St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 20

--jaf ST.mUISMST-fllSPATCH KE5M.MteJB A XX XX' a msbiV 'VXVWWV XXVXX "VXWXXXXXXXVVN a xxxn wv WWW I Ml AWI -iiS fca! ST. LOUIS, SUNDAY MORNING, JANUARY 29, 1933. PAGE bB On Making the Movie Stars Casey and His Stock Idea What the Producer Is Trying to Do for the So-Called Legitimate Stage and How He Is Doing it Good Company With Visiting Stars and Best of Modern Plays To Keep the Theater Alive Until Such Time as the Public Is Able to Buy Seats They Once Did. By H. K.

NIEMEYER. Jimmy Dunn, of the Team of Dunn and Eilers, Was Headed for the Brokerage Business When The Stage Called and Then Hollywood Began to Jingle Its Bag of Gold Coins Sprang Into Fame With His First Picture and Has Kept on Springing. THERE axe a lot of promising young stars on the atudio lots oat in Hollywood. Many of the young men who are facing the camera for a living got into the game, not as stage-struck vautis but because they wanted to act and because California was calling to the world with a bag full of gold coins. A lot of 'em could fcaTe made good in other lines of endeavor but it would have taken a locg time to work up to the important money which the movie mozxi Amusement Calendar SHIUKRT-The Arthur Casey company In the second week of "Reunion in Vienna," Motion Pictures FOX Fourth Anniversary week with Victor McLaglen, Edmund Lowe, Lure Velea and El Brendet in "Hot Pepper," and a big stage show featuring Queenie Smith, Jack Shee-han, Doris Fatston and Rosemary Deering.

LOF.WS Second week of Eddie Cantor in "The Kid From Spain." MISSOURI "The Half Naked Truth," with Lee Tracy and Lupe Velez. and "Air Mail." with Pat O'Brien, Ralph Bellamy and Slim Summerville. AMBASSADOR "Tonight Is Ours," with Fredric March and Claudette Colbert and a girl and music stage show with George Beatty and five vaudeville acts. WORLD Continuing "With Williamson Under Seas" and the German film, "Richtho-fen." GARRICK Burlesque with Wallie Vernon. scattered so lavishly.

Take, for instance, Jimmy Dunn, of the Fox team of Jaat wwy HAT with dash cut West to elevate Hollywood and things like that we never had chance to see Arthur Casey's company at the Shubert Theater until just the oth-r night. What we s.a then as rather surprising a fine and pleasing performance of Reunion in Vienna," a comedy in which Lynn Fontanne and Alfred l.i;r.i delighted Theater Guild audiences earlier in the season at tre American. The piece, as done by Casey's company, ranks high. Zn the Fontanne part Elisabeth Risdon, who has batted for the sf.fff star in Guild road shows in the past, gave an excellent account of rrsIf and Lawrence Keating, a resident member of the cast, shone in- Lunt's role or the something more than half-mad Haps-i crj: heir. The rest of the included a number of f-rrhfrs of the Little Theater of St.

Louis, was entirely adequate trd the direction of James Hayden resulted in a clean cut and finished of the Sherwood play. And Arthur Casey, working under the many difficulties of a season when the so-called legitimate stage is languishing for want Dunn and Sally Eilers. When Jimmy succumbed to the lure of th cinema the stock brokerage business lost one of its most premising members. At least that's what Jimmy thinks. What the screen ha gained is fairly obvious, for Jimmy is now one of the most popular leading men in Hollywood.

When he had finished school Dunn worked In the office of Sa father, a New York broker. Young Jimmy liked the business bu: he liked acting better, and between office hours he would slip on: to the moving picture studios whose doors carried the "extra wan'e sign. Selling bonds was alright but somehow the founders of thj. profession had left out the romance. Jimmy found it on the ran- ous movie lot3.

Jimmy was born in New Tom City, Nor. 2, 1905. He enters his father's business in 1324 left it in 1927 to begin his coioi-ful career as an actor. T-Ti a 4M ret on rro ffomnnt tri w. I a small theatrical troupe plair what show business calls the "Hinterland." One tr! the plays called "Night Stick." a which Jimmy played the roie an under-cover cop, wa3 laie made into a picture called "Alibi." Lavrrence Keating and Elisabeth Risdon in "Reunion in Vienna" at the Shubert.

Next came a 3 7-week engage ment with a stock company Englewood, N. followed by ay nihar 1 rm rr eta-v -with a trnitn Queenie Smith in person on the stage at the Fox. Winnipeg, Canada. Upon returnis: to New York Jimmy got his Sr. big chance when he signed for th Morgan in tha musical she leading male role opposite Helen Walter Hampden to Come Here in March WALTER HAMPDEN now is in the midst of another long tour, during which he is presenting two more of his greatest successes, "Caponsacchi" and "Hamlet." and wIl come to the American Theater for two days, starting on March 6, with both plays.

"Caponsacchi" was played by Mr. Hampden in New York to capacity houses over 300 times, thus establishing a world record for the romantic drama by a modern playwright, and subsequently he played it more than 200 times in other cities of the East, and he now is taking it on its first visit to the Far West. Based on Robert Browning's monumental dramatic poem, "The Ring and the Book," and written by Arthur Goodrich, "Caponsacchi" deals with a celebrated historical murder trial which took place in Rome near the end of the seventeenth century. Its chief character is Caponsacchi, the "warrior-priest" of Arezzo. who bravely attempted to save the beautiful child-wife, Pompilia, from the savage brutality of her husband, Guido "Sweet Adeline." IT WAS then that the picture lnanstry began to take notice James Dunn and he was cast in several "shorts" made in the Eastern studios.

These proved successful and led to Dunn's am tions a contract with a Hollywood studio. In May, 1931, Jimmy reported to the Fox West Coast stadiw and was assigned to the leading male role in "Bad Girl." The pic Don Cossacks Sing In Odeon Concert On Tuesday THE Don Cossacks. 36 former officers of the Czar's army, who have been singing' together for 10 years, will appear at the Odeon Tuesday evening to give one of their unusual concerts. It will be the third attraction in the Artist Series. The Don Cossacks, including their leader.

Serge Jaroff, were all interned in a camp near Constantinople after the defeat of Gen. Wrangel's army, with whose fortunes they allied theirs after the revolution. Later they were transported to Sofia, Bulgaria, and there for a time they formed the choir of the Orthodox Church. Their success was marked and. after their release, they banded together ftr concert purposes and made their first appearance in that capacity in Vienna in 1923.

Then they went to England and to Australia. Two years ago they made their first tour of America. They travel on the so-called Nansen passes, issued by the League of Nations to people without a country. They appear in riding clothes and boots, march on the stage in military fashion and then give a stirring musical account of themselves. ture "made" two prominent stars Dunn and Sally Eilers.

The success of "Bad Girl" found Jimmy in demand for leads in severa. pictures and he followed with two team pictures with Miss EilerF. "Over the Hill" and "Dance Team," and leads in "Sob Sister," "Society Girl" and "Walking Down Broadway." The team's fourth pic Claudette Colbeit in "Tonight Is Ambassador. ture is now in production on the Fox lot, and although it was tu.ej The Week's New Films Br XIE Golschmdnn Will Resume Symphony Concerts Friday Two "First Time" Novelties to Be Heard This Week on Orchestra Program at the Odeon. TWO "first time" novelties one of them from contemporary France, the other more than 150 years old make their appearance on the program which Vladimir Golschmann presents when he returns to the podium for the next regular concert pair of the St.

Louis Symphony Orchestra at the Odeon next Friday afternoon and Saturday evening. They are Louis Aubert's "La Habanera," which French musicians regard as one of the finest musical works that country has produced within the present century, and the Theme and Variations from Mozart's Concertante Quartet for clarinet, oboe, bassoon and horn. The latter will present as soloists Rocco M. Zottarelle, clarinetist, Rene Corne, oboist, Louis Pletrini, bassoonist, and Edward A. Murphy, the orchestra's first horn player.

Golschmann's program presents also the "Love Song" and "In War Time" movements from Edward MacDoweU'3 "Indian" Suite, in commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of the MacDoweil Colony which has contributed so much to art in America, and Tschaikowsky Symphony No. 4 in minor. Mozart's Concertante Quartet was composed in Paris when Mozart, at "1. went there to conquer the fashionable world but didn't. Cabals kept this music from a hearing, but although he had to leave the score with the enemy who had betrayed him, the composer carried the music away in his head and it survives as a most interesting example of an eighteenth century concerto for several instruments.

The Tschaikowsky Symphony is that which the composer dedicated to Mine, von Meek, who pensioned him, and with whom he" carried on a warm correspondence, although they never met. It was created at the time of his tragic marriage, and immediately thereafter and according to the composer comprehends within its- music their remarkable love affair. lur uie rau duj 11 uui, a ac n-ci iu started the pair on the road to stardom. The new picture will reach the fans before long under the name of "Sailor's Luck. Jimmy is not the flashily-dressed type of actor.

He wears clothes of a conservative color, his only weakness being neckties. Sunday mornings generally find him on the links, but he dees not boast of his game, which is in the low In "Society Girl" Jimmy played the role of a boxer but he has no: had a glove on since. Two of his ribs were broken by an over-enthusiastic trainer during the filming of this picture. Dramatic League to CELEBRATING its fourth birthday the Fox has one of those shows this week running, in point of time, something after the order of "Mourning Becomes Electra" and "Strange Interlude," only there is no supper intermission. Customers of the Fox will do well, then, to take along a little snack to sustain them during the run of the performance for the stage part of the entertainment displays some Peggy Joyce Goes To Coast for Film Peggy Hopkins Joyce arrived in Hollywood last week from New York to start work in a picture entitled "International House." She will head a cast which to date includes Rudy Vallee and CoL Stoop-nagle and Budd.

The story, by Lou Heifetz and Neil Brant, is being prepared for the screen by Francis Martin. Walter de Leon and Malcolm Stuart Boylan. A Gi rc oan iv oz customers -witn money to spena for seats, is doing a lot to keep the theater alive against the day when the show world win come back into its own. His manner of doing it should awaken the interest of actors and theater managers everywhere fir his venture here in St. Louis is one of the few stock organizations alive from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Casey brought the "guest star-system to St. Louis when he established his Arthur Casey Players at the Orpheum three years ago. He also established himself in the minds of St. Louis playgoers as a manager who combined at once commercial shrewdness, a flair for showmanship and a devotion to hieh standards of production, and "who had a gift for making those who visited his theater his friends. HE has this season, to be candid, taken advantage of chaotic conditions in the Broadway theater in establishing himself at the Sbu-bert.

Players who, three years ago, could not be coaxed away from Broadway, even for road engagements in roles they had created in New York, are now willing and anxious to accept stock engagements for engagements in stock are reasonably permanent. Current successes on Broadway regarding which, three years ago, no producer would listen to stock managers' advances, are now available and on reasonable terms. Thus far the Casey Players have offered "As Husbands Go." -which brought Catherine Poueet to St. Louis as its star; "Death Takes a Holiday." in the Philip Merrivale role of which Lawrence Keating made his debut as a star in St. Louis, and the current "Reunion in Vienna." Scheduled to immediately follow, and now in rehearsal, Guy Bates Post will appear in a revival of his greatest stage success, "The Masquerader," and after that Casey has scheduled for presentation though not necessarily in this order "The Barretts of Wim-poie Street." and "Mourning Becomes Electra," together with "Another Language." "There's Always a Juliet," and Edgar Wallace's last dramatic thriller, "Criminal at Large." THERE are two things outstanding in the AvBKir Casey-productions at the Shubert-Ri-alto this season the finish of the actig and the finish of the physical -oduction.

There is nothing sketchy, nothing hastily thrown together about either. Two weeks of rehearsal, in Arthur Casey's plan, is followed by two weeks of production. And during that production another rehearsal is under way. Back of that finish is, first of all, Arthur Casey, who had his own theater before he was 21 an elongated dynamo, with a smiling personality, who, when not back-stage in the course of the performance is the most interested spectator "out in front." There isn't much those sharp eye miss. And Arthur's smile has a way of getting what he wants from player- or mechanician.

James J. Hayden, the director, takes most of the detail off Casey's shoulders. With his hard hat, his ruddy face, his inevitable cigar, Jim Hayden looks like a railroad conductor, more than like an actor. And yet, he la an actor trained in the support of many stars. Quiet, unassuming, deliberate, he has the technic of the theater at his finger-tips, a ARTHUR.

CASEY has firm faith that he is laying the foundations of a theater with genuine civic significance a theater open from summer to summer, with good clean entertainment assured each week until Municipal Opera replace, out of doors, the living theater within. "That can only be done," be declares, "by a met adherence to the highest standards in play and in production. "The stock company declined when the touring company advanced, and the road became a determining factor In the commercial theater. If, as the managers say, the road is passing, the stock and tar system must rise again. In no other way can the living theater urvi vs." a a a HE 13 superstitious regarding but one thing whistling in dressing room.

He says two men whistled in his dressiis J00-at Winnipeg and he met with an accident after each pexfonn-ance. On the first occasion he was hurt in a taxicab accident anc on the second, he broke another pair of ribs in a fall. There u. needless to say, no whistling around Jimmy's set on the Fox lot-So far, he has steered clear of matrimony. Living with fc' mother in a modest home on Sunset boulevard in Hollywood, he es-j joys company and frequently entertains his friends.

Like man other film stars. Jimmy has become minded" and is workJ-for his pilot's license. When he gets that he intends to buy 1 plane for his own amusement. He lilies working with Miss Eilers, who, in private life is Mf- German Musical Play Tonight. "Der Liebestrank" (The Love Potion), a musical comedy by Rudolf Lothar, will be given tonight by the German Actors Co-operative Association in the German House.

2345 Lafayette avenue. During the intermissions the St. Andreas Mixed Chorus under its director, Julius Ter Vien, will entertain the audience with a number of German songs. A presentation of Emile Moreau's "Joan of Arc" is announced by the Dramatic League of St. Louis, to be given Feb.

21, 22, 23 and 24, at the Coliseum- This version of the Maid's story records the authentic replies she gave her questioners and heretofore has been played only in French, but Astrid Kimball's translation will give St. Louis theater goers the first English performance of Moreau's play. Amateur Movie Exhibit. There will be an amateur movie exhibit on Thursday and Friday evenings. Feb.

2 and 3, at 8:30 p. m. at the Artists' Guild under the auspices of the St. Louis League of Women Voters. The exhibit is open to any amateur movie enthusiast and prizes will be awarded for the best films.

lot to the class side of the performance. Eugene Pallette is in it and when laughs are needed he furnishes them. The Missouri's other feature, "Air Mail" is pretty good, too, especially to the fans who happen to be flying minded. It's a story of the boys who just have to see that the mail comes over the mountain, no matter what the weather, and Raiph Bellamy, Pat O'Brien and Russell Hopton furnish the thrills with Slim Summerville providing the comedy as a top mechanic at a desert airport. There is romance of course with O'Brien and Bellamy and Gloria Stuart and Lillian Bond seeing to the love interest.

Its all very exciting if you like flying pictures. Love in Paris. LOVELY Claudette Colbert and Fredric March have been screen lovers for a long time and in "Tonight Is Ours," at the Ambassador, they continue their romancing and get married, at the end, just as they have done a good many times before. This story is a sort of Grau-stark affair with Claudette as a princess who runs away to Paris and finds her true love in ATi. March.

Everything was going along pretty smoothly with Parisian wedding bells being polished up when Claudette is called back to her native land somewhere to take the job of Queen which had just been vacated. A year later she is about to be assassinated by the democrats when good old Fred shows up and saves her. The populace is so pleased with Fred that "Hoot" Gibson. The two get along excellently together both on onri off anrt fpi that thv have contributed to each other: cuccess. Right now, Jimmy is strutting around the Fox lots in a sauor unirnrm iia mia in "5ilnr'a Luck" beine that of a tousrh but ro mantic gob from the U.

S. S. Missouri. The United States' Navy played a part in making this picture a large number of the early shots being made in the harbor at Pedro, CaL, with real sailors furnishing the atmosphere and ships, of one sort or another, the background. The Navy is pret Columbus Club Plays.

The Columbus Club composed of members of a number of local councils of the Knights of Columbus, the Knights of Columbus Zouaves and a group of young ladies clubs, will give an entertainment tonight in the club rooms. 3547 Olive street, when a group of one-act plays will be presented by guest players from the St. Louis University Playhouse Club. s-noil ahnnt that sort of thine and the cinema. find others tuiw c- to provide settings, too.

a a OTION picture goers who wonder how the producers mac Klrkwood Little Theater. The Kirkwood Little Theater will give a benefit for local charity on Feb. 17 at the Kirkwood High School auditorium. Three one-act plays will be presented: "In the Zone." by Eugene O'Neill; "Just Women," by C. C.

Clements and "A Minuet," by Louis M. Parker. Liederkranz Club Concert. The Liedrekranz Club will give a concert at Alhambra Grotto next Wednesday night with Ernest Herz-wurm directing and Corinne Frederick as accompanist. The Steindel Quartet will provide the soloists and the program will be made up of both men's and women's voices.

I III tn mnnaHo TnMlinnairiia. tn nermif them tn m.lkt USe Of 200 people and most of them do specialties. There are some old friends in this cast. Jack Sheehan and Doris Patston and Rosemary Deering. from Municipal Opera, are on the bill while the star is Queenie Smith, of musical comedy fame, who had a shot at the Forest Park stage also.

Then there is Henry Dunn, Buck and Bubbles, Gomez and Winona, the six Belfords and a stage full of colored entertainers with bands and dancers and hay-rides and things like that. Maybe we have overlooked some of the names. There is, for instance, a Fox usher who steps out of his usual character long enough to sing a couple of songs in a tremendously pleasing manner and Al Lyons and members of his orchestra take turns in doing individual acts, but not having the time at our disposal that the Fox has. it is impossible to name 'em all. Just let it be said that the theater presents the longest vaudeville bill in captivity.

The picture end of the program is a rowdy story called "Hot Pepper" with the old team of Edmund Lowe and Victor McLag-len doing their Quirt and Flagg stuff with the help of Lupe Velex and El BrendeL This time the ex-marines are mostly civilians. Once or twice they do get into uniform again but usually they are rum runners and speakeasy proprietors battling for the hearts of the girls in, every port. Eventually they drop over to China, enter the Chinese army and carry on their side line with the slant-eyed dames. It's good fun of the rough and tumble sort. Ballyhoo.

WHOOPEE LUPE has a hand in the fun at the Missouri, too. In "The Half-Naked Truth," she is a carnival show hooch dancer who reaches the dizzy heights of Broadway through the inspired press agent stunts of Lee Tracy. It makes a really swell comedy the best picture of the week by long odds and Frank Morgan, lata stage star gona Hollywood, adds a magnificent homes imes, estates, gardens and yachts will be this i3 accomplished through the agency of ested to learn that Assistance League of Southern California, a charitable organiiaH which has raised more than $125,000 for the needy by worSt-with the film industry during the past seven years. The Assistance League, sponsored by Los Angeles society en, maintains a film location bureau, conducted since its tion by Mrs. Lee Wray Turner, who knows nearly every beaua- iff company seeks an unusual location she is consulted.

Many estate owners couldTnot be induced to permit their pr erty to be used for any sum. but when tie charity aspect is P7 they decide that even though he is not of royal blood he ought to be a king and that is the way things wind up. Still Throwing the BulL EDDIE CANTOR'S funny musical. "The Kid From Spain." has been held over for a second week at Loew since it broke all late records during the past seven days at that house. Starting next Friday Loew is to show the new Al Joi-son film, "Halleluiah." Sea and Air.

OUT at the World Theatre on Delmar the Williamson under water film, "Lost World Under the Sea" and the picture built around the flying exploits of Baron von RIchthofen. the Genua ace. seated they generally consent The studios pay the owner, throuf the Assistance League, a certain amount for each day's wors location. Of the total sum. one-third is donated to the Day Nurse: maintained by the League, while the balance may be given br I- owner to his favorite charity.

For the picture presenting Kate Smith, Paramount sought eompletly equipped farm, situated in a beautiful valley, sixty from Hollywood on the 11.000-acre Camarillo ranch. The Camari! A -w "'-Q? 1 family allowed the film company to make use of the property Lupe Teles in "The Half yoked Vxctor McLaglen in "Hot Pepper," Baron von RicMhofen in hit awn on the final day of the location, entertained the entire unit atw continuing- their runs for the rest oX UUa week. 9 Theater at the World, aa 4d-f aabiosed baxbeeue -1 I a- 1.