Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 December 1936 — Page 19

TUESDAY, DEC. 22, 1936

THE

PAGE 19

FEDERAL PLAYERS" THE FOOL" APPROPRIATE FOR CHRISTMAS WEEK

Pollock Play Is Given by Capable Cast

Old Classic Tells Story of Man Who Tried to Live Like Christ.

BY JAMES THRASHER

John Cameron, Federal Players director, has seen to it that Indianapolis amuse-ment-seekers have Christmas entertainment in the true Christmas spirit. In other words, Channing Pollock’s already dated but still popular play, “The Fool,” which 1s being presented through Saturday at Keith's. Evervhody knows “The Fool" hould. It has come to us through a highly successful New York run in the early 1920s, more success on the road, the silent movie version with Fdmund Lowe, even tent shows «till relating the poignant story of the man that tried to lit Christ, hat man, will recall, iel Gilchrist He gave up hi in a fashionable church, gave ur too, the woman he loved, to ascist the working class, befriend the degraded, and prove that the love of one’s fellow-man was a practicable philosophy

01

e vou was De

Encounters Many Obstacles

'aturally he echcountered many obstacles. He saw his income cut off by Goodkind, trustee of his father's will. He saw Goodkind’'s son, Jerry, marry his former fiancee, neglect and deceive her, then accuse him because he sheltered the unfortunate wife of a belligerent, coal miner whom Jerrv himself had betraved. He heard himself called “fool” and “madman,” and still persevered to a final triumph. After repeated séeings, “The Fool” somehow does not seem the powerful human document that impressed one first Mr. Pollock is undoubtedly a sincere humanitarian, but he likewise is a canny author whose pen is loaded with ammunition that makes sure-fire “theater.” There are worn patches of melodrama, yet they are part of one of the few American plays that, at the age of 15, can ence interest. The melodrama might not be so apparent were it not for the fact that our local players still it hard to speak at any time everyday people

find like

Many Improvements Noted

It doesn’t take any such phrases as "It's a great | vou don’t weaken,” and “Love isn't everything” to have them delivered with the tremolo and vox humana stops playing. The heavy | pall of elocution hangs over all the | serious Federal Theater performances. And such is their improvement since last spring that it remains about their only besetting sin There are many improvements in the present offering. It is the most handsomely mounted of recent productions, for one thing. It also offers a pleasant change of pace in casting, which regular patrons should welcome, and which the actors seemed to enjoy Ned LeFevre, the company's juvenile lead, dons pince nez and powdered hair to give a first-rate performance of yoodkind. Jack Duval, whose usual lot is character roles, does very well in Gilchrist's part, which is no easy assignment.

of the sting out of

life if

Good in Miner's Part

outstanding job is that Winters as Umanski, the Polish miner. Here is a legitimate opportunity for “heavy” drama, and Mr. Winters rises to the occasion. C'Mari de Schipper does particularly well as Pearl the miner's wife. Betty Anne Brown, relieved, like Messrs Fevre, of her accustomed role of ingenue, plays Mary Margaret, the little cripple, and Alice Arnold does Clare, who loves Gilchrist and marries Jerry, The latter part is in the hands of Herbert Sloan, who recently left the Indiana University | campus for the local boards. Mr, Cameron moves “The Fool” | along as fast as its wordiness will | permit, and the fight scene in Act | III is handled neatly We mentioned earlier that every one knows this play, or should. If! you do not, you owe it to yourself | to remedy the defect. “The Fool” | one of our national “minor | league” classics, and its acquaint- | ance is a necessary part of your | theatrical | EXDrritnce

EDITH FELLOWS" EARNINGS $13,018

Another of Frederic

is

{ Presse

HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 22 —A rec$13.018 earnings since 1932 claimed today by Edith Fel-13-vear-old actress, when an wecounting of her affairs was filed by her guardian and grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth L. Fellows. Of the amount, $11 819 has been _Spemt.

of Was

ows

FREE DANCE LESSONS TONIGHT

THE CASINO

3547 E. Wash. St. Buy Your Ticket Now! For New Year's Eve Frolic. Adv. Ticket Sale, 40c. Tickets on Sale Downtown at the Mor-

row Nut Houses. Three Downtown Stores.

KEITH'S | =r)

FEDERAL PLAYERS In Channing Pollock's o.. FOOL"

ightn—18¢, 25e,

ad Bat. a Hb 20¢, 38e ~— Next Week —-

“They Krew What They Wanted"

like

| From

| biggest

seize and hold audi- |

(and cards.

| show

Henning, |

Duval and Le- |

>

[HOME LIFE CENTER OF MARCH'S WORLD

BY ERNIE PYLE

Times Special Writer HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 22.—Fredric March is working in a picture called ‘A Star Is Born,” for Selznick-In-ternational. It's a smart, expensive picture, and it's in technicolor. March has never done a color picture before. He doesn't know how he'll look. Playing with him are Janet Gaynor and Adolph Menjou. “Wild | Bill” Wellman is directing. They start the minute enters. The set is loby. Though small, cost thousands. March has a portable dressing | room—it's an auto trailer—right behind the set. Between shots, while | they're rearranging the lights, he | goes in there and lies down. What, He Has Two Shirts? Sometimes he has to change) shirts, On a hot day when there | are a lot of lights he goes through | three undershirts in a forenoon. | About 11 o'clock he has some vegetable broth in his trailer. |

March |

it must have |

Around 12:30 they stop an hour Only three pictures a year.

for lunch. March eats in his bunalow on the studio grounds. Has lunch sent over from the Brown | Derby. He and 1 eat alone, Serving. After lunch he smokes a cigar, | and lies down to rest. I suggest | that he take a nap, that he doesn't | have to talk to me all the time, but | he says he wants to talk. Back at the studio, March plays | the part of a slightly drunken ac- | tor in the hotel lobby. In order to | make his staggering real, he gets behind the scenes just before a shot | and turns around and around as | fast as he can. It works, but it | gives him an awful headache. |

Actually Lives His Part

scene he has to cram! and by the | a few times | he hates the |

In one down caviar sandwiches, time they rehearse it he's so full of caviar sight of it. It is Saturday, off at

so Wellman knocks | 5 o'clock and everybody is | delighted. We go back to the] bungalow, and March gets off his | shirt and dabs cold cream all over | his face to get the grease paint off. | the bathroom he calls, “You may not believe it, but this is the |; thrill of the day, when the | cold water hits your face after | you've got the paint off.” | You have no idea how tense and | how exhausting a day of acting is, | until you see a player like March actually living through his part.

Serious and Intelligent

March is serious, and intelligent. His world centers around his home and family. His private life is fair- | Iv normal. The Marches have a | dozen or so close friends, the movies and some not.

some in | They go

| | | | | |

to each other's houses for dinner | Pederation of Women's Clubs, will |

The Marches go out in | Hollywood public life very little. Ralph Bellamy is March's closest | friend. | March has autograph trouble | when he leaves Hollywood. He says | he doesn’t mind the bother so much, | but it embarrasses him. Because | if you are courteous and start signing, people will think you like to off. | Crossing 5th-av the other day in | New York, four nicely dressed girls spotted him. He went down a side | street and started signing, but be- | fore he could finish, a crowd was | gathering and he was lost. He said | it was just like a crowd watching a | policeman arrest somebody. Most of them didn't know who he was. They just saw people getting autographs and they wanted one too.

Putting Him on the Spot

He heard somebody in the crowd | say sort of disgustedly, “Oh, let's take him anvway.” And once he heard just the last part of a conversation about him between wo | women. He savs he'll wish to his dving day that he knew the first | part. The last part was “—but I| like him, though.” March reads part of his fan mail. He is called upon a lot from onetime acquaintances, old school friends and so on, for money. That | really puts him in a spot. He hates | to refuse but he can't just scatter | money to everybody. So he turns | the requests over to his agent, who | grants some of them. March puzzles a great deal over | the right way to invest his money. He puts it mostly in trust funds. He | savs he's a greenhorn at finance, in

| spite of working in a bank for three

vears. Menjou talks stock market |

| to him all the time, and it makes |

him feel ashamed that he can't | understand it. March is a free lance in Holly- | wood. In other words, he signs up |

| for just one picture at a time. His |

+ Mat, | 25-28

GALA HOLIDAY ATTRACTION! |

Max Gorden presents of Theatrical Enchantment

PRIDE & PREJUDICE |

JANE AUSTEN'S Great Novel Dramatized by Helen Jerome

Tt Has Newitched Thousands

Keats Eves, 55¢ to $2.75 Tax. Now Mat., 55¢ to $2.20 Ine.

\ | ||

A Bit

Jane Withers, Irvin 8. Cobb “PEPPER”

Gene Mtratton Porter's (Novel) “HARVESTER”

TONIGHT =, Avars LaMarr and { (3 His Southern Gentlemen 25¢ Before 9 SPECIAL DANCE CHRISTMAS EVE

| Swarthout, | husband, Frank Chapman, | settled down for a three-week stay | after | in the East in the interest of Para- | moun’'t silver

a swank hotel | §

Fredric March

| price is $125,000 a picture, and he | never lacks takers.

Ernie Thinks He's Aces After this, he Mrs. March are going back to

| Broadway together in a play next | | September. March was on Broad-

he way for eight years before coming

| to Hollywood in 1928. March came up to my expecta- | tions, and then some.

have this in common—their great | success has not touched their personalities. Everywhere in Hollywood people tell you that. No swell head. Wo stiffness. Although I had to be there in the role of observer, my day with March was as though we were friends. I think he's grand. I'm sorry he's a famous man, and we

|can't really be friends.

Next: The story of a girls’ battle in Hollywood.

‘Hoosiers’ Works Are to Be Heard

Works of four Indiana composers

| are to be heard for the first time

in Indianapolis at 8:15 o'clock tonight in Crospey auditorium. The

occasion will be a WPA sponsored |

concert.

An eight-piece WPA orchestra

| will present music by the following | | young Hoosiers:

Virginia Hitchcock,

Jules Brewer, Roland Leich and

| William Pelz. *

Following the concert, Mrs. Frank

Cregor chairman of the American |

music department of the Indiana

speak on “American Composers.”

| Mrs. Cregor also is to conduct a

forum, at which the composers will

answer questions pertaining to the | technique and significance of their |

works.

The concert is open to

| public.

Miss ¢ Swarthout Back on Coast

By United Press HOLLYWOOD. Dec. 22.—Gladys | screen singer, and her have a personal appearance tour jubilee for Adolph Zukor. Early in January, the singer is | to start a 14-city tour to include a premiere of her latest picture, probably in Washington, D. C. She and Mr. Chapman observed their fifth wedding anniversary |

| coming West on he train.

Cd

JACK BENNY | BURNS ALLEN MARY BOLAND MARTHA RAYE

intends to make | He and |

Gable and | March are utterly different, but they |

the |

2000 to See Variety Club Cheer Shows

Begin Three-Day Tour of

City and County

Institutions.

Nearly 2000 persons are | expected to see the Variety ‘Club's Christmas Cheer Shows, which are to begin a three-day tour of city and ‘county institutions at 11 o'clock this morning. The first stop is to be at the | American Settlement, with appearances following at the Altenheim | Home for the Aged, 2 p. m.; at the | Day Nursery at 3:30 p. m,, and a

| final show at Sunnyside Sanatorium |

at 7 o'clock tonight.

| the Indianapolis School Blind at 10:45 a. m.; | tional therapy ward of City Hospital at 1:30 p. m.;

Tomorrow the units are to visit |

for ‘the | the occupa- |

the Indianapolis |

| Home for the Aged at 3:30 p. m,, |

and the, General Protestant phans Home at 7 o'clock.

remains open at present, though it probably will be filled at the request of some other institution during the next two days. At 1 p. m. the Indianapolis Orphans Home will be visited. A performance at the Marion County Infirmary is scheduled for 3:30 o'clock, and .the shows will conclude at the Marion County Guardians’ Home at 7 p. m. Louis Stockman, in charge of entertainment, has selected the performers from the advanced classes of Bobby Rivers, Ednora B. Johnson, Dorothy Kizer and Mary G. Perkins, teachers in the Stockman Studios’ stage department. burn is the accompanist.

Cast Is Announced

Those taking part are Cruthrei, Gilmore Johnson, Mary Elizabeth Karstadt, Kenneth Stockman, Jacqueline Kenyon, Patty and Barbara Joy, Mary Ann and | Roberta Newgent, Patricia Gentry, Shirley Gray. Louise Durham, | Dorothy Condon, Jack Sanders, Shirley Bain, Richard Woods, | Dickie Hatton, Jim Bob Coffey, Patty Johnson, Jo Ann Graham, Joan Reardon, Helen Schmidt, | Katherine Garrett, Mary Lou FoX, | Carl Schultz, Denny Kinder and | Virginia Bremmerman. Others are Darline Caldwell, Earline Cummings, Mary Lou and | Helen Gaines, Betty Lou Fergus, | Marcella and Joan Reynolds, Jerry Lou Dowden, Florence Casey, Rose- | marie Campbell, Betty and James | Rees, Patty Jordan, Dorothy Mae | Webb, Barbara Ross, Ramona Krenzer, Robbie Gene Robinson, Mollie Lou Quandt, Mary Lou Beiser, Carolyn Heller, Julia Ann Abram, Audrey Hughes, Margaret | and Esther Cates, Dorothy Mae | Mills. Delores Johnson, Dorothy | Ann Peirce, Dickie Peirce, Evelyn | |

Ludwig. Ruth Rosenthal, Betty Jean | Mitchell, Barbara Bruning and | Betty Spillers. The Variety Club also urges any | one knowing an orphan or needy child to bring the youngster to one | of the two free shows to be presented at 8:45 a. m. Thursday at | the the Apollo and Ambasador theaters. Attractions will be a Buck Jones | picture and short subjects at the] | Apollo, and Bill Boyd in “Call of | | the Prairie.” as well as short sub- | jects, at the Ambasador. The films are being furnished by Floyd Brown | | of Universal and Barney Barnard | ky Paramount, both Variety Club | members. Art Lyday, business man- | ager of the Operators’ Union, annaving the operators’ services.

Allen |

is |

Or-

The morning date for Thursday |

Manford Shel- |

MYRNA

HUNTS S MISSING

LETTER

It appears that William Powell the missing piece of ‘correspondence seems to be seeking. Anyway, the

from “After the Thin Man,” in which you may catch up on the adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Nick Charles at Loew's, beginning Christmas Day.

may have eaten that Myrna Loy above is a scene

WHAT, WHEN, WHERE ||

APOLLO

“One Way Passage,” with Willlam Powell and Kay ROIS. at 11:51, 1:51, 3:51, 5:51, 7:51 and 9:51,

CIRCLE

“College Holiday,” with Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, Mary Boland, at : 7, 3:29, ,5:41, 7:53 and 10:15. so ‘Popeye’ all-color carsoon. at 12:55, 3:07. 5:19, 7:31 and

KEITH'S “Riddle Me This.” presented by the Federal Players. Curtain at 8:15. LOEW'S

“Rembrandt.” with Charles Laughton, at 11, 1:50, 7:30 and 10:10. Also “Our LR oiations.” with Laurel Hardy, at 12:35, 3:25, 6:15 and 9

LYRIC

“White Hunter,” with Warner Baxon Jung Lan and Gail Patrick, at 1:48, 8:14 and 10:28. Also

Taudevile at 1:07, 3:4 6:41 and

ALAMO

‘Magnificent Brute’ with Victor McLag en and Binnie Barnes. Also. “Code of the Range,’ with Charles Starrett.

AMBASSADOR

‘“Valient Is the Word for Carie” with Gladys George and Arline Judge. Also, “North of Nome,” with Jack Holt,

OHIO

“Pepper.” with Jane Withers, Also, “The er venen) ' by Gene StrattonPorter.

SONYA'S ROMANCE RUMORS REVIVED

2 United Press

HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 22.—Roman-

tic rumors concerning Sonja Henie, |

champion ice skater and film actress, and Tyrone Power, actor, were revived today as the couple sped east in the same plane. Miss Henie, accompanied by her mother, was headed for a theatrical engagement in New York while Mr. Power expected to visit his family in Cincinnati.

z \ With BYTON GIRLS AND OTHER ACTS

Tonight’s Presentations at Your

NEIGHBORHOOD THEATERS

WEST SIDE

's TATE RS Ki “GIRL_FROM MANDALAY are medy—Novelty

BE ELMONT ~ W. Wash. & Belmont |

Double Bron “OLD HUTC

ganace Beery John Boles—* ‘CRAIG'S WIFE”

0 A | S Y T2580 W. Mich. St.

Double Feature Rogers “STATE FA “POSTAL INSPECTOR"

NORTH SIDE

Illinois and Sith ble Feature

R RIT z William Powell

“MY MAN GODFREY” Jane Withers— "PEPPER"

ZARING “Ehiighc™

“EARENRY THE VI UPTOWN me vores, RENE vr

‘GARRICK EE

| CMABLIE CHAN AT THE RACE TRACK"

st. OQ Fi. Wayne ST. CLAIR Fn ‘MY M GODFREY" “GIRL ON ‘THE FRONT PAGE” BA “Odell wu at Clifton y

30th at Northw't'a Double Feature Ruth Chattery on “GIRLS’ DORMITOR “BACK TO NATURE”

‘Stratford bow

Louise Latimer “TWO Ly REYOLT" “SPEN

MECCA

“AND SUDDEN DEA “FA RMER THE DELL"

D R EA M 2361_ Station SL

Double Feature Clark Gable “DANCING LADY" “THE BIG HOUSE"

~ 1500 Roosevelt Ave. je Feal

| | “Noble & Mass.

“THE TEXAS RANGERS “BARBARY COAST"

|

|

|

18 E. 10th St. Rouble Feature e Beery

HAMILTON I

y “OL LD “CHARLIE CHAN AT Yay RACE TRACK”

‘PAR KER 20% E. 10th 8)

Feature Mirian Hopkins “THESE THREE" “NOBODY'S FOOL" 1332 E. Wash. St. S T R A N D Double Featore “CRAIG'S WIFE" “MAGNIFICENT BRUTE”

Ha 411 E. Wash. Joel McCrea

gr

We oshow Washington Buck Jones, Phantom Rider—Neo. 4

RIVOLI oxo ult RS IEEE €

“Double

‘SUTTER'S “10 BEAT TRE E BAND" 5507 E. ER St. ter Huston

IRVING

i | ! {

|

ar §

Wallace

Paramount Joan Bannett BJOU J O L J peau SOUTH SIDE

on og oli FOUNTAIN SQUARE

AVALON “SHAR OF

Ber 8. Meridian St Gaynor

Star's Cowboys

TO BEULAH BONDI Welcome Santa 0

| Times Special | HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 22.—Para- | mount has given a long-term contract to Beulah Bondi, one of the screen's talented character acresses, who has had a recent series | of important parts in “The Trail of | the Lonesome Pine,” Frank Loy Ss | “Maid of Salem, ” and, currently, “Souls at Sea” with Gary Sp | and George Raft. Miss

a i GIVEN |

By United Press HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 22.—Buck Jones, currently making Westerns, | gave Hollywood something to stare | 8 at last night when. he helped Santa | Claus stage a parade. Movie celebrities have been rid- | ing nightly with Santa Claus down Hollywood-blvd, but Mr. Jones, not |

| content with merely riding on a |

| float, threw in a crowd of cowboys, cowgirls, Indians, valuable horses | phine Lawrence. and even a Western stagecoach. Six | orphans from a Hollywood school | | rode on Saint Nick's float.

CAREY IS PIONEER

PATRICIA ZIEGFELD PICKS CHORUS GIRLS

| Harry Carey, who has a WR HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 22—Sixty | role in “Racing Lady,” is a real pio- | gancing girls were signed today for neer of the screen, having been as{sociated in the past with D. W. | Griffith, Mary Pickford, Lillian | hundred applicants by | Gish, Dustin Farnum and others | Ziegfeld, daughter of the late Flowho made film history. (renz Ziegfeld.

after being chosen from

Bondi's | next big part will be as the tragic | mother in “The Years Are So Long,” | which Leo McCarey is to produce | | and direct from the novel by Jose-

Simone Sets New Record

Fan Names Baby After Her Following First Film.

BY KELLY WOOLPERT

United Press Staff Correspondent HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 22.-—Making records or setting a new precedent is one of the favorite sports in Hol= lywood. To set some kind of a record in a business where new things are being developed constantly not particularly difficult. However, seve |eral Hollywood newcomers have

done their record-breaking in fields that caused even blase film players to sit up and take notice. | Among these is Simone Simon, petite French actress who virtually | was “pulled out of the hat” and pushed to stardom. Simone startled even her press agent when she exhibited a fan letter which informed her a family in | Hagerstown, Md. had named their daughter after her. Now the mere fact that a baby is named for a current film luminary does not smash any records, but when one is named after Simone Simon--that does chalk up something for other players to shoot at For Simone has | wood a comparatively short time, ‘| At the time the baby was named | after her she had appeared in ons | picture and a “trailer” for another, | This breaks existing records of | baby-naming, at least those where the parents have made public their | action, which 1s all that concerns | Hollywood. | For instance, it took Marlene Die= | trich three years and four pictures lto get her first name perpetuated by a Denver infant. Oddly, Greta Garbo, one of the | greatest box office attractions in the industry, had to wait five years | and make eight pictures before anNn | nouncement was made that a baby [el been named for her.

LOEW S

25¢c to 6 CHARLES

LAUGHTON

“REMBRANDT”

is

been in Holly-

roles in. a new Universal musicale | several | Patricia |

NICK ano NORA

(MR. and MRS, THIN MAN)

ARE BACK IN NEW THRILLS AND FUN!

The long-awaited sequel fo “The Thin Man” is here. It's slick! It's as new as 19371 These new “Thin Man” laughs...these new Thin Man” adventures «mean a new high in rollicking, rowdy, romanfic sgreen entertainment!

a W. S. VAN DYKE Production with JAMES STEWART ELISSA LANDI JOSEPH CALLEIA JESSIE RALPH Alan Marshall » Teddy Hart

Prom the story by Dashiell Homme Directed by W. S. VAN DYKE Produced by Hu! Stromberg A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture

* SONGS, TOO!

You'll get an extra ill ‘when you hear *“SMONE DREAMS " ond "Blow That Hom” x

STARTS

FRIDAY!

Christmas Day at LOEW'S!