Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-24

| double bill. The short Trial by
Jury will be followed by II. M. S.
Pinafore." In popular fancy both
THE Mikado" and "Pinafore" are
shown by box Office test to be the
favorites with G. and S. playgoers.
The Boston Comic Opera Co., fol-
lowing the D'Oyly Carte tradition,
presents these attractions in the
order originally listed by the famous
English company.
X X
Sybil Lost Her Voice.
Sybil Bowan, character singer
and impersonator, completely lost
her voice after the third show Sat-
urday at Loew's Capital Theater. A
cold contracted Friday night left an
acute case Of laryngitis and reduced
her to whisper. She left the bill
on doctors orders and was replaced
by Keith Clark, magician.
X X y
Theodore Lohmeyer, manager of
the Avalon Theater in Chevy Chase,
collected $500 pounds of scrap for
the motion picture house collection
at scrap matinees. For his zeal he
was presented with a $25 bond by
the Salvage Committee, the gift
being delivered by Carter Barron.
X X 4 X
Variety Club Sponsors.
Variety Club has agreed to spon-
sor for the United States Treasury
the opening night of the Ice
Capades," due ct Uline's Arena
January 10. Show has been con-
tributed by the owner, John H.
Harris, and the arena also is given
to the Government for this pery
Torrance. Admission will be
through the purchase Of a bond,
and Variety Club will provide he
sales stimulation.
Jack Benny pictures will be op-
posing each other during the
Christmas and holiday season, fea-
lures made by different companies.
Warner Bros. will release George
Washington Slept Here" while
Twentieth Century-F'ox plans to
sell "Meanest Man in the World"
both starring Benny. Producers
unable to agree on release schedules
will create the conflict.
X X X X
1t. Col. Capra Delivers.
1t. Col. Frank Capra has COM
pleted his first picture for the
United States Army, and it is now
being circulated in the camps.
Background of its origin is inter-
esting. The War Department had
college professors and trained writ
ers prepare a series of lectures Civ
ing the history of events leading
up to global war. These talks were
sent to Army camps, morale officers
reading them to the men. Too many
soldiers went to sleep on the mill
tary orators, and the Special Serv-
ices Branch decided to make the
lessons visual.
The then Maj. Capra sent to Hol-
lywood for trained scenario writer's.
When they arrived in Washington
they were put to work at the Library
Of Congress turning these lectures
into form for visual production.
prelude to War" is the result.
1t explains to soldiers why they
are in uniform, puts into words
and pictures the principles for which
they're fighting The feature will
not be shown to civilians, only in
camp theaters, and soldiers will see
it on duty hours.
Beginning in 1881, when the Japs
moved into Manchuria, it shows
progressively the ultimate steps
which led to the war of aggression.
Hitler's ambitious march to power
and Mussolini's yearning to be a
small fry dictator are shown. the
whole woven into a pattern show
ing that each separate encroach-
ment was part of a master design.
To explain the significance of this
design Prelude to War" examines
the slave world and the free-theirs
and ours. From the dark Fascist
world comes such a picture of mass
degradation as can only evoke free
mans horror and hatred. Picture
hAAo ubOuV OIL anu WAL Lie.
partment officials think 1t. Col.
Capra did a magnificent job. Serv-
icemen who see it will have an idea
of what America is fighting to save.
Oppose Proposed Newsreel.
The Allied States Association Of
Motion Picture Exhibitors has pro-
tested to Donald Nelson, chairman
of the War Production Board,
against the Warner Bros. plan to
create an additional newsreel. In
resolution sent to the WPB it
summarizes objections as follows:
l. The five biweekly newsreels
already on the market are more
than the theaters can absorb.
2. The overproduction of news
reels has led to the forcing of these