Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 November 1940 — Page 15
3
[ WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6, 1040 com
Sure, She's
co
' THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES |
LEB eg
explains. And he immediately looked up his old friend and pro-
‘tege, Russ Morgan.
Brunswick Records, a similar job at Station WXYZ, his song hits
hacen
Mr. Specht doesn’t mind being boss-turned-employee. He calls Russ Morgan “the best equipped of modern dance musicians.” For proof, he cites Mr. Morgan's record as orchestrator for. Victor Herbert and John Philip Sousa, his stint as musical director of
STORE EN
137 E WASHINGTON ST... ARCADE BLDG... INDIANAPOL! ys 3 =v, ZA LAS he/ a 2 y kr 2 ? / Fo 9, 6 UF, i 7 4 A bb J aw.’ A
5 THURS. and FRIDAY ——
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES
300 Pair Women’s New Shipm’t! Wom's
pianist d arranger. There |is many a prominent a. Specht confides, who is handsome and affable, but who doesn’t know one note from another. Mr. Morgan isn't one of them, and that’s why his old boss is on the road ahead of him.
HHL (J
‘The Mark of Zorro’ Opens Tomorrow
and his tha rea as trombonist,
|= MOVIES
= Still Funny
eferring to Charley's Aunt Back on Broadway
By JACX GA United Press POAVER
NEW YORK, Nov. 6.—“Charley’s Aunt” is scoring again on BroadWay. After more than 40 years it rémains Just about the funniest farce ever written. | Of course, it could, with effort, be so badly acted it would be a bere to the theater-wise person,
bye the production which has been ven the play of the late Brandon
Mr. Specht, the Man of Many ‘Firsts,’ Heralds Russ Morgan Into Town
By JAMES THRASHER
WHEN THE PRESS agent ahead of a band drops in at the office, the usual procedure is as follows: Shake hands, look vainly for that extra chair and then give him yours. Look at his pictures of the maestro and the No. 1 lady crooner, pick out a prepared story or two, ask him how's the tour and business in general, and then shake hands again. But you don’t pursue these steps | ; in dealing with the advance man for Russ Morgan, (who is coming to the Lyric Friday) because Mr, Morgan's agent is a man who is a o pioneer and an Power and some: homas by Day Tuttle and Ri thing of a legend e world o Skinner is so exactly right fehs od ; : the down-beat. His name is Paul-| urged him to head for the big again Bs 3 me 2 he big time and : : : Specht. ina time. are 2 e of the season. : — . : oo wp leye Aunt” bears a charmed : NO CY EODY who wo od SO THE SPECHT band came out De iu been vonshuatol EE kaon mat ries po. | from behing the Fowlers potted PIEYS ta irs edtes. Modern SO ow ynat name. palms and went to Detroit. They omic vein, which may ginning 920 and continuing on y seem extraordi for a decade, his dance records made such a hit at the Hotel Ad inarily funny at the ’ dison there that they decided to
0"
his future path. They used to drop in at the Fowler to hear Paul Specht play “classics in ragtime,” as they called it. And Houdini, who knew how to get on the stage as well as out of a strait-jacket,
NEW FALL
time and will bear reseeing several times in the days of their newness, usually age quickly and even after 80 short a time as five years will catlse the original hat-tossers to wonder what they saw in them. Much of this, of course, is due to
the fact that they deal with topical:
subjects in a satirical manner. Like 8 hat, they are smart while the style lasts. Now “Charley’s Aunt” is “corn” pure and simple. It makes no pretense at doing anything but milkig the last laugh out of a situatien which finds a young man mas-
LAST 2 DAYS!
in 10 years. Friday.
Shades of Doug Fairbanks! Here's Tyrone Power as the dashing Don Diego in Fox’s remake of “The Mark of Zorro,” engaged in combat with poor old Basil Rathbone, who hasn't won a movie duel Movie-goers should note that the picture opens at the Indiana tomorrow, rather than
querading as a middle-aged woman. None of the embarrassments of such a predicament are overlooked and—for one reason I doubt anyone can explain—this lusty banging away at a single theme does not pall in the case of “Charley’s’ Aunt.” It has all of the earthy slapstick quality which mdde the Sennett and Chaplin comedies of the silent films such rib-ticklers and demonstrates anew that hokum, when it is the right kind of hokum, has it all over wisecracks and tailor-made humor when it comes to fetching up those lusty laughs from under the belt. I haven't heard an audience laugh $0 much in years,
Anyone who needs a recounting
of the plot should be ashamed of himself, so I will confine myself to the work of the cast. Jose Ferrer, a happy-go-lucky looking sort of actor who has acquitted himself well in both comic and serious chores the past few seasons, has the.role of Lord Fancourt Babberley who masquerades as the aunt of Charles Wykeham. He does a masterful job, one which overnight has catapulted him to the top of the not too considerable heap of really talented younger players. He is merely starting a career which should be notable. Supporting him handsomely are Thomas Speidel, Harold deBecker, J. Richard Jones, Arthur Margetson, a true master of farce, Reyn-
olds Denniston and Nedda Harrigan, In a class by themselves should be mentioned the Misses Mary Mason, Phyllis Avery and Katherine Wiman (daughter of Producer Dwight Wiman) who have the ingenue roles. They not only are talented—Miss Mason is the only real “veteran” of the three —but they bring to the play a portion of beauty such as seldom falls to the lot of one production. The play ds given in its original form, without any modernization of dialogue or change in period, and is all the better for it. Much of the credit for the excellence of the current production must, I am sure, be given to the director, Joshua Logan.
rices, we ase DaPEY co announce |e following scale ©. popular prices* 35¢c to 6 All Seas Bal. 44c, Main 6c
a Any Time
Children 15¢
10 GREAT STARS! 2 GREAT LOVE STORIES! 1,000 THRILLS NEVER BEFORE EQUALLED!
THRILL + the great half-breed uprising ... with only a thin red line of Canadian “Mounties” to stem the war-maddened horde!
THRILL +
Texas Ranger who dares a nest of ten thousand killers to get his man! ;.
THRILL to the red-coated heroes of the northern frontier... fighting, loving against the brilliant background of the Canadian wilderness « .. all in super-Technicolor!
Robert Preston loses his heart to that beautiful spitfire Louvette (Paulette Goddard).
and “Mouatie’” Preston Foster vie for the love of Madeleine Carroll!
2
1
the courage of a
iP Ameen 1
Ce
MARCH OF TIME “MEXICO”
Good Neighbor's Dilemma §
sold like hot cakes or Gene Austin’s “Blue Heaven.” His list of achievements in the band business is studded with a collection of “firsts.” It reads like the starting point in the history of jazz from, the Original Dixieland Five to boogie-woogie. So this story is going to be mostly about Mr. Specht. It’s being written over his earnest protests. But I don’t think that either Mr. Morgan or the Lyric management -will mind too much. Especially since he let himself in: for it inadvertently by talking about his early days in Indiana. Mr. Specht was just getting over the effects of being a child violin prodigy when he answered an ad in Billboard and got the job at the Fowler Hotel in Lafayette. Up to that time most of his musical efforts had been pretty much confined to astounding the citizens of his home town, Sinking Springs, Pa., with his precocity. 4 8 » AT THE TIME of his Lafayette debut, Mr. Specht was a musician of . the long-haired school. He used to come down to Indianapolis to play in one of the prede=cessors of our symphony orchestra, under the batons of Hugh McGibeny and Ferdinand Schaefer. But the Purdue student body, like the rest of the country, was beginning to feel the faint, disquieting but compelling pulse of ragtime. And one young man from Purdue made Mr. Specht acutely conscious of the new musical trend. This young man was hired as a cellist in the Fowler Hotel orchestra. But, on occasion, he would pick up a battered old banjo and plunk out rhythm to the standard repertory of hotel musicians. The crowd went over=board for it. And Mr. Specht decided to give them more. But it was really the triumvirate of George Ade, former Senator James Watson and the late Harry Houdini that set Mr. Specht upon
WHEN DOES IT START?
CIRCLE “Seven Sinners,” t Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne, Broderick Crawford, at 11, 1:45, 4:35. 7:25 and
0:10. “Slightly Tempted,” with Hugh Herbert, Peggy Moran, at 12:45, 3:36, 6:20 and 9:10. INDIANA “They Knew What They Wanted,” with Charles Laughton, Carole Lom bard, William Gargan. at 12:35, 3:40, 2% andi Ati * with Kent Ta “yp v Pe Ww - lor, Linda Hayes, at 11:23, 2:28, 5:44 and 9.
LOEW'S “The Great Dictator,” with Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard. Jack Oakie, at 11:10, 1:45, 4:25, 7 and 9:40. . LYRIC Tucker and his Orchestra or a al 13:93, 2:44, 5:06, 7:28 and 9:50
Kir Edgy yg au. Ala Jari. 1103. 1:24, 3:46, 6:08, 8:30
and 10:50.
storm New York. The band arrived sans job and money. And then the incredible happened. The night tHey got there the band did a gratis turn at the N. V. A. Club. The showmen present reacted like the ‘customers in Detroit. And the next day the boys were booked into the Palace. And now for a few firsts: The Specht band was the first dance orchestra to go on the radio (Sept. 14, 1920, over WWJ, Detroit); the first to broadcast: by remote control; the first to broadcast on a coast-to-coast hookup; the first to do commercial programs for RCA; the first band to introduce American jazz to Europe; the first American orchestra to broadcast to Europe; the first to make sound films; the first to make an electrical recording by the microphone process. There are a lol of other firsts, too. For instanee, Mr. Specht and his musicians did the first broadcast from an Inaugural Ball, (They played for the Harding, Hoover and first Roosevelt inaugurals.)
» ” #
MR. SPECHT also gave Russ Morgan his first job. Grabbed him out of the Pennsylvania coal mines, put him to work as trombonist and arranger, and took him on the first of his several European tours. Other present-day band leaders who got their starts ‘with Mr. Specht include Artie Shaw, Ted Weems, Hal Kemp, Peter Van Steeden, Bob Chester, Lou Breese, Bunny Berrigan, Jack Denny and Charlie Spivak. Last year, at the close of the New York World's Fair, Mr. Specht decided to disband his orchestra and go back into the business end of music—“where I'd made all my money anyway,” he
2 HOME OWNED - HOME OPERATED
LAST
Fecturing His Own Popular Radio Personalities . . . Plus Many Fine Acts
rg EH Cl
A Eo pi “Tugboat Annie Sails Again”
Mar orle Rambeau . Alan Hale :
FRI.—RUSS MORGAN & ORCHESTR
FOOTWEAR
@® Priced for Fast Selling Tomorrow!
49:
‘Higher priced footwear reduced to clear. All sizes in lot—but not each style.
400 Turkish TOWELS ® SPECIAL PRICE! Fine size snow white dc WOMEN'S OUTING GOWNS
turkish towels with as- ® A 59 Value! 3 9
DRESSES
$700
Special group ‘of dresses reduced for fast selling! Many styles and colors.
WOMEN'S
HANDKERGHIEFS
® WHILE THEY LAST!
for 1 O
Fancies and white with borders. Asst. colors.
Indian Blankets
® Swecial Prjce! 8 8
sorted colored borders. While they last! Assorted stripes. Yoke style. Fine Juality outing annel. All sizes. 2000 Rolls Toilet Tissue ©® While It Lasts!
Roll SECOND FLOOR
Fresh
® Special Price! Domet flannel shirts in asors. Sizes 14 to C 1%. 4 bargain! BOYS’ Assorted patte colors in sizes 10 Remark-
MEN’S DOMET sorted plain col- ® Plaid Meltons! able values!
500 Pounds Fresh Salted
Spanish Peanuts
roasted! New crop!
Colorful Indian design blankets 1000 Pr. Men’s First Quality
SOCKS
ors and designs. ® Very Special!
ee: Pr.
colors! ress or
Cc ’ Lb. Assorted For d
work.
CHILD'S
UNION SUITS
® Super Bargain Long sleeve ankle length, cotton ribbed unions in sizes C 2 to 12. Save on these!
® Wool & Woolmix in assorted
GIRLS’ SWEATERS
180 Pairs—Women’s Full Fashioned
Pure Silk HOSE
14
Third gradings and menders.
Assorted fall shades. Sizes 81% .to 10. While they last!
Men’s 109, Wool
UNION SUITS ® A $1.00 Value!
79:
Winter relsht unions, heavy rib knit. sleeve, ankle length. Sizes to 46.
THE WORLD IS STILL LAUGHING
for a Second Hilarious Week!
(Starting Tomorrow)
There’s never been such laughter! There
have never been such crowds! The entire
city is rocking with glee—as the master of
HE TALKS!
comedy reveals his greatest film achieve-
ment!... Audiences and critics alike hail
it as the finest Chaplin picture of all times! Of course, we MUST hold it over!
The Gre
Charlie is still the supreme comic of the screen; and
dual role he has in this picture.
"if such a thing is possible he is twice as good in the
INDIANAPOLIS NEWS
in his new comedy
at DICTATOR
Produced, written and directed Sy CHARLES CHAPLIN
with PAULETTE GODDARD Jack Okie « HENRY DANIELL « REGINALD GARDINER BiLLy Grueerr + Maurice Moscovica
Réleased thru United Artists
DOORS OPEN 10:30
USUAL CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCES
Come any time and see a complete show All Matinees .......... .
Children (Mat. only) . Evenings
NOTE: This picture will not be shown anywhere - at lower prices until at least the summer of 1941,
sevens ane seve
4.717;
Including 110 all taxes
Capacity audiences at the Astor Theatre in New York arepa;