The Washington times., 1934-12-21

back to the days of the first
automobiles, the phonograph and
the boy AL Jolson.
Sweet Adeline" will be the
Earle'S New Year gift to the
steady Thirteenth Street GUS
toners. 1t arrives December %.
Show Crazy
Ken Murray dug this editor
out of warm blankets at exactly
1870 this a. m. to answer in
siStent ringing of the phone. 1t
was the comedian passing through
Union Station on his way to
New York. He came all the way
from Little Rock, Ark, to see
three musical comedies on Broad
way. The shows, Anything
Goes" Calling All Stars" and
"Say When"
Comic Murray is with Earle
CAROLS Vanities, mopping up on
the one-night stands. He leaves
Sunday night to reopen after a
holiday lull, on Christmas Day
in Memphis, Tenn.
Going to London
LAS Thousands Cheer" is going
to London. But Picadilly will not
see that rib-tickling scene wherein
the King and Queen ponder on
how the Prince of Wales name
got in WincheI's column. That's
out for John Bull.
Charles Collins will have the
role played by Clifton Webb in
the original company. The rest
of the troupe will be English.
A Short, Short Story
Eric Won Stroheim is flat broke.
Confesses in court his bankroll is
$11.20 and he is without job.
What movie story Won Stro-
helms career would make. In
1926 he was selected by critics as
one of the 10 greatest directors IN
the industry. AS recently as 1882
he directed Garbo in Pirandello's
"As You Desire Me-"
In Hollywood he possesses the
reputation of being the most
extravagant spender that ever
stepped on a studio lot. Gloria
Swanson tied up 100000 of her
money in a Won Stroheim pro-
duction that never became any,
thing except cans of celluloid.
There were the most gorgeous
and costly scenes ever produced
filmed for the Swanson Queen
Kelly" Only one fault with
them. Those presumed to know
said they would never get by any
censor in the land. A fat chunk
of the Swanson fortune disap-
peared in this effort to be her
own producer.
Won Stroheim was at the
heighths when he made Blind
Husbands" for Universal along
about a decade ago. In this pic
ture he was the author, the star
and the director and he did a
crackerjack job in this Poo.bah
capacity. Immediately A d olph
Zukor nabbed him, placed the
resources of Paramount at his
command and said: Make me
a picture" Won" staggered Para
mount with his spending. He eX-
pended a million or more to pro-
duce a monster feature that Para
mount thought at first it would
release in two installments, so
long was it's footage. Eventually
it was released as 1.-The Wedding
March" and cut to conventional
length.
Soon he acquired a spendthrift
reputation and producers SHE'D
away. Then he starred as an
actor in THE Great Gabbo" with
James Cruze directing, but this
started no bonfire. The COM
panies which make "quickies" or
pictures at small production cost
Stunned him as a luxury they
could not afford.
From $4,000 a week he descend
ed to where he finally admitted
to the judge IS a week was all he
could afford for the support cf
his son. Hollywood be thy name.
Holly Berries
Division Manager Carter Bar
ron of Loew's writes such bang-up
st. Nicholas letters he really ought
to be Santa Claus secretary.
Double holly berries also for
grand yule luncheon, for Burns
Nantes book of ''Ten Best Plays"
volume any critics library must
have. Phil Lampkin's Christmas
present to the department will be
composing a tune for George M.
Cohan's lyric. Warner Bros gift
to Philadelphia will be Roxy with
the Mastbaum Theater as his new
toy. Col. Angie Ratios gift to
the Times-Herald neWsboys will
be busting off his accordion and
playing a tune for their banquet
next Thursday night. He tuned
up for the critics yesterday.
George Rats gift to Johnny Pay
cite was racing away out in front
to win the before Christmas week
box office sweepstakes by a cou-
pie of lengths. And Raft, with
"Limehouse Blues" was a 10-to-1
shot when the race started To-