The Washington times., 1933-09-27

ANA0J AAASAAS Cbb OAAN ~~SS
Club. Behind the bar, a
stocky, bull-necked, pleasant
visaged chap, looking a bit
incongruous in his white bar
tenders apron. Jack Renault,
once a leading contender for
the heavyweight championship
IA tall, broad-shouldered fel-
low steps up to the bar and
the two grin, and shake hands
cordially while one orders and
the other serves. The Gus
toner is Gene Tunney, who
reached the heights to which
Renault once aspired. Whether
there passed through the bar
tenders mind any vague visions
of what might have been his
lot if by skill or a lucky knock
out punch, he had become
champion, I don't know. L
merely pass this on as a night
club episode.
Friday night, we drop into
the RialtO to inspect the much
ballyhOOed Thunder Over
Mexico" Tall, bespectacIed,
gray-haired Upton Sinclair, a
gentle-lOOking fellow, makes a
15-minute Introductory address,
In which he explains how he
came to he connected with the
flicker and why it is not
propaganda film. Sinclair on
the stage is a mild-mannered,
Well-SpOken chap who upSetS
our precOnceived notion of him
as a fire-eating icOnOclast. ..
Nor does the picture, aside from
its Photographic beauty, i'm
press us. Except for one cpl
SOde.
That in which the three rebel
lious poems are buried in the
sod up to their necks while
mounted horsemen ride back
and forth over their upturned
faces. "A greWSome, shuddery,
effective piece of business. =.
Later that evening at the Town
Casino, a new nine-spot. "A
place of genuinely artistic
beauty with Statuary and three
dimension murals of exquisite
taste.
I catch a fleeting glance of
Director Monte Brice, pretty
Lillian Roth and seated on a
settee against the wall five
superbly gowned beauties, all
looking as smoothly aloof as pos
sible, but no one seems to know
who they are and I don't
bother to find out. Earlier at
the Biarritz, where I study the
piquant features of a freckled-
faced lass. Janet Gaynor.
She looks like a schoolgirl of
16 as she sits there, wholesome
and refreshing, and it's diff
cult to picture her as one of
the country's leading screen
stars.
Early Wednesday morning
about 3:30-entering my garage
on w. 54th ST.. 1 spot three
gents in a huddle near a small
car-Jerome Kern, Otto Har-
bach and Irving Caesar. IF
we had Marie DreSSler here"
pipes Caesar, "we'd put on a
black-out for you". Tuesday
night at the Maison Royale
Gilda Gray, gay and talkative,
while her husband listens-and
listens. Earlier at the pre-
miere of Emperor JONES'" at
the Rivoli, in which Paul Robe
son turns in a magnificent
performance, but the picture
itself falls short of expectations.
"Wednesday night at the
pent- of Leo F'riede. . "A typical
Broadway crowd assemblies, and,
despite soft lights and drinks,
not so soft, remain we'll be-
haved.
Tommy Manville appears
with MarceIle Edwards and an
nOunces proudly that no other
girl means as much to him,
whereupOn some one from the
sidelines chirpS, "He means this
week!". Mary Mulhern sits
quietly in a corner and Gilda
Grov fIutterS hack and forth
from terrace into reception
room Another flutterer is
Camille Lanier Jack Kirk
land describes his new play to
Henry Kohnblum, and George
Wrangle, in full evening attire,
sinks his teeth into roast beef
sandwich in the Continental
manner.
Thursday night, the opening
of "The Double Door" at the
Ritz. Here again, as some sea-
sons ago, just before Another
Language" opened, the sidewalk
critics shake their heads and
hint they hear the wings of a
Hopping turkey, but the play
turns out to be a well-written,
. well-acted and Well-directed
melodrama of the quieter mood
and most of us remain to cheer
at the final curtain. During
intermission, see Rowland
Field, the rotund Brooklyn dra-
matte critic, surrounded by
autograph fiends.
He seems embarrassed and I
learn later that the kids had
mistaken him for David
(Aimee's Nam Hutton. Max
Gordon, the producer, and
Harry Kaufman, the ticket
broker, go into a huddle on the
curb. Later to inspect Leon