Evening star., 1924-12-06
ACTOR FUND GIVEN
$4,000 INCREASE
Pleasing Benefit Entertain
ment, Directed by Frohman.-
Yields Large Returns.

Had the Actors Fund been in
creased as much as a representative
Washington audience was entertained
at the National Theater yesterday
afternoon, those elderly men and
women who once pleased thousands,
but with whom fate did not deal so
kindly, for a time would not have to
have another theatrical benefit put on
for them. At it was, the National Capt.
tai did its bit magnificently. The
annual benefit here netted the fund
almost $4,000 in box Office receipts and
contributions.
Daniel Frohman, master magnate
of the stage and for years president
of the Actors Fund. came from New
York mainly to tell Washingtonians
of the purposes of the organization
he heads, but much to the delight Of
his audience he could not refrain from
renliniscence. He limited as to his
age when he told of being sent back
stage at the old Johns Street Theater,
in New York, where, in his youth, he
was an usher, to request the company
TO put the show on early as Gen.
Washington was in the house and
had to get up in the wee hours of
the morning to cross the Delaware.
fession know him, may not be quite
so old.
Famous Stage Folk Exploited.
During the greater part OF the pro-
gram, which included fourteen num-
hers exploiting many internationally
famous stage folk, Jack Hazard in
troduced the performers. Jack,
though, had an opportunity to accom-
pany Frohman back to New York on
a $3.50 o'clock train and, as he ex-
planned, he felt constrained to grasp
it, for he had had few chances to ride
in drawing room cArE with such a
parsonage as d. F. And when Jack
left the performance, that began
promptly at o'clock, still had nearly
an hour to go to the end.
Two one-act sketches produced were
weird enough to give the audience
produced by Cyril Maude, star of
Aren't We ALL" playing at the Ma
tional this week, and Hugh Huntley,
Harry Ashford, Frank Ranney. F.
Gatenby Bell and Godfrey Millar Of
that company, was most tragic, but
for gruesomeness II had q worthy
rival In AN Episode of Today" pre-
sented by Jefferson Lloyd, Lizzie
Evans and Percy Helton.
Louis Mann told several delightful
anecdotes and John Harrington re-
Clltu SOiile u w llildill fienTN DTuIl-
mond's French Canadian dialect verse
From Keith's bill of this week came
Nora Bayes, back from London with
some new songs; Jack Benny and his
violin, Ben Ryan and Harriet Lee in
a knock about act, and three of the
Four Diamonds, eccentric dancers.
All seemed to put extra vim into their
work.
Two excellent jazz orchestras added
to the gayety of the occasion. Meyer
Davis LIE Paradis Band opened the
and Paul Whiteman's James
Boys not only gave a special con-
cert, but accompanied the singing and
dancing of Gladys Baxter and John
Hundley and the Jessie James Girls
brought from Polls Theater.
Estelle Wentworth, claimed by
Washington as It's own, sang several
songs and also presented several
pupils of her opera school in the
in the cast were Elizabeth Thorns-
berry, Nina Norman, Russell Cordrey.
Ellsworth Condron and Woodruff
Youngs.
Phyliss Penn was hostess for the
players, and had as her assistants
Melva Corcoran, Doris Gary, Zelda
Horowitz, Thelma hewitt, Frances
Nolte, Marie Magrath, Agnes Oula-
han, Mary Tarbell and Helen War
field.
The benefit was given under the
auspices of the Washington theater
managers.