The Washington herald., 1920-06-20

Huudini the worlds greatest safe
breaker and jail-tIeaker, is at pres
emf in England. astounding the Bob
bies of London and each city Wis
tied and defy;ng them to propose
any dificult trick of escape from
bondage that they wish. says Rem
mold Wolf.
Finally ne gcsded the police into
a challenge.
We. the undersigned committee,
read the challenge. having served
more than 112 years between US In
the Bcitish police department would
like to know IL we could challenge
you to escape cut OF an obsolete
punishment suit.
This restraint holds the prison
er from the beck down. and. includ-
ing the feet, Is made of extra heavy
canvas end bound with leather.
Your arms to be crc ssed in front
and buckled behind your back. In
addition, four betting straps en-
circling your body so as to make
you uttsrIy helpless.
The. only condition under which
we will put you TO the test is that
II you accept the challenge, you
must release yourself in full view
of the audience, to Irove you have
no secret assistance"
This was signed by four police
men of Bristol. 1t was promptly
accepted by Hcudini. with only this
condition.: The straps encircling
nv neck mrst hot be orawn so
tightly as to cause srranSulation.
Tha contest came of. two nights
later. and Houdini wrfggled out OF
the eontrivance that encased him In
less than a minute and half.
The four Boobies are still suffer-
ing from nervous rrostration.
william Moore Patch, well known
in theatrical circles, and almost as
well in pictures since his adventure
with the Italian war Aims, returns
to the film world after a three years
absence. This time Mr.. Patch Is
slated as the head of the Greater
America Films. whose purpose In
life Is to screen vital questions or
the day.
Along with this policy a picture
called The Crimson Dawn" found
ed on the menace of radicalism, VIII
be the first production offered by the
Greater America Films Company.
Just in passing, the new Patch or
ranization is capitalized for $780,
600. Capt. Slater Wheeler has asso-
ciated himself with Mr.. Patch as
easurer and general manager OF
the new company. The Crimson
Dawn" will be a 81 attraction.
Mr.. Patch is a pioneer on exhibit
ing pictures on a big scale. He ex-
plotted the Italian battle front with
a symphony orchestra which at that
time was something new in picture
presentation. and he put on The
Battle Cry of Peace" in much the
same fashion. He is a young man
with ideas, as his management of
the Pitt Theater will testify.
E. ]. Stutz, manager of Loew's
Columbia Theater. has been receiv-
ing a visit from his brother, L. j.
Stutz, during the past week. They
look as much alike as their
names do.
The only thing that's worrying
A. II. Woods just now is that he
hasn't chosen from his stock OF
plays a sufficient number of them
10 Keep oAi IhC
in preparation for the new season.
He has only twenty-one new ones
booked so far, and he begins to feel
that he Is a Stacker, says Rennold
Wolf in the Morning Telegraph.
Heading his list is Ladies'
Night" a three-act farce by avery
Hopwood and Charlton Andrews.
which will open in New York on
August 5. The cast includes Allyn
King, Fay Marbe, Evelyn Gosnell
and Charles Ruggles Next in or
der comes Tomorrows Price," the
Shipman- wilde play now playing
in Chicago. rilly of Bloomsbury"
Ian Hays comedy. will have an
opening in New York on August 8.
Other August openings are a new
play by Earl Carroll. entitled The
Lady of the Lamp" and The nlu-
sionist," by Avery Hopwood.
A particularly notable production
at the Astor on October Is Robert
McI.aughlin's aiiegorical play, The
Pearl of Great Price," Is due in No
vember. Some time In September
Mr.. woodss parade of plays will
include The Winged God" by
Crane wilbur. with Hazel Dawn in
the lead. Then comes a new play
by sidney Toler. called The Law
and the Woman"
Joseph De Grasse.. the well-known
motion-picture director, Is rather
skeptical. about the new craze among
fln-comedy makers to stretch their
fooleyy into fivei or more reels. A
haaf-dszsn Of the leading comedians