The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-04

Lilly wanted to build Foster Hall.
Stephen Foster is played by Doug
lass Montgomery you'll remember
him from Little Women'O and he
lends TO Mr.. Foster the touch of
eccentricity and the love of beauty
which are alive in every genius.
In Harmony Lane" Stephen Eos
ter and Henry Kleber, a German
music teacher, plan to write a SYM
phony from the time Stephen is a
young lad, lingering out his simple
melodies on the piano.
Stephens famj''r thinks he is lazy,
but Susan Pentla d, his sweetheart,
urges him to write the songs he
loves. They become engaged and
Stephen goes to Cincinnati to work
for his older brother. There he
slaves, trying to forget his music,
scribbles out fragments of tunes on
his ledger sheets.
Finds Joy in Daughter
While there, he receives word
from Susan that she has married
another. He is stunned, finally mar
rieS Jane Mcdowell, a little vixen
who has planted the rumorS which
caused Susan to give up hope for
Stephen. The Fosters are not
happy.
They have a daughter which
brings Stephen the first joy he has
known in a drab life.
His association with Christy. the
famous minstrel man, brings an
nouncement from Jane that Stephen
must leave her, and he is forced to
go. This is really the breaking point,
for from that time on he lives a
failing life. His wife's demands for
more and more money drive him to
drink and long, strenuous hours. His
tunes, however, sell often enough to
give him money for the support of
his child.
Through it all, Kleber and Chris
ty, rivals of each other, cheer the
youth on, but fail to raise him from
the despair into which he has fall
en-. Two or three times Susan comes
to see him. These are temporary
reliefs from the dismal routine
Stephens life has become During
this period he writes Beautiful
Dreamer" inspired, of coures, by
Susan.
Boasts Strong Cast
The end comes on the eve of
benefit performance of Christy's
minstrels for Mr. Foster. Susan
goes to Stephens cheap, untidy hotel
room, finds him an alcoholic wreck,
makes him promise to come to the
performance. He falls against a
wash bowl, breaks 1t and Injuries
himself fatally.
Harmony Lane" boasts an unus-
ually strong cast. Evelyn Venable
is the lovely Susan. Adrienne Ames
makes convincing, if not likeable,
Jane, the woman who stole Stephen
from the only girl he ever loved and
drove him to ruin.
Two of the lesser lights stand out
in the production. Joseph Cawthorn
as the humorous and loyal Kleber,
Stephens teacher, is excellent, and
William Frawley as Christy gives as
f1ne a comic portrayal as any we
have seen recently.
Cora Sue Collins is her usual
charming self as Fosters daughter.
Church Scene One of Best
Clarence Muse plays the part of
the old Negro pastor, Joe, about
whom Stephen Foster wrote "Old
Black joe The scene in the Negro
church where the old preacher
passes the collection plate, sings
spirituals with his congregation, is
one of the best x the film.
We will never forget the episode
which represented Stephens inspir-
alton for the song "Oh, Susanna. i"
He was telling Susan goodbye just
before his trip to Cincinnati. She
had begun to cry. Suddenly he said,
oh, Susan, don't you cry for me-"
Quickly he jumped to his feet, crept
to the piano and tapped out the
tune, fitting in the words.
1t is well to make motion pictures
of nationally loved and respected
artists like the man who wrote My
Old Kentucky Home" "Massa's in
the Cold, Cold Ground" Come,
Where My Love Lies Dreaming,
"Old Black joe" "Swanee River"
and Beautiful Dreamer"
We, as Americans, must not forget
Stephen Foster A motion picture
like Harmony Lane" will help us
not to. 1t isn't perhaps, all that a
memorial" picture could be, but it
is well acted, we'll presented and
Alas.a...=l.1..