Evening star., 1936-08-24


politely kicked in the teeth impresari
to wed themselves to fame and FORTUNE
a Delilah roamed loose in the world
but that some stout fellow stepped
forth to be Shorn.
The latest to run this risk, as you
have heard, are Abe Toxins and
Louise Noonan Miller, currently man
ayers of the Little Theater. This team,
by record of acute showmanship and
shrewd success, promises to turn the
tables on the White Elephant of
Ninth street df you will forgive our
mixing in the rest of the metaphors
that were left around the house, and
have him performing like circus
pachyderm in holy terror of the
mahout. 1t is fair guess that their
promise will be bonded and sealed by
the tactics they are adopting to make
the Rialto attractive to the public.
In the first place, the size of the
Rialto has always been against it.
Not only the actual seating capacity.
but the feeling of space. A casual
customer wandering in for the morn
ing shows sometimes imagined he
had drifted of into the cave of the
winds That lost" feeling is no help
to q show house Mr.. Toxins and
Mrs. Miller plan to beat that cavernS-
Obituary sensation by cutting the
places seating capacity from 1900 to
1000. Ordinarily a theater man
would say that any one who didn't
put every possible seat in the avail
able floor space was a trifle daft. And
ordinarily that would be right.
In this instance the reduction is
10 be made by putting in 600 individual
chairs, most of them leather uphol-
stored, and spacing the 400 regular
seats far apart so that patrons will
for once have enough room for their
legs, bundles, coats, hats and super
fluous children (all the tall men in
town will probably be found con-
gregated there, no matter what the
bill of fare).
As for the house policy, it will re-
semble that of the Little. For years
the more avid and wiser film fans
about town claimed revival house
would prosper downtown. The Little
proved it. Now the team of Toxins
Miller is setting forth to establish the
fact that revivals of the best pictures
four and five years old will also pack
'em in. The foundation of that idea,
of course. is that patrons had rather
cola,1IiI ipta than a
$3.50 product hot off the Hollywood
griddle.
Well, there you have the theory, and
soon you get the Rialto-opening with
either Grand Hotel" or Back Street
to give it send-off.
X X X X
While the Rialto's new monitors are
busily whipping the dust off old reels,
Carter Barron. manager of the Loew
theaters in this district, cocks an eye
toward the future crop of films that
are yet to make local history at his
houses this Fall. He finds the prospect
rosy. First of all THE Gorgeous
Hussy" storms into our midst Thursday
night for world premiere at the
Palace, and then Mr.. Barron and his
colleagues settle down to the business
of reaching into the hat to bring
worthy successors to that star-soaked
production.
Among these magical products are
30 be:
THE Road to Glory" war stuff. with
Fredric March, Warner Baxter and
Lionel Barrymore.
The Great ziegfeld," the super
musical, ready to reappear at popular
prices. William Powell, Luise Rainer
Myrna 10y, etc, in the cast.
His Brothers Wife" teaming Rob-
ert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck.
The Garden of Allah" with la
Dietrich and the suave Charles Boyer
Born to Dance" Eleanor Powell's
first since the dancer recovered from
her recent illness. Also Broadway
Melody Of 1887" which reunites Miss
Powell, Robert Taylor and the other
stars of Broadway Melody of 1886"
''Libeled Lady," with William Powell,
Myrna 10y, Jean Harlow and Spen-
Ger Tracy. what, no Valentino?)
wallace Beery In Hutch" story