Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 December 1936 — Page 10

Child Stars Lose Votes Of Juveniles

Nation-wide Poll Shows Youth Favors Films

Of Older Actors.

BY JAMES THRASHER Doubtless you adult moviegoers enjoyed Jane Withers last week in “Can This Be Dixie?” And probably you will pack Mr. Collins’ Apollo beginning Friday when Shirley Temple comes to town in her new picture, “Stowaway.” But if Junior or Mary Lou want to take in something serious, don't be surprised. These deductions are based on the selection of the year's 10 best films. recently made by 300 boys and girls throughout the country. And before we give you the list, it might interest you to know that both Shirley and Jane are conspicuously

absent, and for the second svccessive year,

Apparently cute young- |

; ? :

ERNIE IMPRESSED BY FREDRIC MARCH HOME

sters annoy rather than entertain |

youthful patrons. The only child stars represented in the “10 best” are those in “The Devil Is a Sissy” — Freddie Bar tholomew, Mickey Rooney and Jackie Cooper And you'll recall that the ) “Cute.'

Voters From 8 to 17

Little comment, in addition to the selection. is needed on the adult, intelligent discrimination of these children of 8 to 17 years old. In order of preference. the films are as follows: “The Great Ziegfeld,” Anthony Adverse.” “San Prancisco,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” “Story of Louis Pasteur,” “The Devil Is a] Sissy,” “The Last of the Mohicans” and “Mary of Scotland.” Also high up in the voting were | “The Green Pastures” “Fury,” | “Swing Time,” “Ramona.” “Mod- | ern Times,” “The General Died at Dawn” and “The Texas Rangers.” | Love once more took a beating at the hands of the youthful critics. | Robert Taylor, who gained the rank | of “America’s Male Sweetheart” | this season, whether he wanted it or not, did not appear in the first 20 selected pictures

Favor Shakespeare

But love and Shakespeare togethformed a notable exception, which is one for the Bard, along with Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard. Here the youngsters found the romantic element quite indispensable. Most of them admitted that they approached the picture with some misgivings, but a ma jority left with the expressed hope | that they might see more Shakespeare done in the same manner. The opinions were gathered by the National Board of Review through its Young Reviewers and | Four-Star Clubs. We do not know what discrimination, if any, i§ used In selection of individual members, | but the choices come from children | from New York to California, and | as far south as Louisiana. | Details lists of selections by boys | between the ages of 8 and 13. and | 14-17, and girls of the same age | reveal a remarkable unanimity of | taste, Both, boys and girls in the | lower bracket picked seven of the first 10 The varying three go to show that they are just healthy, normal kids after all: The bovs picked “The Big Game.” “The Texas Rangers” and “A Night at the Opera,” while the girls preferred “Ramona,” “Show Boat” and “Swing Time.” Perhaps these 10 pictures are not quite what solicitous parents might choose for juvenile consumption. But they seem to have done all right by themselves, and ‘stand a good chance of batting at least 500 | with the nation's elder and more erudite pickers

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Deanna Durbin Presented Car

B Fimitred Proce HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 21.—Deanna Durbin, 14-year-old songstress, returned to Hollywood last night from a vacation in New York and was greeted with a pre-Christmas gift from her boss, Charles P. Rogers of Universal studio. The present was a luxurious new automobile. Mr. Rogers parked it at the railroad station |

Deanna took Mr. Rogers ride

for a

WHAT, WHEN, WHERE

APOLLO

“One Wav Passage " ‘wit Powell and Kay FPrancis, 1:81, “3°51, 8:81. 1

h William 3t “118 . 1:31 and 9:51

CIRCLE

ge Holiday and Allen 1:19, 3:29

with Jack Ben. Mary Boland 5:41, 7:53 and ' all-color car$19, 7:31 and

Colle Burns 1 0s A i Also at 12:58

KEITH'S “Riddle Me This presented by Pederal Player Curtain at 8:15 LOEW'S

“Rembrandt,” with Charles Laugh. ton, at 11. 1:50, 4:40. 7:30 snd 10°10 Also “Our Relations,” with Laurel Hardy, at 12:35. 3:25. 6:15 and 9:05

LYRIC

“White Hunter.” with Warner Bax- . June Lang and Gail trick, at 11°48, 2:30, 5:22 8:14 and 10:28. Also > ie ville at 1°07. 3948. 641 and

Popere toon, P 0%.

P43

the

ALAMO

ificent Brute’ McLaglen And Binnie

Bar victor es, SO. “Code of ce Range. With Charles Starrett.

AMBASSADOR “Vallent Is the Word for with Gladys George and Jude, Also, “North of Nome Jack Wolt, OHIO “Pepoer.” with Jane Withers Also. pane Harvester.” BW Gene Stratton. Por er

Carfe." Arline with

picture was not entirely Star

| section is as quiet as death. Newspapers are still |

Fredric March . . .

Proves Affable As Interview Begins

At 6:30 A. M.

Host

BY ERNIE PYLE Times Special Writer HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 21. — The Fredric March home is a beautiful, rambling, French Colonial affair, sitting behind a wall in the winding, hilly homes, At 6:30 in ‘the morning the whole It is just daylight. lying folded on the doorstep of the March home. You hesitate to ring at that hour, but that's when they said to come. You ring. . .

After a long while a sleepy

smiling maid in"a red bathrobe lets |

you in, and says ‘Mr. March is up, and go right up to his bedroom. Fredric March, one of moviedom’s greatest, in bathrobe and a towel around his neck, holds out his hand and I say, “How do you

like this for a nutty idea, coming |

at this hour.” Works fo Keep His Figure

“I think it's swell.” “That's semething I've ‘always thought would be a good idea. To write about a whole, typical day of a player.” So we start the day. March's bedroom is like a living room, plus a bed. Big chairs, and books, and tables. He presses a buzzer, picks up a phene, and asks for orange juice. “My trainer will be along in a minute. He's an ex-pug. He comes and beats me around every morning.” March gets on the floor, and starts doing exercises. He lies face down, raises his head and feet, and rocks back and forth on his stomach. If you think that’s easy, try it sometime. I tell March couldn't do it because I haven't any stomach. He says if he didn’t have one he wouldn't have to do it.

Freddie Does It, Though

March is bigger than he looks in pictures, and just as nice looking. He's 6 feet, and weighs 180. Says he can just feel his weight going up sometimes. He doesn't have that firm look about his mouth you notice on the screen. He's 39, comes from Racine, Wis, and his real name is Fredric Marcher Bickel. The trainer arrives, gets out a long folding table and sets it up, and March lies on it. The trainer pushes and pummels and kneads him all over, using lots of rubbing aicohol. He is a young fellow and Joesn’t look like a pug. March and I drink orange juice while the trainer is working. The trainer says I shouldn't smoke cigarets before breakfast. But I notice that after he's gone his client, Mr. Freddie March, smokes a couple.

Crazy About His Children March says this isn't really a typi-

he says.

cal day, because Mrs. Marsh and | the children are in New York.

“I they were at home,” he says, “they'd be in here romping over cverything.” March is crazy about his kids. They are Pennie (Penelope), about 4'2, and Tony, 2. He thinks everybody should have children. March gets out three big albums of pictures and I roam through them while he bathes and shaves. He has fooled with cameras since he was a youngster. Almost his main private interest in life is taking pictures of the children’s first experiences—first ride on a locomotive, first circus and so on. He has caught some expressions that are almost art. The albums have intimate little descriptions In psn and ink A Room for Each Child When March is dressed he shows me over the house. It is wonderful. They built it two years ago. It is big, but in no way pretentious. Behind is a sun yard, with a pingpong

table and big beach chairs, and |

then a swimming pool. “We have 30 acres out in the

country,” March says, “and some |

day maybe we'll sell this and build out there, so the kinds can have more room.” Each child has a huge room, with th, and a nurse's room between.

Beverly Hills district of fine

but |

I galow.

and Olivia de Havilland

“

The nursery suite covers a whole |

end of the second floor. The Marchs have been scared of kidnapers, so the windows are barred and padlocked inside, like a prison, only the bars are so fitted that you | scarcely notice them. We eat breakfast in a small sun room. The man who serves us looks like Jimmy Durante. On the table March has a little wire rack to hold

i | tabloid magazine of the film world, so he can read while eating. But | we talk and he doesn’t read. We have chipped beef on toast, and a dish of fresh figs. ,

Success Seems Unreal

We get to talking about Nordhoilf and Hall, down in the South Seas. The Marches were down there two years ago. We seem to talk so | naturally that I can hardly realize | any more I'm in the presence of a world famous star. I ask him if his tremendous success ever seems unreal to him. He I'says it does constantly. He says he'll read something in the papers giving Hollywood and | the movie stars the devil, and he finds himself agreeing with the

piece. not realizing at first that he |

is one of the people they're taiking about when they say “stars.” He says he gets a terrific boot out of talking with Charlie Chaplin or Gloria Swanson. Savs he almost has to pinch himself to make sure that Freddie March is actually standing thers talking to Chaplin.

‘He's a Little Late

We talk so long at breakfast that March is late getting started to work. We drive down in his La | Salle coupe, 45 miles an hour all the ‘way. We stop at a corner mailbox | to airmail a letter to Mrs. March. | He wrote it the night before, by | hand. | March's dressing room on the | Selznick International lot is a bunThree rooms and bath, fur- | nished just like home. “I'd like to live here,” he says. March is late, so he rips off his clothes, sits at the mirror, and puts on his makeup. He does it by himself. Just brown grease paint and | powder. A man drops in to help him get on his stiff shirt and tuxedo. The studio calls at 8:50 and says they're ready whenever he is. | “That's the first time they've ever been ready ahead of time,” he says,

“and on the very first morning I'm |

late.” We are in the studio at 9:10.

Next—More ‘on ‘March.

BACON.COUGHLIN WEDDING IS SET

By United Press

HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 21.—-Lloyd

Bacon, motion picture director, and |

his fiancee, Nadine Coughlin, today were awaiting issuance of their wedding license as they made plans ‘for a Christmas Eve marriage. The couple appeared at the license "bureau yesterday and filed notice of intention to wed. Mr. Bacon gave ! his age as 47 and Miss Coughlin said

she was 25. The director had been |

| married twice. It is Miss Coughlin’s first venture.

Film Shipped to Star in London

limes Special HOLLYWOOD. Dec. 21. —Because Marlene Dietrich was forced to leave Hollywood for London commitments before she had an opportunity to see the whole of “The Garden of Allah,” a print

fit. i She was interested particularly in viewing it because it marked her first appearance in technicolor.

FANNIE HURST SIGNS

| ‘Fannie Hurst, noted novelist, has signed a writing contract to develop an original screen treatment of | “Show Business,’ 'a story ( 'a major feature for next | schedule. )

E | 13 i 8

FEDERAL PLAYERS ™

the Hollywood Reporter, a daily |

was | shipped to England and a sereen- | ing held there for her special bene-

Film Stars

To Old Santa

‘Pampered Few Have ‘Everything Their Hearts |

Could Desire.

BY PAUL HARRISON HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 21.—! ! - - . » ‘Here it is nigh onto the holi- | days, and your correspondent | hasn't made out his Christ- | mas list. Santa Claus, ac- | companied by guest stars, is ' riding along Hollywood boule- | vard every night. | Platoons of secretaries are storm- | ling the shoppes and department | | stores for presents to be given by | | their bosses. Electrictians borrowed | {from the studios are festooning lawns with lights. Executives are dictating stern | Ibu utterly ineffectual orders to! | their staffs that production must | not cease before 5 p. m. on Christmas Eve. { | And here I sit, wondering what on earth to give the stars, who already have everything their little | (hearts desire. Let's see, then, what | | some of them deserve, or need: | There's Robert Taylor. A new, racing car? A swimming pool? A | | portfolio of selections for the cello? | | No, he can ‘easily get all those. {Best hunch is Barbara Stanwyck, | wrapped as a gift. |

| For Greta Garbo, a nice comedy. | 'Sh ealways has wanted to play in | la hilarious picture so she could for- | ‘vet her anemia. Dick Poweil?—a | [set of three new gestures. And to | Jehn Barrymore, a pair of slippers, | |a pipe, and a handsome set of! | Shakespeare. Quite a lot of the stars should! {get books. For Marlene Dietrich | maybe I can -arrange a copy of | | “Trilby,” suitably inscribed by | | Svengali von Sternberg. :

| Jean Harlow—William Powell. (Or | poaching too much |

1s Santa Claus (on the happy hunting grounds of | Senor Cupid? Oaky, skip it.) | . To Myrna Ley, who is a good | | actress for any customer's 35 cents, | ‘I'd like to be able to give all the | | negatives of the still and motion | | pictures taken of her when she was | 'a writhing Oriental siren. And | | some of the rowdy Charleston se- | | quences ought to go back to Joan | | Crawford. | James Cagney needs a good script. | To Clark Gable I should like to | 'hand, with best wishes, the role | {of Rhett Butler in “Gone With the | | Wind.” | Inarticulate, fidgety Gary Coo- | per needs an official spokesman. Shirley Temple needs a haircut. To Paul Muni, a handful of soy beans and a generous gift package of good earth. For the Marx Brothers, a padded cell tastefully upholstered in chain mail filled with steel wooi. For George Raft, a fresh gallon | | of hair-slickum, for he seems to! ‘have run out of this trademake | commodity. To Leslie Howard, who dared to produce “Hamlet” as a sort of | crowning histrionic gesture to his career, I should like to send an autographed picture of his distinguished contemporary John Giel- | gud.

But I'm afraid he wouldn't | cherish it. On the other hand, I might ar- | [range an amicable exchange of | photographs between Martha Raye | {and Joe E. Brown. | | For Spencer Tracy, 100 votes for | | the next acting award of the Acad- | | emy of Motion Pictures. Bob Burns | (gets a piccolo, Jane Withers a base- | {ball bat, Simone Simon a pound of | !lollypops. For Eddie ‘Cantor a nice | | long vacation. | Who needs clothes? TIM bet Adolphe Menjou's wardrobe doesn't | include a pair of blue jeans, a | sweatshirt and some sneakers. And | Eleanor Powell — she needs some | frilly, feminine dancing costumes land a divorce from those horren- | | dous, somber outfits which make | | her look like something vou used | | to see through a microscope in en- | | tomology. | |. To Bing Crosby, hardest of hard- | | luck sportsmen, one of these little | | horse-race games, at which every | lone sometimes wins. To Constance Bennett, a quart of {

bottled-in-bond cod liver oil. | | Arthur Treacher receives a round | trip to the coronation. if any. | And for “Colonel” Victor McLag- | Ten, an Eagle Scout badge and an electric horse. To each producer of motion pic- | tures, an embroidered eryving-towel., To all directors, one gross of aspirin. |

Are Problem |

| BREEN RIDES; BUTTERWORTH IS HORSE

Piatigorsky Is Excellent,

Russian Cellist Plays With |

Cincinnati Symphony. |

Gregor Piatigorsky. we can assure | you, is playing in his usual excel- | lent manner,

2 » : | : This information was gleaned in |:

a tri

p to Cincinnati to hear the dis- |

tinguished Russian cellist with the |

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on | Saturday night. Of course. might have waited until his appear- | ance with our own symphony or- | chestra later in the season, but im- | patience and several swerves on icy | pavements were rewarded with an | admirable performance. Mr. Piatigorsky was heard first in | the Schumann A Minor Concerto and, after the intermission, he returned to do the cello solo—one might say the “title role” in Strauss’ “Don Quixote.” In the latter work Vladimir Bakaleinikoff, who also is listed for one of the local orchestra’s future dates as guest conductor, was viola soloist. The cellist lavished all the richness of his golden tone upon the concerto. Clearly grasping the composer’s style and intention, the deep-

felt, songful phrases succeeded one 3

another to form a tonal picture of surpassing beauty. Eugene Goossens and the orchestra lent splendid support.

Music Descriptive

Strauss once made a jesting remark to the effect that music one day might be able to describe a tea- | spoon in a recognizable manner. | “Don Quixote,” and especially Mr. | Piatigorsky's playing of the solo | parts describing the mad knight, | make one inclined to agree. The | pathetic, insane chivalry, the ex-| alted adoration of his beloved, the | return of reason with approaching | death—all are there. Strauss has | written with an almost verbal elo- | quence which gained full meanig | under Mr. Piatigorsky’s bow and | fingers. Perhaps the work is too literal; | many have found fault with it as a1 aimless waste of great talent. But as done Saturday night, it was immensely diverting. Mr. Goossens molded the lengthy work with a sure touch which retained inter- | est to the end, aided by an alert | and spirited response from his play- | ers. The program opened with the | Beethoven Eighth Symphony and | closed with the Prelude to Act III of Wagner's “Lohengrin.” (By J.Q T) |

Try-Outs for Play Planned

Singers and Dancers Needed For Civic Musical Show. |

Try-outs for the Civic Theater's annual musical show are to be held at the Playhouse Sunday evening, Director Frederick Burleigh announced todav. Although more than 300 persons have been auditioned since the beginning of the season, there still is need for specialty singers and dancers for the revue, Mr. Burleigh | said. Prepared acts are not Hecessary, | according to the director, because | all material for the production, tobe | presented in February, will be, brought from New York by Charles | Gaynor, who is to assist with direc- | tion. Applicants Sunday night are | to be judged on basis of personality, | ability and appearance. Try-outs | are to begin at 8 p. m.

| To all Hallywood, a Merry Christ- i

mas.

LILY PONS SEASICK

| Having crossed the ocean many | | times without mishap. it took a film ship scene to make Lily Pons, | Fhging star of “That Girl From ," sea sick. The cramped i in a berth combined with the Ter. | rific heat from set lights causeq it.

2 Eves. 8] Dee.

"™ Was Rewitened Thousands -. to ’ Boe An 31.

BAXTER LAN

| judged the outstanding film produc- | tion of the year in all countries.

| Louis Pasteur”; | “The

one |.

An “unknown” a year ago, nine-year-old Bobby Breen already is a singing star, not only of radio but in the movies as well.

He is

shown above in two scenes from his newest picture, “Rainbow on the River,” chosen to reopen the Indiana Theater Christmas Day. Charles Butterworth is the unhappy gentleman beneath the energetic Bobby

in the lower picture.

Board Picks

| | |

Best Movies

"Mr. Deeds Goes to Town' Wins First Place

also ranked first in popular appeal,

| the board said. |

“La Kermesse Heroique” was ad- | The 10 best American films were |

listed as follows: “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”; “The |

| Story of Louis Pasteur”; “Modern |

Times”; “Pury”; “Winterset”; “The | Devil Ts a Sissy”; “Ceiling Zero"; | “Romeo and Juliet”; “The Prisoner of ‘Shark Island,” and “The Green

| Pastures.”

E. &. ROBINSON | BUYS PICTURES

By United Press | LONDON, Dec. 21.—Edward 3. | Robinson, the motion picture actor, sailed today on the Normandie with a fortune in paintings he purchased during a European holiday. The | collections inciudes works by Corot, | Daumier, Gauguin, Morisot, Renoir, | Utrillo, and Sickert. |

ELITR

: ! |

POLLO

. Ra — FREE CHR

| “One in a Million,”

ST.

tsy for Brande Comedy

Times Special HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 21, Haley and Patsy Kelly, laugh-mak-ers who helped enliven the musical film, “Pigskin Parade,” have been assigned to the cast of “Wake Up and Live,” based upon Dorothea Brande’s best-seller. Walter

in the cast, The picture goes into production next month under the direction of Sidney Lanfield, who recently com-

pleted the musical extravaganza which marks Sonja Henie.

the film debut of

Tonight's Presentations at Your

NEIGHBORHOOD THEATERS

Win- | chell and Ben Bernie already are!

Pollock Play Revived by U.S. Troupe

"The Fool," Which Tells of Zealous Pastor, to Open Tonight.

One of the biggest hits of the American theater, Channing Pollock's “The Fool,” is to be revived by the Federal [Players. as their Christmas week offering, beginning tonight at Keith's. “The Fool” had an unusually long { New York run, plaved for a vear in { London, and for six months in both | Chicago and Boston. Three touring [companies took it to many other cities throughout the country. Although not regarded as a ligious drama, “The Fool” {reas with practical application of Chric. tianity to problems of modern life, The setting is in New York, rang. ing from the chancel of an arisincratic church to the slums of the East Side.

Minister Chief Character

Chief character of “The Fool” is a zealous young minister who turns to philanthropic work after his out« spoken contempt of social injustices costs him his pulpit. His closest frends regard him with contempt, but his faith seems to work mir: cles, and his sincerity makes him feel he is far from being the fool and failure the world considers him. For a mob scene at the end of tha third act, the Federal troupe has been augmented with extra players, Beginning with “The Fool." the Federal Plavers are to discontinia the policy of staging plays for twpweek periods in favor of a change of bill weekly, Saturday matinaas performances are to be resumed.

re=

Miss Marsh Is Engaged

Blond Actress to Marry Al Scott, New York Broker.

By United Press

HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 21.—Blond Marian Marsh today flashed a large, square-cut diamond on her engage ment ring finger and admitted it was given to her by Al Scott, New York broker and former husband of | Colleen Moore, The actress said no date had been [set for their wedding but that the | ceremony would take place in Hollywood within a few months. Mr. Scott is in the Bast on busi[ness and may not see Miss Marsh { during the holidays. He had intend- | ed to fly here but his fiancee urged [ him not to do so because of adverse | weather. The couple met several months ago at a social affair. Mr. Scott was {diverced by Miss Moore, silent [ screen star, nearly two years ago.

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