The Washington times., 1930-01-22
GLEANINGS
AND
SCREENINGS
BY ANDREW n. KELLEY

are not exactly most in de-
mand. Reference is to John
Barrymore in General Crack"
IA swell talking fillum and no
mistake-and Maurice Cheva-
lier in "The Love Parade" a
feature filled with smart Con.
tinental comedy and beauti-
fully directed by Ernest LubitSch,
ALI of which can be figured
various ways, among them that
O 50 Broadway reputation
means little or nothing with
the F Street multitude.
The Palace Theater three
days ago had the biggest Sun.
day business since the doors Of
that film shrine were thrown
open to the movie public. And
don't blame Wesley Eddy If he
tells Louis K. Sidney all about
it. The M. C. working 81 min
utes, four times a day, has
melted off is pounds since
Saturday.
Frank Conroy will be the
Ned Darrell" OF Eugene
O'Neill's Strange Interlude"
when the Theater Guild attrac-
ton arrives February 3 for a
return engagement. He will re-
place George Gaul who will as
sumo the role of "Dr. Marsden.'
Previously Actor Gaul had
played "Sam," husband of the
unhappy nina Leeds" so that
In the course Of the season he
has had a chance to play all
three important male roles.
: In the nationwide scramble
for December business con-
Quoted by the Warner Brothers
chain of theaters, Washington,
which broke all .. c. records,
took down second prize. The
Philadelphia district won top
honors.
I didn't get up at $50 yes
terday morning to hear His
Majesty, King George, but I
can add to the enconiums
tossed at the royal ability to
make a good radio speech, the
knowledge that Buckingham
Palace gives great support to
the theater.
According to the London
Times, His Majesty, within the
last six weeks, has occupied
the royal box at various thea
terS on seven occasions. The
shows he saw we're: Rose
Marie" ;" ''The First Mrs. Fraser"
'The Middle Watch" Jour
ney's End" Bitter Sweet"
1.-THE Calendar" and Murder
on the Second Floor"
Which is in contrast to PreSi-
dent Hoover, who has yet to
attend a play since he took
up residence at 1000 Pennsyl-
vania Ave.
AS indicating the influence Of
the screen on the music pub
fishing business the latest list
OF the 10 best sellers in the
Tin Pan Alley song catalogues
shows:
Grip Toe Through the Tu-
lips" Aren't We All" "a Little
Kiss Each Morning" Painting
the Clouds With Sunshine"
"Chant Of the Jungle" IF I
Had a Talking Picture of YOU"
"Love," THAT Wonderful Some
thing" "Singin' in the RAIN"
and MY Fate is In Your
Hands"
All of these tunes were popu-
larized as theme melodies of
recent motion pictures
Soon the Palace Theater must
replace its asbestos curtain with
one Of the $4,000 steel sheets
now mandatory on D. c.
theaters which have stage
shows. The problem Of the
management is installing the
new curtain without suspend
ing business, which means that
it will be done, if possible, be-
tween the time the las0 audi
ence leaves at night and the
first show turnout.
Which reminds again, as has
been said before, for fire regu-
lationS and safety methods in
the theater. Washington is the
stricteSt city in the United
States. One of the reasons
that the Belasco Theater closed
permanently was an ultimatum
that If kept open a new steel
curtain would have to be in
stalled.
On the fireproofing of shows.
the order is enforced 100 per
cent. No excuses or reprieveS
even for one day. Absolutely
fireproof or you can't ring up"
is the policy that is rigidly fol-
lowed.
Marilyn Miller in the Warner
Brothers Vitaphone production
Of Ziegfeld'S "Sally" will come
into the Earle Theater for the
week beginning February /.
With all the returns in it
has been definitely decided that
Alexander Callam, new master
of ceremonies at the Fox Thea
ter has clicked" Audiences
like him. He Is different in a
dignified way. Announcements
without any effort at wiSecrack-
ing serve their purpose and Mr..
Callam's fine baritone voice
does the rest. Until he is called
to the Fox Movietone lot to act
In pictures he will continue to
boss the stage shows at the r