Indianapolis Times, Volume 43, Number 101, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 September 1931 — Page 6
PAGE 6
POST PLAYS LEAD IN MOLNAR’S ‘THE PLAY’S THE THING’
Claudette Colbert Plays Role of a Society Girl in Bad Luck in ‘The Secrets of a Secretary' Now on the Talking Screen at the Indiana. WHAT do society girls do when their family fortunes vanish? In most instances, such bereft young ladies have been known to plunge right into the workaday world and make commercial success out of lives that once had been ordained mainly for squanderous activities. ‘Secrets of a Secretary” has to do with the activities of just such a girl—Helen Blake—played by Claudette Colbert now at the Indiana. In this story the heroine is even more than ordinarily burdened, she has acquired a husband who turns out to be a worthless fortune-hunter who, as soon as he sees their money going, goes himself, deserting the much-emUttcred girl. But she gets employment as a social secretary for a wealthy family with whom she had once been on a par socially. The father and mother of the family treat her with the respect that her earlier status in their stratum demanded. But their young daughter Sylvia is just a trifle snooty.
When the British Lord who is coming to marry this young woman arrives he falls in love with Claudette. Meanwhile Sylvia has been carrying on a dangerous aflair with Claudette’s renegade husband. The situation is tense and the problems faced by the heroine are modern problems. She solves them in a modern way—and the picture is ended with a series of scenes in which acting and plot tension have full sway. The role of Sylvia is played by “'Betty Lawford, who made her talkie debut as Walter Huston’s daughter in “Gentlemen of the Press.” Georges Metaxa, Paramount’s newest importation from the London stage, plays the part of the villainous husband. Herbert Marfavorite on Broadway where he recently finished a part in “Tomorrow and Tomorrow,” plays the part of the British nobleman who saves the day for Claudette in the closing scenes of the play. Two Paramount short features, “What Price Pants” with Smith and Dale and “Gallagher and Shean;” an “African Adventure” reel and the weekly sound news complete the program. a a a APOLLO HOLDS OVER GAYNOR MOVIE Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, popular screen sweethearts, will be continued for the second week at the Apollo in the Fox Films production, “Merely Mary Ann.” This latest Gaynor-Farrell film is the eighth picture in which the stars have been co-starred and was adapted to the speaking screen by Jules Furthman from the successful Israel Zangwill stage play. Henry King directed. As in "Daddy Long Legs,” the ti-tian-haired Janet is seen as a parentless and homeless girl in her early ’teens. Following the death of her mother, she becomes the servant girl in the London boarding house of Mrs. Leadbatter, played by Beryl Mercer. Janet, known as Mary Ann, meets Lonsdale, a young sarcastic composer of popular music. Charles Farrell has the role of Lonsdale. The friendship blossoms into romance until Mrs. Leadbatter forces them to leave, due to her unfounded suspicions. The sweethearts take refuge at a cottage on the seashore and live happily as brother and sister. While here the young composer is given opportunity to write many popular numbers that gives him courage to continue. Mary Ann falls heir to a large amount of money and Lonsdale forces her to leave in order to save herself from her own generosity. Lonsdale puts his heartbreak into music and writes an opera. The former sweethearts meet at the premier opening of the opera and Mary Ann greets the now renowned writer coldly. He returns to his cottage, and while playing feeir favorite tunes Mary Ann walks smilingly through the door. The supporting cast includes Beryl Mercer and J. M. Kerrigan. a a a NEW CRAWFORD MOVIE AT PALACE Joan Crawford opens today at the Palace in her latest picture, “This Modern Age,” adapted from the Mildred Cram novel, “Girls Together.” The distinguished actress, Pauline Frederick, who has not been seen on the screen in some time, together with Neil Hamilton, Monroe Owsley, Hobart Bosworth, Emma Dunn and Albert Conti, have important supporting roles in the production, which was directed by Nicholas Grinde. Highlights of the plot, which concerns and extremely sophisticated mother and daughter in Paris, include : The affection between mother and dauchter. Diane and Valentine, and their carefree method of being girls together. ... the association of Valentine and Tony, a cav voung American, and their wild escapades . . . the Intimacy of Diane and Andre, a typical wealthy man-abouc-town . . . Tony's pleas that Valentine slip off for a week-end with him to some secluded place . . . the accident when Valentine is riding with tipsy Tony and meets Bob Blake ... the subsequent budding romance between Bob and Valentine to the exclusion of Tony . . . Bob's proposal to Valentine and her acceptance . . . the arrival of Bob's Bostonian parents in Paris ... the bridge party (riven by Diane and Valentine for Bob's narents fn a most quiet manner . . . the arrival of a host of Inebriated uninvited (tuests at the party . . . the Blakes' wrath et the type of guests . . . Bob's demand that Valentine Rive up her wild friends . . . Andre's arrival at the party and Diane's Roinß to a private room with him . . . Bob's statement that Diane will not dc as a mother-in-law and the break with Valentine over the statement . . . Valentine’s discovery of the Intimacy between Diane and Andre . . . Valentine's decision to stick bv her mother even if it means Rood-bv to the man she loves . . . Diane's break with Valentine in order that she miv ot stand in the way of her daußhter's happiness . . . Valentine's * disillusionment and subsequent acquiescence to Tony's pleas to silo oft with him to a seaside resort . . . the arrival at the resort where Tony and Valentine register as man and wife . . . Diane's discovery that her dauahteisha* run oft with Tony and her appeal to Bob . . . Bob's Interruption of the seashore rendervous . . .the final reconciliation ietween Valentine, Bob and D William T. Tllden 11. the world’s foremost tennis champion, in the third of a series on the art of tennis playing, entitled, “Forehand, Backhand, Service," head the program of surrounding short films. Hal Roach’s "Boy Friends" in their newest all talking comedy, the latest issue of the Hearst Metrotone News and a Flip the Frog cartoon complete the bill. a a a MYSTERY MOVIE OPENS AT CIRCLE Heading the film entertainment during the current week at the Circle theater is Paramount’s latest fllmization of the Sax Rohmer-Fu Manchu series, “Daughter of the Dragon.” This production again
features Warner Oland in the title role of Fu Manchu. Others in the cast include Anna May Wong, Sessue Hayakawa, Bramwell Fletcher and Frances Dade. A homecoming trip, delayed for four years and once postponed, after it had become possible, finally has brought permanent residence in her home town for Anna May Wong. When she arrived in New York several months ago, she was merely on her way to Los Angeles to see her family with plans of returning to Europe, where she had become a stage and screen sensation. At the dock she was met by producers who persuaded her to postpone her trip home to appear in “On the Spot.” As the play neared its end on Broadway, she began to plan her long-delayed homecoming when Paramount offered her a film contract. It solved the business-with-pleas-ure problem and she left the play for Hollywood to head the cast of “Daughter of the Dragon.” Films, both silent and talking, the dramatic stage and operetta engagements kept Miss Wong busy in Europe for four years. When she closed ten months of singing and dancing in “Springtime” in Vienna, she turned down all proffered contracts, told managers she wanted to go home and would be back in plenty of time to sign documents. Her return to Europe now Is indefinitely postponed and numerous managers probably are muttering in their native tongues, “I told you so,” or words to that effect. While in Europe Miss Wong’s mother was killed in an automobile accident. The remainder of her family greeted her on her homecoming. A Daphne Pollard comedy, Paramount Pictorial and news reel make up the Circle’s added attraction program. a a a SMART FARCE OPENS AT OHIO “The Smiling Lieutenant” tops the screen bill at the Ohio for the new week. The star of this vehicle, Maurice Chevalier, returns to the type of role which is suited to his personality after appearing in several varied characterizations in recent pictures. “The Smiling Lieutenant” Is a romance, with the love and song appeal of his first picture, “Innocents in Paris,” with the luxury of setting of “The Love Parade,” and with the star of another Chevalier screen vehicle, “The Big Pond,” Claudette Colbert, in one of the leading roles. Another screen light, Miriam Hopkins, has the other equally leading feminine role. Charlie Ruggles, comedian, has a comedy hit in the picture. The story deals with the romance of a young lieutenant of the guards, whose smile gets him involved with two women; one, a cabaret performer whom he loves and wants to marry, the other an old-fashioned princess who loves him and whom he is forced to marry. How this marriage turns his life topsy-turvy, and how the unwanted wife turns the table on her rival, is the amusing topic of the romance.
At State Fair
Ilk. ■
Here is the Arkansas Woodchopper who will appear on the WLS National Barn Dance tonight in the coliseum at the Indiana state fair.
MOTION PICTURES Her motto was “Never take anything seriously and always be amusing.” Play and the world plays with you. f Joan (raid Tib MODERN AGE" jbS’A HAMILTON •-cLs, ’vm u u n i Jug* .rs FREDERICK 'HT. Jr A Modern Storr of a Girl’s Sacrifice to Save Her "" Mother'* Name. Me tro-Gldujn-Mayer Picture ‘BOY FRIENDS* COMEDY W ILLIAM T. TILDE*. snd HEARST METROTONE NEWS FROG CARTOON COMIC
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I—Donald Woods is in the cast of ‘ The Play’s The Thing,” which opens Sunday night at English’s.
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1— Charles Farrell has the leading male role in “Merely Mary Ann,” now in its second week at the Apollo. 2 Neil Hamilton has a principal part in “This Modem Age,” opening today at the Palace. 3 Miriam Hopkins and Maurice Chevalier as they appear in “The Smiling Lieutenant,” now at the Ohio.
Movie of Adventure Is Booked ‘East of Borneo' to Open Saturday at the Lyric. STATE FAIR week visitors will find an interesting program of talking picture entertainment awaiting them on the screen of the Lyric for the week starting today. Universal’s latest adventure, “East of Borneo,” directed by George Melford and featuring Charles Bickford with Robe Hobart, in the feature. The story concerns the efforts of an estranged wife to locate her husband who had been missing* for nearly two years. Upon arrival in Borneo she is informed that he has become the court physician to a reigning prince. His kingdom being hidden away some 300 miles to the interior, this woman braves the dangers of the treacherous jungles to locate him. During this river trip one of the big scenes of the picture occurs. It is the hand-to-hand fight between a native and leopard, which is said to have been remarkably photographed. Upon finding the husband, she learns that he does not want to return to her and civilization and is quite happy in his wilderness palace until the intriguing prirxß forces his attentions upon the white woman. It is then that the two white captives plan their escape, only to be captured after overcoming many hazardous jungle traps. They have been brought back to pay the penalty of disloyalty. By a strange turn of fate, however, they again escape and this time with the aid of a belching vol-
I FIS R J ||7| X ENTIRE NEW SHOW rr U IWI I |\i/\ I SUNDAY and THURSDAY • ■■■ ■ 1 • Continuous 10 A. M. to 10 P. M. QPPO/tTB TRACTION TERMINAL. t— - This theatre becomes the exclusive second run theatre for practically every outstanding picture and every important screen star. Its entertainment will consist solely of the extended run engagement attractions that reach the greatest heights of talking picture production. You’ll experience something decidedly different in presentation of the motion picture art and you'll always find our program the most popular bargain in town.
ELECTED bq a MILLION LAUGHS II Charlie Chase Comedy 15c to |>o to 1 30 ctoltP. M. “Pftnli* I. rim’* ■Mi 6P.M. i and Sundays Panic Is On CHILDREN, lie (All Times)
ROUNDING ROUND nr'L] D A 'T'PD C With WALTER lHlLAlii/Ko D. HICKMAN
THE thing that interested me most about Lil Dagover, the German actress who was here this week for a short visit, was her sincerity regarding her work. This woman really takes her work seriously, and she naturally is anxious about her future in American-made films.
“Just give me a good story, a good director and the right cameraman and I will be all right,” she told. But that is just the danger and the absence of either one of the three may spell her ruin. This woman needs a sympathetic director because such a director would cause her to mount to great emotional heights. Never have I seen a woman who talks so much with her hands and her eyes. She is always completely alive although she was dead tired when I talked to her. And she has plenty of nerve. That is proven by the fact that she left Cleveland in a terrible rainstorm in an airplane. “When we made our forced landing (near Shelbyville, Ind.) in the rain, it wasn’t so pleasant, but the pilot was wonderful,” she said. “He told me not to be afraid and his confidence saved me from cano, succeed in shaking off the native captors. The supporting cast includes Lupita Tovar and Georges Renavent. The main event of the supplementary program surrounding this feature is '‘Shifts,” the first of a series of All American Sports reels, made by Universal Pictures. Coach (Hunk) Anderson and Notre Dame football stars appear in ; these films, which were all taken in and around this ivorld-famous university in South Bend. In the first short reel coach Anderson explains the various kinds of shifts used by other teams, and while he explains them, the pigskin warriors run through them in both fast and slow motion. The Fox Movietone news reel and two-reel comedy completes the program.
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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
2 —Frances Dale, leading woman with the Arthur Casey Company, plans to leave for New York soon.
4 Anna May Wong is in the cast of “Daughter of the Dragon,” now at the Circle. 5 Charles Bickford is one of the well known players in “East of Borneo,” now at the Lyric. 6 Claudette Colbert has a dramatic time as a secretary in “Secrets of a Secretary,” now at the Indiana.
fright. I love to travel in the air. I have done a lot of flying.” She talks with a decided accent and is always searching for the right word. She seems to be unusually level-headed. No fireworks and no ugly temperament. She has played with Max Rhinehart and believes that he is the greatest of all.
WELCOME, FAIR VISITORS— Your visit to Indianapolis will be incomplete unless you enjoy these great shows! Every one a Paramount Jubilee picture and every ont a hit! See them today! ®Pmumfeil nHillPfiYii 11foiiiV"J Today! REVEALED! The Intimate affairs of Society*s fastest set! #%S£CR£TS # StCRETARy EXTRA! iL *' Paramount Jubilee Picture with I CLAUDETTE COLBERT an" W&Mmßk Herbert Marshall Hugh O’Connell na I r S . herlone of ‘’Smiliner SleutenUMLL H ant” in a role you’ll nsver forget! “What Price All ig* till -.Pants’’ Seats 1 pm Today W MYSTERY! DRAMA! ROMANCE! jHm|i /DAtlGHrEfc § OF THE I DRMm jk I gft Paramount Jubilee Hit W| < JUIM WARNER OLAND |fj UXtM fcXTRAfi Anna May Wong /jfl S ||l C " L Hayakawa Daphne You’ll be electrified by / jr£ B oni i ion thoi,,and thrnu fdmg* POLLARD this new sax m JBF j 1 In I Mystery imki “Crashing I j ri Reno” J foiial>i jk I /Jml MAURICE Today! f . ; j &*ICHEVALIEB.a TT I- - 77? e Ming Lieutenant 9 '\W\A yeulrs” ® Jfl |fo_ _ Back by Public Demand! nf^S9|B
3—Guy Bates Post as he appears in “The Play’s The Thing,” at English’s all next week.
Will Do It Following “The Play’s the Thing,” Arthur Casey at English’s will comply with popular request and will present “The Greek’s Had a Word for It,” an audacious and entertaining comedy of three society women of the night. The next production, which will be the last on the Casey company program, has not yet been announced.
Sally Signs a Contract Sally Blaine signed yesterday for the lead in U’s “Spirit of Notre Dame,” which Russell Mack is directing. Nat Goldstone made the deal.
MOTION PICTURES
Frances Dale, Leading Woman for Arthur Casey, Will Leave for New York to Join Broadway Show and Dorethea Chard Replaces Her. GUY BATES POST, visiting guest artist with the Arthur Casey Corapany at English's during the past week, has been persuaded to remain for another week, this time to star In Florence Molnar’s famous play, “The Play’s the Thing.” In “The Play s the Thing,” Guy Bates Post has a play of literary merit which had simultaneous runs in Austria, Hungary, Germany France, Great Britain and New York. The comedy deals in amusing and saucy fashion with the visit to a castle on the Italian Riviera of two playwrights and their young composer, who is engaged to the prima donna of their next production.
Their pleasure at finding that the lady is also one of the house party is turned to despair when they also find that she is occupying the suite next to theirs and they overhear through the thin walls a passionate love scene between her and her former lover. How Sandor (Guy Pates Post) solves the problem of bringing everything out happily for all concerned and causes the young composer to beg the forgiveness of his fiancee for his suspicions forms the basis of his plot. The romance is carried out by Frances Dale and Donald Woods as the prima donna and the composer, while Dick Elliott acts as a servant with a philosophy. Freddie Sherman romps through the part of an ifn port ant, but effeminate secretary and Jack Storey and Walter Davis serve as important additions to the cast. At English’s next week, starting Sunday at 8:30 o’clock. a a a DALE TO GO TO NEW YORK Announcement was made today by Arthur Casey that Dorethea Chard will join the company in its production of “The Greek Had a Word For It,” opening at English’s on Sunday evening, Sept. 13. Some of the more well-known productions in which she has appeared in recent seasons are “Babes in The Woods,” “Street Scene,” with Mary Hart in Cleveland, “Many A Slip,” “The Wasp’s Nest,” “Let and Sub-Let,” and several productions with Mrs. Stratter in New York. In ‘The Greeks Had a Word For It,” Miss Chard will portray one of
SODAY! kV'IM Welcome, I ) ki Fair A White Captive Visitors Fights for a Man’s ; h save the raan sho loved lHf him she braved a thousand * Lj*’ braved man-eating leopards t even more deadly velvet
INDIANAPOLIS TUEATRE-GOEQS NAVE j STOQMED OUR DOORSf ‘WE HAD TO HOLD IT * OVER/ _ - j&SKrar -"A ,* ■ ni. . jKJßT'jewPj&HM mv - j JJgpip' HV im r 7 Sbßk G18&S, k. Famui 9^ e STAGS of- ; J l|f H9§. * STREETMEL' | ft mmmASUNHYSID£ UP 0 JJbnH J* mensJe&sft&'g' WLM m M 's U SW6PTY ANO IXMAUCE until arm fell into a fortune and fell out with LovEy * jUQUA
the three ex-Follies girls around whom the action of the play revolves. Yvonne Stebbins will also portray one of the girls. The actress for the third role has not been selected. Frances Dale, who has been with the Arthur Casey Company at English’s this summer as leading lady playing opposite Donald Woods, will make “The Play’s The Thing.” her farewell production in this city. Miss Dale w ill leave for New York to enter a new’ production in that eity immediately upon her completion of next week’s play in which she will take the leading feminine role in support of Guy Bates Post in “The Play’s The Thing.”
At Colonial
The Colonial opens its regular theatrical season today offering something that promises to be new and distinctive in the line of burlesque performances. The entire cast will be new to Indianapolis theatergoers, but each individual member has had wide experience. The comics, George E. Hill and Art Bowers, spent many seasons on burlesque circuits. Marie Mussio appeared in several of the musical comedy successes of the past season; Don Chicolini, the featured male voice, has sung prominent roles in opera; Leona Krogh, “the dancing aristocrat,.’’ toured as headliner over vaudeville circuits; Bob Conn was formerly' with A1 G. Field minstrels; Bobbette. Eckard, Virginia Lee, Mary Lee Tucker and Tom Brisky are in the cast.
MOTION PICTURES
SEPT. 5, im