The Washington times., 1929-10-31
GLE NlNGS
AND:
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW X. KELLEY

about the SCock mar NC
almost everybody-it might be
pertinent to set down that the
Broadway theaters felt the Wall
Street depression with about
the worst week in history for
this time of year. AS one
manager put it, just about as
bad a combination as 1om
Kippur and Good Friday. The
movies were not greatly af-
fected, the supposition being
that the younger amusement
seekers have no funds for stock
trading.
While | was making up my
mind that Radio keith -Orpheum
(R-K-O) was good specula-
tive venture for Sam Rubin
and myself at the quoted a. m.
price of II, the Garned stock
Jumped to 10. Proving you
shouldn't take so .ong to make
up your mind. Or maybe you
should.
Which reminds me that | met
q smart theater man yesterday
who has been getting the Octo-
Der fresh air and not much
more at Laurel these tine after
moons. "The best horse race
/ have seen this year was down
on F Street." he said. "Ges,
it was in "The H)ttentot," he
explained. Il just knew that
Edward Everett Horton was
going to win that steeplechase,
right from the start. The only
trouble was couldn't get
bet down. Maybe it was just
as well. He might have lost IN
the last reel with my luck"
Gladys NJ. Laing takes pen in
hand to give the editor a mlld
dressing down for last Friday
paragraph which she feels re-
fleets upon the union musicians.
Possibly it did, although it was
not so intended. However, read
her letter
"This letter is prompted by
your column in The Times on
Friday. | hope it will make you
more generous in your view of
musicians and their union. 1t
, is amazing how many people
believe what they read in news,
papers, never paIslng to con-
slider whether or not there is
> an angle to a situation other
than the one presented by the
reporter.
"As an example of this fact,
allow me to cite an occurrence
at the National Theater during
a matinee of The Spider AS
the orchestra came into the pit
voice behind me said: Here
come those musicians who had
the trouble with the manager and
nearly closed the theater.' |
turned to this person and said:
How much do you KNOW about
that case?' The reply was
only what | read in the pa
pers.' Needless to say l ex-
planned it from the musicians
angle. | don't think I was very
successful because the first I'M
preston is the lasting one. 1t is
unfair to have the public come
to view the musicians and their
union as unreasonable. The
union has made possible liv-
ing wage for it's members. When
a leader takes back a portion of
a mans salary it is only fair that
he and the man be fined.
Gas for the New Orleans case
you wrote about, the leader nor
the theater have any right to
work musicians overtime. The
men are willing to work during
the hours they are employed. 1t
is no fault of theirs the pictures
are either talkies or synchro-
nized. Their afternoons and eve
nings are given to the theater
and the most would rather be
playing than waiting around be-
tween the 15-minute periods in
which they play. How do you
like overtime work without pay?
Can't you see this situation from
the musicians eyes?
"Please be more lenient in your
future paragraphs about these
much misunderstood people.
Every sincerely,
(signed) "GLADYS NJ. LANG.
"618 Sheridan st. n. W."
About my generosity to the
union musicians one theater
executive chided me within the
fortnight for writing a column
on canned VS.. real orchestra
music, that he felt certain was
pasted on the bulletin board of
Mr.. Hayden's E Street head
quarters. Also that it was
ringed and sent to the archives
of National President Weber. So
you can appreciate the diff
Guilty of trying to be a neutral.
AS for the National Theater
spring dispute not one official
word ever came from the musi-
clans through their accredited
spokesman-if they have one.
This column was open to them
and always has been, to pre-
sent their side of any con-
troversy in which there is an
element of public interest. Pe"-
haps they need a counsel on
public relations. Let me nomi-
nate Gladys M. Laing.
De Wolf Hopper finding no
role available for stage appear
ances, has decided to make his
time useful with radio and the
movies. He has just signed
with the National Broadcasting
Company. presumably to master
of ceremonies commercial broad