Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 8 March 1938 — Page 5

Page PDF (13.60 MB)

Back to issue view

Tobacco Road's’ Gripping And Authentic Story Still

Holds Playgoers’ Interest

Return of Sharecroppers'

Drama Again Reveals Its

Excellent Construction; John Barton Hailed As Best Jeeter Seen Here.

By JAMES

THRASHER

we Someone made the tongue-in-cheek observation the other day that “Tobacco Road” was coming back to English’s for its “first annual fare-

well appearance.”

for the third time in as many years.

True or not, this die-hard drama is with us again

The present engagement, which

opened last night, will extend through Thursday and will include a

Wednesday matinee. : This appearance serves to set one pondering again the ingredients of a supersuccessful play. “Tobacco Road” passed the 63d month of its consecutive New York run last Friday, inevitably calling to mind that other persistent perennial, “Abie’s Irish Rose.” And these, of course, are the supersuccesses of recent memory. What made them so—hokum and vulgarity? ’m afraid so. For surely audiences haven't been paying money these five years to study the sociological problem of Georgia sharecroppers. Tre salty profanity and uninhibited bioglogy of this Erskine Caldwell-Jack Kirkland drama have beaten a path to the boxoffice, But once there, . the audiences have had this problem thrust upon them, and therein lies the play’s virtue.

Well Constructed Play

Of course, “Abie’s Irish Rose” was beneath serious consideration either as regards plot interest, character drawing or fresh comedy. It was, in fact, an extreme manifestation of cliche playwriting. “Tobacco Road” is a different story. It is not a pleasant play, nor a particularly entertaining nor diverting one. But it is a good play. For one thing, it is well constructed. The dramatic interest grows directly out of the characters themselves. Having chosen a daring and arresting theme, the authors people the scene with persons who belong there. They speak, not as the playwright, but as themselves. And that is an artistic virtue less " common than one would hope for. In fairness, these qualities must be considered as contributing to the play's longevity, though their effect upon audiences may have been one of subconscious Insinuation. Granted that “Tobacco Road” has taken some critical thumpings in. years t, and continues to do so. Yet little exception may be taken to its construction. Nor is it really a shocking play. The basis of truth on which it was founded is what is

indecent, and a national shame. Mr. Caldwell, at least, was moved by righteous indignation and a crusading spirit, I am sure.

John Barton Lauded

So much, then for the play. This year’s performafice brings us some new players, notably John Barton, the third and best ‘Jeeter Lester that we have seen here. Charles Timblin, our 1936 Jeeter, played the character up to the hilt of comedy. A blackface vaudevillian of years’ standing, he saw little cause to

matters. Last year Taylor Holmes smeared red clay upon his polished personal and artistic appearance to essay the last of the land-loving Lesters. Here was an admirable effort to rid

and highlight his devotion to the soil. He failed only when he overstrained his zeal to the point of scenery-chewing. Mr. Barton (uncle to the veteran New York Jeeter, James Barton) strikes a happy medium. He overplays the part neither for the laughs ner the vestige of sympathy. Consequently he gets a bfimper crop of both. It is the easiest performance and the most suitable, physically, of the three.

Others in Cast

No one, to me, can achieve the dumb, heart-wringing pathos which Florence Gerald brought to Ada. Leora Thatcher, who succeeds Miss Gerald in this year’s ,company, brings a rather different conception to the difficult role and, for the most part, a satisfying one. Pitt Herbert again plays the moronic Dude, and William Bishop, with a new black wig and more coal dust on his face, remains as Lov Bensey. Sister Bessie, Ellie May and Pearl are cared for capably by Patricia Quinn, Kay Thorne and Sondra Johnson. And Lillian Ardell once more is the wretched crone, the tragic, speechless Grandma.

Course in Public Speaking Offered to Businessme

A 12 weeks’ course of lessons in

\ speech for business and professional

men and women is to bé offered by the Jordan Conservatory of Music

beginning Thursday at 7:30 p. m. High School speech department is to

WHAT, WHEN, WHERE

APOLLO

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” first Disney feature-length animated color cartoon from the Grimm Brothers’ fa tale, at 11:40, 1:43, 3:46, 5:49, 7:5 d 9:55. CIRCLE Brady Rogers and others on stage at 12:52, 3:44, 6:36 and 9:28. ‘he Jones Family in ‘Love on a Budget,” at 11:18, 2:10, 5:02, 7:54 and 10:46. ENGLISH’S

“Tobacco Road,’ with John Barton. Curtain at 8:30.

INDIANA

SMI. Irene and Mary,” with Alice Faye, ns Martin, Fred Allen and Marjorie Weaver, at 11, 1:09, 3:19, 5:29, 7:39 and 9:49. LOEW'S “E bod Sing,” ith Brice, Jud aries Ry 18 anny at 12:40, 3:50, and 10:10. “Penitentiary,” with Walter Cone nolly, John Howard, Jean Parker and Robert Barrat, at 11:15, 2:25, 5:35 and 8: LYRIC “A Slight Case of Murder,” with Edward G. Robinson, Bhonrd Dis: og 2 2 5:0 rol . 4a, 7:48 and 10730. = 04 Vaudeville, with Art Frank, Vivian Peterson and others, at 1:01, 3:43, 6:45 and 9:27. OHIO “Jail Break,” with June Travis. Also “Love in a Bungalow.” ALAMO adres Bl SR.ToRE Heather Angel. san AMBASSADOR “Wise Girl,” with Miriam HopAlso “Everyday’s a Holiday,” with Mae West. MRS. OAKIE SUED HOLLYWOOD, March 8 (U. P.). =—Mrs. Jack Oakie, wife of the film comedian, was named defendant in a civil action on file in Municipal Court today. Mrs. Oakie, as editor of the “Illustrated Animal News,” owes $269 for publishing the paper, according to Gerald W. Cahill,

printer who brought the action.

RESET CIVIC THEATER March 13, 1938

Admission 40 cents. 3:30 p. m. and 8:00 p. m.

Singing and Dancing RALPH PENDLEY Master of Ceremonies

PAUL COLLINS ) and His Orchestra

DINNER SHOW TP. M.

Later Shows 10 and 12 Lenten Is

C. C. Shoemaker of the Shortridge be the instructor. » Classes are to meet at the conservatory’s main building, 1204 N. Delaware St., and will be divided according to its members’ specific interests. Mr. Shoemaker has announced the course will include the following subjects: Purposeful speaking, audience psychology, personality development, influencing human behavior, elements of speech composition, improvement of vocabulary, plat-

form behavior, radio speech types. \ The course, though designed primarily for practical benefit, may be taken for credit applying toward a conservatory degree through arrangement with the conservatory

eI Le B21 TP (TE

Entertainment Daily, Except Sunday and Monday, From P. M. to 1 A. M.

ART BERRY

and His Band Featuring

SIR EDWARDS

The Man Who Sees Tomorrow No Cover Charge

WHERE EVERYBODY MEETS”

ON THE STAGE AT 12:50, 3:45, 6:30, 9:30!

THE ACADEMY AWARD STAGE SHOW OF 1938

10 BIG ACTS! 15 BIG SCENES!

36 HOLLYWOOD STARLETS!

alter his technique for more serious

Jeeter of his stigma of vulgarity

speaking,

SPEEDWAY

Here is 3-year-old Frederick

where countless youngsters have dreamed of being The famous movie cowboy hoisted him up before the opening per-

IN NEW YORK—s esoret toss

—astride Hoot Gibson’s horse.

HIM A RIDE

Weeman, right

Fieldhouse. Mr.

looking on.

Cub Reporter Perpetrates Classic Rejoinder to old Newspaper Credo. bi

NEW YORK, March 8-—Donald Henderson Clarke was reflecting

upon days in the He recalled see it, was posted this sign: ACCURACY ACCURACY ACCURACY A fresh cub reporter assigned. to report a mass meeting returned with a story which contained a line reading: “Three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine eyes were fixed on the speaker.” “What do you mean by making a silly blunder like that?” growled the ‘managing editor. : “It’s okay,” insisted the cub. “There was a one-eyed man in the audience.” And Soda Bed

Bert Lytell relays the story about the Broadwayite who drank brandy and soda one night, gin and soda the next, and rye and soda another night. Each morning he awoke with a terrible hangover, and finally decided something had to be done about it. He recalled that soda was the only thing he had been imbibing consistently, decided to cut out that beverage. Generally when newlyweds return from their honeymoon, cards to their friends announce “Mr. and Mrs. Soandso—At Home.” But Tallulah Bankhead is considering hav-

SHORTRIDGE

JUNIOR VAUDEVILLE Thursday and Friday, March 10 and 11 8:15 P. M. 25¢ and 50c

old Morning World office. that on the bulletin board, where everyone could

AN ~

ing her cards read: “Mr, and Mrs. John Emory—At Large.”

Making Hay, Hay The frenetic strains of swing music and the placid atmosphere of a farm do not make for a congruous picture. Yet it is a fact that radio and night club maestri who specialize in hot music are somewhat partial to an existence on farms. Young, personable Artie Shaw, for instance, whose swing band is a favorite in the key cities, actually retired from the musical scene for over a year to consort with cows

near Shamokin, Pa.

INDIANA

3 LAST DAYS!

(6 & £

Fred ALLEN Marjorie Weaved “Martin, TSoan Davis

The Biggest Laugh-Panie in Ten ¥

ears!

PERE

Lg IR

‘STAGE DOOR

Tonight’s Presentation at Your

Neighborhood Theaters

EAST SIDE HAMILTON "Bou Jit Double Feature Mae West : “EVERY DAY'S A HOLIDAY” “THRILL OF A LIFETIME” 6116 E. Wash. GOLD EN Double Feature Carole Lombard “NOTHING SACRED” Frances Farmer “EBB TIDE” All Technicolor Program 4630 E. 10th EMERSON ov’ sieving Paul Muni George Raft “SCARFACE’ Myrna Loy “MANPROOF” 1332 E. Wash. St. S T R A N D Double Feature Wendy Barrie “PRESCRIPTION FOR ROMANCE” Geo. Arliss “DR. SYN” 411 E, Wash.

Frances Farmer Ray Milland

Paramount

“EBB TIDE” Cartoon—Serial—Novelty

B | J oO uU 114 E. Washington

Double Feature Claire Trevor “ONE MILE FROM AVEN’’ “THE FIGHTING DEPUTY” “RADIO PATROL’—No. 1

PARKER 2930 E. 10th St Double Feature Fred Astaire “DAMSEL IN DISTRESS Jean Parker “THE BARRIER”

RIVOLI 81556 E. 10th St.

Doors Open 5:45 Alice

Faye—Ken Murray & Oswald “YOU'RE A SWEE ART"’ Miriam Hovkins- Ray Milland “WISE GIRL”

TACOMA “Fash Rosalind Keith

“MOTOR MADNESS” Selected Shorts

TUXEDO 4020 E. New York . Family Nite Richard Dix Fay Wray an “IT HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD” Selected Shorts !

IRVIN 5507 E. Wash. St

Double Feature “FIT FO

oe E. Brown R A KING” + Bob Burns “WELLS-FARGO” WEST SIDE Speedway Cit Double Feature Ricardo Cortes THE DEVIL” UICK MONEY”

“TALK OF Howard & Blaine Tonight

Fred Stone * 0 ; June Travis

HOWARD Selected. Short Subjeets

STATE Jil.gs “COUNTY FAI : Also Comedy and Novelty

: w. BELMONT "seis feria [] SWING Ir. PROFESSOR" DAISY “Hf Bat

“MERRY-GO-ROUND OF 1938” Dolores Del Rio ‘LANCER SPY”

SOUTH SIDE

|AYALON

|ZARING

SOUTH SIDE

Pros. & Churchm . Double Feature - Fred Astaire

“A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS” “ONE MILE FROM HEAVEN”

ORIENTAL “if ¥eritte “KING SOLOMON’S MINE y “EXPENSIVE. HUSBANDS”

LINCOLN East at Lincoln

Houle Feature e Power “SECOND HONEY " Leo Carillo “THE BARRIER"

2203 Shelby New Garfield Famiy Nite 10c to All Paul Kelly “FRAMEUP” Selected Shogts

FOUNTAIN SQUARE

Double Feature Edw. G. Rob “THE LAST GANGSTER” Joan Blondell “STAND-IN”

At Eoustain Square

SANDERS

“WINE, WOMEN & HO “IT HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD”

STAND-

NORTH SIDE UPTOWN “Boutie‘reaturs” __“"FiaNR "YoU, ik. ‘Moto ST. CLAIR ** peste Fart nas MY MroRYS TALBOTT mi fi rina Toy MANE 30th at Northwestern R bt, SOR Ginger Rogers “STAGE DOOR GARRICK ‘Buide’ . ane > aynor THATS MY STORY" IMECCA Doutle ‘Feature OE NIA Stratford “HEAD OVER IN “YELLOW DUST DREAM ‘Talis Myrna Ley “MANPROOF” RITZ “THE LAST Joan Blondell 1500 Hollywood ~~ Deubis Feature “THOROUGHBREDS DONT CRY" Cad Testers

“YOU'RE A SWEE

"| “BULLDOG DRUMMOND COMES BACK” |

rove Double Feature ; Carole Lombard

GROVE Seki 1% OVE

and chickens on a farm he owns |

AT CIRCUS

formance of the Shriners’ Indoor Circus at Butler

Gibson, featured circus performer,

and Miss Ann Doering, one of the cowgirls, are

Symphony Gives School Concert]

The Indianapolis Symphony Or- |p

chestra, with Fabien Sevitzky conducting, today began a series of four children’s concerts to be given in the auditoriums of four Indianapolis high schools, with students from all local schools attending. The first program was scheduled for 1:45 p. m. today at Manual Training High School. Succeeding concerts will be given at Washington, March 11; Technical, March 23, and Shortridge, March 25. The Indianapolis School Board is sponsoring the events. All programs will contain the following compositions: i “Rienzi’’ Overture Wagner Scherzo and Finale, Symphony No. 4 Tschaikowsky “Capriccio Espagnol” ...Rimsky-Korsakov

Songs for Au fence and Orchestra.

“America

RRR]

Te Be

{winds of March

Dancing Elephants Share : “Honor of ‘Big Top’ With Shrine Circus Acrobats

One-Arm Aerialist and Chinese Tumblers Among Star Acts; 140 Orphans Guests at First Performance in Fieldhouse.

Hey,

Skinney! Goin’ to the Circus?

If you don’t believe that there's a three-ring circus in town while the

you'll see. ‘They and trapeze artists, corn and candy cotton.

The Muray Temple

cided to have a circus and they cer-

tainly didn’t let a little thing like Old Man Winter stop them. They just hired the biggest hall for miles around and brought the “Big Top” and the sawdust rings indoors where there's steam heat and small boys can’t lift the canvas and sneak in. The Shriners aren't quite as mean as all that for they invited 140 children from the Marion County Col-

ored Orphans’ Home to the first|

performance yesterday afternoon, as well as all the Altenheim residents who felt able to come. And they were royally entertained by performers from the country’s leading big tops for two and a half hours, ladies and gentlemen!

‘Woman Is Aerialist

The star acts of the main show are of the true circus type. Cyse O'Dell, lady one-arm swing aerialist, performs the stunt made famous by Lillian Leitzel, who met her death during a show abroad some years ago. The riggers hoist Miss O'Dell some 200 feet into the air and she roceeds to do 40 or more somersaults with only one arm holding her above the crowd. Another fine performance is given by a troupe of Chinese acrobats, among the best seen here. Their act is new, well costumed, timed and staged. Other Notable Acts

There are at least 10 other good acts. Among them are the Flying De Vards and the Billetti Troupe, high wire artists. ‘Hoot Gibson, cowboy movie star, stages a rodeo of his own in conjunction with the circus. 3 Granville A. Richey, illustrious potentate of the Murat Shrine, was

still are blowing, go out to the Butler Fieldhouse and

have elephants—dancing elephants—and lady bareback riders, and Chinese acrobats. You can get peanuts and pop-

Shriners de-®

a busy man during the first performance, but he managed to slip away for a moment to say that he was well pleaged with the circus and that the Shriners have decided to make it an annual event. There will be two performances daily, at 2 p. m. and 8 p. m, through Saturday. :

GLEN GRAY BAND TO PLAY AT ROOF

The Indiana Roof has booked Glen Gray and his Casa Loma Or-

chestra for a one-night engagement ||

on' Sunday, March 27, Manager Tom Devine announced today. This radio and recording swing band has made only one other ap-

pearance in Indianapolis, two years,

ago. Kenny Sargent, Pee Wee Hunt and the orchestra’s other popular entertainers will be present for the engagement. The Casa Loma organization is to play a week at the Circle in June. Dell Coon will close 8 four-week engagement at the Roof Friday night, and will be succeeded : by Rudy Bundy and his orchestra.

D ummm Tonight sms D A DELL COON A N AND HIS ORCHESTRA N g Mis 15c om e

Gentlemen 25¢ Before 9 a DIA Rn oO ENGLISH 3 X7: TONIGHT 8:30

0] Mat. Tomorrow, 2:30. Best Seats, $1.10

"TOBACCO ROAD’

with JOHN BARTON POPULAR PRICES

Nights: 55c, $1.10, $1.65. Mat.: 55c, 83c, $1.10. Tax Incl

a Fri, Sat.,, March 11-12; Mat. Sat.

IN “ETHAN FROME" D zed From the Novel by EDITH WHARTON

. 1.65, 2.20, 2.785. Mat., 55¢, 83c, 1.10, 1.65; tax ine,

Hollywood—As Pyle Sees It Ernie Pyle, the Vagabond from Indiana, is in Hollywood again. For breezy, informative chatter about the goings-on in the film capital, follow Ernie daily in The Times. His Column today is on Page Nine.

SPURNS OPPORTUNITY Gloria Dickson thought it a rib when a talent scout sent his card into her stage dressing room, and refused to see him. He had to arrange an introduction, that resulted in a screen contract, through the theater manager.

WONG DATA WANTED

Anna May Wong, one of the stars of “When Were You Born,” is try=ing to find the answer to that question. She has hired two detectives to search Los Angeles records to determine the exact hour of her birth. She knows the day but not the hour and since she has become a student

of astrology, this is very necessary.

LAST DAY! “JAIL BREAK” June Travis Plus! “Love in a Bungalow”

| 3 LAST DAYS! TL Funniest Picture in Years ~Hollywood Reporter. EDWARD 6G.

SEATS NOW ON SALE

STARTS ®/

FRIDAY

~ The laughs go "round and ’round the nation as’

America hails a new comedy which will tne forever as the maddest, funniest film ever made!

8 fun stars go wild with love, laughter and lunacy! 90 minutes of romantic hilarity that will have you bouncing with joy—and then racing to tell your friends about it!

Hm 2% |

. £3

PLUS 2ND MGM HIT! ARSENE LUPIN RETURNS