Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-08

VA 6OON
things in the way of mo-
ton pictures. After duh Autumn
and a duller Christmas season
the new year has brought an un-
usual crop of really fine pictures
to the Capital It is rare order
of affairs when the good motion
pictures outnumber the bad ones
but such is the case at pres
ent. Among the splendid studio
products of the past few weeks
one might mention "The Blue
Angel" 1.-The Royal Family OF
Broadway" Illicit" Little
Caesar" and several others. The
much-acclaimed Man Who Came
Back" did not reach the heights
of the other pictures mentioned
While the story is the. rather old
tear-wringer SO we'll known to all
who are familiar with the speak
ing stage, the Gaynor-FarreIl
combination failed to get the
most from the play. From all ap-
pearances, the two players are not
especially suited to that type OF
vehicle.
It is understood that the love-
ly Janet was much disappointed
with her stories of the paSt-that
she protested over the fact that
she was awarded light" plays,
and that she considered herself
capable of taking on heavier roles.
After several studio SquabbleS, she
was assigned to the exacting lead
ing feminine role in THE Man
Who Came Back" Well, the
young actress tried to make her
part convincing but it did not get
over. And perhaps FarrelS work
did not help her great deal. The
two of them are better in the
light dramas and comedies.
Among the new pictures Sched-
uled for showing comes "Cimar-
ron," New Moon" and "ReSurrec-
ton" All Of these have received
splendid advance notices, and
they are supplemented with 1.-THE
Devil to Pay" "GirlS Demand Ex-
element" and "Sit Tight" The
Metropolitan is filming two pic
lures during the week, "Charley'S
Aunt" and 1.-THE Princess and the
Plumber" both experiencing a sec
ond downtown run.
y *f**
NOV that his picture, "City
Lights" has passed its East
and West premiereS, Charlie Chap
lin is leaving soon for q six
months tour of the world. The
comedian is about the only screen
actor who can now acclaim a
world audience. His pictures be-
ing in pantomime, there is no ne
ceSsity for dialogue changes, and
he finds a market from Borneo to
Iceland. Here is what Charlie
says:
81 have maintained the illusion
of my character in spite Of advice
well meant, of course-and in
the face of active opposition on
the part of business contempt
rarieS. believe in maintaining
the illusion of the tragic-comic
little man I first gave the world.
He has been a voiceleSS person
from the first. His woes have had
a heightened comedy significance
because Of the fact that he had no
tongue with which to bewail them.
I meyer speak into microphoneS.
I never appear before audiences at
my premiereS. / realize that this
would detract from the charac-
terization which I have built up"
Chaplin is probably the out
standing character Of the motion
picture world today, regardless of
the fact that his pictures are few
and far between. He has received
fabulous offers from radio broad
casting companies, but he has re-
fused them. Yale, Oxford and
Harvard play groups have asked
him to explain the psychology Of
pantomime, but he has refused
this honor. He clingS to the
theories OF his work, closely fol-
lowing, year after year, his special
technique His work has changed
from frank slapStick of the first
movies to high-claSS pantomime,
but he retains the early methods
of producing a picture. So Chap
lin today is the only actor with a
world audience.
81 y
FROM New York comes the re-
port. that Marco Wolf (who
is the Marco of Fanchon & Mar
COZ will succeed S. L. Rothafel
C"RoXy''), as managing director of
the Roxy Theater Corporation.
Just before he started on tour
with his company of musicians,
''RoXy" announced that he was
leaving the theater which he had
built in New York, and his con-
{ra mill 20 ain1a q HEopAnIa 90 OF
the completion of the tour.
X X 4
NO efforts are being spared by
the producers in attempting
to get the best of material for
pictures, and the United Artists
organization announces that it
has signed the writers, Somerset
Vaughan, Michael Arlen and Wal
ter Hackett, for original stories.
Arlen will write Gloria Swanson'S
new story, and in collaboration
with Hackett will do Ronald Col
mans next, what Fun French
men Have"
FIRST NATIONAL PICTURES
announces the signing of Mari
lyn Miller to a new long-term
contract, and there is considerable
speculation as to whether the ac-
treSs intends to give up stage
work altogether. She has made
no statement regarding her flu
ture. 1t is the plan of First Ma
tional to star Miss Miller in three
pictures during the coming year.
Her contract calls for exclusive
services" but it Is not known
whether this word exclusive" bars
her from appearing on the muSi-