The Washington times., 1936-03-02

ways In every respect.
SOPHIE TEACHES LUNT
Down at the National Theater
the treasurer'S force, under the
direction of Russell Thomas, is
trying to dig itself out Of a bliz.
zard Of mail orders for the Alfred
LuntLynn Fontanne engagement
in Robert E. Sherwood's Idiots
Delight" scheduled to have q
world premiere next Monday
night.
Mr.. Lunt's devoted clientele will
perhaps be interested to know
that he is taking vocal instruction
for the new play from none other
than Sophie Tucker, same Sophie
who is known to Broadway and
the profession as Last of the Red
Hot Mammas." The Lunt tootsies
are being trained to tap out q
rhythmic routine by Morgan
Lewis.
1t all sounds as though Idiots
Delight" might be something like
a musical, but Alfred Head, ad-
vance tub thumper, says nothing
of the kind. The song and dance
stuff employing six blondes is
only incidental to a dramatic
story.
ON SHARK ISLAND"
One Of the things that all Of
Hollywood's historical research
has been unable to find out def
nitely is what leg John Wilkes
Booth broke when he leaped to
the stage Of Ford's Theater after
shooting President Lincoln.
There is available an abundance
of authoritative material on the
tragedy of April, 1865, but none
Of the stories touch on the de.
tails Of the asSaSsin'S injuries. It
is known that he tripped over q
picture but Charles Phillips, who
made the research for Prisoner
of Shark Island" was unable to
find out which leg was hurt.
In the picture, now showing at
the Fox Theater, it would appear
that the warden and guards at
Shark Island were instrumental in
having the physician pardoned
and restored to his family. The
true facts are that the prison off.
cials prepared and signed Q petit
ton to President Andrew johnson
but it was Sidetracked and never
reached the executive desk.
DR.. Mudd lived for 13 years after
he came back to his Maryland
home, vindicated humanitarian,
In 1883 he was called out IN the
night to attend q boy suffering
from pneumonia. In journeying
through a terrible storm to reach
his patient, DR.. Mudd contracted
pneumonia, died as a result OF
the exposure. In death, as in life
DR.. Mudd fulfilled the highest
ideals of his profession.
The daughters Of Doctor Mudd
seem to be divided over the merits
Of "The Prisoner of Shark Is
land" The film depicts, for the
first time, the injuSticeS heaped
on this Maryland physician who
was accused Of having been q
conSpirator in the killing of Abra-
ham Lincoln.
From Baltimore last week Net
tie Mudd Monroe, who wrote the
book on which this movie drama
is based, expressed herself as
irked because she thought "the
picture didn't do full justice to
my father" In fact she was so
peeVed that she has threatened
suit against the producers. She
even stymied a hopeful Loew pub
licist when in response to his
query as to how she liked the pic
ture she CURLY blurted, Rotten. ~
She received $4,000 for the rights
Of her book
To convince themselves that
''The Prisoner Of Shark Island"
was a screen document Of which
every Mudd offspring could well
be proud the Loew officials here
brought to the theater another
daughter Of Doctor Mudd. She
is Mrs. Albert Gardiner Of Charles
county, Md, who is Nettie'S older
sister. She had never previously
seen this film.
Mrs. Gardiner, aged and feeble,
had to comfort her on the journey
to Washington, Doctor Frank T.
Shyne, local medico. With Mrs.
Gardiner came her two grand
children. Bernard Gardiner, 10,
and his sister Frances, 20. The
three saw the film at the Fox and
were all in accord that it was a
won derful picture" Mrs.
Gardiner said though she hadn't
seen many movies she'd wager
that this was one Of the best. She
thought IL quite thrilling and
agreed that it would certainly
focus national attention on the
innocence Of her father.
STOCK COMPANY NOTE
The first intimation that Wash
ington will have a spring and sum
mer stock season under the aegis
of Steve Cochran ct ais comes in
al announcement from Broadway
that keenan, Wynn expects to play
juvenile roles with the 1886 com
pany. keenan, Wynn Is the son Oi
Tira Chief Ed Wv1n a1sn a T1nattv