Indianapolis Times, Volume 40, Number 209, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 January 1929 — Page 6
PAGE 6
‘STRANGE INTERLUDE’ IS LONGEST PLAY ON STAGE NOW
Performance Starts at 5:30 o’clock in the Afternoon With Time Out for Dinner —“Rose Marie” Will Return to English’s. IT ha* been suggested that if anyone wishes to send flowers to Miss Pauline Lord at English’s Opera house, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. 2, as a token of appreciation for her performance in Eugene O’Neill’s elongated “Strange Interlude,” that a Century plant be sent so that at the end of the play eacn evening she could have the pleasure of seeing it bloom. This is a rather exaggerated view of the lengthiness of “Strange Interlude,” but there have been so many jokes about this play that lasts four and a quarter hours, that the Theatre Guild is thinking seriously of collecting them and publishing them as propaganda for the play, much as the old-time Ford jokes boosted Ford sales. .
And yet, “Strange Interlude” is not so enormously long. True, it begins when most business men have just closed their desks, at 5:30 promptly in the afternoon, and continues until about 11 p. m., but counting out the intermission for dinner from 7:40 to 9, the actual playing time is only about four hours and a quarter, about twice the length of an ordinary play. But this two-plays-in-one idea has attracted so much comment that everywhere the drama is called a histrionic marathon and there are even those who refer jokingly to taking a seventh-inning stretch during the performance. During this uncustomarily long play, however, audiences never display any restlessness, so fascinating is the story of the piece, even though the periods between the acts are very short and do not allow for much intermission promenading. “Strange Interlude” is not the first lengthy play. Contemplate if you’ve a mind like that, the f *:1 text of Goethe’s “Faust," first and second parts. Os course, the Germans are notorious for their habit of making play-attendance an all day festival —lt Is not unusual for them to start in on a play or opera at three in the afternoon (Parsifal starts in Munich at 2:30) and not go home until nearly midnight—with several intermissions for frankfurters and other food. Even when abridged a good deal, “Parsifal” and “Tvilight of the Gods” and several other Wagnerian works take up nearly four hours when given by th * Metropolitan Opera company in New York—beginning at 2 in the afternoon and ending just before 6—just a light matinee that does not encroach on the evening. But as our non-musical plays in America, there have not been many long ones before “Strange Interlude." Our own “Uncle Tom’s Cabin," it is said, ran for five continuous hours when it was first presented in Paris. Then there is George Bernard Shaw’s “Back to Methusaleh,” which was written to be presented on five different evenings, but which the Theatre Guild, its eventually persuaded the author to trim down so that a spectator could view it all in three evenings. Even then it would run from 7 until after 11 o’clock—a total of twelve and a half hours of performance time for the whole play. Even with the name of Shaw on it as a label, this play did not sucked. And so “Strange Interlude” seems to be the first very lengthly play in our dramatic history to make so enormous a success of itself. It has had a success which seems now, with its first tour, to have just begun—the prophets of the theatrical world declaring that it will be another “Ben Hur” or “Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch” in this respect at least; that it will be a-touring up and down the land for a half dozen years to come, at least. Indianapolis is quite fortunate in having an opportunity to see the play so soon, being the seventh city to have the play outside of New York. Miss Lord and her company are scheduled to go all the way to California in the play this season—and such cities as Chicago and Cleveland win not have “Strange Interlude” until next season. # * "ROSE MARIE” WILL RETURN f Ad F. Miller announces that “Rose Marie” will play a return engagement at English’s, starting Monday night, Jan. 28, for .three days. This is the show that has the famous “Love Call” number as well as the totem pole scene. Jannings Makes Another The Emil Jannings unit which has been on location on the snowy slopes of Lake Tahoe making Alpine scenes for his new Paramount film, tentatively called “A Tale of the Alps,” returned to the studio yesterday where interior scenes will be made. Lewis Milestone, who directed, “The Racket” and “Two Arabian Knights.” is directing the German star, whose featured cast includes Esther Ralston and Gary Cooper. Visitors to Studio Recent castings by Paramount’s Hollywood studio include Mrs. George Fawcett as Maurice Chevalier's mother in the French star’s first film. “Innocents of Paris;” Jack Raymond in "The Wild Party;” Ricca Allen in “Close Harmony,” and Michael Visaroff and Alla Moscova in the Emil Jannings’ film, tentatively titled “A Tale of the Alps." Mrs. Fawcett will play the role of wife to her husband. George Fawcett. Land of Extremes Southern California is the land of extremes. While Billie Dove and her “Man and the Moment” company were making bathing scenes at Catalina, Alice White and her “Hot Stuff” troupe, also from First National Studios, were doing ice skating scenes, only a few miles away.
AMUSEMENTS
NEXT WEEK IS WHOOPEE WEEK!! with Buddy Kane t w&U | WHOOPEE* SINGING | WHOOPEE DANCING ' WHOOPEE GIRLIES Making WHOOPEE rt.v 1 (or the Whoopee Funfest Show Where the Glrlloe bway
Lasky Is for Stage Players Man in Charge of Movie Production Makes Statement. COMPLETE justification of the policy of drawing on the Broadway stage for casts that can talk is seen by Jesse L. Lasky, first vice-president in charge of production of the Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, who yesterday expressed enthusiastic approval of the all-talking pictures made at the reopened Long Island studio and told of extensive plans for future productions in the east. Mr. Lasky during recent weeks has been closely in touch with the eastern studio, personally watching the work and conferring with executives as to policies to be pursued. “The two first all-talking feature pictures made at the studio, ‘The Letter’ and ’The Hole in the Wall,’ have completely justified the policy of drawing upon the Broadway stage for casts which can talk,” said Mr. Lasky. “These two pictures, showing the widest variety in type and subject matter, should be recognized as seting new standards of excellence. So rapid is the advancement, mechanically and technically, in this new field that I believe these latest productions will be able to surprise and delight the public. To my judgment they seemed to be superb achievements. I have also viewed about twenty short features produced at the Long Island studio, and I am delighted at their high quality. “ 'The Letter,’ which Is to have its premiere at the Criterion theater in a few weeks, is an outstanding example of a fine stage play being provided with a great cast and adapted for the films with taste, skill and fidelity. Jeanne Eagles, the star, has turned in a performance of which any actress on either stage or screen might be proud. The supporting cast includes O. P. Heggie, Reginald Owen and Herbert Marshall, all of them established names on the speaking stage.' It was directed by Jean de Limur, under the supervision of Monta Bell, the studio production executive. “ ‘The Hole In the Wall’ was designed to be a spectacular thriller with a varied range of sound and lavish pictorial quality, *• It was directed by Rot ert Florey, an expert In novel angles and striking shadows effects- I found it high-pressure exciting entertainment- The cast: Claudette Colbert, one of the most sought-after young leading women on the stage; Edward G. Robinson, greatest of modern character stars; David Newell, a juvenile lead of great promise, and the established favorite, Louise Closser Hale. “Following the successful completion of these features, the studio now has embarked upon the production of two big pictures of the highest importance. Richard Dix, our great star of the silent screen, who has a right legitimate background, is making that fine stage farce, ‘Nothing but the Truth.’ And Walter Huston, stage star of ‘The Barker,’ and ‘Elmer the Great,’ heads the cast of the successful newspaper drama, ‘Gentlemen of the Press.’ “On Feb. 1 we expect to begin our first big musical comedy in talking films, ‘The Cocoanuts,’ starring the greatest comedy attraction of the stage, the Four Marx Brothers. George S. Kaufman, author of the books for the stage production of ‘The Cocoanuts,’ is advising us. Irving Berlin,, composer of the original music, is writing anew score“ln March we plan to start another big starring drama for Jeanne Eagles. It will have a cast and be produced on a scale as great as ‘The Letter.’ “Production of short features at
fUTUAL JRLESQUE THEATRE i Mutual Burlesque Assn, of N. Y. ISCHIEF LAKERS Bob Startzman, Ruth Price, Bobbie Eckard, Marjorie Morris, Billy Lee and a Half Dozen CHORUS of Slummy Shaking Beauties Hus Talent
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1 Paul Donah will have an important role in “Rose Marie,” which opens at English’s for three days on Monday night, Jan, 28. 2—George Arliss made up as Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice,” which will be a February attraction at English’s.
Well Known
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Donald MacDonald
When “The Strange Interlude” comes to English’s on the last day of this month, Donald MacDonald will be seen as Sam Evans. MacDonald is well known here for his work some years ago with Stuart Walker at the Murat.
present has been brought up to schedule, and will not be resumed until Feb. 1. During the year, however, we expect to make about fifty talking shorts. An unusual characteristic of the shorts made so far, and a policy to be continued, is the high production value in these one, two and three-reel films. Nothing has been stinted in the sets and the best Broadway attractions have appeared. “ ‘Night Club’ and ‘The Pusher-in-the-Face’ are the most ambitious of the short productions so far. They have all-star casts from Broadway, including more than two dozen big names of the same type as Ann Pennington, Fannie Brice, Bobbe Arnst, Estelle Taylor, Raymond Hitchcock and Lester Allen. “Other attractions among our completed shorts are Eddie Cantor, Walter Huston, Borrah Minevitch, Ruth Etting, Lynn Overman, Eddie Peabody and his band, Smith and Dale and their Avon Comedy Four. “The production of the two big feature pictures and a score of short subjects and the bringing of the studio to its present smooth operation as an efficient concern represents a tremendous achievement for the past seven months.” All-Dialog Movie Greta Granstedt, a well-known character actress of the West Coast, was signed yesterday for “Close Harmony,” the Elsie Janis-Gene Markey film of back-stage life, now being filmed at Paramount’s Hollywood studios with Charles Rogers and Nancy Carroll heading the cast.
AMUSEMENTS
THE ESTDIAHAPOLIS TIMES
Comedian Tops Cast at Mutual ‘Mischief Makers’ Opens Engagement Here Sunday. ‘“A -J ISCHIEF MAKERS” is the title of the bill introduced by the Mutual burlesque starting Sunday at the Mutual. Elsewhere it has been described as a genuine innovation in more ways than one, especially as regards the general excellence of the company engaged in its exploitation. Os the principal performers thtre are such names as Bob Startzman, a comedian always at home whenever fun is required. Then there is Ruth Price, a soubrette. Bobbie Eckard is a brunet ingenue of the reliable sort and Marjorie Morris, a blond, belongs to the soubrette class of performers. \ Not to forget Billy Lee, a different comedian; Arthur Mallon, juvenile and character, and George „F. Reynolds, who does the straight business. A chorus and a scenic investure '.f utter extravagance are engaged in the three unique scenes into which the entertainment is divided. What Kind of Film? Box office men throughout the country state that eight out of ten people who buy tickets for the sensational First National-Vitaphone picture, “The Barker,” starring Milton Sills and Dorothy Mackaill, ask the question, “Is ‘The Barker’ a dog picture?” or “Is Rin-tin-tin in the cast of ‘The Barker’?” Incidentally the picture is said to be playing to capacity at the Central theater on Broadway, where it is now entering its sixth week and is also meeting with success throughout the country.
New Talent Gets a Chance Here
Two opportunities to entertain Indianapolis theatergoers from the Indiana stage have resulted for those displaying their talent before Charlie Davis at the Monday night auditions in the Indiana ballroom. Davis is master of ceremonies at the Indiana theater. Each Monday night between 8 and 8:30 o’clock he gives auditions for those in and near Indianapolis who believe they might have talent'for the stage. The third audition resulted in the two “finds” which are appearing on the regular Indiana program this week. They are Harold Bonen, baritone, and little Bobby Thompson, soft shoe dancer, “Our idea in having these auditions is simply to encourage that
3—Marjorie Morris will be in the cast of “Mischief Makers” at the Mutual, starting Sunday. 4—Frank Viola will head his own company in an artistic novelty at the Lyric, starting Sunda y afternoon. / ' ,
ROUNDING ROUND THFATFRS With WALTER 1 rllL>i\ 1 JIXVO R .HICKMAN
IT seems that at least one reader of my department became greatly excited and agitated after reading my review of Emil Jannings in “The Sins of the Father.” ' The writer of this particular letter did not confine himself to just the picture, but put over a fine attack upon my work. He starts his letter by writing, “Many times I have read your reviews, sometimes with sympathy, but often with regret.” The writer of the letter took violent exceptions to my statement that I wished that a big enough writer could be found to write a worthwhile vehicle which would measure up to Jannings ability.
The letter writer contends that Jannings has been touted and pushed” forward by expert press a gentry. He writes that “Jannings is but a mediocre actor riding on the crest of a hysterical popularity.” I do not give a rap what the reader thinks of me as a critic as long as he reads me. The letter writer is entitled to his own opinion and it doesn’t matter to me whether I agree with him or not. And that is that. Have received the following announcement of events at the John Herron Art Institute: The pictures in the current annual 'exhibition of‘Contemporary American Artists merit more than the usual casual examination. The variety in style, subject and viewpoint of the artist, enables the visitor to find new interest eaca time he returns to the galleries. In this , collection landscapes are in the minority, A few years ago it was quite the opposite. And the numerous attitudes in the various handlings of this subject lend new interest to an old and tried theme. Examples of these widely differing attacks on nature as expressed on canvas are John F. Carlson’s "Woodland Shadows,” Guy Wiggin’s “Valley of the Var,” and “Kingston Waterfront” by Charles Rosen. The first is a beautiful painting—a realistic motif interpreted decoratively. It is so easy to look at—quiet and soothing—that it catches the interest of most visitors at once. The Guy Wiggin’s landscape show-
talent which needs enepuraging, ’ said Davis. “When we find someone whom we believe capable of making good on the stage, we usually give them a try-out in our regular weekly program. Such entertainment is given to the public as an added attraction and the regular bill is not depleted because of them. We believe it is a service which the public appreciates, in addition to the extra entertainment which results from this work.”
r: ENGLISH’S- r §W5 MATINEE WEDNESDAY SEM I NIGHTS—SOc TO 83.00 MAT.—BOc TO *2.00 jP <3L Tl ARTHUR HAMMERSTEINS SURPASSING MUSICAL ROSE NAMESj THE NEW YORK. AND LONDON CAST -/NCLUOING I BEATS I Vj, VIRGINIA FOX,PAUL OONAH,CHARLESMEAKINS, MIRA NIRSKA I MON- I €' PEGGV PATES, HOUSTON UICHARD3, OAlS'f GiaSON / DAY I ft /■ SANO MARCO, ROSS GIBSON , RUSSELL GRISWOLD Jf ENGLISH’S Jan. 31, Feb. 1-2 Three Nites —ONLY U THE THEATER GUILD Muk OF NEW YORK Presents the most talked-about play in America m “STRANGE INTERLUDE” ‘ BY EUGENE O’NEILL With Pauline Lord. Halph Morgan, Donald Macdonald and Harry C. Bannister EVENINGS ONLY AT 5:30 SHARP Dinner Intermission, 7:40 to *:00. Final Curtain at 11:00 Late Arrival. Are Seated Only During In termlsslons Seats Jan. 28th. Prices—*l.oo, *2.00. *2. 50, *3.00, *4.40 1 "-ENGLISH'S ■ | f\ ma,l orders now lr Wintiirop Ames presents George Jgt Ml! ■ WCS fC FIFTY AH JbjAiSriS “ E T s ”°“ tn wuiiam Shakespeare** Woodman Thompson MERCHANT OF VENICE MAIL ORDERS NOW I 9ead self-add dressed, stamped envelope. Nlgfeta, Me to $3; Wed. Mat., Me tc *2.50.
ing a succession of hills piled up against each other, is a picture of mood—surface forms to express underlying sensitiveness of feeling. But it is not obviously emotional. The third painting referred to, “Kingston Waterfront” by Charles Rosen, seems an experiment in form, solidity, and mass composition. These problems of expression fascinates most artists—sometimes to the exclusion of all else. “Ramapo Wood Interior” by Ernest Fiene baffles the viewer—offers nothing either from the artist’s viewpoint, subject matter or method of treatment. It is however an example of a style admired by many. Other landscapes in the exhibition carry one to many sections of the country. The southwest is represented by several canvases—“A Village Street, Taos” by O. E. Berninghaus; “The Ponce Aqueduct” by H. Dudley Murphy; “At the Rancho” by Charles Wilimovsky. The west coast inspired William Ritschel to paint “Morning Tide, California.” Several pictures found their motifs in the eastern section of the country, and Indiana is represented by “Duneland Flowers” by Frank V. Dudley. The exhibition will continue untii the end of the month. Jan. 24 at 8:15 o’clock, Dudley Crafts Watson will lecture on “The New American Home.” As extension lecturer of the Art Institute of Chicago, Mr. Watson has spoken to art associations of various kinds including virtually all the museums of art, women’s clubs of every description, business men’s clubs and associations, civic, groups and countless classes and assemblies of children and “older young folk” in schools, colleges and universities. These audiences haye been scattered from the Brooklyn Institute of Arts to the Los Angeles Museum and from Minnesota to our southernmost He is welcomed everywhere because he has the rare ability to make art popular. The power of Dudley Crafts Watson’s lectures derives from the fact that they inspire, instruct and entertain at once. This talk is for members. Others will be admitted upon payment of 50 cents.
AMUSEMENTS
Passion Play
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Adolph Fassnacht
A picture showing Fassnacht as the Christus in “The Passion Play,” coming to the Murat during the week of Jan. 28. Sills Stars Work A news dispatch from First National’s Burbank studios states that Milton Sills’ next First NationalVitaphone picture will be “Pat and Mike,” from a story by Richard Connell in the January Cosmopolitan. The report further states that Mr. Sills will play a dual role in this production.
_JAN. 19, 1929
Musical Unit Due at Lyric ‘Strains and Strings’ to Top New Variety Program. “STRAINS AND STRINGS," a highly trained musical unit that is really a little symphony orchestra, with its violins, its cellos and piano, so ably directed by the M nneapolis conductor, Victor Schwartz, will be presented by Mynet Andre as the headline vaudeville attraction at the Lyric theater next week. Each member of the organization is a soloist and master of his instrument. All are recruited from the larger municipal symphonies, such as St. Louis, Cleveland and Chicago. The sextet play a group of semiclassical and a selection of the more melodious modern compositions, a real musical treat of a legitimate nature rarely heard on the vaudeville stage. The bill will include: Billy Farrell and Company—A special added attraction, a famous family of the stepping stage will offer a comedy of steps in dance evolution entitled “Home Sweet Home.” In this act two generations of wise-cracking show folk vie in talent and split the honors. To see Billy and his dad’s step dance together is a Sight for sore eyes, not only because of their extreme artistry, but for the wonderful comradery existing between them. Frank Viola and Company—Provide several thrills with his extraordinary feats of daring in this artistic trapeze novelty act. Probably the most sensational moment in his routine is when he balances by head alone on the swinging bar. Jimmy Reynolds—A clever monologist billed as “A Loose Leaf from the Ledger of Laughs,” will offer a comedy act. Fred and Daisy Rial—Present a comedy skit titled "Something for a Rainy Day.” Hawthorne and Cooke Hoke masters of show business present a comedy hokum act entitled “Don’t Take Us Serious.” On the Screen—“ Object Alimony,” the Columbia production which is to be the feature photoplay for the week is rich in romance, jazz and pathos. The tense dramatic action is woven around a widow who seek3 to defeat age by playing the fool for fawning parasites and a poor clerk, who marries the widow’s son. There are moments of gerat tension—almost unendurable suspense—as the two women face each other in a battle of wits. Days of poverty and struggle are offset by periods of social and financial triumph for the woman who- was horned. Lois Wilson is cast in the stellar role depicting the clerk who marries the widow’s son. Hugh Allen 1s the son. Other players include Ethel Grey Terry, Dickey Moore, Douglas Gilmore, Roscoe Kams, Carmelita Geraghty and Thomas Curran.
AMUSEMENTS