Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1924)
| The Omaha Sunday Bee 1 ■ VOL tt~NO. a PART KOUH_OMAHA, RUHOAY MORNINU, APRIL go, l»g|,_1—0___ HV* * KKTW-.. * Mi M*« e**» a half <*»lwi *1* A there wet* *1111 t*«I ptcnceting * A cppnrt unities In euv gtewt •• rat, This fa.d I* c*i lifted 1* hr *»* lo** • |et*'M|( lh*tt Torn WI*o, lilt -.chltU. uartlMM and rotund come* • inn who ta about to ahew ua that aimitral of t*>e*l coined y hit*. "Th* I»ld Hoak." And Torn* Wlae trilly( •pooka a* on# having authority.” I or ho w»a hlmaolf • pton**r At iho rip* ago of I year* h* rod* on th* hurricane deck of a veritable nralrle *chooner from tAranil* to Sen Krancliro, HI* mother wn* th* captain and he the mld*htpmlte. Mr. Wie# grew up in Ban Franclaeo and hi* first Inclination* toward th* Mage were evidenced by hi* aetlvl* tie* In th# production* m»d* by th* famous Amateur club of Ban Fran cisco. In those he had a* youthful iiMoclatea, David Warfield, William A. Brady and David Belaaco. Wl*e was the first to become an out and out professional on the coaat, and h# waa alao the first to secur* an eastern hearing. This latter came about because William Gillette took *** a fancy to him and gave him a part In the first Gillette hit, "The Private Secretary.” Today Mr. Wi*e rank* ae a great character-comedian. In hie 40 years of service he has been In 60 plays Importantly, he haa repeatedly starred In noteworthy auccesaea. and he haa written auch excellent things na "A Gentleman from Mississippi,” "An Old New Yorker," and "Mr. Bar num”—these In collaboration with Harrlaon Rhodes. In this new play by Don Marquis, Mr. Wise has quite th* finest role of all and that he makes the best of his great oppor tunity Is evidenced by the praise rendered him by the critics snd by the remarkable run of over five months the play haa just had In Chi cago. And now Mr. Wise la going back over the old trail, for he Is on his way to ahow “th* coast" the moat lovable of footllght reprobates, Clem Hawley, hero of “The Old Soak." Tom Wise will appear at the Bran dels In "The Old Soak” for four nights starting tonight, with a mat inee on Wednesday. f Moll ip Williams Show to * Close the Gayety Season ^ Burlesque up to the minute, staffed with care, and presented by an all round capable company. Is a way of describing "Moltie Williams and Her Own Show" at the Gayety theater this week, the season'# final week. *• Miss Williams Is at the head of the aggregation of talent ami has se lected both the principals end the chorus with care. Among her as sistants will he Jack Walsh and Phil Adams. Belie Almond, Frank Fan ning, Klara Hendricks. Wally Jack son, Pllnty Rutledge, Al Lewis and KHa Corbett. It la in two acta and IH scenes and, as usual, is staged un iter her personal guidance. Wil liam K. Wells and Clarence Marks have supplied the hook and lyrics, while the music hns been composed by Mnlvin Frunklln. Walter Brooks, who staged the numbers of "Shuffle Along." "Lira," and "(Jo Go" has put / "n the songs end dances. Frank Fanning wrote the sensational dra matic sketch, "Fate's Fire,” In which he supports Miss Williams. Ladles' matinee st 2:15 dally alt week start Ing tomorrow. Today's matinee la at J. Irving's Imperial Midgets are the headline feature at the World theater this week. That playhouse Is cele brating Its "second anniversary" and the bill provided Is In keeping with the Importance of the occasion. The Midgets, 25 of the smallest folks In the world, are talented artists and making their first American tour. Differing from many midget acts Irving's performers ofTer a widely diversified program of novelties. Their repertoire ranges from musical, comedy specialties to comedy wrest ling, boxing, gymnastics, military, lancing, singing and. almost ovary thing that goes to make up a vaude villa performanea. s... The supporting bill runa almost *n 11 rely to comedy. Diehl Sister* as isted by D. L. McDonald In "Taka it Dr Leave It” have a musical comedy n’t that Is snappy, and out of the ordinary. Harry Garland, blm'kface comedian, offers his collection of mod ern humor and dialect songs. In their own Idea, A Doorstep Romeo," Carle .-.ltd Ines Introduce lively dialogue and original song number*. Russo. European Juggler, Introduce# his "Wonderphone" something new In vaudeville. Arthur Hays offers a ape dally wrlttan topical organ number 'laptloned "Anniversary Antic*” as his contribution tor the anniversary pro gram. 1 DeWolf Hopper in Kempy’ Coming to the Brandeix _____ I>* Wolf Hopper will he at the llrandele theater for three daye, start ing Sunday, May IS, in "Kempy," the comedy written by 3. C. Nugent and Elliott Nugent, which played a very successful‘engagement of over one year at the Belmont theater In New York. With the exception of Mr. Hopper the original oast and pro duction will be seen here, Mr. Hop per having been especially engaged for the present tour to appear In the ^ 3 leading comedy role. Mr. Hopper for several season* past has been appear ing - in comic opera, but la now re turning to comedy roles In «h# lighter comedies In which h# originally was very successful. Doug and Mary, who are now In Europe, aru talking of continuing their trip alear around the world. AT THF RIA LTO jCilhan. Gish, ano Gotta1JL ColtffStt. AT THE SUN, _ ^A 3*e<l Thomson amo jy/»/«/» Kit($ AT TMF aaoon -r Thomas . ^igk ate At THE STRAND E Jackie Coogatc I A1 %m Wise AT THE BR AND6I 5 ~ - * . IIJ -——— Weffittfiiott Cross at thw orpheum ^)rmhl fosters at mi vvo«ld UcUtf Cuj-tl* AT The EMPHE SS 'Jfolhe UJiJIiattts at THE GAVSTy _——___ ' ■ ... -.. /---' •No Hope for Anybody Theater Guild Puts on Play That Leaves Nothing Undemolished and Yet Puts Nothing in Place of What Is Smashed _z_- J By PERCY HAMMOND n.Vew York, April 19. lESF, are lugubrious evenlnjs at the Garrick, where the Theatre Guild has entered upon a period of disconsolate reflection. A little dis solute, perhaps. In the sexly "Fata Morgana," It now turns to the sack cloth and ashes of "Man and the Masses" as a measure of atonement. The repentance seems to have been too severe even for the conscientious Guild audience, since on the opening night there were Indications of pa tient reprobation. “Man and the Masses’’ ia undoubt edly the most solemn drama of the season. Through seven acts of la mentation and breast beating It com plains about the planet's wefl known Imperfections, and at the end leaves things Just as they were. It Is the work of Ernest Toller, a discouraged German communist, snd Its transla tion is by I,oul* Untermeyer, the American poet. The best of Us fea tures is the fantastic manner of Us production by I,ea Simonson, the Guild's principal scene painter. Mr. Simonson, unleashed among Die ab normal spotlights, backgrounds and curtains, goes on sn exciting spree of expressionism and has the time of hla picture-making life. It was Mr. Simonson who, fired by the play's presentation in Germany, persuaded the Theatre Guild that It ought to be performed In the U. H. A. Herr Toller In "Man and the Mass ca" la a. Bad rather rtlBn a queru lous objector. Looking over the "sorry scheme of things entire," he suspects wistfully that It Is not worth shattering to bits and putting together again. Though an ardent disciple of change, lie double even the advisa bility of Revolution as an Instrument of reform. War is an error, Peace an impossibility, the State a smug cadaver, the Church Is a aynlr, built on the evil that men do. The Stock Exchange Is hell, with the devils all present. Hard work, like the multi plication tablea. la vsxatlous, and Starvation la still worse. Strikes are futile, and the Individual and the Mass get along together vylth nil the smlaAblllty of a couple of worried panthers. ... At the end of “Man and the Masses'' Hope entirely disappear^. In the role of The Woman Miss Blanche Yurkn, symbolizing Tender ness and Understanding and Pity and Sacrifice and many of the other unselfishnesses, reaches a sorry finish. ! Repudiated for h»r nobilities by Marriage, Religion, Government, Re volt, Capital and Igbor, she finds herself In dire circumstances. . , . They shoot her as the eurtaln falls. I tmtr that Harr Tollar and Mr. Slmonaon ara a Mt unjust In thalr cruel exposure of tho Stork Ex changes. Even tha hankers and brok ers must have a few human attri butes.. "Money.” aa severs) *sge« have aaJd, "doean't care who owna It." Tet riches, though Inglorious, cannot lie altogether destitute of merit. The Toller Simonson representation of a bourse Is hard of heart If not mall eloua—full of bitter anathema and Im precation. Satanic financiers In hid sous fatso faces, swing "the scaly horrors of thslr folded tails" In bane ful Jigs around a war market, ticker. They are made up as ghouls, vul tures. hyanas, gila monsters, gorillas, bumards and other predatory adver saries of tho human rare. The favor ite noises sre battle hymns, the can non's roar, the death rattle of dying soldlore, the Jazz of the machine guns, the *oba and the dirges. I may he wrong In my belief that the Market la not so hed ss It Is painted by'the honest Messrs. Toller and Blmonaon In their cruel protest sgalnst the stocks and bonds. T myself have suf fered. Tet la a Sermon from tbs Mount one expects a squarer deal for even the moat Industrious If (he sinners. . . . Mr. Jacob Ben Ami. by the way, la picturesquely I. W. W. when ss ths spirit of red and angry Revolution'he flaunts,his vivid, scar let acarf against the sable background of "Man and the Masses.’’ Debs. Foster, Bill Heymers and other com plainants against so-called civilization might be more effective If they were dressed up In pretty clothing by Mr. Simonson and the Theatre Guild. —t*-/ laud week, however, was not with out Us restful trivialities. Wood house, Bolton and Kern got together again In an amusing toy called ■’Sitting Pretty,” one of those snappy Cinderella fables, saved from sheer Imbecility by the tinkle of Ita tunes, Hie superiority of Ita verse and an occasional Joke or two. Mlaa Queenie Smith Is In It rather successfully, and an, indeed. Is Frank McIntyre, one of the moat proficient of the ab dominal comedians. I Orpheum Has Program of Unusual Promise This Week I v ■* Two outstanding headline sets and five featured attractions haws been booked at the Orpheum theater for the current week In celebration of national observance of national vau deville artists' week. Wellington Cross, star of several musical comedy productions, presents "Anything Might Happen.” a further departure frony his musics! comedy days. lie shares headline honors with Clyde Poerr and lila orchestra, which has just finished two seasons nt tho Congress hotel at Chicago. Clyde Poerr Is known as the great est saxophonist In the countfy anil hi* orchestra guides Jar./, muaic Into the realm of vulture and yet la as entertaining as any of the more "aen aational" organisations. One of the Orpheum circuit’s most artistic offerings Is presented hy Maryon Vadle, American premier danseuse, and Ota Oygl, former violin ist to ths court of Spain', assisted by Mary Isanfc concert pianist, and four California dancers, ths Misses Flavla Waters, Maxine Zlemer, Elisabeth Collins and Gladys Patterson. Basil I.ynn and William Howland offsr a new version of their skit, ‘‘A Racy Conversation," a humorous concoction of son* and patter. Harry Holmes and Florida !,« Vera offer a comedy singing skit, ‘’Themselves.’’ Monroe Tabor and Fred Greene, “Two Park Knights," offer enough nonsense to please yet not bore. W. H. Oroh and Michael Adonis appear In a vehicle labeled “Novelty Pe I,uxe" r | Snappy Musical Comedy by Bert Smith Players 'r - "Trifling Polly” la tha Baxter week inimical comedy attraction at 111* Km fir*** theater. It I* a swiftly moving comedy of a fnclnatlng flapper who simply could not helmve. VI Shaffer play* the tltlaavnl* while Joe Marion la ra*t In the part of her hUahand, a handy valet. Billy Van Allen la "Uncle John" a rich old codger who oxpecte a family. Helen Curtle doe* an old maid who can talk longer, faater and louder than a phonograph. VI Hlmffer offer* a apeclal veralon of "Old (Jang of Mine" and "Tha Bow Wow Blue*," while Billy Van Allen offer* a bunch of parodies. Arlene Melvin and Helen Curtis, will, of course, do several number* as their portion of ihc culeilalnment. starting next Saturday the licit Smith Player* offer n musical comedy oddity entitled, "The Muttering Shlek," the comedy hern being a cow boy who not alone has an Impediment In hi* apeech but la the world'* moat bashful lever a* wall. f- — \ Thomas Meighan Had Lots of Real Money I . ■ —-J Thera Is always a high spot In the production of a motion picture a thrill or aomethlng that atanda out. Beene after scene la ground out day after day and then aomethlng hap pens to give everyone connected with the picture a shiver of excitement The property department furnished the thrill for Thomas Melghan and his company recently when $20,000 In real money was scattered on the set for a scene In "The Confidence Man." Melghan. who "plays the sharper In the story and his confederate. Insur ance Wheat, had the 20.000 In yellow backs to carry on their confidence game. They seemed perfectly at home handling the money, hut the electricians w-ho hung over^the spot lights around the set ]uai stared and stared. All the windows and doors were closed hy the ever-cautloue cashier who loaned the money, to prevent any possibility of a bill blowing out of the set. It was a dsy of thrills and nobody breathed easy until the 20,000 was back In the safe. "The Confidence Man," with Vir ginia Vslll playing opposite the star, comes to the Strand today. Victor Jleertnan directed the pro duction, which Is an adaptation by Paul Mloana of a story by I^iurle York Kraklne and Robert II. Davis. I<arry Wheat, who played with Melghan In "The Raohclor Daddy," "Rack Home and Rroke." and others, is also In the cast. T I N New Cowboy Star in “North of Nevadtf * L_ , Fred Thomson, a now stir in the field of #hard riding, artlvo motion picture row boys. Is at tho Moon this week In hla^seeond thriller, "North of Nevada.'' Thomson's display of horsemanship !(. remarkable and displays tha versa ttlltv of the man to a greater extent than heretofore. The reams of the girl from the hack of her runaway steed, tho changing of htmaelf and the g'rl from hto horse to tho wild ant mal that plungeo headlong Into mem tng destruction, la a real thrill of a lifetime, and rsmarkahlo photog raphy shows It to tho flnoot degree. r Mail Order Sale for Ethel Barrymore Opent Ethel Iterrymore Is coming to the rtrandels theater under the direction of Arthur Hopkins, May It and 17, In her comedy. "The tonight's iouty,” written by Alfred ftutro. Manager ■toy Rutphen has decided to Immedi ately commence the mail order sale of seats for her performance. All who do not cere to take the chance of being unable to eecure easts through last minute application at the bog office may avail themselves of the opportunity of securing their seals well In advance of the star’s play date here. A, N. Smallwood, who Is taking up a csmpnlgn to revamp the business of the distribution of pictures, pro poses to spend (lie little,sum of $30, 000,000 a year In iimIIuiimI advertising of pictures, or shout 14 per rent of tha amount of money spent In pro duntlon Hinatlwnod points out that today lees than I per cent la spent. r. Rialto Presents Woman’s Picture -! •*Thl» la rightly railed tha aga of woman. To the girl of today life offers bewildering opportunities-a career, marriage and motherhood, or the life of the Illy who tolls and spins not. Hera Ilia chotre. "But the choosing to only the over ture to the eonfllet which spell* drama. For. whtla youth and beauty •re hers, a woman must eontend with fsts—and otreumstancss—and ths age old story of ths way ef a man with a maid." This la the theme of "Miles of the Feld,” at the niatto today. It was directed hy John Francis Dillon, whtl made "Flaming Youth," nnd co fea ture! Forlnns tlilflllli and Conway Tearle. who are supported by Sylvia Dreamer, Myrtle Stedman, Alma Deu nett, Craufurd Kent, Charles Murray, Phyllis Haver, Ciaay Fitzgerald. Kdlth Ransom and Charles Oerrard. Mias Griffith has the greatest role of her remarkable career—that of a young wife who discovers that marriage to not tha gateway to ever lasting happiness. Heroically ahould erlng tha disappointments and trage dies df life, her resistance slowly gives way and she Is about to seek forgetfulness In n life of rsae and gnyety when real love enters her life "Mllea of the Field" Is a picture wlv a plognnnt apiieal that has mail* It one of the outstanding attoceaaea of the year. Beeeue Hayakawa to to appear lu iwe Oermaa mads Stag. -; Herbert Raul insert in Detective Role __ ../ It * an old adage that the surest way to beat a crook 1a to adopt hla method* and beat him at hla own ■am*. A eleven demonstration of the worth of auch a thought la pre agntad In Harbert Rawlinaon'* "Stolen Secrete,*' on the World sore**. Rawlinaon play* a ertmlnologtst who “cleaaa out" a gang ef crook* by working on the "Inald#." The story Involves the exploits ef a notorious free lane* erook known aa th* ,,E*I,'* wlioaa adventure* prove a punle to th* pollr*. and the gang which rule* th* underworld. In th* caat are Kathleen Myers, Kdwnid* Davis, Arthur Htuart Hill, Alfred Allen. Edwin .1, Brady, George Heigmann and other player*. Jackie Coogan I* apeclal at traction featured In th* Muse pro gram thle week In hla Mary Roberta Rinehart atory. "Dong I.lv* th* King," which played th* Bun a few wrek* ago. It Is hooked for the last two da vs of tiro week "North of Nevada," Mailing !• iod Thomaon l« offered today, play lug day and date vvltti the Moon. "Kaali loimtd* Kakrrs" n comedy drama of antique shop prarllcea opens Monitay for a two day run and on Wednesday and Thursday there ta offered Jack Host* la "Phantom Horeeman.^' i Lillian Gish in “The IT hite Sister" | —i-—--' •Th* White Sister." » new triumph for Lillian Gl*h. will he at th* Sun for th* next two week*. "Th* Whit# Sister" lias been ac claimed one of th* most significant film* ever made. Th# »t«oy w is token from th# famous novel t>y K. Marlon Crawford and screened en tirely In Italy and northern Africa Home, Naples. Sorrento, Ttvoll. and *v*n Mt. Veativlua w#r# aims of th* "locations" uaed, and th* result, ac cording to critic* In th* larger cities wher* th* plctur* ha* played a* a 10 attraction, la th* most beautiful r>rt» dtictlon yet mad*. Healdea Mi*a Gish to Interpret the thrilling story, th# cast include* Itonald Colnian, a newcomer to the acreen who ha# acored a sensational sucres*; J. Barney Sherry, a motion piotur* pioneer; Gall Kane, heroine of many Bmadaay auecea***, and a thousand other# drawn from the rank* of Kuropean player*. ‘Th* Whit* Slater" ha* been called th* artistic triumph of the pr***nt film ****on. Ml** Gish ha* n*v*r appeared to belter advantage, and h*r restrained conception ef the difficult rot# of Sleter Angela stands at th# top of her many famcii* »h*r actertcatlona. Thoa# who recall her In "The Birth of a Nation." "W*\ Down Bast," "Hearts of the World.' and “Orphan* of the Storm." will. It la promised, he delighted aim further hy her veranilliiy and the depth of her playing In her tatc«t effort. Th# picture was directed hv Jlomv King At the Boulevard. Booth Tarktngton'a "Hov of Mine" with Ren Alexander In the leading role open* the program here this week. The' Mery ta one containing heart Interest and a goodly amount of comedy. Ilenry R, Walthall and Irene Rich play the father and mother, 1'oilerit Mi>mr, the g-til of "Flaming Youth" I* hooked for Ttir* da*. Werlneertay and Thui 'day in "Painted People " a romance and tot \enlure flint. The closing MU for the week I* John M. Stale* "The Wsttterx," a drama of desire* and ambition*. Vaudeville la also offered the final tw# tern •' —-awe . « *» r—-;-; " i Irving's Midgets Have Many Qualities That Art Out of the Ordinary v-,-/ A chapter from "Gulliver's Trar ' »la" comet to life at th# World the ater thta week, where Irving's Mid gets headline the second anniversary program at the Pouglas afreet play home. The midgets are aatd to be the meet talented lllllputlana on tonr. Tho X little folks came to America lost Au gust and are Juet beginning to apeak land understand a little English. Bo ! enthusiastic are they over the good old V. S. A. that It is tho aspiration of the members of the company to take out naturalisation papers and I-rooms full-fledged cittern*. The midgets boast of one of the cleverest "sister teams" that have ever appeared with an act of this kind Numerous Broadway musical comedies have nvade hig offers for their services, but they are hound by Iron-clad contract with Mr. Irving. The oldest member of the troops Is 45, the youngest 17. The smartest, X Inches In height, and the largest. 4* Inches tall. So small are thess tiny people that Ihey curry fhefr own tailor and shoemaker lo assure them proper biting clothing. The trunks carried by these diminu tive performers arc eo fitted up that each trunk run t>e Used as a dressing room by Its midget owner. The owi pan y boosts of a married couple. They were united In wedlock on tbs stag* of the Vantages theater. Minne apolis. several months ago, the cerw mony attracting wide attention. r~—; Unique Picture in “Night Meteap" ___ 1'nhjuw in »h* field of motion pic tures m the methods of production In I story, en.l In system of presentation. • 1 ho Night Moe-wse" comes to tha | Kmpress this nock. It «.u written end directed from hie own story hy Per ley Poore She* lien. Th» author chose his locntionn his cast and arranged lit* scene*. M* organired hie player* Ilka a Slag* company arid start*}! work hv reading them tha play and then rehearing It as a whole. Kach actor was naked to form hla or her own conception of tha rola to l>e played, they iledded on thalr ewn Coetumes and gala Ihetr own Idea* of the characters, after studying tha play in detail. The n suit I* a spoctacuUr tnaia idnima, crammed with gripping dm inatic situations and *n remarkably played lli.it the character* seem to irritably live. tlladys llulette Kdgar Kennedy and : M.vrgaret goddon am km nag th* a ** * % « * *> -nw».