Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 10 November 1936 — Page 11
LB
of Midway | - Moves Fast
Production on Keith Stage Lacks Suspense, Reviewer Notes.
BY JAMES THRASHER A hectic day on the hot dog row is the thesis of the Federal Players’ latest presentation, now showing at Keith's. It’s “Penny Arcade” by Marie Baumer, and you may have
seen it in the movies.
It was one of the early James Cagney-Joan Blondell vehicles, and it helped to launch them on their respective string of tough-guy-and-gal roles. As the name implies, the story is of “pitch men” and other Midway denizens, and the plot centers about the murder of one Mitch McKane, a gangster. The shooting takes place in front of the audience’s eyes, which does away nicely with the element of mys-
: Melodrama in the Raw
“Penny Arcade” is melodrama of the baldest sort. There is less conflict and suspense than might have been concocted from a bitter but doting mother, her wayward " son who commits the murder, his fickle girl friend, the woman’s daughter who goes against her mother’s will to marry a no-good peep-show proprietor, and the daughter's “intended,” on whom the damning weapon is “planted.”
There is plenty of good material for a highly dramatic piece, but the only surprise is that you wait for a surprise ending that never comes. The play hurries through to its obvious conclusion. Yet somehow “Penny Arcade” is better entertainment than “The Barker.” which it resembles. Speed may have a lot to do with it: The | Federal Players make the n¥ost | of this element, and are to be commended for a performance in which there are no lags in .pace, and few in interest.
Unpleasantness Is Unanimous
As to performance, the cast makes each character as thoroughly unpleasant as the author intended. You seldom will find a play without a single admirable character, but this is one of them. And in carrying out the playwrights wish, the local Thespians have done all they | could. | Elsa Ewell, Alice Arnold, Ned Le Fevre, Frederic Winters, Betty | Anne Brown and Jack Duval have the principal parts, with William | 5 cee DY 12000 people.
12,000 Greet Robert Taylor When He Makes Trip Home
Schools and Stores Close When He Goes to Beatrice, Neb., to Eat Fried Chicken and Apple Pie.
BY PAUL HARRISON
HOLLYWOOD, Nov. i10.—(NEA)—When Robert Taylor landed in Beatrice, Neb., for a nice, quiet visit with his family—and a date with some of Grammaw Stanhope’s fried chicken and apple pie—he was
Schools and stores were closed for the day. He was escorted home
Schneider, Ira B. Klein, Jess Fink, | with a two-mile parade, which included four bands and a company of
Hal Hawkes, Melbourne Schwartz | national Guardsmen. and: Gene Brittain also in the cast. | N>ional G + After seeing a number of “Penny | o14 homestead, he received ‘from 800 Arcades,” “Barkefs,” and several, 199 telephone calls a ‘day. other similar plays of doubtful en- These experiences of Mr. Taylor tertainment or cultural value, we | in give you a rough idea of why wonder why it is that no products jie stars usually evince an unof the Federal Writers Project have flattering reluctance to journey to been granted this and other Middle | 4,0; 01d home towns. Picture play-
Gov. R. L.#Cochran as master of ceremonies.
Western units for performance. WPA groups in New York have done a great number of new plays by Federally sponsored authors. And while they may not have been very good, they certainly must have been every bit as fresh and considerably more topical than much that has been seen here. Meanwhile, let it be said that the local troupe is improving. Many | of the principals have come far along the road since e season opened last spring. And the whole company has done its best with the material at hand.
Lily Discovers Film Work Is Strenuous
Times Special HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 10—“Grand opera was never like this,” Lily Pons exclaimed as she scrambled and squirmed her way through a ship's port hole for a scene in her new movie. Climbing through port holes is just one of the strenuous experiences the famous little diva has had for her current picture. She has been tossed out a window, suspended high above terra firma, and hauled back in again like a bag of salt. She has raced miles—not all in one running—down a dusty dirt road. She helped Gene Raymond change automobile tires and she has slept in a haystack. “It’s her reward for being such a fine comedienne,” explained Leigh Jason, who is directing her picture.
Louise Beavers Signs Long-Term Contract
Times Special “HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 10.—Louise Beavers, considered the most popular Negro actress ever to appear on the screen, has been signed to a Jong term contract as a result of her work in Bobby Breen’s new picture, “Rainbow on the River.” Miss Beavers will shortly be - starred in “Aunt Jemima,” and also will: have an important role in “Secret Valley,” starring Richard Arlen.
. CAREER IS VARIED Gladys George, who: graduated
from to stardom ‘the screen in “Valiant Is The ord For * once
as the Marvel” with a medicine
RRERET ITS
stage stardom in_ Broadway's Appearance”
ers, by and large, are sentimentalists, and nostalgia can be harshly jarred by 12,000 people and four bafids. What spiritual satisfaction is there in a pilgrimage to the ol’ swimmin’ hole when you're being tagged by the president of the Chamber of Commerce, a newsreel truck, 487 citizens, and three still photographers? Lakeland’s Langford
Take Frances Langford. Take her and cherish her. Miss Langford has been vacationing in her home town, Lakeland, Fla. Probably nobody in Hollywood is so loyal to native heath or hamlet. Miss Langford especially likes Lakeland because it welcomes her with cordiality and consideration. This time there was a “Frances Langford Day’—but only a day. And they named a street for her— Langford Drive. But most of the time she was able to enjoy herself and act like a home-town gal once more. There's Bing Crosby. He hasn't been back to Tacoma, Wash. since he won movie fame. It isn't that Bing wouldn't like to visit the city again. But he'd like to see it as he knew it, a difficult thing for a visiting crooning curiosity. Friends and relatives have been promising him everything, including the city hall, if he'll drop in for a visit. Bob Burns deserved what he got in Van Buren, Ark., because he has made the town bear the brunt of his yarns. Natives came from miles around to welcome the bazooka. boy, and the hotels were so crowded that some of the greeters had to sleep in tents. John Harkrider, art director for Universal, recently returned to Abilene, Tex. The West Texas Fair was in , so it had a “John Harkrider Day.” Orlando, Fla, is awaiting the return of Buddy Ebsen, Hollywood's hoofing yokel, because officials want to name a street for him. . Director Clarence Brown's return to Clinton, Mass, was unusual because - he took an entire motion picture company with him and used the town as background for the production of “Ah, Wilderness.” He also used many of his old friends as players in the picture,
fis ai’
Next Sunday
“the ole left bander”
JOE SANDERS
MIS NIGHTHAWKS
8 Mit mck tax, till . NOV, Sth, After si.1e.
Dance Tonight AL SKY
His first evening's reception billed Nebraska's
While relaxing at the
and paved a street as a movie necessity and a gesture of civic loyalty. When George Barbier returned to Ridgefield Park, N. J. admirers met him at the station and made him autograph $1 bills which they later framed. The significance of this stunt escapes me now. Gracie Allen’s home town is San Francisco. Recently she went there for a week’s visit and kept them in stitches for three.
Indiana, Pa., already is making.
plans for the reception of its Jimmy Stewart. He hopes they'll give him a chance to call quietly on his school friends, and to visit the teacher who wouldn't let him take part in amateur theatricals “because he didn’t look like an actor.” Home towns would see their film celebrities more often if they didn’t make such a fuss over them. Of course, an initial public welcoming is dandy. Also a single appearance in a theater. Betty Grable told me that a small theater in her childhood home of &t. Louis gave her the biggest thrill of her life. The billing for the picture read like this: “BETTY GRABLE in ‘Follow the Fieet’ ”—and then, in very small letters . . . “with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.”
Vaudeville Actress Plays Movie Role
Times Special HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 10.—Irene Franklin, the famed “Red Head” of big time vaudeville days, is to be seen in a comedy role in “Wanted: Jane Turner,” in which Lee Tracy and Gloria Stuart are costarred.
+ When vaudeville was in its heyday, Miss Franklin and her husband, the late Bert Green, were popular headliners, and her famous song, “I Want to Be a Janitor's Child,” still is remembered. Miss Franklin came to Hollywood about two years ago, and hopes to climb to the top in pictures as she did on the stage. In “Wanted: Jane Turner,” she plays the role of an enterprising swindler who -answers matrimonial advertisements and keeps the money she receives for train fare.
INDIANA
pl
This will be a London fog when you see it on the Circle screen beginning Friday, as part of Katharine Hepburn’s new picture, “A Woman Rebels.” But the shower is coming from pipes on a Hollywood set—with the “rain -water” heated to 78 degrees, so the actors and crew will not catch cold. “Fog” is vaporized glycerine forced onto
the set by electric blowers.
Notice that crew members wear rubber coats. Only the actors
get wet. n
Chic Sale Movie
“The Final Tribute,” a short subject featuring the late Charles (Chic) Sale, may be seen for the last time at the Ambassador today, according to Carl Niesse, manager. This picture, the last one made by the famous comedianimpersonator, is ‘not a hooking... It was. playing %he local theater coincidental with Mr. Sale’s death.
Rome Act Hits U.S. Producers
Will Hays Seeks Parley on Export Order.
By United Press ROME, Nov. 10—Will Hays, American film industry leader, hurried here from New York today to negotiate a settlement of a situation which threatens to ‘end the United States film business in Italy. Several United States film distributors already have informed the Italian government they . plan to close their Italian agencies because the government has refused to let them export their earnings in Italy. The government recently notified the distributors: they could only export a total of less than one-third of their annual business here.. The Italian film authorities suggested that the remainder of the lire might be invested in the Italian film in-
‘| dustry or the production of Amer-
ican films in Italy. The distributors rejected this idea, and said if they could ‘not export their Italian earnings they intended to Fut distribution in Italy enirely. :
SHANGHAI, Nov. 10.—The national government: at Nanking today prohibited importation of all paramount films. The: action followed the company’s reply to the government’s demand for. worldwide destruction of the pictures,
fal: fo" 7 1+ Rehearsals: for Symphony Orchestra “concert next |
Conductor Here for Rehearsals
Fabien -Sevitzky to Direct ‘Sympheny- Concert.
He Indianapolis
Tuesday night at the Murat are now: in progress under the direction
of Fabien Sevitzky, founder and conductor. of the Philadelphia Sinfonietta and for many years the Boston People’s Symphony Orchestra conductor. He arrived in Indianapolis for rehearsal Sunday morning after a busy: season of guest conductnig in principal American music centers. Among his engagements were three appearances at the Watergate Concerts on the Potomac in Washington, D. C.; a series. of concerts with the Young Musicians’ Orchestra and the Sevitzky Vocal Ensemble; the fourth annual music festival at: Little Boar's Head, N. H. and a: concert. with ‘the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra in Hollywood
Bowl. Directed in Europe
Mr. Sevitzky’s European experience includes successful appearances as guest conductor of the Orchestra Symphonique de Paris, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony and ‘the Warsaw Philhafmonic. A limited number of tickets for the coming concert are to be available at the Indiana State Symphony Society headquarters, 120 E. Ohiost, beginning today.
NECK KINKS LEAVE
- Robert Taylor had an osteopath visit him on the “Camille” set to jerk the kinks out of his stiff neck, which he has had for two days.
FREDDIE PLAYS BADMINTON
Freddie Bartholomew is becoming adept at the game of badminton, since a court was installed in the back yard of his home 5
“The General Died at Dawn,” and|
“Klondike - Annie,” which Nanking considered unsatisfactory.
FIRST SCORE : The first Western piéture te‘have a complete score especially written for ‘it is Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Plainsman,” starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. : ;
H hal SN A Vl
Orchestra |
WHERE, WHAT, WHEN:
APOLLO
“Cain .and Mabel,” with Marion 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: 10:30. Also “Don’t Turn Em Loose,”’ with Lewis Stone and Bruce Cabot, at 12:50, 3:45, 6:30 and 9:25.
KEITH'S «Penny Atcade,” presented by the Federal Players, at 8:15. : LOEW'S ‘Tarzan Escapes,” with Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan; ata 1, 50, 448, And. 10. Also ‘“‘Adven init a i ‘Jean Arthur. and: Joel’ Wetre 32: 747302 6:15 and 9:10. % : LYRIC. “Carrol's’ Mardi Gras,” on st at 1:05, 3: 6:46 and 9:32.
3:51, 's Kid,” Jason, Guy Kibbee and May RO
at 11:29, 2:15, 5:10, 7:56 and 10:33.
a
ALAMO
.' “We Went to College,” with Hugh Herbert. Also ‘‘Alibi for Murder,” with Marguerite Churchill.
AMBASSADOR
“Two in a Crowd,” with Joan Bennett and Joel McCrea. Also “Yellow Cargo,’ with Conrad Nagel,
. OHIO “Poor Little Rich, Sut with Shir-
ley Temple. Also ree @heers for Love,” with Eleanore Whitney.
TRAVELER HATES TRAVELING Director W. S. Van Dyke, who has
Contracts for Three Players Approved
By United Press HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 10.—Three youthful actresses have had movie contracts approved by a superior court judge here, preparatory to beginning their film careers. The girls included Mary Maguire, 17, called “the Mary Pickford of Australia.” She will receive $500 weekly during the first year -and $2500 ‘a. week during the fifth year if all options in ‘the contract are
| taken up. i ‘I “Doris Weston, “19,%Chicago radio |
singer, wa$ to receive’$400 a week at
{the start and $2000 a week in the
fifth - year. Thais Dickerson, 19,
| Long Beach (Cal) actress, had a
contract ranging from $150 to $1750 over a similar period.
CIRCLE
made motion pictures in Alaska, |
Africa and the South Seas, doesn’t like to travel and avoids location trips whenever possible.
KNITS FOR MAID
Between scenes of “After the Thin Man,” Myrna Loy is crocheting a baby blanket for Theresa, her maid, who is expecting the stork within the next few months.
GABLE MARION DAVIES ‘CAIN and
OLIVIA
Je HAVILLAND
New Apollon Show Opens on Jinx Day
Manager Nicholas Recalls Lyric’s Last lll-Fated Friday, the 13th.
The thirteenth of this month, as some one may have reminded you, falls on Friday of this week. Perhaps that doesn’t mean much to you, but it does to the theatrical profession, who are a notoriously superstitious lot, and to Manager Ted Nicholas of the Lyric in particular.
Mr. Nicholas has a very good reason and he can prove it by telling you the story of March 13 this year, which also came on Friday. That was the week that Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels headed the Lyric stage bill. They arrived all right from Cincinnati for the show, but their trunks did not. “Imagine,” said Mr. Nicholas, “a movie queen without her wardrobe.” But they went on in their trave eling clothes and brought down the house at the first performance. So much for that—only that isn’t all. There was the O'Connor Family, one of the few real “family” acts in vaudeville. Now the O'Connors had been feeling perfectly elegant on Thursday the twelfth. But early on Friday morning Patsy, one of the daughters, woke up with an acute attack of appendicitis and was rushed to a hospital. Mrs. O'Connor became ill soon after, and the other daughter in the troupe went down with some other malady—all on Friday. All this, we repeat, happened on
‘March 13.
But the show goes on in spite of illness, baggage tie-ups and the salendar. So Dave Apollon and his 1937 Star Parade is to open at the Lyric on Friday—if nothing happens. Of course, they have an “ime possible” jump from - Milwaukee, where they close Thursday night, which is going to require a special train, But they aren't worrying. The new Apollon show is making its first American tour, having come direct from the London Palladium. In the cast of 50 will be Charles and Charlotte Lamberton, deaf-mute brother and sister who dance to music they can not hear; the Great Gibsons, a “thrill” act direct from Germany; Ruth Del Rio, Mexican dancer; Lydia Sue from . Vienna; Yvonne Moray from Paris; the London Savoy dancers and many, others.
Now—28¢ to 6
TARZAN ESCAPES
LHIDAY § Edna Ferber’s
COME AND GET IT
Ldward Arnold Joel McCrea Frances Farmer
——PLUS—
The Longest Night
Robert Young _ Florence Rice
1
oN,
Tonight's Presentations at Your
NEIGHBORHOOD THEATERS
WEST SIDE 2702 W. 10th St.
S TA TE Special Feature
rian: Donlevy “36 HOURS TO KILL” Comedy—Cartoon
BELMONT w. ‘Wash. & Belmont
eature “EN
D A SY Gene Raymond
“THE BRIDE WALKS OUT “BLACKMAILER” ~
NORTH SIDE : Illinois and 34th RITZ Double Feat “M Ss” i “IT’S LOVE AGAIN” Central at Fall Ork, 1 ture
ZARING Special Featu
“SWING TIME”
“DANCING LADY” “BIG HOUSE”
30th and Illineis GARRICK Boas resturs “HIS BROTHER'S WIFE” “EARTHWORM TRACTORS” St. Clair & Ft. Wayne Pathe Feature
EAST SIDE
RIVOLI ted
“MY MAN GODFREY ‘ALIBI FOR MURDER” Doors Open 5:45 P. M.
3155 E, 10th Double Feature Wm. Powell i
ET i ro 2442 E. Wash St, TACOMA “Baki Pith “CHINA CLIPPER" ____ “THREE CHEERS FOR LOVE"
TUXEDO “Dottie Toate *
Double Feature “YOURS FOR THE AS NG ' oh WHHL . as IRVING Roast, wai ste fbr RL Irene msy. 1050 E. 10th St. EMERSON ‘Deusic Feature “SWING TIME” ; “GRAND JURY” T1 as art vars IGE THAT HAMILTON pessie Feature wg re Astaire K E R 2936 E. 10th St,
Double Feature
“CAPTAIN JANUARY" 0° “SMALL TOWN GIRL”
STRAND Bef Wethut”
PAR
Paramount
114 E. Washington Double Feature
Paul Kell “HERE COMES TROUBLE" - Frank Merriwell No.
FOUNTAIN
AVALON. Bro |