The Washington times., 1929-12-07
GLEANINGS'
/ sAND
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW R. KELLEY


Manager L. Stoddard Taylor,
OF the BelaSco, had been trans
ferred to Polls Theater, it was
100 per cent correct and based
upon official advices from New
York.
Later bulletins from the head
quarters of the MeSsrs. Shubert
announced a change in plans.
Mr.. Taylor, with the dropping
of the curtain at the Belasco
Theater tonight, will end his
long career at that playhouse.
Next week, he allies with the
one-year-old Ethel Barrymore
Theater in New York, where
John Drinkwater's play, Bird
in Hand" is the attraction.
Manager T. D. Bonneville re-
mains at the Avenue playhouse.
The passing of the Belasco
Theater as a haven for the
drama-which seems permanent
at the moment-will not be
marked by special ceremony.
When the final performance OF
1.-THE Infinite Shoeblack" is
completed tonight the doors will
close.
They cannot be opened after
January for regular road at
fractions unless a new steel cur
tain is provided, and under
present conditions such an ex-
pense seems inadvisable.
Meanwhile the Messrs. Shu-
bert have been trying to extend
the life of Polls Theater until
the end Of the season, 1930-31.
AS this is written the prospects
are that they will win the re-
prieve.
It was while Eddie Peabody
was twanging his banjo to the
! delight of the luncheon guests
at the National Press Club yes
terday that David M. Idzal, di-
vision manager Of the Fox East
ern theaterS, confided he had
rust received a long-diStance
telephone message stating that
his garage had burned down
and q nice machine on which
he had just spent $400 for tun-
ing up and readjustments was
q mass Of junk.
OF course, I Sympathized with
him, as who wouldn't. Then
an hour later my own shiny
benzine buggy is delivered by
the garage with nice fender
dent and no charge. Then and
there I discovered that the
fellow who said to count 10 and
you'd get over being Mad must
have meant 10000.
In the course of an exceed
ingly interesting article by
John B. Kennedy IN the cur
rent Golfers Weekly, William
A. Brady confesses that when
he decided to produce "Street
Scene" the 1928-29 Pulitzer
prize play, he was broke.
Having won and lost a score of
fortunes in an active life, he
was not appalled, at producing
what he considered was a good
plan on what he calls Shin
plasters," or promissory notes.
This time he guessed right, for
the Elmer Rice play is we'll on
the way to make fresh mil
lion to replace the money ne
lost by guessing wrong in Woll
Street.
Mr.. Brady is a Snowman who
loves the element Of chance in
picking plays and producing
them. He has picked up many
a deuce thinking it was an ace,
but he is always ready for a
fresh. deal. He tells Of cutting
the cards three times with
Arnold Rothstein at SIS, 900 on
the turn and making $4,000 in
the short transaction with the
pasteboards. .
One of the big disappoint-
ments he doesn't tell about is
Barrie'S Legend of Lenora" in
which Grace George CHS wife,
was starred. It opened al the
Belasco here and Washington
gave it a great weeks business
with Mrs. Coolidge attending a
matinee and writing personal
letter telling how she enjoyed
the play. When 1t left Lafa-
yette Square 1t looked like a
sure hit. New York turned it
down as cold turkey.
The peacemaker In a little
friendly argument between hus-
band and wife often finds his
head Is a convenient target for
both shilelahs. Still, I have
been asked to act as arbitrator
In q domestic debate by Mrs.
E. H. Hammond, Of Brandy
wine Street, and as happen
to know something of the facts,
I accept the nomination. Mr..
and Mrs. were talking over the
coming of Earl Carroll Vani-
ties to the National Sunday
night and husband opined that
Mr.. Carroll had picked one of
his So famous beauties right
here in Washington. The mega
tive was taken by Mrs. Ham
mond. The question is who
wins?
Well, the truth is that Earl
Carroll selected Betty Grace
Tucker as a Washington girl
to adorn his chorus about five
years ago. Since then Betty
has graduated to the Shubert
ranks and is now playing a
mart in q musical of that firm