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St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 42

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I riX I Li rl 111111111111111 $sWr 7 ST. LOUIS, SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 29, 1935. PAGE 4E "Broadway Up to Celebrated Name Movie Stars at Premium As Production Picks Up Melvyn Douglas as the employer and Claudette Colbert as the employed in "Phe Married. Her Boss," Fox and Ambassador Theaters. i i I I New 1936 Ve rsion or Early Screen Success Equals Predecessor in Entertainment Value Russian Movie Comes to Grand Central.

Double Feature Programs Keep Film Mills Established "Names" See CHance Busy to Boost Salaries to Half Million a Picture. BY H. H. MEMEYER. HOLLYWOOD, Sept.

28. By COLVIN McPHERSOV HE old glamour is there. For "Broadway Melody of 1J6 one of those rare motion pictures that lives up to promise Making its bow, on Loew's screen, with the title song of th EPORTS from all over the country indicate that the movie business Almost as many fans are putting in the good old days of 1928 and has picked up tremendously. their cash on the line as did famous "Broadway Melody" of six, pulse that guarantees its success. title, it gives that title an added material, it offers the thrills that seven, years ago, it has the lull It not only deserves its famoui luster.

In its assembly of new come to first-nighters. Fipann. 'uui Powell makes her debut as the cleverest tap-dancer, with the possible 1929 and, as a result the studios are standing on their feet again. After a half-hearted fight against the double feature program a fight which now seems to have faded out for good and all more pictures are in the making than ever before. Not only are the larger film factories turning out more products but independent studios are springing up over night.

Almost anywhere you go in the outskirts of Hollywood these days, or evenings, you are pretty bound to stumble upon a quickie company turning out an outdoor scene. With practically every movie house in the country showing two films daily and a few of them three the demand is way ahead of the (supply. There is no lack of story material. If the magnates cannot get, at the moment, a new picture idea they turn back to the better of the eilents. call in the caged drama exception of Jessie Matthews, among the gorgeous of gelatine-land.

Count a fine gift for comedy and impersonation, of Katharine Hepburn, in her favor, too. Well up in the spotlight are the dancg team of June Knight and Nick Long ours-truly of Forest Park, and the comedy-stepping pair, Buddy and Vilma Ebsen. For pur comedy, Jack Benny; his companion, Sid Silvers, the original o'f all "stooges," and Robert Wildhack, who has a repertory of snores, "Broadway Melody of 1936" is again backstage, with a musical eom- W4 it edy in rehearsal, a horsefly col umnist annoying the impresario, who is too busy to see Cinderella. In order, the parts go to Benny, Robert Taylor and Miss Powell. The main stem itself jg a busy street, an up-to-date street.

En. semble scenes, by Dave Gould of V'Carioca' and "Continental" id.nc, nc nisi mm iuriOUS, Wlta 4V, me iciuiimi am oi mecnanical contraptions, moving floors and disappearing scenery. Presuming to a greater grayness of beard than I possibly possess, I would say "Broadway Melody of 1936" is a history-maker and a star, maker. It may not be the greatest invention since the electrie light, nor as fresh as a liminred i v. Four New Soloists For Symphony Season i Mr lWr jT if I Legionnaire, but it is showman- Sri Amusement Calendar MOTION PICTURES.

AMBASSADOR AND FOX Claudette Colbert and Melvyn Douglas in "She Married Her Edmund Lowe and Karen Morley in "Thunder In the NJght." GRAND CENTRAL (Today, tomorrow and Tuesday) "Cha-payev," all-talking Russian film. LOEWS "Broadway Melody of Kay Francis in "The Goose the Gander," Shubert. and Boris Babochkin (right), as "Chapayev, the Fed Commander," in the Russian picture at the. Grand Central. M'ith him is Boris Blino-v, who takes the role of Furmanov.

meritorious and otherwise, are rare in St. Louis, therefore the appear, ance of an excellent Russian film is an event. "Chapayev, the Red Commander," opens today at the Grand Central, and will be shown again tomorrow evening and Tuesday evening. Having seen it som weeks ago at the Renco screening room, while its fate in St. Louii was still in the balance, I can advocate its worth.

Its demerits, so tists to provide dialogue and start ahooting. A lot of the old-timers are being remade now and a lot more are to follow. There is, however, a decided lack of new starring talent as evidenced by the passing around of the big names from studio to studio. Every effort is being made to provide new box office names but, so far, there are no William Powells, Garbos, Dietrichs, Colberts, Beerys, Craw-fords and the others of that standing. Plenty of promising material is in sight to be sure but, so far, the old timers continue to bask in the electric lights.

THE producers view the situation with something akin to alarm. The old timers, knowing their worth, are getting ready to demand more money. True they get kings' and queens' ransoms now but they -are disturbed over the fact that a large part of their income will have to be paid out in taxes next year and they want someone to chip in. They point to the fact that the highest paid entertainer in the world is only indirectly connected with pictures and they contend that the movies are better able to pay for entertainers than anyone else. According to a trade paper, which is a sort of Bible among cinema folks, Edward (Major) Bowes, with bis air programs, his stage shows for movie houses stocked with amateur performers and a few side lines, is collecting $20,000 every Saturday night for 52 weeks in a year.

Chaplin, Pickford, Fairbanks and Jolson probably, at one time er another, each made a million dollars in a single year but it was always a sort of gamble; never by way of a straight weekly salary amounting to that sum. Incidentally there is no movie star approaching that figure today. Garbo, Dietrich and one or two others are being paid enough, per picture, to Teach that sum if they made more pictures but the studios hold them down to a couple of films a year. A half million dollars for each picture is what some of the older Stars are set upon demanding when their present contracts run out. Strange to say it is not Hollywood but England which has taken the lead by paying Gracie Fields a picture, with a possibility of letting her turn out four of 'em In the next 12 months Garbo's $250,000 per picture is still the top salary here, but she is definitely limited to two a year.

The rank and file of the British players' pay falls considerably under the same class of actors in Hollywood but London is calling rather loudly with cash for stars. Marlene Dietrich is going abroad for at least one film at a big raise in pay, Ann Harding is considering an overseas offer and Claud- ette Colbert is flirting with a Brit- far as we are concerned, are only The first soloist Is Sergei Rachmaninoff, pianist, whose appearance was one of the high lights of last season. Rachmaninoff will be heard at concerts on Nov. 15 and 16. Pianists to follow are Josef Hofmann, March 6 and 7, and Rudolph Ganz, former conductor of the orchestra, on March 27 and 28.

Violinists include Fritz Kreisler, Nov. 29 and 30; Nathan Milstein, Jan. 10 and 11, and Scipione Guidi, concertmaster of the orchestra, on Feb. 28 and 29. Max Steindel, principal violincellist, will be soloist Dec.

6 and 7. The orchestras first on Nov. 8 and 9, will offer an all-orchestral program. Other such concerts are to be given on Nov. 22 and 23, Jan.

31 and Feb. 1, Feb. 14 and 15. Vladimir Golschmann, conductor, is expected back from Europe in the next few weeks to begin rehearsals. Golschmann, who will be entering on his fifth consecutive season here, has spent the summer in France studying and arranging programs, with occasional excursions to the principal European musical festivals.

As usual, he will bring back a selection of modern works for first performance during the winter. The St. Louis Symphony Cho not as technically perfect as Hollywood films. Yet the Russian it scarcely harder to understand than the English of the Abbey Theater Players and a translation Is printed on the film. "ChapayeT," ona of the best loved heroes of modern Russia, actually lived.

He was a peasant genius who rallied a division, in the district around tha Caspian Sea, and supported the Soviet cause, in the civil war days of 1919. The central government sent Commissar Furmanov to bring him under discipline. "Chapayev," therefore, has no mora propagandist significance than' would the life of Ethan Allen put on the kcreen. It is a thrilling, uncannily real drama, created by 4 Drimani intelligence ana cinema kind of SlavicWalter Huston, has received the highest Soviet artistie award. He is amply entitled to it.

SHE MARRIED HER BOSS. Claudette Colbert's magnetic comie personality is displayed to full advantage in the main feature at the Ambassador and Fox theaters. Introduced as one of those genii of modern business, who sit at desks, answer 40 phones and straighten out all departments, she progresses into marriage witli ship supreme. As if that wer not enough, Loew's has the Baer-Louis fight pictures. All we may say of them, critically, ig that Maxie has had better parts in th movies, as for example, in "Th Prizefighter and the And Joe Louis is no lady.

CHAPAYEV, THE RED COM. MAXDER. Foreign language films. that it is entirely in Russian and skill. Its star.

Boris Babochkin. a Melvyn Douglas, and applies her lets him use the gadget on her the department store executive, OUR soloists who have not appeared before with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will be presented in the course of its forthcoming season, which begins on Nov. 8 and 9, and ends April 9 and 11, in Holy Week. Heading the list of newcomers is Lawrence Tibbett, baritone widely known for his opera, radio, motion picture and concert work.

Although he gave a recital at the Odeon several years ago, he has never sung with the Symphony. He will appear at the concerts on Dec. 13 and 14. The Symphony Society also is bringing to St. Louis Robert Ca-sadeus, young French pianist, who has appeared in every country of Europe and in South America.

He made a short tour in the United States last spring and will come to St. I-ouis for concerts on Jan. 24 and 25. Raya Garbousova, young Russian woman violincellist, will be the Symphony soloist on Jan. 3 and 4, in the course of her first American tour On Feb.

7 and 8, Paul Wittgenstein, one-armed piano virtuoso, will exhibit the extraordinary skill which made him a sensation of the Boston Symphony season last winter. Wittgenstein, an Austrian, lost his right arm in the World War. Several composers, including CtraiiCQ Pavol KnrnanlH and prntnf' 1 roKoneir, nai written music ir mm. Melody of 1936," Loews 1936," with Jack Benny, Elea-nor Powell and Robert Taylor; pictures of the Louis-Baer fight. MISSOURI speed," with Florence Rice and Norman Foster; "Dizzy Dames," with Marjorie Rambeau and Lawrence Gray.

ORPHEUM Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in "Top Hat." SHUBERT "The Goose and the Gander," starring Kay Francis and George Brent; "The Return of Peter Grimm," with Lionel Barrymore and Helen Mack. BURLESQUE. GARRICK, GRAND OPERA HOUSE. Little Theater Sets First Play for Nov. 7 The two opening productions of the Little Theater's repertory season will be "The School for Hus- a translation by Laurence Taof.

A if anef. and Artur ind- ech?" DaJmr0SC and Samuel Chotzinoff. "The School for Husbands" will open on Nov. 7, "Wunderkind" on Nov. 11.

With an increased subscription list, the Little Theater will run each play three nights a week for four weeks, fcivine 12 Derformances instead of last year. 10, as was the custom and Robert Taylor in "Broadicay efficient methods to his household. The office suffers, Melvyn gen mixed up and Claudette's romantic life, except for the advances of Michael Bartlett, becomes a total loss. Later on, Melvyn gets silly drunk and wins her back. "She Married Her Boss'' is-bright com.

edy of a familiar type, spoiled somewhat by a finish where a drunk-en driver sweeps through busy streets. That definitely is not amusing. A. grand part of the show is Edith Fellowes as a hellish little brat. "Thunder in the Night," the second feature, throws mystery around the murder of one of those husbands believed dead.

Edm1111 Lowe does the detecting, when he is not spending his time trying to draw a laugh at the expense of a Hungarian police lieutenant, Gene Lockhart. Phil Cavanaugh. cabinet minister, and his frau. Karen Broadway Active As New Season Gets Under Way ROADWAY producers have been late in getting started this year, but shows are now bob bing up with increasing frequency. As yet, none has captured the universal fancy of public and reviewers.

"At Home a new Shu-bert revue, nevertheless, is off to a good start. Its principals include Beatrice Lillie, Ethel Waters, Herb Williams, Eleanor Powell (the film, star of "Broadway Melody of and Paul Haakon, former Municipal Opera dancer. The show is made up of a series of travel sketches. iA ik. Thousands Cheer." Two significant, even if not yet highly popular dramas, are on the boards.

They are "Winterset," the new Maxwell Anderson play, and "If This Be Treason," an anti-war piece presented by the Theater Guild. Anderson, again writing his dialogue in verse, -pictures a group of social castaways living at the foot of Brooklyn Bridge, with one seeking to clear the name of his father, who has been legally executed for the murder of a paymaster durin? a holdup. Rem- iniscent of the Sacco-Vanzetti case. impeachment because he opposes it, sets out for Nippon to carry his' personal olive-branch. His skillful handling of the situation eventually results in victory.

The Rev. John Haynes Holmes was one of the authors of the play. 1 1.11 METROPOLITAN reviewers found themselves sentimentally pleased with "Remember the Day," story of a 14-year-old bov ho falls in love with his school' teacher and feels the world col- lapsing about him when he dis- covers she loves a man her own rancesca Pruning takes the role of the teacher and Frankie Thomas that of the boy. "Life's Ton a.ly Counted as unimpressive. Civic Music League Series to Open Nov.

19 A final schedule for the Civic Music League concerts at the Municipal Auditorium sets the opening of the season for Nov. 19, when Kirsten Flagstad, Norwegian soprano, and the admitted "sensation" of last year at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, will be heard. She will be making her first American tour, immediately before the opening of the opera season. Second in the series is the Moscow Cathedral Choir, with Nicholas Afonsky as conductor and M. Za-porojetz, singing actor, as soloist, on Dec.

10. The team of Emanuel Feuermann, cellist, and Mischa euermann, ceiust, ana Mischa arrive ror joint recital on Jan- the Jooss European ballet on Feb. 11 and Poldi Mild lv Popular at her piano recital at tne Auditorium last spring, will come back on March 10. Lubitsch Flans Negro Operetta. The Chocolate Prinress planned as the first operetta ever to be filmed with an all-Neero cast, is to be produced under the direc- tion of Ernst Lubitsch.

Jack Benny, Eleanor Pouell Morley, are those saved from suspicion and scandal, Ish proposition. There are others, about which Anderson wrote in his too. "Gods of the Lightning," the play, after criticism of weak judicial sys- ACCORDING to Government re- tems and police controlled by polit-ports, about 20 Hollywood stars ical machines, comes to a tragio were paid from $150,000 to finish. Richard Bennett and Bur-000 last year. It was not a particu- gess Meredith have principal roles, laxly good year either, and since -U This Be Treason" offers a sit-then, raises of from 25 to 40 per uation in which a President of the cent have been admitted in several United States is opposed to a war instances.

There was a time when Willi lanin oH i rus of 200 voices, will begin re- hearsals Tuesday night, unaer William B. te direction of Heyne. It will be heard in pre-Christmas concerts on Dec. 20 and 2 1 with Helen Traubel. soprano, as soloist.

On April 3 and 4, it will sing Verdi's "Manzoni" Requiem, with Jeanette Vreeland, soprano; Rose Bampton, Dan Gridley, tenor, and Keith Falk-ner, baritone, as the solo group. Opening of the season ticket sale is set for tomorrow at the Audito- rium box office, although reserva- tions may be made also at the Symphony Society office on the fourth floor of the building. The subscription sale has already equaled that of last year, according to Arthur J. Gaines, manager of the orchestra. 56 Boxes for Opera Seating arrangements for the St.

Louis Grand Opera Company performance beginning Oct. 3iTin the new Convention Hall at the Municipal Auditorium, provide for 56 boxes in a "golden horseshoe" on the main floor, with ramps in the rear to raise the rearmost seats seven feet above those at the front "Turandot, with Maria Jeritza and Gieuseppe Bentonelli, opens the season. Big Cast for "Ziegfeld." "The Great Ziegfeld," which has just been ordered into production, will have 105 speaking parts. The principals, of course, are William Powell as Ziegfeld, Lui.se Rainer as Anna Held, Fanny Brice as herself, and in addition, scores of famous show people in person or proxy. THE RETURN OF PETER GRIMlf.

The traditional Belawo Warfield success is done over again, at the Shubert, with Lionel Barrymore as the nurseryman who interferes with true love. altered in major respects, it keeps also the setting of the period in which it was -first presented. Today's audience will find it dated but quite sufficient. "The Goose and the Gander" pictures California's smart set in a little mix-up over husbands and jewel-thievest Good for a chuckle here and there, it has some interest for its settings, lovely gowns of the ladies, Kay Francis and Genevieve To-bin and various trifles. Municipal Opera patrons will recognize of last summer comedians, John Sheehan, as a member of a rascally duo at a gasoline station.

SUPERSPEED. Norman Foster Invents something or other for automobiles and crooks interfere with a test. He goes down Tom Mix drew down his $17,000 a week, but that was via a circus as well as films. Nobody has yet reached the $500,000 paid to John McCormack for his "Song of My Heart" or the same amount turned over to Al Jolson for "Hallelujah, I'm a Bum." picture justified, by the way. such salaries through the box office.

There was John Gilbert's million tumracc dui tnat covered a period of years. John Barrymore was paid off in big figures, too, but the impression out here is that the puwicity of his ridiculous affair witn the Barrie girl has ended his thC t0p hoi What hurt Barrymore more tnaa anything else, Hollywood points out, was the continuous ref- tor one picture at leak uuse at least, to the beach and Florence Rice speed-boat. But Mary Carlisle, that lemon-jello menace, trails after him. Final scene, Norman winning a boat race and putting hii arm around Florence. "Dizzy Dames" Is a shoddy musical, mad by one of Hollywood's very minor organizations.

The patter says that Marjorie Rambeau was known all over the world as a great actress, but had managed to keep that fact from her daughter. TOP HAT. With the momentum of previous Astaire-SofW pictures, plus several new and clever routines, "Top Hat continue to attract at the Orpheum..

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