The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-09-16
"Chorley's Aunt" Recolls Old Days
Doc" and "Barney" MoY Lead to a Plan
Noches Pass Depends on Our Efforts

IGNORING entirely the alleged
L star. revival Of an old and
popular comedy drama, Char
ley's Aunt IN the motion picture
now being shown at the Music
Box thester will take memories
Of the older generation back 70
the DAYS before the motion pic
ture camera put the stage pro-
auctions out OF business.
Going back TO the turn Of the
century they will recall the well
balanced seasons when the Mu-
sic Box was the Tacoma the
alter, rated one Of the best play
houses in the Northwest, and
Tacoma was considered one Of
the best show towns on the
Pacific Coast. One season there
was Andrew Robson IN the his
torical drama, Richard Csrvel.'
one Of the fine stage productions
OF that period.
Way Down East" New
England rural play made the
folks laugh and cry. They Kissed
the stern old Puritan head Of
the family when on the word of
the village gossip he turned the
heroine out of the house on
cold winter night because she
was no better than she ought
TO be and spplauded him
when his heart softened and he
brought her back.
Sandy Bottom" was one OF
those serio-comic dramas of the
south which featured the slick
city chap, the prominent citizen
leading a double life, and the
misunderstood heroine. The
climax in this instance came
when a Negro fortune teller sc-
cidentally tripped the shutter of
a camera just at the instant the
villain was committing muir
der that was to be laid at the
door of the hero. OF course,
that cooked the goose for the
villain and gave to the hero and
heroine the reward of the right
eous.
Then there was Foxy Grand
pa" bright comedy drama;
"Chinese Honeymoon" mu-
steal comedy with q chorus Of
20 voices: "Micky Finn" a fast
moving story featuring a little
Irish boxer who laid out the
big. husky villain at the exact
psychological moment.
Twelfth Night" starring Ma
RE Wainwright, was enhancing.
Ben Hur," with its chariot
race and the smash of Messala's
chariot was thrilling. Many who
read this will remember how the
lights on the stage flashed out
as the Ben Hur and MESSIAH
galloped their four-horse teams
across the moving stage, the
terrific crash as the two char
lots came together, and the
quick flip of the back drop
which showed Messiah tangled
in the wreckage!
There was one sour note In
that rather outstanding season.
Madame Adelini Patti held out
for an increase in the guarantee
two DAYS before the date of her
appearance here. The Tacoma
theater had been sold out. Hold
,rs of tickets were acting rather
snooty toward those who had de-
layed too long. Then came
telephone from Portland saying
that the guarantee would have
To b. raised from $4,000 to S.
OoO-and anyway madame was
tired and wanted A rest before
appearing in Seattle. The guar
antee wasn't raised. and the
madame had her rest, but she
didn't have any friends in Ia
coma.
II Barney Jackson. state leg
islator and community leader,
and Doc Button, member OF the
park board continue to talk
back at each other we may get
at the bottom of some things
that are wrong with the Ia
coma park system. Making al
lowances for some unavoidable
situations and lack Of finances.
those who have frequented the
parks this season could not help
the comment that there are too
many untidy spots and one OF
them IL the Point Defiance
pavilion. And in that connec-
49,, .h.r. g.. ilstiflfa tiou for the