Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 28 December 1937 — Page 15

Hays Scored For Movies’ Poor Speech

. Magazine Editor Attacks

Quality of Grammar; Asks Boycott.

By JAMES THRASHER

The grammarians, who rush in where angels fear to tread, are at

- it again. Having expressed their

dislike for President Roosevelt's conjunctive “likes,” they've now taken Will Hays to account. Mr. Hays bears the brunt of an attack of the movies’ “tawdry, vulgar and illiterate speech” by Dr. Dagobert D. Runes, editor of the magazine Better English. An editorial open letter in Better English inquires of the movie tsar: “Do you believe with us that vicious speech habits, especially in impres-

sionable youths, often lead to crime? |

That tawdry or meretricious speech heard in motion pictures'plays leads: to trivial conduct patterns? That cynical speech tends to ix low social goals? That vulgarisms debase bath minds and emotions? “On this score alone, Mr. Hays, that of the use of language in American films, Better English categorically accuses you and your associates, the producers, of having almost irremediably vitiated and de-

_moralized public taste. . ..

-Calls for Boycott “A force admittedly more infilu-

ential than schools or museums has|

fallen into the hands of persons who appear to be self-fortified against good speech, good manners, and the social habits of civilized people.” And that, in the words of Capt. Henry, is only the beginnin’, folks. Dr. Runes (he takes care to put the Ph. D after his name in signing the

. editorial) confronts Mr. Hays with

his “own lofty words.” He, through the magazine, calls upon “parentteacher associations, on church and

-- civic /groups, schools and colleges, to

Join /in blacklisting and boycotting He films that pollute our heritage

ood English.” In fact; he lets

ot Hays have both barrels Well, there is much in what Dr. Runes said. Yet his righteous wrath

. seems to have led him into a field

of generalities unworthy of a Ph. D. What he objects to in the “gangster” and “hick” . speech cliches is true. Yet I doubt that many more youths are attracted to crime by the one, than they are repelled from the agricultural profession by the other.

Radio Also Guilty

The movies did not invent ‘trite phrases, bad pronunciation or garbled grammar. Nor was America any cultural Utopia before the days of “The Great Train Robbe five-cent flicker Sarte.

ads, “bat why does bear the brunt of

e . the whole castigation. Let Dr.

Runes listen to a few of radios “homey” daylight dramatic serials. There he might find enough banal phrases, sentiments and philosophies to make the average weak-sister on a double feature look like a great cultural document in comparison. . Those producers who banded together and made Mr. Hays their steadying, unifying and cleansing agent are in the picture business to make money. Sad but true. They didn’t create a low taste level, Suneh they probably are perpetuatTheir money comes from provid- . ing their patrons (12 millions a day) with the entertainment they have demanded and approved in no uncertain terms. And while I am ready to admit that Dr. Runes, as a sensitive, educated practitioner of one of the specialized arts, has every reason to be offended, he’s approaching the matter in the wrong way.

: Makes No Pretentions

What ‘he will have to do is to persuade or legislate the picture producers into wanting to make less money and more artistic films. Meanwhile, Mr, Hays, on behalf of the industry, has said enough times that Hollywood makes no pretentions of artistry bevond entertainment that even the secluded scholar must have had word of it. S0, until the day that the double feature is no more, and boy-meets-girl isn’t the ‘formula for 90 per cent of all screen material, and film sentiment and speech is as fresh as it now is clean—in short, until the millenium, let Dr. Runes be comforted by comparisons. The 90 per cent referred to above] still does not merit serious consideration. But the 10 per cent of better pictures will grow year by year. The “Zolas” and “Good Earths” and “Romeo and Juliets” may not do much box-office business, but theyre doing better. In a few years, with the more sincere 2 foduciTsdending the way, the pubfie will lift itself by the bootstraps up a few more percentage points. And that’s about the best we can hope for.

SAFETY AT HOME

Carol Ann Beery has found a real

~ #gafety playroom” right in her own back

yard. Wallace Beery came home to find that she had taken

over the swimming pool, which has

been drained for the winter, and had converted it into a playhouse. “Well, at least:-she can’t fall out of the pool!” says Wally.

WHAT, WHEN, WHERE

APOLLO

“Hitting a New High,” with Li PE Do. Oakie, at 143, 3:51, 6:5

“King Solomon’s Mines,” with Cedris Hardwicke, Anna Lee, at 1:28, 2:36, 5:43 and 8:51.

: CIRCLE

“True Confession.” Lombard, Fred MscMutray, at 11, 1:50, 4:40, 7:30 a d_10:3 “Daughter of ngha.” with Anne 3 Way Wong, os han 7, 3:37, 6:27

INDIANA “Wells Fargo,” with Joel McCrea, Bob Burns, at 11:33, 2:02, 4:31, 7 and : KEITH'S

- “Doc” Schneider’s Texans on stage, at 1:30, 4, 8:50 and «A Bride for Henry.’ with Warren Hull, on screen, at 12, 2:30, 5, 7:50

and 10:2 S LOEW'S “Man-Proof,” with Myrna Franchot Tone, at 12:15, 3:50, 5: 28 %

“Beg, Borrow or Steal,” 'with Frank ‘Mor an, Florence Rice, at 11, 1:35, 4:10, £:45 and §

“First Lady,” with Kay Francis, Fission Foster, on screen at 11:21, 2:12, 03, 7: 54 and 10:35. “Hioliywood Harlem Revue,” with Ethel ators, on stage at 13:57, 3:48,

6:39 and HIO

“Double or Nothing,” with Bing Cr rosby. Also “Wings Over Honolulu.

AMBASSADOR

“Alf Baba Goes to Town,” with Badie Cantor. Also “Fight for Your Lady.” :

~ ALAMO

“Hollywood Roundu Jones. Also “Charlie way.” '

with Carole

* with Buck han on Broad-

COMEDIAN'S SON TO BE MARRIED

HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 28 (U. P.).— James Blake Rogers, son of Will Rogers, is to marry Astrea Marguerite Kemmler of New York City next spring. The engagement was announced by the girl's mother. Young Rogers is a Pomona College graduate and a polo player, like his father.

° MINES'

Di Ate

= Jane's Pay Is Increased

Child Star Now Gets $2500 Each Week.

HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 28 (U. P.)— Jane Withers: is ore. of the highestpaid child movie stars today, with a salary of $2500 & week, Her salary was raised from $1500 by 20th Century-Fox studios for the next two years gfter the Atlanta girl’s mother unsuccessfully sought permission for her to accept a tentative $400,000 in radio offers. ' Mrs. Withers pointed out that the winsome girl, nov 11, may not last as a so-called “child star” more than four more years. Jane’s salary boost puts her past Freddie Bartholomew, whose paycheck recently wes placed at $2000 a week, after a lonz contract wrangle. She also gets $5000 a week for personal ‘appearance tours, against Freddie’s $3000. Shirley Temple's earnings are not disclosed.

PUDDINGS FOR GIFTS

Her Hollywood friends feasted on

real English plum pudding when|

Maureen O'Sullivan returned from

England. She brought back several

dozen plum puddings, made by the cook on the Norfolk estate of her husband, John Farrow, and dis-

tributed them a; gifts.

Always Something New

% 6 AHractive Acts

the NEW YEAR

% ART BERRY'S BAND

% Fine Food, Beverages % Souvenirs—Favors—

Prizes

% Cover Charge $3. 30

Per Person

. MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW ~~ Call RI 8371

TONIGHT IS CANDID CAMERA NIGHT

=| AVALON

| CINEMA

The players shown here are heralding “Rosa- - lie,” Loew’s next attraction, and. promising patrons . plenty of dancing, singing and comedy. (1) Behind the chin straps and before Old Glory, is Nelson

Eddy, singing star. (2) The royal

trio of funsters

8 8 8

never has permitted a line to be ghosted under his own signature. Vallee, incidentally, has gone into the proprietory side of the song business. He owns the rights to a number of tunes and derives royalties from others, Vallee needs no justification from anybody at this late date, but an unfortunate misconception still = persists about him. His detractors say that he is a pretentious and petty person off the stage and they point to a ridiculous set of house rules he once compiled for the guests at his Maine lodge, as evidence of his nimcompoopery. As a matter of fact, Vallee has outgrown many of the affectations that did him harm in previous years; any many of the unpleasant traits that he developed while he was being catapulted into sensational success have disappeared. Visitors will-find him a seriousminded young man who has an gb- | sorbing interest in his work. : under the iinpression, perhaps, that his songs are works of art. That, at least, is not a pose, but an honest belief. He is an astute. businessman, as the denizens of Tin Pan Alley know. And he never has lost the shyness that has made him a much misunderstood crooner during his career.

ONDERS never cease in Tin Pan Alley. The boys who pondered: the sudden success of an old Italian folk song, “Vieni Vieni,” now are brooding over another dark horse melody. This one goes by-the title of “Bei Mir Bist: Du Schoen,” and that’s

IN NEW YORK—= GEORGE ROSS

Rudy Vallee Honest in Belief His Songs. oo Work of Art; Wedding March a Hit.

EW YORK, Dec. 28.—When we were shown into Rudy Vallee’s dressing room the other night (a social call), he was hard at work on a column he contributes monthly to a radio magazine. pride of authorship in it, too, for the curly headed crooner claims that he

He takes great

is,

a swingy thing that sets the feet to dancing. During the past month it has been: played and ‘sung inter mittently across the country and may become the hi tune of the networks. : “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen” has been the merry serenade at countless Jewish wedding parties since time well-nigh immemorial, and on the lower east side, the Rumanian inns have been employing it for a ‘theme song for 20 years. But it seems that a Harlem harmony team wandered into one of these Ghetto clubs last spring and hung around long enough to memorize it in the original Yiddish and the next thing anyone knew, “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen” had spread like musical wildfire along dusky Lenox Avenue. Then it gravitated toward the swing dens of 52d St. and later, it was brought out in sheet music. And now a Jéwish wedding march has become a hit.

Fl a) ELEN MORGAN, that incomparable singer of melancholy ballads, is notoriously generous with any favor-seekers. An incurable sentimentalist, she wilts under the recital of any maudlin tale and she has a penchant for giving away whatever trinket panhandlers request. The other

is comprised of Frank Morgan, Edna May Oliver and Reginald Owen. (3) At the left in this photo is Eleanor Powell, singing headliner. the new European star, Ilona Massey, who will be making her first American screen appearance.’

With her is

Fra

night, she returned to her table at a

‘midtown club: with a suspicious

moisture about, her eyes. “You're crying, Helen,” her companion said, “why?” La Morgan applied a kerchief to

‘her eyelids. “That poor lady in the

powder room,” she murmured, “she told me that she has only an oldfashioned icebox at home. I helped her with a first payment on a mechanical refrigerator.” ” ” 8 INCLAIR LEWIS has been hovering about the theater belt during the past month, presumably

to learn the tricks of the Playwrit‘ing trade.

He attends openib nights like a veteran, gets around to producers’ ateliers, and, frequently, can be found lunching in the Hotel Astor's Hunting Room. or at The Tavern. Not long ago, “Red” Lewis withdrew a play he wrote from circu-

lation; said that he didn’t think it skilful enough to be shown. At the moment, he is working on another, said to be a comedy on the current state of the world. He has dis-

George Jean Nathan and Jed Har-

ris; and, both, apparently, are proffering expert advice.

CIRCLE Ww

mr of Shanghai’

With Anna May Wong

t | not appeared in Civic ‘productions

‘ater’s montlily “bulletins.

cussed his dramaturgic work with

7:30 P. M. Sunday, With Rehearsals Starting On Return of Director Etcheverry.

It's a bit inaccurate, ‘and more than a little trite, to call the civie Theater Playhouse a “hive of industry.” For there is nary a drone in the dramatic apiary, and the queen bee exists only unofficially, if at all. ~ But the workers are buzzing busily about on no less than -three pro-

ductions.

the Civic staff, is the annual revue, erick already is training. the dancing

'arthest away from performance, but much in the mind of

slated to open Feb. 18. Jac Brodchorus, and Louise Spillman Sparks

is to hold musical auditions at 7:30 p. m. next Sunday.

‘These auditions will be open to® any interested persons, the only requirement being that 'they have

before. Mrs. Sparks also will interview those who wish to try out for sketches or specialty numbers at the same time. Final selections for ‘revue roles and active rehearsal will get under way upon the impending return of Director Alfred Etcheverry and Charles Gaynor, author of this year’s musical show as well as the two previous productions. Rehearsdls for “Excursion,” the first 1938 production, already have started. This Victor Wolfson play, a popular production of last year’s New York season, will open for the usual ' six nights on Jan. 21. The cast of more than 30 prominent parts will be announced upon Mr. Etcheverry’s return. | Moral: Don’t Be Tardy In connection with this play, the Civic's powers that be already have made a New Year's resolution. From now on the curtain will be rung up at 8:30 p. m--whether or no. Because the Civic auditorium is so small, tha. curtain formerly has been held in order that late-comers would not discommode too many patrons already seated. Now, the tardy ones are to be requested to stand in the back of the theater until the end of the first scene. The Civic assures its audiences, however, thit no punitive measures will be taken, such as have been employed by symphony orchestra conductors cluring the past seasons. Reminders of the new promptness policy will be included in the theThe rest will be up to the audience's good natures and early dinners. Meanwhile, Eunice Dissette is spending her afternoons rehearsing her youthful dramatists for the

Too Tense

DUQUOIN, mL, Dec. 28 (U. P.).—A Western “thriller” was nearing a climax at a local theater last night lh the situation became too tense for one spectator. It appeared that the heroine in the film was about to suffer from the brutality of the villain. A middle-aged man in the audience suddenly rose from his seat flourishing a pistol. “He ain’t goin’ to get away with it, boys,” he cried. The man pulled the trigger and the bullet pierced the cushion of the seat just in front of him and grazed the hip of Luther Edmondson, & coal miner of Dowell. Police were summoned but while the 200 persons in the theater milled about, the man with the gun escaped. Author= ities decided the shooting was unpremediated and ‘permitted the show to resume. Mr. Edmondson was treated at a hospital for a minor gunshot wound.

OHIO TO en DISNEY COMEDIES

Tomorrow and Thursday, at 11

a. m., the Ohio is to present an hour and a half of Walt Disney comedies,

And while the Ohio management isn’t trying to encourage any

hookey-playing, it is offering bare gain prices for juvenile patrons.

forthcoming Children’s Theater production, “Scotch Twins,” on Jan. 8. And the stege crew is working on four sets for this play; the pilot’s cabin and the deck of the S.' 8S. Happiness for “Excursion,” and already is gathering material together for the revue’s 20-odd scenes.

YRNA LOY,

[Franchot bo, be ‘Valter Pidgeon : hesaum RUSSELL

Friday, Mightiest Musical of Al JDY » Eleanor L| ars “ROSALIE i

~ IN PERSON Blackbird of Blues

Eddie Mallory Swing Band

3 1liinois a8 New York Continuous From 11 A. M.—15¢ Ronald Colman, ‘Lost Horizon”

Yiddish rather than German. It is'|]

Lewis Stone, ‘Man Who Cried Wolf”

Tonight's Presentation at Your

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SOUTH SIDE

LINCOLN East at Lincoln

Double Feature Akim Tamiroft “THE GREAT BAMB : Sonja Tonic “THIN ICE”

New Ga rel 2203 Shelby

Double Feature “YOU'RE IN HE ABM ows Dick Purcell NREFORTED TMISBING”

FOUNTAIN SQUARE

Double: Feature Eddie Cantor I BABA GOES TO TOWN” «CHARLIE © CHAN ON BROADWAY”.

S ANDERS At’ Fountain Square

Double Feature r_Morris “FLIGHT FROM TORY" Patsy Kelly “PICK A STAR”

GROVE Beech Grov

Double Feature Wm. Powell “DOUBLE WEDDING” Joel McCrea pe

urchman Pro oubie Coan Stuart E “DANCE. CHARLIE, DANCE” THEM LIVE” 1105 8S.

Nan Grey “LET

ORIENTAL ‘Hu Elie | “DANGER—LOVE AT WORK" Mary Brian “NAVY BLUES”

NORTH SIDE

ZARING “pene 3

Warner Shture . “VOGUES OF 1938” “BEHIND THE MIKE” 16th & Delaware "Dousle Feature Davis

THAT CERTAIN We Magiene Dietrich TANG Continuous from J 30 & Colleg! Dahle Feature

UPTOWN STE

LOVE AND LE sIT “HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD”

ST. CLAIR St. Cl. & Ft. Wayne

Double Feature SRE RE Talbott & Double Foatare Barbars, Stanwyck

“STELLA : “FORTY NAUGHTY GIRLS”

30th at Northwestern R b X : Double Feature Ronald oan

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STRAND 1332 E. Wash.

St. Double Feature Jack Oakie “FIGHT

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LIGHTNIN HTNING BILL CARSON” Shadows of A 8

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Double lo Fes ture WOMEN OF G SUR Edw. E. Horton “WILD MONE ONEXY”

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