Evening star., 1928-10-22
OPENING ATTRACTIONS IN WASHINGTON
THEATERS

STRAND-"Girls From Happyland."
Slap-stick comedy and the hurting
of lemon merinque pies feature the
initial showing of Girls from Happy
land" the burlesque offering at the
Strand Theater for the current week.
Irving Selig, besides writing the
scenario for the attraction has the ex-
treme satisfaction of casting the
Yneringues at his assistant comedian,
Ben Lerner At intervals, when the
pies are laid to rest, the comics fire
group of we'll aimed wisecraks at the
fans which take the desired effect.
Alice Duvall Leona Reed, Rose Lee
and Fay Bernall hold down the femi-
nine side of the show with new
terpsichorean novelties and number
of novel songs Fred Reese sings a few
pleasing songs and helps the pie
thowerS with their gags. Nat Tuker,
juvenile tap dancer offers number Of
interesting dances, his best being a
''scarecrow dance" which is a favo-
rite to the burlesque fans. This weeks
chorus is unusually clever and it is al
most a sure bet that several of them
leave for bigger and better showings at
Ine enQ OF tne season.
KEITHS-"Craig's Wife"
"Padlocks of 1928" a carnival of
New York's night life, and "Craig'S
Wife" a tragic domestic drama, share
the honors at Keiths this week.
Opening after the principals have
been called from the audience and the
chorus from back stage. "Padlocks"
features some dancing which is we'll
done. Charles Taye, whose yaccoon
coat meets with an accident, thereby
making him late for the beginning of
the show, keeps the audience in high
spirits throughout the comedy skitS
Beautiful Nights" with soft music
and subdued lights. ends with snap
in an apartment early of a morning.
The Magistrates Court" brings out
some good laughs. Perhaps the most
novel feature Of the presentation is
the conception of Babe Ruth in grand
opera. This act was clever and original,
"Craig's Wife," feaurting Irene Ricn
and Warner Baxter, is a dramatic ans
convincing portrayal of the difficulties OF
a husband and wife. She, obSeSSed with
a mania for keeping her house model
in order to control her husband, de-
stroys her own happiness and just
misses running her sister. This may
we'll be classed among the best OF Irene
Rich's character parts. Warner Bax-
ter has his good points but he does not
seem as convincing as Miss Rich.
Newsreel completes very entertain
ing and worthwhile offering.
FOX-"Mother Machree."
Mother Machree," with Belle Ben
nett, Victor McLaglen, Neil Hamilton
and PHILIPPE De Lacy in the principal
roles, is the screen offering at the Fox
are the Fox Symphony Orchestra and
the La Scala Quartet, which gives
splendid performance of the quartet
from "Rigoletto'; Elsa Ersi, Hungarian
prima donna, who sings selections from
''The Merry Midow': Fox Movietone
subjects and two vaudeville numbers.
The Fox production of Mother
Machree," large part of which was
photographed among the thatched cot
tages and quaint rustic hooks OF Ire
land, is like breath OF air from the
"Ould Sod" This effect is further en-
hanced by the subtitles in Irish dialect
and the synchronized accompaniment OF
Irish airs This picture was directed
by John Ford and is based on the song
of the same name written by Chauncey
Alcott and Ernest Ball.
Belle Bennett, as the young Irish
widow who emigrates to America with
her small son, Brian (Phillipe De Lacyt,
demonstrates her ability as one OF the
greatest emotional actresses of the
screen. She charms and amuses as she
dances jig in one scene, and is touch~
ingly pathetic as the Self-ef7acing
mother who voluntarily gives up her
only child to a stranger in order to give
him superior advantages. PHILIPPE De
Lacy, as usual, wins his way into every
maternal heart in the audience, and
Victor McLaglen, as the giant of the
Irish moors, the pugnaciouS champion
of the lonely widow and the shy, awk-
ward lover is scream. And Neil Ham
ilton-well, he is just the kind of man
you would expect little Brian to grow
up into, would expect the heiress to fall
in love WITH and, of course, you want
him to get her. The picture abounds
with romance and touches the heart
strings quite poignantly, but it is free
from any of the mawkiShneSS which
often detracts from that type of enter
tainment and has plenty of humor.
Ted Mcnamara appears as the Harp
ist of Wexford, Eylalie Jensen as Brian'S
foSter-mother and Ethel Clayton as
the mother of the heiress.
The house orchestra, Leon B-usiloff
conducting, plays the overture, Friml's
''The Firefy," and Dvoraks New World
Symphony" with pictorial accompani-
ment of choice American scenery. The
Kentucky Jubilee Singers make "a
Movietone appearance and sing spirit
uals, which registered exceptionally well.
Jay and Kay Spangler contribute
lively bit of dancing. Castelton and
Mack make an original display of agil-
1ty and acrobatics, and the Fox Movie
tone News gives an excellent summary
Of current events.
Swinging into the captivating Kern
melodies, which form the Show Boat"
number in the second symphonic Jazz
concert at the Fox Theater this week.
Leon BruSiloff, conducting his so ar
lists of Syncopation, laid aside the
classics momentarily and offered first
class jazz program.
The jazz selections alternated with
the classics. 1t was easily determined
that the jazz pleased the audience to a
much greater extent, although that au-
dince was composed largely of elderly
folks. This would indicate that they
appreciate this generations tuneful
melodies as much as the youngsters
themselves.
Alden Finckel, cello soloist at the
theater, offered two pleasing selections
and was heartily received by the au-
dience.
The other numbers on the program
were as follows: RosSini's Semi
ramidr," Ager and Yellen's Forever"
Strauss BLUE Danube Waltz" "Blue
Shadows" Loves Old Sweet Song"
What d'Ya Say?" 1.-The Dancing Tam
BOURNE" and the largo from Dvnrak'S