Indianapolis Times, Volume 34, Number 194, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 December 1921 — Page 5

Cantor to Make Merry at Murat Christmas Week and Mitzi Will Divide Time at English's Theater. JOSEPHINE VICTOR ON KEITH'S PROGRAM Christmas holiday week on the Tv dianapolis stage will be a busy one, as Eddie Cantor and his “Midnight Rounders" will be the offering at the Murat. English’s will open the week on Monday with the A1 G. Field Minstrels and on Thursday night, Mitzi In “Lady Billy” will be the appetizing offering at English’s. At B. F. Keith’s next week Josephine Victor In a sketch called “Juliet and Borneo,’’ will be the headline offering. The Lyric will feature the Giersdorf Band. The Park will ofL-r next week a musical extravaganza called “The Pacemakers.” -I- -1- -IEDDIE CANTOR OPENS MONDAY AFTERNOON. A theatrical offering of more than ordinary interest is promised at the Murat for its Christmas week attraction, commencing Monday afternoon, with the engagement of Eddie Cantor in “The Midnight Rounders," which comes to this city direct from its run of all summer In Chicago. This city will be one of but five in which Mr. Cantor will appear prior to closing his present offering in order to begin rehearsals on his new show. During the course of the show's twenty-eight scenes, Cantor appears in both white and black-face characters, Iproving his versatility in a most pleasing manner. Altogether Mr. Cantor sings fifteen songs, notable among them being* “I Want My Mammy,” “All by Myself,” “Sophie Ginsberg," “After the Ball Is Over,” “Dapper Dan,” “I'm Nobody’s Baby,” "Ma,” “For the Beautiful Girls,” “Sunny Tennessee” and “Bimini Bay.” But Mr. Cantor does not confine his efforts in the entertainment line to mere singing—in three different skits he convulses the audience by his quaint characterizations and through his ability as a fun-maker, particularly true is this of the one called “Joe's Blue Front,” the scene laid in a “puller-in" clothing store with Mr. Cantor playing the role of a Hebrew tailor. The cast includes Nan Halperfn, who comes in for chief mention. Formerly a vaudeville headliner of prominence. Miss Halperin has proven that she is Just as pleasing in musical shows. Then there is Harry Kelly, he of the famous Deacon Jones characterization and the droll voice; Lew Hearn with his funny clothes and long necktie; Joe Opp, straight man for the others; Jean Carroll, Muriel DeForrest, Alice Ridnor, Ge.rgie Hale, Burns and Foran, Colin Cameron, the Penn Four and John Byam and a chorus. -I- -I- -IMINSTRELS BOOKED AT ENGLISH’S MONDAY. The “moan of the saxophone” has become essential and indispensable to any form of musical entertainment, these days of jazz and foxtrot. Few musical instruments havfe attained tbe vogue that has fallen to the saxophone, as witness the use of entire saxophone choirs in modern military bands and many symphony orchestras. The saxophone quartett is not anew idea and yet its introduction into modern theatrical entertainment is one of the real “rages” of the current season. No I truer demonstration of this fact is to be found than that the Al. G. Field minstrels has adopted it for Its current production. “The Saxoland Four” Is the name of the quartette which the Field show boasts this year as its musical hit. Its members "are finished performers on this difficult but indispesable instrument and they “sax” a wicked “phone,” to quote one critic of the show. The artists in this clever act are Carl Cameron, Rody Jordan, Bennie Kenner and Harry Corley.

Three of these musicians work in whiteface, while Rody Jordan provides the comedy of the four, working in blackface and dispensing a brand of fua ■with his monster bass saxophone which has proven more of a hit this year than any other musical act yet furnished. The engagement opens Monday afternoon at English’s and closes Wednesday Bight. VICTOR HEADS NEW KEITH BIEL. Josephine Victor, well known as an actress of the legitimate stage who is now appearing in vaudeville, will be one of the feature attractions on the bill at B. F. Keith’s next week. Miss Victor with supporting company will offer “Juliet and Romeo,” a romance In four scenes written by Harry Wagstaff. The act is in four scenes and shows the stage in a large theater, before tha curtain. In Juliet’s dressing room and finally back to the stage again. In tha support of Miss Victor will be Georgs Stanley, Hartley Tower, Marie Falls and John Costello. Dare Seed and Ralph Austin are tray* eaty comedians. There are few comedians with a better knowledge of high class burlesque and they use their knowledge to the fullest advantage in an act called “Things and Stuff.” A totoch of local Interest Is given the appearance of the act here because of the fact that Mary Higginbotham, a local actress, will be seen iu a prominent role. Raymond Wylie and Marie Hartman, are a pair of fareenrers who come with a new Idea of comedy in an act they call “Before and After.” Pearson, Newport and Pearson, In "A Study In Pep.” Earl and Carl Pearson are acrobatic dancers and Miss Cleo Newport presides at the piano in a way that leaves little doubt avto her ability as a concert pianist. Ed Healy and Allan Cross, will show the smartest styles in songs. Their line is a wide variety and Includes almost everything from opera to jazx. The Joannys, are billed as “Wonder Workers with Shadows.” They produce color shadows, motion shadows in which a shadow Juggles as dexterously as any human eonld. They produce little illusion shadows and make them play short comedies, and then present their shadow in full light so that the audience can see how it is done. Page, Hack and Mack are pantomimic comedy equilibrists who accomplish a series of stunts that are both original and hazardous. For the picture fans the screen will inelude The Pathe News Weekly, the Digest Topics with Its. pithy Bayings and Aesop’s Fables in slang. -I- -|- INDIANAPOLIS IS TO BEE "LADA BILLY” WITH MITZI. Mitzi, the prima donna comedienne, is coming to English’s next Thursday in “Lady Billy,” her new musical romance that played 300 times last season at the Liberty Theater, New York. It is promised that Mitzi will sing and dance herself into the hearts of theatergoers. in her new vehicle, she has the most brilliant role of her career, as it gives the greatest rarge to her versatility, it is predicted. The book by Zelda Sears is an interesting and consistent one, and the score by Harold Levy of light operatic distinction. Henry W. Savage has supplied a large supporting company, including Sydney Greenstreet, Boyd Marshall, Elsa Foereter, Arthur Uttry, Vlra' Rial, Mack Kennedy, Lonlse Dose. Charles Gay and Beatrice Collenette. The production is an unusual and beautiful one, with a chorus that can sing as well aa dance, and are a fashion show In appearance; some of them have been re-

WITH PLAYS INDIANAPOLIS IS TO SEE 3

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cruited from the Metropolitan Opera House chorus, it Is announced. When she was eight, Mitzi began to write plays for the “performances” given at her boarding school. She organized a pretentious dramatic company among her classmates, and at nine appointed herself “director” of the gathering. When she saw Genee dance, Mitzi decided to abandon acting and become a dancer. Among 120 applieaLts she was selected to enter the National Academy of Dancing at St. Petersburg; but homesickness overcame the very young danseuse and she never matriculated. Mitzi completed a seven-year musical course In only two years at one of the largest art institutes in Europe. Her public muiscal debut was made at the age of eleven, when she gave a series of performances. Her impersonations attracted so much attention that she wag offered a scholarship at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Budapest. When she was sixteen, Mitzi came to America and won her first following in “The Spring Maid” followed by Mr. Savage's presentation of her in “Sari.” She has since appeared with success in “Pom Pom” and In "Head Over Heals.” . . -|. .|. VAUDEVILLE NOVELTIES AT LYRIC NEXT WEEK. An imposing array of vaudeville novelties will be on view at the Lyric Christmas week, among tbe featured attractions being Glersdorf'g band an organization of ten talented instrumentalists. Llllltta, a Hawaiian singer and dancer new to tbe shores of these United Slates, (C ontinued on Page Eight.)

SCREEN FA VORITES TO BE SEEN HERE

Upper Left—Mary Plckford and Claude Gllllngwater In a scene from “Little Lord Fauntleroy,” opening at Loew's State Sunday afternoon. Upper Center—Jackie Coogan looking very sad for a second In “My Boy,” which will be on view at the Circle next week. Upper Right—William Desmond In a scene from “Flghtln' Mad,” at Mister Smith's next week.

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iJpper Left—Jack Richards, Welsh tenor, with Al G. Field Mlnstre Is, opening Monday at English's. Upper Center—Flo Wilson, with Frances and Wilson, at the Lyri c next week. Upper Right—Eddie Cantor and two “Rounderettes,” In “The Midnight Rounders,” opening Monday matinee at the Murat. Lower Left—Sydney Morgan of the Irish Players, In “The White Headed Boy," opening at English's on Monday night, Jan. 2. Lower Center—Mitzi and and Boyd Marshall In a scene from “Lady B Nly,” opening at English’s Thursday night. Lower Right—Josephine Victor, who will be the headliner at B. F. K eith’s next week.

!”•' r ■■■■■■ —jj 1 In The Land of Make Believe By W ALT ER D. HI C K MAN

BY WALTER D. HICKMAN. It Is with pleasure that I quote nearly in its entirety the opinion of Mr. Sheppard Butler of the Chicago Tribune concerning the merits of the Irish Players in “The White Headed Boy.” I am doing this to acquaint those with the fact that this Important stage offering will soon be on view at English's. The remarks of Mr. Butler in the Cht- _ cago Tribune concerning “The White Headed Boy” are as follows: 1 "There is nothing esoteric about ‘The White-Headed Boy,’ which brings the Irish players to the United States again after their long and lamented absence. No wistful poetry, no dark symbolism, are here. This blithe concoction of Len- | nox Robinson’s is sheer comedy, obvious |in its intent, farclal in its manner, and altogether the sort of thing your American manager would exploit with tbe facile tag, ‘made for laughing purposes only.* “They have a keen gift for ildlcule, these newer Irish playwrights, aid Mr. Robinson's humor Is by no means of tbe kindly sort. He devises bis mer-lment with a sardonic pen, dealing with a variety of human foibles which he dissects pitilessly for the diversion of the superior beings which he knows you, bis audience, to be. “There is not an admirable character in his play. Some are opinionated and vain. Some are unstable and given to lying as the birds are to song. You respect none of them, bnt you like them ell, and their absurd dealings with one another provide an evening of stimulating fun. “The *whlte headed boy* of tho piece i Is a younger son of the Geoghegane, sent I up to tbe city to be made a doctor and win an Illustrious name. Instead, be

INDIANA DAILTTkMES, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1921.

plays the ponies and falls, thrice, in his examinations. He is his mother's pet. and in her eyes can do no wrong, but there are brothers and sisters, and these have grown weary of continual sacrifice. They decree that he shall be shipped, off to Canada and made to do a littlo work. "It looks easy, but there are complications. Trouble appears In the person of the local postmaster, who threatens a breach of promise suit on behalf of his daughter, tho boy’s flaucee. With much painstaking plotting he is bought off—and, thrifty codger that he is, he deals with various members of the family separately, exacting B3 much as possible from each. And one of the high spots of the play is when he drives his bargain with the boy's maiden aunt: £IOO down and her promise to marry him. “So, the droll tangle develops, until the boy turns up married, and tbe whole structure of comic intrlgne comes tumlllng down. It is a discursive play, not very closo knit, but there is rich fun in its quaint studies in genre, and the best of them is the canny postmaster. Ironically charaterlzed, • with many a deft touch, by Arthur Sinclair. Here la fine acting indeed. '•Miss Marie O’Neill, new to Chicago audiences, is the maiden aunt aforesaid, a sententious, complacent pereon whom Miss O'Neill plays on a note of broadly effective comedy. Sydney Morgan is capital in the role of a much harassed cider brother, and the rest, through long familiarity with the piece, give a smooth, nicely shaded performance.” From all reports "The White Headed Boy" will be one of .the real treats of the season which should not be passed by on the part of Indianapolis theater partons who enjoy to patronize the best. So, the reason for printing the remarks of Mr. Butler.

Yltngraph has completed production of “The Little Minister,” adapted from the world-famous story by James M. Barrie. The film was produced in California under the direction of David Smith, and In settings, custumlng, acting, and in those little directorial touches which can hardly be classified, reflects the quaint Scotch atmosphere of the piece, according to information reaching this department. Alice Calhoun appears in the role of Lady Babble. David Smith, who directed the film, Is an Englishman by birth, and knows his Barrie thoroughly. Re lived for some time in Scotland, end is familiar with tho Thrum* atmosphere 'so deftly sprinkled through the page* of tbo book by the matchless art of Barrie. Under his carefill direction, Alice Calhoun proved an ideal Lady Babble. Countless reviewers have paid this star the nnusal compliment of stating that she bad the rare quality of “naturalness.” It is this quality, more than her youth or beauty or arlstry, even, that won for her a triumph in this whimsical Barrie role. Vltagraph made “The Little Minister” in a big way. Several lets of recordsize show different sections of tbe village of Thrums. Albert E. Smith, president of tbe company, mad* a special trip to the Uaciflc coast to confer on matters of settings, costuming and players who were rural Scotch types as well as finished artists, and It Is reported that the entire production breathes the very spirit of Barrie. Every effort was mads to depart from any attempt to gain artificial splendor. The whole plan rather was one of studied simplicity, approached with reverence and carried out with meticulous attention to detail, in order that the real Barrie atmosphere so characteristic of the book might not* be lacking in the film, Vltagraph feels confident that it has something worthy and ususal in “The Little Minister.”

Lower Left—Maurine Powers, young movls player of Terre Haute, Ind., and Julia Swayne Gordon In a scene from “Why Girls Leave Home," opening at the Ohio Sunday afternoon. Lower Center —Wallace Reid In “Rent Free," at the Alhambra next week. Lower Right—William Russell In a, flghtln’ scene frbm “Desert Blossoms,” at the Isis next week.

Jackie Coogan's ‘My Boy' Circle’s Holiday Feature Mary Pick ford in Latest Picture Offering at Lode's. OTHER BIG MOVIES WILL BE SEEN HERE The finest of the screen will be on view at the local movie houses as the featured offering for Christmas holiday week. Some of the best known and best liked film stars will be seen in their new productions next week at the local movie houses. Th* movie line-up for next week Is as follows: Circle—Jackie Coogan In “My Boy” and “Toyland” ballet. Loew's State—Mary Plckford in “Little Lord Fauntleroy." Ohio—“ Why Girls Leave Home.” Alhambra—Wallace Reid In “Kent Free" Isis—William Russell In “Desert Bleseoma” Mister Smith’s—William Dusmond In “Flghtin’ Mad.” Colonial—Tom Moore In “Beating the Game.” Regent— Bill. Falrbanka In “Go Get Him.” All of the honsea have planned special Christmas music as a feature of the bills. •I- -I- -IJACKIE’B LATEST BOOKED AT CIRCLB. Jackie Coogan and Buvter Keaton, are (Continued on Fage Eight.)

WEEK BEFORE XMAS IN N. Y. ‘BLACK TUNNEL’ Preholiday Slump Hits Theaters Along Gay White Way. HINES’ PLAY REVIEWS By DIXIE HINES. NEW YORK, Dec. 24.—The “week before Christmas” is always the black tunnel of the theatrical season. After this week, however, the reviewer, and all whom he reviews, will require a fresh supply of vitality to meet the artistic and physical requirements of their respective occupations. Last week “The Chocolate Soldier” was revived and “The Mountain Man,” by Clare Kummer, was produced. Os the two by far the more interesting and important was the Strauss operetta which, after more than ten years, is as fresh and sparkling today as when it created the sensation of the season when it was produced here an age ago. In the revival Tessa Kosta sings, acts and gracefully disports herself as Nadine, while Donald Brian is the “chocolate cream soldier,” and if his voice is not up to requirements, his grace of action, and winning personality makes up for it. Mildred Rogers is the mother, Virginia O'Brien the Mascha, Dethar Poppen the Massakroff, John Dunsmere the Popoff and Humblrd Duffey the Alexius. All qualify in satisfaction and the Shuberts have given it such a splendid scenic costume that the Century-'Theatre stage is a veritable feast for the eyes. Some new lines have been added to the book, but the music now, as before, is its chief charm, and It is delightful. GOOD CAST MAY SAVE “THE MOUNTAIN MAN.” “The Mountain Man” is by Clare Kummer, and the only redeeming feature of the entire affair is Sidney Blackmer in the title role. Here is an actor who, in the first act, whetted the artistic appetite of all present by his consummate skill in depicting one of the most difficult roles of the season, a transplanted cave man who finds himself suddenly in the midst of a social center and who manages to sustain to the very end of this act anyway his creation of awkward bashfulness, even in spite of the utter nonsense that has been given him to apeak. Miss Kummer succeeds admirably in confusing her audience, and after the first act those out front try to be satisfied with occasional flashes of amusement. The cast is very good. There are spots that might be remedied, notably a Miss Kummer, said to be tbe daughter of the author. Her lines invariably are taken on faith, as few of them are comprehensible to the audience. “Bought and Paid For” and “Alias Jimmy Valentine” may be dismissed as former successful plays brought back to Broadway In an endeavor to stop the tide which Is turning against the current

' AMUSEMENTS I ft jp &gy Ixsl w P fjfcj A HOLIDAY WEEK OF STARS IT’S TAKEN A THIRD OF A CENTURY TO DEVELOP SHOWS LIKE THESE MATINEE NIGHT 2:15 OVERTURE 8:15 2:18 PATH E NEWS WEEKLY B:IB All tho Nows That’s Fit to Film. 2:28 LITERARY DIGEST 8:28 Pithy Paragraphs from Popular Papers. First American Tour 233 THE JOANNYS • Wonder Workers With Shadows. u EARL CLEO CARL 2:45 Pearson, Newport & Pearson 8:45 f Presenting “A Study In Pep.” You’ll Burely Laugh With 2 57 Dave Seed & Ralph Austin “Things and Stuff.” Fashionable, But Not Freakish s is Ed. Healy & Allan Cross 9=15 Showing the Smartest Styles In Songs A Peep Behind the Scenes 330 Miss Josephine Victor 930 And Supporting Company In “Juliet and Romeo" A Romance In Four Scenes With Hartley Powers Here’s Some More Clean Comedy. RAYMOND ' MARIE 400 WYLIE & HARTMAN 1000 “BEFORE AND AFTER.” The Closing Act Is One of the Best. 420 Rage, Hack & Mack 10=20 “WAIT FOR THE FINISH.” 430 AESOP'S FABLES 10 30 Best of all Comedy Cartoon Films. 4:35 Tell Your Friends You Like It 10=35 TWO NEW YEAR’S EVE HURRY COMPLETE 1,1 a * FOR SHOWS 2nd Bh i? ;3 o art * TICKETS YOU’LL ENJOY THE FUN FROLIC WITH US! miim.wll 111 mi 11 men him 111—■

crop of plays. Both were remarkably fresh when one remembers that they were seen here more than ten years ago and have since been done ad lib by the stock companies of the country. Charles Richman is back in “Bought and Paid For” with Helen Mackellur doing the Julia Dean role, and the Harry Warner part in “Alias Jimmy Valentine” falls to Otto Kruger with Emmett Corrigan and Violet Heming as his associates. Old friends are not always best, and there is little reason why these two Qlays should have beer, revived, although they are both interesting.^ ELSIE FERGUSON RETURNS TO BROADWAY. Zoe Akins wrote “The Varying Shore” for the return of Elsie Ferguson, and Sam H. Harris staged it with uncommon good taste and skill. The supporting cast was quite satisfying, and Miss Ferguson, if not at her best in the role of tho soiled singer was at least appealing t<J the eye. The story has been interestingly treated in a prologue, epilogue and three acts. The prologue introduces the heroine as a guest talking to an old admirer. Os course she has to tell him that she remembers “that night"—and presto we start the play with an actual representation of ‘‘that night.” The play opens its prologue as of today, with the first act laid in 1870. the second act 1859 and the last act 1847. It will be noted that the play is retrogressionally written, and it cannot be sail that the effort was altogether satisfactory. It is all right to begin at the back and read forward, sometimes, but as each act point* unmistakably at what the next act is to be, there is little left to sustain interest, especially when the play is not overburdened with interest anyhow. Taking the acts in their natural sequence rather than the sequence In which they are treated, we find the girl of 17 seduced by her admirer and running away from home rather than submit to marriage which she realizes he does not want. She takes up with a profligate and lives one act with him. We learn there was an issue from her first misstep, and later this boy is brought to her in Paris, where she has another affluent protector He is about to b* married, but the “past” of his mother 1* known, and to protect him she leaves. The acts are taken up with these several “affairs” at the several stages of her professional career. They are not without interest, but it is the beauty of Miss Ferguson that attracts most. “The Fair Circassian” is a colorful melodrama with a mingled assortment of English and Persian people. There are some bright lines, as might be expected from Gladys Unger, but the whole affair i is completely destroyed by the failure of the very attractive actress who enacts the name part to realize the value of dramatic action and vocal consideration. She postures attractively, but is lacking in all the other qualities necessary to make ! a complete conception. The cast is exj cellent otherwise, and the staging has leen attractively done. But “The Fair Circassian” is not likely to linger long in our midst. HORSE KILLS GIRL. THORNE, England, Dec. 24. Ada Moxon, aged 5, was bitten to death by a horse while bunting mushrooms in a field near here. The child’s body was badly mutilated by the savage beast. GERMAN’S GET SPAIN’S TRADE. MADRID, Dec. 24.—Many orderß for all kinds of goods are going to Germany because French, British and American agents demand much higher prices than do the Germans.

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