The Washington times., 1929-01-10
'GLEANINGS|
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW r. KELLEY

it is difficult to disagree when
an opponent shields himself
behind anonymity. For instance,
somebody who doesn't like Wes-
ley Eddy indites cleverly
worded thesis on why the Palace
master of ceremonies irks MIN
sorely, with some insidious COM
parison to boot. 1t may be
somebody looking for Eddy's
job. Who can tell?
Whoever he may be, let him
consider that Wesley Eddy has
been working 81 consecutive
weeks at Thirteenth and F
Streets. Back of that record
must be substantial popularity
and pulling power where it
counts-at the box office. You
can't escape the facts. Show
business is a practical institu-
tion. They don't pay you be-
cause they like you. Salaries
are fixed by the number of pay
ing patrons who are pleased
enough to applaud. An enter
tainer who can hold his place
for 81 weeks must have a fol-
lowing. And he would be Just
a trifle colorless if he didn't
pick up few enemies in the
long journey.
Here's another that comes to
this desk signed, can Old-timer."
1t is not, I deduce, that he
loves Earl Carroll more but
that he loves Ziegfeld less.
However, read it:
"Why don't you poohbahs of
the dramatic desks give Earl
Carroll a better break in your
esteemed columns?
"Mr. Carroll comes to town
with a name that thus far has
been connected with only the
lowest type of undraped show.
And 10! he reforms, and offers
us a production that for sheer
beauty has never been sur
passed in the annals of the
local stage"
'Now if the alleged master,
Mr.. Ziegfeld, had brought in
a production half as wonderful,
ye scribes would have run out
of superlatives in describing it,
and all week long there would
have been interviews with the
Wizard" and all kinds of deep
analyzing of the uncanny brain
actions back of it ALL"
What are you going to do
about it? Give a helping hand
to uplift!
Well, of course, Old-timer,
this is bait for a few para
graphs anent "Fioretta" and l
swallow it hook, line and sinker
only because of the "alleged."
l think that word should read
conceded"
Insofar as Mr.. CAROLS pro-
duction is concerned it has been
given adequate publicizing on
these pages for at least six
weeks through the activities of
Sidney Skolsky's typewriter. Or
maybe it was Charlie Bochert's.
The items came with each morn
ing mail and most of them
were used because they were
interesting. And a column in
Monday evenings Times used
up not few superlatives.
"Fioretta" is a credit to Earl
Carroll and his greatest pro-
duction. He has drenched it
with beauty and costly colors
that rival Joseph's coat. When
that parade to the Hall of
Candles begins with its line
after line of gorgeously appar-
eled mediaevals, eliminating in
the imposing ceremonials of an
early Venetian wedding, you are
witnessing a stage picture Of
magnificence that will long be
talked about. Mr.. Carroll. at
his very best, if you ask me.
And his best is Just about as
good as they come.
But you can wager your last
summers rain check that Mr..
Carroll with every dollar that
went into his opulent musical
comedy had in mind among
other things, to outdo Ziegfeld.
1t is possible he will not admit
it, but Broadway will admit
it for him and when Flor
eta" hits the big town the in
evitable comparison will be
made. In my humble judgment
he's almost equipped to run the
critical gauntlet. Although
three prima -donnas watched
yesterdays matinee and one of
them eventually gets the job
of being the Duchess" Yes,
"Fioretta" is a diamond among
shows, and is getting it's final
polishing.
AS for Mr.. Ziegfeld. You
can't dismiss with an alleged, ="
a title that was won by such
shows as "Rosalie," "Three
Musketeers," "Rio Rita" "Show
Boat" and "Whoopee." They
are backed up by too many ca
pacity weeks and attendance
records that mean nothing more
than universal appeal for the
theaIer-goer. Before that, "Fol-
lies" no end; "Sally," Louis
XIV" "Kid Boots" and a few
others that paid dividends. In
between were "Comic Supple
ment" and Betsy" but his per-
centage of strike-outs is so low
you must rate him on hits, and,
to continue the baseball, ver-