Nebraska Newspapers

    I THE < >MAHA SUNDAY • LIEE | 'j |
l -■ ___. _\================^
VOL. 63—NO. 41 PART FOUR OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 23, 1324. 1—D__FIVE CENTS
r ' N
Al Jolson Is
Coming
“Bombo” in Omaha for
4 Nights at Brandeis;
Other Joys Promised.
v_1_/
Al JOLSON in hi* latest New
York Winter Garden success,
"Bombo,” will take the stage
of the Brandeis theater for four
nights starting Monday, March 31,
with a matinee on Wednesday after
noon. It is a fantastic spectacle with
a story founded on the life of Chris
topher Columbus and music footed in
Broadway. "Bombo” concerns the
dual personalities of Gus, that na
tionally known character of Mr. Jol
son's, and Bombo the servant of
Christopher Columbus, a rather
prominent person in history. There
are modern scenes and historical
scenes, but that all makes “Bombo”
and “Bombo” is AI Jolson. There
are 14 scenes, and the girls are many
and the business of discovering Amer
ica permits them to appear fetch
ingly as ladies-in-waltlng to her
majesty, the queen of Spain, as Span
ish beauties of lesser degree, as bare
legged sailors on the good ship Santa
Maria, and as a welcoming commit
tee of San Salvadorian tomtom
dancers. There is a numerous com-,
pany, including several principals
well-known here, as follows: Franklyn
A. Batle, Forrest Huff, Fritzl Von
Busing, Janet Adair, Vera Kingston,
Arline Gardiner, Harry Turpin,
Harold Crane, Frank Holmes, Frank
Bernard, Joyce White, .Jfanrie Kay,
the Wfiimvrlght sisters and Harry
Sievers.
* »
Orpheum to Have Another
Big Musical Act This Week \
v.___*
George Cboos’ "Fables of 1924," the
most brilliant and spectacular revue
in vaudeville, is the headline attrac
tion at the Orpheum this week. This
now production is said to surpass
ChooS’ other vaudeville act, "The
Land of Fantasie," which established
a record attendance on its recent
visit to the Orpheum.
The length of the act, 45 minutes,
gives some Idea of its scope. There
are six scenes. The company num
bers 13 featured dancers and singers,
such as Jack Henry, Edythe Maye,
i Mildred Burns. Bob Sargent, Danny
Dare and the Toyland Steppers. Spe
cial music, lyrics, costumes and tech
nical direction have all been secured
specially for this production. The
scenes Include travesty, fantasy and
a healthy vein of rich comedy. There
is “A Kiddie's Dream," “A Country
Courtship” arid the Toyland Steppers
cavort merrily through “Clownland,”
while the finale, “An Apple Orchard,"
brings a scenic effect as bewildering
and as surprising as the famous
» "liadiana" scene from the “Land of
Fantasie."
Johnny Burke in "Drafted" tells of
r.ib experiences from the time he was
"invited to the tight” by Mr. Wilson
until he "advanced to the rear and
■ met the general.” Harry Kahne, who
"possesses six minds” and can us®
them simultaneously, will glge a
demonstration of his remarkable
mental achievements. Bill Robinson,
the “dark cloud of joy,” offers new
imitations and dance steps. Pat Bar
rott and Nora Cunneen offer a skit
called “Looking for Fun.” The Mc
dini trio is said to present the best
equillbrlstlc act on the free ladder In
the world.
/-;---\
Courtney Sisters Lead
Raktime Bill at World
'-,-'
It’a "Syncopation week” at the
World theater, with the Courtney Sis
ter*, Florence and Fay, famous sing
ers of syncopating "blues” offering
» series of special numbers that have
made them one of the standard at
tractions in vaudeville. Assisting in
the entertainment is their "Ultra
.String quartet,” Messrs. Tripp. Balfe,
Nussbaum nnd Wilkinson. It has
been several years since llie Courtney
Sisters have played here, their Inst
appearance being at the Brandeis,
One of America's foremost come
dians is Frank A. Burt, who has the
assistance of Myrtle Rosedale In the
presentation of a comedy riot, called
"The Substitute.” Robinson’s band,
a syncopated organization composed
of 10 young men from Dixfcland, are
another attraction on tb* current
bill. "DIs and Dat” Is the title of
the offering of eccentric and Jazz
dancing with comedy trimmings of
* fered by De Mont and Qracla. “Just
a Few Things You Haven’t Seen” is
to lie presented by Chappell* and
Carlton. Arthur Hays lias a special
number of his own making, entitled
"Syncopation.” which he will offer
as the curtain raiser of the syncopa
tion bill.
Rigoletto Bros., with the talented
Swanson Sister*, are the headliner*
next Saturday.
f Smith Comedy Players in
Musical Farce at Empress
V -»
Tha Bert Smith Comedy Players
now on their second week at the
New Empress are presenting this
week the musical farce, “A Husband
for a Night,” a swiftly moving
musical play with more than its quota
of laughs. It tells the absorbing story
of a little gypsy girl who seek* a
husband In order to comply with the
conditions of a will. Vi Shaffer, I he
“personality girl,'* Billy Van Alien,
whose old man characterization Is a
laughing treat, and Joe Marlon are
the featured players of the company
with Flo Desmonds, Helen Curtis,
Arlene Melvin and Warren Fabian,
prominent In the big supporting cast.
Among the song numbers Introduced
are "Ragtime Wonders,” "Southern
Gals,” "Tell Me Pretty Gypsy,” "Sun
shine Alley,” ”1 Used lo Dove You.”
“Dove. Nest,” "Oood Night Dear,”
“Jack O’ Jdtntern,” "Dreamy Melody”
and harmony numbers by the Oriole
Trio, Messrs Frsnels, Cooper and
Francis. '
“This Ts the Ulfe” Is announced
for the weak starting next Saturday.
%/y
ano Anita. '
S6eiat
the riaLto
/
Why, Helen! You
Don't Mean That
All People Are Wise?
_ V
"It's hard to fool the public today,"
says Helen Spencer, the dashing little
lady who is a cofeatured member of
the cast of "Step On It" at the Gay
ety theater, together with George
Niblo: "Barnum may have been right
in his day, but try and do it now. A
few years ago one of the favorite nov
elties in the theater was to have a
■plant' in the audience, that is, an
actor sitting out front disguised as a
patron of the show, who at the proper
time would interrupt the performance
and join in the comedy of the scene.
When this first became popular the
audience never failed to believe that
it was a real fellow member of theirs
interrupting the performance. But
now- even w hen this is really on /the
level the audience does not believe it,
and you can hear them whisper, 'Ah,
that’s part of the show—they can’t
tool me.’ ”
— ___
Man of Wonder on
View at the Gayety
That Horace Goldin can do things
quicker and more skillfully than tha
eye can detect will be demonstrated
afternoon and evening this week at
the Gayety theater, when “Step Ob It"
will be the Columbia burlesque with
Goldin as an extra added attraction.
Goldin will present his two Illusions,
“Sawing a Woman in Half” and "Ra
dio Film Telepathy.” In the film il
lusion the eharactera will walk, talk
and act at Goldin’s behest—coming
onto the stage, out of the picture, and
going back again at command. Cigar
eta will be lit by Goldin and the char
acters will puff the smoke in the pic
ture. In “Sawing a Woman In Half”
Goldin uses a cross-cut saw to rend
his girl assistant midway between
head and feet—at least he will appear
to saw her In half while the specta
tors look on In wonderment at what
Is transpiring. Somehow or other
Goldin gets the girl together again
without even rumpling her garments.
The Illusions and mystery of Goldin’s
act will only be one of many lncidenta
In the program of burlesque, song,
dance and good humor as expressed
by a company that will have George
Nlblo and Helen Spencer leading the
cohorts. Today’s matinee starts at J.
(—"---'
Film Star to Sell
Lavish Costumes
-J
What docs a screen star do with
her gowns and costumes after she lias
worn them in a production? Mae
Murray, railed the best dressed wom
an on the screen, whose latest Metre
picture, "Fashion Row,” will come
next week to the Sun theater, con
fessed boldly that she sells them.
“Why not?” says Miss Murray, who
probably wears more gowns In a sll
gle picture than any other actress
on the screen. “They represent an
enormous cost. All the gowns and
costumes that are part of my ward
robe in ‘Fashion Row’ would repre
sent a king's ransom.
‘‘When worn once their usefulness,
so far as picture work Is concerned. Is
over. No actrees would ever dare to
wear the same gown in two pictures.
Women in audiences ayo too discern
ing and too critical. It would be a
shame to discard them forever. Why
not sell them and realize some of the
immense cost expended on them?”
In “Fashion Row,” written for her
by Sada Cowan and Howard Hlggin,
Miss Murray wears half a hundred
costumes.
* " ' -»
Scaramouche Starts
Second Week at Sun
V__/
"Scaramouche” starts Its second
week at the Sun theater.
This Is the photoplay classic taken
from Sabatlnt's fnmous novel by Ilex
Ingram, the young director, who has
attained unusual heights of artistry
In the motion picture world.
Ingram, a former cutter, was
given his hlg opportunity In the
"Four Horsemen." That he made the
most of that opportunity la proved
by the success of the Ibanez film,
Alice Terry, the beautiful young
star whom Ingram wooed and won
while filming the “Four Horseman,"
plays the leading feminine role In
"Scariiniouche." The other leading
characters arc played hy Hew Is
Stone, one of the most finished actors
of American drama, and Itamon No
varro. ,
"Scaramouche” Is a spectacle »s
well as a gripping story and the ex
pendltures In sets, costumes, extras
•to., wer« enormous.
Hfefett CtttUs at
VHP empress .
f -; ■ \
Sport Celebrities
in Rialto Picture
-y
"Tha Great White Way," a new
photoplay that mirrors life on Broad
way, la at tha Klalto theater. Lead
In* celebrities of the prize ring, the
race track, prominent sports writers
and other familiar figures of aportdom
make their film debut In the picture.
The turf and the ring, along with
the leaders in these branches of sport,
are graphically brought to the screen
in this picture of life in the great
metropolis. One of the big features
Is a realistic prize fight in which Pete
Hartley, well known light weight con
tender, battles Oscar Shaw, leading
man of tha film.
This scene Includes such sporting
celebrities as Tex Rickard, who ap
pear* as promoter: Joe Humphreys,
announcer, and Johnny Gallagher as
referee. Others who appear around
the ring or In tha training quarters
of Madison Square Garden are Irvin
S. Coblj, Damon Runyon. ‘'Bugs’’
Baer, Billy De Beck, "Kid" Broad,
Tammany Toung, and H. T. Witwer.
author of the story.
Another thrilling feature of “The
Great White Way” is a big race track
scene, filmed at Belmont park on
Futurity dny, It discloses a realistic
steeplechase, specially staged for the
picture, and many other phases of
turf life. Earle Rande, world's pre
mler Jockey, is another of the many
sporting celebrltlss who appear.
The regular cast. In addition to
Oscar Shaw, Includes Anita Stewart,
T. Roy Barnes, Tom Lewie, Olln How
land, Harry Wateon, Dore Davldeon,
Hal Forde, Stanley Forde end Frank
Wonderley.
/■■■*; -;-n
Whittier| Poem Basis j
for Empress Picture \
Breathing a wholeeomenese and ein
cerlty rarely equaled on the screen,
"The Harefout Boy," a picturlzatlon
of John Greenleaf Whittier's Immor
tal classic, at the Empress. la like a
breath of cool air on a hot summer
day. Tha aweet odor of the hayflelde,
the Invigorating smell of field flow
era and tha freshness of the country
sunshine seem to pervade this produc
tion end make of It something un
usual and very rare.
Marjorie Daw, who came to the
scrien as the protege or the hi-illlnnt
and dualling Geraldine Farrar, le e
sweel, wholesome, tinalTerled girl,
veil aide to portray the type of young
womnn a boy born in Die country
and bred In the city, would love. Mlea
Daw gives an iinuauslly pleasing p«i
formuc« U> "Tbs Barefoot Boy.”
CotLfittey Sisters at the worco
—;-\
Shirley Mason Gets
Many Love Letters
v_ _/
Once when the world «u young
and the iky was blue, when birds
sang and peanut whlstlea tootled their
warm breath In competition with the
spring sunshine—once In that long
ago the postman smiled and felt young
again when he delivered at some
sprightly maltlm's door a missive
bearing on Its flap the cryptic Initials
8. W. A. K.
Those thrills were of the long, long,
ago In ages past and all bpt forgotten.
Would wc renew our youth? Would
we fee 1 again that warm surging of
the senses? Can the spark be made
to flame?
At least those of us who look bark
at the pleasuroa of bygone days can'
recall glowing memories by going to
see Hhlrley Mason In "Love Letters,"
a William Fox production, at the
World theater. The picture, as the
name Implies, deals with love letters,
and those budding young things who
write end read them. With the love
element there has been Intertwined a
mystery that holds a breathless ten
sity to the end.
t-;-\
It’s Fun for Johnnie
hut Was Work for Others
«• -»
Johnny Burke saw the humorous
sldp of war, as evidenced by his
monologue, "Drafted," In which he
tells his experiences from the time
he wae "Invited to fight" by Mr. Wil
son until he “advanced to the rear
and met the general." He Is featured
at the Orpheum this week.
Overseas he was the delight of the
fight-weary doughboys and ou Hie
stage he Is the favorite of thousands
who never saw a battlefield. For
more than 15 years Burke has played
the part of a soldier. Before tlio
world war provl an excuse for Ills
present sketch, tie traveled el>mit the
country portraying the rube who
went to the civil war.| Afire return
ing from overseas he Introduced tint
tall and awkward rookie hr now
bringe to vaudeville.
Joe Howard to Fare
Omaha Audience Again
Joseph K. Howard, with Kthelyn
Clark, conies to flip Orpheuin next
weak at the head of HI* own revue,
"Patchings From l*lfp." n vaudeville
"follies" or "uritndfilA" <lun«* In one
big run off nt racing Npeed nnd
packed with episode* nf song and
! dance, comedy, pretty glila, scenic * f
ferta and nil Mint goes to make a reg
ular production. In tht company imp
porting Howard and Clerk will be
found JamtB J. Morton, on* of vnuih*
villa* drolltat codaka*
Q&tttott MiOatro J
AT THE SUN
r c//ota.
Cuxqeeit
AT the OffPHEUM
. f'l
fjuani mS*—<
f <A(itcfteii _
r —-— —
N. Y. Wearies qfDreariness
O'ypill's "WildcatGets Off to Rather Bad
Start Before Audiences Fed Up Qn Gloom;
Harhett a Subdued ami Polite Murderer.
l_ i
By PERCY HAMMOND.
New York. March 22.
EUGENE O'NEIUL'S new play.
'• Welded,” la all about the un
happy struggle of two "artistic”
temperaments to get along together.
Consequently It Is not of much Inter
est to any save those who are simi
larly afflicted. To the average per
son nothing Is a greater bore than the
romantic peccadilloes of the minor
geniuses, listening for three hours
to a pair of these little egotists as
they alternate their love-making with
snarls and recrimination* Is seldom
of value, either as amusement or
education. And, since the man and
woman In "Welded" are particularly
wearying, excitement concerning them
will probably be limited.
This duo consists of a New York
dramatist (Mr. Jacob Ben-Ami) and
Ids wife, a New York~artress (Miss
Doris Keane). Though each, as the
saying goes. Is In the other's blood,
they do not enjoy their association.
The woman resents the man's en
deavors to absorb her. and the man
resents her resentment. She desires
to be herself; he wishes to be both
of them. At one moment he kieses
her and the next he rhoke* her end
calls her bad names. She alternates
terms of endearment with terms of
opprnblum. and at the end of the
first act they decide to separate.
As an exhibition of marital Infe
licity the play Is a spectacle. The
theater dors not often afford a sight
of romance In a more miserable
aspect. II Is not Mr. O'Neill's habit
lo be hopeful about the human scheme
of things, but In "Welded” he is com
pletely forlorn. "No stars shine
through bis cypress trees.” He would
hot. If he could, he gay. However,
lie take* a morbid satisfaction in hi*
discouragements, and the more des
perate Ilia conditions the more con
tented be seems to be. The price
of love Is unhappiness. Into each
life much rain must fall. The clouds
have no silver linings. The flsg of
romance Is e\or at hnlfmsst and
muffled drums I lent at rompnifiuirnl
in nit the earthly ballads. Mr. O'Neill
I- the black camel of the drama; and
.above the portals of his theater Is
written "All hope ahnndon, ye who
enter her*!” Yet h* te *" serene In
Ills delecting funrtlon ss Is en under
1 laker, and perhaps be is as essential.
"Welded." of course, has Its auda
cious moments. There is a scene, for
instance. In the shabby chamber of
a little sister of the night, a descrip
tion of which would baffle even the
most Indelicate of the reviewers. Jn
this episode Mr. lien-Ami, as the gab
by playwright, utters an epigram
matic puty which is much too naughty
to be repeated—though at the first
performance in the Thirty-ninth
Street theater It was received with
approbation. Several other Incidents
of a similar frankness occur In the
play, but they are not, one suspects,
alluring enough to overcome tta
wordy, though honest. Inertia.
Mr. James K. Hackett. whose art
has been more honored abroad than
In hit native land, performed "Mao.
heth" the other night, with results
better than had been apprehended.
There were tremors In certain quar
ters, since It was feared that Mr.
Hackett was not sufficiently cerebral
to represent Shakespeare's noble,
though murderous, Scotchman. How
ever, ha went about the tragedy with
gusto, and he made it a gorgeous
and majestic "book thumper," as
Mr. Mencken might call it. He was
the moat unwilling and sentimental
of tha Macbeth butchers, shedding
th* blood of kings politely and with
a somewhat elephant In# Jauntiness.
To Shakespeare's reluctant cut
throat he added a tinge of hi* own
elegant tenderness, mitigating cruel
deeds with a coy reluctance that was
sometimes almost dainty. He used
his fine eyes to gentle purpose.*, and
when excited skipped about with
short, bouncing steps. Withal he was
a dignified Caledonian. His voice
was deeply Shakespearean, save tn
the softer passages, snd Ida appear
ance was large and Impressive. In
hia Impersonation, one auepecta, Mac
beth la not "the daddy of all the
Bowerv villains" that Miss Char
lotte Cushman once called him. But.
as Shakespeare Intended, be I* «
good Scotchman gone wrong, egged
on to do eo by an oppressive wife.
1 have always thought that "Mac
both" was meant to be a sermon
against the evils of henpecking snd
Mr. Hackett's performance seem* to
justify my sfirmtae.
1 -A
Bo also did that of Miss Clare
tall M 14ft Mtefenb. ihf «m A
*a7
gavety
AND.&PA 'Daiy at the muse
snaky fiend, much better tailored
than moat of the ladiea Macbeth, a
slim, ruthless. Insidious and ddmin
eering murdereea. Ambition's marble
heart eeemed to beat coldly in her
breast, and ahe exercised a malicious
magnetism over her big though ir
resolute Thane. She "nagged'’ him
and made him like it. At her behest
he explicably rolled over and Jumped
through. Miss Karnes sensed the
noble melodrama In ’ Macbeth," and
her diction and manner were often
those of the better type of stage ad
venturess.
Since Mr. Harkett's "Macbeth”
has been acclaimed in foreign parts
as a masterpiece of histrionic art he
may forgive an absence of enthu
siaam in his home town—in case
there should be any. Celebrated In
London by the critics and populace,
and decorated by the French repub
lic for his feats, hs can well afford
to disdain the Inappreciation, If any,
of the western hemisphere. As
Macbeth he haa the god-given gift,of
mediocrity, which, while highly val
ued on the other side, may be under
estimated by the drama lovera of the
new world. It ts said that the elder
Guitry indulged in an unworthy
sneer when he heard that Mr.
Hackett’s ’’Macbeth" had lveen fur
ther ennobled by the Legion of
Honor. "They decorated him." ob
served M. Guitry, ’ because he played
it only once"’
Well, Doug, ]yst What
Would You Try to Do}
Following the showing of ’’The
Thief of Bagdad,” "Doug" and Mary
are going to Kurope for an extended
tour. They will motor all over the
continent In n two-passenger roadster
unaccompanied by any servants or
special representatives. Some of the
time "Doug" will drive and now and
then Mary will take the wheel.
"What will you do If you are held
up by bandits?" ’’Doug" was asked by
Frank Case, glorifter of the American
actors' lunch hour.
"You talk ss If you never saw any
of my pictures," answered Mr. Fair
banks
$100,000 for Play.
An Knglish company has pur
chased tlie lights of "Charley's Aunt
and is li ving to get Dougin* Mi'Imii
to play in It. Tills ts the grant rat
stage sms ess Loudon evrt had, hav
ing run for more than four years the
first time it was produced and having
keen revived Innumerable times since.
The piles for ths screen rights was
ts
j&GJoi'ia.
y SulaitsoH.
AT THE STI?ANO
officer Calhoun at_themoon
f- — " ' >
14 Gowns
Which Is Quite a Record
Even for Gloria Who
Specializes in Clothes.
'
Gloria Swanson returns to her
wardrobe In her nsweet Paramount
picture, "A Society Scandal,” an
adaptation of Alfred Sutro’s stag*
success, "The Laughing LsuJy."
This picture, following aa It does
"Zaza" and "The Humming Bird.”
Is a direct contrast to the two in
the matter of clothes. Miss Swansea
wears 14 different gowns In this pro
duction. while in "Tha Humming
Bird" she had but four outfits, ona
of them being boy s clothes
She is resplendent in dinner frocks,
dazzling evening gowns and snappy
sport togs in her role of an ultra
fashionable young society woman, and
she hasn't forgotten her acting of
"Zaza" and “The Humming Blrd"t
either.
And that's not all—with each of
the stunning gowns Miss Swanson has
a special coiffur# that will make the
women folk green with envy.
Besides being a highly dramatte
story, this new picture is a fashion
review of the highest order.
It's a slory of New York high
society life—that side so carefully con
cealed fmn\ the pfibllo—an expose of
the private life of the "four hundred.”
Rod Ijt Rocque and Ricardo Cor
tez play opposite the alar, and Allan
Simpson is also prominently east as
Gloria's pampered husband in ths
picture, which will he the feature at
the Strandvtheater beginning today*
Dagniar ami Frank Are Real
Good Friends—While Parted
Dagmar Gadowsky. a daughter of
Leopold Godowskv and a more or lees
prominent film actress, is very much
annoyed. Sotneiaxly said she was go
ing to return to her husband. Bo
Dogmar sent out the following state
ment :
Neither Frank Mayo, my husband,
nor myself has any intention of 'bury
ing the hatchet.' Our separation Is
a complete success. He is In Cali
fornia and 1 am in New York. t
have no Intention of going to Cali
fornia except on business.
"However. 1 will say Frank and I
are the best friends. But the best of
friends don't Mhvavs make the best
of husbands and wives—to eaeh
otheh"
\\ lion* tin* British Kicked.
The I'.ril l.-h tllm censoia passed
'Three Weeks' With only one objec
tion. They refused to let live '.heater
ownera use jhe original title. So It
is to 1c shown under the name »t
"▼he Romance of a Queen." Such
Un elimination or objection in A liter
lea would practically ruin the pro duo* ,
[w* bvt» • bos om* i»adftagw—
. 1