The Washington times., 1929-10-19
GLEANINGS.
AND:
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW r. KELLEY

Ilrst plans Tor the spring or
1880 and the next season of
the National Players. To be ex-
act, Mr.. Cochran has induced
Miss Ruth Abbott to sign a con-
tract whereby her services will
be at his disposal as leading
woman for the E Street COM
pany.
Ruth Abbott is the very
pretty girl, with two dimples,
who played the part of Mary
Carlton" in THE Middle Watch"
at the Belasco last week, being
in fact the only American in
the otherwise all English COM
pany. She was sent abroad by
the Selwyns to rehearse in the
play since in all merrie England
no American girl could be
found to fit the part. AS
stock lead she played a season
of "a weeks with the New En-
gland company sponsored by
James Thacher for the Poll
theaters.
Miss Abbott received generous
notices from New York critics
when "The Middle Watch" had
it's Broadway opening and also
kind words from Washington's
critical machine gunners. In
fact the only appraisal which
had her reaching for the SMELL
ing salts was in Variety where
Hardie Meakin reported: "Amer-
lean girl of Ruth Abbott is
played as an English woman
would do it."
Had I bet a S. pyramided
parlay on the horses picked by
Mrs. Harry Stringer yesterday
at Laurel, the bank roll today
would be $4,000 fatter and one
more dramatic editor would be
spending his time trying to
write plays. But why should
/ be sad. Even Harry didn't
bet 'em.
Although William Fox has
made his millions in the motion
picture business he ~ a per-
sonal aversion to posing for the
camera. The moustached gen
tleman with the slicked down
hair you see in the prints regu-
larly Is really the major domo
of all the vast Fox theatrical
enterprises but he, really doesn't
look like that. This was
picture taken some years ago
and since then he has shaved
off the hirsute adornment.
Neither coaxing or more sub
stantial argument can induce
Mr.. Fox to sit for the photogra-
pliers. There was a hope that
he might pose when it was de-
cided that his personal message
would be delivered to the pa
irons of his theaters by Movie
tone. But Mr.. Fox evaded the
issue by voicing his speech
through proxy.
The weekly magazine, Time,
which reports these facts, also
says that the success of the Fox
enterprises is so tied up and de-
pendent upon the executive head
of the house he is insured for
$5,000,000 in favor of his busi-
ness. Naturally when he was
involved in a bad automobile
smash last July there was vast
uneasiness in insurance circles
for a time until the cheerful
bulletins from the hospital al
layed the fears.
Wanda Lyon, who such a criti-
cal Judge as Leonard Hall,
nominated as the prettiest lead
ing woman who ever served with
Washington stock company,
has forsaken the stage for
matrimony. She has just be-
come Mrs. James Lyman Pratt,
wife of a New York investment
broker.
Wanda served with the Gar
rick Stock Company, sponsored
by George Perry Marshall. She
opened in Belasco's "The Boom
erang," a play which this COM
mentator recalls we'll because
the late Garry McGarry did a
perfectly swell job in enacting
the leading male of the comedy.
Imagine, then, the surprise when
Mr.. McGarry was given his
notice on Saturday night. 1t
turned out that Wanda and
Garry were not ideal profess
sional playmates and Miss Lyon
complained to the producer that
when the action called for Mr..
McGarry to have his back to
the audience but facing her the
mischievous Garry expressed his
dislike by sticking out his
tongue. Just imagine.
She enjoyed very successful
summer season in the D. G. and
women patrons of the theater
assert that no actress, before or
since, has ever flashed such
varied and magnificent stage
wardrobe. Wanda comes from
Salt Lake City and was induced
to adopt the stage when she
came East in 1912 to christen
the battleship Utah.
It struck me as odd, these
stories to the effect that George
Arliss had quit the stage. Odd,
because right now George Arliss
is the greatest box-office attrac-
tion of the male stars on the
legitimate stage. Actors seldom
retire when their public is
marching up to the box-office
windows in very profitable num-
bers. Ray Henderson heard
these stories and took the
trouble to cable England and find
out what truth was behind the
runnorE. The answer came yes-