The Washington times., 1929-10-21

the 1lFSC DdNlS OpuS, liS
hearted drama produced by Gus
Hill many years back and called
"Over the Garden Wall.
Since then Mr.. Davis has
written exactly 299 other plays
including the laugh winner, "The
Nervous Wreck" made over for
Eddie Cantor into "Whoopee,
and the Pulitzer prize play of
1924. "Ice Bound" Lately he
has succumbed to the big checks
of Hollywood and has been turn
ing out stories for the sound
films.
Truly unassuming is Mr..
Davis. In the lobby crowds he
was pointed out, for a battered
and weather-beaten fedora
would make even a wealthy
playwright conspicuous.
The Little Theater on Ninth
Street has closed it's doors and
inferentially conceded it is i'm
possible to meet the landlord
with a smile on the profits from
silent pictures.
In one season the Little Thea
ter did a gross business OF
$4,000, which meant a profit
all round and inspired a belief
there was a real place in the
Washington amusement world
for an intimate shrine of the
cinema. The chattering films
have completely changed the
perspective.
| think the real problem of
the Little Theater was the ne
cessity of operating with for
eign film program. If l am
100 per cent American on any
thing it is on the fact that
Hollywood has Europe skinned
10000 ways when it comes to
making pictures. English fea-
lures are a joke when COM
pared to the best of the United
States studios. Only occasion
ally do the French turn out a
picture worth talking about.
The Russian films are generally
loaded with political propaganda.
UFA in Germany makes an
occasional good feature, but il
it turns out exceptionally we'll,
Paramount or Universal or
Metro Geldwyn buys it for the
American market and it is out
of reach of the so-called Little
Theaters.
The problem of successful
operation of a Little Theater is
studio product. Unless some
booking arrangement can be
made with the large producers,
the task is uphill, all of the
time, and more so unless the
theater is equipped to use the
noisy screen.
There is an occasional excep-
tion to the rule. One of the
Radio-Keith- -Orpheum executives
here last week told me that the
Bijou-Dream Theater in Boston
is still a gold nugget on the
R-K-O books. 1t is tiny
theater where B. F. Keith began
his vaudeville career, has an
auditorium reached by a flight
of stairs or escalator, and plays
only silent pictures. 1t coins
money and has for many years.
Next door is the magnificent
B. F. Memorial Theater, which
cost $5,OO0,0O0 and has yet to
reach a dividend-paying basis.
People have been going to the
Biiou-Drcam for years. 1t en-
joys the rare reputation of
being "habit house"
If Edmund Goulding keeps a
diary, the year 1929 will proba-
bly, be cherished volume with
a great author and director. For
one thing he wrote the story of
broadway Melody" which was
just about as fine a screen mar
rative as the sound pictures have
offered.
Now he has given Gloria
Swanson corking screen story
in THE Trespasser" and di-
rected it to boot. Goulding can
write. He adapted "Tol able
DAVID for Richard Barthelmess,
which many of Dicks fans still
contend was his greatest picture.
Dancing Mothers" in which
Frances Howard "(Mrs. Samuel
Goldwyn) appeared was a play
which he wrote for the Selwyns.
Last year he turned out novel
called Fury which was not a
best seller but nevertheless is
3 story no author need apologize
for. In between times he has
acted as director of sally,