The Washington times., 1935-12-04

Nolan as the actor contributing
the greatest performance of 1885.
1 guess it's the Irish in me.
ON SHOWMANSHIP
Maybe I'm dense, so perhaps
somebody will enlighten this cor.
ner just what Hollywood proposes
to picture when they buy that
grueSome chronicle of highway
tragedies called And Sudden
Death" Certainly, they can't ex-
pect to make entertainment out
of this for the movies. And if
they do. like 100000 more, I'll say
take me far, far away from that
picture. Reading the Monday
morning newspapers after a holi-
day is enough of such stuff 3.
Cynic that I am, l always smell
showmanShip in everything. For
instance, the news that Jackie
Coogan and Betty Cradle are Of
ficially engaged for one year. They
are just starting out on a long
vaudeville tour for Fanchon and
Marco, and as two little love birds,
they become much better head
liners Well, skip it. as the idle
remark of an unromantic meanie
Still, like ShowmanShip. Like
the Small-town exhibitor in New
York displays when he received
Berkeley Square" as one-half of
a double feature movie program.
He billed it as The Kiss That
Lasted Forever" AS Major BoWes
says, "AWright, awright."
AN INVITATION
Billy Rose wants your critic to
see Jumbo" at the New York Hip
podrome, and Christmas week
seems a good time to take up
this wired invitation:
Il would like to have you re-
view Jumbo" at your earliest
convenience. Will pay your trans
portation, Pullman, all expenses,
to have you look at this. Please
advise my press agent. Richard
Nancy, date you wish to see per-
formance that deirable seats may
be reserved, etc.
(Signed) BILLY ROSE"
Billy, 1 think I'll take you UP
on that elephantasy in the Jum-
bowl.
KAY FRANCIS VOICE
AS a charter member of the
society that likes Kay Francis
I hope her latest picture, Il
Found Stella Parish" is as good
as the tub thumper Dan Terrell
says it is. For it strikes me this
smart brunette has gotten much
the worst of it on stories.
In such trash as Living On
Velvet" they went so far as to
kid their favorite woman star on
the way she pronounced her
Wars" Miss Francis proved
she was a good sport by accept
ing the script although it called
attention to a speaking frailty
that some, like me, feel adds to
her screen charm.
The ideal screen mate for Kay
Francis would be Bill Powell but
since she can't have him here's
one vote against any more tie
ups with George Brent. In her
new one she had Ian Hunter and
Paul Lukas as her leading men.
One of the things that I like
about Kay Francis is her voice.
Same thing as binds me tight to
Katharine Hepburn. And, of
course, always to Carlo. Rosalind
Russell is going far because of her
voice. While Helen Hayes has
ever had charm and appeal.
Still very few young actresses
realize the Importance of this.
The eminent singing teacher,
Frank La Forge, who has trained
John Boles and John Charles
Thomas, among others, expresses
this point in an article he wrote
for the Independent Woman.
Said he:
When you speak you broad
cast to those within earshot a
thumbnail history of your life. You
indicate your state of mind. your
state of health and your breed
ing. 1t is surprising the amount
of time the average young thing
will spend on her appearance.
dress and the like, and
totally disregard the voice. She
does not know what a perfectly
good bet she is overlooking. A
voice may be as haunting and
beautiful as a face. There are
plenty of examples in radio, where
listeners have fallen in love with
a voice without having seen the
face of the Sinnat. or Snnoknr ~