The Washington times., 1934-03-07

! Wonder Bar night club, he is
easily the star of the production
! AL has had better songs but
never a better production num-
Der than Riding to Heaven on a
Mule" This scene may have been
inspired by Green Pastures" but
! it goes much beyond that ebony
hued paradise in imaginative fan
taSy. There is garden Of pork
chops and poSsum pie and wan
dering inside the pearly gates Al
confronts Old Black Joe, Emperor
Jones, Uncle Tom and even a
blacked-up st. Peter and some
hi-de-hi cherubS.
Most artistic dance scene Is a
number called "Valse Amoureuse,"
which represents Dance Director
Busby Berkley filling your eyes
with ravishing beauty and spec
tacle. Indeed, it was so breath
taking that it moved the hard
boiled exhibitor audience into ap-
plauding right in the middle OF
the picture.
Best acting is contributed by
Ricardo CorteZ, who plays the
gigolo for all it's worth. Incidental
comedy by Louise Fazenda, Guy
Kibbee, Ruth Donnelly and Hugh
Herbert. Fast hoofing by a
blacked-up Hal Leroy and the
most tuneful songs are offered
by Dick Powell.
"Wonder Bar" is an absolute
cinch to pack the Earle Theater
where it arrives Easter week. It
is five-star and a full moon nu-
sical.
A bunch of the boys and girls
were sitting around yesterday
talking of this and that when
somebody inquired. II wonder
what ever became of Wesley
Eddy?" The current issue OF Va
riety provides the answer. Wes-
ley goes into the old Roxy Theater
on Friday for an engagement as
master of ceremonies.
Jimmy Starr Bows
Read that Hot From Holly
wood" in another column, today
and every day. It comes from
Jimmy Starr, of the Los Angeles
Herald and Express, one Of the
smartest boys rounding UP Holly
wood items. He writes under the
pen name of Cinema" .. Charles
Emerson Cook will inaugurate a
new stock company at Ford's
Theater, Baltimore, Easter week
IA regular reader wants to
know why I call ut Happened
One Night" Clark Gables picture.
She says it belongs as much to
Claudette Colbert. To which I re-
ply blame the audiences which
come from Keith's. They invari-
ably say: THAT was a fine pic
ture of Clark Cables. I never saw
him act better" When audieE ces
say that who am to dispute it.
loe's Uncle Lee
Joe Cook is disclosing nightly
on the National Theater stage
that the Uncle Lee of Evansville,
he likes to talk about is none other
than Prof. Lee Somers, who has
long been a worshipper at the
Cook comedy shrine Eddie Tai
bert, the local Mcbride of theater
tickets, has found the amusement
business in a slump, so he has
added a New York Avenue liquor
emporium to his activities. :. Col.
Charlie Columbus, major domo of
the Ad Club and Col. Bill Ken
nedy of the Federal A.A.A., wish
to enroll in the testimonial tribute
to George O'Connor and Matt
Horne about which bulletin was
printed here yesterday. E. "Kiki"
Roberts. ex-Follies beauty and
the girl in the Legs" Diamond
case, is dancing nightly at Hangar
and packing 'em in. In the day.
time she is taking flying lessons
from Bill Levy.
Musicians Vote mo"
The National Symphony Musi-
clans failed yesterday in their
union proposal to have the stag
ger plan" introduced for the local
theaters. Voted on at the union
meeting the theater boys with
cards rounded up enough votes
to defeat the motion decisively.
Carter Barron is burning up the
wires trying to get the booking
office to send Jimmy Durante
down to the Fox Theater within
the next month. "Schnozzle" is
on his way East to appear at the
Capitol Theater. The theaterS
are eager to land him because he
is one Of the few Hollywood nota-
bles who can actually step out
and deliver real footlight enter
tainment. .Venita M. Hinkle,
who wins many q newspaper con-
test with her pen work has sent
this department a nice drawing
of Clark Gable and Claudette
Colbert in 1T Happened One
Night"
The dean of the Diplomatic
Corps, Mr.. Ahmet Muhtar, was
glimpsed with a party Of friends
in a box at Joe Cooks Hold
Your Horses" last evening as was
attractive Representative Isabella
Greenway, Of Arizona.
Cheap Wardrobe