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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1923)
Percy Hammond*s _Letter New York, March Jl. IT MAT bo said of the last week’s plays that none of them ds good. Miss Pauline Frederick returned the stage in an awkward contrap tion called "The Guilty One;” John Murray Anderson produced an in credibly dull musical comedy named "Jack and Jill,” and Miss Mercedes De Acosta, a yearning "society ama teur, ’ sponsored a girlish biography of Botticelli, the frescoer, founded on Maurice Howlitt's florid "Quattro centistoria,” an item in his "Earth work Out of Tuscany." While record ing these unimportant births it may bb well to mention the week's necrol ogy. Among those who have passed away since my last communication are Henry Miller in "Pasteur,” Miss Eaurette Taylor in "Humoresque,” Miss Florence Reed in “Hail and Fare well" and Miss Emily Stevens in "The Sporting Thing to Do.” Only one of these had a chance to succeed—Miss Fannie Hurst's “Humoresque." The others were merely examples of man agerial bravado. The news about Miss De Acosta's ‘‘Sandro Botticelli” is that in the first act Miss Eva Le (iallienne. as Simonetta, promises to pose in the nude for the painter, and that in the second act she does so. Imagine the suspense which exists during the in termission! How will she do it? Is the inquiry that heats the foyer be tween the acts. Well, arriving at the studio clad but in a single garment. Miss Le Oallienne gets behind a chair before she throws her clothing off. The drama lies in this situation: Simonetta's disclosure is made be cause she wishes to be loved rather than painted: nnd when Botticelli for gets that she Is a woman and regards her only as a model she quits him in disgust. Not, however, before she catches a cold which results, in the next act, fatally. The play is prettily worded rather thaw poetic. It is full of the artificial flowers of speech and is so floral at times that It is reminiscent of a seed catalog. Miss De Acosta may l>e identified as the wife of Abram Poole, the painter, and the sister-in-law of Ernest Poole, the novelist. “Jack and Jill" Is just a beautiful rnoron. It consists of large scenery, pretty girls In brilliant harness, a libretto that is uncanny In its sheer stupidity, much mediocre music and Miss Ann Pennington. Miss Penning ton, you may recall, is a plump sprite, whose chief claim to notability has been made via her dimpled and cheru bic kneecaps. She has learned to dance recently! and in “Jack and Jill” she performs with a facility surpris ing to those who know her only as a bare-legged onetStepper. The play is a musical comedy version of a farce by Frederick Isham, with verses and a Joke or two by Otto Horboch and some tur.es by Augustus Barrett. tJeorgia O’Ramey. Virginia O’Brien, Donald MacDonald and Roger Inrhoff are In It. The equipage in which Miss Pauline Frederick returns to the stage is an elegant vehicle by Michael Morton, who is renowned as a compose*- of flossy melodramas. In it Miss Fred erick is the nervous wife of a home loving English novelist, acted by Charles Waldron, an expert imperson ator of wronged and gloomy husbands. She is for late hours: he is against * them. He is of the fireside type: she is mad about dances and the drama. So while he remains adja cent to the hearthstone the goes about with sn evil admirer, who tempts her to elope. The novelist, to prevent her from so doing, pre tends to have murdered her seducer. As he faces arrest and execution for homicide, she discovers that she loves him; and when it is explained that his trouble Is a hoax there Is a cheap and blissful ending. The play Is one of the worst. ‘.By the way. this metropolis seems to he losing favor with the authors a* a headquarters for their dramas. It hasn't been so very long since there were IK plays running in and about Broadway, all of which bore the ex planation: "Time, tile Present; Place. New York." Now there are none. Even the few works which obviously ‘reat of life in Manhattan hide them selves behind an anonymity of loca tion. This, it may he. is a belated tribute to the hinterlands. An evi dence that the dramatists have come to realize that there are #crowded hours in P.ufTalo and Cincinnati as well as hereabouts. We out of-tow tiers ought to h" grateful for tills recogni tion, and no doubt w •* are. Inn If ants to Play Part of Old and Ugly I Woman Just Otu'e Of thOKe desirable clementn <*on- 1 stitutlng the "first aids to beauty," Tna Claire whom we are to see at the | Brandels theater in Arthur Rich- | man's comedy, ‘The Awful Truth." has very definite and Interesting Ideas of her own. Hummed up, she lelieves nil one needs Is a cheerful outlook on life, the habit of good thinking, a clean bill of health, and a Rtrong leaning toward optimism. "I have been interested enough In my profession.” said Miss Claire In « recent Interview, "to study what | the great women of the stage have | done aiul to follow their careers In : the hope that I may learn something that will help me. Age really has nothing to do with a womun's icrmanent position on the stage. In ,-ach Individual case, they matured nml Increased In greatness, and ns beauty faded they made audiences J'orget (hat they had once lieen noted for physlcial rliHrma, by increased in '■ellecutal development and mellowing art. I do not want to continue always playing pretty young women. I want to play n rough and hideous ! ■art sometimes where looks shall have j nothing to do with success. ‘Kroni what I have read and oh \ served, it seems to me that every great woman of the stage who held j her popularity up to the age of 60 j or 60 had been more nr less beautiful | as a beginner, yet each had won I success In her malure years because j she possessed Intellectual charms and not physical beauty. Take Madam* j Bernhardt, Ada Rehan, Mrs llowers, ' Madame Modjeska, Mrs. Gilbert and , ri dozen others. They often made themselves absolutely ugly for a part j iml let their ability win. Really, I want to play ugly women!” IriQ_ Clairv wmxiS Airs S'ialnei/Dr<?sA - obpheum — I ■■ ■ -1 7rank (7 jjjc/ric// - VJOZUD - I Jj ^ J_'tl yirrsifG)/son _s What the Theaters Offer INA CLAIRE, among popular and charming young American act resses, is coming to the Hrandeis theater for three days starting Thurs day, April 5. with matinee Saturday, in the brilliant comedy in which for five months she appeared at Henry Miller's theater in New York, and in which, more recently, she met with similar success at Power's theater in Chicago. Mias Claire's comedy is '#The Awful Truth," from the pen of Arthur Rich man, a young playwright recalled agreeably as the author of "Not So Long Ago" and "Ambush.” In It Miss , Claire is Lucy Warrlner. a young, beautiful arid fashionable divorcee whom financial necessity lies brought to the brink of a desirable second mat ■ rimonial alliance. A rich, though rather crude, westerner turns out to be Ihe most likely candidate for this honor. Eager to marry the woman for whom he has developed a real in fatuation, the gentleman is halted when an overshrewd aunt hints to him that in his fiancee's divorce suii there had been a suspicion that Lucky her self had not lieen altogether blame less. The latter, undaunted, summons to her defense none other than her ex husband, who gallantly responds. Principal in Miss Claire's support is Bruce McRae, a player at once , well known and popular here. In "The Awful Truth" Mr. McRae has met with an individual quecess second only to that of Miss Claire. Other impor tant role* are in the capable ham!* of a splendid company, including Cora Witherspoon. Louise Mackintosh. Kyra Alanowa, Paul Harvey, Arthur W. Metcalfe. Raymond \\ .Iburn and Lewis Scaly. The headline attraction which the World theater is presenting this week Is the Canadian Northwest Veterans band, composed of 27 overseas war veterans forming an unusual military musical organization. Every man in the band has seen two to five years active service overseas ami on all fronts In which the (Canadian forces operated. Dressed in the uniforms of the Canadian Northwest Mounted po lice It is said the band makes a most striking and Impressive appearance Their repertoire if selections includt-N only those of the popular variety. While ensemble numbers predominate, there is offered xylophone solos and trombone and saxophone novelties. WaIter Brower, th« lone comedian, mages a return appearance at the " orld. Brower is recognized as one of the best monologists of the day. Chernyoff, known throughout musical circles as a foremost concert artist. pr< sents a brilliant series of numbers upon the piano. Marion Burnell and company offer a rollicking comedy under the title of "The Big Chance." Nelson's Cat land is a most likable novelty with comedy predominating. Arthur Hays will introduce another ergrn * Ity in an ttmahu version 1 known “Clallagher and Pictures to bo shown ances Include Herbert l; ' The Scarlet Car." front the •vn story by Richard Hard:- 1 i.avis, and as an added fun attraction the latest Charlie Murray two-part comedy optioned "Busy Body," Mr# Sidney Drew conies to the Or phenm thl# week. Another of the headline attractions will be Thomp son. "the Egyptian." The show I# to have an uncommon array of talent assembled for the purpose of making the lienefit for the National \'aul* ville Artists a substantial success. All the lending variety theater# of the I'nlted States and Canada are uni! ng ui's again for this annual itenefit Mr.i Drew is to appear in th* one art domestic comedy. "Predestination." an extremely * lever play by lain in Purke Her company Is to include John Reinhart and M try Alden. both players of established reputation. How to stop pain by simple nerve pressure is the feature of ^r. Thomp son’s remarkable demonstration. Ib is making it his mission to tench peo ple how to do away with aches and pain#. Through his science he has accomplished some amazing results, t.s, for example, causing hair to grow on a bnPI head, "You \\ hat I Mean." is the title of the amusing skit to lie pn,anted by Jim Tonev and Ann .Nor man as one of the featured attrac tions. Emilio l.ee. who comes from musical comedy, appears In a dancing Matinee Unity 3:19—tvery Night 8:19 WEEK STARTING TODAY NATIONAL VAUDEVILLE ARTISTS’ WEEK MRS. SIDNEY DREW AND CO. in "PREDESTINATION" THOMPSON, “THE EGYPTIAN” The Modern Miracle Men Zone Therapist I 9 Carnal—LOVE TWINS—Luellla “Tha Lillie Singing Love Bird*’’ EM1LIE L%\ In "Rahoarilni for ^Tudovillo" with Clarom# Rock and Sam Kaufman BILLY DALE & CO. with Dorothy Aubrey end Walter Kane In “It Happened In Parle** FRANK WHITMAN Dinc«*M«<f Fiddltr" JIM TONEY & ANN NORMAN In _“You Know Who! 1 _ A**op'* FabUa 'Topic* el lh* Day F*lh* Now* W##l»ly _ • NEXT WEEK—FRANK MclNTYRE 4k CO. —. - -*• - MATINKt.S I I Ac to AOc PI... t U. S. T.« NIGHTS iSc to $i on and singing act. Her assistants are Clarence Hock and Sam Kaufman, an expert pianist, and a clever eccentric cancer. Billy Hale, assisted by Dor othy Aubrey and Walter Kane. Is to present "It Happened in I’arls.” Carnet and Lucille Love are dainty and charming vocalists., Frank Whit man is known as "the dance-mad fiddler." As an instrumentalist he Is unique, as a dancer he Is remark able. Once more the amusing car toon comic, Aesop's Fables and "Topics of the Hay” is to t>e a screen feature. Pat lie New s, which w ill like wise lie shown, will show the dis trict of Omaha devastated by the great tornado In liil3. and will show this district as it appears today, re constructed. The Ktnpress presents to its pat rons for Faster week Jack Hutchi son's "Ziz-Zaz Hevue,” a company which will offer musical comedy and vaudeville The Hill for I lie first four | days of this week is "That Million Hollar Stocking.' which will have plenty openings for comedy situa tions. Nine vaudeville acts will h* distributed throughout tlds show, among them being "The Southern City Four," Midge Hiatt, Paul and Mundy Wills, Alpine yoHlers, Nig Nhope nnd fivn others liesldes a chorus of youth and lieauty with new and beautiful costumes and scenery. The ZlzZaz Kevue will present sn entire new show for three days start ing Thursday. This offering they call "The Pet," and many musical num bers will Vie Introduced during the ac tion of the play. An extra added attraction at the 1 ini press will l«> the showing of scenes of the tornado which swept through Omaha 10 years ago. These films were taken by V’athe camera men immediately after the tornado hud passed and the object of this film is to show the devastated area as it was 10 years ago and how It is today with the many beautiful lionies and tall buildings now stall ing where there was but ruin on that eventful Kaster fcunday, March 23, 1913. Bright with scenic displays, peo pled with clever hurlesquers and of fering a sartorial scheme that is sure to dazzle beholders Harry M. Ktrousc's “Talk of the Town" comes this week to entertain patrons of the Oayety. Eddie Hall, Charles Kagan and Franz Marie Texas will be fea tured members of a company employ ing nearly 50 trained dancers. Gingers and farce players. In two acts*and 12 scenes the offering will be en livened by various musical numbers, taudeville specialties and comedy in terludes. Eddie Hall and Charles Fagan will handle the comedy after tho ’ fashion of stage "tramps." Franz Marie Texns comes heralded as the best dressed leading woman in burlesque. Nora Billings, ingenue and dancer: Patsy Gilson, fast step ping soubrette, and Nettie Knise, comedienne, assist Miss Texas. Paul H. West will Join Miss Texas in vocal harmonies during a special vaudeville feature. Duball and Mc Kenzie will display their cleverness as eccentric dancers, and a novel feature for burlesque will he Jack Gilson's “Jekyl and Hyde" character ization done with special lighting ef fects. Eddie Hall will also contrib ute eccentric dancing to the vaude ville Interludes. James Parker, real negro entertainer, will be among those present Taking advance prom ises at face value devotees of bur lesque may count upon being well entertained by "Talk of the Town " Today's bargain matinee starts at 3:00. Next week to the Orpheum comes Broadway's famous star comedian, Frank McIntyre, in the one-act play. "Wednesday at the IRtz,” by Gordon Bostock. Mr McIntyre was last seen In Omaha in "The Traveling Sales man." One of the featured offerings is to be the sketch, "A Breath of Old Times," offered by Barney Fagan. I.izzic Wilson, Joseph J. Sullivan, Tony Williams. Mae Kennedy and Corinne. "Birdseed" Is the title of the sketch to be presented by Frank Davis and Adele I>arnell as another of the featured attractions. Douglas Gordon, one of the fore most dramatic critics in the south, writes the following criticism on the sensational record-breaking musical comedy success. "Shuffle Along." which comes to the Brnndeis thester for three days starting Thursday, April 12: "With the inspiration of a p:n ked house, members of the 'Shuffle Along' company turned themselves loose and they shuffled their feet and swung their arms. They lifter their voices In syncopated songs, solos, duets nnd en*embl»s They sang and they danced, and they danced and they sang Sometimes they sang with out dancing and sometimes they danced without singing, but whatever they did was done with all the ardor of persons who just loved to strut 3 Nights, Starting Thursday, April 5 Matinee Saturday Direct from 5 triumphant months at Henry Miller’s Theatre, New York, and similar success at Powers’ Theatre, Chicago. \ * | CUAQLE5 PROUMAN ?**>***■} IMA CLAIRE AND HER COMPANV including DRUCEM'RAE In fheMosi Deli^hlfuI Comedy of iheVfcar LAWFUL TRUTH 6^ ARTHUR RlCUMAN PRODUCED BY HENRY MILLER Identical Original Cast and Production Positively Intact PRICES—EVENINGS . Me to $2.7S SATURDAY MATINEE .»0c to »t 20 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT __.HPF.CjA!. MATINEE SATURDAY _ i THE WORLDS RECORD-BREAKING ! s MUSICAL COMEDY % police Nif.His, r,o< in 82.00. Mull* Reservation* Early. rnivta matinee, ,v><* •» »i.r»o.| Mall Orders Now. Seats on Sale lloa Office lliureday, April 9 BRANDEIS 3 Days Com. Thurs. April 12 Mrs. Drew Comes Rack to Vaudeville If i'll 'X etc Sketch To the galaxy of screen stars who have already liecn engagerl for the speaking stupe, the Orpheum circuit has lured another in the person of Mrs. Sidney Drew, who will lie at the Orpheum theater this week in a n#w comedy sketch, “Predestination.” For many seasons Mrs. Drew ap peared with her late husband in it series of screen comedies which were written by them. It was said of this couple that they stood alone in the novelty of their screen productions, being unlike Mr. und Mrs. t.'arter De ilaven. Bushman and Bayne and oth ers. because the Drews wrote plays best adapted to their talents and de pended upon no author to supply what he believed would suit them. Their versatility was brought out in every picture they trade. Before his death, Mr. Drew ap peared with his wife on the legitimate stage, one of their greatest successes being Richard tValton Tully's comedy, "Keep Her Smiling.” For her appearance in vaudeville Mrs. Drew will be seen in a bright little domestic playlet, which is de signed to show what a pleasing come dienne she really is. Her speaking voice will prove a novelty for those who only have seen her in pictures. There are many comedy situations capitally handled with Mrs. Drew as the center attraction. She is sup ported by an able cast. their stuff—and, boy, 'hey sure strut ted It. "John Vaughner and Edgar Connors are the chief funmakers and Vaugh ner easily d. monstrated that Bert Wil liams has a worthy disciple, while Edgar Connors' creation bore a sem blance to one of Johhny Healey's studies. 'Shuffle Along' has proved to be the biggest box office winner of the season, which ends all argu ments about its popularity." Jack Patton and l.oretta Marks star in a miniature musical comedy revue entitled "Bits and Pieces” at the World (heater, starling next Sat urday. In their latest vaudeville ven ture they have produced a pretentious revue employing 10 i>enpie and an unusual amount of scenic effects, in eluding a huge wedding bell and a practical airplane. The World theater management states that its first anniversary bill, starting April 14 will prove-one of the most costly vauffeville programs of fered in tills city in scvpral years. The , Benson orchestra of Chicago, efperts in harmonious syncopation, is the headline feature of the six-act sup plying anniversary entertainment. Other important features of the bill i April 14 are the Sie Tahar troupe | of seven whirlwind dancers and the [ Mikado Operatic oulntet. presenting a condensed version of the comic opera, Mikado." The success of musical comedy com panies with vaudeville and pictures having been assured. Manager Lc doux of the Empress has booked sev eral such companies, each of which will appear at the Empress for one week, and will present a new show on Sunday and Thursday. The fol lowing are some of the forthcoming attractions; Mary Brown's Tropical Maids, week of April S: Dunbar's Hon eymoon Express, week o/ April 13; Morgan's Dangerous Girl, week of April 22, and Harrison’s Eyrie Revue, week of April 23. EXTRAORDINARY EASTER SHOW Musical Comedy Company at 1:50, 4, 6:50 and 9 Picture at 12, 2:45, 5, 7:30 and TO 4 DAYS. STARTING TODAY HUTCHISON’S ZIZ-ZAZ REVUE A Company Presenting MUSICAL COMEDY Entitled "That Million Dollar Stocking" 9-MIPEVIltE ACTS 9 The Southern City 4 Four Reels of Harmony MIDGE HIATT The Little Dynamo of Musical Comedy Paul TKE WILLS Mandy Alpinr Yodlera NIG SKOPE The Blackface Man *_ Jack Hutchison, Jr. The Fashion Plate MADELYN YOUNG Prime Donne Supreme DUNBAR! VJS&* .T - 4— Dancing Girls —4 Betty. Billie, Esther, Hel en The Avalon Three Chorus of Youth and Beauty FEATURE PICTURE ALICE BRADY “Missing Millions” A Tarrent of Breathless ThrfBa A Re manre Jammed with Eacitemrnt I PRICES Nifkti and Sunday Matinee, 10* to 50* WeeUd* v MM . *0** to !?0* a Filmed in Bahama*. "Wonders of the Boa," made under water by met us of the Williamson submersible device, is to be released thl* month. It wa* Aimed tn tha Bahama* and pictures thd coral arowths prevalent there, sunken chip* and is enlivened by closeups oC the capture of a shark. light Howtiffi^SSaH [HE SHOW WITH 0 REASON EOH ITS ROME Harry M. Strouse ‘Presents Muaic and Lyrica by Harry Collins and James Johnson The Fastest Show On Earth | CHAS. FAGAN h Eddie Hall, | is Chas. Fagan, Franz-Marie Texas BEAUTY CHORUS OF IQ FASCINATING 10 lOEIGHTEENERS lo SUPERLATIVE CAST EDDIE HALL ASK THE WISE BIRDS who saw this show yesterday — they’re the folks who are helping to make it THE TALK OF THE TOWN, just as it was in Kansas City all last week. Any Seat Main Floor at Today’s Bargain Matinee at 3:00 The Final Columbia Circuit Show of the Season. GAYETY S StMS si Apr. 8 k£ep your eye ig y r IS PC ,v we’ve PEELED FOR r II H Vll £0 GOT ’EM! Watch the newspapers; camp in front of the bill boards ; consult a clairvoyant if you can’t wait for particulars. Pantages Vaudeville—Exclusive Photoplays NOW PLAYING Vaudeville’s largest military musical organization in a unique program of popular members, [*m.uv Return engagement of the noted funmaker, WALTER BROWER “The Lone Comedian” CHERRY OFF HSARIOfi BCRUEELL Famoua Concert Pianiat ’ In a Clever Comedy Playlet HELSOH’S CATLARO ARTHUR HAYS Something New in the Realm Playing an Omaha Veraion of of Vaudeville “Gallagher & Shean" Double picture prof ram ihown at all performaacea HERBERT RAWLINSCN • -IB “THE SCARLET CAR” By Richard Harding Davit CHARLIE ' - “BUSY MURRY 1 Tomedy, BODY”! Vaudeville today at 2:00, 4:20, 6:45, 9:10 Other days at 3:20, 6:45. 9:10 Performance continuous from 1 p m Nights and Sunday Matinee 10C, [iOf* Week Day Matinee* 10<*. SOC