Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 March 1937 — Page 12
PAGE 12
OLSEN AND JOHNSON
@«
Played With Others Who Rose to Fame
Days When Gracie Allen Was a Sword Dancer Are Recalled.
By JAMES THRASHER
Anyone who thinks there is no advantage in a college education should consider the case of Olsen and Johnson, who will return to the Lyric stage tomorrow in a new re- | vue, “Fun Marches On.” If these gentlemen had not ma- | triculated at Northwestern Univer= | gity in the early ‘teens of this cen- | tury the world would have been | cheated out of several thousand | laughs, and the gentlemen wouldn't have had a 22-year partnership | record in the show business. It's been a successful partnership, too. The boys have ridden right through the troublesome times when vaudeville engagements were harder to | find than taxicabs on a rainy night. | It's a well known fact that Mr. | Olsen is a Hoosier. He was born in Wabash and later lived in Peru, Both towns, he says, claim him, | Mr. Johnson's explanation is that | Wabash claims he was born in | Peru, and Peru says he came from Wabash. In the years since the boys started clowning on the Northwestern campus instead of doing their | homework, they naturally have seen stars come and go, and their recollections of currently successful performers’ early days are interesting. They Knew Them When For instance, they used to play on the same bill with George Burns when the latter was a member of an obscure dancing team, called Burns and Lorrain, that didn't even talk. Gracie Allen at that time was an ingenue and sword dancer in an act billed as Will Kennedy & Co. They recall the red-cheeked boy with the reedless saxophone, Mor- | ton Downey, who used to sing with the S. 8. Leviathan Orchestra and stop the show at nearly every performance. In New Orleans they nearly signed up a girls’ trio called the Boswell Sisters, and at the Majestic in Chi- | cago they were headlined on a bill | whose No. 2 spot was filled by two
kids named Fred and Adele Astaire | Roof Holds Over
who managed to do all right dor | themselves later on.
Oh, Yes, Jack Oakie
Right here in Indianapolis there | was a young fellow doing a bit in |
the act of McConnell and Simpson | dance band, is being held over at | who insisted on clowning with Olsen | the Indiana Roof this week, and| A and Johnson in their afterpiece. His | will name was Jack Oakie. On the same | Sunday, Tom Devine, manager, anbill was the team of Whipple and | nounced today.
latter being Walter |
Huston—the Huston.
THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
STILL TOPS AFTER 22
Opening Tomorrow
Apollo
“WINGS OF THE MORNING"”—With Henry Fonda, Annabella, Leslie Banks, John McCormack, Stewart Rome and Irene Vanbrugh. Directed by Harold Schuster; screen play by Tom Geraghty from stories by Donn Byrne; color direction by Natalie Kalmus; photographed by Ray Rennahan. Story—Gypsy girl, disguised as boy, escapes from Spain to greatgrandmother's home in Ireland. She trades old lady's horse, which the grandmother is entering in Derby to get money for girl's dowry for another norse. When grandmother disapproves, she sets out, still disguised as boy, with young Irish trainer, to look for horse. Horse is found, and trainer makes it possible for him to win race, although he knows a victory means girl will marry another man, and he is in love with her. His last-minute change of mind gives him both race victory and girl. Circle “SWING HIGH, SWING LOW"—With Carole Lombard, Fred McMurray, Charles Butterworth, Jean Dixon, Dorothy Lamour and Harvey Stephens. Directed by Mitchell Leisen; screen play by Virginia Van Upp and Oscar Hammerstein II from play by George M. Watters and Arthur Hopkins; photographed by Ted Tetzlaff. Story—Happy-go-lucky ex-soldier and night club singer, who is en route to California and marriage, meet on boat bound for Panama. He takes girl on tour of Panama, gets into fight over her with natives. Arrested, they miss the boat. She gets his trumpet out of hock, then gets him job in night club. Then she marries him. He becomes sensation, and goes to New York, forgetting her. But when he hears she is to get divorce, he loses interest in music, then loses jobs. Friends persuade her to return to him, and he becomes a swingdom sensation.
Loew's
“A FAMILY AFFAIR”—With Lionel! Barrymore, Cecilia Parker, Eric Linden, Mickey Rooney and Charley Grapewin, Directed by George B. Seitz; screen play by Kay Van Riper, based on play by Aurania Rouveyrol; photographed by Lester White, Story—Popular judge risks chance for re-election by holding up engineering project. Situation is complicated by daughter's return with report her husband, having seen her in night club with another man, is seeking divorce. Another daughter returns, bringing with her young engineer with whom she is in love. He is interested in engineering project, and they quarrel over her father's stand. Things are blackest when opposition uses scandal about judge's family against him, but he saves situation by having daughter's husband deny he is seeking divorce and by explaining to convention of volers that engineering project would deprive city of water supply. He is re-elected by acclamation.
“PAROLE RACKET”—With Rosalind Keith, Paul Kelly, Leona Maricle and Thurston Hall. Directed by C. C. Coleman Jr.; screen play by Harold Shumate; photographed by George Meehan.
Story—Police detective, to get to the bottom of a parole racket, has himself demoted, then sentenced to prison for bribery. With aid of woman newspaper reporter, he gets parole. becomes nominal head of gang and eventualiy apprehends man behind the racket, the ‘parole board president. Lyrie
(on stage) in their new revue, “Fun Marches On.” Supporting acts include Hector and Pals, canine act; Ardis May, dancer; Roy Cummings, knock-about comedy star; Peters Sisters, harmony singers; Jack Cavanaugh, lariat expert, and two groups of girls—the Olechicks and Hollywood co-eds. “HER HUSBAND'S SECRETARY” (on screen)—With Jean Muir, Beverly Roberts, Warren Hull, Joseph Crehan, Clara Blandick and Addison Richards. Directed by Frank McDonald; screen play by Lillie Hayward; photographed by Arthur Todd. Story—Wife of young executive suggests he engage her friend for his secretary. Secretary soon becomes important in his life, and goes with him on business trip to Maine woods to see banker at his lodge. Wife follows and when she learns secretary is there starts away. A forest fire causes them to flee and executive is left by secretary to die when he sprains ankle. But wife returns to save him.
OLSEN AND JOHNSON
| wood, They knew Dave Rubinoff, they'll [ their transcontinental route.
i when they arrive in
| capital.
Mr. Devine says the lady mu-
Hol lywood Debs | sicians have won approval of local
| dancers, making possible their ex-
| tended engagement.
ICE BLOCK BAR
100-foot bar made of
Jhe Hollywood Debs, all-girl |
play each evening
The girls are en route to Holly- | playing at ballrooms on | Idaho, for They
location scenes
tell you, when he was a member of | hope to land a movie contract Met Him In Paris.”
the Quixey Quintet . . . Fred Allen when he was a juggler . . . Harry Richman when he was Mae West's accompanist. And Bing Crosby with his old partner, Al Rinkert, tried out for Olsen and Johnson's “Monkev Business” in 1926. In other words, they knew them when, where—and how.
Price Policy Modified a.»
Beginning Friday with the Olsen | and Johnson appearance, the Lyric | will modify its price policy by changing from matinee to evening admission prices at 5 p. m. instead of an hour later. This is being done, the Lyric management says, to encourage patrons to arrive at the beginning of one of the feature picture showings, which usually start at about 5 p. m. daily except Sunday. On days when five instead of the usual four stage shows are presented, one of these will begin at approximately § o'clock. The new change-time is said to be in accordance with a policy already in effect in vaudeville theaters of other large cities.
Movie Explains Social Security
A short-subject film explaining workings of the Social Security Act and unemployment insurance will be shown at the Circle for the week beginning tomorrow as well as at several neighborhood houses over the coming week-end. The picture is titled ‘New Frontiers” and is released by Pathe. A brief outline of the country's frontier development precedes explanation of the new legislative measures. The film, which was exhibited privately for an invited audience earlier this week, is pictorially interesting as well as in- | formative. ! COLBERT SKATES Claudette Colbert spent three weeks practicing at a Hollywecod skating rink for ice scenes in her new picture, “I Met Him In Paris.” The scenes are being made on location at Sun Valley Lodge near Ketchum, Idaho.
and hi» ORCHESTRA Egyptian Room MURAT TEMPLE TOMORROW
March Twelfth 9:30 P. M.
$1.18 Per Person (Including Tax)
2 r person If purchased sefore 6 P. M. nicht of dance. Tickets on sale now at Mnrat Temple Bax Office Woecsehusetts at New Jersev
the film
Claudette Colbert's new comedy, “I
Continental Actress In Apollo Film
French Actress Starred In First All-Color | British Movie. Those who did not see the | French comedy film, “Le Mil- |
lion"—and presumably there | 'are many who did not—will |
' get their first glimpse of the | |
popular Continental star who |
| calls herself Annabella in “Wings | of the Morning,” which opens to- | morrow at the Apollo. Annabella’s real name is | Charpentier. She comes from a | wealthy Parisian family, which | made her decide not to trade upon | | the family name, and took her | | present title from the heroine of | | Poe's poem, “Annabel Lee.” | | This picture is the first all-color | film made in England, and is the | | star's first English-speaking role, | Playing opposite her is Henry Fone | da, last seen here in “You Only | Live Once,” and Leslie Banks. The | celebrated Irish tenor, John Mec- | Cormack, also makes a brisf sing- | ing appearance. | The fainous French director, Rene | Clair, made Annabella the lead- | ing Continental screen favorite in | “Le Million.” But it was her own | father who launched her on her career—and in a rather back-hand-ed fashion. He was enlarging upon his daughter's deficiencies from a screen | viewpoint before guests, one of | whom was a picture producer. The producer, interested in spite of the father’s unflattering opin- | jon, met the daughter and gave | her a small part in a film, Annabella, it is said, has want-| ed to make films in English for a | long time. She would not do =o, | however, until she had spent 10 weeks in London as Mlle. Murat, | | supplementing her reading and | | writing knowledge of the language | by speaking only English. If anyone is interested in vital | | statistics, Mlle. Annabella is 25, | | weighs 116 pounds, is 5 feet 4 | inches tall and has light brown hair | and brown eyes. Hobbies, favorite | | books and breakfast foods as yet | have not been divulged by 20th | Century-Fox, which is releasing | | “Wings of the Morning” ih this | country.
| [ny AT OHIO = NOW | JAMES | CAGNEY | “GREAT | GUY” |
Anne |!
REX BEL
“Lonely Trails”
ice- | t SN through | picks, to be manned by waiters on Ri | skates, is being built by workmen
near Sun Valley Lodge at Ketchum, |
OUT OF WILDERNESS
Eugene O'Neill's “Ah, Wilderness,” beginning tomorrow in “A Family Affair.” They are Eric Linden, Lionel Barrymore and Cecelia Parker.
SU
The trio, shown above, which scored in the picture version of will be seen at Loew's for the week
25¢ | to 6
The Glorious, Uproarious American Comedy Drama! Heart-Warming, Exciting and Right Up to the Minute! Bring the Whole Family—they’ll have a swell time!
7. ~—__STARTS TOMORROW!
Tr ' The cops put 47 L eon Whose in o 1) CER
r
PAROLE RACKET
PAUL KELLY ROSALIND KEITH _
LAST DAY! Edmund Lowe in “ESPIONAGE” “THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES" te —————————————
THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1937
RS ON STAGE
® ——
'M'LAGLEN BUSY | ON HIS HOME LOT
Times Special HOLLYWOOD, March 11.-—Now | that Victor Mcraglen is back at | the home lot again, 20th Century- | Fox studio officials give him just | as little spare time as-possible. Since
| versal for
“Magnificent Brute” three months ago, he has appeared in three major pictures, “Nancy Steele Is Missing,” “Wee Willie Winkie” and “This Is My Affair.”
HUNTS HOME SITE
Claire Trevor is shopping for a plot of ground in Death Valley which she plans to make her regu= | lar winter between pictures home.
da APOLLO
“GREEN LIGHT”
STARTING
RE TALL 7a [deReLE
The Musical
“SWING FOR SALE” With HAL LEROY Movietone y
News IN
a fa
Thrill to Reckless . . . Feare less, Defiant, Modern Romance That Takes All That Young Hearts Can Give!
q aw : The Most Life-like and Beale
tiful the Screen Has Ever Seen Before!
Hear Beloved JOHN MecCORMACK Singing Treasured Irish Melodies! * The Spectacular Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Home of English Kings! ° The Most Sensational Derby Ever run, With the Great Jockey STEVE DONOGHUE Riding!
25:77 6pm. 2 Som.
Sui >
-
A Paramount Picture
SWING HIGH SWING LOW... SWING FAST SWING SLOW ... THATS LOVE! \
directed by Mitchell Leisen with
CHARLES BUTTERWORTH 7 DOROTHY LAMOUR
The most powerful love story either Carole or Fred has ever starred in. An up and down romance as real as young love itself.
Charlie Butterworth, as the hottest piano player in Panama, heading a bunch of zanies who'll have you gasping for breath as they take Panama with laughter!
Fred trumpets and sings 'em. Carole carols ‘em. Dorothy Lamour swings ‘em. Butterworth hot piano’s 'em and there are five song hits. Count 'em!
“Swing High, Swing Low", "| Hear a Call to Arms", “Spring Is in the Air",
Panamania'.
Then It Isn't Love",
Last Times Today!
“SEA DEVILS”
AND “DON'T TELL THE WIFE"
» |