The Washington times., 1929-01-19

during it's engagement to swell
the gross receipts.
That excellenC actress, Lillian
Braithwaite, who ! like to recall
for a splendid performance with
Noel Coward in "The Vortex"
three seasons back, tells Lon
don audience what an actress
needs to succeed:
The courage of q lion.
The hide of q rhinocerous."
The endurance of an Arctic
explorer, and
A good home to 60 to when
out of an engagement.
Given these things there is
no reason why a girl should
not make a living on the
stage"
WelI, Lillian, given these
things and these alone, / doubt
whether she would ever make
the front page of a tabloid,
even in a bathing suit. Or be
the kind of q girl that Flo
Ziegfeld, George White or Earl
Carroll would fight about. She
might, it seems to me, make .
better channel swimmer.
Down on E Street. where the
stage hands spend many an idle
moment and toss it back at the
New York producers, who wall
over their overtime bills, a lit
tle item from Paris might prove
interesting. 1t says:
"Stage hands here, who are
getting only $1.68 a day and
who asked for "a cents per
diem increase, struck yesterday.
and stayed out for 10 minutes.
And then didn't get the raise.
But those in the know say that
the demonstration was so eff
fective that the request will
most likely be granted"
So this, as they say, is Paris.
What the international could do
to that town, if it could be
imported like Moulin Rouge
ideas, to Broadway and Forty
second Street.
Rodney Collier, former house
manager of the Rialto Theater
on Ninth Street, has been called
to Broadway. He will direct
affairs at the Colony Theater,
Universals main stem house,
which has been losing money
at the rate of $4,000 week.
Harry Reichenbach, $f,0O0-a-
week press agent, is now en-
gagged in tryiEg to take the
fheater out Of the 1sred.'
AL ,Jolson has consented to
take $4,000 for playing one
week at Loew's Warfield Thea
ter, San Francisco. It must pc
hard to consent to such 9 wage
and tougher that the job only
lasts for one week. Still it il
pleasure to know that when
better wages are paid, Mr.. Joi.
son. q Washington boy, viii
probably get them. A pleasure
for AL, mean.
David Belasco. unable to over
come the work habit of 4 life
time. today announced the I'M
mediate resumption of his prod
notion program. He is entirely
recovered from a recent indis-
nosition and now. assured OF
fhe success of Lenore Ulric's
starring vehicle, 1Mina," when
Ill attracting, capacity louses,
he plans to produce new play
III which he viii star Miss Beth
Merrill.
lasco will retire to his studio
II Westchester Hills, taking
with him Miss Merrills new
play. The play, be announces,
will be presented to the pubic
early in the spring.
Originally Mr.. Belasco had IN
tended 70 produce the play dur
ING the present month, but de-
laws in the production Of Nina
prevented it. The producer
chief stage carpenter died SUD
denly. and further delay was Oc-
casioned by added rehearsals
which took the place Of the
usual preliminary road tour. It
became necessary to postpone
work on the play for Miss Mer-
riII. but now Mr.. Belasco an
nounces he will permit nothing
10 interfere with its completion.
In the interim, however, the
model sets were COMPLETED by
Joseph Wickes and delivered to
Mr.. Belasco's studio, together
with superb costume plates, the
latter the product Of Albertina
Randall Wheelan, noted Amer
lean artist and designer.
The scenes of the new play
will be laid in Virginia City,
New, in the early 'TQ's. Mr..
BeIasco, as a youthful actor,
was member Of the Piper
Stock Company there, and many
81 the incidents of the new play
viii be based on his recollection
of the personages and events Of
that day.
Players under contract for the
production are transferring
their agreements ito cover the
proposed spring opening.