Evening star., 1935-05-10


Mr.. Cochran's plans for guest stars
with his company thus start on with
a bang. Miss Reed, as prophecied
In these columns, will follow Miss
Barrymore with THE Shanghai
Gesture"
WE FOUND a brick this morning
all wrapped up in silver paper
on our desk. 1t was a very nice
brick. A letter from Manager c. ].
Brennan of the Metropolitan Theater
stated that Walter G. Kelly, the Vir-
ginia Judge, had been good enough to
send it and that it Is one Of the
original bricks from "McFadden's
Flats" We thank the judge from
the bottom of our heart. A brick
is certainly q splendid thing to have.
Only what the dickens do you do
with it?
CINCE Mark of the Vampire" is
- being held over for second week
at the Columbia-an event Of un-
usual importance at this theater-it
seemed right to find out what all
the shooting's about. So yesterday
(minus the pillow that the Martin
Johnsons had sent us for use in
this theater) we went to see this
"shocker" or horror picture" or
whatever it is We found it less
blood curdling than "The Bride of
Frankenstein," but with far cleverer
ending. In fact, the Columbia thinks
80 much of this ending that 1t will
not seat people during the last five
minutes of the film. The best thing
to do if you arrive at the finale Is
to ask the usher to give you small
piece Of wall and then face it. There
Is no use finding out first what the
picture meticulously wants you to
find out last. Its a surprise ending
there's no getting around that.
AS for the rest. the film has the
expected collection of bugs, bites
and bats, charming vampire with
face that even the Washington Monu-
ment couldn't love, and MIR. Karlod
stalking in and out with particularly
nasty leer. It isn't by any means
the best of the horror series, but it
will more than do if you're feeling
in that mood. And we heard at
least eight people as they left the
theater yesterday say that they had
had a swell time-something that
should please the bat industry tre-
mendously.
FROM all reports, Sir Beerbohm Tree
was the last great actor to inter-
pret Henry VIII" in Washington.
This was, Of course, many years ago.
Last night the Shakespeare Society of
washington, in cooperation with the
Community Center Department, re-
vived Henry at Roosevelt High School.
The production was simply yet taste
fully staged; the actors were the best
that the city has to offer and the
whole affair came of remarkably
smoothly.
And yet Henry VIII" is not one of
those Shakespeare plays you would
60 miles to see. Perhaps the cinema
has spoiled him. Perhaps the vivid
portrait left by Charles Laughton, the
flying chicken bones, the many wives,
the rough and rollicking voice, would
make any Of today's versions Of the
merry monarch seem a little weak.
Last night, in fact, there were bits of
unrelieved dryness which a flying
chicken bone would have helped
enormously.
The players, however, put their
teeth into their roles and came out for
the most part excellently. Particular
credit Is due Maurice Jarvis for his
farewell" speech as Cardinal Wolsey
in the last act; to Ada Louise Town
send for stealing the play when she
appeared in that ante-room scene; to
John Sikken as the Duke of Bucking-
ham. for speaking that long speech in
the second act with the rich voice of
q true Shakespearean scholar ds he?);
to Jesse Vietch for occasional flashes
Of expertness and to Mabel Owens
Wilcox for q truly brilliant moment at |
the end Of the third act. Others who
scored enphatically were Yerby Pan