The Washington times., 1928-10-22
GLEANINGS
SCREENINGS
by AndrerO r. Kelley

passed in review since the
Washington season began, only
Irene Bordoni's paris" can be
definitely labeled a hit. "The
Great Necker" has gone to the
store-house. olympia" Mol
mars play, was generally panned
by the New York critics and the
prospect is for a short run.
"The Crooks Convention" is in
the hands of the play doctors,
an entire new act being inserted
Friday night; it goes to Atlantic
City this week and then to the
Vanderbilt Theater, New York.
Mcintyre & Heath's "Headin'
South" is undergoing cast
changes and revisions in the
script.
Victor MacLaglen is having
difficulty in finding roles that
suit his hard-boiled manner. In
"What Price Glory" and "A
Girl in Every PORT" McIlaglen
demonstrated he was without d
peer in depicting those charac-
tiers whose outer surface is as
tough as 4 cafeteria steak but
inside conceal . heart Of plati-
mum.
MacLaglen's millio n-dollar
smile rings truest after he has
rocked some husky foe to sleep
with a pile-driving wallop that
makes q referee unnecessary.
He is the Gene Tunney of the
alehouse brawlers and 4 devil
may-care fellow with his affec-
tions. He fights policemen or
bar flies with the same enthu-
siasm and reckless disregard for
his good-looking molars. And
you share the glow Of satisfac-
tion when he wins. Only George
Bancroft, wiping the sweat OF
conquest from q .feyered brow
with a bandanna handkerchief,
after throwing his opponent
down stairs, can be compared
as a rough and ready COM
batant.
But MacIaglen cant seem to
find another Of these favorite
roles. In "Hangman's House,
"The River Pirate" and now
Mother Machree,n he struggled
with screen parts that are far
from ideal. They're not doing
right by our Victor.
How many years ago is it
since Jim Barton was the pride
of the Gayety Theater on Ninth
Street. Not SO many. Since
then he has been a Shubert star,
played in the Follies and boosted
his two-a-day salary to $4,000 a
week. Barton is credited with
being the best delineator of .
night club souse on the boards.
He doesn't drink drop. He is
deemed by the profession one of
the worst crabs In the game and
the best dancer.
Barton has been picked by
Paramount to play the lead in
the talkie version of "Burlesque."
He can certainly dance the part,
but / doubt much whether he
will be able to do as fine an
all-round job as Hal Skelly,
who plays the role Of "Skid"
in Arthur Hopkins stage pro-
duction. SkelIy lost out because
he was obliged to tour with the
play. There is one moment in
the play when Skelly gives a
corking imitation Of Ted Lewis
singing "Just Around the Cor
ner.D I'll lay even money Jim
Barton doesn't attempt this IN
the talkie.
The comedian in "Burlesque"
separates from his wife when
he gets into the big money
class. Barton's life offers a
parallel. He parted from his
wife, Tillie, partner in bur-
lesque, after Broadway fame
came his way.
"Revolt," Harry Wagstaff
GribbIe's play, which opens the
regular dramatic season at the
National tonight, was rehearsed
in a New York Methodist
church vestry. Such a mingling
of church and stage atmosphere
caused hardly a ripple.
1t reminds me of one occa-
sion where Augustus Thomas,
arch foe of prohibition, might
have made a great comedy. L
was rushed pell-mell to a little
New Hampshire town, where a
thrifty parson, anxious to keep
down the overhead for his flock,
leased the unused basement OF
his church to a brewery. All
went we'll until the good blue
ribbon ladies discovered the holy
place was profaned with hun
dreds of kegs of Frank Jones
Brown October Ale. Well, my
dears, not even Mabel WILLIE
brandt could have raised more
of a front page commotion. The
foamy brew was toted away and
the brewery donated the balance
of its lease to the high school
dramatic society.
Better than movie closeup
for studying human expressions
under JOY and disappointment, is
a race track on a busy Satur-
day afternoon.
watched a prominent New
York producer bet $1,000 to win
on q favorite at Laurel Satur-
day. What a comfort it was to
l..o I hnd a GE tickat ON the