The Washington times., 1936-02-24

sniff Of dope and inhales the cour-
age to foil prisoners bent on lib
erty after locking up the sheriff
and guards.
slapstick 1t Is, but good slap
stick and not retarded with un-
necessary dialogue. Also pure Key
stone Is the roller skating Charlie
as q department store watchman,
the fall apart hut whore his gamin
hopes to found o home, the early
morning dive into two inches OF
water that looked like two feet,
the troubles Of Q waiter with q
loaded tray on the dance floor.
All Of this Is told in subtitlea
barring q few speeches projected
via q phonograph. Mr.. Chaplin
proves that he has Q tongue by
singing Q cabaret song in a funny
kind Of gibberiSh. It may be Es.
peranto, but Charlie makes his
monkey lyrics count by adorning
them with telling gesture. He
has q good musical background
for all Of the action.
One more vote then for Charlie
Chaplin as Fun Monarch Of the
World. Modern Times" sacrifices
talk, but it picks UP laughs In
the process. It mergeS sound and
silence and, as the late Mr.. Mum
sey might say, retains the best
features Of each,
BALTIMORE Is MAD
Recently Washington legiti-
mate attractions have been going
after the Baltimore play-goer
trade, advertising in the news
papers of the neighboring city,
billing the town etc. With good
results evidently for the Balti-
more Chamber Of Commerce IS
aroused. Attractions have been
warned to cease and desist from
injuring Baltimore'S amusement
business by Turing customers from
their native heath to e. Street.
Baltimore ought to wake up that
it works both ways for Tobacco
Road" got many . dollar from
Potomac Monday nighters and
katharine Cornell In her Mary
land theater engagements in
variably attracts thousands Of
good Washington dollars.
/. LUNT AS A HOOPER
Can't imagine Alfred Lunt as .
tap dancer but that Is what he's
learning for the new Robert y.
Sherwood play, Idiots Delight" "
There's q play within Q play In
it with the Guilds Alfred as .
song and dance man hoofing
with a group of chorus girls.
Lynn Fontanne has the role Of q
Russian lady. That's all I know
about the latest Theater Guild
play scheduled to open March 8
at the National.
BROADWAY COMING
Tonight's opening Of Sweet
Aloes" will bring down from New
York a distinguished crowd Of
Broadway first nighters. You may
find smoking an intermiSsion
cigarette in the lobby BarriSter
Sol A. Rosenblatt, the NRA
graduate, with Genevieve Tobin
from Hollywood. Also Ward More
house Of the New York Sun and
Frank Lawton, screen actor, here
to give his wife Evelyn Laye a
cheer.
CHARLES SONG
The song that Charlie Chaplin
sings in Modern Times" is I'm
Looking for Titina." It was in
cluded in Elsie Janis musical
comedy, Puzzles" which held
the boards in 1925. No, the
words are not smutty, but be-
cause Chaplin sings EN- In q
sort Of mongrel hog latin wise
ones get the idea it's a tabaSco
lyric. Not so, says Gene Ford,
who staged the number in the
original musical.
NEAR A RECORD
With only SIS more "Rose
Marie" would have broken the
all.time high Saturday record for
Loew's Palace Theater. Angie
Ratio says If he knew before the
count-up 1t was that close he
would have put SIG of his own
money through the window and
hung UP q new mark.
"PORGY," MARCH 16
"Porgy and Bess," the Theater
Guild operetta from Dorothy and
Du Bose Heywards play and
with George GerShwin music, will
be the fifth attraction of the
American Theater Society. It
comes March 16. Todd Duncan,
former music instructor Of How.
ard University, plays "Porgy" and
the comedy roles are in the hands
Of Buck and Bubbles.
Aenru EOndo Nra\Ie