The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

November 7, 1925 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 87 MARK STRAND THEATRE New York City {Week Oct. 25th) Featiircd Picture ■ "Little Annie Roonie" {United Artists) PROLOGUE Joseph Plunkett has produced an excellent prologue for the featured picture. The scene suggests a downtown section of New York, in the neighborhood of an "L" station. The super-structure, an elevated railway with attendant surroundings is visible in the foreground, and a typical building background. The elevated structure effect is achieved with two units painted to represent the girders and supports placed in one and up in three. A stairway which leads from center off left extends to the border. A newspaper stand is built in underneath the stairway. Flats painted to represent houses with accompanying fire-escapes, store fronts, etc., are placed in alignment as the background. The whole atmosphere is one of activity. A hurdy-gurdy is heard grinding out a popular air as the curtain opens revealing the Ensemble dressed in "Bowery togs" doing a dance number entitled, "Downtown." There is a push-cart peddler up right center, a policeman talking to a group around a lamp-post up extreme right. Various characters passing to and fro all dressed to carry out the efifect of lower New York on a "home day." Ed and Marion Rutt do a novelty Bowery dance. Tevis Huhn, banjoist, renders several numbers, Ethel Bryant is introduced as a Charleston specialty. The various characters stroll off stage as Everett Clark comes from the newsstand and sings "Little Annie Rooney" the theme song of the picture. The lighting treatment which is dominated with canary and amber gradually dims and at the end of the picture fades out as the main titles of the picture are flashed on the scrim. The musical part of the Strand program consists of the overture, "Buflfalmacco" (Gasco) with Carl Edouarde conducting. The organ solo is "Sometime," Fiorita. I CAPITOL THEATRE New York City {Week Oct. mh) Featured Picture : "Fine Clothes" {First National) The surrounding program includes a group of four divertissements. 1. Gladys Rice, Marjorie Harcum and Sigurd Nilssen render "Goin' Home" from the Largo of the New World Symphony (Dvorak). The setting consists of a cut arch drop in one, three fabric tree trunks hung in the opening, two at right and one at left, the tip of a foliage border seen at center, and the end of a rail fence at extreme left. Three characters are silhouetted against an amber background. 2. Mme. Gambarelli, prima ballerina, dances to the "Red Rose" from "Ballet of the Flowers," by Henry Hadley. She appears crouched in a large basket of flowers which is placed center. Gold toned drapes highlighted green are hung as a backing. The curtains are drawn in a sweeping fold at center, and a black plush used as a backing which emphasizes the light tones of the basket covered with red roses. The dancer is clad in a pink dancing costume. 3. Caroline Andrews renders "Una Voce Poco Fa" from "Barber of Seville" (Rossini) in an exquisite setting which consists of a fiat at center with an arched opening painted to resemble stonework. Dark tapestry drapes are hung right and left in heavy fold.-. A curtain is hung in the center of the opening cut in a heavy fold and draped to the k "t of the arch. A clavichord is placed at right and a tapestried chair at left. Fabric tacking is used outside of the archway. The whole set is in subdued tones, deep blues, purples, the singer working in canary spot dressed in light colored gown. 4. Doris Niles and Ballet Corps present "Pierrot's Serenade" with music by Drigo, in a setting which is fantastic. A set house of toylike proportions is painted on a flat and cut out, placed at center. Red roof and buff walls carry out the scenic treatment. Blue fabrics are used to mask the ends of the set piece and carry oflF. A foliage border hung in folds is placed in one. Red patent leather drop is hung as a backing, this being highlighted in blue from the sides. The girls dressed in "Pierrot" costumes of white, and Miss Niles appearing in a ballet costume of vellow. /' MOSQUE THEATRE Newark, N. J. ( Week Oct. 27th) Featured Picture: "The King on Main Street" {Paramount) An elaborate surrounding program has been arranged for this picture. Irvin Talbot and the Mosque Grand Orchestra present as an overture "Second Hungarian Rhapsody," Liszt. This is followed by a number entitled "Autumn Days," a seasonal tone poem featuring Beatrice Hall, soprano; Hilda Barr, contralto, and Victor Henry, baritone. Mme. Ella Daganova, prima ballerina, presents a dance specialty entitled "The Genii and the Vase," a Myth Dance of Old Araby. The setting consists of a large constructed vase of Arabic design placed on a draped pedestal at center against a black background which is highlighted scarlet from the sides. The dancer is clad in colorful Arabian costume of an early period. The vase is highlighted green and amber from the side, the dancer working in a split canary and amber spot. Balance of the foreground is subdued with purple. This is followed by a film novelty entitled "A Nocturne in Color." Two scenic films, resplendent with water falls minus the titles are projected simultaneously on a scrim, the two pictures are upside down, resulting in unusual fantastic formations. Two singers dressed in Indian costumes are placed in back of the scrim and highlighted with a spot from the side, render "Waters of Minnetonka." The presentation feature is a Hallowe'en novelty entitled "Jack O'Lantcrn." The scene represents a corner of a harvest field with a massive pumpkin at center with a face cutout. The small pumpkins with similar treatment are grouped at the left. Corn shocks and attendant props are used to dress the set. A witch appears at the opening weaving a spell over the scene and exits as the pumpkins in the foreground become animated, and members of the ballet corps dressed in black with white stockings and long white gloves treated with radia-activc paint, wearing pumpkins on their heads, do a weird dance. The lights in the set slowly change from the subdued tones to warmer colors as the Hicks Brothers, banjoists. dressed as scare-crows appear in the eyes of the large pumpkin and a pianist in similar costume is seen in the mouth opening below them. They render one number which is followed with the introduction of Mary Howard, dressed in a Hallowe'en masquerade costume rendering a seasonal dance specialty. The Hicks Brothers follow this with an unusual banjo novelty. The ballet enters dressed as farmerettes and do a spirited number with the entire company. CAPITOL THEATRE Chicago Featured Picture: "The Pony Express" {Paramount) A diversified program has been arranged and staged under the supervision of Francis A. Mangan. Overture, "American Fantasy," Victor Herbert. Albert E. Short presents a very well arranged overture in which are interpreted several American patriotic airs as Victor Herbert historically composed them. A picturesque tableau portraying the landing of Christopher Columbus follows the overture. The stern of the Santa Maria appears floating at anchor, while upon the shore Columbus and three Indians stand together. The presentation includes : 1. "Kings of Syncopation." This presentation has as a background a black drop, upon which seven clown costumes of various, bright colored stripes and squares are stitched, leaving openings for the heads of seven musicians, who render two syncopated numbers. Roy Dieterich, tenor, sings "I'm the King of Jazz." 2. "The Magazine Girl." Organ solo, "II Guarany." Leo Terry renders this delightful organ number in an enhancing manner, which is one of the reasons for his well-earned success. Prologue to "Pony Express." The curtain is opened revealing a rolling prairie, shrouded in the blue haze of approaching evening. A canvas-covered wagon, in the back of which two buckskin-clad pioneers are seated is halted on the prairie. ^'Romance and the Ages" (Continued from page 86) cated, and the leg of the arch joins the column at (a) and (b). Two columnar shells may be used as returns. The set should be painted a dull gray and if given a stucco effect the base for lighting will become more effective. The lighting in Episode 1 should consist of a dull green and blue foreground; the rocks and trees in the foreground highlighted on the edges with amber, the two characters working in canary shaft spots placed on the sides, and an orange and rose medium on the lamp placed back of the silhouette curtain to highlight the dancers. STAGE SETTINGS Built, painted and Installed. Drapery setting and drnpery curtains. Special seta and drops for feature pictures. SCHELL SCENIC STUDIO COLUMBUS OHIO