The Washington times., 1929-05-09
GLEANINGS
A:= AND ::---
SCREENINGS
Ry ANDREW q. KELLEY

Pagan marries the big picture
star. John Gilbert holds the
record for floral extravaganza
in Hollywood. He sent the lovely
object of his affections orchids
daily for many, many months.
But the object of his affections
then was the dangerous Greta
Garbo. When La Garbo went
abroad Romeo Gilbert pursued
her with overseas telephone calls
that mounted up in tolls to Lord
knows what. The long-distance
operator at a ritzy New York
hotel received American Beauty
roses with a $100 bill tucked
into the buds when she accom-
plished a European hook-up to
Garbo in record time. Then
along came Ina to make pic
lures for Pathe.
Ina Claire, a Holy Cross
Academy pupil, began her career
in Washington in the Belasco
in "The Little Pilgrims" ex-
actly 28 years ago. She was a
precocious child actress, about
9 or 10, daughter of Mrs. Joseph
Fagan, employed at the Govern
ment Printing Office. A juven-
lie genius for taking off Harry
Lauder, revealed professionally
on the Columbia Theater stage,
brought the first Broadway
offer to join a musical. Since
then steadily rising fame and
fortune. Ina Claire has never
appeared in a flop. Naturally
every commercial manager in
the theater would give his right
eye to have her exclusive serv-
ices. She last appeared in "Our
Betters," a Vaughan revival,
and scored another personal tri-
umph. A futile search for a
new play resulted in her listen
ing closely to a great offer
from Ziegfeld to return to the
musical stage; and the glorifier
still figures she will be a Zieg-
field star after she has COM
pleted her Hollywood contract.
Pathe hooked the prize.
Gilbert was married to Lea
trice Joy, another flicker star,
but their union was unhappy
and a divorce was recorded.
Since then his name has been
coupled with that of a score of
Hollywood beauties.
Miss Claire was previously
wed to Jimmy Whitaker, a
Chicago newspaper man. Their
union was not success, one Of
the minor reasons being that
Mr.. Whitaker, in the role of
dramatic critic, was not en-
thused over Belasco's "The Gold
Diggers" and felt the star was
just an ordinary actress. The
star happened to be his wife
and she never was able to see
the notice as a joke. When it
came time for the divorce, Ina
charged cruelty, and among
other things claimed Jimmy
struck her. II can't let her say
that. l never hit a woman in
my life. We had our disagree
ments, but they were tempera-
mental outbursts and just wordy
arguments" was Mr.. Whit
takers answer. Eventually the
charge of physical assault was
withdrawn and the decree was
obtained on less sensational
grounds.
Miss Claire is said to have a
contract with Pathe which calls
for a huge salary and a share
in the profits of her talking
pictures. Her last reported
stage salary was $4,000 a week
with a percentage of the gross
when the receipts reached a
certain amount.
One of the real problems
which the craze for talking pic
lures has created is the opera
tion of the small neighborhood
theaters at a profit. The initial
installation of the chattering ap-
paratus is considerable, the ex-
pense for operators is in
creased, the organist must be
retained although the synchro-
nized film provides all the ac-
compartment needed and talk
ing pictures cost approximately
twice as much as the now anti
quated silent features.
1t is Sidney Lust, who is the
owner and operator of a chain
of small theaters in Washington
and vicinity, who calls attention
to the additional financial
burden thrust upon the tiny