Evening star., 1942-12-21

Regardless Of the high-powered
names Of Broadway. soldiers prefer
to see their own buddies cut a slice
Of ham. Whether it be minstrelsy
or musical comedy or straight dra-
matte fun, there is real high jinks in
watching a barracks companion
tearing an emotion apart. This self
created entertainment registers more
solidly than something presented by
four-a-day specialists.
A salute, then. to 1t Col. Marvin
Young, q great organizer and a mill
tary man who can enlist civilian
corporation to the full. In peace
time the incubus OF drama, planted
in the camps, should reward richly
the organized theater in new poten-
tial patrons. For, strange as it may
seem, about 60 per cent of the
draftees comes from towns, villages
and hamlets that never see the liv-
ing theater, depend entirely for
amusement on the radio and movies.
The stage mas 4 chance to win them
to new art form and is not neglect
ing the opprounity.
Merry Christmas Party.
Messrs. Kogod -Burka, who operate
the K-B Amusement Co., will give
their employees . Christmas party
at the Apex Theater tomorrow after
noon, with each of the faithful re-
warded with a holiday bonus. Frank
na,rnhA~ also AAlc
Senator Theaters will hold holiday
matinees the entire week of Decem-
ber n.
Congratulations to Mr.. Booth.
Congratulations to Percy Booth,
just named the new treasurer Of the
National Theater. He has served at
the box ofice for some Is years,
knows most Of the theater's Gus
toners, is a genial salesman, de-
pendable and thoroughly stepped In
front ONCE routine. A worthy pro-
motion to the vacancy left by the
untimely death of Eddie Keller.
Business in d. C. Healthy.
Usually this Is the week where
theater box offices get caught in
Santa Claus whiskers. Most tour
ing companies are permitted to lay
of with the sanction Of Actors
Equity Association. Amusement,
with the average family, is aside for
for the most urgent work OF mail
ing Christmas cards or wrapping
packages.
Washington, with its swollen pop
ulation. Is proving an exception to
the rule. The Theater Guilds RUS
sian People" clocked $4,000 in eight
performances, and "We Are the
Marines" at the Columbia Theater,
is 20 per cent above the average for
this house. You Were Never Love-
lier" managed to reach $21 900 in its
FIRST week at the Earle, spectacular
business in competition with Christ
mas tree trimmers.
@ X X +
*. r. Stevens Joins Cast.
X. T. Stevens, daughter of Direc-
tor Sam Wood, has been added to
the cast OF This Little Hand"
which A. H. Woods will present at
the National Theater week of Janu-
ary a. Engagement was made pos
sible by the closing of Yankee
Point" in which she was an i'm
portant principal. She will play the
role previously assigned to Joan
Yendes. Miss Stevens is further
identified as the social companion
Of one Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt,
who will probably be present for the
Washington debut of this all-girl
inelodrama.
Endurance Champions.
Abbott and Costello will walk
away with the time consumed on
screen championship for 1912. They
have appeared in II pictures since
their first hit. Buck Privates," and
somebody, with an adding machine
on the lot, figured that the aggre-
gate OF gag projection and wacky
nonsense consumed some $50 min
utes. This, in case any one cares to
check 1t, Is said to be $50 minutes
more than any star has given In
footage within any given IL months.
For those II pictures the gross box
ofice takings are approximately
estimated at 500, 900 900, a figure
which only Charlie Chaplin is said
to have matched. In the history of
a fabulous industry the rise of these
burlesquers to top fame has been
meteoric.
II II