Evening star., 1929-12-08


sion of Rio Rita" has been
one of the sensations of the
season, and it is worth a
word or two. Not only did the
picture break records in Washing
ton, but in other cities as well, and
it will probably head the list of
money makers for the year. Up
to last Tuesday night, 10000
WaShingtonians had paid admis-
Sions at R-K-O-Keith'S on Fif-
teenth street, to hear John BoleS
and Bebe Daniels sing their songs.
While we may be in error on &C
count of not having at hand the
theatrical statistics, it is thought
that this is a Washington record.
SHOW Boat" at the Rialto some
time ago, is supposed to have held
the local record for attendance,
but Rio Rita" has gone away
ahead of this. A run of four
weeks for any picture is quite a
run for the National Capital.
Aside from the money-making
nature of "Rio Rita" the personal
success of the two stars, John
BoleS and Bebe Daniels, is worth
mentioning. These two, appearing
together for the first time dt is
Miss Daniels first sound pictureJ, ,
we're hailed by critics and public
alike. It was, in fact, one of the
few instances where the critics
and the cash customers fell into
step.
It is possible that other pictures
might have created such box
office record as Rio Rita" hung
up, but they were taken off to
allow the exhibition of newer
films. In this instance one may
mention the Gaynor-Farrell pic
ture, Sunny Side Up" which met
with great success at the Fox. The
attendance during the second
week of the run was even larger
than during the first week
Sunny" might have been in
class with "Rio Rita" if it had
been the policy of the theater to
keep it on the screen for longer
than two weeks. welcome Dam
GER" the Harold Lloyd sound pro-
duction, also turned out to be
popular Washington attraction,
and in recent weeks Gloria Swan
exclusive list of big winners.
y ** x
WHILE the motion picture in
" duStry is looked upon as more
or less of an infant in big buSi-
ness, it has its pioneers" among
them being genial Carl Laemmle
of the Universal organization, who
is celebrating his twentieth ami
VerSary as a producer. In 1909
Laemmle started the Imp Co., the
initials standing for independent
moving pictures" His first pro-
duction, released to the screen
during that year, was "Hiawatha,
an 800-foot film made at the Falls
of Minnehaha and in the cellar OF
an old brewery in New York. The
Universal company today is the
sole remaining company of the big
three upon which the industrial
structure of motion pictures was
reared. Pictures have changed
from the early days of short reels
to sound productions. TheaterS
have passed from individual own
ership to national : chains, and
there is now a worldwide organ
ization. ALI this has been done
within few years, causing one to
marvel at the growth and pros
perity of the industry.
X y *%
THE National Board of Review
of Motion Pictures, which has
taken upon itself to publish
selected list of film entertain
mentS every SO often, sends out
the following as their newest re-
lease: Acquitted" with Lloyd
Hughes and Margaret Livingston;
broadway Scandals" with Sally
O'Neill, Jack Eagan and Carmel
Myers; "Darkened Rooms" with
Evelyn Brent; "The Forward
Pass" with Loretta Young and
Douglas Fairbanks, jr.; "Is Every
body Happy?" with Ted Lewis;
THE Isle of Lost Ships" with Vir-
ginia Valli and Jason Robards;
"Jazz Heaven" with Sally O'Neill;
'Kibitzer," with Harry Groom:
"The Mighty" with George Ban
croft: '"The Return of Sherlock
Holmes" with Give Brook; "Senor
Americana" with Ken Maynard ;;
Sk1klIICL OOCpo OuOs Will OACAAAl
Tryon; "a Song of Kentucky, -
with Lois Moran and Joseph Wag-
staf; "Untamed," with Joan Craw-
ford and Robert Montgomery, and
Woman to Woman" with Betty
Compson and George Barraud.
You may not agree with the
board in its selections, but, on the
whole, it seems to represent quito
q number of the best productions
of recent weeks. Several of the
pictures mentioned have been
screened in Washington, and
others are scheduled for early
showings.
\ II r
DLAYS AND PLAYERS: Buster
Keaton is making his sound
picture debut with "On the Set"
Anita Page will have the leading
feminine role and Edward Sedg-
wick is directing. The production