The Washington times., 1929-09-23
LEANINGS
: AND
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW x. KELLEY

city in this us. A. wnen II
comes to fire-proofing theater
scenery. It just must be done
and no excuses.
Lew Leslie's "Blackbirds"
held the curtain half hour last
night because the authorities
would not permit certain hang
ings to go into the show until
they were sprayed With fluid to
make them non-inflamable. One
big scene was eliminated and
the revue proceeded. Tonight
the censored canvas, probably
damp from an asbestos bath,
will be in for the second act
finale.
In case Producer Leslie feels
bad about it all he can tell his
troubles to Jules Murry, of the
Shuberts, and find a sympa-
thetic ear. Mr.. Murry still
weeps when he thinks of
certain Sunday night at Polls
with $4,000 in cold cash returned
to the customers because a
Passing Show" production was
handsome indeed but lacked fire
proof scenery. So the waiting
audience was turned into the
street at 9:10 o, m. And if you
don't think that is enough to
make any producer mad clean
through, you're crazy for sure.
An Equity arbitration board
has decided that Producer Jed
Harris is a mighty poor sport
by assessing him two weeks
salary for the cast of Co
quette," an obligation which he
endeavored to evade because he
preferred not to send out the
production without Helen Hayes.
The watching world says
amen" to this decision.
Harris made a fortune on the
Helen Hayes play and then
raised a flimsy excuse to make
the approaching motherhood of
his star-a sacred and sublime
thing-the butt for wise crack
ers and humorists who trade in
smut.
When Miss Hayes eventually
returns to the stage it will be
under the management of some
producer who has better sense
of the proprieties.
Dixie Tighe, only little while
ago one of Wasnington's best
little sob sisters in the journal
istic profession, made a big hit
with Dolores Del Rio and that
glamorous Mexican star insisted
on taking the beloved red head
to Hollywood. DIXIE goes West
to write special features for
Paul Blocks newspapers, but
Dolores insists she must take
screen test and probably
who knows what?
Out in the land of reyelry
and work, Miss Tighe will also
be the guest of Estelle Taylor
and Mr.. and Mrs. Claude Gil
lingwater, old friends. She is
scheduled to begin her regular
task as Palm Beach society
writer for the Block newspapers
when the season opens, unless
some producer offers one of
those contracts you can't resist.
Although "The Lady Lies" is
a thoroughly adult and sophisti-
Gated motion picture, adroitly
acted by an exceedingly COM
petent cast, it was one of the
last seasons Broadway flops.
The play, with William Boyd and
Shirley Warde featured, at
tanned only "a performances in
New York and closed December
Is. John Meehan, who wrote it,
Immediately transferred to
the Paramount eastern studio
and proceeded to direct his play
for camera and microphones.
The story has been toned
down some for the screen but it
is still spicy enough. | found
the situation of an adolescent
boy telling his tolerant and
kindly father just how papa's
loye affairs should be settled,
little too preposterous for
conviction. Also the reiterated
declaration that the relation be-
tween the lady in question and
her benefactor was clean and
high-minded, a trifle hard to
take. Corporation lawyers do
not set up the object of their
affections in pent house apart
ments just to see how they
decorate such surroundings.
THE Lady Lies" is a good
illustration of how the screen
has advanced in the matter of
story selection. A few years
ago every producer in the land
would have shied at such a tale
as too daring for other than
Broadway audiences. Now few
murmur, not even the censors.
Claudette Colbert and Walter
Huston give it the benefit of
acting intelligence it is a de.
light to watch. And Charles
Ruggles is half soused and
funny throughout. Mr.. Ruggles
was the pie-eyed reporter of
Gentlemen of the Press" the
always stewed hero of a Vita
phone short series and in this
one is the bootlegger's best pa
tron and a bromo-seltzer addict.
If they ever, cast a character