The Washington times., 1928-12-20
CLEAN INGS
SCREEN INGS
By ANDREW R. KELLEY

Along the DTlBAt-AiS hNCA 81
called Broadwa. the hour of
midnight finds leather-lunged
ballyhoo men stationed in front
of the picture palaces calling
through megaphones to the
passing multitude. Like carni-
val midway barkers, they are
telling the world, particularly
those within the vicinity Of at
least two blocks, the virtues of
what's going. on inside.
/ was little curious to know
why the midnight show idea
has not become a regular fea-
ture of Washington's avenue OF
the flicker cathedrals, better
known as F Street. So / be-
came an inquiring reporter anG
addressed the question to some
of our best known movie man-
ayers.
11-o'clock town. was the gist
of the replies. Song writer's
and others have described viii
lages where the pajama and
bed time story hour arrival
is sounded by a curfew as
"9-o'clock town." Thus Wash
ington, in its habits, is cate
goried by those who ought to
know as two hours in advance
of the sleepy towns, but still
one hour behind what reformers
love to call, the City of SIM"
1t was the Earle Theater
which first experimental with
and retains the midnight show,
but only once week. On Fri
day night you may sit up until
the next day approaches and be
rewarded by first peep at the
theater's new attraction for the
week. "Lilac Time," with Coll
leen Moore, was the film picked
to laugurate the so minutes
past II performance and turn
away audience waited up. Since
then ,.e attendance has been
surprisingly good, though not
capacity. At least it has been
econon. .ically profitable, because
the synchronized films require
no overtime pay for musicians.
Rival theatrical interests nave
watched the experiment with a
closer tab on the box office re-
suits. 1t hasn't changed the be-
lief that the Capital theater-
goers are folks who like to turn
down the comforters, put out the
milk bottles, let the cat loose,
and wind the alarm clock, not
later than midnight.
A careful counting Of the
drop in trade available for the
ater patronage on F Street
shows that at 10 p. m. on the
average night, our main the
atrical highway has only hand
full of potential theatcr custom
ers. If all the first-run picture
houses ran midnight shows the
result would be ledger entry
in the red. Or so the best
minds of our theaters reason.
However, once in a while the
world and his wife stay up.
On such occasions, for instance,
as. the eve of the New Year.
Accordingly the annonncem mt
from the Strand Theater that
there will be midnight show
to welcome 1929 on Ninth
Street. The Stanley Crandall
theaters have also scheduled
midnight shows, as have the
Loew theaters. Other announce
ments are expected in due time.
From among the first bundle
of Christmas cards | extracted
a letter of appreciation for
newspaper courtesy during the
Washington engagement of
Thurston, the magician.
This is a pretty custom,
which Mr.. Thurston has been
following for many seasons to
maintain an entente cordiale
with dramatic departments. It
also partially explains why the
magician's show has a record
of more newspaper tie-ups than
any travelling theatrical attrac-
ton.
Philander Johnson, dean of
Washington dramatic critics
and an erudite poet of parts on
occasion, has taken his pen in
hand in behalf of the Savoy
musical comedy. When ''The
Gingerbread Man" is presented
at the Belasco Theater, begin
ming Sunday night, you will
hear prologue especially writ
ten for the holiday musical
sung by Renee Hamilton. Vim
cent. j. Colkin, musical director,
set the lyrics to melody and it
behooves you to be in your seat
on time, for the prologue, as
all good prologues should, opens
the performance.
incidentally the tiny ginger
bread man. which. / presume,
Charles Eme ON Cook left in
the department letter box,
proved too alluring for some
Yooro,1dnr on ~ Inaoho. IL