Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 1924)
• \ Signs of the Times New Globes Glisten Along Gay Rialto, Heralding An other Season of Uncertainty By PERCY HAMMOND. NEW YORK, Aug. 16.—The an nual midsummer lacunae along Broadway is now at an end and myriads of ferocious and incandes cent bulbs are replacing the comfort able gloom that for nigh a month shrouded the desolate caverns of the 'Forties. The writing on the bill boards reads doom to all who have been wooing tlje sylvan terrains and the bosky coverts, and there will be no release henceforward. The esti mators of the mimes nre in the same mental orientation as the Senegam bian in Jail who asked a newcomer how long he was in for. “Sixty days," responded the newcomer. “Dat’s nothin’," said the other, "Ah’m here from—now—on." New ventures are plotted by the producers, and the doxology of the press agent is heard in the land. The list of enterprises in contemplation for immediate serving is kilometers long already, and includes the Scandi navian, the Czech, the Neopolitan, the Teutonic, the Anglo-Saxon, and Abys sinian, the Muscovite, the Celtic, the Gallic and the Yiddish, as well as the merely local. Already the temper of the new <jf $ ferings is changing. The hurly-burly is taking on weight, and the present preponderance of sprightly carousals Is shadowed by sterner stuff. The comedies without music have begun to arrive and soon the bus boys will be staggering under ponderous reti cules full of drama. The seer and yel low is presaged. With the years the routine doesn't change, except to get a little slicker, and there ^re annually a few more theaters to be opened and shut. We whirl around like squirrels in a re volving wheel. Perhaps the industrialists of the drama are making up, in their pres ent frenzy, for the slackness of July, which, it was noted, did very bad business following a rather lethargic spring. As early as May there was wailing and gnashing pf teeth, and the chirurgeons had hardly time to count out the flickering pulse of one expiring opus before they were called to the bedside of another. There were demises on every street, and the cadavers were shoveled into their eternal homes with as little ceremony as during the great plague year. The rigors were traced to many causes. The theory of heat prostra tion held one school of diagnosticians. The cinema took on its familiar as pect of flaming eyes and claws and other appurtenances of inimical and fabulous beasts of prey. Astute med icos pointed to the thin, miasmic W wraith of the radio, which they aver lulled 'ike mandragora the citizens in their domestic cubicles and surfeited them with the sicklsh plums of parsi monious entertainment. Many men held that It was not the tropical ether that caused the inani tion among the theaters, nor yet the flickering celluloids, nor the drone of the loud speaker. They said it was the democrats. Theatrically speaking, it is no •ecret the late convention was a wish Milton and Enid in “The Sea Hawk” fficMilion (Sills AMO (Said. 'Bennett Above are seen Milton Siiis and Enid Bennett In one of the year's best pictures, "The Sea Hawk,” which comes to the Rialto theater lor a mne-uay rur^August zt. me pic ture cost nearly a million dollars to produce and la elaborately staged and costumed, the costumes alone having cost over $85,000. Anna Q. Nilsson Coming to Strap A N |W polr p '.li . Anna (J. Nilsson does some good acting in "The Side Show of Life," in which she co-stars with Ernest Torrence. The picture comes to the Strand next week for a seven day run. out. The party of Jefferson and Tag gart established at least one record for celerity when It closed 10 theaters in a night. Chairman Walsh's notor ious gavel crushed more than the mi crophones In front of him. It crushed ths heart's blood, so the Indignant doctors assert, out of the show busi ness. So inimical were the sentiments of certain managers that even the sobriquet of one divertissement—"So This Is Politics!"—was instantly met amorphosed into "Strange Bedfel lows" ns soon as the embattled dele gates quit town. What, if any, then, will be the pos sibilities, the managers complain, of success at the polls for a party which blights whatever It touches, as exem plified by its effect on Broadway? The democrats are almost as fatal as the Equity, the promoters are assert ing. Mr. Morris Gilbert having succeed ed the Messrs. Mencken and Nathan in editing the "Smart Set," is perhaps more able than I to estimate the veri ties of "Dancing Mothers,” Mr. Sel wyn’s new study (presumably) of dis sipation among the recherche. His opinions, therefore, are submitted as those of an authority on subjects per taining to the sad frivolities of the world of fashion. Mr. Gilbert writes: "Mrs. Westcourt, of Westbury, L. I., as early as the first act of ‘Danc ing Mothers,’ finds that her domestic life is a mockery. Her husband de ceives her maladroltly with a young person, and her daughter gets Jingled on cocktails in the apartment of a man of evil repute. Instead of view ing these habits as typical of life in the Long Island comedy set, Mrs. Westcourt takes a firm stand. She resents her husband’s sententious ob servation that ‘the woman of forty is the high priestess of her sex,’ and at the curtain of the last act she sets forth briskly for Paris and a new life following the commandments of her heart. Her husband and her daughter are left to whatever consolations they can find. ’Dancing Mothers' has the merit of an exceptionally happy end ing. "Throughout the four acts of the play there is considerable debate on the venerable topics of the double standard, the younger generation, and the moral code of the young-man about-the-city. I distinguish nothing of particular novelty in the themes except the sweet reasonableness of Mrs. Westcourt. The lady, whose equipment of persuasions in the first act was only a Gladstone bag of wornout aphorisms, strapped on fin ally a quiverful of fiery darts, and did not hesitate to shoot them. All •ho could tell her daughter at first was that ‘You have a definite purpose to perform.’ and she could merely ex hort her to ’ask God to make you a real woman.’ These remarks failed to move Kittens, and it was Mrs. Doesn’t Half Describe It! Fourteen big stars appear in leading parts. Three thousand extras were employed. An entire Moorish village was constructed. Four pirate ships were con ! structed at a cost of $275, 000. Costume costs amount to $85,000. Now in its 4th capacity month at the Astor Theater, New York. Five phenomenal weeks at the I Roosevelt Theater, Chicago. It is not “just a spectacle" S —It's a fiery, rapid-ac tion, interest-riveting ad venture you'll never for get. The love story of a mighty m pirate chieftain X^ * \ i I ) ■a-nut || 9 BIG Starts Thnr«dav Jldlld 1 11 ill dllCljr lUjJj^D/i^yoNorATrp^NKlgjji • Westeourt’s realization that they would fall again which caused her to desert, with excellent courtesy andi restrain, her hearthstone. " 'Dancing Mothers,’ which is the work of Edgar Selwyn and Edmund doubling, has a good cast. The palm goes to Mary Young, who presents a neat and charming portrayal of Mrs. Westcourt. Helen Hayes as ‘'Kittens’ carries a souse through two acts very creditably and makes as appealing as one could her slightly ungrateful role. John Halllday and Henry Stephenson are excellent as lover and father, and Norman Mitchell and Elsie Lawson more than meet the exigencies of their parts. “While there Is a very smart and engrossing climax to tho third act, It Is my duty to report that the first two acts seemed Monday night a little slow, and the play on the whole, un like the reducing girdle advertised In the program, didn’t appear to be strong enough to really hold you In.” This Week at Muse -__si “The Hill Billy,” with Jack Plck-I ford, which proved so popular at the! Empress several weeks ago, will coma to the Muse theater as a return enj gagement for two days only—Monday and Tuesday. This will enable movie fans who were unfortunate In no|. seoing the picture when here before to see the film, which undoubtedly is one of Jack’s best. Wednesday and Thursday Florence Vidor will bo shown in “Borrowed Husbands,” In connection with the first story of “The Fast Stepper series. Friday and Saturday the film offering will be a return engagement of "Daughters of Today,” which will be shown In con nection with “The Fast Express,” No. 8. Colleen Moore's newest film Is Edna Ferber's story, “So Big.” Jackie Coogan’s Second Metro Picture Coming With all uie »..,scme£ and pathos of which Jackie Coogan Is capable, he appears In his second Metro pic ture “A Boy of Flanders.” based on Oulda’s famous story. The film comes to the Sun theater, August 23. The picture was directed by Victor Schertzinger under the personal supervision of Jack Coogan, sr. At Isrthrop. Today and tomorrow, Betty Comp son and Conway Tearle will be seen in “The Rustle of Silk” at the Loth rop theater. Tuesday and Wednes day. Leatrice Joy and Owen Moore 111 "The Silent Partner,” will be the feature film. Thursday, "Dark Se crets” with Dorothy Dalton, will be shown, with vaudeville In connection, and Friday and Saturday, Marguerite 11 Picnics Will ! Be Held at Krug Park Next Week Kearney Reunion, Security Benefit, National Refining and Other Outinga Scheduled. A reunion -picnic of all former Kearney (Neb.) residents now living In Omaha will be held Sunday. For mer Senator Norris Brown will speak. The Columbian club of Sacred Heart church will hold an outing Monday. Officers and policy holders of the Fraternal Aid union plclnlc Tuesday, and bankers of Douglas and Sarpy counties will hold their third annual picnic and outing Wednesday with a chicken dinner to be served In the private grove. The Latter Day church of which the Rev. Mr. Melhus is pastor, will picnic Wednesday. Other picnics this week are: National Refining company em ployes, Thursday; Clifton Hill mar chants’ and customers' picnic, Thurs day; Ladles’ Aid society of the Lowe Avenue Presbyterian church, Friday; officers of th# Metropolitan Life In surance company, Saturday; Western Electric company employes, Saturday; Ralston merchants’ and customers’ outing, Saturday; the Security Benefit association, Sunday. More than 6,000 members are ex pected to attend the latter affair, ac cording to C. W. Sllngerland, chair man of the picnic committee. Courtot and Lew Cody will be seen In "Jacquellne.’’Ao8op's Fables complete the program. I PRICES Night* and yl _ Sunday Mat.. . TsOC Week Day Oft Matinee . wUC Children, 10<* TODAY Shows at 11, 1, 3, S, 7, 9 o’Clock The dramatic fire of P o 1 a Negri flames to new heights in “Lily of the Dust” Gowned in silks and satins and clad in rags, lov ing, fighting, hating — you’ve never seen a Pola Negri like this one. There’* a thrill, a laugh, and a tear in this picture for ji anyone who has ever loved. i 3 On tbi Stag* George Getsey and ; Jess Sutton in | • “A Little Revue # M of Songs and I*'1* Music” “LILY of the DUST” The story of a woman who gave—and had to fight for a fair exchange. Flashing, vibrant, beautiful Pola Negri was never so wonderful as in “Lily of the Dust" _|___ I STRAND FOR THE LAUGHS STRAND I ORCHESTRA THE MONKEY GANG IN “HE’S MY “PAL” NEWS „ ■■ =&■. —‘ v"' ■ Want a Real Outing? j Hit Awaits You at ANAWA Park A 45-minute street car ride from Omaha across the newly built, double-tracked bridge, brings you to the best lake park within hundreds of miles. BA THING Large sand beach, with roomy individual lockers in the bath houso. Fresh suits, courteous attendants, all safety precautions. DANCING Pat's Melody Boys play tuneful hit* in the breety Ukesid* pavilion, where gay crowds are to be found every evening. You will like the music, the crowds, the floor, and the comfortable surroundings. AND ALSO Free movies every evening, rides, games, hosting, and a beau- ||| tiful picnic grounds well provided with conveniences for a de lightful outing. * TRY IT TODAY7 —=-■ ^ y-‘~' ■ --- = ■• ^.'^^.wrOTwaL-i.Kcaaisiahss.’aBsaiJ Gens Wright's adventerou* novel of Indian army life, "Pandora l>a Croix," Is to be transferred to the screen by First National. The photoplay will ranch the screen under the super vision of Earl Hudson, but as yet no announcement Is forthcoming as to director or cast. i ~~ —~ I EDIES! >d news— — SUN THEATER chool Opens n for the youngsters ps. 3ogan —“Teddy” NDERS” u love him. tBY PEGGY “The Flower Girl” NS OF SWAT' ro Boys in a Regular Prize Fight It’. Kiddie.' Week” :ng Next Saturday CT THE I PONY? lie*' Week” niiinTTffMir 16th Consecutive Season of Clean Columbia Burlesk H| for you and your entire family starts ■to ay-eayety jp,.|pli Matinee at 3:00—Night at 8:30 ill COLLINS & PILLARD flU in the New Girl Show ■“Hollywood Follies” Direct and Intact From Two Capacity Months at tho Columbia Theater, New York. Ifc-'jPj: READ WHAT NEW YORK DRAMATIC CRITICS SAID: |j_ ^ ^ There ien't ■ dull epot in the Columbia's new show.—N. Y. "Sun." One of the best burlesque ihowi we ever eaw. — N. Y. "World." |! Ia’SSE Aa ja* nr, anappy ■ Revue ae is to be found on the Rialto.—N. Y. "Bulletin.” 7 ' "'WT More speed and pep than we have seen et the Columbia in years. PmwH N. Y. "American.” 24-Beautiful Hollywood fiirls From the Coast-24 Entire Er 50c—Ladies 25c I Week Friday A six-act vaudeville bill and exclusive photoplays that afford most in entertainment I Covey Sisters’ Revue Six Girls In a Delightful Novelty 11 MORO & VACO I LA ROSARITA TRIO I H Musical Comiques Dance Stars Is® WALKER & GREEN BILLY PURCELLA Omaha’s Own “Pep and Personality” NOLAN LEARY & CO. I in the Clever Comedy, "Yes Means No" « with Helen Keith Johnston# I A Screen Story of Matrimonial Mishap# “WOMEN MEN MARRY” JgjSj A ROUND-UP OF LAUGHS Introducing that SrAnrn BERT SMITH PLAYERS h off*r th* rOU“n* iff L> H O R U S musical play that will break __all fun records— “Bar Z Ranch”J BILLY VAN ALLEN ° VI SHAFFER RUDY WINTNER LILLIAN COLSON WARREN FABIAN 1 All the old favorites and some new ones. SCREEN ATTRACTIONS INCLUDE “Foolish Parents" | And ninth story of the great senes* ^ “TELEPHONE GIRL" 1 |