Indianapolis Times, Volume 41, Number 192, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 December 1929 — Page 7

DEC. 21, 1929.

WYCHERLY PLAYS ORIGINAL ROLE IN ‘THIRTEENTH CHAIR’

Oscar Straus Composed the Musical Score for the Screen’s First Viennese Operetta, ‘Married in Hollywood,’ Which Opens Today at Apollo. REALISM in motion pictures has brought to the screen many interesting personages, but none more so than Lai Chaand Mehra, lecturer, writer and Hindu philosopher, who plays the servant-detective in Calcutta in "The Thirteenth Chair," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ifystery playstarting today at the Palace. Mehra, born in India, is a nephew of the noted Swami Pranavenanda. He is also a cousin of Prince Raj Kumar of Sahaspri. Graduated from the University at Bombay, he came to America to graduate from the University of California, then becoming in turn a member of its faculty, writer and lecturer. •

He was engaged by Tod Browning to act as technical adviser on the settings and Idian customs in the new picture, which is laid in Calcutta, and then was induced to play the detective role in the new all-talking film drama. Mehra does not hope to continue as a film actor, but some day hopes to produce native pictures in his own land. The new picture is a film production of the famous New York •tage play, with Margaret Wycherly as Rosalie La Grange, the role she created on Broadway and which Wade theatrical history. Delzante, the uncanny Calcutta detective, is played by Bela Lugosi, creator of the role of "Dracula" on the stage. Conrad Nagel. Leila Hyams, Holmes Herbert, Mary Forbes, Helene Millard, Cyril Chadwick, John Davidson, Clarence Geldert, Charles Quartermaine, Moon Carroll, Gretchen Holland, Bertram Johns and others are among the players. Completing the program will be Harry Langdon in his latest alltalking comedy, "Skirt Shy,” the Hearst Metrotone News, and other •hort film novelties. mm* BIG MOV re STARTS AT APOLLO Boasting a brilliant musical score by the celebrated composer of "The Chocolate Soldier," Oscar Straus, and with book, lyrics and dialog by Harlan Thompson, the talking screen's first Viennese operetta, "Married in Hollywood,” opens at the Apollo today. The story deals with the romance of a dashing prince of the Balkans and a beautiful American opera singer. It opens in Vienna, sweeps through a revolution which puts the ’ceding characters in flight, and tence ranges on board a giant ocean liner and Anally to Hollywood, reaching its climax in a series of episodes "behind the scenes” in a huge motion picture studio. Two former Broadway favorites ■Norma Terris and J. Harold Murray, who can sing quite as well as they can act, head the cast, one of uniform excellence that includes Tom Patricola of the nimble dancing feet and hilarious antics, Walter Catlett, droll musical comedy star; Irene Palasty, Evelyn Hall, Douglas Gilmore, Bert Sprotte, Lennox Pawle, Douglas Gilmore, Leila rtarnelly and many others. There is a chorus of 160 si ,ers that do full justice to the e- nclng Straus melodies, and an c ,„omble of sixty dancers whose numbers, staged by Edward Royce, are marvels of motion and beauty. Dave Btamper contributed a group of specially written songs. Gorgeous pagentry adds color to the innumerable scenes. The picture, a Fox .Movietone production, was directed by Marcel Silver. Additional program features are Vitaphone acts by Clifford and Marion, who have a skit entitled “Just Dumb,” and Roger Williams In "Moments of Mimicry,” together with Movietone news reels. m a BORDONI FEATURED IN "PARIS” AT CIRCLE Irene Bordoni, coming heralded as n entirely new screen personality, opens Christmas week at the Circle theater today in her first screen production, “Paris.” It was produced by First National-Vitaphone and directed by Clarence Badger. “Paris” is the story of a Newton Center (Mass.) family, with a Puritanical outlook, who make a trip to Paris to rescue a son from marrying the French actress. Some of them fall for the spirit of the Champs Elysees, while the others become more like their Mayflower ancestors than ever. In the end it develops that Miss Bordoni only wanted the son, because she thought he had a nice old-fashioned mother. "Paris” is said to move swiftly and with much comedy. There are several theatrical sequences that provide the rare privilege of seeing Irene Bordoni at work behind the footlights. These scenes are all in Technicolor. The supporting cast includes Jack Buchanan, famous English star, who for two seasons was featured in "Chariot's Revue;” Louise Glosser H&le, Jason Robards, Zasu Pitts and Margaret Fielding. The talking short subjects on the bill during this week are Moran and Challis. Allen, and a sound cartoon "Mickey’s Choo Choo.” BUM BIG CHRISTMAS SHOW AT INDIANA “Half Way to Heaven.” the new all-talking Paramount, picture, stars Charley (Buddy) Rogers in anew and different role and opens today at the Indiana theater as the feature screen attraction during Christmas week. Charlie Davis and his band are presenting a stage show, "Marathon Frolics,” which takes on the appearance of a marathon contest. Together with this is the annual Louise Powell Christmas Kiddie Revue. "Half Way to Heaven" brings Buddy into the limelight as a performer In a carnival troupe, in love with Jean Arthur. Paul Lukas is the third member of the triangle. Through a •cries of events, the romance of Miss Arthur and Buddy blossoms again in MOTION PICTURES

GPANADA IOiS VIRGINIA AYE. TODAY Robert Armstrong “OH YEAH!” ALL TALKING Talking Short Subjects Sunday—Mon Blue, “SKIN DEEP"

Eddie Ware Returns to Colonial Patsy Ruth Miller Has the Lead in ‘The Fall of Eve.’ patrons of the past | \ summer w.ll remember a boy whose comedy and original parodies With a uke won him friends. Eddie Ware is h's name and he will appear in ' Holiday Follies,” which opens Sunday. Although the comedy is a big portion of the show, still the singing, dancing and specialty numbers have not been overlooked. Florence King, Irene Jeo'in, Mel Copeland, Bert Wrenneck, Daisy Due, surrounded by the Colonial Runway Chorus, all have new song numbers and specialties. Comedy talent will be found in the screen production, “The Fall of Eve,” an all-talking Columbia production. The dialog was written by Frederic and Fanny Hatton. Among the players are Patsy Ruth Miller, Fcrd Sterling, Gertrude Aster, Arthur Rankin, Jed Proudy, Betty Farrington, Fred Kelsey and Hank Mann. spite of the sinister menace of Lukas. Finally Buddy foils Lukas’ attempt on his life, and in a smashing climax defeats Lukas and sends him from the show. The headliners in the stage show this week are Joe Browning, Sr., a timely sermonette, and Joe Browning, Jr., a chip off the old block. Others supporting Charlie Davis and his band are Jules and Josie Watlon, four feet that beat as one; Katherine Wright, the mystery girl—radio star, Whitey Roberts, wingedfoot wonder, and the Dave Gouid marathon steppers. Louise Powell has assembled about sixty of Indiana’s finest juvenile entertainers in the Christmas revue this year, which is showing together with the stage show. a a a “THE MIGHTY” NOW AT OHIO “The Mighty," Paramount’s newest all-talker starring George Bancroft, opens today at the New Ohio theater. In “The Mighty,” Bancroft is first shown as a gangster. He is drafted for service in the war and becomes a hero. Upon his return ho is mado police chief of a crime-riddsn city. Supporting Bancroft is Esther Ralston, Raymond Hatton, Warner Oiand and Dorothy Revier. One of the big scenes of the film shows thirty-five motorcycle officers, riding their machine guns in cavalry formation, and all shooting their automatics as rapidly as the hammer could explode the shells. This spectacular and noisy charge was made at one of the main intersections in the downtown business district of Los Angeles; the corner of Sixth and Spring streets, in the very heart of the financial district. At this intersection three banks are located. The scene shows a gang of machine gun bandits, in armored :ars, starting a robber attack against three banks and ‘their being driven off a few seconds later by the arrival of the police with Bancroft at their head. The supplementary program during this week includes several all talking acts and an all-dialog comedy, "Fatal Forceps” with Ford Sterling.

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1— Irene Bordoni wears many a nifty gown in “Paris,” now at the Circle. 4—George Bancroft as he appears in “The Mighty,” at the Ohio. 2 Margaret Wycherly in a scene from “The Thirteenth Chair,” now at the Palace. - , , T . , . 41w , , _ . s—Ted Lewis is seen in Is Everybody Happy, at the I.ync. 3 Norma Terris and J. Harold Murray in a scene from “Married in Hollywood, ’ now at . . ' the Apollo. 6 —Charles “Buddy” Rogers is the star of “Half Way to Heaven,” at the Indiana.

Arliss Is Honored in London English Critics Find Much to Like in ‘Disraeli/ /•“VNE of the curious twists of theatrical fortunes has been the fact that George Arliss, foremost of English-speaking actors, born in London and trained for the theater in the English provinces, never acted on his native stage one of his greatest successes, Louis N. Parker’s “Disraeli,” which for five years he played in America and by which he made known to the public at large in the United States the figure of one of Great Britain’s foremost statesmen. So identified has Arliss become with the personage of Disraeli in this country that when Andre Maurois’ life of Disraeli was about to be published in this country, the actor was the first man whose opinion was sought. Parker’s play was acted in London by Dennis Eadie, a popular player of his time. Because of this, Arliss always resisted all pressure brought to bear upon him to give his impersonation of the role there, though the drama had not been successful at its original English production. But in the talking-film version of “Disraeli” the Arliss portrait at last has reached London. On Nov. 21 a private performance was given for the members of parliament in, the Picadilly theater. The press, invited to this preview, commented in such glowing and unrestrained terms of praise that the actor must indeed have been gratified to win this triumph in the city where Disraeli lived and he himself was bom. E. A. Baughan, one of the soberest, sanest and least self-seeking and self-publicized critics in England, declared “Disraeli” to be the best sound film yet made. The triumph for Arliss is the greater when one considers the prejudice which has existed in England against American films—and here is America making a picture that invades England’s own history.

New Star Marion Shilling has been signed by Tiffany to play the leading role of Katusha in their musical version of “Resurrection,” which is now being filmed under the direction of Phil Goldstone. Miss Schilling played the lead in “Lord Byron of Broadway” and the ingenue lead in “Wise Girls.”

MOTION PICTURES

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

City Musical Activities

F. Elmer Marshall of the dramatic art department of the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music read Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” before the Franklin high school Wednesday, Dec. 25. Mr. Marshall will make three appearances in Ft. Wayne. At noon he will speak to the Rotary Club; In the afternoon at the Christmas party of the Y. M. C. A. employes, and at night he will entertain at the Y. M. C. A. banquet. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Friermood of the vocal department of the conservatory will spend the holidays with Mr. Nunnally in Ala. William Schwenger of the piano department will spend Christmas at his home in Kokomo. Misses Flora E. Lyons and Eleanora Beauchamp, also of the piano department, are in New York for the holiday season. Miss Ida Belle Sweeney and Franklin N. Taylor of the vocal department will go to Chicago for the opera. Mr. Taylor will be a delegate to the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia convention. Willard MacGregor, artist piano teacher, will go to his home in St. Louis and attend the wedding of his brother. Miss Beik will spend the holidays at Madison, Wis. Edwin Jones will go to his home in Red Key, Ind., and later to Louisville, Ky. The recitals of the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music will be discontinued until Jan. 10, when advanced students’ program will be put on. Miss Frieda Heider will sing at a reception at the Cincinnati College of Music during the holidays and for the crippled children’s public school in West Washington street. Betty Barnes, pupil of Frieda Heider, will give a program at the Church of the Nazarene. Harriet Ford, pupil of Miss Sweenie, will sing the solo part in the production of “The Angel” at Shortridge high school. Florence Schwartz, Mary Rose Lowry, Marietta and Ellen Jarrett, pupils of Miss Heider, will give a Christmas program at Fortville; Thelma Tharp and Louise Aichele a Christmas program at St. Mark’s Evangelical church. Margaret Walker will sing at the Irvington Methodist church, Erma Day and Rosel'ia Kellermeyer will sing Christmas day at the Carrollton Avenue Reformed church Margaret Rasbach will sing the solo oart in the “Newborn King” at the Zion’s Evangelical church. n an FIRST OF SERIES TO START SUNDAY Claris S. Krohngold of Lafayette,

lnd., will appear as guest artist in a musicale to be held on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, at Kirshbaum center. Mrs. Krohngold is well known in Indianapolis, and has appeared in a number of recitals. She will be accompanied by Mrs. John Kolmer. The program for the afternoon will be: "For a Dream's Sake” .....Kramer “Pippa's Song" Black "Cali Me No More” Cadman "Die Lotosblume” Schumann "Widmung" Schumann "Verborgenheit” Wolf "Now Shines the Dew” Rubinstein "Floods of Spring” Rachmaninoff "None But the Lonely Heart” Tschalkovsky “Cavatine” from “Queen of Sheba” Gounod This musicale is the first of a series of four to be given by the Jewish Community Center Association to provide good music to the public without charge. In order to make the musicales more social, tea will be served. The Council of Jewish Juniors will act as hostesses. The public is cordially invited. Saturday afternoon, Dec. 21, a recital will be given at the Odeon at 2:30 p. m. This will close the list of recitals before Christmas. Those who will take part are: Edith McCounch, Maxine McKay, Anna Marie Zimmerman, Albert Spelcher, Richard Krause, Marie Lenahan, Mary Martha Wolf, Frances Mulllkin, Mildred Donahue, Jane Crawford. Vivian McNew, Margaret Powell, Virginia Sheely, Virginia Harbaugh, Constance Davy, Marjorie Alexander, Leona Tobey, Mary Helen Seal, Mary Rosalind Parr, Opal Reynolds, Sarah Olinger and Erma Hawkins are pupils of Frances Beik, F. Elmer Marshall, Edward Nell. Lucile Wagner, Jeanette Gardiner, Marie Zorn, Iva E. Duckwall, Lillian Carr Greene, Donn Watson, Hazel Lamkin, Wilma Davis Hine and Leone Kinder Rickman.

Story Department Is Busy

One of the busiest units at the Tiffany studios at the present time is the story department, headed by A. P. Younger, who since taking over this position a few weeks ago has added some of the best known writers in Hollywood to his staff. Mr. Younger has just announced some of the activities of his department. Lois Leeson is adapting “Paper Profits” from a magazine story of the same name; John Russell is making an adaptation of his own novel soon to be published, which probably will be called “Song of the Island”; Eve Unsell has completed the adaptation of “The Medicine Man”; Ben Westland is adapting “The Luxury Girl” from the novel by Maysie Grieg; Adele Buffington is working on the adaptation of “Pardon My Glove,” an original prize fight story by Mr. Younger. The title of the original story upon which Earle Snell has been working for the last few weeks has been changed to “Sunny Skies,” and Jack Natteford has been assigned the task

li !h!!|-H | C °% l effntH''‘ S JEAN ARTHUR W Iptilllll I “Marathon Frolic” The whole town’s fallen in love *1 I R XMtKll)iflEjf^ REVn how he makes love to her! ■ : Hilarious musical screen version jjpH IfH I jB 3 : of the sensational Broadway sta*e * B "SB tyfW m SPEEDY WEBB “On &) mmh To\”r,- " lt * l The Show” hand!

Rialto to

Have New Program Management Plans to Have Vaudeville and Film Features. FOR several past seasons the Rialto has presented musical comedy tabloids, but commencing Sunday the entire policy of the theater will be changed to vaudeville and pictures. It is the intention of the management to make the Rialto strictly a family theater. Heading the list of acts on the first bill will be found the Hickville Four, a comedy quartet that is well known to vaudeville followers. They present a harmony singing and comedy act with a range of songs from the old-time favorites to the latest peppy numbers. The Lydo Duo,’ offering a classical and novelty dancing act; Aland Mary Royce in “Monkey Shines,” and Gyles and Langley, "Tid Bits of Vaudeville,” a delightful mixture of songs, dances and comedy, complete the bill. A distinct novelty in vaudeville will be the Rialto Chorus on the runway, interspersing new songs with the vaudeville acts on the bill. On the screen Olive Borden will be seen In ‘Half Marriage.”

of writing a western musical comedy from the famous poem, “Lasca,” by Frank Desprez. Stage Rights Purchased Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has acquired talking picture rights to the mystery melodrama, “Remote Control,” which has just completed a successful run at the Forty-eighth Street theater. “Remote Control” was written by Clyde North, Albert C. Fuller and Jack T. Nelson. No announcement as to cast and director of the picture has yet been made. Edwards Added to Least Sally Starr and Cliff Edwards, (Ukelele Ike) both of whom appeared in “So This Is College,” have been added to the cast of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s new colortone revue, “The Flower Garden,” which Marty Brooks will direct. Lottice Howell, young colortura soprano, i will make her first screen appearI ance in “The Flower Garden.”

MOTION PICTURES

Joins Movies

Trixie Friganza, fine comedienne for the past twenty-five years, has been added to the growing list of celebrities placed under contract by Metro Goldwyn-Mayer for its big revue, “Just Kids.” Weber and Fields are already on the coast, ready to start work in this picture, while Louis Mann, DeWolf Hopper, Josephiife Sabel, Fay Templeton and other musical comedy veterans will follow in the near future. Miss Friganza's last stage appearance was a featured part in Murray Anderson's “Almanac.” While “Just Kids” will feature oldtime stars, there will be a socalled “modern section” in the revue, and the first young player to be selected for this part of the show is Chariotta King, heroine of the screen version of “the Desert Song.” Movie Player Is a Flier Douglas Shearer, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s chief sound engineer, is finding new use for the airplane he recently purchased after winning his government pilot’s license. He is taking it on out-of-town flights for special previews, carrying the film with hint in the cockpit and returning it to the studio vaults the same night. Haines Has a New One Phyllis Crane, who, with Sally Stair, played her first important screen role in Sam Wood’s “So This is College,” has been added to the cast of anew collegiate photoplay. This one is “Fresh From College,” William Hains’s new starring vehicle, in which Leila Hyams will have the leading feminine role.

Ready to Work Next week Rod Laßocque, supported by Doris Kenyon and Mitchell Lewis, will begin his second radio vehicle, “Strictly Business,” and a few days later George Archainbaud will start production of the dramatic alltalking “Framed.”

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Civic Will Give New Comedy ‘Lady From Alfaqueque’ Is Next Bill at Playhouse. “'T’HE LADY FROM ALFA-. JqUEQUE ' by Joaquin and Serafln, Alvarez Quintero, will open at the Civic Theater playhouse, Nineteenth and Alabama streets, on the evening of Dec. 28 and will play through Jan. 4. a gala New Year's eve performance will be given as a special feature. The play is a comedy of contemporary life in Madrid, though it is so international in its appeal that it might just as well be laid in New York or London. It concerns a gentleman and his wife who, though now residents of the capital, formerly came from Alfaqueque., Fernandita, the wife, has never been able through a twenty years’ residence in the metropolis to forget her native village, and her love of Alfaqueque burns far more brightly than it did on the day she left it. Anyone claiming to have lived In Alfaqueque can always depend upon this rustic Lady Bountiful for food, shelter and funds, all of which are eagerly bartered for news of home. Tire walls of her home bristle with pictures of Alfaqueque, the rooms are full of bric-a-brac made in her home town. One night a young man bursts in, saying that he is Felipe Rivas, whose mother Fernandita knew well In Alfaqueque. He is being pursued; it is a matter of honor; he must be given shelter. The husband, Don Paseual, is not to be taken in by such a tale, but at just the proper time Felipe faints, thereby winning sufferance from the kindly Femandita. He is given a spare room where he remains for days in seclusion. He is a poet, and during his stay he makes outrageous love to no fewer than three young women, playing one against the other. Ultimately he Is exposed as a fraud, another friend from Alfaqueque telling Fernandite that he has played precisely the same trick upon her. Fernandita sternly calls Felipe to task and tells him that he must go. But during his period of hiding Felipe has written a poem about Fernandita and about Alfaqueque, her earthly paradise. He is given permission to read it to her. He starts, and one by one various people with grievances against him enter. Each one is silenced by an imperious gesture from Fernandita, who sits transfixed. As the final curtain drops, Felipe is still reading his dithyramb of Alfaqueque, thereby winning Fernand.ta’s entire sympathy and her complete forgiveness. The play is packed with amusing lines and situations, and can not fail to please the large audiences anticipated. The impression is rapidly being corrected that Civic theater performances are for members only. On the contrary, every production is given for the entire public, whether members or not. Memberships may be obtained at the Playhouse. At 11 o’clock on Christmas eve the Civic theater will give a special performance of “Holy Night,” a miracle play by Martinez Sierra. This play has unusual strength and beauty.

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