Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13

- dull and deadly season or
the theater. OF course,
&. - Washington's only real
stage attraction of the Summer
! months, under the leadership of
/. Mr.. Cochran, has left us, and
:. even the movie producers seem to
! be looking forward to the cooler
Z, months of Autumn. The photo
play trade papers, which circu-
late mainly among the exhibitors,
are filled with pages of coming re-
leases, pictures that are to bloom
later in the year, and not all the
= attention is given to the affairs of
the day. However, Washington
has Jared pretty well with it's
Summer photoplay attractions.
The exhibitors have picked their
productions with considerable
E skill and note of weather condi-
lions, thus placing before the local
theatergoerS the best of the cur
rent attractions. The only big
picture which has escaped the
: Capital is Cali Quiet on the West
ern Front" and this is scheduled
for a showing here before the
snow flies.
Looking back over the picture
entertainment Of the past few
months, it is rather difficult to
name the best of the lot. With
out a doubt, however, the greater
number Of picture fans will vote
for 1.-THE Big House." Journeys
End" and THE Rogue Song" as
the three best of the heated pc
Rod, although these did not make
box office records. The latter were
recorded with sound pictures
when sound pictures were new,
and the record-breakers, in all
probability, would not be claSSed
with the very latest pictures of
this sort. Sound recording has i'm
proved since the days of SHOW
Boat" although that picture seems
to have been exhibited here only
a short while ago. Events move
rapidly in the motion picture
world, and the advancement in
sound pictures is really one of the
marvelS of the age. There were
many who first looked upon the
sound picture as novelty, stat
ing their opinion that the silent
E picture would never be displaced
by the newer idea. This has
proven a fallacy. When the first
big hit of the sound pictures
struck the industry, producers,
. stepping carefully, announced
: that they would go on with their
silent programs" and make only
a few talkies. Within a few weeks
they gave out interviews on the
latest novelty" and then all of
|: them suddenly switched to sound.
: At this time the production of
silent films in this country has
practically ceased. There is no
market for the silent picture;
theatergoerS have passed it up.
But the producers are planning
big things for the Autumn, with a
few war and prison pictures scat
tered here and there. The back
stage plot has been thrown into
the discard. There will be a few
musical shows, fewer revues, and
plenty of excitement, and the
washington theaters will get the
very best of the lot.
WILL OSBORNE and his merry
band of excellent musicians,
now drawing crowds to the Earle,
were hosts at luncheon at the
Mayhower Friday afternoon, the
guests including officials of WMAL,,
newspaper representatives and
other friends. Wills short con-
cert was broadcast, and then a
hurried trip was made to the the
alter for the opening performance
Of the afternoon.
And, if you are not aware of
the fact, grooming, which is Will
OSborne'S specially, is distinctly
radlo entertainment. The mouth
OF the singer is placed as closely
as possible to the microphone,
and his voice cannot be heard a
few feet away in the same room.
We Of the luncheon party heard
the orchestra, we knew Will was
singing very, very Sweetly, but we
did not hear him sing.
~ * X
THE screen, like the stage, has
always been a sort of mys-
ferrous thing to the average per-
son, and an effort should be made
to maintain this Illusion. A peek
behind the scenes is not always
conducive to that naive enjoy
ment which the theatergoer or
dinarily derives from stage and
screen entertainment, says the
actor Jean Hersholt. This is par
tlcularly true of personalities, and
the less the actors habits, whims
and temperament are revealed to
the public, the more fascinating
is the illusion that builds up his
popularity. This has been one of
the secrets Of the success of Greta
Carlo. She has remained in her
? Hollywood shell while other stars
have sought the limelight; she
has gained in popularity while
other stars have been dropped by
the public.
And all this brings to mind the
recent publicity broadcast re-
garding the actions Of Clara Bow.
Her employers have taken a hand
IN the matter, warned her, and
hoped for the best. It is predicted
that the red-haired star will be
forced to travel a straight and
quite narrow path in order to gain
special recognition from the men
who pay her large weekly salary.
And the public has tired of her
eScapadeS.
X \ Il
RASn RATHBONE, well known
to cinema goers, is dissatis-
fed with his work in Hollywood
and he will probably return to the
stage when Autumn comes. Ac-