The Indianapolis times. [volume], November 12, 1927, Noon Edition, Page PAGE 5, Image 5

About The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965

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NOV. 12, 1927.
ED NELL, JR., WILL OPEN MONDAY IN ‘VAGABOND KING’
Charles Berkell Will Close His Colonial Stock Season by
Presenting 'Some Baby,’ a Comedy, All Next
Week, Starting Sunday Night,
N • .
As was the case when this musical play was announced for
a week's engagement at English’s Opera House last season, play
going interest of Indianapolis now centers generally upon the
coming to that house on Monday, Nov. 14, of “The Vagabohd
King.”
The booking is for but one week, with matinees scheduled
as usual. This latest, and believed by many to be the finest of
Frknl’s operettas, was the mag
net for a week of capacity
audiences at English’s last sea
son. In fact the throngs, both
from in and out of the city, that
besieged the ticket office, numbered
hundreds of disappointees who were
unable to secure desired seat reser
vations.
There is, perhaps, an even greater
concern in the coming visit of “The
Vagabond King,” by reason of the
announcement that Russell Janney,
producer of the play, has sent on
tour his entire New York Casino
Theater forces—the complete cho
rus, orchestra, corps de ballet—and
the metropolitan cast of principals,
including Carolyn Thomson,
prima-donna, who, when “The
Vagabond King” opened at the Ca
sino two seasons back,” created and
sang the role of “Katherine de Vau
celles.”
Miss Thomson sang the part at
the Broadway house 538 times with
out a miss. Sharing honors with
Miss Thomson in the New York,
Boston and Philadelphia engage
ments of “The Vagabond King,”
however, wa3 Edward Nell, Jr., the
Indianapolis boy, whose rise to emi
nence in light opera and musical
comedy on Broadway is now a mat
ter of important theatrical history.
Nell has created a series of sen
sations in the eastern places, and
because of his superb voice, coupled
with a dramatic ability high above
the average, Janney placed him at
the head of his New York com
pany, and he now sings the thrill
ing role of “Francis Villon” in the
operetta.
The eastern exchanges have spo
ken in glowing and convincing terms
of Nell’s achievements.
Others in the New York company
include Will H. Philbrick, noted co
median; John Thorn, Ben Roberts,
Mjjra Peache, Aleta Edwards—many
others, and it will be pleasing news
to admirers of the best in the dra
matic line to learn that H. Cooper
Cliffe, the English actor, is to re
turn and play his role of “King
Louis XI of France.”
FINAL WEEK OF
STOCK FOR BERKELL
The Berkell Players at the Colon
ial will make their ninth week a
closing week for their fall season of
.stock repertory. While it-was Man
ager Berkell’s intention to operate
his company the whole year through,
several conditions made it necessary
to feel his way along before signing
yearly contracts, and he entered up
on his winter season at the Colonial
with but an agreement to continue
for an eight-week period only, pro
longing his stay providing, of course,
that everything went well.
He is staying one week over the
period that the members of his com
pany may have ample time to place
themselves elsewhere. All of his ac-
ADOPLH BOLM—RUTH PAGE
and Company in
A DANCE RECITAL
Thursday, Dec. Bth, 8:30 P. M.
MUD AT Till? A TDD S3 -°°; Main Floor ’
IVI U Ivii 1 1 IlElix 1 I\£l $3.00, $2.50, $2.00; Balcony
$2.00, $1.50 and SI.OO.
mm <| rt I If Enclose Slumped and self-addressed en-
IVI dll Urciors INOW* v, ' lo l ,c with check, to Murat Theater
*ADD AVAR TAX TO PRICES
LEI LANUkso§k
™t^l
9ANS I
ers and Instrumentalists 12 1
■CLARK THE NAGFYS 1
ON STORY DEFYING THE LAWS ■
HE I’IANO OF NATURE gif
.1 JOE & WILLIAM HALE I
AND A COUPLE OF MISSES jjgjg
)ED FEATURE! B
) HOLLAND” I
IGS, WORLD S GREATEST YODELERS jsjjf
SCREEN J§l
i'G AROUND THE EMERALD
"OUR FACES WEST”—KINO- afij
VBLE, “THE FOX HUNT fl#/
3CITAL RY RUTH NOLLER SBjdßx&L*
DOORS OPEN 12:30
New Comedy
“Quick Lunch,” by the entire
writing staff, will be the next
vehicle for W. C. Fields and
Chester Conklin. The comedy
team will start to work* in the
new production immediately
upon completion of “Two
Flaming Youths,” their cur
rent laugh feature.
No director or supporting
cast have yet been selected for
“Quick Lunch.” <>
tors are well-known for their sincere
work, and are constantly receiving
offers from other stock companies.
The closing vehicle is a three-act
comedy which will be an ideal ve
hicle for his company in its last ap
pearance this year. Idabelle Arnold,
favorite of several seasons, will be
the star behind the footlights, with
IJilton Byron in the male lead.
The play deals with the supposed
discovery of the real Elixir of
Youth. An old scientist, with the de
termination of a Ponce de Leon, sets
out to give to mankind his discovery
which he claims is an universal re
storer. /
He applies his Elixir to an old
general and to his young and pretty
daughter with the result that a maze
of wonderful happenings take place,
funny in the extreme, and which
seem to confirm all J-hat the scient
ist has claimed for his restorative.
As is usual with the modern play,
a pleasing love story threads its
way through the three acts. The
play is entitled “Some Baby,” and
was written by two well-known
authors, Zellah Govington and Jules
Simonson.
It had its share of favorable com
ment when played on Broadway and
is calculated to incite as much mirth
and merriment as any bill which the
local stock company has produced.
“BROADWAY” IS
BOOKED AT ENGLISH’S
The one outstanding hit of the
1926-27 theatrical season in New
York, “Broadway,” will be presented
by Jed Harris at the English
Opera House the week of Nov. 21,
with matinees Wednesday and Sat
urday.
The success of this drama of the
cabarets is testified to by the fact
that no less than twelve companies
of the night club classic are this
season showing in America and
Europe. London applauded the play
for thirty-five weeks, and adapta
tions are this year playing in Berlin,
Budapest, Vienna. Bucharest and
Sofia. The play -is in its second
year in New York, where it has
broken all records for high box
office receipts.
Still another company has played
lor twenty-two weeks in Detroit,
and Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston
and Los Angeles are being regaled
with special companies.
Jed Harris, producer of the play,
AMUSEMENTS
is but 27. Preliminary to the
astounding success of "Broadway,”
he had produced but two plays,
“Weak Sisters” and “Love ’Em and
Leave ’Em.” Harris purchased
“Broadway” from Philip Dunning,
who had christened it “Bright
Lights,” and then called in George
Abbott, well-known stage director,
to build it up. After two weeks’
tryout in the Jersey Coast resorts
it opened in New York on Septem
ber 16, 1926, and was at once ac
claimed as an undeniable hit.
Like the street for which it Is
named “Broadway” is at once mean
and glorious, slangy and bitter,
comic and tragi?, wise arid naive.
The scene of the Story is the private
party room of The Paradise Night
Club, one of those dark and bolted
and suspicious taverns that is a by
product of prohibition.
The Paradise is peopled by plot
ting bootleggers who do not hesitate
to use their cannon in defense of
territorial rights, the entertainers
rushing on and off through the
swinging doors to make their
costume changes, a bragging young
hoofer in love with one of the
chorus girls, a sauve and slow
spoken detective from the homicide
squad with two murders to solve,
the urbane and plotting Greek pro
prietor, the slouchy waiters with
coins jingling in their coat pockets,
and visiting gangsters out for a
party after hours with the chorus
girls.
In the company are Frederick
Howard, Betsy Jane Southgate,
Tom Morgan, Walter Davis, Clyde
Veaux, Mary Johns, Justine Hart
and Maurine Mayo.
Pre-Views of New Photoplays
War wins as the popular dish for
motion picture patrons. On the
ground, on the sea and in the air,
it is, or has been, portrayed in New
York city in recent months and the
harvest from its pictures has been
the greatest ever reaped by a single
subject for the motion picture in
dustry unless it be the subject of
love or the eternal triangle.
It all seems to have started with
‘‘What Price Glory,” which has
moved into the so-called ‘‘Cathedral”
movie house of Roxy, popular movie
proprietor. ‘‘What Price Glory”
was the first of the war successes.
It is still running after years as a.
stage and screen production. Then
came “The Big Parade,” the “Abie’s
Irish Rose” of motion pictures. It
has passed its ninety-third week and
still the hundreds of thousands of
dollars in profits roll in as it main
tains its place as a drawing card
throughout the country.
“W’ngs,” the thrilling epic of the
air, came next and if ever there
AMUSEMENTS
. THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
1 Edward Nell Jr. will be seen in the chief role of “The Vagabond King,” opening Monday night at English’s.
2 Conlin and Glass will have a prominent place on the bill opening Sunday at Keith’s.
3 Larry Sullivan will be seen in the cast of “Some Baby,” opening Sunday night at the Colonial.
4 Elsie Clark will be on the new opening bill Sunday at the Lyric.
In Concert
■ ***&%::■
fylN
Edward Rechlin
Edward Rechlin, noted oiganist,
will give an all Bach organ reci
tal at the Meridian Street M. E.
Church on next Wednesday night,
under the auspices of the City
Walther League.
was a picture glorifying war it is
“Wings.” It makes you wonder Just
how soon the League of Nations can
be depended on to collapse and as
your blood tingles life in present day
America, far from anybody’s fight
ing front, seems all too common
place.
We all agree that for movies that
move us these constantly improving
pictures of war cannot be equaled.
But of them all we predict that
“Wings,” in which we are carried to
the clouds, in which we forget the
Broadway crowds and stiffen in our
seats to feel delightful cold shivers
as “Buddy” Rogers and Richard Ar
len carry us over “No Man's Land”
is going to run all the others a good
race for supremacy. As far as the
writer is concerned, it is the best
motion picture ever witnessed.
United Artists, in addition to giv
ing the movie world Mary Pick
ford’s new picture, “My Best Girl,”
during the coming season, also will
provide the following offerings:
Norma Talmadge in “The Dove.”
Charlie Chaplin in “The Circus.”
Gloria Swanson in “Sadie Thomp
son.”
Douglas Fairbanks in “The Gau
cho.”
John Barrymore in “Tempest.”
Gilda Gray in “The Devil Dancer.”
D. W. Griffith’s “Drums of Love.”
Morris Gest’s first picture, "The
Darling of Gods.”
And others.
Previously “Mare Nostrum” had
given us some of the thrills of the
war on the sea-
Little Theatre
The second production of the sea
son to be made by the Little The
atre Socity of Indiana will be “An
Enemy of the People,” by Henrik
Ibsen, on the evenings of Nov. 30
and Dec. 1,2, 3, 9 and 10. This play
is substituted for Pirqudello’s “Right
You Are If You Think You Are,”
which has been postponed until
February, owing to its timeliness
and its apparent interest to Indian
apolis civically—of the Ibsen play.
AMUSEMENTS
DANCING
Where Indianapolis Dances
BIG FROLIC TONITE
MARDI GRAS and CARNIVAL
SUNSHINE DANLi ANT
Sunday Matinee 3 to 6 P. M.
SUNDAY NITE FROLIC
When you bring her to
the Indiana you are
giving her the best.
PERFECT DANCE MUSIC
Hoosier Harmony Kings
MONDAYNITE
Benefit Dance
PAL’S CLUB
Tickets at Door
ROUNDING
THEATERS
We reflect again upon the worth of the Little Theatre Society to
this city and state.
George Somnes and the directors of the society never made a
more interesting decision when they decided to immediately put into
production Ibsen's “An Enemy of the People.”
pris Ibsen play Is now rated as
one of the real successes on Broad
way partly because Walter Hamp
den is appearing in it.
The play’s theme Is very timely,
especially so in this city when most
people are thinking in terms of city
government.
The Little* Theatre decided to
produce this play after Meredith
Nicholson saw Hampden in it in
New York. Somnes a few days ago
journeyed to New York to see the
Hampden production.
It is this determination on the
part of the society to give Indian
apolis outstanding plays of the
stage that increases the civic value
of the Little Theatre.
Is is a fact that we are going to
rely more and more upon the
various Little Theatres for our
Shakespeare and our Ibsen.
Indianapolis can now point with
pride to this organization and can
name it among the ten best insti
tutions of the city.
The members of this group have
worked for years to establish this
organization and they have won
the respect and the confidence of
the citizens of Indianapolis as well
as all over the state.
Have received several letters from
people who saw “The Beggar’s
Opera” at the Murat the other
evening and some state that they
were a little disappointed because
they had a wrong impression of the
theme of the opera.
This department on the day that
the opera appeared went into detail
A FATMC-OCMILLf I*ICTURft /
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CAc/et d/td staaet g/rf- ctof/nt/raf U\J
(Acme su/fcrbif v/eu*e//jact ~~
KEITH* ALBEG VAUDEVILLE
CARL FREED
u-rope’s foremost musical director
and his orchestra
j _
CARL HOWARD'S EL I DA
M9CULLOUOH SPECTACLE DANCERS
PATHE NEWS- COMEDY - FABLES-TOPICS
umm CONLIN & GLASS IRTLE |j
•• MOBNINO - NOON NIOHT
MRT/NEES EVENINGS
40-60^
’ £ xctr- ~ S//A. jir sa/yo*rrs A. ho±/c'**vs
continuous one to eleven
--- - , ,
ROUND
With WALTER
D. HICKMAN
of scene after scene on the request
of many raders.
One of the letters is as follow's:
“The writer through some misinterpre
tation of press notices, was led to see
the “Beggar's Opera” at the Murat
Theater last night. The misinterpreta
tion was entirely his own afault. no
doubt. The “Opera" was indeed charm
ing and entirely satisfactory, but of
course, as the writer was prepared to
see something of an entirely different
nature, he was left with a slight feeling
of disappointment, due again, of course
to his own ignorance. Will you kindly
dispel his dilemma. What is the name
of the Opera in English, the Lyrics for
which were written bv Edna St. Vincent
Millay? Will you kindly give a brief
sketch, of the story? It is the writer's
impression that the story hinges on a
short historical 1 - novel, written by
W. H. Hudson. Has the opera been given
in New York? In London?
The writer will feel himself indebted
to you if you will give your reply to
this letter space in vout next review of
the theater In The Indianapolis Times.”
Respectfully Yours,
A. Z.
I find that Edna St. Vincent
Millay wrote the lyrics for "The
King's Henchmen,” which was pre
sented for the first time in New
Yon: la.it season at the Metro
politan. The music is by Deems
Taylor. It is now on tour and ha.i
been booked for Cincinnati, Ohio, in
the near future.
On Lindbergh Program
“Crazy to Fly,” was selected for
a special program given under the
auspices of the Chamber of Com
merce of San Diego at a special
program on the occasion of the
visit of Col. Charles A. Lind
bergh to San Diego. The picture is
full of thrilling airplane scenes in
Addition to its comedy appeal.
Bobby Vernon is starred.
AMUSEMENTS
The Film Shop
BY DAN CAMPBELL
United Press Staff Correspondent
HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 12.—An ac
cepted draft law along the film
rialto makes almost any trade or
profession open to summons to the
movie studios.
If you live in Hollywood and
don't enlist in the movies you are
subject to draft at any time. The
summons comes frdhi a director’s
vegaphone instead of an army
trumpet.
More than 100 firemen were
drafted recently for a sequence In
Emil Jannings’ latest starring pic
ture, tentatively called “Hitting for
Heaven.” They were dressed in
the uniforms of London firefighters
and extinguished a spectacular blaze
that partially destroyed a two-story
house.
Policemen were drafted for crook
battles scenes in "Underworld,”
Ben Meet’s sensational crime story.
Street car conductors and motor
men were called upon to work in
"Figures Don't Lie,” starring Esther
Ralston.
Movieland Meanderings—Princess
Pola Negri stepping into a Rolls-
Royce sport touring, the prince at
the wheel—James Hall in Kilts,
conscious of his knees—Betty Bron
son and Lane Chandler discussing
sunburns remedies after a location
trip to the desert while Ford Ster
ling wise-cracks Maria Corda
wearing a skirt above her knees for
"The Private Life of Helen of
Troy”—A cannibal island at the
First National studios with waving
palms, muddy w-ater, and hundreds
of Cannibals running wild—Billie
Dove carrying an extremely long
handled parasol with a duck's head
for a handle. The duck has a
tongue which quacks when Billie
presses z. button.
Today Last the m.\kx brothers
JJ'ZZ "THE COCOANUTS”
* Prieei; Nit*, fl.lO to I3.HS. Mat., |I,M to
ENGLISH’S -
Important! Performances nt 8:10 Sharp; Mat*., 2:10 Sharp
IIY ALL ODDS THE BKASON’3 MOST NOTEWORTHY ATTRACTION
Bussell Janney’s
NEW YORK ANI) LONDON SUCCESS
r l Ills Time With
THE ENTIRE NEW YORK CASINO THEATRE CAST
CAROLYN THOMSON 1 r, * t,,r,n ‘ KDWARD NELL JR.
WILL H. PHILBRICK H. COOPER CLIFFK
And Twrnty-fnr Other IJ’wajr Musical Cnincdy Star*
THRILLING CHORES 0. NYMPH. ORCII. CORPS l*K HAI.LKT.
Prior*: Niuht*—llxs., *3.85. Orrh.. *;i.:in Hair. I*t 1 row*. *2.75i ne\t 4 rows,
*2.20; laxt 5 rows, *1.05. Gal., *l.lO. ISotli Mat*., IU„ *3.xn. Orel!.. *2.13
Hair., Ist t rons, *2.20: nest 4 row*, $1.05: last S row* and entire gallery, *1.1(1
WEEK SS& NOVEMBER 21 33359
SPECIAL THANKSGIVING DAY MATINEE
In order of receipt, MAIL ORDERS are now being
filled for Jed Harris's presentation of
THE NIGHT CLUB CLftSHC
mmi
WORLD FAMOUS DRAMA OF THE CABARETS
By Philip Dunning and George Abbott
There is still time to send in that maii ordo.
and have first ohoice of seats. Be sure to
enolose stamped self-addressed envelope r’.th
your order. All seats remaining for the engage
ment will be placed on sale at the box office
PRICES: Nlte. Oreli., *2.75: la!.. $2.20. $1.05. *1.10; Gal.. 75e. Mat.. Wed
$1.65, sl.lO. 75r, *Oe. Mats., Thurs.-stat.. $2.20. $1.65, *llO. 71*. 00c.
Seat* Heady Thftrftday, Nor. 14.
COMING WEEK NOV. 28 il'Jl’A’,"
“ABIE’S IRISH ROSE”
Berkell to
Make Plans
for Spring
Stock Company to Close
Its Season Here
Soon.
Charles Berkell, manager of the
Berkell Players, will close his en
gagement at the Colonial with
Saturday night’s performance on
Nov. 9. This will be the ninth
week of stock at the Colonial. Since
coming here in March thirty-four
plays in ail have been presented
with ten performances each, mak
ing a total of 340 performances.
Relating his experiences In stack
in this city, Berkell said, "Each
successive year has been Increas
ingly satisfactory, and this year
crowns them all for generous
patronage and appreciation. Os
course, we have given some big
things this year. Take for instance,
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.’ Our
cast for that play was large and
unusually good. We were told by
many versed In stage craft that it
was as well-rounded a production
as any stock company could present.
‘Adam and Eva’ was a high typo
play, and, in fact, practically all of
our shows have been worthwhile.
“We have been ■ particularly
fortunate In having many season
tickets sold to the same people
year after year, confirming our be-,,
lief that we are appreciated here.
Our players are somewhat tired now
after thirty-four week's engage
ment, and some of them want to
go home for rest, study and recre
ation.
“We have played one week longer
than our contract In order that
they can all decide what they want
to do in the future weeks. We shall
have a few new faces with us next
year, as I intend to enlarge the
company.
“This year we have had a splendid
cast. Our players have liked it here,
and have returned so many times
that it seems very much like home
to them. After a few days In my
home I expect to go to New York
to read plays with a view of select
ing the best for production here
next year.
"We wish to take this opportunity
to thank the local merchants who
have loaned us their wares for use
in our productions. Announcements
will be made from time to time as
to the plays to be presented next
year, the opening of the season
being in the very early spring,”
Berkell said.
Bancroft’s New Film
Victor Schertzinger, director as
signed to George Bancroft’s new
starring picture, “Honky Tonk,” ex
pects to start camera work in twu
weeks.
Support “Big Boy”
Hy Mayer and Eva Thatcher
carry the principal supporting roles
in “Shamrock Alley,” the new star
ring comedy which “Big Boy," four
year-old star, has completed.
AMUSEMENTS
PAGE 5