The Washington times., 1929-03-16
GLEANI
ANlD
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW r. KELLEY

Tragedy" in the dramatic, YER
sion.
This weighty tome of Dresser
was made into play by
Patrick Kearney, unless memory
errs, and enjoyed a run at the
Longacre Theater in New York.
It's rather intimate and reveal
ing incidents in the tragic life
of one Clyde Griffiths caused
considerable furore when first
presented, but eventually the
talk of censorship subsidized and
the play was permitted to run
its course. It enjoyed brief
road tour.
Although the L. Stoddard
Taylor communique gives no
enlightening facts on the COM
pany to present it here, the
name of Howard Phillips as
lead suggests it is the same
acting organization now in its
fourth week with the play at
the Auditorium Theater in
Baltimore.
For those who, have not read
the two-volume fiction of Dresser
it may be said that it sets forth
in lurid detail the story of a
boy who becomes entangled with
one young woman, finds another
more desirable and removes the
unwanted girl by drowning. He
ends his unhappy career in the
electric chair.
Dresser has never denied that
he got the inspiration for his
fiction tale from the true life
story and dramatic trial of
Chester Gillette, the Northern
New York boy who paid the
supreme penalty for killing a
Tilted sweetheart.
Over in Baltimore the police
acted on certain complaints and
hustled the producers into court.
When the compliments failed
to appear to press their grievance
the whole matter was dropped.
Meanwhile the attendant pub
licity reacted in a decidedly
favorable manner at. the box
office.
I always liked to be helpful
so / pass along a little prac-
tical hint for Manager Etris of
the Ambassador Theater which
came trickling in over the tele-
phone yesterday. 1t seems that
ON Wednesday night the Am
bassador Theater gives away
piece of china as souvenirs to
its fair customers. Three nights
ago the film attraction was
Wilma Banky in "The Awaken.
ing" and its more exciting
moments were featured by
patrons who let their fragile
souvenirs slip from fingers or
laps, faw down and go boom.
What Leo Sugrue suggests is
a screen warning before the
Wednesday feature is flashed,
"Hold Everything"
Managing director Michael j.
Cullen of the Loew Theaters
yesterday announced that the
membership of the National
Press Club will be given the
first Washington glimpse of the
talked about hit movie, Broad
way Melody" It will be an
invitation performance at the
Palace Theater with the date
and time to- be announced as
soon as these necessary details
can be worked out with Chair
man Edgar Markham of the
clubs entertainment committee.
In the quest of suitable st.
Patrick's day neckwear chance
took us into the gents furnish
ing department of an F Street
department store. Imagine the
surprise, almost embarrassment,
at the sight of a personable
male, evidently a newly wed,
trying on silk pajamas over
tweed trousers, while his pretty
companion stood to one side and
nodded approvipgly or other
wise. l must say he wore his
chamber garments with all the
nonchalance of John Cumber-
land although the scene re-
minded a .scribbler Etheatrically
obsessed of an Addison Pitt re-
hearsal of Twin Beds"
The Roxy Theater, celebrated
. birthday this week by break
ing a record. The picture was
"Speakeasy" made from a play
which was a box office failure,
but which, from a digest of ali
reviews, makes swell movie,
Benjamin Stoloff, who directed
the feature for Fox has incor-
porated all the lifelike sounds
Of g big city including scenes
from the Pennsylvania, station,
the night clubs, Madison Square
Garden during fight, the sub
way and other genuine touches
of realism. This George, Rosener-
Edward Knoblock play becomes
absorbing entertainment through
the sound sequences.
Under the circumstances it is
easy to understand the ex-
pressed enthusiasm of Mr.. Roth
afel for the sound pictures.
Roxy says: BOX office interest
in the silent motion picture Is
dead. Whether we like silent
pictures or not, we know that
eAlkies are an advance in fha