The Washington times., 1929-01-15
IGLEANINGS
AND
SCREENINGS
Rn ANDREW r. KELLEY

in that it marks the first full
length outdoor talking film.
Two directors get screen
credit for the feature, Raoul
Walsh and Irving Cummings.
Walsh, it seems, started the
camera and sound supervision
besides assuming the lead, but
was incapacitated through an
automobile accident just as work
had begun. Director Cummings
started it all over again and
carried through to the finish:
He is said to have captured
some scenic shots of marvellous
beauty. Edmund Lowe, Warner
Baxter and Dorothy Burgess are
featured players.
Irving Cummings is one direc-
tor who is coming along fast.
His last two pictures, Dressed
to Kill" and Romance of the
Underworld" provided screen
entertainment that reflected
both intelligence in story Selec-
tion and a fine appreciation OF
vivid reality in supervision.
Not often can you be enter
tanned by the daughter of
millionaire, but the opportunity
is present this week at Loew's
Palace Theater. Helen MacFad-
den, billed as the Perfect Girl"
is daughter of Bernarr Mac
Fadden, publisher of the New
York Graphic, many fiction
magazines and a pioneer ex-
ponent of physical culture.
1 suppose Miss Helen would
hardly be a MacFadden unless
she were a 100 per cent advocate
of a sound body. If physical
culture history is correct, she
has been brought up from the
cradle through the system and
method by which her father has
attained world wide fame and
considerable fortune. She could,
if she so elected, be a Park
Avenue idler, but prefers to
spread the doctrine of good
health by a direct appeal to
theater audiences.
Miss MacFadden is a person
able example of what she
breaches and, for a girl with a
mission, makes it right enter
tanning. And this seems a good
point to insert that tomorrow
morning at 10 a. m. she will
give a performance exclusively
for women. Details in the
adjoining advertising columns.
Julius Rosenwald will soon
be the proprietor Of Washing
toms newest department store,
located near Fifteenth and H
Streets Northeast. Thus, as a
future Washington merchant
and the multi-millionaire head
of Sears, Roebuck & Co., any
thing he may say is interesting.
commend his speech in Fox
Movietone which may be heard
at the Fox Theater this week.
Particularly for what he says
in very full two minutes. We,
without millions, have often
thought that given the same
breaks as the seven figure
fortune folks, we too, might
own a yacht and Palm Beach
cottage. Mrs. Rosenwald adj
mits it. In fact he makes an
altogether different success
speech from what might be ex-
pected from a merchant Croesus.
That's what makes it so good.
Jerome Kern, who wrote the
music for ''Show Boat" and
countless other big musical hits,
has been identified with pub
licity of Broadway for so long,
the fact that he was an expert
book collector was overlooked.
His passion was first .edi.
tions. When he decided to auc-
tion off his library a few days
ago, collectors from far and
near gathered. The result was
over $1,O0O,00O paid in. five
days. for the precious volumes.
His 113 editions of Dickens
alone brought $252,540.
Kern has spent some years
gathering his bibliophile ex-
hibits. But they cost him alto
gether only $150,0OO. Giving
rise to the question whether
being a successful musical COM
poser pays as we'll as picking
out the right books to hoard.
Although this column has
been disereetly described by an
anonymous reader as the Wash
ingt n publicity organ for
Florenz Ziegfeld without pay,
OF course). the fact that he
has picked Gertrude Lawrence
and Jim Barton as his two leads
for the musicalized East is
West" seems worthy Of mention.
Also that John j. Raskob is
gossiped as supplying the funds
for Zieofeld pr0ductic~ of
The Big Parade" with music,
and Eddie Bowling and Rae
Dooley starred.
Also Though / vouch not for
its truth, Florenz had occasion
recently to mildly scold his wife.
Billie Burke, for some ex-
travagance. And she sent him
a peace missive in the shape of
100 orchids for his desk.