The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-03
GLEANINGS
AND
SCREENINGS
BY Andrew r. Kelley

Keith's Theater drops reserved
seats and a two-a-day policy
for a continuous performance of
vaudeville and pictures at re-
duced prices, beginning Sunday.
"Whispering Friends, the
George M. Cohan farce booked
into the National Theater for
next week has cancelled. The
show closes in Baltimore on
Saturday night wings" which
has been doing fine business
will STAY for a fourth week.
The Columbia Theater goes
talkie beginning Saturday. The
opening sound picture will DC
dancing Daughters" said to be
the Rest bet in picturing the
gin doings of a jazz-mad age.
Also the first Metro-Goldwyn-
MAYER short sound subjects will
be shown.
This completes today's lessons
in SPOT news.
Charles Barton, general press
representative for Lyle d. An
drews drops into this sanctum
to herald the coming of Arthur
Somers Koche's play, 1.-THE
Crooks Convention" Playwright
Roche is a son of the famous
poet James Jeffrey Roche and
this marks his first effort at
the drama. The jitney weeklies
buy up his fiction as fast as he
can turn it out.
"The Crooks Convention" is
satire which pictures the result
when the crime specialists or
ganiZe against amateur law
breakers and non-union second
story workers. If it lives up to
Mr.. Roche's expectations there
should be plenty of laughs.
Mr.. Barton, who balyyhoos its
approach to the Belasco may be
recalled by Ex-Private George,
P. Marshall of the Sixty-third
Regulars, "Bingy" Bryan, Frank
Allen, Policeman O'Donoghue
and other former members of
the 312th Machine Gun Bat
talon, as the manager of the
Camp Meace theater which once
prospered on "smileage" admis-
sions.
One of the members Of Irene
Bordoni's company, who doesn't
wish his kness paraded,
pic ked the right horse at
Laurel yesterday afternoon and
came home $500 richer. The
animal was Harry Carroll,
named for a well-known vaude-
william. Today he plans to swell
the roll by betting on Drama.
Your welcome.
Brother" said one of the
Belasco lobby paraders to me
M n d a v night, where's the
nearest place to get a drink ?"
"You mean," l replied-with
a Taylor Holmes pause-"liq-
uor." He nodded. | couldn't
give him the inforation.
"God, what a town." he said
as he walked away. / don't
know yet whether he meant a
good town or a bad one.
Washington has been getting
its full quota of fine pictures
which show on Broadway for
So and more-at bargain prices.
On Friday midnight there is a
chance for first peep at Eric
Won S tro h ms "Wedding
March" before it is offered on
Broadway.
No picture Within the mem
Dry of this reviewer has been
more widely discussed. When
it was originally planned by
Pat Powers it was expected a
nominal sum like half a million
dollars would pay the cost of
production. Eric Won Stroheim
started shooting and Mr.. Powers
bowed off the lot when his
bank roll felt sick from mount
ing costs. Finally Paramount
acquired control and the Aus
trian director completed the fea-
ture.
The finished product was
about ten times the footage of
an average feature. A small
fortune in celluloid was shipped
off in the cutting room. Then
Won Strohnim insisted the pic
ture be shown in two Install
ments, on separate evenings.
Shee the first half one perform
ance and the rest of the story
on a second visit This was
vetoed. More conferences and
finally the picture was con-
densed into average length. 1t
represents huge investment
cost and Paramount first de-
clded to road show it at $1.65.
Finally it was put on the regu-
lar Paramount program and the
Earle is the first sO-called first
run house to play it.
David Lee, the 31z-year-old
youngster who is creating sem
sation by his work with All Jol-
son in The Singing FOOL" at
the Metropolitan, has been
signed by Warner Brothers to
a contract to appear in three
more pictures this season. The
first will be Frozen River" in
which Rim Tin-Tin will be star