The Washington times., 1929-09-17
GL EA NINGS
:sANDs
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW r. KELLEY


very frankly in an article writ
ten for the Quill, the press
agents lively monthly. Give
heed to Mr.. Woods:
"They all blame the picture
!. .theaters, but, Sweetheart Man.
Sagers. IL you only had the
CUTS to say to Mr.. Erlanger
and Mr.. Shubert: You've got
to close from one to two thea
ters in every city outside Of
New York you would see
better business
81 used to book my attrac-
tions after six months in New
York, 90 to Washington, open
at the Belasco Theater and
find at the National Theater
they had Ziegfeld's Follies and
lat Polls Theater my Jewish
pal, AL Jolson, in a big Winter
Garden show, as attractions
against me. What chance did
/ have?
stake less terms and make
them close two theaters there,
and when a comedy or drama
plays that week they will go to
see that one company. With
out the competition, the play,
4 as well as the theater, will do
business"
Be yourself, Mr.. Woods. This
Is another means of saying the
producers can't provide enough
good shows. Will you COM
plain of MARY Dugan's" busi-
ness in Washington or the
crosses piled up by Shanghai
| Gesture? Listen, sweetheart,
ask your bosom Irish pal,
William A. Brady, if he is
worrying much about the oppo-
sition when "Street Scene
finally comes to Washington!
Or is Gilbert Miller disturbed
over the prospects Of Journeys
End" ?
# YOU had the tough luck to
play an A. H. Woods attraction
here against the Follies and Al
Jolson, it was Just too bad.
But it was booking stupidity
that was not Washington's fault.
At that, / think you just stuck
It in your remarks to make the
story good.
y Stop moanin' low, Mr.. Woods,
and get yourself another hit.
AThen send it to Washington and
don't worry about what the
other theaters are playing. With
only one theater in town, and
that housing a punk show,
everybody suffers. What we
want down here is not less thea
tiers but more good shows.
Charles Barton breezed into
town yesterday ahead of "a
/ Connecticut Yankee" a show
which has been on the road
continuously for 104 weeks and
Aaughs at this talk about poor
business. 1t arrives at the
National Theater the week of
September 30.
Mr.. Barton has some vivid
recollections of the Chicago en-
gagement. He was seated in
the managers office when Joe
De Milt, company manager for
the show, was stuck up by
bandit just outside the door in
an alley leading to back stage.
The bad man got away with
$4,7OO and has never been heard
from since 1870 p. m. that July
afternoon. Poor Joe De Milt
' was so frightened by the expert
:, ,ence he was shocked into inco-
Inerency and lost Is pounis in
foul days from nervous excite
ment. Only month before the
holdup the Vanderbilt Producing
Company had renewed its bur-
glary and theft bond, but had
stricken out The "hold-up pro-
lection" as unnecessary in these
peaceful days. Consequently, the
S4,T00 represented a dead loss
. to the producers.
Pity the poor dramatic critics
Ipf Philadelphia. With nothing
to write about they must feel
Just like a Washington dramatic
critic Matching a Sunday dra-
matte lead a couple of days
after July 4.
Seldom does Johnny Payette,
supervisor of the Stanley-Cran-
dali theaters, enthuse over the
celluloid puppets who cavort on
the screens of his film cathe-
drals, yet after watching pre-
view of THE Lady Lies" he
ventures the prediction that
Claudette Colbert will be tick
eted as one of the Hollywood
"finds" of 1929. The feature
/. comes to the Earle screen be-
ginning Friday night.
Claudette Colbert will be in
town next week when the picture
y Is shown, since she is the recent
bride of Norman Foster, who
plays the lead in "June Moon"
Ecoming to the Belasco. They
are still very much in love and
while she is awaiting a rehearsal
call from A. H. Woods, travels
with her husband. There is a
possibility she may make a per-
sonal appearance at the Earle.
Incidentally "The Lady Lies"
when first turned loose by the
!, Paramount Studio, was 104 de-
grees in the shade, which means
some hot. 1t was sent back and
cooled off to protect certain ten-
!. !, sors given to high blood pres
sure.
~ Bucky Harris was prominent