The Washington times., 1936-03-11

THEY WILL HOWL
The StoogeS will howl about dis
elimination but the fact is that
they al not clever enough to
adapt their talents to the Wash
ington public Ted Healy is
probably the supreme champion
of the stooge Yet when the
District attorneys office sprayed
his act on it's last appearance
here there were only IL minutes
left of the 81 he started with q.
They took out, said Comedian
Healy, all Of my good jokes and
business So he filled out the
engagement mourning like Ham
let's ghost because he had no
clean material to replace the
indigo stuff . Unit revues or
ganized from Broadway night
clubs are also out as far as Earle
booking is concerned Chiefly
because they depend on nudity
and smutty jokes. Cover them
up and deodorize the material
and the punch is gone from these
New York attractions.
THE MORNING AFTER
Reflections on idiots Delight"
=. The Theater Guild turned out
an ermine and plush audience
Monday might for the Lunts. . SO
large and representative that it
was easy to appraise the new Rob
ert E. Sherwood play by merely
listening to lobby comment and
the remarks Of the exiting patrons
:. The infallible tag of a smash
hit is the fact that all customers
are united on the verdict. There
are no doubling "How did you
like it?" first nighters. There are
rarely any Eyes and No" op1n-
ions, fewer who must sleep on
the play and read the critics be-
fore making up their minds. y.
Hence I say Idiots Delight" is
destined to be a mild hit and
chiefly because the Lunts are in
it. The music, dancing and Al
fred Lunt as a hoofer make it
good entertainment. Playwright
Sherwood's red hot and SubStan-
tial opinions on what causes war
and world trends are, indeed, in
teresting, but they are scrambled
through a script of mixed moods
and before you have a chance to
ponder on their logic, Mr.. Lunt
is playing the piano again. DID
I Slight Miss Lynn Fontanne?
Well, not Intentionally. I should
like to put her on pedestal as
one actress who can reach the
last rows and the far reaches OF
the theater with her voice. And
without shouting When she Is
on the stage she absorbs most OF
my attention. Is it that bend back
walk? Is it the strange tasclna'
ton Of her distinctive voice? Am
I intoxicated by the feminine opln-
ion which generally describes her
as exquisite or adorable. NO, 1
think it is personality. L am gen.
orally conscious of watching the
smartest woman of the contem-
porary stage and a brilliant act-
ress. With Noel Coward and Al
fred she owns a piece OF "1dlot S
DELIGHT" and the program gives
her credit for supervision OF the
production. {. I thought Robert E.
Sherwood had far too much pro-
family in his play. That is, pro-
family which serves no other pur-
pose than to be shocking, You ex-
pect beginner playwrights to DO
this, But not the SherWoooS.
"INFORMER" AGAIN
Mrs. Louise Noonan Miller today
starts a sixth week with "The In
former" at her Little Theater on
Ninth Street and claims a down
town long distance record Tor tne
prize picture of 1886. SO Tar a.
I know six weeks is record, but
what intrigueS me is what this
picture has done for Victor Mac
Iaglen. For I disclose no secrets
when I say that one year ago Mr.
MacLaglen was on the Hollywood
toboggan and coasting fast to no
account roles. Today he sWelIS
out his chest and demands an
other $1,000 a week. And gets il
Another characterization ol
'The Informer" which won me
completely was that Of j. M. Ker
rigan, the little sawed-off tad who
fastens himself to Gypo Nolan Of
the story and helps him spend the
80 pieces of silver. Kerrigan Is Of
the Irish Players and to my mine
is one of the rare few in Holly
wood capable of really interpret
ing the Celt and his humors. i
delights me that ''The Informer'
now inches with success celluloic
for it means more of the Seam
O'Casey plays for the screen al
well as other good stories iron
the library of Irish literature.
JOHNNY is SET
Johnny Barnes. VINO was Wrar
ping bundles at woodward ant
Lothrop's a few weeks ago, nov
has a genuine, full blown Metro
Goldwyn-Mayer contract Carte
Barron thought I had doubt
about the local boy making goot
SO he sent over the original o
the contract and let me look a
the signatures. =. It begins at $40
q week and moves up as it age
=. Meanwhile Dancer Barnes
winner of the Fox talent quest,
hoofing with Dave Apollon's uni
and is currently in Richmond
He has seven minutes allotted t,