The Washington times., 1928-12-08
GLEA N INGS'
AND

By ANDREW r. KELLEY

more Tragedy TO De SpTeau OscL
the limits of theater evening
than any living playwright. Yet
Shose who follow the headlines
with any degree of consistency
s1gt be aware that the sad6er
things of life are generally
competing with the gay for
prominence on the printed page.
What somber play or scenario
San touch for its unhappy chap
ter Dolores Del Rio cabling
frantically across the seas to
ease the dying moments OF
discarded husband. Beauty,
riches and screen fame brought
tears and heartaches.
Thomas Fortune Ryan, one
OF the worlds richest men,. dies
and disinherits his oldest son
with q set of shirt studs. In
1907, speaking of his fathers
marriage, two weeks after his
mothers death, Allan Ryan
called it the most outrageous
and indecent thing he had ever
heard of. The feud between
father and son was carried to
the grave.
Watching the play BUR
lesoue," one woman in the audi
ence cried, "God, | cant stand
It." and rushed screaming out
Of the theater. 1t was not
plant. Just the wife 70 cele-
hrated stage comedian, one
whose life paralleled the play.
Up from the lowly ranks of
slapstick to headline prominence
on Broadway and wealth, he
cast her aside when good for
tune came. They are divorced
now.
Eugene O'Neill writes of sad,
unhappy people. But their
counterparts are living all
around us.
Intriguing indeed is Mr.. Earl
CAROLS announcement that he
will present in Washington as
features Of his new musical
comedy, ten of the worlds
greatest beauties. To corral
this special group of lovelincss
Mr.. Carroll says he viii pay
as high as $3.50 week.
This last quotation | swallow
well smothered with tobasco,
although conceding the Vanities
daddy is some picker of puIchri-
tude when he sets his mind on
cornering the blonde and bru-
nette market. Still the Broad
way high figure for "Beauts
Preferred" is some notches l'e-
hind the Hollywood scale
where does Ziegfeld get all
of his pretty girls ?" / asked
Eddie Cantor last week in one
of our confiding moments.
Do you really want to know,
no kidding" he fired back. |
nodded. Not where he gets
them but how" replied the
comedian. "It's easy enough.
He puts more money in the
pay envelopes" Which dove
tails with the story that all the
dancing girls in "Whoopee" got
a $50 gold piece on Tuesday
night before the Broadway
premiere. And did they dance?
Such question.
This Ziegfeld system is not
copyrighted, and it is not
surprising Earl Carroll, we'll
fortified with Vanities profits,
insists on a hand in the game.
"Who are the five best actors
in the talking movies? ? I'll start
the discussion by naming
George Bernard Shaw, Conrad
Nagel, Richard Bennett, AL Jol-
son and Robert McWade."
(Signed) Walter Farrelly, In
terror Department.
There is a strong possibility
that the eminent G. B. S. would
object to being classified as an
actor. And do you mean
strictly actors, or those with
the best voices. | would never
slight Robert Benchley in any
list of talking screen stars and
Chic Sale would also have to be
considered. And what about
she girls? Surely one should
be included on any list, if only
- keep peace in our happy
family. However, there's the
first list awaiting additions, or
maybe subtractions.
Somerset Vaughan, whose
latest play, The Sacred Flame"
dies tonight, will do a screen
story for Ina Claire. The an
nouncement comes from the
offices of Colvin Brown. presi-
dent of Pathe Pictures, who
will make the first talking film
starring Miss Claire.
S Within a few weeks the
Claire talents will bloom again
on Broadway, this time under
the banner of Producer Jed
Harris. This is the same Mr..
Harris who was practically un-
known in the show world
few years ago, but who de-
veloped an uncanny talent for
picking stage hits. Broad
way" was the first, to be fol-
lowed by Helen Hayes in
"Coouette," then "The Royal
Family" and more recently
AThe Front Page" The Harris
fortune now takes seven figures
to set down correctly. Spread
Eagle" is his only recorded
flop.
Miss Claire will make the