The Washington times., 1915-05-02

Some years ago Washingtonians were
victims of Sunday habit that was re-
markable because Of the thousands of
people who acquired it. 1t consisted of
eating ones breakfast bit earlier than
usual and settling down to an entertain
ing hour reading Willard Holcomb's
comment on the theaters. II they hap
pened to arise too late to get breakfast
and read HolConb before church time
they simply overlooked breakfast. they
wouldn't think Of such a thing as omit
ting their regular Sunday Holcomb
service. Holcomh could take the most
unheard-of theatrical personality and
make 1t 30 familiar to his readers they
thought they were reading about old
and we'll beloved friends. Local color
was his specially. He could touch a
foreign star with his brand Of local
color and make 1t as familiar as the
Washington Monument and whole lot
more interesting.
When. therefore. Willard Holcomb
sauntered into Washington last week as
the personal conductor Of a section Of
the European war with the Jar and
Janglc nicely muffled in kinemacolor
films. there. was considerable interest
among the old guard as to what he
would do to create a desire in a war
picture surfeited community to see the
picture. Just where he could drag local
color for Washingtonians into even
highly kinemacolored films Of the Euro
pean war seemed mystery. But he has
done It!
Grahame White. the English aviator. is
films. That is-White was already there.
but Holcomb makes him a local hero.
and makes him violate the sedate neu-
trality of the National Capital 1t will
White came Washington to give ex-
hibitions WI, his big aeroplane. On one
occasion he flew into the city from Col
lege Park and alighted in the small
space Of Executive avenue between the
White House and the State. War and
Navy building. After calling on the
President and the Secretaries Of War
and Navy. he presented Manager Tay-
lor, Of the Belasco theater. with small
gold aeroplane. Then he climbed into his
again.
This was regarded as a great feat.
When Willard Holcomb strolled into
Manager Taylors office last week he
it. Taylor told him where and how he
got it. Straightway Holcomb filled his
publicity hyperdermic with local color
of d Grahame White and has been CIV
And this Is written purely for the pur-
see and hear Of Grahame White
this week on the KinemacoloI
'taseI is loeai color for s washnston Washington White White
is commander In the air fleet
of the British government. He appears
in several Of the pictures and once he
was a resident Of Washington-at least
he was for that little minute he remain
ed on Executive avenue five years ago
long enough to provide local color for
film production, anyhow. As White
has exhibited in almost every large city
of the country, it Is easy to see how
Holcomb intends to paint the war in
local colors wherever he might show his
films
The lack of hero worship in the at
titude of a valet to his master Is as
nothing compared to the usual attitude
of the leading woman to the woman star
And when one meets leading woman
who short cuts her way through the
she regards her star as one of the
greatest of living actresses with whom
1t Is a pleasure and an education tC
| work. both the leading woman and the
| star may be set down as something en-
! tirely out of the ordinary.
Just that happens to be the situation
with regard to the relations of Mary Al
| den to ALA NazimoVa, and just tha'
may be said of Mary Alden and Alls
Nazimova The War Brides" com
Alden came to Washington to rest pre-
paratorv to opening with her star a
| keith's Miss Alden Is one of the ca
/ pablo actresses California has Furnished
| five wears she has been before the
Eastern public has definitely placed he
| as a studious, conscientious artist con
! stantly working for all that is best il
| the drama
young woman who has alread,
done some big things and has future
1 of great promise. she has made mucf
| of the part that she plays in the tens
drama that gives Nazimova's genius 50
! brilliant a setting. a brilliance, by th
| way, due in no small degree to reflec
| tions provided by Miss Alden.
| Young Washington women who as
| pire to fame by the facility with whic
| they can wrap their vocal chords loosel
y around a hundla Of notes ahoYa In