The Washington times., 1929-11-18
NINGS.
: AND
SCREENINGS
Ry ANnREM r. KELLEY

"a e41C Ok1IGW --habklUuB1A A1NO
seen the play. and so I was
impressed with q passage Of
dialogue in the Pickford-Fair-
banks version Of the bard's
comedy which sounded ultra
modern. It went:
petfuchio "And you, good
sir. Pray have you not q
daughter call'd Katharine, fair,
and virtuous."
Baptista-''I have q daughter
sir, called Katharina.s
So 1t appears that in Shake
speare's time the younger
generation raised doubts in the
minds of parents. Yes, It's in
Shakespeare for l have just
finished looking it up.
Post mortems on box office
business last week in the Wash
ington theaterS movies and
legitimate - indicate that 1t
takes more. than Wall Street de-
preston to duh the edge Of an
appetite for amusement.
Rio Rita" at Keith's, did ell
that R-K-O expected, which
means bumper receipts for
seven days and hold over.
Joan Crawford, in "Untamed," :"
proved an unexpected box-office
draw at Loew'S Palace and at
tanned q gross takings mark
which puts her definitely in the
ranks Of Metros GoldWyn's best
bets. Moran and Mack finished
up a fortnight Of just $3.50
business, and Colleen Moore IN
ssFoOtlightS and Fools" cracked
no records. Lenora Uric at the
FOX, in Frozen Justice" was
less than q triumph as a box
office lure, showing that the
name of this star means more
on Broadway than on f Street.
George ArliSs in 'DiSraelI"
was the surprise. Opening with
normal attendance, the sem
inaries began to deposit their
nirI pupils at the Metropolitan
doors, limousine trade arrived
and by Thursday night mount
ing business and lobby lookouts
proved that ''Disraeli" has
caught on and could not be de-
MED g second week. It vindi-
Gated the booking office 1udg-
lnent which had pencilled in
washington as one city where
the art of Arliss in q serious
but well-done picture was GER
tain to find a popular appeal.
Mary Nolan (the former 1mo-
gene wilson, in Shanghai
Lady" the film version OF
Alice Brady's play, Drifting,
demonstrated that Universal
has q real star, given the proper
stories and background for her
i blonde beauty. The Rialto 'The-
ater report was 0. <.
At the National Theater the
New York Theater Guild was
well satisfied with the reception
given Alfred Lunt and Lynn
Fontanne in Caprice" BuSl-
ness, reports Manager Cochran,
was fine. At Polls Thomas
Mitchell in Little Accident
enjoyed a fair week.
President Hoover is becoming
less camera conscious. You VIII
find him in the Hearst Metro
tone News at Loew's Columbia
this week reading his Armlstice
Day speech into the micro
phones with complete assurance,
natural fluency and an appar-
ent ease which was noticeably
lacking when he first under
went these ordeals for the news
reels. Also he looks better.
more rested and fewer lines OF
official care noticed In reveal
ing closeup.
Since New York success in
the legitimate theater is approx
imately rated by the demands
Of the ticket spectators who
exact from $3.50 to SIS a ticket
for hit attractions, it can be
set down that nonmusical plays
most in favor on Broadway as
evidenced by calls last week
were: 1, Strictly Dishonorable;;"
3, Berkeley Square," 3, June
Moon" 4 Journeys End" and
s. "Street Scene" Bitter
sweet" at the Ziegfeld leads the
musicals with Sweet Adeline"
second in popularity. Washing
ton, it will be noted, had the
privilege of starting two Of the
f,onmusical plays on their pros
porous careers.
seStrange Interlude" has been
passed BY the Philad delphia cen
eors exactly as Eugene O'Neill
wrote 1t, and 1t will begin a
lOnr engagement there very
s0ofl. The Theater Guild Is
not saying much about the
Boston controversy, for the
aftermath of the cenSorial
strife was publicity which has
helped the play all over the
country.
Before the season is over
washington viii have another
engagement Of the O'Neill play
which rings up at the twilight
hour Of $50 p. m. Elizabeth
Risdon is now playing the
Nina Leeds role in the COM
pany formerly headed by
Pauline Lord.
AS Ed Wynn's new musical
under the ziegfield trademark
il in the rehearsal stage and
Is due to have q preliminary