The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-10-07
GLEANINGS
.AND:
SCREENINGS
BY ANDREW r. KELLEY

with comparative camera
novice-Ann Harding-emerg-
ing from "Paris Bound" draped
with all the honors an Al
actress can wear becomingly.
The story discusses urhanely
a moot social problem-whether
one infidelity or marital mis-
step is sufficient cause to
wreck the matrimonial craft on
the rocks of divorce-and Play
wright Philip Barry dissects it
with a certain saucy frankness
in dialogue that is matured and
never self-conscious, to make
an interesting debate.
Ann Harding lends the char
actcr of the perpleXed wife the
charm that accompanies a per-
formance so delightfully."- easy it
hardly seems acting. And yet
it is great acting. l agree
intellectually with Pathe's de-
cision that it uncovered one of
the great Hollywood finds of
1929 when the Harding signature
was affixed to a contract. She
will be Ronald Colman's lead
ing woman in his next picture,
"Condemned," made by United
Artists.
Incidentally, Ann Harding in
real life does not subscribe to
the theory husbands and wives
find greater understanding and
more ardent affection by periodi-
cal separations, based upon a
belief that distance lends en-
chantment or absence makes
the heart grow fonder. That
is the role she carries in "Paris
Bound" but actually, as Mrs.
. Harry Bannister, she prefers
her husbands company con-
stantly.
Miss Harding quit "Trial of
Mary Dugan" because she
wanted to be with Harry Ban
mister, who was the "Ned Oar
rell" of "Strange Interlude."
Reunited on the coast, the Holly
wood producers began to bonn
bard her with offers. When it
came time to sign the contract
Pathe won because Harry Ban
mister was also given a chance
to act for the cameras.
She still feels trifle compli-
mented because the first direc-
tor who discussed pictures with
her expressed belief she was
"too intelligent to be pliable."
A roundabout way of saying
she was not a Dumb Dora.
Glenn Hunter, who has grown
from adolescent roles until he
wears an exceedingly high hat
these days, paid $500 to settle
dispute ever his dog which
enlivened a Pittsburgh theater
lobby where his play Reborn"
was shown last week.
The actor was entering the
lobby accompanied by a COM
panion and an Irish terrier, when
Hibernian taxicab dispatcher
inquired, what kind of a dog
is that, pray tell?"
"It's an Irish dog, my friend,
but it isn't a bit proud of it,
was the companions reply.
81 should think it would feel
worse over it's companion" came
back the starter (who must
have a good memory, for the
jokes in Joe Miller's book, and
then the fun began.
Next day Mr.. Hunter was
obliged to see his lawyer and
settle an action for damages as
part of the fruits of victory.
Reborn" has been taken off
for revision. Producer Murray
Phillips will place it in rehear-
sal again this week after some
rewriting. The play, about
prison life, is said to be too
somber an evening, and some
lighter moments will be written
into the revised version.
Some of these so-called
trailers which herald the COM
ing of the theater's next attrac-
ton have such adroit and de-
licious samples of the screen
wares they are designed to sell
they really constitute an attrac-
ton in themselves.
Gold Diggers of Broadway"
for instance, had well-chosen
morsels that melted interest
aplenty, and -Four Feathers"
which comes Saturday, revealed
enough to show that action per-
meates this screen story.
But what started this para
graph was the Gloria Swanson
tidbits shown in the advance
reel at the Columbia. Here
you hear enough of Swanson's
voice to convince she can sing
away ahead of NEST of the es-
tabllshed screen stars and suf-
ficient glimpses of the action to
excite curiosity to see it all.
Which, after all, is just what is
intended, although it doesn't
always work out that way.
One of Western Unions ex-
perts on race figures-Joe Bro
Gator, if you must know-has a
great regard for Benito Mus
solini, although he is much too
fashionable to wear a black
shirt. dictator or no dictator.
1 am a little afraid Mr.. Broca-
tor might miss this one about
his hero. so | clip it from the
current New Yorker:
"You don't have to believe
this, but a gentleman returned
from abroad says that an
American girl studying in Italy
went into a moving picture
theater and suddenly realized