The Washington times., 1930-03-25

national Theater on Sunday
night, May IL. A tour of one
night stands that will include 40
cities Is now being arranged and
the allStar company will travel in
special Pullman for this unusual
engagement. The longest engage.
ment anywhere will be three days,
booked for Boston, when the show
plays the Hollis Street Theater.
Helen Kane, now drawing q
steady line Of customers to the
Earle Theater box office, will
make personal appearance with
her next Paramount picture,
Dangerous Nan McGrew," when
that feature plays the Para
mount on Broadway within q
fortnight.
Greta Garbo In anna Christie
knocked every record sky high in
her first week at the Capitol The,
ater In New York. Not since the
Cheater opened 10 years ago has
the Major BoweS cathedral been
besieged by such crowds. The box
office intake was in the vicinity
Of 100000 as compared to the
average $4,000 gross.
Men Without Women" is not
much Of q title for the John
Ford production which played
the Fox Theater last week, ex.
hibitors report. A good many Of
the fair patrons of the cinema
stay away when there is such a
bald intimation all trace of
romance Is missing. Conse-
quently those who prefer it can
have the same picture under the
title Trapped" and that is how
the New York neighborhood
houses will describe it in future
Ehowings.
George ArliSs, whose latest pic.
ture, THE Green Goddess" opens
ut the Metropolitan Theater Fri.
day, Is on his way back from
Europe to make another picture
for Warmers. Despite the fact
that he admits he makes more
than twice as much in a year
at Hollywood than in the same
time spent tourning, Mr.. Arliss
will return to the stage in the
fall. Ray Henderson, now pub,
liclzing Ethel Barrymore. has al.
ready been engaged as advance
courier for the nationwide tour
Polls Theater had the biggest
Monday night audience of the
season at the revival of "The
Merry Widow" It was a gather
ing of matured playgoerS, many
Of Whom had witnessed the origi-
nal production of the Franz Lehar
operetta. There was a wonderful
reception for Donald Brian and
the curtain calls were the longest
and most enthusiastic I have wit.
messed this season.
Lawrence Tibbett in THE Rogue
Song" is expected to prove a great
screen ballyhoo for the coming
Metropolitan Opera singers to the
Fox Theater next month. Nothing
like the Tibbett voice has ever be-
fore been heard in the movie the
aters. It has power, bell-like clar-
ity and a majestic depth that
floods the theater with melody. A
year ago such a voice would have
shattered the delicate microphoneS
of Hollywood and made the techni-
clans in the mixing room feel that
the studio had been touched with
a ton of TINT. Today the science of
the talking picture has develoHed
to the point where full-tur~2d
singers can let out all Stops-2nd
Lawrence Tippett does.
Apart from the voice, Tibbett is
q crack-a-jack actor. His enuncia'
ton is perfect and he portrayS the
emotions called for by the operate
character with ease and conVic-
ton. To see and hear him on the
screen creates a desire to watch
the Metropolitan star do his stuff
in person. Hence the favorable re-
action for the forthcoming Met
performances for Tibbett has per
Sonality and charm that projects
from the celluloid and must Gre
ate new customers for the opera.
In the morning mail arrives
q bundle Of photographs made
from the Tiffany screen feature,
Journeys End" So that the
arrival Of the play at Polls next
Sunday night will beat the pic
ture to Washington by a few
weeks. Gilbert Miller had pro-
lection from Hollywood competi-
ton until April l. After that
date the movie can be booked
anywhere. Five companies have
played Journeys End" in every
large city Of the United States,
and Washington is one of the
last available bookings.
I was one of those who feared
that the play could not be sat
isfactorily transferred to Holly
wood since most of it's beauty lies
in lines and not in exciting ac-
tion. And there are no woman
characters in the drama. How
ever, the feature has been COM
pleted, and great enthusiasm
comes from those who have wit
messed a preview. On this point
the official cOmmuniQue from the
producer says:
1.-TWO companies co-operated in
the making Of Journeys End"
and two companies are equally
excited over it. The picture Is
now completed and scheduled to
open about April is. George w.