Variety (Feb 1928)

VARIETY W O M EN' S PAGE Wednesday, February 22, lftj?8 GRAY MATTER By MOLLIE GRAY (TOMMY GRAY'S SISTER) Artistic Lingerie "Good show at the; SUte starts •With a friendly argument between the orchestra and tho; organ, as re- . liable as I.lndy or the flag. . .. Miss Brant played dumb for Mr Walton and the reason- her paie pink frock- was buttoned all thf way ■ down the front became plain • near the finish. She had rath«r artistic liTigerie. Later she wore yellow velvet coat with collar and cuffs bf chinchilla. Kelly and Jack, son Co. have laughs, scenery, storv The company group of love batters, was- Just two motor h carta arrow pierced. It must have been a German who put that face on. King Albert on the:| Belgian stamp. Myrtle Gorobn wore a flowered black shawl over . her black gown that was bead fringed in an^un- usual way. It was brought diag- onally acrbs^ the bodice back and front from the right shoulder to the left hip and continued down_ the skirt and around the, hem. Bead tassels on narrow black ■ ribbon hung from the right shoulder to Falling for Agnes Agnes Franey, the chorine , engaged by Archie Mayo for a picture, Is putting over a. fast one on the Park Row boys and gii-ls. Her press-agent appears at the vatrlous offices and snap."} into a aohg and dance about Agnes not being able to afford a press-agent and ncedr Ing the breaks, so he's ffylng to get some space for the kid just because she's a good orie^ The downtown children all lined UP for the fall and even are ready to buy her a new . scrap-book, i^- ' IN COURT FOR $1.15 the performance, but an assortment of dry handkerchiefs would he an y,^.^^,^ - accommodatioh. Number of men in of appeat'ed again as Roman gladiators V ^^^ audience la surprising. They • trihimed frock, but lovely W one „„_.-- . „ „-„„i Silver I crossed swords and struck^ the. ..pou^ gong Srper»%-ri :^m wrthS ^ Uhieia. at the proper beat of Jhe | „„^„« Mildred Green's Girls are dancers Who sing occasionally. Many changes of costume kept them busy and fooled the audience once' lnto. thinking it the finish. They opened in prettv taffeta frocks with lace panels in the skiVt fronts and flow- ers scattered here and there. When red , two of the girls harmonized their Upaces this Week, «»»-;h^P J^J ^lonpr rob^s de style were Of satin -ne of the - world, premier of The SSe' the Sher coral), and each crowd." As a picture It's entitfd trimmed with one large and several to a lot of ceremony, b^t not the srnaller bows of the other's color, kind that box offices grow fat on. E dress parade that deceived the Uovio audiences don't usually con- Is tit the hips and smaller ones on the hats. "Crowd's" Angle* Grace Sumner, Hostess, Could Not Pay Taxi Fare A TIMES SQ. GAL WRITES HOME TO MA Because she did not have $1.15 to (Letter sent by Adelaide Smith, pay her taxi fare, Grace Sumner, son, of 46th street, to her bhgm, 306 West 6.2rid street, hostess in Louisa Chesterhrook, of Cumber- the Fireside Club, was arrested on [some, Idaho), a charge of disorderly conduct. Later, before Magistrate Macrery I New Tork, Feh, 21. in West Side Court,, she said she pear Louisa: did not realize she was so short of do you miss me, dear? money. On her- promise to pay it's so nice here now on the Frank Bracken, 322 West 17th streets. No snoW. When I think of street, chauffetir, she was . released. | Cumbersome, I think of you and the snow. , Oh, my Lord. Loiilsa, IITL 9 1I7L J IITL 1 that snow, that I i^n away from Who S ffDO and iVDy and forgot my snow shoes. I- know you want to hear about to yet. Met a nice man on the train arid The. brains-wh ich made "A Girl in ^^^^^ this, 46th street address. Every Port," certainly didn't call a jj:,g ^.^yj^jng jio„ae. Very nice peo- femalQ into consultation. Here's *s j gu^gg^ jjq one speaks to me. a man's picture! Every girl in It Is This is "Times Square, Louisa. Tou a double-crosser arid a cheater. The | ^.g^^j^^j^p rpjjjjgg gquare we used only decent emotion Is a . sturdy j.^^^^ about. It's a very busy friendship between, two.men, which pj^^j.^^ Lots of picture houses, survives the dirty maneuyers of j don't know what I'll do the girl one loves, and the otber has L^^j^^j^. geeing pictures. It seems to loved. It's all anti-femme stuff from | gj^j alone must buy three gi n a I'know you want to hear abc On Stase or Screen New york, but i haven t much vu ui.a5V VI H*'*vv" L^i, I'm so new here. beautiful arid Mann music" They finished in fluffy white I--'•J^'g^j ^o^n "{he Isle after the pic- frnpkti With big red *rid blue bows I . g gj™^ heavy applause, i.^-.r ; ■ mo a c».»^..« —-— . , frocks with bg - - I a perfect |start to the^con^^^^^^^^ "No |-its. I have been to-a_ couple ^of oerforrnance And the quaint, old dame ever, will come between ^H^. places and in each I got some awful Itl^ItS^TdeUgM too. The girls aren't going to stand ^j^^^es. First. I thought it J«ra3 village '8^*,°®*^^"^"^;-^ nrobabivffor that without a squawk. They r _ but each time it mUst have' d ribbons across the white c^pen dehcatessen to a se f ser^^ce sau^^ manifested in a CInH^l:„ot to eo any place alone. But ! The dress parade audience had the girls in fancy cos- tumes of different colors, all help- Irig to fill the stage with material They finished >i3 artists," dressed With f "tin with derella picture. Especially will they Ljo^.t know anyone, ness high howl at paying 60 cents for handling pf^'^^ on the train gave me a narrow wh te ^^"f^^T doWn the of the sex. Honesty isn't up the L^i^. caM, but rve lost it. He told, frZ nf the Zaice E^^^ alley. They like the "noble MV^ . j^ /^^^ g^j^ hricks for ^ s^ Sred bfack velvet cSkt Siat were little woman^^ stuff ^and _strong.^ _ „n,„gg. but i forget the name of his Sl soi^ deserves it^ shower I the man angle, practical person slder anything like symbolism a | becoming, too big treat, unless it Is marked "im nnrted"' It TOUst be some of the of praise, but a Sid country ^that's left in most | might wonder how ''Mother Bernle:' ♦hkr is the girls In purple and blue I Americans. "The. Crowd' ^ that is. the giri^^^ light beige | camera angles, still, it-Won't, be | erfe or Llndy.. has gets off Ellis Island, not being Ed- Funny Cops And the policemen iare so funny. I started to tell one about the awful [pinches, but he said: "Blow, dame, and be happy; with Miss satin decorated flowers. with painted ] shown here next week. James Murray and Eleanor Boardman are very fine and con- sidering James' history, audiences should be more respectful to pic- ture house attendants. Eleanor had many frocks In her varied career, one with the ends of the scarf coir lar split and maHIng a double knot A Stindoul Younflster XJgl LII^ WW — -—-. . . light color with dark edge, ♦Pipes at Columbia Peggy Mayo was the prettiest*of the Columbia's "Pretty Babies" u'riill she opened her mouth. Cos tumes of the girls were probably the mistakes of several costumers, no orie house could make so many Theatre will have to provide fire- places arid slippers now that the inen are bringing their pipes. ^ Isabelle Van Is Joshing either the Columbia audience or Anita Loos. 6he .stages a contest. between a blonde and a brunette member of her "rosebuds." Isabelle's eye-fill- Ing costume was of white riet, form fitting, long sleeved, trimmed even to the train with spangles and tiny mirrors and topped by an elaborate 1 Pauline Gasklri headdress of rhlnestories and -white blue frock peacock' feathers, A black net gown of Miss Mayo's was prettily beaded and had a hem of black and white ostrich. piamQn-^ buckles and heels on^black slippers completed the costume. Francine Laroque's silk frock was embroid- ered In a darker shade of pink and the skirt flared at the sides. Yellow and black lace dresses, which - girls wore for the same number, came nearest to being worth a look. Qasia's Economic Theory Gosta Ekman, the Swedish Bio graph Company , blonde sheik, . has ^ ^ been turning down fancy offers I y^^.^"^ hugtiing in peace from Hollywood. Gosta's reason for _^ ibuple of differ* The year may be young and June I declining the heavy dough Is *an- Ltarted to talk to me, but I didn't La; Verne, too, but she has earned Uastic. He believes that he's set j^^^^ them. One told me I needed herself a prominent position among ufe in iSweden, where he's the ^ ^^g^ dress, but I had no money to the baby stars In "That's. My matinee girls' , idol, and'that a plc- Daddy."; She has a more expres- ture star over here only lasts two slvb face than some of the screen years sirens who have been experimenting with theirs a good deal longer. Four | Blanche Mehaffey s ideas buy from him. ■ When I get more friendly with the bunch in this house, I'll find out a few: things and then I'm going to look for a job. All the girls you see on the streets Another of black. satin with diag- thousand of our best heroines could I Blanche Mehaffey, the former onally closed bodice and only the ^^^^ off twice as many yachts With- "Pollies" girl,-who went West toL ^^^^ ^Yielt faces made up arid they front fiare of the skirt pleated. Her I ^^^^^^^^ a flicker of a program, appear in Hal Roach comedies, has U^^^jj^ haridsome. Just like the glrla jersey dress was odd, too, ^^^"^ but when Jane fell it created more ideas of her own productions. Miss ^j^^ colored sections of the Sun light and dark shades in big blocks I ^^j^^^gjj^^ ^j^j^^ ^he subway fare Mehaffey r^^ on the bodice, but the skirt of a | . ^ j, Hausen, wealthy dealer In oil Hank's • Good Boy Barbara Kent was pretty In an all drilling and piping supplies. The How are you and Hank? Hope gray costume. Lillian Rich looks couple are about to leave on a trip forgave him. He's a good boy, better In dark clothes. Her black to India. b'lt don't forget he's lived In Cum- satin frock had a crushed collar and \ Upon their return, they will go j bersome all his life Lots of Jewelry Capitol's stage presentation "Gems,", was and gold and trimmed with tiny lace ruffles that which a short lace coat was worn sUrtTI narrow at the waist and her hat being sriiall and transr^r- broadened toward the hem-where . A Lincoln Departure Roxv's memorial to Lincoln was thoughtfully and tastefully pr-e- eented. ■ George Blllins did not re- cite the Gettysburg address, just a few lines from the Emancipation Proclamation, a rad^S'^l departure. "A Study In Black" anf While" Started with a bottle of ink and a qulli and a short song by Lillian La Tonge. Then a white set with a scene In back . that could have been an etching,' and a variety bf black patent leather costumes trimmed with white. Gamby wor" White with only piping of black and they made a band all around. The Three Dennis Sisters harmonized perfectly in frocks of lustrous satin covered with black net that made wide flounces on the skirt. Each had a large bow of the satin in front at the waist line, the colors being pale shades of blue, pink and orchid. Ormonde's Sparkling Gems were well named,, especially so in costumes of deep blue, the short skirts of which were covered with boWs of varicolored metalic ribbon They wore tri-cornered blue hats bound with silver and dripping yel low plumes in back. Finale glittered. Jeweled pendants, -revolving --girl-filled—^contrivances and a curtain of more girls. David Rublnoff's violin was the most popular gem, and the most genu inc. ■ ent, flower trimmed on the right side. Reg Denny adopted Jane, and the Roxy adopted 'That's My Baby" by a unanimous vote. Rain in California "Sporting Goods" must have come from the notion counter at Wool a narrow black ribbon around her worth's. .-The story hid^moro hole^ white wig. This was surely a study that nobody could flunk, but Rotha fel's famous .stepdaughters, the Roxiyottea,' came nearest the top. Dancers In the "cabaret" wore anappy red arid white satin, cos- tumes and high hats in one group, others in metallic lace skirts ha<' bodices trimmed with small mirrors that reflected on the gold fan ehaped screen back of them as well as the audience. ThLs cabaret didn't: seem to be doing as much fbuKlne.ss as others the Roxy has ^pvesentedi Capitol's Strand Idea Capitol's stage presentation, "The Fast Mall," was, elaborately gold mounted, a magnified version of the Btriand's Postcard Series. The first foreign arrivals were the Foster Girls, musically an nounced from" England, and wear- ing a Broadway adaptation of the Eton suit. Their finish with the red and green lanterns was clever Und woB < "^co. in It than the sidewalks of New York. A poker game gaVe the men a laugh that should last them through the Income tax period, Gertrude Olmstead's black net gown with long tight sleeves and rulTled skirt was Very becoming and her sport costume, too. Of dark Jersey, the sweater Was diagonally striped and the plain skirt's box pleats sewed half their length. A square silk scarf was tied at one side. Her suit of printed material wfuJ smart, and of course a silver foJL ■scarr.dl dnlt .detr_act.from it. ^ ■ Mrytle "stedman had cause for' legal action in pne scene, but other- wise she appeared her usual well- dro.ssed self. What ari intrepid .di- rector to put a ralristorm. in a Cal- ifornia picture. He's probably had his seed privilege taken away by his Congrofl.'iman.by now. Beautiful arid Damp The floodgates are down at the Gaiety. No disk records or sheet The" drop for a nui^l'^ being sold in the lobby after Tom Saritchi Heroic Of all the disturbing things for director to do—make Tom Santchi a hero when he has always been a treacherous, vilialnous bully. How could anyone believe it wasn't a deep laid scheme when he was so sweet to Gladys Brockwell? But even children cried when he was convicted, so It must have been real, "The Law and the Man," there they stood with Gladys the district attorney who could either bring tTierif togetheir "oTT^ "sep^ She did both but it took three trials to get the guilty man, then she sentenced the Innocent one to life, with her: , A real reward for virtue because. Gladys has a very smart haircut that; gives an unobstructed view of a fine profile and looked stunning in a black velvet street dress' trimmM with monkey tur. The players made "The Law and the Mari" more Interesting tha:n It deserved to be. Florence Turner's long experience made a small part count. . Joshua and he asks anything, tell .him I merttioned his name t6 you. "The Crowd" Lonely Maybe I'll be lucky, but I think I "The Crowd" riiay get the cpun- y^^yi^ y^ave stopped off in Chicago try girls, but what Is there In it for ^^.g^ but that man on the train.was the-poor urbanites who have .to marry such weak sister bookkeepers will write you Just as often as I and live with the poverty-ridden L^^^g ariything to say. crowd day after day? It may have Love. been intended for an epic, with that • ' Addie, impressed title, but it's Just a.good p s_^^en you write here, please picture, too sordid to hit the glrls^ a ddress me as Mrs. Adelaide Bracer. "Cohens-Kellys* Laughs It didn't soem possible that an- other argument between the two most famous 'MshBs" could make Broadway again laugh, yet "The Cohens and Kellys in Paris" did that and unmistakably. V pra G ordon and Kate Price must erigage a surveyor when contem plating a now wardrobe, and if the people who bead their gowns are paid by the quantity of beads used they have probably all retired after completiiig the costumes for this picture. Both Of Uiem made the most of Mrs. Cohen and Mrs. Kelly Sue Carol wa« pretty In >i lace trimmed crepe negligee, with a sin gle row of roses as a collar, and a^iraln in a smart cloth coat with col- lar and high cuffs of krimmer. and too dreary to enchant many people except those whose financial level is above the one it celebrates. The little house with its cheap furniture, the tacky clothes, Eleanor Boardman's straggled hair and shabby brat—all are authentically middle-class, but are they middle- class entertainment? "Tlial'^s as ' we who runs up to you on the s[treet with a "Now, I'll tell you wha;t'8 the matter with you!" Of course, it does, hold out hope. But^ when the rest of the picture Is morbidly on-the-level, aren't the fans going to notice the phoneyness of the finish? . "The Crowd" Is a film "Saturday's Children." The rich cream might get a kick out of "The Crowd," just as the middle-class gets a kick out ot Long Island estates and yacht elotiements. But it's hardly ppsgible "The Crowd" will set the faft' girls dizzy. That nice man told me It would bo easier to get along If everybody thought I was married. Don't teU Ma;. enough to have acquired star tem- perament on the strength of It. Margaret Mann's Future With plugs in the. ads, plugs in the exploitation arid publicity, and a guest trip to New York, Margaret Mann still has her feet on the ground about "Four Sons," Miss Mann, who is 60 and wa§ an^xtra, has no~pinirillus 1 onslabout^wTmrtfiTe' picture will do for her. Her char acterizatlon in "Four Sons" was splendidly made, the sort of "rC strained acting" the highbrows rave over, but it Isn't the conventional "mother stuff." Miss Mann drew acclaim notices from everybody here and on the coast, but she isn't yet assigned to a new production. If she doesn't fall into a real fan part, "Four Sons" will not havo done her any good, and she's canny Scot "Shepherd" Needs-Hair Cut ' "The Shepherd of the Hills" la riot aimed at the girls on Broadway, though It probably will have theni sobbing in regions outlying. The picture Is sweet, but Broadway girla are off sweets and on thyroids. It s all faith and gentleness and light* and how tensely It holds the house speaks plenty for the cutting and direction, „ Men. who are constitutionally sweeter than girls; might go for the Harold Bell Wright story. But the girls have a picture here, with no strong love interest, no clothes, no slick sheik, no nothing for them. What's a girl going to look at in reels arid reels of faith.drama? She might wish that John Boles had had his hair cut, but beyond that her interest won't carry far. Chance Taking F|lm "Love and Learn" is a good girl prctute^"=^iir^6f r^the-^^ Whether the fans have been, weaned away from this Constance q?almadgo stylo of compromise farce or not, they'll still laugh at.it. And envy Esther RaLston. It's the kind of stuff that every girl tied to a typewriter or a sewmg machine • wishes that she herscit could put over. That ought to cinch it mildly, even if Paraniouni did have to send it in a. "Take a Chance Week.**--