The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-11-11
GIL E A N lNGS
=AND.
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW r. KELLEY

Freddie Clark, orchestra
leader at Keith's, must have
discovered the waters Ponce de
Leon sought in vain. Freddie
looks younger. Come to think
Of it, he acts younger, for
surely it is juvenile enough to
raise tiny parasol and lead
the ReK-Olians in "'Singing in
the Rain"
Getting that band together
was quite a task, I'm told. It's
o. different Instrumentation
than anything which has
hitherto occupied the Keith pit,
what with a big brass oompah
playing left end. The boys
can all solo and are practicing
comedy-cut-ups such as that
offered in their spotlighted
moments on the Rio Rita"
program.
AS one disappointed piano
player who couldn't make the
grade with Maestro Clark re-
marked, tits terrible these
days. A chorus girl has got to
be an acrobat or a contortionist
to get a job and 10 years OF
~practicing the scales is no use
If you can't do a vaudeville
act"
And speaking of "Rio Rita"
which is crowding the Keith
lobby, I take back most every
thing ever said about Director
Luther Reed after watching
him go back to the dark ages
of the movies to land an extra
laugh. He resorts to a pants
falling bit and a B. v. D. ex-
pose for Bert Wheeler, some
thing never found in the Zieg-
field operetta. This stuff is lea
bitten and mouldy with age
and when I see any director
selling it for laughs put him
down as succumbing to a weak
moment or as just a hopeless
incompetent with q good mem
DRY.
The teachers Of washington
will have the first view Of the
newest animal picture, Hunt
ing Tigers In india" It will
be given a special showing at
the National Theater on Tues
day at 4 p. m. This will also
mark the first official test OF
the theater's new $4,000 appa-
ratus for the projection OF
sound movies.
This exciting camera record
Of the hunting adventures OF
Cmdr. George M. Dyott
has the official sanction Of the
District Board of Education. It
begins a weeks engagement
twice daily, next Sunday.
"Dracula," the mystery play
which Horace Iiverright will
bring to the National Theater
in q fortnight, has crossed
Si,40O,00O since it first saw
footlights in September, 1927.
What interests me more is
that Producer Overnight was
not encouraged over its New
York reception, which could
be described as indifferent and
llnprofitable. Mr.. Liverright
then and there offered his pro-
duction of "DraCula," scenery,
rights and actors, for $4,000.
There we're no takers. It's first
week on the road crossed
$4,000, which would have paid
any lucky purchaser all his
money back. Since then Mr..
Liverright's profits are modestly
estimated at 100000. This is
"Dracula's" third season, and
week before last in Brooklyn
the gross was $4,000.
Producer Sam Harris col
lected on the latest weeks re-
ceipts yet rung UP in Washing
ton for the 1929 season in the
legitimate theater. Animal
Crackers" with the Marx
brothers, did in the vicinity of
$4,000, as just an indication
that musical comedy addicts in
the District will spend real
money for something they like.
Mr.. Harris, incidentally, has
had pretty good luck in Wash
ington. 1t was here that he
discovered he had a potential
hit in "June Moon" which was
later ratified by a rousing re-
ception from the New York
ticket SPECTATORS. Dread
the Owen Davis play, which Mr..
Harris offered at the Belasco,
has been taken off the boards
for revision.
On November Is, Mr.. Har-
ris will give Washington a pre-
liminary peep. at another new
one. It is Ernest Paschals
play, "The An)orous Antic,
with cast that will include
Frank Morgan, Alan Mowbray.
Jane Gayle, Vera Nelson, Henry
Clark and Mortimer LIE Pey.
Rehearsals begln for this in
New York ,oday