Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

60 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD June 7, 193 Warner Product at a Qlance “Moby Dick,” with John Barrymore. “Big Boy,” with A1 Jolson. “Old English,” with George Arliss. “Viennese Nights,” Alexander Gray, Vivienne Segal. “Fifty Million Frenchmen,” from Broadway play. “Danube Love Song,” with Oscar Straus music. “Nancy from Naples,” Irene Delroy and Charles King. “Children of Dreams,” by Oscar Hammerstein 2d and Sigmund Romberg. “The Life of the Party,” with Winnie Lightner. “Sit Tight,” with Winnie Lightner. “Red Hot Sinners,” with Winnie Lightner. “Maybe It’s Love,” Joe E. Brown and Joan Bennett. “Captain Applejack,” John Halliday and Mary Brian. “Maytime,” with Romberg music. “Dancing Sweeties,” Sue Carol and Grant Withers. “The Matrimonial Bed,” Lilyan Tashman, Florence Eldridge and James Gleason. A BROAD-COLUMNED porch is a characCV teristic that has been preserved for one of the oldest playhouses in Missouri. M. B. Shanberg, managing the Midland circuit, now a part of the Fox West Coast chain, saw to it that the columns remained untouched when the remaking of the theatre for sound was undertaken, and this was at the insistence, says the Kansas City Star, of the people who wanted the city landmark to stay: “Do what you will with the inside of the place, but don’t touch the outside.” Once Carried Slave Bills The walls of the porch which now carry advertisements of the latest talking-singingdancing Hollywood extravaganza were once the background for bills advertising slave sales. And during the war over slaves and state rights Thespian Hall in turn served as hospital, barracks and prison. Outside of the war period, however, the hall has been in use as a playhouse without interruption since 1855. The year before that the “Boonville Thespians” got the idea of building a hall, and they purchased a corner lot for $500. In the next March there was a historic meeting at the courthouse. Attending were the stockholders of the Boonville Thespian Reading Room and Library Association. A building committee was appointed and then followed the con “Three. Faces East,” Constance Bennett, Erich von Stroheim. “A Soldier’s Plaything,” Lotti Loder, Harry Langdon, Ben Lyon. “The River’s End,” Claudia Dell. “A Gay Caballero,” George Lewis and Frank Campeau. “Outward Bound,” Leslie Howard and Dudley Digges. “The Steel Highway,” James Hall, Grant Withers and Marian Nixon. “Barber John’s Boy,” Grant Withers. “The Office Wife,” Dorothy Mackaill and Lewis Stone. “A Husband’s Privileges,” Robert Hanna play. “Both Were Young,” from Hugh McNair Kahler’s “Father Means Well.” “Penny Arcade,” Marie Baumer play. “The Egg Crate Wallop,” comedy. “Handful of Clouds,” Lou Ayers, and Leon Janney. “His Brother’s Wife.” “Divorce Among Friends.” “LTnder Cover.” “Just an Hour of Love,” from novel “Ex-Mistress.” struction on a building program of $10,000. The cornerstone was laid on July 25, 1855, and in 1857 the structure was dedicated. A Brilliant Ball Central Missouri scarcely ever had witnessed a more brilliant ball than that at the opening of Thespian Hall. The Thespians were a group of dramatic and literary folk who wanted to bring talent to town and to produce classical plays themselves. Most of the sponsors were originally from Virginia and Kentucky, and that explains in part why such a large fund could be raised. The Colonial influence is very evident in the hall. Inside was a balcony supported on the second floor by two central pillars. This balcony now is only a memory. The gentlemen used this as a smoking retreat between acts. On the outside the large brick plaza often served as a slave mart, but it was also a promenading place, and no one was admitted to the theatre unless evening clothes were worn. In 1901 “modern” gas lights were installed and the stage was prepared for famous stars. Will Rogers, then a Kemper student who had come there to school from Kansas City after selling a load of cattle, made his first appearance on the Stephens Opera House stage, but he ran away from school, so his thespian appearances there were few. Unusual Subjects Play Important Part in Plans Of Warners for 1930-3 ( Continued from preceding page) of a young gardener and his master’s love daughter. Sue Carol and Grant Withers will ena “Dancing Sweeties,” based on the sto “Three Flights Up” by Harry Fried. E rection has been assigned to Ray Enrigl Prominent in the cast are Edna Murph Tully Marshall, Kate Price, Adam; Vaughn and Eddie Phillips. A French play is the basis of “The Mati monial Bed,” represented by a cast cor posed of Lilyan Tashman, Florence El ridge, James Gleason, Beryl Mercer, Marie Byron, Vivien Oakland, Arthur Edmui Carewe and James Bradbury, Sr. Micha Curtiz will direct. “Three Faces East,” to be directed by Rc Del Ruth, is based on the play by Anthoi Paul Kelly and will be interpreted by Co stance Bennett, Erich von Stroheim, Anthoi Bushell, William Courtenay, Crauford Ker Charlotte Walker, and William Holden. Vina Delmar, author of “Kept Womai and “Bad Girl,” has written an origin story called “A Soldier’s Plaything.” Lot Loder heads a cast composed of Hari Langdon, Ben Lyon, Jean Hersholt, Noa Beery, Fred Kohler, Otto Matieson, L< Moran, Marie Astaire, and Frank Campea Directing responsibilities go to Micha Curtiz. Claudia Dell is cast in “The River’s End talking picture from the James Oliver Cu wood story. “A Gay Caballero” will relate the ma happenings of Casanova-like bandits an impressionable senoritas. It is by Stewa Edward White. George Lewis and Fran Campeau will appear in the cast. “Outward Bound,” the stage success I Sutton Vane which records the dramat passage on a phantom ship for ports ui known, will have in its cast Leslie Howar star of “BerkeL Square,” Dudley Digge of the Theatre Guild, Beryl Mercer, Alisc' Skipworth, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.L O. 1, Heggie, Helen Chandler, Lionel Watts, an Montagu Love. Directing honors will 1 divided between Ray Enright and Robe Milton. Important roles in “The Steel Highwaj are assigned to James Hall, Grant Withe: and Marian Nixon. Grant Withers will als appear in “Barber John’s Boy,” from tl story by Ben Ames Williams. Faith Baldwin, the novelist, is on tl Warner list with “The Office Wife,” whic Lloyd Bacon will direct, and whose ca will be composed of Dorothy Mackai! Lewis Stone, Joan Blondell, Dale Fulle Hobart Bosworth, Natalie Moorehea'; Blanche Friderici and Walter Merrill. Robert Hanna’s play, “A Husband’s Prh ileges,” will become a Warner Vitaphor picture. So will “Father Means Well,” tl Hugh McNail Kahler story transposed t the screen under the title of “Both Wei Young.” John Adolfi will direct “Penny Arcade from the Broadway stage hit by Mar Baumer. “The Egg Crate Wallop,” is a corned “Handful of Clouds,” to be directed b Archie Mayo, will have a cast composed (, Lou Ayers, Leon Janney, James Cagne Elmer Bollard, Robert Elliott, Dorotb Matthews, Charles Judels, Edward Argu Noel Madison, Clarke Burroughs, Edd Moran and Edward Hart. Roy Del Ruth is to direct “His Brother Wife.” “Divorce Among Friends,” “Unde Cover,” and “Just an Hour of Love adapted from the novel, “Ex-Mistress,” li erary sensation of the current season, cor elude the list. Hall Where Slave Bills Were Posted Retains Identity 74 Years Thespian Hall at Boonville, Mo., Was Hospital, Barracks and Prison in Civil W ar, but Returned to Playhouse Service THESPIAN HALL it was, and Thespian Hall it remains and will continue to be, after a fight lasting seventy-four years. Lyric theatre is the name now of the hall at Boonville, Mo., if you please, but the outside of the hall is untouched, because the people want it so, though the interior has been refurnished and equipped with all the necessities for the showing of the latest talking pictures where once sabers clashed at the square dances preceding the Civil War.