Inside facts of stage and screen (March 29, 1930)

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE ELEVEN ‘RAH RAH DAZE’ LOS ANGGELES (Reviewed March 25) The opinion following the pre- miere of this original production is,that it is “a pip of a show” and will be better when speeded up and some rough edges rubbed off, the normal process with a new show. The book is by Pat Ballard and Fred Waring, and is built around the Waring band. It is an ade- quate enough vehicle for this type of musical show, which is cut to a little different pattern from that of the ordinary musical produc- tion. It is a college story about a fraternity pin, who had it, and why. It is at present a little weak from the comedy angle but the love interest is prettily done and paves the way for the song hit, “So Beats My Heart for You.” As is to be expected, the band, which has remained an intact unit for eight years, is the backbone of the show, but some of the spe- cialties give it a close run for honors at times. The Three Girl Friends is a trio of unusual merit, and the tall blonde girl with Char- lotte Greenwood - characteristics took some especially high honors. The flash feature was a “Dom- ino” finale, a number which would be a payoff anywhere, anytime, and the scenery and lighting ef- fects by George Ormston will be excellent when smoothed out. Fied Waring and Dorothy Lee were cast as two kid sweethearts. Waring played heavily on the sym- pathetic but bashful boy stuff to good advantage, but Miss Lee just missed going over because of working a little too hard. From the time of the band’s first appearance the capacity house registered enthusiasm, which in- creased with each succeeding num- ber. The Pennsylvanians are a top notch glee club as well as a first-rate band. Jack White’s personality and ability as a comedian carried him through a load of localized wise- cracks, and Evelyn Nair regis- tered with her specialty dances. Paul Sterrett’s feat of playing a Rachmaninoff perlude on the uke went over big and Scott Bates scored as the uncouth freshman, Joe Campus, and the grotesque voice of “Poley” McClintock, the drummer, took a lot of comedy honors. The musical arrangements by Fred Buck, Don Bryan, Paul Sterret and Charles Henderson were the last word in harmony and rhythm. The polishing and cutting to get things in high gear through- out w'hich is usually necessary on a new show, are necessary here, but after this bit of doctoring with pepping up of dialogue “Rah Rah Daze” should go along an ex- ceedingly pleasing boxoffice route. It’s got the goods. E. R. T. “HELENA’S BOYS” HOLLYW’D PLAY HOUSE LOS ANGELES (Reviewed March 16) Take a couple of young icono- clasts, hoist them upon their own petards before a wholesome, home- loving citizenry of the kind that Henry Duffy attracts to his thea- tres, sweeten the wounds with ro- mance, and you have what our showmen love—“sure fire.” That is the nature of “Helena’s Boys.” It is another rejuvenation story for a May Robson who re- fuses to grow old, through which she moves with charm and vigor, and it is another production in which the masterly hand of Direc- tor Edwin H. Curtis is unmistak- ably revealed. It should have a run. May Robson has the role of a widow who is being quietly court- ed by a substantial business man, but the peace of their mature af- fection is interrupted by the sud- den return home of her two sons, the younger of whom has been suspended from school for impu- dence to an elder. The older son, a writer of the “new school,” is championing his brother’s cause on the principle that every individual is entitled to freedom of expression and that he must “to himself be true.” He brings with him the famous editor of a radical maga- zine, and the two of them treat the audience to what is supposed to be an outline of the trend of modern thought, including unmarried but unrestrained love. Mother’s proposed marriage to her business man is strongly op- posed by the son, so she appears to become a disciple of his radical preachments and declares she will accept the man without the form- ality of marriage. She dresses in flapper clothes, simulates inebriacy and becomes "modern.” There are complications, many guffaws for the audience and a denouement that brings a triple-barreled romance. Miss Robson’s reading of the part was an inspired performance, revealing unabated all of the his- trionic ability and personal charm that have held her large following for so many years, and it would be difficult to imagine a role more suited to her. Chief support was furnished by James Bush in the part of the older son. Since his first recogni- tion two years ago with Marjorie Rambeau he has developed until now he promises to be one of the stage’s leading luminaries. He handled his part with ease and con- viction. Lillian Harmer had her usual role as Miss Robson’s dependable housekeeper, and played it in her usual capable style. Ben Taggert was cast in the part of the solid business man lover, and his was the least convincingly played. His deportment was such that he gave out the impression he had some- thing on his person that might break, so unbending was he. The young son in the case was admirably played by William C. Kirby, whose face was a perfect mirror of expression. His youth- ful cutups were not overdone. Geoffrey Wardwell as the icono- clastic editor fitted into the scene excellently, and one of his exits was so well done as to start a lit- tle ripple of applause. Only in the drinking scene with Miss Robson was there a tendency to overplay to the point of burlesque. Myra Hubert and Tove Lindan, appearing as sweethearts of the two young writers, were well cast, ap- pealing in their roles and able with their lines. The single set by Rita Glover was well balanced and tasteful, and Erwin Yeo furnished delightful in- terludes of music at the organ. Business was capacity, and Miss Robson compelled to respond with a curtain speech after the second act. T eates. “THE PERFECT ALIBI” BILTMORE THEATRE LOS ANGELES (Reviewed March 24) It is seldom, if ever, that this reviewer has had the pleasure of seeing and hearing a more com- pletely satisfied audience leave a theatre than at the Biltmore open- ing of “The Perfect Alibi.” From remarks heard in the lobby the au- dience knew its theatre and found this offering wholly to its liking. There seemed to be a universal agreement that comparison to re- cent and present attractions was entirely favorable. To employ the oldest form of witless humor one might say that if all stage productions were of the caliber of “The Perfect Alibi” the legit would need no alibi for its present watered condition. At least the blame would not be placed en- tirely on the motion pictures and the stock market. Here is a superbly written play combining whimsical humor with the broad, and the broad with the subtle, as only Milne can combine them. Here is an understanding glimpse into the workings of the provincial mind as well as the gen- teel. The characters are finely and delightfully drawn and move surely and without artifice to the conclu- sion of the story. The story itself is a curious blending of social comedy, charac- ter study and mystery thriller. And quaintly enough, one realizes with a shock that one has been en- tertained for a whole evening with- out a single reference to the sub- ject of sex. In this way “The Perfect Alibi” is a theatrical curi- osity. The success of the story is left to the humor and tenseness of the situations that develop from the time it is discovered by Arthur Ludgrove that one of the guests in his house is possibly one of two men, Laverick and Carter, whom he had sentenced to penal service several years before, and who had now returned to “get” him. That in itself is one of the oldest hinges in the business on which to pivot a story, but in this case it is so well oiled that squeaks are in- audible. It transpires that both Laverick and Carter are present to a start- ling degree. Having established what they believe to be a perfect alibi, they murder Ludgrove in so cleverly planned circumstances that the evidence voices a unanimous verdict of suicide to all except his ward, Susan Cunningham. Her woman’s intuition and her intimate knowledge of her guardian’s char- acter cause her to believe suicide or accident impossible. Her belief is so strong that she convinces her fiance, Jimmy Ludgrove, nephew of the murdered man. The manner in which they turn amateur detectives and bring the murderers to justice is the last but not the least of the story. One deserved criticism of the play was that there was a notice- able mumbling into the footlights at the outset, and it was a relief when, after two or three scenes, the action gained momentum. A blinking table lamp detracted from a scene in the second act. It was one of those baffling occurrences where one doesn’t know whether it (Continued on Page 13) ANDY WRIGHT PRESENTS “PHILADELPHIA” Directed By WARREN MILLAIS WITH AN ALL-STAR CAST INCLUDING Barbara Bedford KIT GUARD MANAGEMENT GOULD and PRICE Opening Vine Street Theatres Hollywood , California MARCH 30th ^ ROBERT MILLIKIN MANAGEMENT BILL CHRISTENSEN ORA CARE W MANAGEMENT BILLY JOY FRANK DAWSON PLAYING “THE CORONER”