The Washington times., 1928-12-18
IGLEANINGS|
SCREENINGS

theater can be appreciated Wnen
it is told that A. L. Erlanger,
co-director of the National Thea
ter, offered Maude Adams flat
$500, 900 to emerge from retire
ment for one season. MISS
Adams refused.
According to the current
"New Yorker" George c. Tyler
once induced the famous star to
come to Washington and witness
a performance of his revival OF
Sheridan's 1.-THE Rivals" She
saw the play but was not dis
posed to forsake the peace and
>comparative obscurity which her
withdrawal in 1918 from foot
light prominence assures. The
time of Miss Kisskadden ther
real name) is spent in expert
menting in color photography
and with private philanthropy.
Some day she hopes to sponsor
a film production of Kipling's
kim" .
Every New York manager
would seize the opportunity to
again illumine the name of the
former star Of Quality Street"
"The Little Minister What
Every Woman Knows" and the
never forgettable "Peter Pam
But it is evidently not to be.
If there is any more ravish-
ing beauty being paraded on
the movie screens than the ma
tured loveliness which Billie
Dove brings to almost any pic
ture, it has escaped this re-
!. viewer.
1t seems odd, then, that with
all of the resources of First
National producers, the pull
chritudinous Billie cannot be
fitted with better vehicles for
talent | am sure she possesses.
In Alteration" now on dis
play at the Metropolitan Thea
ter, much footage is wasted to
impress an audience that Rus
sian prince (Antonio Moreno) is
really madly in love with his
wife and insanely jealous. Tony
kisses her again and again (no
difficult task, Incidentally. and
she responds with a fervent Il
adore my husband" / thought
Director Lloyd would never get
through shooting his osculation
scenes. Like good raspberry
tarts, the first one is delicious,
but a half a dozen call for
pinch of piccalilli. Just for
variety. .
Then Billie Dove proceeds to
carry on a mild filtration, the
very thing to make her idolizing
hubby mad. From that point
the story is more or less OBJ
vious and it's built-up suspense
is purely artificial. So "Adora-
ton" becomes just an entertain
ing picture if you like Billie
Dove.
Some day this star will hook
up with a great story. Then
watch the lobby lines.
If you like to see an actor
with a small part take the bit
in his teeth and scamper home
with all the honors, watch Tom
my Dugan in "A Midnight
Taxi" at the Fox Theater this
week.
Imagine. if you can, what
Tommy Dugan must have
thought when told that his Vita
phone role called for some high
and lofty suffering. Does
Tommy stutter? I should say
he does, for just about the best
laughs in the picture and the
most satisfying characterize
ton.
Comedy is not new to Mr..
Dugan. I recall a standard
vaudeville act, lie. Dugan and
Raymond, which was next to
closing attraction on Keith bills
for many seasons. This is the
same Tommy Dugan. Babette
Raymond (his wife). and he
came to the parting of matri-
monial ways and two-a-day
routes and Hollywood seized
him to write laughs for the
films. Now he's acting again
and inspiring mirth.
The old st. Patrick Players
are a memory but the alumni is
still carrying on. For instance,
Hazel Cecilia Arth who won the
Atwater-Kent $4,000 voice prize
as the champion girl singer of
American, is a former "Pat."
Helen Ault joins the Belasco
Theater musical comedy COM
pany next week to play "Prin-
cess Sugar Plum" Another for
mer "Pat." Singing ad dancing
at the Palace this week is Alice
Cush, who prizes a pat" dip
Iona. Marjorie Joesting miss
Washington of 1926 arrives in
Washington to demonstrate
health. giving beauty devices is
still another graduate. Patricia
Bowman, premiere ballerina at
the Roxy Theater got her first
experience at Carroll Hall.
And every other week or so, if
you watch sharp, you will see
Mary Deery and Helen Kearney
come tripping out with the Fox
Theater speciality dancers.
Somebody. and / won't say
who, calls up to remind that
King Alphonso is entertaining
this week at Loew's Columbia
and Palace as we'll as at the
Fox. How stupid of me not to
keep closer tab on the Kings
engagements. It so happened