Variety (Nov 1933)

Taesdajf November 14, 1933 E LADIES VASJETV SI Going Places By Cecelia Ager Here's, the Girl Reporter Comes at last Claire :Trevor to their defense In 'The Mad Game,' proclaims ft a lie, the decorative dopes that pictures call girl repbrt- ers. Look at her. See how she rolls her own cig:£irets, note particiilarly that sh& always has the makings with her. Witch the 6asy V?ay she breezes Into a, room draped with ■slouching gun nien, observe hei" fear- lessness and then reniemher she aN w&ys makes an appointment betot-e invading the other half's- territory. There are guns Iii; those pockets, she knows as well, as the audience, but they don't spit blanks .unless taken by surprise. Intelligent, even. Smart, because she doesn't talk; romantic, because she thinks she's In love with a gangster; casual, with a precious knack of reading her lines as If she thought them up herself; Interesting, because there's fascinating unpredictability to the pitch of her voice and the tempo of her performa,nce. Nice,. because she can say 'cheap guy', without putting condescending quotes around It, yet keeps it separate from the rest of iier speiBGh; brisk, becauise she real- izes her news Bourceis are as busy as she ought to be. And yoiing and pretty and gayly .dressed, with good hats smashed carelessly over onie eye. Almost forthright, upright, downright,' were it nb- for the twin- kle In her eye, iSpared the stigma of perfection by the inexperienced surfeit of her make-up. "Truly a girl reporter to restore the profession's picture standing. Kathleen Burke, It Is Instantly apparent from her slinky gold cloth dress with long tight sleeves and mink-edged low decpUetage, Is a naughty woman who. will come to no good eiid. She meets It soon enough In a beige tailored suit with a wide . flitch neck'-plece • and muff. Outmoded Sweetheart. Sigma Chi's going to have a hard- time pinning the title 'Sweetheart' on its girls, may even have a hiaxd time getting Itself girls—^^if they see *The Sweetheart of Sigma Chl' first. Now that the lowdowli on the *8weetheart of Sigma Chl' Is out, little prep school cutles are the best that Sigma Chl can hope for. Too bad; 'The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi' was such an effective song, for get- ing a co-ed In romantic mood. Not that the fresh youth of prep-school cutles Is without a <certain. charm, but after all co-eds.do have the su- perior technique of a .college educa- tion. Co-eds have pride in their work,, too, and they're not willing to be likened to Mary Carlisle, who, as the pictur e's ' Sweet h eart,' doesn't ev en Know "that**vamping' now plays the burlesque wheels, it's that worn out; doesn't know that blonde baby dolls look pretty In toy. stores but on the campus the great big letter- men would be scared to death of their strange plnk-and-white fra- gility; doesn't know, that feven ath- a-letes have to haive sense enough to pass their exams, and that with sense comes a measure of grown-up discrimination. Miss Carlisle Is a soft and cuddley little number, and she can fix her full curved lips into a passable imitation of Mae West, too; but,, say the co-eds to thfem-^ selves, if that's" befng the" Sweet- heart of Sigma Chl, Sigma. Chl's too easy. Like taking candy from a baby. An empty honor. Anybody with blue 6yes and gold hair can have It. . Miss Carlisle's plhcushldn full of Sigma, . Chi piiis may even ftiake It tough for . the t)rothers to spot their pins around. Where's the cq-ed so wanting in self-esteem sis to take one, when Miss Carlisle with her bunches of .them robs the whole pro- cedure of the tradition that made it so much fun—the ultimate, victory after; the long pitched battle. •Sweetheart of Sigma Chi' Is every- body's sweetheart now. Dvorak's Glowers Strange, the- quiet but\-none-the- less intense dislike for Qn.e another thait seems to' s^ep through the surface affability df 'The Way to =.Love!a'-:5casti—-=eurious,=^the=blia;cfc looks they ^give one ianother when nobody's supposed to be looking. Maybe It's the grim necessity for being quaint and Parisian that's betrayed them—may be they Just can't stand one another. After all, even if they are actors, they're only human. But why Ann Dvorak takes It so very hard 'and- shoots forth black looks all the time Is difficult to understand. For the poor old plot's sake, at least, she ought to try to dissemble a little. ' Sulking that way Isn't going to get her^ any place, sitting there and glowering all the time. Little giiisi ,even if they're taill, slim, girls, ou^ht to know that nobody's going to love an old cross-patfch. Why, her stony unresponsiveness makes a mighty hero of Chevalieri gallantly keeping his attitude; in the-face of siich. unrelenting contempt. Serves her right, if she'S; going to pout like that, that the camieraman lets her lopk mad lii her. worst camera a'h- gles. Suppose Nydia Westman took on like that.~ What If Blanche Prederici decided she didn't want to play. Supposing Minna Gombel got sick and tired of being that peren- nijtl heart of gold with a head, of gold besides. Then, where would the. Whimsy go? .Miss Dvorak ought to look on the bright side of being cast as a car- nival knife-thrower's target it lets her dress like a gypsy, and. she can wear her long bob loose. And yet she won't give In. Part of her pet is attributed to the' hero's neglect In. professing his loVe for her, biit.the surprise Is that he lilies her even a little, even for the story's sake. She could be so very nice, but somehow In 'The Way to Love' she just won't. Tough on the Co^chess It's high time, 'College Coach' belleyes, to settle some mlsappre- henslphs, to take up the plight of the football coach and his little wpman who waits at home. Folks were thinking a coach's wife had a picnic, whia,t with foot- ball's short season and Itis strictly daylight hours. Well, says 'College Coach,' wrong, dead wrong. They never stopped to consider the col- lege trustee meetings or the coach's way of tucking his lads in bed every night or things like that, no, of course hot. Oh, a football coach was a free man with nothing to do but eloquently belittle his team be- tween halves of the Big Game so they'd feel ashamed and make It up to him In the last half. He never had a wife, or If he did, she never hanged him to take her out nights, not. Well, Ann Dvorak opens their eyes all right, all rlghti Poor little thing, nothing to do but buy pretty clothes and devise becoming cpiffures like a long wavy bob with ,a shbrt curled bang, or a mass of curls .arranged viertlcally at the back of the head (which is very nice for those hats that snug- gle close on only one side). Noth- ing to dp but wait for him, pacing grkcefully up and down their lit- tle nest so that when he does bloW In, (She's gathered the momentum •t-o—compl ain with -force enough to wither the endearments ready on his lips. If she takes up with the heel of the team, she's lonely. The heel's not tod busy, and he Is a heel; Which just shows what a football coach Is.. 'Night Plight'. Wa,rned the girls not to marry aviators; 'College Coach' does quite, as much in its way to protect the freedom of foPtball mentors. And Miss Dvprak displays sPme Interesting coiffures. Burlesque Code (Continued from page <iO). livened the heiiring momentarily; After being cross-examined by Ro- senblatt relative -to the Burlesque Artists' Association's relations with Equity and the A. B. A^, he was assailed by Joseph Weinstpck, New. York producer, as promoter of a 'one-mail organization' and chal- lenged by .Welptraub, who re- marked.. 'These goils aren-t such pathetic figures—they have to be chased out of. the theatre.' : Welntratib dubbed burlesque 'one of the highest forms of artistic and eesthetic interpretation' which had; fallen upon evil times because-'-df the peverty of. its- audience, and a deplorable lack of hlgh-cliass talent with which to reattract the fan. •Burieskr Is coming back,' Weln- traub related. 'But ^Its come-back uWllLbe^ delaye.d, oiLaa yerselyi^affec^^^^ ed, If prohibitive minimum salaries are Imposed under the code.' Re- plying to Phillips' accusations, .Weinti'aub pictured the average burlesque chorus member as de- voted to the theatre and with such a passionate Interest In her work that .she often is a nuisance to the pro(ltJ^?r. They love the atmos- phere,'' Weintrauh said. 'They stay around after the shows to practice EJid You Know That — Hollywood dress shop owners are plenty .perturbed over Bebe Daniels he-yir place, figuring ff.^lt win cut In plenty;. Mrs. Skeets Gallager (PaiilLne Mason) will be In charge.... The Moi<tdn Downeys have, leased a lovely home In Harri- son, New York., . .Gladys Bax- ter has ah ehprmoUs cho-w , called. 'Sinner".... . t*eggy F'ears is back and lobklhg isWaaelU,.., Marga:ret Sullavah Is going to Europe on a vacation.,.. .Kitty ■ Carlisle, has the town talking about her In I'ChampSigne Sec' ^ ... .Horace BrtUiam is radi itig 'commercially for the next 26 weeks.Helen Morgan has ' exquisite hiahds... ^ Mrs. Bugs Baer looked very- regi^tl In a white velvet wrap and a coronet of pearls at the NBC opening.. ..Mme. :Maria .Jeritza. sa,njg divinely and yre^ plenty gorge- ous in a sky blue gowri with sable^ cuffs; her hair t>latinum blonde now • - • r Tliey. say Madeline Camerpn Gaxtdn spends a small fortune on her cldthes,.. .Gladys Feldmain has~ a, lovely hew mink coat^... .Ernst Lubltsch; very twihkly of eye, held court at Sardl's the other day... ;D6rothy Hall ■was lunching thiere, too, also Judith Anderson and Jean Dixon... ^Brlan Donleyy. gives a graaaaand performance in "Three And. One"... > .Ruth Shepley Is also beautifully cast and .well gowned. ...Tickets ftre at a premium for the Helen Hays, Helen Menjcen, Philip Merivale' opening.., .They say you should pronounce it Prince MMMMMmnammqimmm Divanl. I: in order to become a principal. You have to chase sdme df them diit.' Western prpducers wer,e blamed for the low wage scales proposed .In the code, while the I.A.T.S.E. was charged -with enfprclhg demands which have crippled tha industry. While New Ydrk pperaters were in favor of a $22.50 scale for. chdruses, the boyfl frdm the hinterland pre- dicted iruin if salaries were a penny over 115. Tb^ compromise.on |17.6(1 led to desertion by these, dissenters. Bonds for Producers To drive the fly-by-night element out of the business, Weintraub ex- pressed approval of the idea of re- quiring prpducers to post bond in- suring payment of wages and other claims such .as is required by . EquIty. df legitimate prpducers. 'He alsd lent approval to the idea of an ac- tor's union, bat accused 'Brpther Phillips' of making It impossible for producers to deal with organized performers by demanding too gre.at concessions and refusing to -permit employers to bangaln dollectlvely through: their trade association. The Idea df requiring a week's discharge netlce and cf writing intd the cede a requirement that all per- formers be paid in cold. cash was accepted by Winkler, the NBAA counsel, who termed fly-bjr-nlght producers 'the caincer in the situa- tion' and declared salaries, have gone up since the code was drafted. Asked by Ilosenblatt about com- plaints his organization Imposes In- equitable membership requirements, Winkler declared the new trade group Is willing , to slash Its dues in any case where the. $1,000-fee Is- tpo heavy. Winkler and Weintraub maintained the association Is truly representative of the producer ele- ment, and minimized the Importance of secessions and non-paying mem- bers. An amendment . prohibiting the use Of the name 'burlesque' by any producer who does, not subscribe to *,he cd de yra» • dvan ced by Winkler. Phillips* fispersions on chorus girls were 'resented' bV- Joseph Welnstock, who proudly claimed •We got. {he nicest girls, the most Ireiined, the most hard-working of any legitimate theatre=—we got the best stage crews, the best musi- cians—and without Tom Phillips' orle-jman organization we'd get alo^ splendidly.' Difficulty In obtaining adequate talient was blamed by Wllner on the 'erroneous Impression' existing t hro ughout—th e ,country: .^ tha n .,the: chief attraction of burlesque houses Is bare flesh. Reporting that a c^Il ior chorus performers brought many girls accompa,nled by their mothers who had tp be convinced no. moral accidents would result if their daughters Joined his companies, Welnstock decried 'This idea of pcor pie throughout the countrji? who are thinking burlesque H this and that —^It's: a confounded lie." Among the Women By THE SKIRT ressed. Woman of the Week: ILUIE BURKE Yesterday' (film). IIm's Wealth of Clothes Margaret Sullavah is: going. far in-pictures if 'Only Yesterday,' at thei MUsic Hall, is a criterion. .Miss Sulla van has loolis, voice arid her acting is what pictures need. 'Only Yesterday' istarts Oh cpcktair party, Showing wonaen in. clothes of the latest modes with-every fur kndwn. Miss iSullavan is' said to have interested studio- makeui? nien not to make her look like ;jUst cihother picture face. But as good as. Mlsja; gullavan Is in this picture, Billie .Burke Is better. Always a light corned dlenne, thls'rple places Missi Biirkie at the. top. Edna May Oliver has but a bit, more the . pity, and her one costume was of black velvet smothered in silver fox. . At the :Cbcktail party weire Benita Hume, in blapk yelyet, with sleieves of white fox; June Clydel, Jane Darwell, Noel BVancis, .Nata;ile . Moorehead, Joyce Compton,, Betty Blythe and a dozen others sd smartly gowned it was painful. . .Miss Sulla;van is a simple countiry maid-iii a. befitting, frock.. Arriving In tlie big city. It ddesn't take leng to make oyer the little cduntry lassu She- blossoms out in many becdming dresses, but looks her best in ,» white satin evening gown made very tight fitting- The .trimming at the neck'Is a narrow band of sequins continuing , around the airms ' and to the waist line at back^ A Iphg ermine wrap, trimmed With White fox was worn dyer this g^p-wn. -Miss .Burke was splendidly dres;seid; An evening goWn worth Copying was of black taffeta made, very tight at the knees, where there -waa *. harrow ruffle. The body tied at the shoulders in' two. bdws' fdrmlng: the neiw. .high frdnt aind idw back; Two dia,niond clips at the waist line have a novel touch. "The wrap was broadtail. A dresd of a light colojred cloth had a. coque bpa .and muff with the. tiniest .white sailor hat.. Nice, Another dress had a tpp:ma-de dt naxrpw laice ruffles. There Were, plenty more dresses and . girls will go to see this picture it qrily td seie Billie Burke's gPwns. The Worst Driessed Wdntah .The 'Prizefighter and the lAdy' at the Capitol, was off id a.poor start last Friday, but before, the week Is oyer will probably be standing them up. If this picture doesn't do business there ought to ..be a law to make ■'em attend the good pnes. Max Baer is. gding td be all right on the scireen. One dance number cduld be repeated and repeated. It shews the bero in training aided by the Idvellest'^df. jglrl^. The lassies were in short skirts, shirts and ties. Off ceme. the skirt revealing shorts, df d striped material, and then they ddn; slacks. And hew Myma Lpy has come 4 along in her last few pictures. Several of her changes of cdstumes were striking. A fur trimmed ceat'and a print velviet were very well made. She did Sdme cddkihg in a black taffeta with white edging. A dark eklrt had a light blpuse with a; wide epen neck; A short ermine cape Tvas worn p-ver a sleeky Satin frpck made .with a decided flare, from the knees. Sleeves from the waists to thei elbow was a ne-w touch... The one piece df Jewelry wais a circle of pearls in a breach. Ke,te Smith Is dii the stage, here tills wieek as the werst dressed wdmain df any -week. Hpw Miss Smith can see - flt td appear en a New Yerk stage in a kitchen firock. is beyend cdmprehenslen. Such cdstumlng implies a miscdnceptldn dr indifference. Miss Smith is acting: as m:c. and intrdduces the . cute Prelsser Sisters. They mdstiy wear pajamas. The first pair -were white with red buttdns and red hair bandis. One sister changes td a velvet pair in a nice shade of . tangerine with a blue bdw at the back. The blende, half dees clever acrdbatics - in silver and blue brecade trunks and brassiere. The Fdur Franks include a jgirl In blue treusers with matching blduse and bolero of gold braid. One child, gives a funny impression of Garbd In black satin with rdws of brilliants. Current at the Pailaee Richard DIz picture at the Palace, 'Aceis df Aces', Is a ppdr effert. And Elizabeth Allan. Only' a lair lepker and far from a good actress here. A flowered chiffon is worn by iMIss. Allan in. the first shot. She goes to France and Is seen In Red'Cross cdstume fbr the mest part, but-showB one frock while In Parisi—It—Is-bla«lt-satin -tri uimt;d a t' t h e ji eck and " sleeves with hea-yy white lace. The finish of the picture flndis her in a pla,in aftemedh dress with a three--layer frill at the -neck. Nella Walker Is seen fer but is mdment in a ravlishlng dresig ef a pale lace made with a ca^pe edged with a chinchilla band, and it looked like the real article. Oh the Palace^ stage Rpye and May^ do a lovely dancing act. Miss Maye Is. in a long da-hclhg frock of a tangerine .' shade. A gold colored dress, lined in black iaatih was a iPvely design. Made long and clinglriisr, the bodice had long sleeves and was kept from slipping from the should ders by an ingenious gdld ccrd; The singer In the act, a Very blende blonde, was in white satin with, four chiffon ruffles at the hem. Huge puffed sleeves with high front and low back completed this costumei. Three women with Liazeed Arabs were In gold harem costumes. The girl with Bert Lahr cbose amethyst velvet for her frock. '' A* M. Laughs Jack White's Ha! Ha! Club . Is among the mdst Cntiertalnlng ef the night spots because .he h&s the knack of making the audience pe'rfonqi as well ..s the. actors. The patrons' crossfire with Mr, White is a definite part of the show; Mavis King, the hut saleslady so Idng with Telzas Gulitah, is iat the Ha! Ha and dplng a landpflice business. "The entertainers Mr. White has gathered around him are amusing, especially-a stooge, dn. the erder df Jimmy Durante's ccat-rbpm boy^ whp in. turn; has .his girl stooge, a funny little trick: who works for iany cpmedlan. Her name is Mickey Moran. ' . Lillian Fitzgerald cpmlcs in as funny a as'^eeiT'around'In irn Patsy Gale sings .a red direSs over which is a matching coat. Yiolet Lrove, a singer of rhythm songs, wearo a white satin frock ii,hd. Doris James, at a miniature, piano, is. In tan- gerine chiffon and velvet with mink' sleeves. Fldrence Rdbertsdn, 4 pretty redhead, does taps in an abbrevia.ted ruffle frcck. Music Hall's $tage Reminiscences of old New York make up the presentation at the Muslp .' Hall this Week. Very'caldrful but. slows up with an unfunny trip of men. The costumes of 50 years back always tickle. One scene called "The Masked Ball' , was really beautiful. Gives the girls a chance at a ballet depicting the four seasdns. Costumes were after one model, only the: coloring differing. .Spring was erreen and flame .■withL iajLe_.edglng:,„.su mm^er^^ and yellow, winter white and. blue with sWansdown trimming. The hats were the poke variety. ' What looked at first tp be .an Amazon drill turned out to be a lovely ballet with 36 girl,s all of pne height. The coats, were of the Colonial type of red satin with white vcst.s and gold fringe. A touch of blue was used at the back. On one leg was a blue garter, censidered. very, daring In those days, Hugo high red satin sandals were en ;th6 feet and on the heads were enormous poke bonnets of red arid white topped oflC with white feathers. Instead of wavinf,' the flag a fire engine, with two white horses bh a treadmill, brought down the curtain. \