Evening star., 1933-12-10

THE following is q complete list of
= the minor faults and details in
Little Women" which the public has
Hooded this department with ever since
the nm began its enormously success
ful run:
/. The overcoat worn by the soldier
in the first scene Is said to be definitely
1928 model.
2. They didn't have tin pals in those
days.
8. "Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem"
wasn't written until 1868-four years
after 1t Is meant to be sung in the
film.
4, No pantalettes (the fight over this
is about 50-50).
S. Tschaikowski's None But the
Lonely Heart" wasn't written until 1869,
and wasn't known in this country until
long after.
6. Miss Hepburn irons a bit of
woman's apparel which wasn't worn at
that time.
In spite of these complaints made to
us by various and sundry, we prefer to
agree with Mrs. r. j. McFell, who writes
in to say tafter enumerating two of the
above): But why criticize the small
things? 1t is pleasant for those Of New
England heritage, to see their people
portrayed for once in an attractive
light"-can Mrs McFall be thinking of
Mourning Becomes Electra?"-"I wish
now that 'Rebecca' could be done SO a
friend would recognize it,"
u
is JED HARRIS going to sponsor
Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone
in new play by Phillip Barry? We
rather think so after suddenly remem-
bering that Miss Crawford and Mr.
Tone called on Mr. Harris several times
while they we're in New York. and that
rumor has it that Mr.. Harris has been
seen frequently out at the Barry estate
in Mount Kisco. The combination would
certainly be interesting. Mr.. Harris Is
coming back into the theatrical fold
with a bang, his Green Bay Tree"
in New York being one of the smoothest
and best directed and acted plays Of
the year; and his Katherine Hepburn
vehicle, THE Lake" having already at
tracted the greatest advance mail-order
business here at the National since
Show Boat" and Rain" We can
imagine that Crawford
Harris production would be in the ma
ture of a landslide-Miss Crawford be-
ing something" to look at. and Tone
being one Of the best Sof our younger
actors and Mr. Harris being a shrewd
and a wise producer.
WHEN the Rev. James Shera Mont
w gomery referred to Harry Rapley
as "courtly gentleman" he spoke
straight from his heart and from the
hearts of even those who knew Mr.
Rapley only slightly. The passing OF
Mr. Rapley marks the end of a definite
period of "courtliness" in the theater
since that word as yet does not seem tc
| fit the cinemas often skilled but YET
not completely co-ordinated vagaries
| Mr. Rapley stood for the theater as rep
resented by that grand order which be-
gan with Sarah Bernhardt and termi-
mated perhaps only recently with the
death of Sothern. He stood at the
threshold Of his theater with kindlineSs
and dignity. He was glad when the
show was good. He was sorry when II
was bad. But above all else, he was
sorry when a bad show was popular and
when a good show was not. He was
| tolerant of the new talkies," tolerant
of the new generation. and tolerant OF
those who spoke unkindly about hi;
theater. He was in every sense a gen.
tleman of the old school, who fitted
himself neatly into the new, and who
will long be remembered for the pains
taking care he took with those who
wanted to know about the stage anc
who learned from him many a lesson
| in charity and in virtue.