Variety (Jun 1930)

Wednesday, June 11, 193C TO THE LADIES VARIETY 47 The Parisian Front By Christine Marie Dressier says she is prac- tically in a state of collapse. Hav- ing tried to sneak quietly Into Paris for a lone rest after the exertion of "Anna Christie," she was Imme- diately beseiged hy hordes of ad- mirers. So much so that poor Marie packed her bags in despair to go off to Berlin, where the Fiitz Kretslers awaited her. After a visit with them, and maybe a little rest and calm—if "Anna Christie" doesn't get there before her—she will go right back to Hollywood where she is signed up by M-G-M for the next fivp years. She's crazy about Hollywood and c.in't understand why everybody doesn't go there and live. Before she got away from Paris, however, uhe "did" Montparnasse, where all the artists are supposed to hang ©ut-^—or rather where the supposed artists do hang out. •One very la-de-dah young man ■WAH heard to remark boredly that he 'was going to take Miss Drossier to Montparnasse himself; he thought she needed a rest from people. Listening to him one wondered whether people, lots of them even, Wouldn't he preferable. NOW FIlTiNG BATHING SUITS TO SUIT 'EM t. Adele at the Ambassadeurs Adele Astaire was at the opening of the newly renovated and elab- orately decorated Ambas-sadeurs in the avenue Gabriel, just off the Champs-Elysees. Everybody has been waiting for this event for 6ome months, so that when finally Clement Hobson, who also riins Ciro'.s, announced that everything was ready, the whole town turned out, gayly garbed. Adele says she is terribly tired, what with all these parties and rushing about. Just the night before she'd been at Brick- top's night club in a party of Mrs. Ned Post's. In the same party were Erskine Gwynne, the gay young Vanderbilt scioni now en- gaged in publishing the only Ameri- can magazine in Paris, the "Boule- vardier"; also Mrs. Erskine Gwynne, the beautiful erstwhile Patou man- nequin whom he married four y^ars ago, Billy Reardoii was there, too, and Michael Farmer. Everybody's atill wondering when the Marilyn Miller-Michael Farmer wedding is coming off, if at all. When she is not ait parties. Miss Astaire is ordering frocks at Jenny's on the Champs-Elysees. Right now, hbweveri' she is waiting for her mother to send on the sketches for her new revue, "Tom, Dick and Harry," as Jenny is going to make them up for her. During her stay in Paris, Adele is living; with a friend of hers, and both girls seemed to be pretty heavily chaperoned.. But then, she explained, "This is the first time I've ever traveled without mother or Fred, and it seems pretty funny. I'm darn lonesome without them." Mrs. Astaire is coming over later on in the surrimer and then they will go back together and daughter, at least, will have to go right to work. Latest in Paris Clothes Fay Compton and Ada May came hurriedly to Paris from London not long ago to buy themselves new frocks. Fay brought a black geor- pette evening gown trimmed with organdie and rows of tucked scal- loped flounces. Miss May chose a turquoise blue net—one of the now filk tulles—with a double bolero, crystal, shoulder straps made of ring.s, and a long skirt with deep godets starting just oelow the hips. She al.so bought one of the new hip-length evening wraps in the same blue velvet. Both of these drt-Kses were made by "Worth, who Bc-em.s to be the favorite of the stage Btarf!. While still on the subject of clothe.s, Jane Marnac, the French aotro.«!.s who played Mother Goddam in the "Shanghai Gesture" all thi.« J-asi winter, and last in "P.ittC'r Sweet," has just bought a Moly- ncux evening dress in black lace. It is perfectly plain but it ha.s a liliU.' bolero Jacket upon whicli Miss M.'irnac wears flat pale pink flowers. Mile. Huguette ex-Duflo.?, anotlier ■Wf ll-known French actress, has ju.st f-'i'nr to Brussels to open in-a n'-w »<h(.w, which to judge from tlie title 1-^ jnJ't another one of those racy hi tie French farces. It is calUd "l/lldmme do Jole et I'Amciur Vcjlle." whicli, roughly translatid, ^'I'glit mean "Tlie Gigf>lo and His Old Lady Friend"—old, tliat is, hi th<- sf-nsfc of too many years. A)>.y- ■*v;iy. Hu}:uette's costumes an pnir.p; to W L'pod looking. They VK-re made *y Philippe & Gaston and for the Time was when a woman bought a bathing suit by choosing a color and the size she thought might fit, but that time was. Now the stores are adding more fitting rooms every year because the girls mu.st have a snug fit, just the right ab.sence of back to suit their vertebre, just the particular shade to~ suit their rouge or current complexion and the range of materials adds to the difficulty of the decision. Judging by the tight-fitting wool jersey and other fabric suits- they parade aroulid in they never give a thought to the shrinkage boupd to follow a wetting (the better the wool the more it shrinks), or then again maybe they do. The sales- girls also serve as models at the same time , but ^usually wear the beach coat best suited to the suit if it doesn't happen to be an en- .semble with its own coat. RITZY Gray 0. K. for Blondes Frances Williams is programmed at the Palace as appearing in "Mod- ernistic Repertoire of Unusual Songs"—whatever that means. The songs may be modernistic—who's to say them nay—but they certainly are not new, being a group of old ones sung by Miss Williams with customai-y ease and charm and amusingly, dragged tempo. Gray is a swell shade for a taffy- colored blonde, particularly when the shade is soft and in rich, heavy lace, with a shoulder cape, edged in blue fox, to disguise round shoul- ders. A change to a turquoise taf- feta provides another radiant color scheme, silver-threaded peplum catching the light and doing as much as it can to make up. In ^a style way for a badly fitted bodice. Gloria Gray, foil for Hal Jerome's comedy, wore chiffon dresses (black and later pale orchid chiffons), suit- ing her beautifully. Miss Gray has a back and shoulders to do low decolletage justice. third act she has a sumptuous evening cape in blue velvet with heaps of silver fox, and a frock of the same color velvet. In the fourth act she also wears evening clothes— a shell pink chiffon dress trimmed with pearl.s, and a three-quarter coat of velvet with grey fox collar. ^Peggy Joyce Modest Peggy Hopkins Joyce arrived not long ago and although she isn't so keen on giviiig out interviews, this time, she said she might have a story for Variety soon although she i.sn't engaged nor has she any thoughts of taking on a new hus- band. Ann Freschmann, late of "Ber- kely Square" in New York, as you know, suddenly got fed up with Broadway and has just arrived in Paris. Privately speaking it looks as if Ann has a fat Paris contract somewhere up her sleeve. How- ever, an interview with her next week will give more definite news probably. She was at the Club Zig-Zag the other afteinoon—the club, you will remember, which was spoken about in this column right after.it."? opening. It's run by Pi- zani, one of the Rip revue stars, but right now it looks as it he took too big a bite. He only keeps it open from 5 to 7, charges $1.20 per cock- tail and regular cabaret entertain- ment. Somehow tlie very scant audience wasn't much . imi)ressed by the dancing and the opera renderings, though they brightened up a little when a mairician did tricks. The tricks weren't sp .hot, but since the maijlcian couldn't speak Frf-mh or Engli.«h, he kept up a running fire of conversatifn crmsisting of such ph)-ases a*--: "Bla Ma, kini kain. boppa pf'Ppa. df.(- dr-f dJirr. • durn. etc., etc." 1I<; sounded like an Afrfran. Fianconnay did soinf r.f her i;ike : offs though a littU l.'it(:r, ar.fl tli'-y [ were really good, espf^ciJilly tlie Mis- tinguc tt and Maurit f. Cli' valii r f r.f s M)s«-- Fresi liMiann '■frit a ni't'' if. h'.r hack ."tage a" Ihey I'lastd tcgitlif-r la.st yf-ar at ihe I'alaf- l.Tf In the Raqucl Mrll'-r r« vur-. wui'h ind- dent.ally Ann s\vfai.<-. \v.'- a Tuilli'.r. timf-s better than the f-nc '.1im< llii--. >(ar. Wi ll it ci.uldr, t )^.^•^)l■;y have fcfetn woisiC. June J2 Sydney A. Smith and Florence Itice marry in New York. Daughter of Grantland Rice, sports writer, editor of "The American Golfer" and director of cinehia sports features, she made her stag*- debut last season In "June Moon." She divorced David W. Dade and resumed her maiden name. Sydney A., is "the son of Sydney. J. Smith, society, man -now married to the' former Mrs. Florence Hathorn Dur- ant. The bridegroom's mother, Fannie Taller, after divorcing Smith, divorced C. Whitney Carpenter, considerably her junior. Carpenter then married Catherine Hamersley, heiress' to niillions. She had first divorced Samuel N. Hinck- ley and then Henry Coleman Dray- ton. Sydney A. Smith and. his brother, Earl E. "T. Smith (who married Consuelo Vanderbilt), held the heavyweight boxing champion- ships at Yale. An usher at the Smith-Rice wedding will be Brad- ford Norman, Jr.,. of Newport, who married Dorothy Clark, formerly a dancer at the Club Lido. Windoiv Shopping By Cecelia Ager GUILD'S DIAGRAMS FOR LATEST REVUE'S'POINTS' Belasco Working David Belasco, veteran of th< theatre, works ■ harder than any other manager, and never takes a vacation. Year in and year out, from early in the moirning until late at night, he labors over plays and casts, personally attending to every detail. And directs all rehearsals "It's a Wise Child" has been one of the big hits of the past season. Next season Belasco will produce "The Princess and the Gigolo," a Vienna success. Also a dramatiza- tion of Gene Fowler's ''Trumpet in the Dust," and a farce by Larry Johnson. Katerine Leslie's Stage Debut Katherine Leslie, of the Social Register, made her stage debut last season in "Rebound," and now takes her stand unreservedly, with Broad- way. She recently gave a dinner- party for her sister-in-law, Mrs. Warren Leslie, Jr., Charles ("Bud- dy") Rogers, Harry D'Arrast, the director, and Mrs. Jules Glaenzer, who was Kendall Lee, a dancer. Jule.s, of the firm of Cartier, is not now in the Register. On Beekman Place Beekman Place, like Sutton Place, further up the.East Side adjacent to the River, has its quota of celeb- rities. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gill- more dwell there, and also Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie McClintic (Katherine Cornell). The huge new co-operative apart- ment hou«e at No. 1 has as tenants- to-be Mr. and Mrs. David M. Milton and Col. and Mrs. Arthur Woods. Mr. Milton married a daughter of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and former Police Commissioner Woods married a niece of J. Pierpont Morgan. Alsd Mr. and Mrs. Herbert L. Satterlee. She is a sister of J. Pierpont Mor- gan. Mr. and Mrs. David K. E. Bruce with Mrs. Bruce, a daughter of Andrew W. Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury. Mrs. Joseph E. Wil- lard, widow of the Ambassador to Spain, and mother of Mrs. Kermlt Roosevelt. Maude Wctmore, daugh- ter of the late George Peabody Wet- more, Governor of Rhode Island, and sister of Edith Wetmore, of the. Board of the Newport Casino theatre. And Lyman Beecher Slowc, au- thor-grandson of the late Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Edwin Milton Royle, new Shep- herd of the Lambs, was born during the Civil War in Lexington, Mo. Educated at I'rinccton University and Columbia Law School, his fir.si play, "Friends," was produced in 18'j2, and his Chief success, "The .Squaw Man," staired William Faver- sharij In lOOD, with eubsequont re- vivals. He married Selena Fetter, ictress, and has two daughters on the stag»-. 250 Years Ago Mf'Tirof Barnard of New York, dr. of CJoorge Grey Barnard, one of ih( most famous sculptor.s in Arn'-r- jr-a, rff'-r.tly married I'atrlcia Ma'.'- drinald, daughter of Mr and Mrs. Wiiliarii I-t. Macdoriald, of Boston. H»r father wa.s manager of th'- Bostf>n (Jpera Co. throughout Its c-xis'f-riff-. He is now in the editoj'ial riej-artmf Tit of '"i'he Christian Sci- <nt( Monitor." Her mother was M.'iry Norton of KcmervllJe, ,S. ('... wl.i'^i fariiily fettled there 2G0 ycajs ago on a royal grant ■ Those Theatre Guild yo\jiigstt'rs, just a little older than whor.- tliey first romped into town with the original •'(•arrick (!aicti»-s"' have sobered a bit. Instead c^f frolicking through a perforniaiue with the ardor of bright young peojile. they find it necessary to exiilain that they're ro.ally only fooling. Notes in ilu- (ruild prdgraiu tiike great pains to, point out that the. cast is indulging jiV suiunicr luad- capery. Each item is < >{phiined so that even the dunil>est coinnuit^'r will gej the idea. The (Juild .M'cnis to have imdi'r- esliniiitcd either its aiulienres <>r its young people. Of the origiruil group Kditli Meis- er and Hildegarde llalliday are the only performing aluiinia. Miss Meiser handles sketehes and two .specialty appearances with grace and humor, one of her costumes a tea gown ot gold lace, peach velvet and yards and yards of l)lue chiffon train. Lacking an opportiinily for her clever impersonation.s. Miss Halliday i.s most amusing as a gray- haired gossip, rocking a porch chair as determinedly as sir? shatters rumors of respectability. Among the recruit.s, Cynthia Rog- ers impres.ses most with youthful, wholesome charm, and Thelma Tip- son concludes with an excellent im- personation of Hope "Williams. The chorus is made up of young things,'more enthusiastic than pro- ficient, and costumes, done Inexpen- sively, show thought and a decided attempt to get away from stereo- typed musical comedy style. Film Felon Fuony "Numbered Men" overlook.^ the grimmer details of prison life and shows a group of jailbirds happily attending the State's finishing school, being presented with guns to go and ' hunt their escaped schoolmates, and setting out for road work like so many Tom Browns, off for a Jolly picnic. Conrad Nagiel Is the Honor Boy of the crowd. It's inconceivable that anyone as noble as he could have fallen into the grip of the law. Bernicr Claire as the sweetheart of a framed boy adopts the man- nerisms of a gunrnan's moll without conviction. Montedoro*s - Color Schemes at Roxy Roxy's family, always at . home when it visits foreign countries via the stage route, is this week In Russia, where it enacts a Greek Catholic wedding feast. What with singing and dancing a la Russe, the entertainment is vigorous and color- ful, Montcdoro again combining orange, magenta, silver, gold and red in a djLzzllng finale. Paf Bowman's costume for "Valse Bluette" is a lovely thing In ruffled tulle, edged with silver and shading through the blucH. ,She arrives on a sliver of new moon - a favorite picture hou.so conveya nee--for a delicately danced solo. / Lighting at Ihf' R(;xy is always ju.st short of miraculous. This week the color box aeJiicvt'S a soft gray light th.'it throws a Victorian rrmsic room into relief as Beatrice Belkin coloratures a Meyeibeer aria. MARRIAGES Lucille Green to Harry ,S\v;iriherg, June 3 at lloosiek Falls, N. Y, Both ppear.Hi a dan'ing act. Th'. fngagem<nt <if I'liil Bloorn .nd I..illian Lass 'wa.'- anrioiiriC'.d at I gutheiini' of friends in thfi SI. Jeorge hei(-), Biooklyn. No. .dat<- <-l fdf the wedriirig. Hiisband-tO- y-r- \^ a beok'-r in the. l''aneli(,ii A Ma I CO (lorrner Fox) ollu f s, Nev. oik. I'rf>si<r r tiv* biide. \p jk t.. prf.. of I{r'.f.kl>n; B'?-sir ll;iy tf, Sid T< m v In /ikirin (I., Jurif Will Harris te-.leanni-lle Wfilfsf.ri at f'rc'.'.n I'oint ind . ./iirie 4 Gioorn i*- iiri.ducr ^<^^ I'lihlix I' K : l-ii((i fi.-irif'i at thf I "il.iiji {III a I; I, Ciiif ai-i'^. Fifth Avenue may likt' to ecnsider Itself insmnuiiuitable di.«tani'es le- luovid frimi l>read\\ay, yet tlieie is a kinsliij: between the two that all the \\orh". enn .'.ce. Coiumun to both lhorou!.:lifares Is fame. Behmging to each is sta.uo and drama. On Hr(>ad\vay, they are found in the theatres; on Fifth Aveniie, in the shop windows. Window shopping In New Yerk i.»< big-time stuff. After watching what the local windows offer, the di.«plays anywhere el.'^e look road company work. "The dramatic presentations of their wares put on by New York .stores are so surpassing as to sp<)il window gazing fans for anything less opulent, less competent, less well directed. Just as Broadway's tiieatres purvey the finest fare of the amusement world. Fifth Avenue's windows lead the country's window staging. Fifth Avenue is even one up on Broadway, for wiiulow shofi- ping tlH'rc presents all the thrills and vari»-iy of Broadway theatres, minus a ticket. Picking Spots So dc-veloiu'd Is t)ie art of window displays in New York that a choosy window gazer can pick her window fare with the same accuracy that a seasoned theatregoer lends to her choice of a play. The various pro- ducers can be counted upon, by r>aMt experience, to put on their partic- ular kind of a production. Just so, the various Avenue shops have in- dividualized their window produc- tion.s. And not only do each of the stores stand for a certain type of window splash, but the style and manner of their offerings can bo easily traced as deriving from that ot weli-known Broadway produc- tions. In fact, the chasm between Broadway and Fifth is not so.un- passablc after all, when Fifth jiat- terns its artistic expression on the very models that Broadway has es- tablished. Window gazers who like the "C4ar-' rick Gaieties" are happiest looking Into Beat & Co.'s windows. Here gay effects are obtained cheaply, much cotton Is used, and doing what all the other young things arc doing is the Ideal. Best's displays the "Su<.cesseH of the Season," hinting there arc hundreds more Inside for those who deem b^ng In the ewirn more Important than exclusiveness. Like Hopkins' I..ord & Taylor's displays are Ar- thur Hopkins stuff. A single dra- matic idea embraces all their win- dows at once. Russck's looks like the Shuberts. Copying a bit from every one else. Saks-Flfth Avenue likened to Gil- bert Miller's productions. Though the windows are tortured with mod- ernistic planes and angles bearing down upon the displays, shining through them all In the conviction that all good stuff Is imported and the supreme Ideal Is an Engli.sh gentleman. Bcrgdorf-Cioodman approves" Zieg- fcld shows. Beautiful women, chif- fons, and 100 gauge stockings. Every theatrical taste Is provided for by the Avenue's shop windows. Oh, So Sweet, Are Those Prima Donna Memories A prima donna who did not carry a fan would be a vaude novelty. Uuby Norton, at the State, u.si's two— II willowy one of chartreuse ostrjeh feathr-i's to mark the tempo of .1 Jolson song, and a .small, Inno- c('nt looking one of pale pink tulle to establish the wistful note of a ballad aboiit a "beau of long Prima donnas arc given to remi- niscing. Mooning over the iiast, they fondly remember their big moments—"My First Beau," "My First Alice Bine fjown," "My First ,lunl()r I'rorn"—haiipy, happy merno- ri('H, all recalled to. waltz tempo. Miss Nfirlon div(-s further into the p.'iHt with an ImpHrsonation of I.,illian Russ<'ll, pomriadoiired, tiarard find .strikingly beautiful in pale salmon velvt. Bringing Ihe act up to dale, she then as.'-utiie« trallirig robes and an irnficsing he.ad-dress tf, sinr an ai.i;i a v l.'i Jrrilz.'i, and <-orieludei: \^Jt)l ;i. vi.'--iiall.v ricrfeet i>/iita'iiin el the "I/i.'-t r.f llif r.ed-IId! Miiriia'-. • BIRTHS Ml arid Mis I-aiil G>-iard .'^r/iith, .lur.e '\ ;,( fde MHhodl'-t lidSiiilaJ Ifi HolUwf-f'd. ("ill, son. I'iilhir )s a •-( (-ri.-rt K arid di.ild;' rnari lin Harold Llo>d. .