The Washington herald., 1919-01-23
Highlights In Amusement News

The amazing rapidly with which
plays are presented Is bringing the
producers new problem, that OF Sc
iectng titles. A similar condition con-
fronted the Pullman Company some
years ago. II manufactured 50 many
cars that II was necessary for people
10 De employed especially to choose
appropriate names.
scafceiy a week passes that a plsy
IN preparation for Broadway has not
oeen renamed In this respect toe
shuoerts are kept particularly buxy.
Ihey are soon to present a rnusicaIized
version OF Pinero's farce, The Mnxi,-
trate- The Boy" was first SELECTED
This was rejected and .sKts, N.
Again" was chosen A week later n
was decided TO change again and ''Oh
Joy" was hit upon. This title how
ever, VIII not do, as protests from
London state that the American rnu-
steal comedy "Oh Boy is plsyfns
there under the name of s'Oh Joy. -
And there you are. Meanwhile the
shuberts have assigned Ben AtweU 10
an exhaustive perusal of the diction-
ary TO ind q suitable title.
Arthur HAmmerstein Il not one 20
overlook a novelty. Having observed
the popular success of "Frisco," the
jazz dancer. he has decided TO make a
musical comedy actor Of him He will
play a burglar In q musical farce en-.
titled The Slumber Party" shortly
to be staged.
What promises TO be one of the pic
ture surprises Of the season Is '-Th,
Silver King" According 70 the ru.
mors Of the studios several directors
turned down a chance TO make a pic
t1Tre OF the old Henry Arthur Jones
play on the ground that il was much
too ancient in form to survive the
critical tests OF today. Hugh Ford, OF
the Famous Piayers-Lasly company
held TO his faith in the BASIC appeal OF
the famous old drama, however, and
the picture was finally ordered, with
George Irving as director and William
Faversham as the star. Its reception
by the sophisticated fans at the RiaIto
indicates that it will prove even a big
ger success in the Western territory
Walter Hast. the London producer
who staged The Little Brother after
IL had beer refused by a majority Of
the American impresarios, is TO try his
luck a second time with Scandal" a
dramatization OF Cosmos HamiIton't q
novel OF the same name.
George Cohan specialiIes in fulfilling
expectations. Which is one reason peo-
pie love him. When America entered
the war literally hundreds OF friends.
acquaintances and plain strangers
wrote asking him please TO sit night
down and dash of a real war song.
And George did. Ordinarily these
things hit about one time in ten thou
sand. Yet over There" has proved
the one outstanding thrill Of the cam
paign.
Again, when Cohan decided TO play
the hero's role in a Prince There
Was" after Robert Hilliard had given
il up. his friends confidently declared
he would make the play and the part
over into a success. And just to make
them worthy the name Of prophet he
has done that little thing for them.
too.
Willard Mack. In Los Angeles TO di-
rect a new picture for Mrs Mack
pauline Frederick. wires Rennold
Wolf that the weather is fine and the
hotel prices high. With himself and
the misses both cast for the new play
which he wrote. and which he will di-
rect. it is pro5ahle hotel rates are the
least OF willsrds real worries.
A. Token Worm has left the Shu-
berts. temporarily, at least. One re-
port OF the causes leading 70 his with
drawal comes from Mr.. Worm and is