The Washington times., 1929-05-18
GLEANINGS1
SCREENINGS
AND
By ANDREW q. KELLEY

John Schelhaus, . graduate
copy boy Of The Washington
Times and now q full.fledged
Shakespearan actor, pays the
editor . visit to report the clos
ing OF the Genevieve Hamper
season and his signing for .
summer eneagemnt with Mr..
Cochran's d Street troupe.
The youthful Mr.. Schelhaus
left the opportunities Of, Journal
ism without ceremony when the
call came to be q spear carrier
IN the company Of the late Rob
ert Mantell. For two full sea
sons he trouped In cities, towns
ana haxnleta with that fine old
actor who died with an mistaken
belief Shakespeare would always
pay dividends ct the box-office.
Johnny was personally coached
BY Mr.. Mantell in the use Of the
voice and gradually advanced in
cast prominence until he was
playing comedy leads. When his
widow decided to carry on she
summoned Mr.. schelhaus to join
her company.
Director Addison Pitt has cast
Johnny for q role In "The
SPIDER" which opens May ~ with
q greater opportunity promised
for the Belasco revival Of "Girl
Of the Golden West" early in
June.
IT'S hard to work up any fer.
vent sympathy for Ed Wynn par"
ticuIarly after hearing he had
full season In Manhattan Mary"
at $500 a week and has been re-
engaged by George White at the
same salary for q new show. But
the sad truth is that while all
of the other high-salaried
comedians are making their
spare time profitable with the
movies Mr.. Wynn finds he must
overcome a lisping difficulty. Ed
lisps without trying. 1t sounds
cute enough on the stage but
unfortunately the microphones
and the talking apparatus of the
studios transform his language
into mealy-mouthed gibberish.
They may be able to do some
thing about it but at last ac-
counts the outlook was dreary for
Mr., Wynn as a film star.
Maurice Kafka, modest and
debonair band inpresario who
insists that Emory Daugherty
is the Rudy valee Of Washing.
ton, drops in to inform seekers Of
open air diversion that he will
soon open the Jardin Lido atop
of the Arlington Hotel where.
weather permitting. whoopee will
reign nightly close to the clouds.
More about this later in the
regular advertising columns.
In picking out Rudy Valee, as
an envied stick waver whose
prosperity Maestro Daugherty
would emulate, Mr.. Kafka selects
q band leader whose tunes are
known only to Washington via
. the radio. ValeO, one year. ago,
/: was just q musician who could
aang. Within the IL months he
has boosted the salary for his
musical outfit from $500 to the
$4,000 O week he IL now receiving
DOR IN extended engagement at
&h0 Paramount Theater in New
YORK..
Quinn Martin was frank
though TO call him o third-rats
aangsV leading . second-class
hand. But what cares Mr..
: Walea. He 10 the idol Of the
Manhattan flaps and next to Paul
: NVhitsman most in demand by
DollEs who must have their jazz.
s1Er. Vals0 In reported by said
; 0appers to have "It" in large and
Desirable quantities. My own re-
action to the valee melodies as
carried by the dynamic loud
apOaker Il mot 80 hot"
S0Icomy Gus" takes q vigorous
Whaek ct the talents of Colleen
Moore a. put on display in why
Be Good and ls inclined to
bracket her as a passe star. You
viii find his missive in another
column. f the judgment was
solely upon "Why Be Good" I
would be moved to ratify the
finding. However, I blame the
story. It was trite, q little silly
and altogether preposterous.
After all a personable young mill
lionaire could hardly be blamed
II he questioned the depth Of
morality in a girl who found a
delight in necking with a dance
hall pickup. She was lily white,
according to the scenario and its
sappy explanation for loose COM
panions.
Colleen Moore can do better. If
Gloomy Gus can look back as far
as so Big" he may recall that
she did an expert job with diff.
cult role. Lilac Time" aside
from It's hokum, was certainly
neritorious. And I liked Hap.
piness Ahead"