Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-13
Flashes From the Screen
BY c. e. Nelson.

n more pictures of this par
a ticular type, one is in
clined to the thought tina
the screen is a remarkable me
dunn for revues. The Fox Movie.
tone Fcllies" and the newel
Hollywood Revue" are eXcellen
entertainment, and it is quite
probable that such ventures art
to take the place of the once-pop.
ular vaudeville. In the old-timt
vaudeville, or variety entertain.
ment, one headline act was usually
announced and looked forward tt
by the patron. The latter wa!
forced to sit through an after.
noon or evening to witness a To-
minute Skit by the headliner
With the modern screen revue, the
entire program can be made ur
of headlinerS; the perfection o.
sound devices has aided in a ma
terial way; stars throng the
studios, and a producer can turn
out a revue almost any rainy
afternoon.
The screen revue is a form Of
entertainment which will grow In
popularity. With Hollywood Re-
Vue" and the Fox FollieS," it is
realized that a certain amount OF
the work comes under the head
ing of experimentation. A large
number of the featured players
simply show their "parlor tricks.
But, with the coming of the
established revue, or vaudeville
entertainment, the former stage
stars will find themselves once
more in public favor. One has
but to hear and see such work as
that done by Marie DreSSler and
others of 1.-The Hollywood Revue
to realize that these former stars
of the speaking stage can make
just as much of a success on the
screen as they did before the foot
lights.
And, to show the real popularity
of such a revue, the Columbia
management announces that the
current picture will come within
a few dollars of breaking the
week record. The record-breaker
of course, at this theater was
Broadway Melody"
BROADWAY reviewers send out
word that the new RKO pic
ture, Rio Rita" starring Bebe
Daniels in a singing and dancing
part, can be claSsed among the
"smaSheS." Let it be known that
the word, smash" is an antonym
of the Broadway word, flop
While Rio Rita" smasheS, the
manager of the Earl Carroll
Theater is preparing for a run of
several weeks. It is said that the
picture gains in magnitude and
Inagnificence over the stage pro-
duction, and the latter was a
worthy Ziegfeldian effort. Quot
ing: "Bebe Daniels gives an ex-
cellent portrayal of Rita, and she
sings the role with a dash and
depth of feeling that cannot help
but win for her many new ad-
nirerS. John BoleS is splendid
The two comics, Bert Wheeler and
Bobby Woolsey, do their stuff in a
fashion that is sure fire. Luther
Reed did a thorough and work
rnanlike job at directing, and the
technicolor work is unusually
fine. Rio Rita is extravagantly
produced. We could write columns
about it and still say no more
than that, to date, it is the per-
feet screen musical" ss.s
FOR some reason or other, John
Gilbert has gone boom" as
a screen lover. You can blame it
upon the talkies, or perhaps the
star has lost his technique; but,
anyway, his Glorious Night" eff
fort turned from rather serious
drama to comedy. John came to
Washington Tin a tin can, OF
course) with a wonderful reputa-
ton. His work in the "silents'
had stamped him as the greatest
of all pantomime lovers, so, nat
urally, there was a great outpour-
ing of his Washington admirers to
hear imprisoned words when
His Glorious Night" came to
town. BY his one-week stand
John has just about lost his re-
putation. His admirers, watching
him go through long and ardent
scenes, first giggled, then they
laughed, and peril APPS they
howled.
What changes the talkieS have
made. In the "silentS," the love
scenes could be drawn out just as
long as desired; they were dreamy
affairs with no human voices OF
other noises to break the spell
But audible love- making is bill
boresome-to the spectators. The
screen stories must be produced
in closer relation to stage plays
The screen has become a stage
with it's sound effects. The repu-
tations of Theda Bara, Valentino
and others will survive simply be-
cause they never reached the
sound pictures. John Gilbert wa!
unlucky in becoming the subjec
of an operation in which TIT
patient died, an audible passing
away.
THE writer of this column
acknowledges the receipt o
several letters on the subject o
masters of ceremonies in tn
photoplay palaces. 1t is impoS
Sible to publish the letters, TO
many of them could only b
printed on asbestos, and declin
to comment on this particula
subject. Some prefer their master
of ceremonies, others do not.
will agree with several writers
however, that some of the allege
Jokes cast over the footlightS ar
worn ragged and that they woul
be more acceptable and be re
ceived more joyously in tn
smoking room of Pullman cal
X \ X X
TRADER HORN himself ma
have experienced narrowe
escapes during his lifetime, but h
-I;-l 1,o+ have oroatar thrills tina