davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1936-11-17

an audience, although he had wit
messed it a few times in the pro-
lection room.
est. HELENA" FAILS
Very quietly, and without any
official announcement, Loe wS
Palace Theater has slipped into
Thursday openings for new pic
lures Not because it's the maid S
day out, but rather perhaps, be-
cause the Thursday debut can
command the exclusive attention
of critics. Eddie Arnold'S new
picture, Come and Get It," made
from Edna Ferber'S novel, Will
open on Thursday . 1t is just a
coincidence that the mail from
Hollywood brings me dandy per.
sonal letter from Ed which I will
pass along to Hollywood on Parade
readers on Saturday st.
Helena" will close in New York
on Saturday night, going into the
Max Gordon books as a failure.
Since Metro Goldwyn-Mayer sup
piled the cash for this production
and own the movie rights it is
quite possible "St. Helena" will be
seen later on the screen. Mean
while, half a dozen producers are
seeking the services of Maurice
Evans, who played Napoleon.
ROOSEVELT AIDS VARIETY
President Roosevelt has for
warded a message to be incorpo-
rated in Variety Clubs. souvenir
program for the annual banquet
on Saturday night at the Willard
=. Bill Strickland and his Capt.
tolianS will observe the completion
of three years at the Lotus on
Thursday night with gay floor
Whoopee and a radio program in
which celebrities will assist.
Stephanie Griffin rates Irene
Dunno first in her list of favorite
movie stars and hopes I'll agree.
which reminds me that Mons.
Frank LaFalce by wire requests
critics to save Monday afternoon,
November % for the screening Of
rollicking comedy which he de-
scribes as "TGW." I thought it
was a new Government depart
ment until Frank explained it is
Irene Dunne's latest picture,
Theodore Goes Wild" scheduled
for the Earle and also scheduled to
get Christmas dividends for Co
lumbia Pictures. Jane Wyatt, of
New York Social Register, and pet
of the Broadway critics, gets her
first big chance in movies in
"Luckiest Girl in the World" COM
ing to R-K-O Keith's Thursday.
The Washington times., 1936-11-17
Harm onicos
Swinq 1t

The Cappy Barra Harmonica
Swing ensemble, group of eight
entertainers, will be an added at,
traction on the special vaudeville
program, which will be presented
at the Earle Theater, starting
November 20.
Leon La Fell, Phil King and
Harry Morton, are featured with
the ensemble, which was an
nounced for the Earle several
weeks ago. A holdover at Radio
City Music Hall made it necessary
to defer the booking.
Niela Goodelle, NBC radio song,
stress, will headline the program
for Thanksgiving week. Others
on the five-act holiday bill will in,
clude Cookie Bowers, Voice of the
Film Cartoons" the Margins,
novelty entertainers, and Lew
butchers, with Jean and Joan, in
sophisticated rhythm.
The Washington times., 1936-11-17

rapher, Renato Toppo, has chosen
her as the perfect Grecian type
of beauty.
AS for Denis King, this depart
ment has been following his for
tunes since he Legan an American
;age career as an $50 per week
stock actor at the Garrick Theater
on F Street, where now stands the
Hecht Company store.
When Actor King discovered he
had a singing voice it was Russell
Janney who thrust him into the
role of Francois Villon in "The
Vagabond King" to make operetta
history. Later Paramount bought
the movie right and Dennis King
moved along to Hollywood with a
contract calling for $4,000 and
the lead role. Since it took but 10
weeks to make the picture it can
be readily computed that the
screen paid him at the rate Of
$500 per week.
Followed fame as radio singing
star and as a famous Mercutio in
the Jane Cowl production of
Romeo and Juliet" On his last
appearance in washington Dennis
King was the star of "Petticoat
Fever"
Truck IN COMEDIES
The records on Ernest Truck
show that his last appearance. on
the National Theater stage was in
a Max Gordon flop called, Gather
Ye Rosebuds," which opened and
died on E st. in one week. Recent
ly Gene Ford induced Mr.. Truck
to take the lead in a tabloid musi-
cal comedy called Spring 1, Here"
and presented on the Capitol The
ater stage. His earlier successes in
clude all the Princess Theater series
of musical comedies, the ziegfeld
production of six Cylinder Love"
and "The Third Little Show"
Here then is an imposing line
up, with Rising Star" scheduled
for an opening at the National
during the Christmas holidays.
The Washington times., 1936-11-17
Coward Stor
At RioIto

The Rialto Theater announces a
special return showing of Noel
Coward's first and only screen ap-
pearance in the widely discussed
Hecht-MacArthur production, THE
Scoundrel." The engagement opens
today.
Mr.. Coward had been acclaimed
as the outstanding genius of the
theater, and his motion picture
debut was eagerly anticipated. In
all the storm of controversy
aroused by THE Scoundrel" one
point was agreed upon by all.
That was that Noel Coward was
as fully master of screen acting
as he was Of the stage.
Ben Hecht and Charles MacAr-
thur, one of the foremost writing
teams of stage and motion picture,
wrote and produced THE Scoun-
drel." 1t is a satiric picture of the
decadence of New York'S smart
literary set. Whether or not it is
a true one is still debatable queS-
ton. But it is undoubtedly one
The Washington times., 1936-11-17
Noel Coward
At National
Praised

Comedy, light satire and beauty
and tragedy are blended in the
three plays which Noel Coward
and company repeated at the Ma
tional last night. AS an evenings
menu of entertainment you would
go far to better the offerings Of
these superb troupers.
Mr.. Coward, evidently in top
form, has in Gertrude Law
renee leading lady fully capable
Of meeting all demands. Viewed
in what is wide range of roles
for one evening, her work rings
eXquisitely true.
1--WE Were Dancing" first of
the plays, is a light satire done in
the sophisticated manner. 1t de.
pends, by its very nature, on the
proper atmosphere and the hint
of sparkling liquors and music in
the background. The dialogue is
light and at times witty. A song,
1--WE Were Dancing" is introduced
during the action Of this number
"Fumed Oak" the second OF
the plays, takes us to the home OF
a Cockney Englishman, a patient
and abused soul who finally re
bells. This is excellently done and
the colorleSS husband (played by
Mr.. Cowar6 catches the sym
pathy of the audience when he
turns on his nagging wife Ger
trude LAwrence).
Shadow Play" while a little
confusing at one or two points, is
despite that fact, the best work OF
the three. Pretentiously staged,
it also has a breadth of emotion
not inherent in the preceding Of
feringS.
In this play the author has cap,
tured beauty and tragedy and has
made of this love idyll beautiful
and profoundly moving thing.
J, w. B.
The Washington times., 1936-11-17

House. A fellow student OF a few
years back was Ginger Rogers.
NaScha, exotic personality here,
took her dance technique from
Ernest Bekcher, known as Lima
Basquette's father and Holly
woods teacher of the stars. Her
friend and claSsmate was June
Vlaskek, better known as June
Lang, Of films.
And the timely fact that the
Grand Duchess Marie, celebrity of
tonight's Russian ball at the Shore
ham, made her radio debut six
months ago over CHS with Emery
Deutsch, violinist and feature of
the Capitol bill. This composer
Of PLAY Fiddle Play" and when
a Gypsy Makes His Violin Talk, "
might also be recalled as the boy
who in 1920 received from the
late Mayor Hylan, Of New York,
the medal for all-round athletic
prowesS among the entire nations
school lads.
The violin came from the home
town of Belgrade where he studied
at the Royal Academy. 1t was
carved out in 1704, is a Guarnerius
and considered by experts as price
less.
While across ih a backStage
dressing room at the Earle, the
star and a marquee name for
over a score of years, displays a
clarinet. The same clarinet that
Teddy Friedman Gewis) traded
for the piccolo he played in the
boys band, and balance of $3.50
in the only pawn shop in the
home town of Circleville, Ohio.
Within four months he had
learned to play, had ran away
from home, and was doing eight
shows a day on the old Gus Sun
Western Circuit for 20 a week.
It is of interest that in 1924
Ray Perkins, wrote one of his
first tunes labelled, "Down the
Old Church Isle" and especially
composed for Ted Lewis, then a
feature of Greenwich Village
Follies." Later in 1880 as a mem
ber of Warmers song writing de-
partment he wrote several numbers
muSically designed for the same
star in his first flicker, els Every
body Happy"
The Washington times., 1936-11-17
Back Stage News and Gossip Gathered In
Green Rooms BY Bill HoYIe

At the Willard Hotel 20 years
ago Ray Perkins, now Capitol head
liner, as leader, tenor and speciality
singing pianist, piloted the Colum-
bia University glee club through
their vocal PAGES on his first local
visit. Howard DietZ, now director
of advertising and publicity for
M-G-M PictureS-as we'll as mu-
sical comedy lyric writer of note
also tenored with the collegiate
songbirds.
Having penned the previous
years Columbia Players varsity
show, held at the AStor and as
much Gotham institution as the
hostelry, Rays New York return
found a featured spot in the cur
rent college opus.
This shows roster will interest.
Oscar Hammerstein, with black
face comic monologue and later to
write "Old Man River" Morris
Ryskind, Marc Connelly's COLA
borator on "Of Thee Sing" then
composing dittieS for the fake
chorineS to trip by. Bob Simon,
present-day music critic for New
Yorker Magazine, one of these
chorus ladies, as we'll as Dick ST.
mon and Max Schuster, later ST.
mon-SchuSter publishing house.
Not to mention the script work Of
Dick Rodgers later to team with
LorenZ Hart as an ace composing
duo, while Hart then was doing a
hustled dowager bit in this same
show.
Billy Chaplin, brother to Patti
Chaplin SongStreSS on the Capitol
bill, was one of the first fiddle
playing leaders for the Meyer
Davis flock of musicians, bring
ing his band into the Willard
Hotel here a decade back. Patti
within four weeks of her initial
air debut over WABC, New York
City, signed on one of the big
10 programs of the radio, namely,
Jack Pearls Frigidaire ether Of
fering.
Which is about the same of
the Radio Aces, on the !rle bill,
who four years ago on their first
air try pinch-hit over NBC, in
Chicago, for the then note trio,
The Three Keys, and Immediately
linked a paper for four spots
weekly on both Rudy Vallee'S
and the late Roxy's programs.
Edna Strong, tapstress in the
Earle'S Ted Lewis Revue, was
The Washington times., 1936-11-17
M OWE
CLOCK

RIALTO-Noel Coward in THE
Scoundrel." At 200, 1854, 5:48,
7:49 and $50 p. m.
CAPITOL-Johnny Weissmuller,
"Tarzan Escapes" II a. m, 1885,
4:2O, 7:10, 9:55 p. m. Stage,
12:4O, $3.50, 6:15. 9 p. m.
HOWARD-Patricia Ellis, Down
the Stretch" 1890, 3, $50, 8,
1920 p. m. Stage: Don Red
man, 1:4O, 4:1O, $40, 9:1O p. m.
EARLE-Jean Arthur, Adventure
in Manhattan" II a. m, 1:25,
Ais, 7:05, 9:55. Stage: 1885,
1928, 6:15, 9:05.
KEITH'S Ann Sothern, "The
Smartest Girl in Town." IL a.
M, 1:43, 1926, 500, 6:52, S:35,
1918 p. m.
METROPOLITAN-Mario Da-
vies, Gain and Mabel" 1900
a. M. 1:05, $40. Sis, 7:20 and
9:25 p. m.
BELASCO-"KermeSse Heroique," "
1855 a. M. 1855. 3:55, 5:55.
1855, 9:55 p. m.
COLUMBIA-Gracie Allen big
Broadcast of 1897, 11:00 a. M,
1909, 3:15, 5:25, 7:35, 9:45 p. m.
PALACE-William Powell, Jean
Harlow. "Libeled Lady," 10:30
a. mu 12:45, 3, $40. 1920,
9:40 p. m.
LITTLE-"The yellow Cruise" ="
11:17 a. M, 1:2l. 1925, 5:29,
1888. 9:37 b, m,
The Washington times., 1936-11-17

born in Santiago. eastern Cuba,
and received her education 40
miles from the Earle theater at
the Warrenton, Va. schools for
girls. She has been stage dancing
for only a year with never step
learned until after graduation.
And June Taylor, waltz
danceuse of the revue, studied
for nine years under Chicago'S
Muriel Abbott, the last three being
featured with the Abbott dancers
in the Empire room of the Palmer
The Washington times., 1936-11-17
KELLEYGRAMS

Brooke Johns has busted off his
favorite banjo and the bulletins
from the Olney Pike make it ap-
pear the Squire of Norbeck is get.
ting ready to do a comeback"
on the stage. AT any rate he is
scheduled to act as master Of cere-
monies for Sidney Lust at the
Cameo Theater in HyattSville on
Friday night when a new series
of amateur nights will get under
way. This, I expect, is just tun-
ing up for bigger and better en-
gagements, maybe the Kit Kat
Club in London once more. 1t
was while he was playing at the
Kit Kat that Brooke taught the
Prince of Wales, now King Ed
ward, how to twang a tune on
the instrument. .AS a souvenir
the Prince autographed the Johns
banjo. London around Corona
ton time may be the Johns OBJ
tective.. When the craze for
movie Emcees died out Brooke
Johns came home from st. Louis,
settled down on his vast estate
between Norbeck and Olney,
raised a family, cows, chickens
and fancy horses. :. Three seasons
ago Carter Barron induced him to
come down to F Street and boss
one of the Fox Theater'S summer
shows. Since then he has turned
his sturdy Old Barn into a quaint
eating spot and only occasionally
has he been seen in the bright
light area. Here's wishing him
well in his plans for the future,
If they contemplate the stage. ..
I have been writing about Brooke
since he came into prominence
on the Arlington Roof, later went
with Ziegfeld, and still later
Joined with Ann Pennington to
make one of the greatest Of vaude-
vile teams.
PLAY FOR HELEN HAYES
Long lines in front of the Ma
tional Theater yesterday testified
to the Noel Coward-G Gertrude Law
renee appeal in their cycle of one
act plays Tonight at $3.50"
will enjoy the same experience
here it enjoyed in Boston; i. e., a
second weeks business that will
surpass that enjoyed for the first
sig dayS The management
traces this unusual condition to
the fact that the public waits until
the critical verdict has been sub
mitted on all nine playletS. then
picks out the ones it prefers . .
It was announced in New York
that once Noel Coward has COM
pleted his IL weeks engagement on
Broadway he will write play for
Helen Hayes He has already
outlined the comedy he has in
mind and Miss Hayes is credited
with being delighted at the pros
pect of a Noel Coward script . D..
BY now it is no secret that Mr..
Coward expected to have Helen
Hayes play opposite him when he
made his first and only motion
picture, The Scoundrel" That
was the original plan when Ben
Hecht and Charles Macarthur in
duced him to appear before the
camera When the time came
for the picture to go into produc,
tion, Miss Hayes was still en- tour
and so Julie Hayden got the job
.. 1t is quite possible that Noel
Coward will drop down to the
Rialto Theater and see himself in
this revival E. He told me he had
never seen The Scoundrel" with
The Washington times., 1936-11-17
Bitter Ice Hockey
Match Put on Film

The bitter fight between Eng,
land and Canada for the ice hockey
championship of the world comes
to life again in Pete Smiths latest
M-G-M Speciality, Sports on Ice" "
Highlights of the much-disputed
game that took the ice hockey title
away from Canada for the first
time in many years, provides a
lively sequence in the M-G-M COM
mentator's review of the winter
Olympics.
The Washington times., 1936-11-17
L Cover HOII yWOOd

she intends to give this year. She
is already half through the list
and, believe you me, it's colossal.
I've seen her out shopping. To
carry on with Christmas, which do
seem a bit previous, Shirley Tenn
pie has received her first Yuletide
present in the form of PekineSe
pup, given collectively by the
sailor cadets of the Argentine
training battleship President Sar-
miento, recently in port here.
The Washington times., 1936-11-17

release from Metropolitan Opera
House contract in order to fulfill
this engagement.
Miss Gleason, called the Carlo
of the opera, is a native New
Yorker, has been with the Metro
politan the past four seasons and
sang last summer with the ST..
Louis Municipal Opera Company.
Early last spring the Fashion
Academy selected Miss Gleason as
the best-dressed opera star in the
country, and the famous photog-
The Washington times., 1936-11-17
ERNEST TRUCK SIGNED
Dennis King and Helen Gleason
ToCo-Stor in Rising Star"
Based on Goethe's Life
By ANDREW r, KELLEY

AS details arrive about the Franz Lehar operetta
Rsng STAR which will have of the yout weeks in Wash
ngon shapes of the seasons important attractions
Dennis King will be cosarred with Helen Gleason and
erday the Messrs Suber that Ernest Truck would
play featured role probably providing much the comedy
"Rsng STAR will be based upon the life of Goethe with an
American book by Edward Escu. There is Mr. Kings word
for it that Lehar melodies are hummabe kind
The Washington times., 1936-11-17
BY LLOYD PANTAGES

HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 17.-An in
tereSting thing comes to light
about the sketch for flying ma
chine, made for CeSare Borgia in
the Fifteenth century, before Co
lumbus ever dug us out of the
Indians, by one of the worlds
greatest geniuses, Leonardo da
Vinci. Most people found his
sketch interesting, but it took an
aviation engineer with curiosity,
q short time back, to have it built
from the original da Vinci sketch,
and then have it tried out in
wind tunnel, where, believe it or
not, it worked magnificently. The
movie point of the story is that
a copy of the original sketch by
da Vinci will be used by Para.
mount to begin it's film on the
history of aviation, Men With
Wings" which is planned as one
of the greatest spectacles, and will
employ every actor and actress of
Importance on their lot.
Universal is having a slight
headache on its proposed picture,
"Hippodrome," centering on Ralph
Murphy, the director, and R. H.
Burnside, the technical director,
who was head of the New York
Hippodrome for years. They are
searching for information on the
present whereabouts of old Hippo
drome sets and stars, whom they
would like to use in the picture.
They know the Powers elephants
are happy in Europe, and that
Marceline the Clown is dead, but
they would like to know where
they can locate Charlotte, who
was the Sonia Henie of 20 years
ago, Toto the Clown, Mae Wirth,
the Flying CordovaS, the Hanne-
ford Family with Poodles, natu-
rally, Joe jackson and the Gaud-
schmidt Dogs. It will be quite a
revival for old timers, if they sue
ceed.
For our insane-fan mail depart
ment, a Hindu has written to Mar
lene Dietrich, saying that in both
their last incarnations she was his
mother, of all things, and, there
fore, since he is starving, she had
best revert right back to her last
incarnation at once and send him
$25, 900 to build a house, an equal
sum to save his business, and
100000 to found a bank, and then
he will love her again devotedly.
I should think so.
Which reminds one that a 12-
year-old fan has written to Buster
Crabbe that she has complimented
him by naming her pet after him
"a hen. M-m-m-m.
Joan Crawford keeps a list of
all the people she gives Christmas
presents, what she gave them on
previous Christmases, and what
The Washington times., 1936-11-17

WONNGA 4
of the most Strikingly original
films, both as to theme and treat.
ment, that ever has been pro
duced.
In addition to Mr.. Coward's
splendid Characterization, Julie
Hayden, Stanley Ridges, Hope Viii,
'liamS, Alexander Woollcott and
Lionel Stander have contributed
splendid performances.
The Washington times., 1936-11-17

FROM METROPOLITAN
The new operetta must have
looked good to Helen Gleason, for
she asked for and obtained her
The Washington times., 1936-11-17

Joan Crawford keeps a list of
all the people she gives Christmas
presents, what she gave them on
previous Christmases, and what
The Washington times., 1936-11-17

Which reminds one that a 12-
year-old fan has written to Buster
Crabbe that she has complimented
him by naming her pet after him
"a hen. M-m-m-m.
The Washington times., 1936-11-17

Diminutive Comedian Will Have
tured Role in New Shubert Opere
Imperial Valley press., 1936-10-21
BY Josephine Knox

Like roast beef, kitchens fall in
well done.
Rare kitchens are those antique,
practically primitive Kitchens which
contain q stove of some sort and
possibly running water but moth
ing else that could possibly be
ienca. Such kitchens are still not
rare enough.
At the other extreme is a limited
but constantly growing number OF
well done kitchens, cheerful, easy
to-keep- clean and containing mod
ern electric kitchen equipment, all
carefully arranged TO conserve
footsteps and to avoid needless ef-
fort.
Finally, there are the medium
kitchens, millions Of them, possess
ing a few conveniences, placed hit
or miss without regard to proper
arrangement for time-saving and
efficiency. Just for example, the
proper place for the range is some
where near the door to the dining
room. Put it on the other side OF
the kitchen and you add many
miles of weary walking in years
time to the work in that kitchen.
Yet the usual place for range is
close to d flus, regardless Of the
relative location of the dining
room. The modern electric range
of course, needs no flue and may
Imperial Valley press., 1936-10-21

is less than $40, leaving enough to
buy chintz, gingham, cretonne or
denim fer cushions and chair pads.
The table and slat-backed chair
in this group are of unfinished
wood, intended to be used just as
they are. or, if you prefer. painted
or. vanished. A coat of clear var
nish is recommended because it
gives weather resisting finish
Dipping down little deeper into
the purse-down as deep as $16.76,
to be exact-a second grouping was
selected for families that enjoy eat
ing out of doors. A folding table
and metal tea wagon provide ample
space for serving buffet luncheons
and suppers-or, for that matter,
breakfasts. The bench in this group
is unusually sturdy. 1t has back
and arms for comfort, though SIM
liar models without them can be
secured. The slat-backed arm chair
can be folded flat. The table folds
also, and can be adjusted at either
of two heights-25 Or q inches from
the floor. 1t has 5-ply top TO pre-
vent warping and is finished with
clear varniSh
Imperial Valley press., 1936-10-21
Fireplaces May Be
OF Various Heights

Nothing is more eXasperating
than a nice open fireplace that
doesn't draw. EACH time we light
a fire in it we hope that through
some miracle it has been cured
since the last time, but we soon
realize our eyes are smarting and
we begin to cough and a blue haze
has settled over the room that
frightens us just a bit as we Won
der if by any chance something be-
sides the logs has caught fire
There is little excuse for smoking
fireplaces. The only unavoidable
one is in the case where a hill CT
woods or clump of trees rises higher
than the chimney and causes a
down draught when the wind ap-
proaches the house from that direc
ton. Otherwise, fireplaces can be
made to draw properly. It means
p major operation on the chimney,
for the flue may be too small. or it
may not have started directly over
the center of the fireplace or have
awkward, sharp turns in it, or be
clogged with great Jumps of NOR
tar. Other possible causes are too
high and opening, no smoke shelf,
an inadequate smoke chamber, a
damper that does not fit the open
ing; or the chimney may not be tall
enough to clear the highest roof
ridge.
Have your fireplace analyzed and
then you can have it fixed and
really enjoy the delights OF crack
ling blaze that does not send you
to the front porch for air