Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-15

NATIONAL-"The Front Page"
Metropolitan newspaper life is said
to be sketched in vivid colors in 1.-THE
Front Page" the melodramatic farce
which Jed Harris will present at the
National Theater Monday night, open
ing the new season of that playhouse.
The thriller comes with its original
cast, including Lee Tracy, OSgood
Perkins, Claude Cooper and Frances
Fuller, and Washington, it is announced,
will see it exactly as 1t was presented
all last season at the Times Square
Theater, New York.
Written by two former Chicago news
paper men, Ben Hecht and Charles
Macarthur, 1.-THE Front Page" is an
uproarious and thrilling play Of news
paper life, set in the preSsroom OF
Chicago'S Criminal Courts Building. The
plot concerns the escape OF murderer
on the eve of his hanging. Hildy
johnson, q young Herald Examiner re-
porter, who has announced his retire.
ment from the game" to marry and
Join a New York advertising agency,
has dropped in to say good-by to the
gang. Mometarily he is alone in the
dimly-lighted pressroom. The fugitive
killer, who has been hiding on the roof.
crawls through an open window and is
promptly locked in a rolltop desk. while
johnson makes frantic efforts to de-
liver him to his managing editor, Walter
Burns, and thus beat the town on
the story. With his fiancee and her
mother waiting for him at the depot,
all thoughts of marriage disappear from
Johnson's mind and there Is Welter
of excitement involving politicians, ofn-
cials and racketeerS,
OF course there is wedding. but not
before johnson has been put through
Rruelling test and even the final curtain
raises q doubt that he is able to remain
on the train with his bride and prospec-
tive mother n-law after he has board
ed 1t with them.
Besides the principals mentioned, the
original cast Of THE Front Page" in
cludes Joseph Spurin-Calleia, Willard
Robertson, Allen jenkins, Eduardo
Ciannelli, John Carmody, Walter Bald
win, jr.; Jay Wilson, Violet Barney,
Carrie Weller, Jessie Crommette,
y, Antoinette Crawford, Willard Dashiell,
Harold Grau, Jack Campbell, Earl Ford
Cecil Holm, Matthew Crowley, Larry
Doyle, Jack Clifford and George T,
Fleming.
GAYETY-'Kuddling Kuties."
Max Fields and his "Kuddline
Kuties." will be the burlesque attraction
at the Gayety Theater this week. From
present indications, this show Is ex.
pected to repeat It's last seasons sue
cess.
Fields employs his own comic talents
in the principal character, assisted pS
sugar Schaad, rare soubret, with In
telligerlt acting. Others in the line-ul
are Melva Linzi, Jeanne Williams, Anr
Fink. AL Golden, Fred Barron, Sam
INV Smith, AL Snyder, with % chorus o
gay little butterflies"
Two knockout scenes are presented
s'Parrot Inn Cafe'' and Fashion shop.
EARLE-DouxIas Fairbanks, Jr.. in
East Life"
"Fast Life" is now at the Earl
Theater, featuring Douglas Fairbanks
ir.. Loretta Young and Chester Morris
and the management says, IF YOU wan
GOOD acting, don't miss Fast Lie, 10
some fine performances are registered
by an sall-star' cast that includes Ia
Hallor, James Ford. william Holden
John st. Polls, Purnen Pratt and FRAN
Sheridan, well known stage ana scree'
folk, In this newest First National VITA
phone special" y.
The, producers are credited with
very creditably staged drama, with par
ticularly fine sound effects and dialogu
throughout. John Francis Dillon wa
the director
Starting out with an eye and ca
onenipg "--'.uopee" and q genera
atmosphere Of gayety, With an under
tone that warns subtly OF danger
ahead, Fast Life Ii declared breath
- Z :