The Washington times., 1930-01-11
GLEANINGS'
AND
SCREEN INGS
BY Andrew r. Kelley.

Those who have been main.
tanning the road Is dead for
the legitimate theater win have
to guess again when the wash.
ington business for William
Gillette and Sherlock Holmes"
Is scanned.
The production and star win
take their departure tonight
with more than $4,000 accu-
mulated in seven performances
representing sell.out audiences
since Tuesday night. On
Thursday night Chris Arth's
Orchestra was given q vacation
that the space which the mem
bers occupied might be given to
an extra row of orchestra chairs
Tor the remainder Of the en-
gagernent.
The record of the National
Theater for q non-nuSical at
traction at q s., top scale Is
held by the late Jeanne Eagels
in Rain, with q mark of
1000 for eight performances.
Mr.. Gillette played but seven
performances. and at q lower
upstairs scale so the figures
Tor this week, relatively speak
ing, represent the greatest pros
perity for a straight drama in
the history of the e Street
playhouse. Very practical evi-
dence, Incidentally, that Wash
il1gton is not dead for shows
II the right shows happen this
way.
John q. Rockefeller. the
worlds richest man, who at ,00A
years, old, has given away over.
N$6O0. .O00, 900 in public benefac-
tlolaSi has finally succumbed to
the lure Of the talking pictures.
After two years of effort, G. z.
Engelhrecht, of the Fox Hearst
Corporation, induced John ID.
to come before the camera and
talk into the fniCrophone.
Last night, when the execu-
tiVeS Of the Standard Oil Com
pany met in Cleveland and
celebrated the 60tf1 birthday Of
the great Rockefeller enter
prise, the diners were given an
address, via the Hearst Metro
tone News, by the founder of
the billion-dollar business.
IT you are interested you
may hear Mr.. Rockefeller make
the same address from Loew's
Palace Theater screen begin
ming today. The; voice OF, the
oil king is amazingly strong
and the recording is without T.
flaw. The worlds, richest man
is shown seated on the veranda
Of his home at Ormond Beach,
Fla. He says, among other
things:
II am grateful beyond mea-
sure for all these long. happy
and prosperous so years now
drawing to a close. have
no words to express my appre-
citation Of all who have had q
part in making the company
the success 1t has been-far
beyond our fondest dreams at
the time of its beginning. We
cherish the memory Of the null
titude of our dear associates
who wrought gloriously in their
time Of service end have passed
on with unclouded records. We
who remain are to carry on
the work which they estab-
hshed, with the highest ideals,
sharing with each other our
successes, and even our failures,
with eVergr6Wlng :, confidence
and an increasing desire to he
of"the, greatest service to man.
kiad,n ~,
Harry NJ. Warner, president
of Warner Brothers pictures.
yesterday looked over the Wash.
ington theaters which are
among the most prosperous in
his great circuit dedicated to
cinema entertainment.
Mr.. Warner was accompanied
on his tour by. SpyroS Skouras,
general manager Of, the War
ner theaterS, and Albert s.
HoWSoi1, scenario editor Of the
picture company. John J.
Payette, general supervisor of
theateES lin the washington
territory. acted Jas guide and
bureau Of Inform alton for the
visiting executives. For Mr..
Warner 1t was the firSt view
Of some Of the neigh hborhood,
picture places acquired when
! the Stanley Cran0all chain was
annexed. The 1929 business
Of the local houses was the
greatest in their history.
Earlier in the day Mr.. War.
ner was received in conference
BY President Hoover and In
the late afternoon he addressed
the Pen Women in the audi.
toriuIll of the National Press
club. Last night he saw his
daughter, Doris. a student at
the National Park Seminary.
The visiting executives are stop
ping at the Willard Hotel and
will leave for New York today.
short talking screen comedies
good ones ARE as hard to
find as q Speechless Congress
man. I met one Of Washing.
tons theater managers yester-
day looking as sour as a green
grapefruit. IT sps.st three
hours and IS minutes looking
at comedies and didn't find
one that gave me a goo.i
laugh" he said. Movie thea
tiers spend more time trying to