The Washington times., 1928-11-16
IGLEANINGS
SCREENINGS
BY ANDREW r. KELLEY

~ ~ = &~~ 80
BY ANDREW r. KELLEY
When Charles Emerson Cook
opens his musical stock company
at the Belasco Theater within
a fortnight the result will be
watched closely by number
of producers who have their
eyes turned toward Washington
as a city where dramatic. stock
might flourish during the win
ter season. Two offers have
already been made for the leas-
ing of Keith's, but neither has
been accepted.
Why turn the Belasco Theater
over to musical stock? The
question has been asked many
times since the preliminary an
nouncement earlier in the week.
For one reason-and an excel
lent one-there are not enough
shows upon the road to keep it
booked regularly. New produc-
tion is at low ebb with 20
theaters dark on Broadway and
first-class legitimate houses in.
the large cities frequently un-
able to get weekly attractions.
Road conditions are what pro-
drcers everywhere describe as
bad.
If we except the De Wolf
Hopper engagements-whlch
were more concerned with light
opera in post-season inter-
1udes-it is about ten years
since Washington had musical
comedy stock. The last conf
panv tenanted Polls and played
three months to fair business.
One of its pretty ingenues was
Elise Bartlett (now the wife OF
Joseph SchiIdkraut) and its
comedian was Roger Gray, who,
incidentally, has the chief comic
post with the Cook company.
It seems to be agreed that
the De Wolf Hopper type OF en-
tertainmept, featuring the Gil
bert and Sullivan revivals, never
quite caught the fancy OF the
Younger theater-going element.
1t will be the Cook purpose TO
WOO this patronage through the
presentation of modern musical
comedies, girl and melody shows
which have gone down into
theatrical history as hits but
have never before been Offered
at ! top price of $1.5O. mo,
No. Nanette," will be the open
ing show.
Tunis Dean, of the David
Belasco offices, is in town
sounding the first blasts to mark
the approach Of '.The Bachelor
Father in early December:
Noting the "Rosalie" hne
which extended well up Thlr--
teenth Street from the National
Theater Mr.. Dean remarked,
hope Mr.. Ziegfeld leaves some
money for me-.
The fastidious Mr.. Dean
whose professional card bears q
stunning likeness of himself on
the reverse side, reports tnat
the Hollis Street theater in Bos-
ton has given his attraction
MAGNIFICENT business. He IS
the first agent to check In
with cheerful reports. Most
couriers arrive with mourntui
faces and doleful sounds.
Wells Root, who was ac-
customed to write show news
and movie criticisms for the
New York World, is the author
of varsity" the college tlim
nlav which bows into the Earle
with the midnight performance
tonight. .,,;. -
is cut from a different mouid
than the average campus move.
Yale turned down the oppor-
tunity to have old Eli scenes as
movie background, although
Wells is of its alumni, but at
Princeton, Mr.. Root and his
Hollywood cohorts found all
kinds of cooperation. The re-
sources and membership Of the
Triangle Club, the Tigers dra-
matte organization, were made
available and five Princeton
students are in the cast.
Oliver H. P. Garrett, of the
World staff, went west and when
Forgotten Faces" his first
movie story, clicked as a hit, he
decided to stay. Quinn Martin,
the present critic of the World
and a harsh chronicler of film
doings, sold a story to Univer-
sal many months ago but Carl
Laemmle has never put it into
production.
About a month ago ventured
to predict that Channlng Fol
lock had all signs set for a tilt
with the New York critics if
the verdict on his new play,
"Mr. Moneypenny," was not to
his liking.
Some Of the shock troops
failed to enthuse over the latest
Pollock drama and the play
wright Immediately took to the
trenches. The Church and Drama
League was the target for his
first barrage and Wednes-
day night the air was filled
with sparks as Charming tore
into the first-night scribblers
over the radio. His date book
is filled with lecture engage