^ 1 ~L-I_ / I screen Theatrical Page 7teC clubs0 Launch New Negro Theatre Movement In Hollywood _ I MAY PROVE THE! ANSWER 18 A LONG FFLT NEED! HOLLWOOD, Aug. 29—(ANP) —In spite of the fact that some may think, like Clarence Muse suggested in a column, that only “Leftists” are interested, local stage enthusiasts disregarding any Communistic accusations are hop ing that a “New Negro Theatre” movement launched last week will prove the answer to a long felt need. It is also hoped that it will rise to better results than have preceding movements. The inaugural meeting was held last Thursday night at the Music Box theatre, the new home Hollywood Theatre alliance, which for many months has been pre senting “Meet the People,” with an all-white cast. The New Ne ^ gro theatre is planned to work in association and along the lines of the alliance, a non-profit orga nization, using original plays and undiscovered non-professional tal ent. 3 Resultant of the tireless efforts of Mrs. Meredith Thatcher, mov ing spirit in the Little Theatre play, “Don’t You Want to be Free?” written by Langston Hugh es and played all last summer, a large crowd of both races was present. Some of the biggest names of the screen entertainment ., and literary world, both colored and white, joined hands in the meeting, and many interesting talks were made by the, speakers from the stage. Paul Robeson Sends Wire First on the speakers’ portion of the program was Bernard Vor haus, noted motion picture direc tor and member of the HT4- ex ecutive boyid, y/ho spoke on the nature of HTA!s< affiliation. Mr. Vorhaus introduced Meredith Thatcher, executive director of the New York theatre, who read the following telegram from Paul Robeson: “Am indeed glad to be a spon sor of the New Negro theatre. There is urgent need for such a professional organization, present ing plays which deal honestly with the pressing problems of im portant sectiop of American peo ple and developing an audience . t sympathetic with its aims. Of great significance is the coopera tion of the Hollywood Theatre al liance. More power to you. Sorry not there tonight. Will be there during coming season. All best. Paul Robeson.” Other telegrams read by Mrs. Hatcher included messages of sup port from Paul R. Williams, Na tional Negro Congress, Motion Picture Democratic committee, William R. Carter of the National Youth Administration, Fay Allen of the L. A. Board of Education and John E. Hargrove, charman of the Dining Car Employees’ un ion. Following two such celebrated authors as Theodore Dreiser and Cedric Belfrage, Bill ‘Bojangles” Robinson brought the house down many .times with his oratory a lone. i _DUKE SWINGS OUT DUKE ELLINGTON, who took Chicago by storm when he arrived here to play for the dance held Monday night at the Coliseum at which time “Miss Bronze America” was selected. MISS IONA VARNUM, who wen second place in the “Miss Bronze America” contest, is being congratulated by Miss Ella Fitzgerald for winning the title “Miss Bronze Chicago” at the Savoy Ballroom. GOSSIP OF THE MOVIE LOTS By MARRY LSVETTE t , . i„- . _ . I ■ . . ■-__ 3*1 i\>i i »►;.# ■ J HOLLYV/OOD, Aug. 29—(AN P)—The sharp double-bitted axe of Screen Actor’s Guild fell heav ily on 2053 heads' of all races last week, cutting off from member ship all who were too far delin quent in dues up to Aug. 1. On this date the $4.50 for the new quarter was also due, and under the new ruling, thei’e were to be no more work- permits issued. Payment in full automatically en titles a member to work when Other speakers preceding the ; entertainment portion of the pro gram were Willis O. Tyler, Nor man O. Houston, Laura Bowman and Otis Reno. Following them, the drive committee, headed by Mrs. Sammie Moore, launched in to action and signed up the audi ence for various memberships. Among those appearing in the following show, which was assem bled by Alfred Grant, the. pro duction manager of NNT were— | Ernest R. Whiteman, .Teni LcGon,i Clinton Roscmond and the Three Shades. i Attorney Ulysses S. Keys, of the editorial department of the Chicago Bee and president of the Lens Camera Club is spending his vacation in New York. called. There' is no excuse for bit players, and little for extras who get any reasonable amount of work during the year, as by actual figures 5c a day dropped into a small bank will pay the year’s dues without it being miss-| ed. Several of the bigger shot actors have to have the studio that calls them, pay up their duesj for them before they can work. | The fat checks from their last j picture have always gone bye-bye | with the breeze. FOUR TONES, A IIIT ON GOLD HOUR As the last mellow notes of their harmonious chant died away last Friday evening over KGHJ, bn the Gold Hour, the Four Tones, famous screen, stage, and radio quartet were greeted with re sounding applause from the audi ence in the new spacious audi torium upstairs in the Gold Store. And as proof that there were thousands of listeners at their ra dios, calls began pouring in. Mr.! Adams, highly capable colored sales manager and a number of I other officials of the firm came to: the auditorium and highly com-i plimented the boys. Incidentally, I l!Yazoo Bill,” a poem dramatized | by the Four Tones, and Yours ( Truly, was an original one, writ ten about a real steamboat char acter. Margaret Chapman, Ma- j dam A. C. Billibrew, and Floyd Covington each did their share in seng, news, and Emceeing, in their usual excellent manner. The Four Tones will be back again on Fri day of next week over the popu lar Gold Hour. j EAGLETTES MAY BE HEARD IN PICTURES Gifted with beautiful voices, and the earnestness of true artists in embryo, the five girls, spon sored by Eagle Editor Charlotta A. Bass, have a bright future in store for them. This is my pro phecy after hearing them at a spe cial program to invited guests in tire Assembly Room of the Cali fornia Eagle last Sunday. There are sure to be opportunites for them in pictures as soon as their talents become known to the pro ducers and directors. Leroy Hurt, arranger for Decca, is ar ranger for the Eaglettes, James Carte?', their manager. The girls | arc sure to be opportunities for : Ac: raa Ro le:., Geraldine West and Truth Kuykendal. I --- ' TH YIW W S PE? PARING FOR “W1 i i LE THOUSANDS < HEER” i With Sept. 1 just around the i corner, over 500 theatres through out the country whose patronage Ms all or in the majority colored, are preparing for gala premieres of “While Thousands Cheer,” new sensational all-colored cast pic ture, produced by Million Dollar Productions, starring Kenny Air Stories of Horse s Inevcs In Olden Days San. — t Radio airlanes wi'l echo thrill ing exploits cf early days when hersethieves were Public Enemy No. 1 to Illinois farmers in a dra matic broadcast to be presented over Station WAAF at 4 p. m. on Sunday, Sept. 1. It is to be the 46th in the popular series of ra dio dramatizations of “Legends of Illinois.” The series has proven of re markable interest because it au thentically portrays legends ol historical background in the early history of the state. Sciipts of all the dramatizations are prepar ed by the Illinois Writers’ Pro ject, WPA, after painstaking re search to insure accuracy and fi delity to fact. The current number is entitled, “How Billy Caught the Horse Thieves ac Thief’s Hollow. Two miles north of the historic Indian caves at Bourbannais is a dry creek bed, still locally known as “Thief’s Hollow.” On the south bank of this gully, hidden by a large reck formation, is a huge cave. This in early days was used as a hide-away by horse thieves. Raiding farms in that locality at night, they secreted the horses underground until they were able safely to spirit the horses out of the section. In 1834 a settler named Caleb Arscnau lived in the vicinity. He had a young son named Billy. Gredt grandchildren rf Billy An derson, who still live around Bcurbonnais, recount the story of how Billy discovered the hidden cave and how he and his father, Caleb, captured “Rattlesnake,” ringleader of the band of horse thieves that, preyed upon the lo cality. Washington, it will be hailed as “1940's Big Parade of Human Emotions,” according to produc tion officials from three major studios who have previewed it. Even before the beautiful new press books describing the feature had been mailed out, orders had started pouring in and John Jen kins, in charge of Atlanta distri bution offices had signed up a number of contracts for its screen ing in thirteen southern states. “FOUR MOTHERS” AT WARNERS-FIRST NATIONAL Starring the Lane sisters, and diiected by Wm. Keighley of Green Pastures” fame, “Four Mothers” is about half finished at Warner Brothers-First National. Howard Washington and Richard Coleman, two well-known movie players were with the company on location at San Gabriel last week. JESSE LEE BROOKS AT REPUBLIC The never-to-be-forgotten min ister of the year long stage per formance of “Run Little Chillun”, Jesse Lee Brooks, had a nice bit in Republic’s Hit Parade of 1941.1 It is a musical starring Frances Langford and Kenny Baker. MOVIE STARS PREPARE FOR WINTER LEAGUE Beautiful season passes will soon be in the mail for the sepia luminaries of the movie colony making them honor guests as usu al, during the Winter League baseball season. Their presence is highly appreciated and they j show their appreciation of the in-! vitations by always attending. A glance down the line of boxes on1 the first base line most any Sun day is a veritable living picture of “Who’s Who,” in Tan Holly wood. Bill Robinson never miss es a game, and among those who miss but few are Ernest Whitman, Louise Beavers, Hattie McDaniel, Sam McDaniel, Reginald Hender son and many others. Suitable candidates for the mo SING AT FESTIVAL The SOUTHERNAiRES, well known male chorus, popular on o when Chas. Butler was called ipon to produce a double he sent Floyd Shackleford who passed jerfectly. However, he had to cut 3!s hair close just as Ingram’s lad been in the other scenes made n person. —- ' •: —:-~~ ~~—.-- I