Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-16


it is naturally considered that the
patron of the picture palaces Is
interested, although a great deal
of the matter pertains to business
just business. The Warner
Brothers, who are considered the
pioneers of the talkie industry,
are making no secret of the fact
that they are angling for new
theaters. Paramount, through the
Publix organization, seems to have
awakened from heavy sleep and
today is moving forward In a
manner to attract attention from
competitors. The William Fox
company is buying up "cathe-
dralS" here, there and every
where, besides making itself a
large factor in the production end
of the game. R-K-O Is busy with
all sorts of theater plans and
within the next few days large
sized merger may be announced
from the New York headquarters.
R-K-O announces that Richard
Dix, Bebe Daniels. Rudy Valee,
Rod LaRocque and Betty Comp
son are to be starred in an elabo-
rate program calling for 80 pic
during 1929 and 1880. Dix will
contribute three pictures and Miss
Daniels will be starred in the
same number, in addition to her
appearance in Rio Rita" La
Rocque will have the leading
part in two pictures, the first of
which will be called THE De-
lightful Rogue" The first picture
of Richard Dix will be II Love
You" THE Vagabond Lover" will
serve as Valee's feature introduc-
ton to the screen. Among the
radio musical offerings will be
1.-THE Radio Revels," a revue, an
original comedy by Harry Tier
ney and the screen version of the
stage success, Hit the Deck"
With the same organization,
Herbert Brenon, borrowed from
United Artists, will direct High
River while Malcolm st. Clair is
directing Night Parade" The
latter director is now completing
"Side Street" a picture which fea-
lures the three Moore brothers,
Matt, Tom and Owen. Betty
Compson is to be featured in
"Street Girl" but she will be star
red in her future pictures. Olive
Borden, Sally Blame and Hugh
Trevor are among the featured
players. Miss Borden'S first pic
ture will be called Half Mar
fiage."
IT has remained for an Ameri-
can Aim to shock Paris. And
an American film, too, which
broke box-office records through
out these United States. About
the only complaint registered III
this country against the photo
play was in regard to the adver-
tising Of the feature.
The picture which shocked Paris
was Dancing Daughters" exhib-
tied in France under the title of
lies Nouvelles Vierges'' (The New
Virgins), by Metro .Goldwyn
Mayer. According to a Paris dis
patch, the picture was IAN aston
ishing spectacle. At the opening
performance at the Madeleine
Cinema it was received by the
Partisan public with a few Kisses,
evidently evoked by the shock to
French senSibilities produced by
the representation of such loose
hammered young girls. Is this
Aim a moral protest against con-
ditions prevailing in certain Amer
lean social circles? In view OF the
reputation of a country which
prides itself on it's virtue and Is
Scandalized by our modern Baby
lon,' we would prefer to believe
60"
Then the French critic goes on
at some length and the writer is
quoting only a bit: For the her
oines of this picture are young
ladies of respectable, well-to-d do
families; the daughters OF parents
who, either through blindness or
because of the competition in the
marriage market, permit their
children to lead the most extraor-
binary lives. In spite of the ex-
cellent acting, especially that OF
Joan Crawford, the film, cinema
Geographically speaking, Is a little
Inonotonous in the constant rep
dtition of the same sort of scenes.
AS a study of customs, 1t Is de-
cidedly significant. 1t is curious
that the Americans who criticize
the immortality of our literature,
should present themselves in such
eolors.
Marcel Provost wrote a novel,
Derni-Vierges,' which created a
scandal, but this was compare
lively innocent when placed
alongside NouvelleS Vierges.' Let
us beware, however, Of making
the same mistake as those who
Judge the French family by our
romantic and dramatic literature,
The cinema, too, is work OF the
imagination and we certainly
hope we would be wronging the
young American girl by accepting
as true to life these scenes in
which she appears to us"
How many weeks did our
Dancing Daughters" draw the
crowds in Washington?
X *
EDWIN CAREWE intends to
~ promote himself from direc-
tor to supervisor-and then add
another star to his list. So that
now the list contains two names,
but both are big enough to draw
more box-off1ce cash than many
entire producing organizations.
Lillian Gish is Joining the Carewe
organization and the other name
is Dolores Del Rio.
CAMILLA HORN, upon compile
ton of the picture, THE
Royal Box" will leave for Ger
many, where she will be featured