The Washington times., 1935-09-12

/ the Cornell engagement, expects
to take in $4,000, the sell-out ca
pocity of the huge playhouse.
Mr.. Taylor Is Back
Manager L. Stoddard Taylor OF
the Belasco is greeting Lafayette
Square patrons after a three
months vacation that included
Maine, Canada, Michigan and Illi-
nois points. Colonel Riley, Of
Wardman Park will reunion with
AL Trahan, Fox headliner, when
the piano wrestler arrives for a
week of comedy tomorrow. And
little Jackie Heller, on the new
Fox program, singing all by him.
self, and doing nicely, used to be
a show-stopper with Benny
Davis, precocious youngsters.
They raise hell on the Fox screen
in "Dante's Inferno" but the heat
hasn't extended to the box office
One of the incest letters this
column ever received came from
Aunt Pat" of The Oaks, Cabin
John, Md. It happened to get
mislaid in the office mail and
so this is belated acknowledge.
ment. Knocks are frequent, but
boosts like Aunt Pats are rare, in
deed. I will do my best to live
up to your billing, most gracious
lady.
Ritzy Ambassador
It is Manager Bob Etris' boast
that his theater, the Ambassador,
embraces the most aristocratic, in
fluential and intellectual audi
ences to be found in the entire
U. S. A. Some of his patrons never
even bother to come down town
for entertainment, except when
Bee Lille or Katherine Cornell
are in our midst.
So playing Noel Coward's 'The
Scoundrel' there gave the AM
bassador audiences q real test.
Would they give up to their high
brow reputation, turn out heavily
for the English actor-composer
producer-playwright in his first at
tempt at characterization for the
movies? For "The Scoundrel" has
been Stunned by the so-called
masses, and Paramount is inclined
to call it a prestige, rather than
a profit picture.
Well, the Ambassador audiences
did we'll for Noel. Despite the
wind and the rain of last week,
The Scoundrel" rolled up a nice
profit in a two days booking. A
delegation came over from the
British Embassy and the usual
diplomatic representation from
Sixteenth Street was present. Ac-
cordingly Manager Etris can still
boast, since the Ambassador re-
tains it's reputation for being a
class house for class attractions.
Sing Hi-Sing Low
Col. George Gerhard, of Cosmo-
politan Pictures, must think
warble a mean tenor for he sends
me three songs with this instruc-
ton: "Try these out on your
high C's. You will find them very
tuneful."
The songs are: II Love to Take
Orders From YOU" Don't Give
Up the Ship" and I'D Rather
Listen To Your Eyes" Dick
Powell sings them to Ruby Keeler
in their new Annapolis picture,
"ShipmateS Forever"
Thank you, Colonel Gerhard.
Not being Dick Powell, I'll have
Col. Phil Lampkin try them out
on his silver cornet. That is if
Frisco Phil will triple tongue for
songs in a picture that will play
in an opposition house.
| A "Mugg" Moves Up
Why newspapermen look on
Hollywood with longing eyes.
Claude Binyon, who did the seem
oA4O 4O1 ASCC11G OII 1OuGk1 dU
the Earle was Chicago Herald
Examiner cub reporter, then for
eight years one of Variety's
mugs" His new Paramount
writing contract gives him $3.50
a week.
Mary Pickford Writes
Mary Pickford was the very
first to congratulate Tom Moore,
her friend of many years in
motion pictures, on his return to
the Rialto Theater in washington.
Her letter of August % said, in
part:
Dear Tom: I am so pleased
to know you are opening the
RialtO as, unfortunately for the
picture business, there are too
few fine exhibitors like yourself
and we need you.
ut looks like a very big year.
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