The Washington times., 1929-02-05
GLEANINGS
AND
SCREENINGS
Rn ANDREW R. KELLEY

tertainment committee of the
inaugural com littee, the theater
managers of Washington yes
terday officially pledged no
profiteeri. in amusement paste
boards among the inaugural
crowds.
Regular box office prices
will prevail" according to Julian
Brylawski, president of the
Theater Managers Association,
"and each house promises the
best available programs for the
March A visitors"
Such assurance was hardly
necessary for Washingtonians,
but out-of-town visitors are so
informed in order that there be
no apprehension lest the Broad
way football night rules might
prevail, which in impolite YER
nacular means, Get all you can
get"
L. Stoddard Taylor, of the
Belasco; Thornton D. Bonnie
vile, of Polls, and Stephen
Dillingham; Corcoran (by proxy
attended with Sidney Lust repre-
senting the neighborhood the
aters. In all, Al temples of
amusement were represented at
the meeting.
After filling E. F. Colladay's
office with flashlight smoke, the
meeting adjourned, subject to
later call by Mr.. Hoover's party
chiefs.
NO." said Lawrence Beatus,
former managing director of
the Loew theaters in Washing
ton, 81 am not coming back to
fill the vacant chair" Larry
was in town to attend the
funeral of a relative and just
dropped into his old F Street
office to see how the pictures
were hung.
He reports that with the aid
of a guild he has just learned
the secret of moving through
Broadway traffic according to
the Grover Whalen rules and
regulations.
Since William Haines is not
one of this departments weak
nesses, although the flappers
think he's grand, it is a pleasure
to set down in type that his
latest picture, "Alias Jimmy VAL
entine," is worth your serious
attention.
About half way through the
feature Mr.. Haines becomes
audible and it is one of the best
talking sequences that / have
yet heard produced by the sound
device. Lionel Barrymore, a
corking actor on the stage or
screen, is just immense in the
role of Detective Doyle and
Haines is right behind him.
Yes, Bill is still a little fresh,
but he gets over it towards the
finish of the feature.
They Goctored the o. Henry
fiction a little in transferring
Jimmy Valentine" to the screen.
In the original story this slick
cracksman opened the safe at
the crucial moment, but he used
a jimmy to do it.
In the picture, his fingers,
sandpapered to the quick to
make them sensitive, are utilized
to work the tumblers on the
bank safe and swing open the
big doors.
This Haines conception of
Jimmy Valentine is probably
taken from the play in which
H. B. Warner starred before he
was inoculated by Hollywood.
Bert Lytell was the first movie
star of valentine" in a feature
made by the old Metro company
IL years ago.
Will vaudeville patrons sit in
a theater for a radio program?
The answer according to the
Keith folks is mo" Last week
the houses were kept open for
the r. X. O. loud speaker broad
cast after the regular show.
Most of the audience walked
out and the plan has been dis
continued.
Also, here and now is a good
time to remark that if you
miss "Across the Atlantic by
Zeppelin" a glimpse at one of
the greatest historical adven-
lures ever filmed is passed up.
The filming is a magnificent
achievement from the standpoint
of something interesting for the
archives of history and even
more so as illustrating the value
of a motion picture camera on
such an epic journey.
1t gives you a graphic COM
ception of what Colonel Lind
bergh and Commander Won Eek
ener must have been thinking as
they were soaring over the
seemingly endless expanse Of
ocean. And when the damaged
wing of the Graf Zeppelin is
repaired in the midst of a heavy
storm at sea, it is possible to
agree with Lady Drummond
Hay that it was the most thrill
ing moment in this memorable
trip.
Nils = Grandlund makes an
admirable master of ceremonies
for the talking sequences which
introduce Lady Drummond Hay
and Commander Eckener. In
cidentally you may see how
Washington looked from the