Indianapolis Times, Volume 39, Number 190, Indianapolis, Marion County, 17 December 1927 — Page 5

DEO. 17, 192*7.

LOCAL CIVIC OPERA TO GIVE ‘THE PRINCE OF PILSEN’

Tuneful Compositions to Be Presented by Indianapolis Singers at the'Athenaeum Auditorium for Two Holiday Performances, fTA lIE Indianapoliis Civic Opera will give two performances of X the light opera, ‘‘The Prince of Pilsen,” at the Athenaeum auditorium on the evenings of Monday, Jan. 2 and Tuesday, Jan. 3This is one of the most famous and beloved of the type of show combining lovely music of the bright, tuneful kind, and enjoyable comedy situations. Written before the “jazz” asre.

it contains musical numbers that still linger in the minds of theater-goers of a quartercentury ago, such as “The Message of the Violet.” the "Tale of the Sea Shell,” "The Land 1 Love,” with its well-known "Old Heidelberg” male chorus, a thrilling ensemble number. The cast has been in rehearsal for several weeks and is as follows: Widow Crocker Marian K. Thomas gdjth Frances Batt Wallace Nellie Edna McQuillan Juliette Coppock ,T ln l m le Esther Lefkovltz Hans Wagner Arthur Bertault Norman Green Itrstncols .. Joseph Foy XJje Prince Herbert Jenkins ” V Victor Danacher uenaarme t h Hahprip*™ Cook's Courier Edmund Bradlev Musical Conductor. Arnold Spenre? 7 Following the civic idea, through which every one connected with the association is volunteering services,, the Athenaeum has donated the use of their clubhouse for the various rehearsals and the auditorium for the performances, and William Hough, local manager of Keith’s Theater, has proffered the use of all necessary scenery and stage equipment. Tickets for both open performances have been placed on sale at a nominal admission fee and may be procured from members or at the Baldwin Piano Company. The enterprise is organized not for profit and all officers and active members serve without pay. It is strictly a civic organization and membership is open to any one interested in the various phases of opera productions, shjgers, actors, dancers, stage people, costumers, designers, etc. The executive board is composed of Herman F. Lieber, Herman Kothe, Leo M. Rappaport, C. Otto Janus and Adolph Wocher. German Adviser Baron Robert Von Dobeneck, former captain in the German army, has been assigned as technical adviser for German scenes in "Tillie’s Punctured Romance,” the comedy of the circus and the war now being made. W. C. Fields, Chester Conklin, -Louise Fazenda and Mack Swain head the cast. A Favorite Dish Owen Mopre’s favorite dish is corned beef and cabbage, a dish delight that Polly Moran also shares. To Write Titles George Marion Jr„ is to write the titles for "The Legion of the Condemned,” companion picture to “Wings,” the air spectacle.

JipEsj2i*££i Cr.c 3. Talbot Fine Arts Enterprises ■BBFSE’g: 'CHJKISmAS SUGGESTION rimYAn I But Da You Give iusis? Tnz Groat:st Gift sf All 3 Ask F©2? Chrlstmas Envelopes A CHRISTMAS GIFT OF A CONCERT TICKET to hear these B great master musicians is indeed a ROYAL FARE TO MUSIC. & .HEW YORK SYMPHONY Sift r.nd the great r WALTSR D All ROSCH Sunday Afternoon Concerts IGALLI-CURCI, Feb. 19. CHALIAPIN, Feb. 26. | GABRILOWITCH-THIBAUD, Co-Recital, PADEREWSKI, April 1. HEIFETZ, April 8. Buy Christmas Tickets —All Scats Selling (SINGLE PRICES SUNDAY" CONCERTS: Main Floor, *3. *2.50, *1.50, C *l. Balcony. *3, *2.50, *2. *1.50, plus tax. ft Chaliapin and Paderewski prices: *2, *2.50, S3, *4, *5, plus tax 10%. if I.nc'OM? r.-if-rdiirp acd ftamred envelope for return of tickets.

cfeg^eatest Sunday, Dec. 18th - ~ 1 M SOLLY WARD& CO. rzq \ B “OFF TO MAINE” ! m With MARION MURRAY , MATINEE B PatheNews-Acsop’sFables-Topicsof the Day i J cxccptovnoAy \ B Pepita-GRANADOS & HOLBROOK-Harry | " Reed & Duthers | Aerial De Groffs 1 i B ‘‘Lov6 Matte” V I W RaIph—SEVAN & FLlNT—Beatrice , EVENING ■ft Tlie Richest Fai’ce Comedy of the Season -i A m “MY FRIEND FROM INDIA” SJf | m With Franklin Pangborn i I 1 WMMAfWW the Kiddies. CONTINtfOUS*r!SI 1.

‘Racket’ May Bea Rich Hit Billie Burke and Jane Cowl Are Popular Favorites in East, En United Prena NEW YORK, Dec. 17.—Murder runs rampant on Broadway’s legitimate stage, and Chicago, recently much advertised by Mayor “Big Bill” Thompson, supplies the theme in the latest murder play. If all the shots fired on the. Broadway stage on a single night were to turn out one night to be real bullets what a sensation the headlines would hold the next morning! “The Racket,” by Bartlett Cormack, ex-Chicago newspaperman, is being advertised by means of the following open letter to Mayor Thompson: "YOUR HONOR: “ ‘The Racket,’ anew play that the New York World says is ‘sickening in its reality and exposure,’ declares Chicago’s crime wave is largely due to a politics-crime tieup. ✓ “We invite you to attend a performance so that you may find out about conditions in Chicago which may have escaped your attention." Here is anew job for the Broadway critic to count the shots, while others Count the broken hearts, on Broadway. "The Racket” provides the most sensational murder on the Broadway stake. For several minutes, while the audience grips its collective seats, you wait for the detective—instructed by the political boss—to bump off the gangster leader while he stands poised in a window ready to jump. The gangster is supposed to represeht a man who really has held mueh pdwer in the western city—so strongly is he made to represent the prominent Chicagoan that the program merely carries his name Unidentified man,” while the actors refer to him by name, thus letting the audience in on the secret. Incidentally this writer has never seen such real life newspaper men on the stage as those shown in "The Racket.” They alone are worth the price of admission.

AMUSEMENTS

toms. j$R/ Mpm : . : ® Wk " Jill, ' 4 •> v * k r rJ sflplfc SSfiHEpysliyiki,. . .

Greta and John Are in ‘Love’

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The screen’s great romantic combination—Greta Garbo and John Gilbert—appear in the immortal Tolstoi romance “Anna Karenina,” brought to the screen under the title of “Love.” This interesting photo shows the lovers Anna and Vronsky in a happy moment from the M-G-M picture which has set all New York agog!

Grand Opera > at English’s

Muriella Cianci, as Desdemona, wife of Othello, the Moor, and Ciro Deßitis with a fine barytone, singing the part of lago the villian, carried off honors in the Friday night performance of "Othello” by the New York Opera Company at English's. Cianci’s voice was full and rich and the audience enjoyed her portrayal of the character. Her "Aida” on Monday night was good, but the beauty and gentleness of Desdemona Friday night was much above it. De Ritis expressed the treacherousness of lago and his black plots against Othello in a voice full of volume and received much applause. He made the audience appreciate him. Elizabeth Hoeppel was cast as Emilia, wife of. lago and although she had no large part in the opera 1 her sympathy when Desdemona

AMUSEMENTS

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

ndeded it, and her pretty rage v over her villianous husband in the last act were easily above reproach. A colorful character, Othello, whose Jovemaking to the fair Desdemona and his fits of rage when he suspected her of unfaithfulness were well done. Other parts in the opera were Cassio, lieutenant of lago, Roberta Farina; Ludovico, ambassador, Antonia Astolfi; Montano, v Augenio Prosperoni, and Rogrigo, Pezzetti. — 1 60 Year Old "Bum” Tom Maguire, who plays on# of two bums in Richard Dix's new picture, “The Traveling Salesman,” is 60 years old, just twice the age of Liga Conley, former two-reel comedy star, who is his teammate. TheyTe comedians. Some Balance Billy Platt, 40 years old, four feet high and weighing fifty-three-pounds—-the smallest man of his age in the pictures—wili serve as a counter-balance to big Babe London in "Tillie’s Punctured Romance.” Miss London is 23 years old and weighs more than 235. Directs Lions „ It takes more than a mauling by a lion to keep Stephen Roberts from directing the "big cats” in the picture. The director has just completed another comedy in which the big brutes play an active part, and soon will start on another. Idea Thwarted Gary Cooper, leading man In “The Legion of the Condemned,” came to Los Angeles just three years ago, determined to be a cartoonist. But he couldn’t have drawn or imagined the gilded future ahead in the films. Saunders’ Ediftalion John Monk Saunders, author of "Wings” and "The Legion of the Condemned,” was a Rhodes scnolar from the University of Washington, being graduated from Oxford in 1923.

STOP—N—HOP ’NEATH SPANISH SKIES •NEATH TWINKLING STARS CARNIVAL TONITE DANCE COMPELLING MUSIC Hoosier Harmony Kings FUN—FAVORS—FROLIC Glorifying Dancing

INDIANA B BALLROOM

SUNSHINE DANSANT Sunday Afternoon, 3 to 6 SUNDAY NITE FROLIC Where Indianapolis Dances BUY TICKETS NOW S New Year’s Eve Jamboree A MJRTHGUAKE OF JOY

I—McKay Morris, as Hannibal, with Grace George in “The Road to Rome,” at English’s the week of Dec, 26. 2.—John T. Murray and Vivien Oakland will be among the important people present at Keith’s next week. 3—Hack and Mack will be seen in “Wait for the Finish," at the Lyric all apxt week.

Sandy Is Now a Hit Out West Looking Over "the s New Events in Studios off Coast, BY DAN THOMAS , NEA Service Writer HOLLYWOOD, Cal., Dec. 17. From newsboy to office Doy Isn’t a very big step. But Harold “Sandy” Colvin thinks it is almost a record breaking jump. “Sandy” was a newsboy in Albuquerque, N. M. Many of his papers were sold to passengers of transcontinental trains which stopped there. And he yelled unusually loud when he knew film notables were aboard a train. The young newsie was a great movie fan and knew most of Hollywood's leading citizens by sight. When they called to him, he always used their names in his replies. As a result, “Sandy” probably is acquainted with more celluloid stars than any other boy in the world, Jackie Coogan excepted. It was this acquaintanceship that resulted in him giving up his paper job to go to work in a movie studio as office boy for Edwin Carewe. Carwe had talked to the boy many times in Albuquerque and on his last trip from the East offered him the job. “Sandy” arrived here a few days ago and already is talking about “we movie folk.” The kid is loyal—which is saving a lot in this village of make-believe —and he really is interested in his work. “One of these days I’ll be a director,” he confided to me. The Fox studios seem to be getting a corner on the market for young leading men prospects. They signed Charles Farrell when he was

LA CIANCI. New York Grand Opera Cos. MAT. TODAY AIDA TONIGHT TROVATORE

Last 2 Times Today

rtinnonip .A, XMAS uMlon oJhHL WEEK Matinee:) 50c to $2.20 ' Tax Included

entire production as presented at N. y. WINTER CARDEN W A CONANS, CHICAGO .“ Messrs, . Shubert present S* !i~ J. ~i 11 j £Q EPITOMES OF FEMININE LIVELINESS CQ V J fRSr THt SHUT/ MASTS )rPMM4IW.V s BROADWAY V J S7T~h SCENjfS OF SURPASSING SPLENDOR X. 3 W AND EXOTIC EXTRAVAGANCE j - MAIL on OCRS FILL CD IN ROTATION

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Christmas greetings are coming in early this season and the campaign to greet early seems to have one. The first greeting of the season to arrive through the mails was one from Tom Adrian Cracraft, former assistant scenic artist for Charles Berkell a season ago. His card explains that he is now technical director for the Anne Bronaugh-Players at Winnipeg, Canada.

After leaving here, Cracraft went to Louisville, Ky., with a stock company there. He then went to New York and then into Canada. Roltare Eggleston, former manager of Keith’s here and now in charge of the Keith interests at Atlanta, Ga„ has been in Indianapolis for the last two days attending the annual Shrine affair. Hfe has never known to miss one of these. And so Roltare has been able to extend his greetings in person. William Hull, for years director of the Berkell Players, both at English's and when that company was at the Colonial, is now -.director of the National Players at the National Theater in Chicago. He was offered this good position two days before he left Indianapolis en route, to Minneapolis, where he intended to take a vacation. He -stopped over in Chicago and held a

unknown and in one year he proved to be a sensation. A few months ago Director Howard Hawkes discovered Nick Stuart holding down a script boy’s job, liked his looks and gave him a leading role in “Cradle Snatchers.” His work was so good that Fox officials are grooming him Tor stardom in 1928. A letter from Rosetta Duncan, now in New York, says that she has gone back to blackface again. When the Duncan sisters finished filming ‘Topsy and Eva,” Rosetta abandoned her “Topsy” characterization while making personal appearances with the picture. But the fans wouldn’t stand for it. Apparently they like the burnt cork effect.

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ENGLISH’S

conference. He was at work within the next two days. a a a I record here as a fact that the patronage for any one performance of the New York Grand Opera Company at English's this week was far from satisfactory. This company is giving the best values for the money in grand opera on the road that I have ever encountered. They deserve much better patronage. Opera must have its own public. Some think it Is a choice diet. Music is for all pe6ple and great music is for all people. We didn’t buy it. Again we put thumbs down on opera. a a 11 Several have asked me to give present addresses of players wellknown to them so that Christmas cards may be sent. This department will do everything possible in supplying the requested addresses.

EgraeßßSUHSltl IpilYGMf HVcmuai & Mooßnj 111 SOLLY & MACK I “THE GREAT LOVERS’* S'SBF “ wa,t for the F,N,sH ” is ill § THE THREE 1 ml BANGUARDS § M BLUE DEVILS OF RAGTIME m [I M. PETET o LeANNA J Ism vk/noc/?ams\ IM RUN wwl-rvM MlFw WpAILY.'PIPE ORGAN II if| U Bin' f mK I^UTHIINOLLE!) > ~,jI2HOI|IIII, /|l!|ll

PRICES Mat.... 50c to *2.20 Nlte... 75c to *2.75 Scats Selling

ROUND with Walter D ' HICKMAN

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PAGE 5

‘The Road to Rome’ Booked Grace George and McKay Morris Due at English's. Before “The Road to Rome,” in which Miss Grace George, supporter’, by McKay Morris, will appear beginning Monday, Dec. 26, at Englishs’ arrived in New York last January, it was preceded by the ecstatic writings of the out-of-town reviewers wherever it went on its pre-Metropoliten itinerary and was greeted by banzais and hozannas. Dispatches were sent to the New York dramatic critics warning them to get their pumps out for the impending street dancing, and the verbal buntings were ready for draping over the civic battlements. Whereupon, in the midst of these cheerful preparations, “The Road to Rome” opened in the Playhouse, New York. Take it from others, if you like, but from all accounts it is all that it is cracked up to be. By translating the talk .of 216 B. C. into the idiom of this year of our Lord, 1927, its author, Robert Emmett Sherwood, finds, as the other nose-thumbing archeologists found before him, all the mirth and satire of simple anachronism, the bland of melancholy humor, for instance, of making Hasdrubal say, “cut out the soft soap.” nun “GAY PAREE” AT ENGLISH’S JAN. 2 Theater tickets for the larger revues, in Indianapolis at least, will suffer a radical cut if the plan of J. J. Shubert to be inaugurated with the engagement of “Gay Paree” at the English opera house week of Jan. 2 .proves successful. In an announcement to the press Mr. Shubert sets forth the fact that the English opera house has one of the largest seating capacities of any legitimate theater in the country, making the innovation possible. It is believed that not only will the public benefit but that a great revenue will find its way into the box office. Continuing, the Shubert statement cites that the plan is intentionally commenced with “Gay Paree,” the largest of the Shubert revues and boasting a cast headed by Charles “Chic” Sale and the 150 artists and beauties who appeared both during the long New York Winter Garden run and at the Four Cohans, Chicago, all last summer. In Manhattan $6.60 was charged for choice seats at the box office. In Chicago $4 40 was the top price. The Indianapolis scale will mark a reduction of 50 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively.