Variety (Jan 1929)

Wednesday, January 16, 1929 W O M E N' S PAGE VARIETY 48 Gray Matter By Mollie Gray (TOMMY GRAY'S SJSTER) At the Palace Too much show at the Palace. Hafry Roye has a company of three girls with the nicest costume a Japanese one. Toun^ woman was evidently walking hack from - a rickshaw ride and carried her own lantern. Spanish costume of moun-. tains of ruffles of yellow and pink all gold edged, silver and ermine over wisps of purple chiffon on an- other girl and cloth of gold hung with yellow and green bands served as a wrap on atill another young lady. Shoulder bows were of vel- vet orange on green knd green pii the purple. - The two girls with Arthur aria Morton Hkvel changed from a green and white silk sport frock arid a pink and lace voile to evening gowns. One of peach moire taffeta was very good looking in princess style. . Only trimming a wide bow of blue velvet flattened against the right side of the skirt. . Other of yellow crepe cut straight across the knees . and' almost ankle length everywhere else.. "Wraps were pf gold cloth and fringe over the moire and blue silk over the yeilow crepe. Act unchanged. Girl with Jan Garber is a splen- did dancer. They don't kick any higher; Her silver Wrap was seal-, loped all round , and her white net gown silver spangled on the front of the bodice, a cluster of .gi-een velvet loops and rpses at the hip. . . . Vienna Dug: Up Again Reliable Vieiina supplied uni- forms and gowns and- waltz music for the Roxy stage presentation, as often before, the :only differencis now being a <juartet of adagio ir- tlstg, three men and one girl (there's rsoing to be a new ■ field for floor walkers and ushers if our girls keep adding partners, to share their^ leaping and flitting). They danced to the "Blue Danube" beautifully and cleverly, one little girl thrown to thriee big men.. Roxyettes donned uniforms too and a soloist wore black tulle feos- ttime with yoke a;nd wig of gold. Julia Glass is a real artist on the . ivories, her gown white with hem and of net and velvet edging neck- line and hanging in back. Lois' Right Arm "Blindfold" is a crook story with Lois Moran's right arm looking like Broadway at night. There were pearls and ropes of diamond's too, for the other women. liOis is a budding author in sim- ple black; and figured frocks but lost her niemory from the shock of; her brother's murder. Crooks adppted her and she adopted man- Ish clothes and hair. Hef black velvet gown with its form fitting bodice and long full skirt very be- coming. Miss Moran did some act- ing . especially in the fainting scenefj. Sue Carrol's Beads "Captain Swagger" stretches the coincidence thing to the movie limit. Sue Carrol does look cute when she's worried. This little girl who called real pearls "beads," but that hardly seemed reason to make a picture. She looked lovely in her white and silver Russian dancer costume, though an elaborately beaded eve- ning ensemble, whose tulle scarf was petal covered, seem«5d too so- phisticated unless she was acting in that pearl scene. the Boidiers. Of course that is pic- ture license. Vilma's charm in the earlier scenes during the festal day dances is Just pertect. She may have had a hand in choosing the story to get that Alsaclan heiad.dress, and Walter Byron for that uniform. What hero, savers they are, those, uniforms. Coarse and Rotten Burlesque Columbia cu-stomers still adding to their Encyclopedia Burlesca with a book of songs and stories. Some of the latter were written by a man who went to jail for writing, them, so said the barker. L.a.st week's show had the wild- e.^t blond in captivity, If she isn't the last word they'll have to invent new ones; Jsabelle Van appeared in an ankle length halo of white ostrich plumes and silver lace tights open on the side.s, decidedly eftective costume. When coarser, rottener stories are told, thie Columbia will sure :tell ■them. ■ '"" ' . . . A Spine Curler He's the chills in our film fever. He's also Dead Legs in "West of Zanzibar," Ghaney. • . Mary Nolan gives^ a real perform- ance though it should have been easy in these surroundings to regis- ter horror, disgust, despair and sdr.-, row. 'This probably gives . Holly- wood a strong claim on the Spine Curlers Cup Europe has held so long. ... Capitprs "Mantilla" Capitol presentation, "Mantilla," failed to live up to the possibili- ties suggested except in. light, ef- fects. A cape dance by the Chester Hale Girls has often been done. Yel- low ruffles and black satin had their turn again, skirts chaiiged for some stingy fringe and the finale with a few girls in gold arid black costumes and black mantilla,s. Only novelty was the singer's voice com- ing from a horn half way back of the house before she came down fromi the files bringing a towering mantillia, with her. Almost started a . panic, that first scream. Me- chanics very poor. Curtains arid drapes of the set were beautiful .and lighted more so. Archer's mother, Mrs. Arabella Warsham, and, after the death of ColUs, she married her husband's nephew, Henry E. Huntington, also ;>os.«(L'Ssod of millions, Henry had been-niarrifed before to Ma.ry Pi-en- tice and that lady's sister was also adopted by. CoUls, and recently dicil in London as Princess Hatzfeld de Wildenberg. (Before the war shr was known as Princess von Hatz- feld.) . Archer M. Huntington is now married to Anna Hyatt. Apart from other inheritances. Archer received $30,000i000 from his mother's eis- tate. UncQtnmon Chatter By Ruth Morris Addison Mizner at P. B. Addison Mizner is again to the fore at Palm Beach, . entertaining arid being entertained by society and Boberiiia. Addison is an archi- tect. He designed the Everglades Club arid many fine estates. Became president of the Mizner pevelop- mcnt Corp., which went into bank- ruptcy, although six months after it was lauriched this Boca Raton scheme- was credited with havin? sold lots for $30,000,000. The brothei", Wilson Mizner, Was; Intereisied, Later Wilson went to Hollywood, and wrote some scenar- ios, having prieviously written plays. Wilson was divorced by the . widow of Charles T. Yerkes, the traction niagriate. William Savery Lower of Philadelphia had been private sec- retary to Mrs, Yerkes, who Inhefrited mlllipris, and had been reported en- gaged to her. Later hp became the third husband of another mUlipnaii'- ess, Mrs. Katharine Dunne-CSelshe- nen-Braker, who cut him off with a $10 legacy.. Sure Fire Babe Robert Elliot is the real Interest In "Romance of the Underworld" as the nonchalant detective who plays g;uardian angel to Mary Astor. And the baby of course was as sure fire as the flag. Mary reached her heights by easy stages though, making her remark- able In heroines. Reforming after a night club life, .slie tried a laundry, as waitress with night school on the side and fiiially as secretary to her future husband. Helen Lynch's back played a prominent part. Mary's velvet gown had lace sleeves very wide and graceful. Hero Saving Uniforms Except for Vilma Eanky'i" lovoli- ness, and her mouth sometimes epoljs that, "The Awakening" i.-3 just another war and convent story, ^^ot much of a Mother Superior either, in this convent, who would rim oft and leave a novice behind to In; Beads and Black There couldn't be a better dis- guisei title for a mother love story than "Tropic Madness." Thought- lessly Leatrice Joy ruins her hus- band, but before he. blocks a bullet he sends away, their infant son to parts urikhownK Miss Joy Imme- diately changes frorii a butterfly ih beads to a business wPnian in black. Very smart black, too, whose draped collar ended in a loose panel from the left shoulder, Siie finds her boy in time to nurse him through a fever and wiris the generous invitation for his foster father to make it a permanent ar- rangenient. ' Adelaide Kip Rhlnelander, sister of Leonard Kip Rhlnelander, who married Alice Jones, of duslicy ante- cedents, divorced the handsome Ju-. lian Chaqueneau (who changed his name from Shakno), and recently married John Llving.'5ton Thomas. Oddly enough, before her fi^st ri^ar- rlagp .she was courted by a man of slmiliar . name, Trumbull Thomas. She rejected him, and he married Muriel Manners, a showgirl In Earl Carroll's "Vanities." Muriel was a daughter of the late John McMahon, well-known newspaperman. Thf Trumbull Thomases were divorced. Mrs. Selwyn's Pajamas Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Selwyn are much in evidence, at Palm Beach. Mrs. Selwyn has created comment by wearing a. beach erisemble, with pajamas printed in designs Consist- ing of theatrical advertisements. Arch Selwyn has been ill In Miami. His son, Arch Selwyn, Jr., has been serving ais" assistant to Walter Wagner, in connection with talking pictures at the Paramount Studios on Long Island. Josephines at State Fomiryine lu>nor^i! at;Loo\y's Stato this week go to the jpsoiilunos. ►Sabi'l tincf. .Ilarnvon, ..Av)ipi?o Mioavy barrage, of personality gets- oyer with a bang in their rospootive p£- fcrings. Miss Sabel, hofty veteran Star, plants Tier go nun! y surely and is probably the only one' in the Billy Purl sketch who won't have iaryngitiJ? from trying to Oil Loew's mammoth theatre with drawing room conyer.sation. Others in tlio act .'^lirieked as though piayiiig the Polo Croiimls. Mi.'^s Harnion.'s tonnage was well garbed in, a distinguished gown of g7'oon metal cloth. Ilor good nature and broad comedy are irre.sistlblp. Whoever chose the color cpmbina- tlons in the scene fot Billy Purl and Co. must have had a sense of humor—that could be the only ex- cu.se for using magentia, brick red and rose in the same set. / ■ Not So Funny It's just top bad about"The Last Warning," at the Cplony. As a play, it was ia lot of fun and could have been an even swellei' plctui-G. But somebody decided to make it an ear as w'ell as an eye thriller, and permitted talking siequences to cre- ate havoc. with its continuity. Its comedy sequences are pathetic- seemed as though scenarist, actors and,director had dragged In comic banalities, stuck them on the screen and said, "Go ahead, be funny." Lia.ura .La Plante, as the ten-orized aictress looked tackily grodmed and not as,, attractive ais formerly. The Whiteheads New York and Atlanta are al- ways wondering what the wealthy Whiteheads are going to do next! Conkey P. Whitehead was sued a year ago by his wife, who cb^ged him with staging "drunHen orgies" in their Atlanta home. " Itecently he gained notoriety through the pres- ence on his fine' yacht of Frances Porter^ whom he asserted hit him with a shoe and stuck him with pins! The "Malvern" was anchored in Havana harbor and the Cuban police noted these charges. "Then there is Joe Whitehead of Atlanta:, connected with the Cbco-Cola mil- lions. He is separated frorii his wife, who was Marjorie Cassidy, a Broadway show girl. He once paid court to Daisy Green, who Inher- ited a fortune from her first hus- band, the late I. G. Waterriian, and then divorced Ted de Kanters, a South American," from whorii she parted on the honeymoon. The Granville-Barkers Harley and. IlcUu nranville-B.'ir- ker, who arrived in New York frorii England ju.st before Chri.stma.s, on their first vi.sit since lUlG, have gone to Arizona for several month.«;. Tlioy a danted..- Irom.theBpanis h. jlT hf. Kingdom- of God" and also tran.s- lated '"The Lady from Alfaquf-Que," Harley is well-known as acinr author and manaj-'or, and was di- vorced by Lilliah McCarthy, Engli.sh actrr."?, who then married tl'if- learned Proft:.•;■^r^or rfir Frederick Keble. The prt.scnt Mrp. Granville- Barker was Helen Gates, who di- vorced Archer M. Huntington, who was adopted by the late CoUis P. Huntington, railroad magnate. ColUs chose as his second wife Gertrude Lawrence Marrying Gertrude Lawrence, English star of "Treasure Girl," goes about in New York society, and people won- der when, if ever, she will marry Eertrand Taylor, Jr., to whom, she was fir.st reported engaged a year ago, before his decree was final. He was divorced by Miary Bovee, who then married Francis H, McAdoo, spn of William G. McAdoo, fprmer secretary of the treasury, Francis was- previously divorced by Ethel McGormick. .- i Gertrude Lawrence- divorced Francis X. Hawley, father of her daughter, Pamela. Taylor's sister, Dorothy, recently visited New York from her palace in Rome, where she eritertains lavishly. She divorced Claude Grahame-White, an English- man, and then married Count Den- tiof dl Fra.«so', an Italian. White '.ben married Ethel Levey, who had ■livorcMl George M. Cohan, and la rnoUifcr of Georgette Cohan. The .count was previously di- voi cc'd by Gcorgine Wilde, daughter of the lady who again calls her.self Mr!-, George Wilde, though ,«ihe sub- sj^flUenUy. .jliYprjgf^d._Hf'nryL; . S.ie foiinvr owner of huge departrnoril. .'•torop, and now running a small baVierdasbf-ry in Now Jersey. Mrs. Wilde had boen.a rrporter and w;is the .sf-f^ond of Siegel's three wivo.s. In inidition to hf-r daughter, Mrs.. Oeuigine Wilde FraJ«so, she is thf- riiothr-r of xhn musical composer who divorced Moon, the auto manu- j facturer, and then divorced Dr 'Fra.'-.k Adair,- "Romance of th6 Undt^-world," ari Bathing Suits South Bathing suits for southern wear are presently dividing honors in the high hat ishops with Beaux Arts costumes^ There are, as alway.s, fussy bathing creations of taffeta and decorated silk that look ele gant and are perfectly grand for everything hilt swimmin. Among the mPre practical numbers, Best & Co. has an iriteresting display of the Paris type bathing Jersey (less severe ih&n the. usual jersey two piece) with cleverly cut sun-tan backs. These are smart and perfectly al- right for those who. Insist on a Paris label, but 'or those whose chief con cern is.: swimming comfort nothing could be grander than the back- less jersey suit that sells for $8.50 lud, makes'possible a million do)la# tan. Gamt and Shoes Stewart, &. Co. is \'»hcfwing some novelty Jewelry. It's made of -Bo- hemian glass, cflear or oUiuded, th« latter looking like that, ribbon candy tha,t ultra-French chefs wind into baskets and what-nPtal It fashibni a long chain of interlocked Ovals br squares, monotoned or alterniatlric In color. , " Arjiold Constable has effect Jv« choker necklaces described in close- ly strung roridels of silver or whito gold Inlaid with rhinestonea.. Sounda too ornate, but Isn't. Another ver- fl'ipn of tills necklace^ has closely strung strips of silver similarly In- laid. Lord & Taylor shPws a. rieat- ly turned-out envelope purse in th« daric suede.s, with flap outlined In reptile wivlMi fashions a trlni bow* knot over the clasp. Would, com- bine nicely with shoes of matching reptile trim. Blue Bnakeakin shoes are fea- tured at this shop, coming in Ox* fords or the one-strap pump. There, is also a blue suede Oxford with seamed vamp tl'iat will be fine for wear with your blue spring coat.; Since, the indications are that sheer printed fabric Is to be used eyen mdva than last yiear, it's good sonieone has thought of somcthiriar new to do with it. The new treat- ment is being shown by Stewart & Co. in evening frocks of. sheer chif- fon hung over taffeta. The dresses thereby achieve the softness oiC transparent material arid the crispeir sllhotaotte yielded by the taffeta. Effect is perky and graceful for dancing. Laundry Cle^up "Romance of the Underworld" Ifl another oi; those double-crossing pictures with harrassed virtue final* ly triumphant. In it .one climbs the ladder of success with Mary Astor —starting first as speakeasy hp.st- ess, then laundress, waitress, steno- grapher and finally the zenith, mar- ried young; matron. The hero fell because Mary wa» "so fresh—so svireet—so .clean"—* right after the laundry. Miss Afl- tor's costume as the affluent Mrs. Ransome looked as though she had run them up herself from Ladlelf Home Journal patterns. old' melodrama by . the late Paul Armstrong, has been favorably re- ceived as ia Fox picture, directed by Irvlrig Cummings,:.with Mary Astor featured. (Miss Astor has traveled far since, as Mary Langhanko, she v/as an extra girl, getting her first bit in "Experience" at the Astoria studio), including. "Alias Jlmmie Valentine," which has also been filmed. Vaude Reviews (Continued from page 40) No. 4, spotting George Rosener with his prPtean routine in the next-to- shut. Opening was a clever and thor- oughly entertaining revuette, Irma Powell'.s, a versatile band flash which, ordinarily .would be slated to close the. frolic Or rate a body-of- the-bill spot. An Irish tenor deuced and a, novelty musical act was No. 3. Obviously, the routinlne was un- orthodox, but it played excellently, although Rosener'.s 20 minutes In the ace ppeltion was a bit too far down. Thie Michons, Joe and Pete, will panic them v/hereycr an adriiission IS charged for amusement. As knockabout comedy clowns they are the best of their clas.s. One won- ders how that Pete Michon can take those falls and hold up. They'll murder the custorriers in any audi- torium, ..' although . the voluntary physical punl.shment should Incline tbfrn pf-rfonriUy in the dirfction of a pnKluction, The Mif-bons in a fft shosv, and .so hjik.-Ij tlie biL-tliT if it's ultra-swarjky, would probably-."hou tlK-rn.sr.lvf's off to a bigli pc-nk audi- fnc' rr-antion, Ilf«cnor. who followr-d i.s dolrl^r virtually tl/e s.'irn'.' routine! as wlieij in .'^liulii-.Tt v;iiiflf'vlll»,'. , U(- li;j.<.- Iic^.n jn .i^flMij.if: r t prod j i f-.t i.o.n.p . __, f •.! i.lef 1 .v, tu,(,r( .'itLf.Ti ' Ju.st pr'.-ff'diijg tlK: foinfdy aero-, bat wa.s Emory Manly (Jo. witli Mnb^r.OohU'n and Wallfrr La Marr in suppoi't in their mu.sical novelty. Einrnett (y^U:r^^a., young Jrish tenor. d^Muiiic- wa.« formerly f'-,':turod v.'lth th" H. Lf viaiban band. J'o.ssf.ssfri of a f-yrnpathetlc warble, and forLi- fied with a ."turdy repertoire and appf'arance, O'.Meara made the deur;e, worth while, Trrii.'i J'c wcll Pwfy\if i; a ; w( (t aii'T neat novfjyty meriting brtier than opening, although the subsequent .sequence of acts left no alterna- tive. Harry Van Blake, Ruth Rob- erts, dan.seuse, and Milton, Shirley, Larry arid Jimmy Powell assist Miss Powell in her band revue. Milton -Powell was an outstander, Abel. AMERICAN (Vaudfijm) An eight-act show Monday that when It was all over had little left that salvaged it from being ticketed as about one of the. poorest bills of the season. Too many men and little novelty; Just a string of stereotyped vaude. And if it hadn't been for Billy Ar- lington with his musical hokum and familiar burlesque methods of get- ting laughs there wouldn't have been much, doing, "White Shad- ows" (M-GtM) got into screen view. , Olvera Bros, operied with a dumb act that ^was effective with some perch stunts, closing. Franclnp was second with the audience trying to figure whether she was a male Im- personator or a womari affecting a ma.sculirtlty. Little displayed here to make this act' much other, than a guessing cpntcst. Ben Smith Btartcd; singing off- stjEige as Frariclne had opened and it seemed like travesty, biit Ben saved him.'ielf when he noticed the .scant applause and queried as to how many Irish might be left, etc. Ben'.s gags are still bewhlskered but he wa.s in f.ar greater f.uvor when he got to -workmg with th'' femme "r>lanl." ,Slie sang some oldtlmere but apprr.ciablo at tbi.s turn. Ah S;in J>u and Boy.s (Now Arts) clo.scd ihf.. firr.t part. CJ.ave the first hair it,s only novo! a.^pcct. .Aftfr inl(>i-.inis.slon appeared the j'"j'oMf Four, . These bf)yH have been working' tlie Keith houses. Got away to. a slow start, picked up imiiCLAvaixin ..ti:c..Lwja-.bo y.'j-pull ed ^th olr.- stepping .i-outine and closed well with the combined dan'-lng of three, lirooks and Nace sliripcd over, the fir.st real com"dy th.'it got any- where. This act has played and replayed hereabouts, yet atop the Amf^rlcan was favorably received because tlio audi'^'m-e np to this time had about despaired of get- ting their money's worth. . Arlington and Co. mopped. An (■asy iiiof) too, ;ind wint a long way t>Av;iiil ar"U^iiig tiif roll<8. Four Sid/icys (New >\" is) flosed.