Indianapolis Times, Volume 47, Number 303, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 February 1936 — Page 11

rEB. 27, 1936

Th ree of Greatest Hits of Season on Broadway Emerge From the Library ‘Victoria Regina,’ ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Ethan Frome’ All Taken from Books to Win Praise of Critics on Great White Way. BY GEORGE ROSS NEW YORK, Feb. 27.—fNEAi—Three of the Broadway season’s greatest hits emerge from the library. These are “Victoria Regina,” “Pride and Prejudice” and now the stirring show, "Ethan Frome’ that 61-year-old Owen Davis and his young son, Donald, fashioned from

Edith Wharton's New England tale. The town still is Tinging with critical praise accorded to “Ethan Frome” after its opening night and Producer Max Gordon may now betake himself to his Hollywood haunts, for he has another hit on his hands. No play on Broadway this season has so truly touched a susceptible playgoer's heart or so effectively caught his eye. Perhaps you are not yet acquainted with Edith Wharton’s bleak narrative. Briefly, then, “Ethan Frome” deals with a wretched farmer, tormented by poverty and a graceless wife; and who, thereupon, falls desperately in love with the maid-of-nll-work in the house. It deals with the infinite despair of these three, with their clumsy lives and their thwarted hopes and leaves them in a worse plight than the audience finds them in the first place. For this gripping tragedy, Mr. Gordon has enlisted a heaven-sent trio of principals, consisting of Ruth Gordon, Raymond Massey and Pauline Lord. Their genius in the prolection of emotional roles are brought to the fore, here; Miss Gordon as the gaudy little wench with a simple soul; Mr. Massey as a Yankee plowman with a glum tongue and sombre speech; Miss Lord as a neglected and nagging wife. Jo Mielziner, a sensitive draughtsman, has provided settings that provoke both terror and bliss in the course of the night and has gone so far as to put an embankment of snow and a starry sky on the stage. Murder Stalks Stage Murder stalked the stage again last week in a couple of new, sanguinary shows. In one, the victim is bumped off on Park-av; in the other, the assassination takes place in Dublin. No wonder that Broadway’s dramatic critics are now dubbed the Homicide Squad. The first of these plays, “A Room in Red and White,” by the actor, Roy Hargrave, tells as nasty a plot as any horror drama has spun. Something about a sadist who for three solid acts and two and a half solid hours

HIS ACTIONS SPEAK EVERY LANGUAGE... MOMRNTIMESYOU'LL ROARI...YOU’LL SCREAM!...YOU'LL HOWL!.. .when Charlie SINGS one of the most written, directed and produced deliriously funny songs you ve ever listened tol And by CHARLES CHAPLIN there are hundreds of other heorty laughs in the comedy the whole world has waited five years to R% 1 0 as 9 and thru see. You must see it...it simply defies description! UNITED ARTISTS TOMORROW! \ Extra! Mickey's Funniest Cartoon I I I I “MUSIC GOES ’ROUND" "MICKEY’S POLO TEAM" | \ J A J Jackie Cooper. "Tough Guy”

comes home regularly to beat his wife and torture his son and then gets his. He gets his, because for three solid acts and two and a half hours, his wife and son conspire to let him have it with a potion of strychnine in his demi-tasse. But it was Broadway’s conviction that the murder took too tiresomely long. At any rate, “A Room in Red and White” is a nice seeting for a Borgian crime, with its crimson drapes, coiling staircase and expensive furnishings. The other lethal incident of the week was Chester Erskine’s dramatization of Liam O’Flaherty’s Irish novel, “The Puritan,” concerning the highly moral young man who slays a scarlet lady because he considers it his duty to do so. Later, he repents the crime and moreover, is apprehended by the police. Turning from the church and his high moral tone, he tries to turn over anew leaf and finds it too late. ... A grim tale, this would have been exciting murder stuff it if did not get too deeply involved in vague rhetoric. And so, consequently, became a weak imitation of “Crime and Punishment.” Broadway also played host to an intimate musical, “The Illustrators’ Show,” anew version of the revue which was raided by the police some time ago. There is nothing in it that will interest the gendarmerie or even the public except, perhaps, 10 beautiful showgirls. Free Singing Class Is Offered Children A free class in signing is given each Saturday at 11 by the Irvington School of Music, for children wishing to take part in the Indianapolis Light Opera Co.’s production of “The Mikado.” The operetta is to be presented in William H. Block & Cos. auditorium March 28. The regular monthly recital is to ,be held at 7:45 Saturday, March 7.

Open! ng Tomorrow Apollo '‘CEILING ZERO”—Jimmy Cagney, Pat O'Brien, June Fravis, Stuart Erwin and Barton Mac Lane. Directed by Howard Hawks; stage and screen play by Frank Wead; photographed by Arthur Edeson. Story—Expert but irresponsib l j pilot in air mail service works under war-time buddy's supervis.on, and makes fine record. Less skilful pilot, also war-time comprnion, struggles along in same service. Expert makes date with girl, feigns sickness and other pilot takes place. Storm breaks and expert forsakes girl to save pal. Circle “ROSE MARlE”—Jeanette MacDonald. Nelson Eddy, Reginald Owen, Allan Jones. Director, W. S. Van Dyke. Adapted from the Hammerstein-Friml operetta by Frances Groodrich, Alice Duer Miller and Albert Hackett. Story—Opera singer, touring Canada, goes into wilds to find escaped convict brother. Gets job in dance hall and is recognized by sergeant of Mounties. who also is hunting brother. They fall in love, but he can’t shirk duty. She leads him to brother. Later, on stage, she collapses. Manager sends for sergeant, who sings "Indian Love Call.” All is well. Indiana “KLONDIKE ANNIE”—Mae West, Victor MacLaglen, Phililp Reed Harold Huber. Directed by Raoul Walsh; screen play and dialogue by Mae West; photographed by George Clemens. Story—San Francisco dancer escapes from Chinese rendezvous and kills employer. On boat to Alaska she disguises as missionary and likes new role. But love for ship’s captain makes her desert missionary band for life on sea. Lociv’s “MODERN TlMES"—Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Chester Ccnklin. Written, directed and produced by Mr. Chaplin; photographed by Rollie Toteroh and Ira Morgan. Story—Monotony drives factory worker insane. Arrested after leaving hospital, but is released. Gets job, is fired and wants to return to comforts of jail when he meets girl about to be arrested for stealing food. Both go to jail and become inseparable companions. He gets nightwatchman job. First night's work filled with burglaries. Both get job in cabaret, but make quick getaway to escape juvenile officers. Face future shoulder to shoulder. Lyric ’’REVUE CONTINENTAL” on Stage—An A. B. Marcus show of girls, songs, dances and comedy with cast of 100. “THE BOHEMIAN GIRL” on Screen —Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Antonio Moreno, Jacqueline Wells, Mae Busch. Directed by James W T . Horne and Charles Rogers; based on opera by Michael William Balfe; photographed by Art Lloyd and Francis Corby. Story—Henpecked Gypsy husband refuses to let wife take possessions to elope with lover. She steals wagon, elopes and leaves behind with husband and his friend a kidnaped princess. Years later, princess is arrested and sentenced to whipping post by father. A medallion identifies her, she gets Gypsy band out of prison and is restored to her proper home.

Hampden to Follow Cyrano Nose Custom The real Cyrano’s nose was an aquiline monstrosity like the beak of a great bird, but Walter Hampden is to wear >a giant proboscis pointing upward when he appears as Cyrano at English’s March 7. Cryanos of the stage always have worn noses like this. Why not a hooked appendage like that of the Gascon adventurer? The answer goes back to Constant

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

Coquelin, original Cryano of the stage. Coquelin’s own nose was the snub variety, having a concavity instead of a bridge, so it was easier for him to accentuate his own deformity than follow history. Richard Mansfield and Mr. Hampden adopted the Coquelin model, although the. later’s nose is of aquiline mbld. Jean Parker Plays Role Jean Parker’s first film since she returned from a four-months’ visit to England is “Farmer in the Dell,” in which she plays the role of Fred Stone’s daughter.

Quins Played Roles in Film WitFiout ReFiearsal; Dafoe Credited for Speedy Work Babes Weren't Nervous, But Hersholt and Miss Peterson Forgot Their Lines When They Held Children; King Pleased at Quick Release of Movie. BY PAUL HARRISON HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 27.—(NEA)—The Dionne quintuplets are just about the only persons who ever acted as stars in major roles of a feature production and never had to rehearse.

Director Henry King is going around congratulating himself that the production will be ready for release so soon. With a little bad luck, he and his company of players and technicians still might be quartered at the hotel in North Bay. Part of the picture, as you know, was taken at Callander, North Bay, and in the babies’ private hospital. Dafoe Gets Credit Dr. Dafoe gets most of the credit for speedy completion of the shooting in Ontario. He forced the movie people to make haste slowly. At the outset, he announced that there was going to be not the slightest interruption in the babies’ routine of sleep, feeding and play. And there wasn’t. Only the adult cast required rehearsals, though, and those were held in the hotel in the afternoons. So most of the rare minutes in the nursery were actual shooting time, and five reels of film were used. At that, the quins still are the world’s highest-paid actresses, considering the short intervals they spent before the camera. Jean Hersholt, the Country Doctor in the picture, and Dorothy Peterson, the nurse, are seasoned troupers. Couldn’t Remember Lines “But the first day we worked, those two couldn’t remember any of their lines in the presence of the kids,” King recalled. “They said that holding the quins in their arms was the most trying experience of their lives. “They couldn’t have been more frightened if they had been facing five hungry lions. I mentioned this to the doctor. He said, ‘Well, they were facing five very strong personalities!’” Hersholt and the director be-

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came fast friends of Dr. Dafoe, and spent most of their evening in his library. They correspond regularly now and the actor sends books to Callander. As soon as it can be prepared, Xing will send a 16-mm. film of the finished production for the doctor's prized projection machine. Berlin Goes to Hollywood Irving Berlin came all the way from New York to Hollywood just to see a preview of “Follow the Fleet,'” new Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical for which he wrote seven song hits. EB t STARTING MONDAY NIGHT AT 8:15 ; The Federal Theatre Project for Indiana Presents THE FEDERAL PLAYERS In Booth Tarklngton'a Great Comedy CLARENCE’ Seats Now Selling NIGHT PRICES—ISc,2Sc,4Oc Matiniee Sat. — TOc, 20c, 30c j —ALL SEATS RESERVED—TELEPHONE LIHCOLH 9000

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