Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-30

times the misfortune, of this writer
"a attend many world premieres" OF
superfeature pictures in New York
theaters. have been mauled and
joStled and showed and stepped on by
eager and enthusiastic first-nighters
and by the inevitable crowds that are
on hand to cape at the eager and
enthusiastic first-nighters.
Sometimes the inconvenience en-
forced on such occasions has been
atoned for by the thrill of having a
first look at superlative production.
/ do not, for example, resent any OF
the kicks in the ShinS sustained while
attending the initial performances OF
THE -Four HorSemen of the Apoca-
lypse," THE Big Parade" Beau GeSte"
or 1.-The Circus"
Sometimes. too. the events have been
made interesting by reason of the OPP
portunity afforded to gain intimate
glimpses of such celebrities as Douglas
Fairbanks. Mary Pickford, Charlie
Chaplin, Adolphe Menjou. John Gilbert,
Will H. Hays, Mayor Jimmie Walker
and Hope Hampton, and to observe
their discontinue when they are over
whelmed by pertinacious autograph
hunters.
These world premieres are always
attended by a great many annoyances
mot including, I hasten to add, the
celebrities mentioned above). There are
the binding arc light, beating down
upon the facade of the theater for no
explicable reason; there are the alarm
ing explosions of the photographers
flashlights as each important guest
steps from his or her or their imported
limousine; there are the bevies of po-
licemen, on hand to keep the unln-
vited mobs and the humble movie
critics from obstructing the sidewalk;
there is the cheering section OF press
agents and other employees, who cheer
and applaud Justify at every subtitle
that is flashed on the screen.
Nevertheless, for one love these
f1ossy first nights; and although I am
not much of e-plunger. being con-
siderably more effective in a broken
field, have come through great many
of these scrimmages with no more than
a few bruises, charleyhorses and
sprainS.
All of which leads up to the an
nouncement that the world premiere of
AL Jolson in THE Singing Fool at the
Winter Garden, in New York, stands out
as the most gruelling, most nerve-wracE-
ing and, in many ways, most exciting
world premiere in history.
x X X
It was in the Spring of 1911 that I
first saw the inside of the Winter Gar
den. The theater had been open about
a month, and was considered something
of a novelty, as it represented an at
tempt by the MesSrs. Shubert to intro
duce the continental music hall idea in
New York A similar attempt was made
at the same time by the promoters of
the Inflated FolieS Bergere, the chief of
whom was vaudeville magnate named
Jesse L. Lasky. Indeed, it was the sad
flop of the FolieS Bergere that induced
MrSLasky to transfer his activities from
Broadway to the unexplored wilderness
of Hollywood.
The first show that I saw at the
Winter Garden was a benefit perfor-
nance, given to raise money for tie
families of girls who had died in the
burning of the Triangle Shirt Waist
Factory. don't remember much about
the acts at that benefit except that Vei-
non Castle played an inconspicuous part
in one of them. But do remember
that the regular master of ceremonies
was taken at the last moment by one Al
Jolson, whose name did not appear on
the program and whose identity was ur-
known to the audience.
I don't doubt that many people in that
audience later looked as eagerly as did,
for the newspaper accounts of the bene-
fit, to find out who was the young man
who did the announcing. For no one
who saw AL Jolson then-who heard his
spontaneous gagging and his explosive
Songs-could possibly have doubted that
here was genuinely great comedian.
Since then, I believe that have seen
every show in which Al Jolson has ap-
peared at the Winter Garden and else
where. have heard him sing all his
famous numbers, from when the
Grown Up Ladies Act Like Babies" and
Rum Tum fiddle" to Nanny" Once,
in hotel room in Providence, r. l.,
heard him sing fatuous ballad, en-
titled when I'm Dreamin' of Old Ten
nesSee," the lyric for which was writ
ten by me while member OF the
sophomore class at Harvard (once a
sophomore, always sophomore, as they
Say1.
I can therefore claim to be something
of an expert on the subject of AL Jolson,
and I am speaking with no little au-
thority when I say 1.-THE Singing Fool"
is the best of all Jolsen shows.
The opening OF The Singing Fool"
was embellished, of course, by the per-
soral attendance of Al himself, in his
immaculate dinner jacket. soft shirt,
black studs, expansive smile and roll
ing eyes. Also In attendance were the
eminent car, Will Hays, and the
equally eminent presidential candidate,
Will Rogers. Il didn't see Mr.. Rogers,
but Mr. JolSon said he was there, and
Mr. Jolson had better view of the
audience than I did, The Warner
brothers were there, too, as were all the
principal stockholders in Warner Bros.
Pictures. Inc; they literally oozed
prosperity
When the picture had come to its
y