Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 April 1939 — Page 16

By JAMES THRASHER

MOVIES

coming week's new pictures promise a couple of novelties, . at least. And with movie plots being what they are, that's something. At the Indiana, “The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle” presents one of the few biographies of living persons; Douglas Corrigan’s forthcoming “The Flying Irishman” is the only other one of current vintage that comes readily to mind. In “ , . One-Third of a Nation . . .* booked for the Apollo, we have the first example of the much maligned Federal Theater Project providing Hollywood with inspiration. \ Irene Castle herself supervised production

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of the Indiana film, which stars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. She expressed general satisfaction with the finished product, except that she still can't imagine herself as a blond. Ine cidentally, Mr. Astaire was a top-flight hoofer, along with his sister Adele, back in the prewar days when the Castles were in their prime.

President Inspires Film Title

RESIDENT ROOSEVELT now has contribe uted a movie title as well as a son to the picture industry. For the Apolle feature's title was derived, of course, from the famous quotation in the President's second inaugural address: “I find one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill<clad and ill« nourished.” Lines from famous speeches, incidentally, have solved the dramatists’ title problems on many occasions. They even have served their purpose in musical comedy, with some slight grammatical contractions: For instance, “Let 'Em Eat Cake” and “I'd Rather Be Right“ (In case you thought Stephen Decatur uttered that latter one. you're wrong. It was Henry Clay.) . .» One-Third of a Nation . . ." deals with the housing problem, both in its stage and screen forms. In the movie a romantic angle is added, and the FHA played down. But the picture still boasts a condemned tenement house as its villain.

Last Word in Westerns at Circle

T= Circle is getting “Dodge City" tomorrow, which is Warners’ technicolor contribution to the current crop of big-budget Westerns. If you attend the picture, very likely you will reach the conclusion that Dodge City residents were rather impulsive folk back in the Seventies when this Kansas town was one-of the West's great cattle centers. History seems to bear out the film's wild-and-wooly atmosphere. For the records have it that during 1873-74 more than 10Q Dodge citizens made the one-way trip to Boot Hill, famous “out law” cemetery. The cardinal sin of most of them seems to have been that they were a little slow on the draw. : In the matter of the arts, too, Dodge City was singularly unin hibited. Dramatic criticism reached its most violent height there one evening when an audience failed to appreciate Eddie Foy's humor and tried to hang him for it. That was in the days before Rudy Vallee imitators and WPA jokes, mind you.

Loew's Gets MacDonald Picture

OEW'S, as noted here yesterday. will be playing Jeanette MacDonald's latest, “Broadway Serenade.” It's a fortunate booke« ing, with Miss MacDonald giving a recital in Bloomington Wednes« day night. : — an added attraction, Loew's has what seems to be a harbinger of the coming spy picture cycle. It's called “The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt,” but the spys are from a conveniently anonymous Balkan country.

March of Time Deals With War

“EPACKGROUND FOR WAR.” the new March of Time release, 19 will be on the Indiana's bill. And the Apollo's No. 2 spot will be filled by something of a museum piece, “The Eagle and the Hawk,” vintage 1933. If you don't recall this aviation thriller, it starred Fredric March, Cary Grant, Carole Lombard and Jack Oakie. In it you may see the new Mrs. Gable in her early guise of a platinum blond siren. This was one of the last big pictures directed by Stuart Walker, who had that still-fabulous stock company in Indianapolis some 15 years ago.

RINGLINGS STREAMLINE CIRCUS, BUT SAVE COLOR

By HARRY GRAYSON NEA Service Staft Correspondent EW YORK, April 6.—Young “Modern and mechanized” take fellows in an old business, | their places beside “mammoth and John Ringling North and Henry | magnificent” among circus adjecRingling North, nephews of the | tives. The brothers even have a | five fabulous Ringlings, have | new big name to sling these adbrought the circus up to date. jectives in Courtn2y Ryley Cooper, Crowds in Madison Square Gar- | the novelist who broke in writing den, where the Biggest Show is | circus yarns. Cooper takes the opening its new season, note revo- | place of the late Press Agent Dexlutionary changes and many new | ter Fellows. acts. But it will not be until the The North brothers launch the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & | big show's 55th season with the Bailey Combined Shows get under | same venturesome spirit their canvas for the first time in Brook- | five uncles possessed when their Ivn that it will be possible to see | original Classic and Concert Co. the full effects of the North | moved out of Baraboo. Wis, in brothers’ streamlining. one horse-drawn wagon in 1882. “With all due respect to our uncles, the circus could not expect to go on forever in the same old way and be successful,” says John Ringling North, the 35-year-old Yale man who engineerad the resurgence of the Ringling dynasty

Mr. Thrasher

2 ” = HE show's first season under John Ringling North lasted } just 10 weeks—was ended by labor troubles and a five-day strike in Scranton last June that cost | | the Ringling Bros. and Barnum 8 eg | & Bailey Combined Shows $250,« of Hing ana lanbaik ; | 000. The show was losing $40,000 We have brought it up to the | a week before the strike. Engagetimes, but at the same time have | , ents had to be canceled preserved all its color and ro- | a contract with the American mance.” | Pa and Ma and the Kids no | te eons, Signed 3 longer will swelter while drinking | works for the bankers, gave the pink lemonade and munching | 1000 unskilled workmen a mini peanuts on hot summer after- | mum of $60 a month, plus room noons and nights. The entire seat- | and board. ing area, accommodating 12,000, John Ringling North now has will be 100 per cent air condi- | an equitable contract, assuring tioned by a series of portable units | unskilled workmen a minimum of beneath the grandstands. $45 a month and board and ledg- & 3 Ing pres sely hat he asked for EW departures start with the | (1 Scranton. e pay of 600 perbig top itself. Heretofore it | qo os, Nis, been Sliced propor.

tionately. - has been cigar-shaped and brown. ly. The show is on a firm

This trip it will be circular and or rooting. John Ringli in three shades of blue. The color Ringling North and his

29-year-old brot Ringscheme has been carried out to tng (Bud) Nor ae pracharmoniously decorated rings. tically grew up in the circus. They Grandstands formerly were on | started working with the big show each side and bleachers at the | while on school vacations. John ends. This year the grandstand

was boss of the candy stand in will run all the way around with | 1919. Bud's first job was at a a circle of box seats in front. Tent | ticket window in 1927. John as-

placed as to least interfere with | ing several years with a Wall

\ \ NN \ \ NN

Jeanette MacDonald has her first solo starring vehicle in “Broadway Serenade,” which comes to Loew's screen tomorrow.

HOLLYWOOD

OLLYWOOD, April 6—One trouble about trying to poke a little fun at Talkietown is that today's wisecrack often becomes toe morrow's accepted fact. Scarcely had Talkietown been described as “the place where dime novels become million-dollar epics” than Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with a perfectly straight face, announced the purchase of the “Nick Carter, Detective” stories. “Alexander Graham Bell” in | San Francisco and the “Dodge City” hullabaloo in Kansas were only the forerunners of a vogue for picture premieres in appropriate cities, along with special trains, delegations of stars, bane quets and bands, visiting governors and maybe Mrs. Roosevelt. Paramount modestly announces that its opening of “Union Pacific’ in Omaha, April 28, will be “the biggest and most spectacular in motion picture history.” David Selznick has promised Atlanta the first look at “Gone With the Wind,” whenever that may be. Now I hear 20th Century-Fox is thinking of opening “Stanley and Livingstone” in the village of Stanleyville in the wilds of the Belgian Congo. Visiting critics could send out their reviews by jungle telegraph. o 8 8 Now that he's getting some of his money back, Jackie Coogan is trying to organize a company for the preduction of kid pictures.

8 8 ”

ARAMOUNT is spending $40, 000 to remodel its cafe and is adding a soundproof room in which bigwigs can discuss their plans. This insulated retreat will be so quiet that you can hear options dropped and knives being twisted in the backs of enemies. = ” &

Now comes the reason for that “oomph” girl “contest” in which Ann Sheridan was the sole entrant. Warner Brothers are going to make a picture called “Oomph Girl” and starring—guess who!—Ann Sheridan. Incidental ly, the word is “umph” not “oomph.”

By PAUL HARRISON

5B.

2 2 2 Merle Oberon, on her way to

Europe, is expected to meet and marry Alexander Korda in Naples.

2 = 8

The wires are still sizzling from Anna May Wong's reply to Orson Welles, who asked her to play the role of a Japanese girl in a radio dramatization from Pearl Buck's “The Patriot.”

HURRY! FINAL DAY!

poles not eliminated will be so | sisted John Ringling after spend-

vision. Street brokerage house.

is a sound investment for the city and the welfare of

[BL Vany [LRA yy? :

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Buying Shoes at a home owned shoe store

the good of every family

3 SATs TN A ey ad . Woe wt

Opening Tomorrow—

WEST OF CHICAGO THERE WAS NO LAW!

WEST OF DODGE CITY THERE WAS NO GOD’

Apollo “ONE-THIRD OF A NATION,” with Sylvia Sidney and Leif Erik-

son. Screen play by Oliver H. P. Garrett; directed by Dudley Murphy. An attack on America's slums, with Miss Sidney as the heroine who decides that the time has come to do something about conditions and does so with aid of her sweetheart, a New York socialite, “THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK," with Fredric March, Carole Lombard, Cary Grant and Jack Oakie. Screen play by Bogart Rogers and Seton I. Miller; directed by Stuart Walker and Mitchell Leisen. A war picture in which March and Grant are flying partners and personal enemies. March brings down leading German ace and receives honors. In celebrating, he denounces war. Grant comes to rescue and the two end up friends. Circle “DODGE CITY,” with Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland and Ann Sheridan. Screen play by Robert Buckner; directed by Michael Curtiz. A roving cattleman brings law and order to Dodge City, the Babylon of the West. A crusading editor is murdered and the Surrett mob is cleaned up in a series of two-fisted battles. The cattleman’s reward is Abbie Irving (Olivia de Havilland), who is taken with him as he moves westward. Indiana

“THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE,” with Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver and Walter Brennan. Screen play by Richard Sherman; directed by H. C. Potter. A dance-mad girl and a slapstick dancer form a team and are married. After a struggle they become international successes. They decide to retire but the World War breaks out and Vernon Castle enlists in the Royal Flying Corps. Later he is transferred to a Ft. Worth airfield as instructor, where he is killed.

Loew’s

“BROADWAY SERENADE,” with Jeanette MacDonald, Lew Ayres, fan Hunter and Frank Morgan. Screen play by Charles Lederer; directed by Robert Z. Leonard. A musically minded married couple attempts to sell a song to finance a trip abroad. The wife gets a place in a hit show, wins success and the trip is canceled. Husband takes background and public suspects romance between wife and producer. Couple gets divorce and husband makes good. Producer retires gracefully and couple is reunited. “THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT,” with Warren Willlam, Ida Lupino and Ralph Morgan. Screen play by Jonathan Latimer; directed by Peter Godfrey. A reformed safe cracker is tricked by a Balkan millionaire in efforts to obtain antiaircraft gun plans. He outfoxes the real crooks by substituting blank paper for the plans which he turns over to his sweetheart's father, a U. S. Senator. The rest of the plans he recovers from the millionaire’s home and is almost caught, but police save

situation. suit against her actor husband in

DIVORCE SUIT BY Reno, Nev. There was no hint of MRS. BEERY WAITS a reconciliation, however, and it was

indicated that she would file suit

— | here, HOLLYWOOD, April 6 (U. P). The Beerys separated a month

Mrs. Wallace Beery was back in|ggq in one of the friendliest of

Hollywood today, apparently hav-|Hollywood's breakups, and Mrs. ing decided not to file a divorce Beery left immediately for Nevada.

WARNER BROS

EER BLAIS.

\ Sunk Actors Rescue Director

And Cameras : Lagoon.

From

OLLYWOOD, April 6 (U.P.).— Two barges lay at the bottom of the Olympic rowing lagoon today, sunk in a comic shipwreck and collegiate rescue. Two shells loaded with Jackie Coogan, Larry Crabbe and crewmen from the University of California at Los Angeles started skimming down the lagoon for a thrilling movie race yesterday, when there came a shriek from the camera barges. : The barges, overloaded with $5000 worth of cameras and sound equipment, settled gently in the water. The shelis put about, Mr. Coogan and Mr. Crabbe rowing like collegiate veterans, and rescued the

[DUAL ROLE GIVEN

director and technicians.

Adi Jia

TO LESLIE HOWARD

Times Special HOLLYWOOD, April 6.—Marking an unusual departure in motion

picture production methods, Leslie Howard has been signed to take the top role in Selznick Internae tional's “Intermezzo” and act as ase sociate producer on production. Mr. Howard currently is playing in “Gone With the Wind.” On days that he is not acting, he will be conferring with David O. Selznick on preproduction plans for “Intere mezzo.”

THWARTS MEASLES

Frank McHugh, who had ’em 30 years ago, is now taking shots against measles.

GEORGE MURPHY

“WOMEN MEN MARRY”

Edgar Berge Charli “LETTER RODUCTION

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Johnnie Downs “SWING, SISTER, SWING” Jesse Matthews ‘SAILING ALONG

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Tonight's Features Ross Toomey “RECK D'’

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LESS RO Jungle Thriller “FOUND ALIVE”

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