Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 November 1936 — Page 29

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—————.. AS

BOY MEETS G

Hollywood's Sacred Cows

‘Put on Spot’

‘New Cast Presents Play

Given at English’s Last Season.

BY JAMES THRASHER

Bella and Samuel Spewack, authors, and George Abbott, producer, served us a delicious cinematic roast at the expense of Hollywood last year at English’s, and called it “Boy Meets Girl.” And, thank Heaven, it's back again at the same theater where you may see it tonight and tomorrow night at 8:30 o'clock, or

at a Saturday matinee. After two long years of delighting audiences in New York, London, Chicago and the intervening flag stops, it remains the fastest thing in three acts in .the current field of comedy. the ere isn't a sacred cow O — industry that does not get its horns tweaked somewhere in this delightfully devastating bit. The authors, in adidtion to being smart newspaper folk and playwrights, have spent some time as scenario writers on the Gold Coast, and they know whereof they speak. The bored

and gifted writers (come forth, Ben | Hecht and Charlie MacArthur, we | the Western hero, the |

know you); ), th song Yiuggers. pedigreed nit-wit executives—none of them escapes. But it all is done in such good spirits that even the living counterparts could not object to it. Let it be stated once more, as the literary Robert Law does in the first act, that moviedom’s sure-fire formula is “boy meets girl—boy loses girl—boy -gets girl.” That is the thesis against which the scenarists Law and Benson beat their heads with such hilarious results.

Amusing Current Problem

When Susie, the studio waitress, comes on the scene, they sign up

her son Happy (as yet unborn) as| cowboy hero, |

co-star with the Larry Toms, for whom they concoct “horse operas.” Of course, Happy is a great hit, at the tender age of 7 months, and what with dissolved powers of attorney and things.

the struggle for possession of the

innocent infant's talents becomes certainly the funniest of our cur-

_ rent problems.

Susie, who somehow has become entangled earlier in a slightly bigamous union, exchanges- romantic twinges with a young British extra, i: handsome scarlet uniform. It is sweetly sentimental: “You in your uniform and I in my condition,” as she says of their first meeting. Whereupon the Spewacks, in the course of time, slyly confound themselves. by proving that “boy meets girl, ete.” is not only a cinch at the box office, but one of the eternal verities as well. In the end, boy gets girl. If you saw the show last year, you have a nearly new and entirely excellent cast to attract you back. The only members of the previous company are Larry Fletcher, once of Indianapolis and Wabash College. now a perfect example of the man of the Western plains; and Nigel Sainke, who does Susie's young Briter.

All of Cast Good

Susie is played by Betty Field, Who looks just like that girl you silently adored in your freshman year at college, and plays the thoroughly lovable numskull for sll the part is worth. Her first scene, ‘particularly, is a thing of beauty. Clinton Sundberg and Donald Macdonald do a grand job as the scenarists; Juan Varro as the business

“agent, Frank Fenton as the execu-

tive, Mr. Friday, and the rest of the cast are unfailingly good. We can't leave without calling your special attention to the real movie “trailer” which advertises the Western which features Larry and Happy, when the baby’s cooings are accompanied on the sound track by an excruciating rendition of Wagner's “Ride of the Valkyries.” Nor can we resist remarking that if you thought “Once in a Lifetime” exhausted the rich Hollywood vein that the theater has been panning, you're mistaken.

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GREETED BY SISTER AND MOTHER

Boy meets folks!

Howell, when he arrived at Union Meets Girl” at English’s. is to be presented at 8:30 o'clock

Larry Fletcher is shown being greeted by his sister, Mrs. Henry D. Ridgely (left), and his mother, Mrs. Walter

Station yesterday to play in “Boy

The Samuel and Bella Spewack comedy

tonight and tomorrow night, and

at 2:30 o'clock tomorrow arternoon.

Lorna Doone

Last Two Presentations Are Scheduled Tomorrow.

A large throng of youngsters is expected to follow the tribulations of Lorna Doone tomorrow when the Children’s Civic Theater ‘presents the last two performances of Richard D. Blackmore's famous story. The role of Lorna will be taken by Virginia Goolsby, while Bill Shirley is to play John Ridd, the handsome young -hero who rescues Lorna from the kidnapers. Vivacious Betty Muxworthy is to be portrayed by Gladys Scott. Robert Emhardt plays the role of the bewildered Jan Fry. ' The stage adaptation of the story was prepared by Marion Fotheringham. The settings were designed

to Be Given

( by Evelyn Witherspoon . and the |

costumes by Sally Carter. The performances are scheduled | for 9:30 a. m. and 2:30 p. m. Veteran actors will take the leading roles in the Civic Theater's presentation of the light comedy, “Fly Away Home,” to be staged Friday evening, Nov. 13. The plot concerns the complications resulting from a career-moth-er’s invitation to her first husband to attend her second wedding. Reginald Garstang, Margaret Mead and Clifford Courtney are to take the principal parts.

BALLET-TAPPERS SCARCE

Casting the chorus of “College Holiday,” LeRoy Prinz today found that he would need dancers who could both tap and dance ballets. He had to search throughout Hollywood before finding enough girls to meet the requirements.

STARS TRADE HOMES

Jean Parker is now living in the apartment formerly occupied hy Buddy Ebsen, while her former home in Beverly Hills is occupied by Astrid Allwyn.

WHERE, WHAT, WHEN

APOLLO

“Cain and Mabel” with Mario Davies and Clark Gable, at 11:32, 1:32, 3:32, 5:32, 7:32 and 9:32,

CIRCLE

“Wedding Present,” with Joan Bennett and Cary Grant, at 11, 1:55 4:50, 7:35 and 10:30. Also “Don’ Turn "Em Loose,” with Lewis Stone

and Bruce Cabot, at - 12:50, 3:45, :30 and 9:25.

6:30 KEITH'S “It Can't Happen Here,” first performance of Sinclair Lewis] new play by the Federal Players. at 8:15. :

LOEW'S

“Tarzan Escapes,” win Johnny Weismuller and Maureen O'Sullivan, - at 11, 1: 4:45, 7:35 and 10. Also “Adventure in M with McCrea, at 12:30, 4:20, 6:15 and 9:10. ° . LYRIC “Carrol’s Mardi Gras,” on stage at 1:05, 3:51, 6:46 and 9:32. ‘“The Captain's Kid,” with Sybil - Jason, SJuy Kibbee and May Robson, at 11:29, 2:15, 5:10. 7:56 and 10:33.

¢ ALAMO

“Marihuana” and “The Avenger." AMBASSADOR :

“My Man Godfrey,” with William Powell. Also “Yellowstone,” with Henry Hunter, : OHIO

“Saturday’s’ Millions,” with Raobd Leila Hyams. Also with Fred MacMurray and Madge Evans.

Church Players to Give Comedy

The Sutherland Players this week are rehearsing for their first play, “Big Hearted Herbert,” to be presented Nov. 17 and 18 at ‘the Sutherland Presbyterian Church. “Big _/Hearted Herbert” is the stage adaptation of Sophie Kerr's story, “Chin Chin.” Guy XKibbee played the leading role in the screen version. All the plays to be presented by the Sutherland Players this season are to be under the direction of Norman Green.

BEAUTIFUL

Robert Young, Leila Hyams “SATURDAY'S MILLIONS”

Fred MacMurray, Madge Evans “MEN WITHOUT NAMES”

J e ;

IT WAS FIGHT AT FIRST LOV

Clark GABLE RADII

Star of "Met’ Is to Appear in Cincinnati

Gertrud Wettergren to Sing Leading Role in ‘Carmen.’

The Cincinnati Symphony. Orchestra’s production of Bizet’'s “Carmen,” which opens the organization’s second opera season this evening and tomorrow night, will: introduce the attractive-Swedish contralto, Gertrud Wettergren to Middle-western audi-

ences.

Mme. Wettergren made her American debut at the Metropolitan Opera House last year, and particularly was well received in her role of the Spanish cigaret girl. At ‘15, Mme. Wettergren already had made a name for herself as a dancer in her native country; but her voice attracted the attention of the Crown Princess Margareta, who made it possible for her to’ study at the Royal Academy in Stockholm. She made her debut when she was 17 in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” at the Royal Opera. It was as Carmen, however, that Mme. Wettergren established herself as one of the leading sopranos at the Stockholm Opera, and -aftracted the attention of the Metropolitan management. Twe other stars of the New York company are to be heard in the Cincinnati production. They are Sydney Rayner, who is "to sing Don

‘Jose, and Julius Huehn, who will

be heard as Escamillo, the toreador. Italo Picchi, a former Metropolitan singer, will be the Zuniga, and Irene Williams, leading lyric soprano of the Philadelphia Civic Opera, is to do Micaela.

Goosens Is Director

The Cincinnati orchestra again will be in the pit, with Eugene Goossens, its conductor and director of the opera productions, at the conductor’s stand. Wilhelm von Wymetal Jr, former stage director at the. “Met” and now a motion picture director, is the stage manager; the chorus of 100 will be directed by Alexander von Kreisler, and Mollie Halstead is torhead the ballet. The opera, in its full staged and costume version, will have a cast of “Carmen” is the first of four operas on the orchestra's calendar for the season. Others will be Puccini’s “La Tosca,” Dec. 11 and 12; “The M of Figaro,” Jan. 22:and 23, and “Salome,” by Richard Strauss, Feb. 26 and 27. The curtain for this week-end’s performances will be at 8:15 p. m. :

WELL DRESSED Katharine Hepburn is required to wear 22 changes of costume in her current starring vehicle, “A Woman Rebels.” They are among the 277 designed by Walter Plunkett, noted fashion expert.

HERE'S A REEL JURY Of 12 extras selected to play the jury in “Criminal Lawyer,” eight actually had served as talesmen in Los Angeles courts.

initial climb, but a comeback. Cin-

lots. Casting conferences terminate

JEAN ARTHUR, HAILED AS HOLLYWOOD

I'FIND,' “WAITED FIVE YEARS FOR FAME

BY PAUL HARRISON OLLYWOOD, Nov. 6—(NEA)

L The colony 4s talking about|

Jean Arthur as though she were

a cine-Cinderelia who has just been |

led out of a Brooklyn chimney Corner and launched into stardom. -

Ha! And a couple of phooies! Hollywood is like that. Hollywood has had five and one-half years io discover Miss ‘Arthur. Her current romp to recognition is not an

derella crashed the three times before any. of joe _caliuioiy rinces would give her a tumble. P She's a celebrity now, rightly enough. You ought to hear Cecil B. DeMille rave about her. DeMille directed “The Plainsman,” with Gary Cooper as Wild Bill Hickok and Miss Arthur as Calamity Jane. Other movie-makers, are begging her to please come and play in their

like this: “ ... and maybe you can find us somebody like Jean Arthur. She’s the swellest thing in town.” Miss Arthur is not impressed. Glad, of course, but not unbalanced by her new importance. She is still mindful of those long, discouraging years. She said, “I never much wanted to work in pictures, anyway, until producers made me so mad that I vowed I'd lick the game.” ss = = HE wasn’t stage-struck as a kid. Wanted to be a school teacher. One day in Brooklyn she accompanied a friend to the studio of a commercial photographer. The latter asked her to pose for an advertisement. . Soon her face flashed from the best magazines, and along came- the movie scouts. She got a contract, came to Hollywood, and found that they wanted her to pldy in a series of two-reel slap-stick comedies. She flayed in them, and did a few bits. Pretty soon her contract expired and she was free to return to New York and the still cameras. Instead, she stayed here and went ‘into horse opera. Miss Arthur was the ranchman’s daughter who rode to warn the settlement that bandits had crossed the Rio Grande, ” = »

HEN she was graduated to Paramount. First came a role opposite Richard Dix in something titled “Warming Up.” Then with Ruth Chatterton and Emil Jannings in “The Sins of the Fathers.” Next as the murderess in “The Green Murder Case.” . “I didn’t want. to be a mur deress,” she said. “I didn’t feel like

DANCE TONIGHT

Goldy Saylor and Her Band

THE-OLD-INN

End of Beech Grove Car Line

INGLISHToNerT. =

Eves. Good Orch. Seats: others $2.75. > Balc.: $1.65 & $1.10. Gal.: 5Se. Sat. Mat., Orch.: $1.65. Bale, $1.10. Gal., 55c. Incl. Tax.

e Burroughs

RITZ

nN PQ

Jean Arthur’s latest picture, “Adventure in Manhattan,” in which she is co-starred with Joel McCrea, is to open at Loew’s today.

a murderess. I didn’t like anything I had done on the screen. When my contract was up, I went back to New York, wondering what to try next. Maybe designing.” But she tried a play. “Foreign Affairs,” with Osgood Perkins and Lillian Gish. And very good, too, except it was the kind of a play that didn’t make any money or run very long. It. was enough, though, to encourage Miss Arthur. There were three more plays, all short runs, but she still likes the stage .best, and wants more than anything else to be in.a really good play. » HE took a vacation in Hollywood and was offered new movie contracts. Made one picture, fretted in subsequent idleness, and again returned to Broadway. Two things happened to her there: She married Frank Ross Jr, realtor and builder, and she appeared in “The Bride of Torozko.” One of this correspondent’s indelible memories is how very, very bad that play was. But Miss Arthur stood ouf against the sorry offering like a lighthouse in a fog. Movie scouts again pursued her.

It was

mined to lick the game. And she has. “The Whole Town's Talking” set the town to talking about Jean Arthur. “If You Could Only Cook” established her as a romantic comedienne. - (Incidentally, she can’t cook.) , “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” and “The Ex-Mrs. Bradford” made her a celebrity. Mr. DeMille chose her for Calamity Jane, in buckskins. Be-

fore “The Plainsman” is released, though, she will be seen in “Help Wanted, Female.”

Ire

Riley sol

Theatre, Radio City, Rockefeller Center

“So she came to Hollywood, deter- |

GUY KIBBEE SYBIL JASON MAY ROBSON

Tonight’s Presentations at Your

NEIGHBORHOOD THEATERS

WEST SIDE

EAST SIDE

S TAT E 2702 i Foatare

sulile Heature PHANTOM PA ; “DRACULA’S DAUGHTER”

; W. Wash. BELMONT pousic. + “POSTAL INSPECTOR” TWO EIR EA SE DAISY Dosis Fetine, “TWO AGAINST THE WORLD “TIMBER WAR”

. NORTH SIDE : Illinois and 34th Double Feature “EARLY TO BEDS “LET'S SING AGAIN"

Central .at_Fall Crk. Double Feature Morg

& Belmon Feature Cortes

Mightiest M

‘RIVOLI

: Paramount

TACOMA 2442 E. Wash St.

Dottie Feature rances Dee HALF ANGEL” “MYSTERIOUS AVENGER”

Claire Trevor “STAR FOR A NIGHT” 1 IZ ~~ 4020 E. New York TUXEDO ~° Boude Featucs “AND SUDDEN DEATH” “THREE ON THE TRAIL” 5507 E. Wash St.

IRVING

4630 E. 10th St. Double

EMERSON Sak BBs

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{HAMILTON “iu 8°

PARKER “Powi wae CO

Dick Powell

Fk “HEARTS DIVIDED”

“BIG NOISE”

STRAND ‘SefiTilt |

“FANG AND CLAW”

Lily Pons Joins in ‘Harmony by Actors

Times Special HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 6.— Lily Pons, Metropolitan Opera star, recently added the old barber shop harmony favorite, “Sweet Adeline,” to her repertoire. It happened between scenes of the petite French diva's new pice ture. Gene Raymond, Jack Oakie, Mischa Auer and Frank Jenks started the song in traditional male quartet style. Miss Pons listened for a moment, then joined in, singing harmony to Raymond's lead and adding some coloratura trills all her own.

IGRANADAR

At Ft. Square Tonight, Sat., Sun. Return Engagement!

Americen Humorist.

BOB (Bazooka) BURNS

Radio's greatest “find” in 1935 and the screen’s newest star is now ac- - knowledged the best story teller in America.

‘He has skyrocketed in a little over a year from no job at all to the biggest income of any star in Hollywood.

‘The world discovered he was really funny and Bob discovered there was gold in them thar hill stories of Arkansas.

: And now Bob Burns joins The Times famous family of nationally known contributors. Each day he will write for readers of The Times a funny story chosen from the seemingly endless fund that has won him the