of the adver- “Aising ageat he played in “Pulcey” without making any particular im- kid's clever—there ake about that—while is to suburban comedy the father Denman Thompson was to the wheat farkn play. Y the way, what has become of our rural drama? It seems to have been utterly forsaken, if ‘mot forgotten, like an old weather- eaten house with gaping windows and broken shingles. Perhaps it has been deserted as hokum - Yisive word might sum up Homestead,"’ dear as it was to our hearts. But where in ‘“Mhore Acres,’ for auether example, could you find any hokum? There was one of the best American plays ever written. Such plays are not written to-day, possibly because our playwrights know ee WE'RE SORRY! Loney Haskell, he’s got a mad on us. He says so, right out in a letter sent {rom the Friars’ Club too. It seems that Loney, while glancing ever Screenings Thursday, read a yace-horse story which was credited io Doug Fairbanks and which, in re ality, Loney says he told first, * “I told the Morvich story Sunday night, May 14," writes Loney, “and pow I will be accused of plifertng the ‘story from your column, And it will “become public property and others wil the story, claiming it is not omine, We're truly sorry, Loney, old man! md we mean it, Had we heard you “tell the yarn we should most certainly ehuve placed the credit where you say At is due. We are, however, informed by a friend who ran & column when Peruna ‘was a vogue that the Morvich story, other names, of course, was one TURNING ON THE SPOTLIGHT BY CHARLES DARNTON . CCASIONALLY the stage gets something more than song-and-dance from vaudeville, perhaps a play, possibly an actor, maybe Voth. Vaudeville performers in revues and musical comedies are as fam- iar, of course, as ticket speculators in first-night audiences. gain been drawn to it this week by the after plodding along for years In the try life. is about their limit. fastidiou from the old oaken bucket on the green. home. How changed! the old WELL Tve Gor A DOLLAR AN car FARE -I OUGHTA GET & GooD MEAL IN HERE FoR A ws and Gossip Only the nothing and care nothing about coun- Long Island or Westchester They are pecu- larly suburban and almost Invariably They prefer white flannels to overalls and cocktails to water Their hero comes out for the week-end only to wonder whether Wall Street will cave in before he gets back. ‘The plot is hidden in a golf bag, disaster lurks Nobody washes his hands in the tin basin at the back of the house, and the cows never come stage has THE BIG LITTLE JOE’S CAR f HEY Feucan! FAMILY Se THE ONLY PERSON wite SEEMS “To KHow ANYTHING ABOUT MARY Ss MISSING Pop 1S AN *TALAN WHo DOESNT SPEAK ENGLSH. - He WAS 1 MARYS PoP's COMPANY IN FRANCE ~ MoM SENDS FoR HE ITALIAN AND AN INTERPRETER . Now THE N ROUGH To-DAY ¢ dle Paulin screen Frederick is Goodby last picture. motion picture industry flat don-bound to act years. reports garnered be a tough fight . The truth, out. ke Emerson and Anita scenario writers, was broken cently. scenario plots and ideas. But the announcement the statement that “so far nothing of value was 5) heard something in the LITTLE MARY MIXUP I LOVE TO STAND HERE AN’ WATCH THE ROLLERS SPLASH AGAINST THE SHIP - IT's NICE AN’ when the flood was just a mud-pud- PAULINE DOES A TOSTI. singing Forever" in Glory of Clementina,"’ her latest and her “The Miss Frederick has up and left the Jeast a little flabby) and is now Lon- right out on the talky stage for a long, long period of from ys and byways of Moviedom, n that the motion picture will try its best to struggle on—but it'll TRUTHFUL, AT LEAST. unto murder, will lt seems that the home of John Loos, into re- In announcing the robbery, ciated First National Pictures hints that the burglar may have been after Asso- ends with learned HOW HE GOT IT. James Devine, playing a prominent part in “The Good Provider,” over: barber shop in Squantum, Mass, recently. “I was being shaved,” announced KINDLY GIMME, FIVE GALLONS OF YOUR VERY BEST GAsoLINE ?. \Copr. 1922 (N. Y. Eve. World) By Prees Pub. Co: SATUR) wikt You How SUREST “THING y'kKNow! Wor WILL You Have GIR? ‘Cape. 1982 (IN. Y. Eve. World) By Prose Pub. Co, cerns eer Di ALLA SICHORA TOTTO cosé& 6At RIGUARDS suo MARITO ~ THAT HELL opined one, more intelligent than the peat ‘Why shouldn't he be asked the barber who was harrowing my map, a inhales it from his father’ ” ‘he THE CUT-UP. Frank Borsage, the director, is a reg’lar joker at times. His most recent victim was Vera Gordon, In a scene in her latest pic- ture Miss Gordon is scheduled to in- spect an intricate shawer bath, Borzage called for a rehearsal and assured Miss Gordon that the water had not been turned on in the shower. But when she stood under the affair the end touched a valv he was en- the veloped in needle spr from all di- rections And Frank just laughed and laughed and laughed, Yesterday when‘ he opened a special delivery letter and discovered a bill for $1,100 for a new outfit that replaced the one ruined by his joke (7), he just moaned and moaned and moaned, OUT, PEACOCK, OUT: “Cancel the peacocks and substitute spring lambs” shouted Phil assistant director of some Carle, “When yester- Knighthood Was In Flower," day The occasion the actor, “and a lot of the village carpet leapers were discussing my son, Jerry, who was playing the lead- ing part in a filmethat was showing these. ‘Jerry is a clever actor, at that,’ that brought about 2S OSeSL5 eS SSO LARGE > Bunter abi HE HAD DEEN K rTatian J THe HEAD BY AN ARMY MULE. MEMoRY “RecA. THING. 1N DAY, MAY 20, Sue". MOLD. Five *MoREY— ABOUY (T — FILL ‘ER UP? NOPE . ~ “Ta's ALL-3 WANT # -ER- GIMME -—<- R= IN FRANCE ND ICKED IN f q we Ae ALL GONE —DOESNT +S FAMILY OR ANY- His Past LIFE — LAST SAW HIM WoRKING iy a4 Se cAvESGEN STORE IH_PARIS- DESIDERA SAPRE 3 E sPoSATO — FERDIE 1S SUCH A COWARD— HE'S AFRAID To STAND ON DECK WITH ME FoR FEAR if WH ) S| | Ses ] \S THAT You, KATINKA | Wy We the peremptory order was the shoot- ing of a beautiful garden scene at the court of Louis XII, of France, where Marion Davies plays blind man's buff with the aged king. . It had been the origina! intention of Joseph Urban to have several hand- some peacocks strutting about just to give atmosphere to the scene But two objections to the ap- pearancces of the peacocks were rege istered just before the scene was to be shot. First off, the actors rebelled at going in a scene with the birds of ill omen, and secondly, the peacocks r fused to strut. And if there ts any- thing in the world more unbeautiful than a strutless peacock, we cannot imagine it. So now the lambs are gamboling, A FUNNY WORLD. ‘This is a peculiar old sphere, at that, When we opened our mail last night we ran plumb into a request to print a Jotion that would remove freckies. Believing that Wes Barry would know less about freckle-removers than any one else in moviedom, we turned over the “F. F. F." letter to him, In another envelope was a letter from Lillian Gish, one of the stars in “Orphans of the Storm.” She in- closed a note from a Londoner which requested her to find a tenant for a small apartmént the writer hag to let in West London, STILLS. It is anticipated that censors will not trouble “Trouble,” Jackie Coo- gan's latest We are warned that all the bando line in the corner drug store will not keop our bair plastered down when we see ‘Hurricane Gal."’ Well, we like the fluffy kind best, anyway Clyde Cook 1s back at work for Fox after being incapacitated for weeks with housemaid’s knee, He's a fine housemaid, he is! Bileen Percy likes golf so much that she has ordered a spiffy pair of knickers and a new set of clubs. Now watch her game fall off. Charles A. Selzer has just written “Rough Shod” for Buck Jones, “There are two kinds of American tourists," says Hy Mayer, famous cartoonical globe trotter, “The first variety visits the art galleries and ruins and the others weld themselves into chairs in American bars.” Hamilton Theatrical Corporation announced yesterday that active pro- duction has been started by the firm in Germany, Phyllis Haver, Mack Sennett come- rprised her friends recent. ly by the hit she made in a speaky skesch by Willard Mack. She may keep right on in vaudeville. Katherine McDonald, now busy making “White Shoulders,” will start at the head of her entire company for ? Do not be Its just another bathing beauty Jumping tmte the serious How ABouTFOIL. — NEED ANY o1 SIR? No! Au-t NeeD 13 pM\/2 CHANGE It FREE AIR No- He says He ISN'T MARRIED — THAT FRENCH. GIRL 13 ONLY 4 FRIEND 1S MARRIED 1M FRANCE < WU Photo-drama, Mary Thurman made the splash when she started acting with Richard Marthelmess in ‘The Bond Boy. The Hodkinson team of the Motion Picture Baseball League dropped the first two games on the schedule, but Capt. George B. Gallup has effected 4 shake-cp that he says will stop the losing streak, Portraits of many Golden players entered the Danny Deever stakes yesterday by being hung at the Inter- national Convention of Photographers’ Association of America at Kansas City. Wrecking automobiles seems to be popular on the screen these days. First Cullen Landis smashed a racing cur all to pieces in ‘Watch Your Step’ and now comes Richard Dix with an auto wreck scene in “The Wall Flower,"" “My Friend the Devil’ and ‘The Devil's Feet" ure titles that show Tuovies are rapidly going to the devil EXTRA! EXTRA!! Will H. Hays, “head of the movies,” made his frst visit to w motion picture studio yes- terday when he visited the Cosmopolt- tan plant. The Irene Castle Club will hold its first annual meeting next week in the home of its organiser, Mies Mary Dandre, at No. 825 Pleasant Avenue, N. ¥, C, The title of Forest Halsey’s next story for Arliss is really ‘The Silent Voice’ and NOT ‘The Bilent Call,” ae at first announced, ‘'The Silent Call" long ago featured Strongheart, the dog star, CONTINUED “TaMorRRoV/ CEE, 1 HARDLY RECOGNIZED ? YoU WITH THAT “WAVE” IN YOUR HAIR ! SS (POEMS OF PROVOCATION hil Kramer of the Bronx has pro- jected himself into the contest for the fron pansy. His rhyme concerns a girl, as does almost everything else on this earth. Read Phil's effort: I had a date with a certain girl. Most of her hair was blond. I thought of her every now and then; Of her I was rather fond. But she has made me very sore. Sovre day I'll land in Reno If she keeps on asking me to see @ Rudolph Valentino, A THOUGHT FOR TO-DAY. There were two very charming young ladies in a stage box at the Pal- ace Theatre the other evening. One of them ‘knew Walter Kingsley and the other got in for nothing too.— Vaudeville News. FOOLISHMENT. There was a young woman named Steck, Who said to her father; “BG heck! I'm hardly a dummy. 1 know they play rummy On ships Because each has a deck," FROM THE CHESTNUT TREE. +4 a hard world." ‘True, but it will be softer when it rains.” “SAY — 1 NEVER BEGGIN’ ME > TAKE ANY NOTICE You OR WATER iil About Plays _ and Players OHN GOLDEN recetved a letter from Hongkong, China, yesterday bearing the date of May 18, 1920. It was from an old friend named John Wiley. Mr. Wiley said he had seen Tim Frawley in ‘Turn to the Right" and had heard Mr, Golden had a good show in ‘The First Year.” The letter was written before the Craven play reached Broadway. Mr. Golden wrote a reply immediately “In case you get this by 1930," he said, “I want you to know that Fray- ley's royalties for the use of ‘Turn to the Right’ in Hongkong reached me over a yenr before your letter did. irst Year" opened on Oct. 20, 1920, at the Little Theatre and is still there. You must have given your letter to your wife to mail. Why don’t you start a movement to have Will H Hays appointed Postmaster General of the Pacific Ocean?” COHAN TO MOVE. George M. Cohan has decided to move his offices from No. West 45th Street to the Fitzgerald Building, at 48d Street and Broadway. The new rooms will adjoin those formerly oe cupied by Cohan & Harris. LOSES HER MOTHER, , William Caryll and his wife, known professionally as Clare Stratton, left for Chicago yesterday in response to a wire saying Mrs. E. W. Kolb, the mother of Mrs. Caryll, had died. Mr. Caryl is casting director for the Messrs. Shubert. His wife recently closed a preliminary tour with “Sue, Dear." SUCCEEDS EUGENIE BLAIR. Marion Abbott has gone to Chicago to play the role of Marthy in ‘‘Anna Christie’ at the Cort Theatre. This role was played in New York by Eugenie Bigir, who died suddenly Sunday night. EDDIE HAS A FLAT. Eddie Cantor lives in Mount Ver. non, He motors there every night, but in the afternoons he has to have a place In the city to rest, so he has taken an apartment in 50th Street, near the Winter Garden. Yesterday on entering the apartment he found Lew Hearn, Joe Opp, John Byam and George Hale, all members of the “Make It Snappy’? company, in pow session “How come?” asked Eddie But the boys were all Yiddish and couldn't understand him THE OILY PRINCESS. (A story of a beautiful girl and @ moaning saxophone. Seven theatrte cal producers fighting for American stage rights.) Olga threw back her head, “Where is Alonzo P. Jones, this saxophone player?” she asked of Citle zen Squatter. No answer, “Then tell me,” she commanded, “how much money does the radio?” A shutter fell off the Palace, a came non roared, the battle was on, but all was still. (To Be Continued.) GOSSIP. The Lockfords, dancers of “Tre Rose of Stamboul,” will visit Parts in July John De Silva, the Slubert office boy-actor, has been appointed chap- eron for the fish in “The Goldfish.” “The Rotters” opened in Stamford last night. It is booked for the oth Street Theatre Monday evening, Margaret Anglin, her husband, Howard Hull, and Livingston Platt have sailed for Greece. Ed Wynn appeared as “The Perfeot Fool” the 225th time last night at the George M. Cohan Theatre, Carle Carlton {s to have a small theatre on his estate at Bayside and will rehearse three “Tangerine” com« panies in it ° Open alr dancing is pleasing innovation at Garden Dance Palace. There is now no extra charge for dancing, The popular applause contests on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and the coun- try store on Wednesdays are attract- ing large crowds. Proving @ the Terrace