The Washington times., 1929-04-24
IGLEANINGS.
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW R. KELLEY

NiShsAhB ltASHSH AAA IHpsS
who enjoy everything from a
chuckle to a vocal guffaw.
should put the Belasco on the
list this week. A smart revue,
well spiced, clever. timely and
tuneful. ! give it No. rating
in the list of musicals which
have passed the reviewing stand
this season.
"The Little Show" can boast
and probably will. of:
1. Fred Allen, corking
comedian, with fresh patter and
a riotous banjo twanging of
"Old Black Joe" as a Strange
Interlude" actor might sing it.
2. Smart sketches with an
idea back of them. i. e.: "The
Still Alarm" of George Kauf-
man, the most nonsensical but
laughable drollery seen in many
a day; a Knockout satire on the
theme song craze, a iab at the
man who reads all the advertise
ments, a new version of the
Apache. These are high-lighted
comedy moments in full eve
ming.
8. "Moanin' Low" and "Or
What Have You Z" two songs
you will love now but probably
hate before the orchestras and
discs get through with them.
4. The piano work of Ralph
Ranger and Adam Carroll, two
talented Steinway experts, regu-
larly employed by Ampico.
5. Clifton Webb, Joan Carter
Waddell, Helen Lynd, Romney
Brent and the pep of the No. 2
chorus girl.
A hit, if ever saw one, but
/ wish the songsters would try
a little harder to enunciate bet
ter and give us the full effect
of what | suspect are nifty
lyrics by Howard Dietz.
"The Broadway Melody" winds
up a month of history making
business at the Columbia Thea
ter on Friday night. "The Iron
Mask" latest Douglas Fairbanks
film, opens Saturday.
George White is the latest
Broadway producer to announce
he will make talking movies.
Meanwhile he is getting ready
for a new Scandals" and the
news trickles in from Chicago
that it offers an entirely new
revue cast. Tom Patricola, Eu-
gene and Willie Howard, Harry
Richman and Ann Pennington
are among those who will not
be in the next edition.
AS Mr.. Ziegfeld prepares to
put "Show Girl" into production
it turns out that Ruby Keeler
(Mrs. AL Jolson) will not be the
Dixie Dugan. The nanny
singer is reported as opposed to
his wife's return to the foot
lights. The choice plum accord
ingly falls into the lap of Bobby
Arnst, cute dancing strutter
who has been a Marilyn Miller
Jack Donahue first aid in
"Rosalie." The glorifier also
takes occasion to announce that
he did not compete with Fox
Movietone for the services of
Norma Terriss. That singer will
soon desert "Show Boat" for
the movies, but Mr.. Ziegfeld
declares that her departure was
FASTENED by a demand that her
name be placed in electric lights
in letters as big as that of
Charlie Winninger.
Gentlemen of the Press" the
first newspaper feature made
for the talkies and starring
Walter Huston, comes to LOew's
Palace Saturday, May 4.
The estimable Frank Hughes
who reads this type daily be-
fore it is inserted in the forms
is also a walking reference de-
partment with regard to achieve
ments of organized printers. At
the Palace Theater in the Bus
ter Keaton feature. "Spite Mar
riage," Mr.. Hughes potted one
Hugh A. Saxon, who, he insists,
is the only ex-Washington
printer in the movies. Actor
Saxon tosses a cigarette into a
pile of wool waste to start a
fire at sea, thus stamping HIM
self as a careless marine engi-
neer in the Hollywood method.
/ asked Mr.. Hughes if he could
identify the Saxon activities in
Washington. "He is," he re-
Piled, "the printer who was once
fired at the G. P. o. He didn't
like the deal he got at the
Government printery so he hired
a hurdy gurdy and played under
the windows of the big plant.
When he passed the hat $65 was
contributed to have him stop
playing the organ and move on"
The alert Mr. Hughes also
spotted Mike Donlin, former
star of the Giants, in the
Keaton film.
The Frieburg Passion Play,
which Morris Gest has taken
over and will open with pomp
at the New York Hippodrome
next Monday night, tried to get
a Washington booking some
months ago. but was unable to
find orarantnrs for the nrodnc-