The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-01
Jest AS ltWuz
Athe heayter''
By III.

Movies take second place to personal ap-
pearance- Despite the fact that the motion
high plane no screen production will ever
be able to project personality across the
gap between the stage TO an audience as
real live actor is able to do it. A trip
around to the theaters the first part Of this
week will prove this statement
AT THE ORPHEUM the best bill yet
offered by a screen theater Is on and tho
one of the best five reel features of the sea-
son is shown it takes second place to the
musical program by the Columbia Sym
phony orchestra.
This orchestra is composed of women ar
lists and led by a woman conductor. Nine
Frances Knight is an engaging personality.
she goes thru some of the calisthenics or
chestra conductors usually engage in, she
gets instant response from her thirty play
ers and interprets each number with a
womanly simplicity and truthfulness. Her
program is made up of the highest class
music, yet so selected that it Is no strain
every bit of it.
Tho the ensemble numbers are beauti-
fully done, it Is the solo features that re-
ceived the enthusiastic applause from last
nights audience. Geneyieve Gilbert has a
lyric soprano voice of a large range and a
fine timbre In her rendition of IL Bacoio
she gave 1.-The Kiss Waltz" new mean
ing. Last nights crowd would fain have
had more of her singing, but because of
the shortness of the time allowed her, she
was unable to give the encores she would
have liked to give. Dorothy Volkey is
graceful toe dancer, but it was with the
more spectacular Russian number that she
scored her biggest hit Harp solo work is
always appreciated in Topeka and the one
offered by Miss Jane Little was all that
could be desired.
1.-THE Chorus Girls Romance" an adapta-
ton from Head and Shoulders a story
run in the Saturday Evening. Post last
edies that has been put on the screen.
Viola Dana who takes the leading role is
every bit as good, in such roles as Mar
and what eyes she has. This picture is so
much different from the usual run of slush,
we find on today's screen that it is dis
AT THE GRAND we have another of
those bedroom farces of the past several
Mrs Carter De n Haven hold dot down the big
jobs in this one and despite the fact that
they are handicapped by the fact that the
printed instead of acted they get a whole
lot of real laughs out of their parts. This
one is a novelty in that there is plenty
Of action to keep the comedy going. When
distinct disappointment to those who had
seen the stage, production. Fair ana
the laughs and the lines had to be printed
instead of acted. The most of the fun In
Twin Beds is in the action. That's the
the screen can to a degree step in, IT
can never entirely take the place of the
AT THE NOVELTY we have a bill that
is good, but with no act standing out as a
big feature 1t starts off with pair OF
dancers who style themselves as Frank
and Kitty" They have stage setting and
costumes that are classier than their dane
ing, hut because they dare do things nc
other dancer has attempted, they get by.
When they get more rhythm and grace In
their stuff it will be something more than
an opening act. They follow another re-
by the way furnishes the movie part OF
the program. but lacks the thrills most of
the serials this house has staged in the
The labor scarcity is over even in the
actors business, and it takes a mighty
good monologist to get bookings these
days. With that as introduction 1t hardly
need surprise one to learn that Fred Allen,
the gentleman who appears without sup
port on the fourth place in this weeks bill
is the star of the offering. Fred has a face
and makeup that gets laughs without
his line of new gags. The only old stuff
he carries is that one about the cows sit
five minutes off his time table It would
help too.
The Two Ladelias are couple Of lively
boys who have a whole vaudeville show
rolled into the one act and some of their
acrobatics is new too. Bill Clarke, with
two assistants and super. get away with
from the usual run of such stuff The
Billy Doss Review is bit amateurish, but
Billy carries voice or two and a good
soIute failure
AT THE CRYSTAL Madam Nazimoya is
making second appearance in 1.-THE Heart
of a Child which showed at the Isis early
last fall. 1t is one of the stories which
brings out all the talents of this most won
derful actress of both the screen and the
stage. She has in it chance to range
from the ridiculous to the sublime and SO
artistically does she accomplish this diff
cult feat that she carries her audiences
with her from the slums Of the Lime
house" district of London to the heights
of British culture and society. When she
was here in this picture before. Nazimova
drew packed houses and seems about to