davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11

| the fellow who is stumbling along with
the best intentions in the world, and
getting into one difficulty after an
other The audience, of course,
knows what is coming to the char
acter, and if it is embarrassed for him
and just a little bit sorry, so much
the better"
Hatton doesn't believe exaggeration
, is necessary for good comedy. He is
positive that his own best laugh pro-
ducers have been taken direct from
life.
For instance he uses very effectively
a little hop up over a curb. 1t gets
a laugh every time simply because it
is ludicrous. That hop is not eXag-
gerated. however, but was copied from
hop head" characters that Hatton
studied.
Il played the part Of a hop head
in a picture called Big Brothers.
the comedian declared, land l studied
for that role. | watched the dope ad-
diets and carefully studied their man.
nerisms. 1 noticed that peculiar little
jerking hop that was a characteristic
of their method of walking. In the pic
ture | used that little hop and it
brought more laughs than anything
else l did.
There are little comic traits that
can be picked up from people every
where, and l am always watching for
these"
A knowledge of human nature Is
the thing needed for the creation of
successful comedies. People laugh at
seeing others do the things they are
afraid they may sometimes do them.
selves, just as in other types of drama
they thrill at seeing the hero or hero
inc do the things they love to picture
themselves as doing.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
PALACE-"The Gay Defender"

This weeks program at Loew's Pal
ace Theater features Richard Dix in
his new Paramount picture, THE Gay
Defender" with a new company of
mirth specialists in a revue, entitled
Prologue" as the stage attraction.
Those appearing in the stage revue
include THE Palace Syncopators," a
poppy orchestra arranged by Paul
Specht, with Wesley Eddy, comedian,
as guest conductor and master of
ceremonies; 1.-The Palace Rockets" in
new dance numbers; Lyndon and Far
man, Apache dancers; Bert Darrell,
exponent of tap dancing. and De
Pace, wizard of the mandolin. Sup
Elementary features are M-G-M News.
j. Virgil Huffman's organ music and
a special overture, THE Birth of
Music" with cast of singers, and
played by the Palace Concert Orches-
ira, under the direction of Harry
Borjes.
In THE Gay Defender" Dix plays
an aristocratic Mexican youth who
turns to banditry to fight the wrongs
done him and his people by American
desperadOes drawn to California in
search of gold. Laid in the colorful
period of 1850 and photographed in
it's actual California locale, the picture
is said to be both romantic and pic
tureSque.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
What Makes You Laugh?

IF a man is deliberately thrown into
mud puddle. that is not funny.
If he accidentally slips and falls in,
that is a laugh, and there is the crude,
basic idea of comedy. according to
Raymond Hatton of Paramount's film
team of Berry and Hatton.
Hattons formula for broad comedy
is to put the characters into serious,
legitimate situations and then have
them ride to a series of falls, both
literal and figurative. The audience
must know that those falls are COM
ing, but the characters never should.
If character deliberately tries to act
funny he spoils everything.
If the characters that take the tum-
bles are egotistic individuals so much
the better. Hatton thinks. There is
nothing so funny, he believes, az to
see false dignity put in disadvantage,
under, for instance. splatter of mud
from an automobile tire.
ITO me 1t is exceedingly funny to
see a dignified man stalking down the
sidewalk as if he owned the entire
right of way, only to step on a piece
of banana peel and take a spill, a"
HattOn says. II love to see inflated
ego pierced, and l am sure from long
experience in the show business
am like every one else in that re-
spect."
There must always be a certain
amount of slapstick in moving picture
comedies, Hatton believes. BY slap
stick, however, he does not mean the
promiscuous hurting of custard pies
or the indiscriminate use of the loaded
stick.
Il don't think it is possible to get
away entirely from so-called slap
stick methods in making moving pic
ture comedies" says Hatton. THE
banana peel incident might be termed
slapstick, but it is entirely funny
provided the man who takes the tum-
BILE is pompous There will always be
good laugh in the dapper young
sheik who is all slicked up to see his
sheba, having his ardor dampene6
under a mud shower from a passing
automobile. l could name innumer-
able situations that are sure laugh
producers and that call for a certain
amount of slapstick.
1.-THE big thing, however, is to lead
the characters into their difficulties
under logical circumstances. 1t is not
funny deliberately to push a man into
a mud puddle. If. however, the man
happens to be staring at a pretty girl,
while he walks into it, that is funny.
'It strengthens a comedy to have
the audience just little bit sorry for
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
Harry Houdinii S Brother.

IT was not to be expected that, with
the passing of Harry Houdini,
magician and escape artist" as he
frequently was called, for he seemed
20 defy bolts, bars, handouts,
straight jackets and every other i'm
plement used to deprive men of
their liberty, that his profession
would die with him.
Houdini was really a world mysti-
fer. His methods We're pried into
and investigated to the uttermost
limits he himself would permit, but
it was never said that this trick or
that with which he astonished large
audiences the world over had been
discovered" No one knew how he
accomplished his marvellous feats and
no one seemed to be able to discover.
OF course he had imitators, scores
upon scores of them. But when one
more daring than the others chal-
lenged him. under the honored duel
ing privilege of being allowed to
choose his weapons, he chose that
they both be manacled and thrown
overheard in New York harbor, the
one that survived to be declared the
conqueror. This was done, and
Houdini quickly survived the ordeal.
| freed himself of his manacles ana
swami TO the surface of the water,
fresh and ready for another test. His
challenger was hauled out with
rope, more dead than alive. And from
| that time Houdini had no real chal-
| lengers of his supremacy in his line.
Houdini had a brother, who began
a similar career with him, and to this
| brother he is said to have left by will
/ all his secrets and the costly para
phernalia used in exploiting them, in
Guiding a production wittily called by
him THE Flight of Time"
This brother, now known profession
ally as Harden" will appear in
| Washington this week in a program
Of Houdini feats supplemented with
some original ones. His work will be
watched with interest by those inter-
estoa IN that particular line.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
INTERCOLLEGIATE Dog of the
Regiment"

Rin-Tin-Tin, one of the foremost Of
the screens canine stars. will be seen
at Crandalrs Metropolitan Theater
this week in Warner Brothers pro-
duction "a Dog of the Regiment
which it is said to a great extent VISIT
allies his own life.
The story concerns a German Red
Cross dog who saves the life of a
former pal, an American ace, and goes
through adventures by land, water
and air while so doing. We first see
"Rinty" in peace times when he is
a chosen pal of young Dick Harrison,
an American, and Marie Hoffman, a
beautiful German girl. with whom
Harrison has fallen in love. Then the
war clouds break and Harrison re-
turns from his native land as an
aviator. 1t is in the midst of a terrific
bombardment that his plane crashes
to earth, pinning him under the blaZ-
ing ruins. Rinty rescues him. Rlnty,
being a dog, does not realize that
scraps of paper can change friends to
enemies. Once a pal, always pal, is
his dog logic and Rinty lives up to it
and despite the fact that had he been
human he would have been called
upon to pay the supreme penalty of
treason under arms.
Inc supporting cast IS leu ny 1oLi
Gallery in the role of Harrison, Doro-
thy CULVER as Marie, and John
Peters as a Prussian officer.
Added attractions will include a
two.reel comedy. the Metropolitan
World Survey, screen snapshots. and
the Metropolitan symphony under
Daniel Breeskin, which will offer as
concert overture selections from
Victor Herbert's operetta, THE Sere
made" and other numbers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
FIJI Nj OG R A NJ S
Bits From the Studios and Theaters.

of the Hays organization have agreed
to first submit to the order themes
for pictures or characters to be util-
lied in them which concern Jewish
thought and people.
Echoing a statement made in, New
York by Joseph M. Schenck, Samuel
Goldwyn is said to have declared that
motion pictures are facing disaster and
ruin because of the fad for mixing
vaudeville with pictures in the Ma
tons theaters.
With Henry King directing, Norma
Talmadge's second United Artists pic
ture, THE Woman Disputed will
start production January 8.
Evelyn Brent is to continue her dra-
matte partnership with George Ban
croft in Bancroft's first starring We
hicle for Paramount, which is now
being prepared at the Hollywood stu
dos. The story is from Houston
Branch's play, Wildcat, and con
Germs the struggles of the men in the
resultant fortune.
Since he played a double role in
"HoWdy Duke" in which he appeared
as a newsboy and then as an English
lord, Lupino Lane has been stage
roustabout in Drama De Luxe" a
Northwest Mounted policeman in
Monty of the Mounted" boy of 6
years in Naughty Boy" a city fire
man in "A HalfPint Hero" Western
frontiersman in Some Scout" sailor
in Hello, Sailor" a musketeer of the
seventeenth century in Sword
Points," schoolgirl in what a Girl, :"
an Argentine Romeo in "Fandango"
and last a cowboy in his latest vehicle.
FBO's grand February jubilee will
mark the biggest event in the history
of the organization. A special drive
has been inaugurated to place an FBO
picture in every theater in the United
States and England during the month.
The three biggest pictures on the
1929 schedule will be offered. These
are "Coney Island" Chicago After
Midnight and "Legionaires in Paris. ;"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
CHARLES SINCLAIR
New Production Director
Fox ~JheateC
Stanley-Crandall Policy.

PRESENTATIONS for the Earle
Theater in this city and for the
Stanley Theater in Baltimore, accord
ing to a story appearing in Film
Daily, the movie trade Bradstreet,
have been placed in charge of Edward
l.. Hyman, who also will have charge
Of presentations in the Mark Strand
Theater, Brooklyn, n. Y. Both the
Earle and the Stanley Theaters are
units of the Stanley-Crandall chain,
with which Washington is quite IA
miliar.
The 25-piece orchestra of the Gran
dali Metropolitan Theater, the story
adds, has been or will be moved to the
Earle Theater as a first step under
the new organization, and the initial
program prepared by Mr.. Hyman will
be presented December "a. Dance mum
bers will be handled by Nine. Serova
while Thomas Farrar. the art director
of the Mark Strand, will look after the
stage settings. Following its presen-
tation at the Earle Theater, the show
each week, will be transferred to the
Stanley Theater in Baltimore.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
FOX-'Two Girls Wanted"

The first of the new Fox stage pro-
auctions, heralded as the newest idea
in entertainment of its type, will be
the stage attraction at the FOX me
alter this week, beginning today, in
con junction with the screen feature,
Two Girls Wanted" starring Janet
Gayn0r.
The new stage entertainment Will
be a unit presentation of Victor Her
berts operetta, THE Fortune Teller,
by a company Of 60 singers and dane
ers, headed by Bonnie Imbrie, Paul
Kleman, Harold Hansen and Grace
Yeager, all with big Broadway repu-
tatiOns.
The production-ballet. choral num-
hers, dances and scenic effects - VIII
be staged by four we'll known masters
of stagecraft, John Wenger, Charles
Sinclair, Alexander Oumansky and
Edward Lebegott. No effort or expense
is said to have been spared to make
this first production elaborate and
pleasing.
The accompanying overture, wis
ions of Faust" staged in five scenes
and played by the Fox Symphony
Orchestra of so, will be a feature also.
The screen feature is an adaptation
of the John Golden play, 1.-TWO Girls
Wanted" and gives Janet Gaynor her
first starring vehicle.
As a story it has a refreshingly new
angela little mouse of a stenogra-
pher who yearns to be a housewife.
While comedy is it's main ingredient,
there is a seasoning of romance and
pathos that will reveal all of Miss
Gaynor's talents. Playing the lead
ing support roles with her are Glenn
Tryon, Joseph Cawthorn and Alyce
Mills.
Together with the stage and screen
offerings there will be the Fox Movie
tone News and other subjects.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
Seeks First-Hand
knowledge.

WHEN John Galsworthys Justice"
was produced in New York, with
John Barrymore in the leading role,
the story was told that Galsworthy
in order to secure frst-han expert
ence of prison life, wrapped a brick
in a newspaper, walked down a busy
London street, hurled the parcel
through a plate glass window. per.
mitted himself to be arrested and
spent six months in Jail.
Aside from the fact that a man of
Galsworthy's Importance could hardly
disappear from the world without
some inquiry as to what had happened
TO him, the tale was a fabrication.
1t is true, however, that Gals.
worthy seeks information about peo-
pie and the conditions in which they
live by spending days in the poorer
districts Of the larger cities, but his
method of obtaining facts is entirely
untheatrical.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
Celebrity Visits Studio.

"EosTER on Bridge" has just
visited the Paramount studio in
Hollywood.
r. F. Foster, author of 6S books on
card games and rated as one of the
worlds greatest authorities on auction
and contract bridge, is rs years old.
He was a motion picture actor him
self once, he revealed. About ten
years ago he played in three pictures
made in New York by the Selznick Co.
He still carried cutouts of film from
them to prove his venture into film
dom. He met Richard Dix, Esther
Ralston, Ruth Taylor and other Para
mount players.
Mr.. Foster was born in Edinburgh,
Scotland. He has made 81 trips across
the Atlantic. He is not natufalized
American. He is author of a novel,
Cab No. 44," and of magazine stories.
He belongs to five golf clubs and to
the Society of American Magicians.
He is the inventor of the Foster fog
signal. He is a skillful photographers,
specializing in pictures of athletes in
action.
He wrote his first book on whist be-
cause he could find few people who
could play 1t with him. He now
spends his time lecturing.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11

HXX7IFE mot LIFE Savers" is to be
w the title of Paramount's next
comedy feature, starring Wallace
Berry and Raymond Hatton.
Renorts are in circulation in Holly
wood that production is to be cur
tailed for the 1928 picture season.
Ii is also said there will be no general
action looking to cutting costs.
Film Daily. the movie Bradstreet,
states that film stock companies are
TO he abolished or radically reduced
in an effort to cut production costs.
Iva de Putt is on her way back to
this country to make another picture
for Universal, according to cable
gram from Germany.
strong drive is being made in the
film.producing industry in favor of
what are termed short subjects" pic
lures usually of two reels. Some two
reelers have shown the finest art in
motion pictures, and others the fun
niest. while the news reels are popu-
lar everywhere.
christmas Cheer" with Al Falfa
as Santa Claus in his Christmas air
plane. THE Spirit of ST. Nicholas" is
to be the Yuletide release Of Pathe's
Aesop's Fables.
The Guild Court of Edinburgh, Scot
land, has accepted plans for the cree
ton of two new theaters in Edin-
burgh, each seating 1000, and to be
named, respectively, the Rutland
Square and the Tabernacle.
Emelka Productions is TO make a
German version of the theme Mare
Nostrum," to be called THE Legion
ary."
William Boyd has renewed his con-
tract with Cecil B. De Mile, under
whom he made his debut as a picture
star.
President Alfred Cohen OF the In.
dependent Order Of B'nai Birth, is
said to have announced that members
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
Doug's Niece.
ELOBELLE FAIRBANKS.

ELOBELLE FAIRBANKS, the Eng
lish fiapper Fluffy in Brenons
screen version of "Sorrell and Son"
is the daughter of the late John Fair
banks and a niece of Douglas Fair
banks. She is about II years old and
little more than a year ago left the
convent, where she was a pupil, to
prepare for a motion picture career.
Henry King gave her her first
chance with a bit in "Stella Dallas"
and Albert Parker. really fine OPP
portunity in an important part in
Gloria Swanson's picture, Love of
Sunya." She has appeared with
Irene Rich IN THE Climbers" and
IN What Happened to Father"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
Next Weeks Photoplays

METROPOLITAN - Florence
Vidor in Honeymoon Hate"
PALACE-Pola Negri in The
Woman on Trial
RIALTO-Norman Kerry and
Lois Moran in The Irresis-
tible Lover"
COLUMBIA-Sally ONeill in
Becky"
LITTLE THEATER-Rudolph
Valentino in Monsieur Beau
caire."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
RIALTO-"The Thirteenth Juror"

The Thirteenth Juror" a screen
adaptation of Henry Irving Dodge
play, Counsel for the Defense" CO.
starring Francis Y. Bushman and
Anna @. Nilsson. is the feature at
the Rialto this week.
The story concerns Henry Desmond
and Richard Marsden, who have been
friends since their youth. and as they
grow to manhood their friendship
seems further cemented through the
marriage of Marsden to Helen Frame,
a schoolgirl sweetheart of both. Des.
mond has become a successful attor-
new. while Marsden has not Jared so
we'll However, the two continue their
friendship until the district attorneys
political machine starts a rumor hint
ing at relations between Desmond and
the wife of Marsden.
This insinuation from George Quinn,
political boss, causes a quarrel, in
which Marsden threatens the life Of
Quinn, and when later the same night
Quinn is killed after argument With
Marsden the latter is held for murder.
How Desmond handles the jury in
an effort to prove the innocence of
Marsden and, failing, produces evil
dence which proves that he himself
committed the murder, brings the
| story to thrilling climax of friend
ship and love.
The supporting cast includes Wal
ter Pidgeon, Martha Mattox. Sidney
Bracy, Sailor Sharkey, Lloyd Whit
lock, George Siegmann and Fred Kel-
sey.
The stage presentation features
Fulmer and Wayne in vocal and in
strumental selections. Rox Rommell,
conducting the Rialto Concert Orches-
ira, offers for the overture excerpts
from Egyptian Ballet"
A comedy, "On Deck: scenic,
Tropical Twilight" and Interna tional
News reel also are added.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
Photoplays This Week
SILENT DRAMA ATTRACTIONS

FOX-"Two Girls Wanted" This afternoon evening
INTERCOLLEGIATE of the Regiment This afternoon and
evening.
PALACE-"The Gay Defender This afternoon and evening
RINTO-"The 18th Juror" This afternoon and evening.
COLUMBIA-Soe and Son. Second week. This afternoon and
evening
evening
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11

The story, an original by Grover
Jones, is based on the exploits Of
Joaquin Murrieta, Mexican bandit
leader, whose raids held California in
a grip of terror in the years following
the gold rush Of 40.
Gregory La Cava directed and the
cast includes Fred Kohler and Thelma
Todd. graduate OF the Paramount
School, who has the leading feminine
role.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11

AhARTHA OSTENSO, who wrote
Nl "Wild Geese" and another novel
or two. took the opportunity Jew
evenings ago to compliment the
screen directors upon the manner
IN which they had filmed her newest
story. This statement is probably
the only one of its kind on record
with an author being pleased when
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11

D OXY, monarch Of more than he
n can survey around the Roxy
Theater in New York. denies that
the photoplay theaters have any sort
of Situation" TO meet He states
that he has never presented vaude-
vile or jazz acts in his theaters, but
has always put on the very best OF
presentations - singers, orchestras,
etc. And he is just about right in a
statement that it would be impos-
sible to fill the great movie palaces
of today by pictures alone. One
oicture. a supcrhlm Of tic What
price Glory" variety. might have a
long run without prcsentaticas. But
the picture being exhibited the next
week would be OF the common
garden variety, and it would not
cover the expenses for electric lights.
The managers Of the big thcaters
have always before them the prob
lem of filling their theaters to capa-
c;tv-not for one week alone, but
every week. In the event of poor
n;cture. the presentation idea GER
tainlv goes long way toward help
ing along from a box Office stand
point.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11

EDWIN AUGUST, one Of the
~ screen stars of 10 years ago. is
back in Hollywood and is directing
Movie Madness which is being
produced in colors and will be re-
leased by the United Color Pictures.
August has been working upon a
color scheme for the movies for II
years, and he contends that he has
perfected it.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11

ERANCIS X. BUSHMAN, who was
l. a star of the photoplay many
years ago, and who returned to the
films short time ago. has again
decided to forsake the silent drama
He is preparing a sketch, "Passen-
gers" in which he will star over the
Orpheum and Keith vaudeville cir
cults, opening in Los Angeles during
December.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11

VICTOR McLAGLEN and a big
V cast are working in "a Girl in
Every Port" The exteriors for the
picture are being shot" at Santa
Cruz Islands, and Howard Hawks
is directing.
New Britain herald., 1927-03-30

After uccessfully eluding a veri-
table army of photographers
during most of the Palm Beach
social season, the former Ellin
Mackay and her famous COM
poser husband, Irving Berlin, are
shown above in first and eXclu-
sive photo. With season almost
over, the noted couple now are
seen frequently on one of the
exclusive beaches. As their little
daughter, Mary Elm, is still very
young, she remains at home in
the care of her nurse.
The Washington times., 1927-04-21
NEED $4,000
FOR PARK SITE

Commercial development Of at
least a portion Of the Patterson
tract, long urged by citizens of
Northeast Washington and city PLAN
ners cannot be prevented, it was in
dicated today.
Negotiations are in progress for
the purchase Of part of the area
for park purposes. Congress, after
rejecting specific legislation for the
purchase OF the tract during the
last session. increased the general
appropriation for purchase Of parks
from 100000 to 5000 900. with the
expectation that part of the increase
would be used for this tract.
1t Is estimated, however. that
nearly $450,000 would be required
to obtain all of the area desired for
park purposes.
The Winslow estate, which con.
trolls the tract, II is understood, has
engaged New York engineer who
has had considerable experience in
army camp and contonment work
to plan for conversion of portions
of the tract into commercial areas.
What portions are to be utilized
commercially has not yet been de-
cided, but 1t is expected that the
portions in the western part of the
tract, near the railroad, and the
south along Florida Avenue, will be
so utilized.
i The Patterson tract was the site
of Camps Meigs and OrdWay during
the war and portions of 1t were
cleared for construction of barracks.