Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 10 February 1939 — Page 24

3 outpost stations in life by

singer fed, He's Sinful, He's Subtle

|Beachcomber' Arrives at Circle—It's 'Rain’ Reverse.

By JAMES THRASHER . A sinful and attractive stage ‘character named Sir John Falstaff, as played by Maurice Evans, is [packing them in on Broadway these days. And a direct descendant, one

'Ginger Ted, equally wicked and en‘gaging, arrived today for a week on /the Circle screen in a film called “The Beachcomber.” Ginger Ted is a character -out ofl Somerset Maugham’s imagination, brought to life with all of Charles Laughton’s rib-tickling skill. It is Mr. Laughton’s first screen appearance since he returned to England with the solemn vow never to make | another picture in Hollywood. Mr. Laughton fared better in California than most imported actors, what with such meaty assignments as Edward Moulton Barrett, Ruggles, Javert and Capt. Bligh. Yet Ginger Ted is an actor's delight well worth the effort of forsaking the supercolossals and organizing one’s own film company.

He’s Just a No-Good

Ted is a beer-sodden and blowzy | Englishman vegetating on a South | Sea island. He is without morals, self respect or any sense of responsibility. In fact, he possesses all those attractive vices which have made Falstaff ga drawing c:-1 for

more than 300 years, and endeared to the public such reprobates as Micawber and Jeeter Lester, for in- " stance. Everyone, it seems, has discovered that “The Beachcomber” is “ ‘Rain’ in reverse.” Except that the pres- . ent picture is a comedy and “Rain” wasn’t, the description fits. Both are by Mr. Maugham, both have tropical settings and concern missionary reformers who take a tumble from the sanqtimonious heights. The reformer of “Rain” was a man, you will recall. But in the present instance it is a Miss Jones, played by Elsa Lanchester (Mrs. Laughton). She and her brother Owen, a doctor; Ginger Ted and the Dutch controleur are the island’s only white residents. Ted and Miss Jones reached their ironic routes. Ted became a derelict be-|. cause, as an English rector’s son, he had been reared in strict obedience and forbidden to marry the one love of his life, the village barmaid. Miss Jones became a missionary after her father had drunk himself to death.

They Don’t Know—Until

The two do not discover this, however, until they find themselves fighting a typhoid epidemi¢ among the natives and expecting momentary death from the hostile and superstitious tribesmen. Earlier, of course, there has been bitter enmity. When Ginger ‘Ted “kidnaps” a native girl from Miss Jones’ school, and ends his brawling by smashing a native store, the Joneses insist he be banished from their midst. The controleur dislikes the missionaries’ militant priggishness and enjoys Ted’s company, so he sentences him to temporary exile on a nearby “island paradise.” Later, when Miss Jones is making her island rounds, the controleur orders her boatman to pick up Ted on the return trip. On the way back, the launch is disabled and forced to put in at a barren reef to pass the night. The terrified Miss Jones is completely ignored by Ted. When tley have returned, Dr. Jones infuriates Ted by praising his nobility in respecting his sister. Whereupon Ted disappears on g disgusted spree. But love has come to Miss Jones. She cleans Ted’s shack in his absence and tries to invite him to dinner when he shows up again. Not until the typhoid epidemic, however, does the bitterness dissolve. Deft . . . Witty . . . Clever

A clever little epilog shéws us the “Fox and Rabbit” Inn back home in England. Mr. Wilson, the proprietor—Ginger Ted, of course—is finishing his last game of darts with the customers. The former Miss Jones is adding up the day’s receipts. The last guest departs; the Wilsons yawn and remark that it has been a busy and profitable day. And 50 to bed. All this, I'm afraid, won't do too well with the average movie audience. Such unglamorous courtship . past the bloom of youth is a favorité subject with Mr. Maugham, but

¥

Ernest Friedlander, the earnest cellist whom Conductor Fabien Sevitzky is facing in the above picture,

will step from the ranks to appear

as soloist on the |

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Sunday concert in the Murat. Mr. Friedlander is principal of the orchestra’s cello section.

“pop”

Helen Hayes Dogs Tangle Dur

NYACK, N. Y,, be called an act of

Is Nipped as During Airing

b. 10 (U. P).—If an old-fashioned dogfight can od, one finally has happened to Helen Hayes.

The actress, who [disdained an Actors’ Equity Association decision

will be all right,” he [said. : t completely recovered today. The slight wounds Were healing rapidly, it was said. Miss Hayes encountered the dogs —a St. Bernard, an Dalmatian—when she| wheeled her newly adopted son out for an airing yesterday. She was flanked by the Hayes-McArthur canine menace, Caesar, a Cocker a and Pammy, a Yorkshire ferrier Barely had she left the grounds of her estate, Pretty |Penny, when Pammy, whose ringside weight was one pound, did it. He nipped the ankle of the St. Bernard. Miss Hayes to the Rescue The affronted dog yipped and let it go at that, but the Afghan closed’ in on Caesar. | They had at each other until Miss Hayes interceded on : Caesar's behalf, ‘The Afghan nipped her hand. Up came the Dalmatian to engage Caesar, and in the added confusion the Afghan sunk his teeth through Miss Hayes’ coat into her arm. And as she was dragging Caesar ingloriously away, the same dog leapad and slashed her chin. With retreat of the attackers, Miss Hayes wheeled young Jamie home, went to bed and waited for the doctor summoned by McArthur, Mary, now 8, was in schoel, It was her birth which aroused the controversy over whether a producer could cancel contracts: and close a play in which Miss Hayes had been starring because Mary was —or was not—deemed an ‘act of God. .

not with the majority of the customers. And Hollywood, with its finger on a temperamental public pulse, never would have dared to show the missionaries in the early sequentes’ unflattering light. But to those who appreciate freshness of theme in a picture, and virtuoso acting, “The Beachcomber” is recommended without qualifications. The Laughtons have a field day with their two parts, and their performances abound in delightful subleties and overtones. “The Beachcomber” does not set itself up to be anything pretentious, which is a saving grace. It is deft asd witty, telling the story without any egg-dancing. Strictly literate and adult, it couldn’t happen in Hollywood. If such a promise excites your fancy, you shouldn't be disappointed.

STARTING TODAY

ROMANTIC ADVENTURE

you'll never forget! Murder on their conscience, love in their hearts! A whirlwind of emotions!

ANE FREDRIC MARCH JOAN BENNETT §

)" RALPH BELLAMY ANN SOTHERN 5 7 ADDED} Dramatic Dynamite

“JACK HOLT ® BEVERLY ROBERTS “STRANGE CASE OF DR. MEADE"

1600 Gather for Speech Festival

Times Special TERRE HAUTE, Feb. 10.—The

second annual State Speech Arts Festival ‘has attracted 600 high school drama students and teachers to Terre Haute for sessions today

and tomorrow at Indiana State

Teachers College. Seventeen high schools will present short plays in a competition to choose the outstanding scholastic actor and actress. An award also will go to the best high school cast. Plays will be staged in the Sycamore Theater by the following high schools: Shortridge of Indianapolis; Horace Mann of Gary; Morton Memorial of Knightstown;” Whiting, Vincennes, Ben Davis, Mount Vernon, Columbus, Worshington, Clinton, Paris, Ill, and Garfield, Wiley, Gerstmeyer and Laboratory School of Terre Haute. Judges will be Miss Dena Reese Evans of Cleveland, chairman of the American ‘Theatrical Association secondary schools committee, and Prof. Robert W. Masters, director of the Indiana State Teachers College drama department,

HOLLYWOOD UNION

George Sanders and Wendy Barrie, who won fame in English films at about the same time and came to Hollywood to win added laurels, never met until they were cast to play opposite one another in “The Saint Strikes Back.”'

Ridin’ High “Jesse James,” the technicolor movie story of a famous marauding Missourian, will begin its third Indianapolis week today by moving to the Apollo, after a fortnight’s stay at the Indiana.

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WHAT, WHEN, WHERE -APOLLO

“Jesse James,” with Henry Fonda, Nancy Ke 2:13, 4:40, 7:07 and 9:34.

CIRCLE

“The Beachcomber,” with Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, at 11, 1:15, 3:30, 5:45, 8 and 10:15. “Lincoln in the White House,” technicolor feature, at 12:50, 3:05, 5:20,

rone Power, y, at 11:46,

* 7:35 and 9:50. CIVIC

“Double Door,” b Fadden. Presented players under Edward Steinmetz’ direction. Engagemont ¢ through Wednesday. Curta.

Elizabeth Mecy Civic Theater

INDIANA

“Gunga Din,” with Cary Grant, : Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Victor ucLagien, a at 11:10, 1:48, 4:26, 7:04 and

March of Time at 1: 31, 4:09, 6:47 and 9:25. :

LOEW'S

“Trade Winds,” with Fredric March, Joan. Be Donen, p Ralph J Bellamy, at 11, “ihe aus Case of Dr. Meade,” with Jack Holt, at 12:40, "3: 30, 6:20 and 9:10.

LYRIC

“The Three Musketeers,” with Don Ameche, the Ritz Brothers, on screen. Vaudeville on stage.

Chorine Is Gan Part as Actress

Movie musicals may be on the way out, but Ethelreda Leopold, one of Hollywood’s veteran, famous and beautiful chorines, has weathered the storm and achieved her heart's

desire. She is listed for a speaking part in Loew's current “Trade Winds.” Miss Leopold visited Indianapolis last year with .her mother as the result of a gag that turned into a trip to France. During the‘ filming of “Gold Diggers in Paris,” ‘the director told a group of noisy and restless chorines to retire to some secluded corner and vote on' their most popular member. They picked Miss Leopold. A press agent got hold of the story, expanded it into “good will tour” ahead of the picture, and finally sent the popular chorus girl to France, ‘Miss Leopold told The Times that, though she never had done anything more creative for the lms than just look decorative, she yearned to be an honest-to-goodness actress. And lo! she seems to have started.

All Seats

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y Tim QUALITY SHOWS—FAIR PRICES ® Carole Lombard—Fred MacMurray

“Hands Across the Table”

Jack Holt “REFORMATORY” Look! Sunday, “Four Daughters” SECA EeE

INSPIRED BY KIPLING'S HEROIC LINES

i = Presenting a Pictorial Inventory of America—

“ST, ATE OF THE NATION—1939"

Does the Future Hold?

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PARKER

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Ment As ‘39 Best

3 RKO Kipling Pic Picture Wins 4 Scripps-Howard Honors

For the Month.

“Gunga Din,» RKO adaption of Rudyard Kipling’s famous kLallad, has been selected by ScrippsHoward movie reviewers as the Picture Hit of the Month for January. One critic suggested that it is a candidate for the 1939 Academy Award, while another said that even this early in the year he was: keeping a place for. it on his own list of the year’s 10 best. : H. A. Michael, El Paso HeraldPost, says it is “a magnificent film, magnificently done; breath-taking |. in its emotional and scenic sweep.” From San Francisco, Claude A. La Belle of The News enthusiastically reports: Jrudyard Kipling himself would have led the cheering section for ‘Gunga Din’. ” ‘Color . . . Action . .. Acting’

“RKO has put into the oft-recited

poem imagination, color, action and |

acting. A knockout cast is entitled to plenty of laurel leaves, with Sam Jaffe privileged to grab an extra handful for his work in the name role. It should be one of the biggest grossers of the year, and is a 1939 candidate for Oscar, the Academy statuette.” William Boehnel, New York

‘| World-Telegram, says:

“It is a little early in the season to nominate candidates for the current year’s 10 best list but here and now I am reserving a niche in my own select group for ‘Gunga. Din.’ If anything comes along in the next 11 months to dislodge it, it will certainly have to be mighty unusual entertainment because this picture is just about one of the finest films I have ever seen. Things happen quickly and they are interesting things because they are also believable.” ‘Topper’ Close Second The Hal Roach comedy, “Topper Takes a Trip,” was a close second in the voting. In picking the latest of the “Topper” laugh hits, Jack Bryan, The Memphis Press - Scimitar, comments: “A disembodied Constance Bennett pursues the contagious mischief that she and her fellow shade, Cary Grant, carried on in ‘Topper’ in the life of Roland Young. It may be the child .in us, but be that as it may, this sort of thing, ‘done with such smart galety, is irresistibly funny.” Fred Gongora, The San Diego Sun, says: : “It may seem odd to select ‘Topper Takes a Trip’ as hit of the month in view of such termed hits as ‘Idiot’s Delight,’ ‘Jesse James’ and ‘Zaza,’ but we're judging on a strictly entertainment basis, and we think the. new ‘Topper’ oozes with the same. “The sequel to the Thorne Smith novel], wherein a ghost comes back to help an earthly friend, doesn’t just have a lot of laughs—it is a laugh. ' It undoubtedly will cause more sore ribs than any film this year.”

AMBASSADORS

DOORS OPEN 10:00

ERR! FLYNN—BASIL RATHBON! DAVID NIVEN—DONALD CRTSE

“THE DAWN PATROL”

Chic’ Young’s Famous Comic Strip

LET “BLONDIE”

Pi SINGLETON Oo AJC

AES Yell

LAST RUN—THREE MUSKETEERS

“PALS OF THE SADDLE”

HENRY ARMETTA—BILL ROBINSON

nriiee ‘ROAD DEMON”

THRILLER News

“SPIDER’S WEB” clSms, ee ! INDIANAPOLIS

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FABIEN SEVITZKY, Conductor POPULAR CONCERT

: Soloist a ERNEST FRIEDLANDER, Cellist And ’ INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHONIC CHOIR

SUNDAY, MURAT THEATER

3P.M.

NEXT PAIR OF CONCERTS Fri, Feb. 17, at 2:45 Sat, Feb, 18, at 8:30 Soloist: GASPAR CASSADO, Cellist

ioned. |

“ {them but on the prankish club,

>

Village—is a night club called

the horse-laugh to such oases as Coq Rouge and El Morrocco where the restaurant elite vie for social honors. But, ironically enough, this Village gag caught on 5 quickly that all the uptowners have flocked down there, so the joke now is not on

Debunking Elite Cafe Syn Over Big —Even Cafe Society Goes for It.

EW YORK, Feb. 10.—That new spoof in the Wilage..Greswich

Cafe Society. Its object is to give

‘This place, nevertheless, has: the most amazing doorman in New York. A corpulent fellow, he is garbed in a beaver- coat such as George Jean Nathan sports to opening nights, has a hank of

rope tied around his middle, and|

in white gloves, with holes in: the finger tips, he stands ready to greet the customers. ‘He usually allows tMe customers to open the door for themselves and then graciously compliments them for showing such democratic spirit.

8% 8 8

~MONG- those reviewing the grimaces of France and Iialy over Tunisia with grave alarm are the gourmets to whom the word escargot means le dernier cri (just to keep the French motif) in food. There is nothing yow gourmet won’t do for snails and most. of these come from Tunis and Morocco.

Seventy-five tons come over every year, in fact, and if hostilities should cut off the supply, the gourmets would have to fall back on French and Italian escargots. which haven’t the magic properties of taeir slow motion brethren from Africa. Seventy-five tons means 6f,000,000 shails, and most of (hese pass through three shops in New York's Little Italy. of snails.

Lo by, A

There are three kinds| ; | Attupatelli come from]:

ous hit plays. When Mr. Armstrong died, Mr. Mizner sat by the widow's side in the funeral parlor, tenderly consoling her while She eulogy was read. . The oration was a flowery one and as. it progressed, Mr. Armstrong’s widow's woe became more intense and her tears more profuse, She turned to Mr. Mizner and sobbed, “Oh, Wilson, isn’t it a béautiful eulogy of Paul?” Mr. Mizner wasn’t exactly dryeyed, either. But with characteristic inability, to resist the wise-

We've heard of a chapic on Broads way who has backed several flop plays. frequent failures, he serves as the counter man at a Times Square soft drink stand. No one, we understand, has been

money for his ventures. But those who know him confidently expect

other Offering pretty soon. VELEZ WILL STAR IN ‘GIRL FROM MEXICO"

HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 10.—Lure Velez, who has spent the past year on the Eastern stage, will return to the screen shortly to star in “The Girl From Mexico,” which Producer Robert Sisk will send before the cameras on March 8th, “The ‘Girl From Mexico,” a cin ema comedy with music, will be die Tected by Leslie Goodwins.

. DANCE TONIGHT

Amos. Otstot Orchestra - 250 Before 8:30

crack, he replied, “Yeah, it is—and|

it's the first thing Paul has ever

Tunis in two sizes—large and small.|:

Crastune are large and come from Morocco Lumache is the common varieiy of

reen and Tunis.

snail. © There is one other erdible|’

species, the lumachini, which are so small they must be picked out with a toothpick. . Snails are a new delicacy to Americans—the first were imported about a’ generation ago for the Italian, French, Spanish and Greek districts. But raising ‘snails for food goes way back to 50 B. C., when a snail preserve: was established at Tarquinium. Snails are shipped here in a dor-

mant state in crates; They are|-

rendered inactive by exposure tc the sun and will not move again until moisture reaches them. No one knows just how long =a snail can remain immobile. The importers naturally insist that snails are as healthful ‘as any other fine food. Incidentally, they do. not caialog the escargots as fish. The Federal Government in a booklet on snalis says that they taste like oysters and are just as nourishing. 3 ® 8 » HARLES BEEHAN brings in a A yarn about the late Wilson Mizner, who was one of our immortal wits. "Mr. Mizner and Paul Armstrong

never got along too well together, though they collaborated on numer-

Popeye Barto “Mugler Ant on

“Toyland Casino” Pathe News

stween closings ‘of these

fim to serve as the “angel” for an- |

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