davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1936-12-07
MONTGOMERY PLAYERS
COMEDY FAIR SUCCESS
"Laburnum Grove" Has Many
Funny Situations, but Timing
of Dialogue Is Poor.

T B. PRIESTLEY'S "Laburnum
Grove" is not quite an actorproof
play. There isn't much real meat in
it, though to be sure, 1t has some near
hilarious dialogue and Mr.. Priestley
has contrived some sure-fire comedy
situations. In consequence, the Mont
gomery Players presentation of the
play Saturday night at Bethesda
Chevy Chase High School pleased the
audience very much at intervals and
at other times did not seem to be all
what it might have been.
The main difficulty encountered by
the nearby Maryland thespians WAS
the same facing any amateur group
undertaking production of light farce.
The story of a London suburbanite who
suddenly startles his family, which had
considered him a rather dull old bird,
by announcing he is engaged in the
business of imitation (by printing bank
notes., is one which requires a brisk
tempo that throws lines at the GUS
toners like machine gun bullets. Good
lines will be funny, to be sure, but
not as funny as they should be, If
delivered in manner which is slightly
more recitative than fast and furious.
So the Montgomery Players principal
.remissness Saturday was in their tim
ing.
Otherwise they comported them
selves in a finished and well-schooled
manner Except for a collection of
English accents as varied as the dia-
lects Of the Chinese language. The
best OF the group was Martha Williams.
who Is nice to look upon, who has 4
voice and diction that fall pleasantly
upon the ear and whose skill is such
that she was the focal point of at
tention in almost every scene In which
she appeared. Also carrying a con-
siderable portion of the burden was
Frederick Kerby, playing the role
Edmund Gwenn had on the profess
slonal stage, at times seeming to fall
prey to the tendency to slow up and
let the pace drop too much, but most
OF the time performing most efficiently.
Others in the cast were Pauline
Whitacre. Marjorie H. Hathaway. ]. A
Bishop, Richard Walsh, Irving M. Day
and ]. H. Ltzelman. Doris Dewey
lay o"ec1eo. H. M.
Evening star., 1936-12-07
DOGS "STUDY" BLIND

School to Bring Masters and Pets
Together.
DENVER R.-A school soon will
open here where eight blind persons
and eight German shepherd dogs will
study each other.
Then, acquainted with each others
temperaments, the dogs will become
"eyes" for their blind masters.
The animals were especially trained
in Morristown, N. j., to aid blind per-
sons. They were brought to Denver
through the Colorado State Blind
Commission to be sold, at nominal
cost, to blind persons who desired
them.
Evening star., 1936-12-07

This week also brings moor Born"
Dan Totheroh's play about the Bronte
sisters, which will be played Thursday
and Friday nights by students Of the
King-SmIth Playhouse at their studio
playhouse in Rock Creek Park.
Phillipa Hutchins, q second-year
Evening star., 1936-12-07

sort of thing boy Meets Girr' hap.
pens to be- 1t joshes Hollywood. Some
of the joshing is merciless. More of
it has a quality Of tenderness that be-
trays its authors, Bella and Samuel
Spewack, as sympathetic citizens Of
that often abused community. The
Spewacks should be sympathetic and
understanding. For five years they
have bartered genius for gold in the
movie capital. Both the Spewacks and
Hollywood have profited by the ex-
change.
It Is a road company that will throw
scoopsful of laughter at boy Meets
Girl" audiences here. But George Alb
bott. producer of the piece, swears it
is a good company. AS good as the
Broadway unit. says Mr.. Abbott. Bet
ter, he adds as an after thought. He
selected every member of both casts,
50 he should know, even if he was
speaking for just Washington pub
Gcation.
boy Meets Girl" turns an amused
eye upon the formula of picture-mak-
ing; namely, boy meets girl. loses girl,
gets her back again. Very, very funny.
A sort of Hollywood laugh which an
swers some of the sneers which the
stage so often turns upon the motion
picture industry. A laugh which says,
"Sure we're funny, but don't take 1t
% hard and so seriously. We don't"
X X
A ND, speaking of mirth, 1t is the
major product that will be man
ufactured on the stage of the National
this week by Beatrice Lille. Bert
Lahr, Reginald Gardiner and COM
pany. Boston and Philadelphia re-
viewers have used up handfuls of ad-
jectives ending in lest" in their de-
scriptions Of the first big musicale re-
vue to reach the local stage this sea-
son. Ben Atwell's brief case so bulged
with tear sheets of notices of "The
Show Is On" that there barely was
room left for pictures of the princi-
pals. Mr.. Atwell, one of the Oldest
and wisest press representatives in the
business, selects tear sheets when
they carry what he calls good story.
He had so many this time.
The pretty shoulders of Oracle Bar
fie, once of the Earle Theater, carry
the vocal burden of the Vincent Min
elli-Lillie-Lahr show. Paul Haakon
and Mitde Mayfair are the dance duo.
To them Washington needs no intro
duction.
X X X
MARSHA HUNTS coming to town.
~A She will be here Thursday. Harry
Hunter, Paramount's big man here.
joins Carter Barron in saying so. She
is coming in connection with the sill
yer jubilee celebration Of Adolph
Zukor.
Using just teeny-weeny bit of your
Imagination, you can almost make
pretty Miss Hunt local girl. Her
grandmother, Mrs. Mary L. Hunt, lives
at 1852 Crurch street, and her pop,
e. R. Hunt, has been in town for sew
eral weeks. No end of excitement
Is being conceived right now in con-
nection with Miss Hunts visit. After
Miss Hunt leaves, her picture, "Col-
lege Holiday" starring Jack Benny.
is coming to either the Capitol or the
Palace. Can't say which just now.
Evening star., 1936-12-07
Capitals Drama Groups
Civic Theater Thumps It's Tubs Over
Publicity Gag Which Failed.
BY HARRY MACARTHUR.

student from Toronto, will play the
role OF Emily; Jane Eoff will be Anne,
the younger sister. and Linda Gran
than will play Charlotte. Other King
Smith students in the play will be
Francia Holiday and Josephine
Waples.
Carl Christianson will be seen as
Branwell. the brother for whose fan
cied genius the sisters sacrificed their
own happiness, and Rudolph Justice
Watson will play the father.
The players are being directed by
Wesley Mckee, dramatic director at
the school. and the settings are being
done by Hugo linden.
Sir James Barrie's Dear Brutus"
is being rehearsed by members of the
Dramatic Club at American Univer-
sity, under the direction of Will
Hutchins. dramatic coach. The COM
edy will be presented a week from to-
morrow night at the gymnasium on
the campus. Leading roles are being
played by Jean Miller and Samuel
Kicker.
Robert M. Miller, Lansing Hall and
H. H. Bratsburg head the Washington
Civic Theater cast which will play
Robert Sherwoods THE Petrified
Forest" at the Wardman Park Thea
ter December is, II, 18 and 10.
Others are Ruth Perrott, Rachel
Sewall, Arthur Bingham, Joe Bourne.
Denis E. Connell, Ralph Fowler, Dan
Hofiend, Ralph Hohenstein, William
Jordan, Richard Kreuzburg, Clyde
Maxwell, Jock McFadden, Marvin
Plunkett, Norman Rose and Harry
Westcott.
Denis E. Connell. Thomas CahiIl,
]. Edmond Veitch, James M. Rawls,
Wade Robinson, Eugene Kressin. Ell
lott Button and Clifton P. Clarke al
ready are cast in leading roles for this
years presentation of DR.. Henry Van
Dykes STORY of tire Other Wise
Man" The Christmas drama, staged
this year for the twelfth consecutive
time, will be performed at Luther
Place Memorial Church December a..
28 and 20 at $50 pm, and December
~ at 4:30 o'clock.
yellow Jack" will be presented
Wednesday night at CASTOR Hall by
Mask and Bauble in the form Of Q
dress rehearsal for the student body.
Evening star., 1936-12-07
"The Show Is On" Opens
at the National Tonight
X/INCENTE MINNELLTs new

NINCENTE MINNELLI'S new
revue, THE Show Is On"
comes to the National Theater
tonight for weeks engagement,
prior to its New York premiere.
Bea Lille and Bert Lahr are
the stars Of the new musical show
and the supporting cast includes
such well-known performers as
Reginald Gardiner, Paul Haakon,
Oracle Barrie, Mitzi Mayfair and
Evelyn Thawl.
Curtain for the revue will rise
at BIS o'clock every evening, in
stead of the Nationals conven-
tional $50.
Evening star., 1936-12-07
Former Moderator Dies.

ELMSDALE, Nova Scotia, December
z @.-Rev. d. o. Mackay, former
moderator of the maritime synod Of
the Presbyterian Church, and q native
Of California, died here yesterday.
He studied theology 'at Princeton The
olog1cAl Seminary, In New Jersey.
Evening star., 1936-12-07
you just can't down the WASH
I ington Civic Theater's pub
hcity department. They had

licity department. They had
swell idea for a publicity
stunt in connection with the forth
coming production Of THE Petrified
Forest" and now when the gag didn't
come of according to schedule they
begin to brag about its failure.
Anyhow, this is what happened
or didn't happen-or something.
One of the important characters in
"Petrified Forest" Is Duke Mantee,
a public enemy a Ia Dillinger. He
is so much Ia Dillinger that Hum
phrey Bogart, who played the role
in New York, was made up to look
Just like the famed public enemy's
twin brother-if he had had twin
brother.
So the Civic Theater tub-thumpers
had an idea. They would send their
own Duke Mantee down to the De-
partment of Justice to be finger
printed, shown the Dillinger relics
and lectured on the wages of sin.
The idea, of course, involved the pho
tographing of H. H. Bratsburg, who
will be the local Duke Mantee. while
he was being flngerprinted, shown the
relics and lectured on the wages of
sin. Then the photographs might
accidentally have found their way
into newspapers.
Permission was obtained from Jus
tice-or part of Justice. Mr.. Brats-
burg, with Don Hoffend and Malvin
Plunkett, who will be couple OF
minor gangsters in the play, went
to the Department of Justice, after
maintaining they had no criminal
past that might be brought out to
embarrass somebody.
Then, when they arrived, it turned
out that higher Justice had over
ruled the permission-granting Justice
and there would be no hngerprinting
and no photographing. Mr.. Brats-
burg, Mr.. Hoffend and Mr.. Plunkett
were disgruntled no end. They had
taken time of from work for the
gag. The photographer on hand was
exceedingly digruntled. And the pub
lictty department was practically in
tears.
But the publicity department went
back to its Office. sat down in its
swivel chair and pondered deeply,
finally seeing the bright side OF
things. Maybe it was all for the
best, decided the publicity depart
ment. Maybe Mr.. Bratsburg's per-
formance will be all the more en-
Enthusiastically criminal, since he never
has been fingerprinted and lectured
on the wages of sin.
Thursday night Washington will
have its first presentation Of yellow
Jack" when Georgetown's Mask and
Bauble Club stages the Sidney How
ard-Paul de Kruif play at the schools
CASTOR Hall.
Frank Miller, who has been an
active member Of the group for four
years and who was prominent In the
production of George M. Cohan's
1.-THE Tavern" two years ago, has the
leading role in the dramatization OF
medical sciences battle to discover
the cause and cure Of yellow fever.
Others in important parts are Myles
McCahill, Matthew McDermitt, Dan
iel O'Donovan, William Driscoll and
Mark Drugan.
yellow Jack" is being directed by
William E. Shea, the schools regular
dramatic coach.
Evening star., 1936-12-07
MURDER THEORY PROBED
IN NAVY SEAMAN'S DEATH
Body of c. E. Hagen, q. 8. s. Tul-
sa Sailor, Washed Ashore
at Annoy, China.

~ the Associated Press.
AMOY, China, December THE
body Of Carl Eric Hagen, son of K.
W. Hagen Of Beverly Hills, Calf, was
washed ashore here today.
Because Of severe head wounds on
Hagen's head, police investigated the
theory he had been robbed and mur-
dered.
Hagen, . seaman on the q. s. s.
Tulsa, had been missing since No
vember 80.
His body was found on Kulangsui
Island. the foreign settlement here.
Evening star., 1936-12-07
Franco Yugoslav Pact Ready.

PARIS, December 7 tP.-Minister
Of Commerce Paul Bastid left last
night for Belgrade to sign a Franco
Yugoslav commercial accord tomorrow
Evening star., 1936-12-07
''Boy Meets Girl" To Play
National After ''OthellO"
Hilarious Josh at Hollywood Scheduled
for December 21-Marsha Hunt -
to Visit Capital.
BY JAY CARMODY.

DeSdemona
the local
stage the that
IL National Theater the
those receive the
they laugh and forget all
told after its New York that is the
Evening star., 1936-10-18
South Jersey G. o. P. Weakness
Is Revealed in Visit by KnOx

Summer in five years and the dispo-
sition is to credit it to Roosevelt. Lo-
cal leaders admitted the Republican
local ticket would be elected without
difficulty, but were non-committal on
the national ticket.
In Camden the Republican machine
is split as the aftermath of q bitter
city commission election last Spring
Control of police and fire departments
has passed from the machine OF DAVID
Baird, jr., former United States Sen
ator. to the remnants of the organi-
zation of Albert C. Woodruff, former
State Senator. Mrs. Elizabeth G.
Verga, chief lieutenant of Baird, has
been on the Pacific Coast most OF the
campaign and apparently Is out OF
politics.
While the Republicans can carry the
State for Landon and Knox without
heavy pluralities In Atlantic and CAM
den, these two counties must produce
heavily If the Republicans are to have
the sweep their leaders are predict
ing. Walter Z. Edge, campaign man
ager, predicted q Landon margin OF
250.00o after the first day OF the Knox
tour, but he has been quiet ever. since
the South Jersey trip. 4
Evening star., 1936-10-18
,ONSIN DEMOCRAT WON'T QUIT FOR LA TOILETTE
Candidacy of Ward May Cire
C.. O. P. Michigan Senators1,ip
COughIin Aide Expected
to Take Support From
BrOiUn.
BY H. C. GARRISON,
Special Correspondent of The Star

DETROIT, Mich, October IT,
Republicans consider they received Q
lucky break when Louis B. Ward,
Father Coughlin's Washington lobby
ist and biographer, accepted nomina-
ton of the Third party for United
States Senator.
Ward ran for the same ONCE as .
Democrat in the primary and lost by
1000 votes to Representative Prentiss
M. Brown of st. Ignace. Ward was
given about 1l8,080 votes.
Political dopesters had figured
Brown to be the most certain of all
the Democratic candidates to win.
His Republican opponent, former Gov.
WILDER M. Brucker. is not overly pop
ular. Now the wise boys are not SO
sure. They are not sure but that
Ward will eat into the Democratic
vote sufficiently to permit Brucker to
slip in.
Democrats Doubt Effect.
Some Democrats are little fearful
that this may be the outcome. Others
profess to believe the entrance OF
Ward into the picture will make little
difference. They point out that the
Third party, an utterly unknown Or
ganization with mysterious origins,
has no following Of its own and can
only take whatever votes the Cough
lin Townsend alliance can bludgeon
into line. Real Democrats will moi
vote the ticket, they believe. Theii
theory is that Ward, running as q
Republican, would be dangerous. but
running on an unknown ticket away
over on the right-hand side OF the
ballot will not be factor.
There Is considerable doubt as tc
the legality of the convention which
selected Ward as the Third party can.
didate and voted to include Lemke
electors in its column. Proceeding
already have been started in court to
restrain the secretary OF State from
including the Third party candidates
on the ballot.
1ss, 900 Votes Is Key.
The key to the situation seems tc
be the l99. 900 votes that were cast fol
Senator Couzens in the Republican
Evening star., 1936-10-18
Landon Visit Expected to Turn
Oklahoma Tide From Roosevelt

granted that Roosevelt will carry
Oklahoma. Republican county chair
men have asked what is the use Of
trying.
But with the Republican nominee
speaking in the State. the party chair
man maintains the G. o. P will have
a good chance of turning the tide.
Col. Frank Knox, Republican nomi-
nee for Vice President, spoke in Tulsa
Friday at a big rally of party men,
bers in Northeastern Oklahoma. Lam
dou's speech in the capital city affords
the G. o. p, its opportunity for big
Statewide meeting.
Democrats have plugged away in
their campaign, maintaining the
favorable odds. It has been the
strategy Of the leaders to avoid con-
troversies and let the campaign rock
along. Unless the Republicans can
stir interest In their cause, the vote
normally will drift into the Democratic
column BY . substantial majority.
Evening star., 1936-10-18
BY EDWARD M. GILROY,
Special Correspondent of The Star


TRENTON, N. j., October 17.-Re-
publican campaign managers are re.
vising their plans in order to con-
centrate their fire on South Jersey
counties where unexpected weaknesses
have developed. Strong Roosevelt SEN
timent in normally Republican Allan
tic and organization difficulties in
Camden, another former stronghold,
caused concern on the two-day State
tour by Col. Frank Knox, vice presi-
Dental nominee
After unexpectedly strong Repub--
lican demonstrations for Col. Knox in
northern counties, particularly Pas
sale, the visits to Atlantic and Cam
den proved shock. Although Enoch
L. Johnson, Atlantic Republican boss,
admittedly has one of the strongest
organizations in the State. he made
no attempt to produce crowd as the
Knox motorcade drove through main
streets. Instead, the Knox party was
subjected to a running fire from
Roosevelt boosters all along the trip.
Johnson's neutenants told State
leaders Roosevelt was unusually
strong. Atlantic city had it, best
Evening star., 1936-10-18
c. 0.P. CONCED|NG
MARYLAND DENIED
Report Cheering Democrats
Is Immediately
Spiked.
BY JOSEPH, G. DEPoNAI,


BALTIMORE. October 17-Demo-
cratic leaders here were greatly elated
this week by report published in one
Of the local papers that the Repub-
lican National Committee had given
up hope of carrying Maryland and
would send no more funds into the
State.
This, however, was promptly denied
by State leaders of the G. o. p, who
declared the report was started by
the president of the Maryland Fedora
ton of Young Republicans, an Or
ganiZation which is working inde-
pendently of both the State Central
Committee, headed by William P.
Lawson, and backed by Gov Harry w.
Nice. and the Maryland Landon-Knox
League, which is being directed by
Galen L. TAFT, for years the chairman
of the State Central Committee.
Harry Lee KatZ, the president Of the
Young Republican organization, it
was explained, wrote to Representa-
tive Joseph w. Martin. jr., Eastern
manager of the Republican National
Committee, asking if there was any
truth to reports circulated to the
effect that there will be no financial
support forthcoming for proper func-
tioning of the National campaign in
Maryland.
Hope for Maryland Victory.
Tr, f. 70
your information would say that the
Republican National Committee Is
hopeful of carrying the State Of
Maryland. We believe that the Ma
tion-wide trend against the New Deal
exists in Maryland as we'll as in the
other States Of the Union. We are
cooperating in the Maryland CAM
paign to the best of our ability and as
fully as our limited means will
permit"
1t was announced at headquarters
of the TAFT organiza ton that there
was no shortage of funds for the
campaign and that the Landon- Knox
League was receiving financial as
sistance from the secret" Maryland
committee.
Robert o. Bonnell, chairman Of
this committee, authorized the state
ment that his "nonpartisan" fund
raising committee affords financial
backing for the TAFT organization.
I'VE are putting up the money for the
Landon-Knox Volunteer League" he
said.
Republicans as well as many fol-
lowers of the late Gov. Albert C.
Ritchie are showing marked interest
in the anti-Roosevelt speeches here
Monday night of former Gov. Joseph
B. Ely of Massachusetts, and Balm
bridge Colby, Secretary of State in
the Wilson cabinet.
Jeffersonians Sponsor Rally.
The rally is being sponsored by the
Maryland Jeffersonian Democrats, OF
which organization Edgar Allan Poe
former assistant attorney general OF
Maryland, is chairman.
Leaders of the Democratic party
on the other hand, are emphatic in
declaring that Maryland is lin the
bag and point to the fact that in g
straw vote conducted by local paper
President Roosevelt carried the State
by $4,000 out of 277.0o0 votes cast.
A number of out-of-State speakers
will be brought into Maryland during
the next two weeks, including Cor
dell Hull, Secretary of State; Senator
Pat Harrison of Mississippi and prob
ably Senator Carter Glass of Virginia
it was announced at Democratic
headquarters here.
Evening star., 1936-10-18
NEW HAMPSHIRE G. O.P.
CLAIMS LANDON VICTORY
Democrats Claim Manchester and
Hillsborough County-Winant
Backs Roosevelt.
BY J. J. MCCARTHY,
Special Correspondent of The Star.

Special Correspondent of The Star.
MANCHESTER. N. H.. October IT.
New Hampshire State Republican
leaders claim the Granite State for
landon and Knox, pointing out that
the State is normally a G.. o. P.
stronghold and there is no reason why
there should be a change this year.
Democratic leaders believe they have
a chance, but political observers agree
that the Republicans will carry the
State.
The Democrats claim Manchester,
the States largest city, and Hillsbor-
ough County, which also includes
Nashua, the States second largest
city. A complimentary vote for Col.
Frank Knox, who has home in Man.
chester and still has q big interest in
the States two largest newspapers
published here, the Morning Union
and the Leader, is expected and will
cut down the Democratic lead in the
city and county.
Former Gov. John G.. Winant, who
has come out in support of President
Roosevelt, still exercises considerable
power in New Hampshire and his
move may swing many Of his follow
ers TO the President.
Evening star., 1936-10-18
BY OTIS SULLIVANT,
Special Correspondent Of The Star.

OKLAHOMA CITY, October IT,
Republicans have hurled their chal-
lenge against Democratic claims that
Oklahoma is overwhelmingly for
President Roosevelt by booking Gov.
ALI M. Landon for a speech here
Tuesday.
w. G. Johnston, Republican State
chairman, has announced that cara
vans of Republicans and anti-New
Deal Democrats from all sections Of
the State will help make mammoth
rally for the Republican nominee.
Johnston and the other party
leaders hail the Landon decision to
speak here as q means Of stimulating
interest in the campaign. For them
it is q direct answer to the winning
psychology in favor Of the Democrats.
Republican leaders have not been
able to IRE party workers with en-
thusiasm. II has been taken TOR
Evening star., 1936-10-18
GREGORY,S BROTHER
GETS TICKET PLACE
Kentucky Representatives Death
Won't Affect Democrats
Standing in House.
BY HARRY BLOOM.
BY HARRY BLOOM,
Special Correspondent Of The Stal


LOUISVILLE. KY. October II
The death of w. Voris Gregory, SO,
for 10 years Representative from the
first district of Kentucky. necessitat-
ing selection of another congressional
nominee by the Democratic party.
was an unexpected political event Of
the week in Kentucky. A meeting of
the District Committee to pick a sue
cessor was held in Mayfleld, home Of
Representative Gregory. His brother,
j. Noble Gregory, was tipped for the
place, although there were half q
dozen other contenders.
Mr.. Gregory, who was running for
his sixth term, took i'll during the
Summer after he had won renomina.
ton by an overwhelming majority.
Since Mr.. Gregory ran in a district
regarded as a Democratic Gibraltar,
his death was not expected to affect
the political complexion of the Ken
lucky delegation 1t is again expected
| to consist of eight Democrats and a
Republican.
The weeks big meeting was train
shed rally for Col. Frank Knox.
Senator Barkley. whose oratory has
been utilized by the Democratic Ma
tional Committee in States where the
outcome was regarded as close, has
been assigned to close the campaign
in his home State. He is booked for
nine speeches, one in each congress
sional district. Gov. Bibb Graves Of
Alabama was another major speaking
luminary who invaded the State this
week in behalf of President Roosevelt.
Gov. A. B. Happy" Chandler has
been touring Ohio and Missouri. He
told an audience at Fulton, Mo, that
the Democratic majority in Kentucky
would reach 200, 900 and expressed the
|. opinion that hotly- contested Ohio Is
now safely Democratic"