The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 15

part 3 edda AT HOLLYWOOD I surveyed Central City, after breakfasting with the Burns Mantles, I decided it was Avorth the 20 years the trip had taken off my life. This is real Americana, where relatives of the town's early settlers keep the love of the theater and opera alive year after year. The place is a gem of Victorian architecture. I learned that the miners, who came in 1863, were AND FILM cultured, college graduates. Many were from Boston, New England and Georgia, where the first gold in this country was found.

One of the first things they did was to build an opera house. Y'ou'll find no more charming structure anywhere. Rel-ased thi Chlraeo Tribune-New York News Syndicate 1947 Pat O'Brien Solves One in 'RiHrati' BY PHILIP K. SCHKUER Whodunits are the order of the week at Orpheum, Vogue. El Rey and Belmont theaters.

The better of the pair is "Riffraff;" with it is a 'steenth version of LosSngelcs Cfmc0 THURSDAY, JULY 31,1 947 was still alive and drove us the rest of the way up the mountain. I remarked, "With this pure air and mountain scenery I don't suppose you have much business." Said he, "You reckon wrong I had nine funerals last month. Three of them accident victims." "On this hill?" asked I. But he wouldn't say where. OYER THE HILL Arriving in Central tity, I located my "hostess' home, which was built on a hill even steeper than the one we'd just climbed.

The gal who rescued us was Polly Grimes. When I told her we were in Vic. Ma-ture's car she took off up a hill that would have made an eagle dizzy. She's now got my dizziest hat as a reward. The following morning, as Gwenn 'Hills' Medico; NO DECENT MAN WOULD HAVE YOU NOW! "beven Keys to Baldpate." At least, "Riffraff" goes back to the comparatively recent "Casablanca;" "Baldpate" goes clear back to well, the first Baldpate.

Both films are from R.K.O. "Riffraff" is also of the same genre as "Perilous Holiday," with Pat O'Brien, and "Cornered," with Walter Slczak. I mention these because O'Brien and Slezak, who are both in the night when we had a hurry call from Marietta Vascon-cclls, festival chairman, saying, "Why not on to Central City and spend the night there with Caroline Bancroft. You'll be housed under the same roof with the Burns Mantles and at breakfast can talk over what you'll say at the round-table theater discussion at Central City's Opera House tomorrow." Our good friend said the distance was only eight miles but she neglected to tell us it was straight up. Hoping to get there before nightfall we took the wrong road.

A Rocky Mountain goat would have had difficulty following it. The first time Lucius Beebe saw it he threw himself down in the bottom of his car, closed his eyes and nearly died of fright until he reached the top. We didn't reach the top without help. Our Vic Mature car stalled on a one-way stretch and started sliding down the canyon. My companions dashed out and nearly dislocated their shoulders putting rocks under the hind wheels.

I sent Spec Mc-Clure down the trail for a mechanic. He sized up the situation and returned with an undertaker. And brother, this body was waiting for him. He felt my pulse, discovered I CENTRAL CITY (Colo.) We got out of Salt Lake at 5:30 a.m. to beat the incoming traffic for the big parade, which was to start at 8:30.

Rolling along the highway, we stopped at Roosevelt (named for Teddy) Utah, to have a bite of breakfast at the Frontier Grill. Its attendant was Laraine Day's cousin. He told us Laraine was born in a little house a block down the street. So we went to have a look at it. It was a pretty little place the prettiest in the block featuring stained-glass windows, lattice work around the doors, roses and many shade trees.

We learned that Laraine's mother had acting ambitions for her little girl and they left when Laraine was 10. Mr. Day stayed on to farm and sell seeds. At 12 Laraine was entered in a Hollywood hunt for "Alice in Wonderland." Out of the hundreds of candidates' chosen to try out she ended among the first three, but she lost out. Laraine's gone a long way since then and she's never come back.

As I looked at that little white house among its shady trees I wondered if she's happier now than she would have been had she stayed there. TOP OF THE WORLD Rolling along perfect roads, we hit Rockies, climbed them and took the Great Divide in stride. In the midst of all its majestic beauty I kept thinking how Lassie would have loved it. Miles of virgin forests with waterfalls, wild flowers, ferns, moss-covered banks and snow-capped peaks in the background. We did all right until we hit Idaho Springs, where we were just about to put up for oiauutu sullen UUt I Cy7r? -X.

woman I cfiSSP hands rested the life I T5trHtfh of one man, the honor 4 'Kumlx 4 ff ik. i tumm upimH 1 lop i 4 "The Ci mionKeT SfZ Wv 7frj'Jfrrf'f A Douglas Seeks Classic BY EDWIN SCHALLERT Santa Claus is to visit Santa Claus in a cinematic way. For Edmund Gwenn will receive special recognition at his own partly as a tribute to his Kriss Kringle performance in "Miracle on 34th Street," which seems almost certain of winning "Academy honors. Company is to present him as the country doctor, a Scotch -Highlander, in "Hills of Home," to which Tom Drake and Janet were recently assigned as the young romantic leads. Lassie will be in the picture, too, though this is not a Lassie film.

In fact, it stems from the semiclassic written by Ian Mac-laren, pseudonym for Rev. Dr. John Watson, called "Beside the Bonnie Briar Bush." DOUGLAS PLAN'S TO FILM MOLIERE CLASSIC The picture that Melvyn Douglas wants to make in Paris is "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," Moliere classic of the French drama. His attorneys are now checking to see if the play is in public domain. Douglas intends to go to Europe for the film early next year.

Probably something else will be chosen if the Moliere comedy cannot be done satisfactorily, though naturally this carries plenty of prestige. Ann Miller's first assignment at M.G.M., where she has been signed on contract, will be "Easter Parade" and, incidentally, assurances are given that Judy Garland, despite her ill-health, will be ready for this feature when it Is produced. WALTER KIN'GSFORD RESUMES CINEMA CAREER Walter Kingsford, who spent three years with "Song of Norway." has been secured at Columbia for a British nobleman role In "Black Arrow," as his first film following his long stage engagement. He was in "Flighi for Freedom," "Forever and a "Bombers' Moon" and "Mr. Skeffington" before he left with the show.

Charles Korvin, traveling to Europe by plane, met Actor Charles "Riffraff," might be taking up their roles where they left off. The girl is friendly, easy-going Anne Jeffreys, who has since attained fame of sorts as an operatic singer. In this movie she warbles a popular tune or two. Tetzlaft's First I liked "Riffraff" because somebody took pains to make it hang together pretty well. The somebody could have been Ted Tetzlaff, a top cameraman turned director with this one, although Martin L.

Rackin's script takes care not to belabor the intelligence of the spectator unduly. Any a the picture commands attention from the start with a dialogueless sequence at a lonely rain-drenched airport, El Caribe, presumably in Peru. It then shifts to Panama City, where O'Brien, a private eye and general Mr. Fix-It, is engaged as a bodyguard by a man named Hasso. Almost simultaneously he is handed a retainer by a Pantide Oil official to locate a "wildcat" map.

You could write the plot from there on if Rat'kin hadn't done it for you. The map itself is ww waw'T'jcvTf v-xw-y w. I i --W jf mr jm IV Jim i fTTnuJ? n'wi-f PAT WALTER ANNE O'BRIEN -SLEZAK-JEFFREYS im i m.m.. i jm what me wimea from "gentlemen'." 4 I tola my 4 broiherhe 'XJsM', Thf nni iiiiiiit nunc C8 am toftcri ti iut aaii MracM tf ito inntn i IXf 9ngmt Smtm Hm I WITH HOW jpj? 7 woman I I BOTH THetrkT I 2nd umy SEVEN KEYS To BaWPATZ Borgia, whom he known in Paris, and helped him get a part in "Berlin Express." Michael Browne will have a heavy dra matic assignment in "Yankee Rebel," new title for the Doc Blan- POX Belmont Vri mm It fit IX. 1331 MitM-uiiM nn msmirt wm i hu SSI7 Willing t4.

hm TO. Mil Cmtt. tnm p. nt. never much larther away man Edgar Allan Poe's "purloined letter" but Pvt.

Op O'Brien, not having lead Poe, doesn't know that. Ml 7 Cant hm to OO A CARAVAN Of TfCfNCOlOR TffRuiS TOID WITH LVS7Y lAVGHTE Kilbride's Cabby He plays his part with casual skill, however, as docs Slezak. Percy Kilbride is the inevitable dry-humored taxi driver and there are good supplementary portraits by Jerome a Marc Krah and George Givot. In "Seven Keys," Phillip Terry is the intrepid author who. to win a bet, undertakes to write a novel in 24 hours at Baldpate, a "deserted" New England inn.

His unexpected visitors include Jacqueline White, Eduardo Ciannelli, Margaret Lindsay, Arthur Shields and Jimmy Conlin. Director Lew Landers' treatment is distinctly old-time, with squawling cats, banging shutters, disappearing corpses and the uual other adjuncts of a pre-Ray. mond Chandler era. chard-Glenn Davis football feature. MARGARET TRACY WILL JOIN' ABBEY PLAYERS Margaret Tracy, mother of Peggy Cummins, feels that her daughter is so well launched moviewise since "Moss Rose" that she will accept an offer to join the Abbey Theater Players when they visit New York about the first of the year.

She is working now in "Sign of the Ram" at Columbia. Mary Davenport, who played the feminine lead in "Time of Your Life," as well as Gloria Grant and William Schallert from the Circle Theater, have signed for "Doctor Jim," starring Stuart Erwin. Woody Herman will have a specially written role in "Tom Thumb," George Pal feature, and help arrange the music. Sam Wood, director, is considering Barbara O'Neill and Elsie Dighton for the role of Eudora, matriarch of a family of five, who must look much like one another in "Purgatory Street." DON" CASTLE WILL STAR FOR WRATHER "Follow Me Quietly" is announced as the first Jack Wrather picture for Allied Artists and will star Don Castle. It will be made right after "The Quest of Willie Hunter." This will be the fourth Castle starring feature, the first three being for Monogram.

Written by Francis Rosenwald and Anthony Mann, this subject will be budgeted at $050,000. "Hideaway" has been bought as a Gene Autry production at Columbia; it was written by Dwight Cummings and Yost. Jack Edwards Jr. "will 'have the romantic lead in "Free for All," play slated to open at the Biltmore Sept. 29.

Anne Jeffreys, "Bitter Sweet" star, is to sing in a specia performance of the opera "Tosca" in the fall. J. LOVE PRIZE OF THE DESERT! Fiery Romance! Blazing Adventure! i conFtttlen of a man whet KIT A 1 44? in hit trio! for murdrl pirn-. tra1t4 ky JOAM HAItlSON Hmr IOhatmum utimii snn COtoOM mcBOmhi 2nd FULL. LENGTH HIT! Roaring Comedy! BLONDIE'S DIG MOMENT a Columbia 'PICTURE Miff MCUTWOCO SiVD NtAt ViNi HO.

77' ilGHTM thO HIH STttfTS 19. 694 i i Cervantes Entertains With special talents as a vocal soloist, Roberto Cervantes of Corona is the newest member of the Mexican Players to join the cast of "Celaya Stop," with the annual Jamaica after-theater out ALAN UOD VERONICA LAKE COOPER MADELEINE CARROLL THIS GUN TOR I1IRE Drama Due on Screens A rj i r-i- Young, Susan Hayward and Jane door carnival, at the Padua Hills Theater. Philanderings of a happy-go-lucky Jiusband leave a trail of broken lives in "They Won't Believe Me," starring Robert losi Day "ANYTHING FOR A S0HG" taguavini fn innil Frances greatest artist 11 CI II Greer, today at Pantages and Hillstreet theaters. Young enacts the pla3'boy who, though married, cannot resist two other woraen, Susan Hay-ward and Jane Greer. Rita Johnson is the wife, who makes a vain fight to keep her husband by the power of the purse strings.

"Blondie's Big Moment," with Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake and Larry Simms, is the Noel Coward's Magnificent New Technicolor Cavaicaa Esquire unmm win nw mil in iii wiii mm mini i 419 N. FAIRFAX PHONE YO. 8114 wth CELIA JOHNSON ROBERT NEWTON Ojcatcrs Spoken Drama 'IMPERFECT LADY' ARRIVES TODAY Ray Milland and Teresa Wright divide stellar honors in "The Imperfect Lady," which opens today at Para-, mount Hollywood and Downtown theaters. Action of the romantic drama moves from shady Limehouse dance halls the court of Queen Victoria, to the high halls of justice. Sir Cedric Hard-: wicke, Virginia Field, Regi- nald Owen, Anthony Quinn and Melville Cooper are in the cast.

8:30 NIGHTLY LAST 3 DAYS ENDS SAT. "BLOSSOM TIME" lTL di a.L.a 1 LUA ever seen." W. F. OiVer, Herald-Exprtss Seots: Box Office, Broadway Downtown, Mutual Agencies $1.20 to $1.60 I wmesr 10SANGEIIS EXAMINER a 2 Week.M0N.AUG.45EAT5 GencMannPeNOElCOWARDJ, i entewanai nusicat hit: jUST CAT "COPACABANA" ISBtuni Ensagement kyPopuIar Request ln. WARMER BROS.

I 9 TICKETS--WAILKKS MUSIC imir BrlAinulM iXJHt 1 1 vine irw: drvwithi v.x fggggg BRODERICK CRAWFORD ALBERT DEKKER LOIS COLLIER ANDY DEVINE ARTHUR TREACHER CARL ESMOND Original Screenplay Written and Produced by MICHAEL FESSlER and ERNEST PAGANO Directed by CHARLES LAMONT A UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL PICTURE 1 Smfiyue tindei Start, RUSSIAN BALLET Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo '1 W-v v'X TOVIGHT 8:30 Concerto Barocco Night Shadow Blue Bird Goite Parisienne SAT. NIGHT WITH ROMBERG Tickets: Res. SI. 20, $1.80. $2.40.

$3. $3.60: sen. dm. Sat. 90c.

(All aricM inc. tai) on sale Hollyweod Bowl, 2301 N. Highland H0-3ISI; So. Cal. Music 737 S.

Hill. TU-II44: Oenels Musis Shoo. 6634 Hollywood Blvd. All Mutual Agencies. Mr AtETKO-GOLDWYN-MAYSR pttttat, GREENSTREET MENJOU GARDNER WYNN ARNOLD Rati tkn icurmifiHi AQCDIiiirT 4 mvr cood seats tor a PcaroRMtucu UrfcnAfLAST 3 DAYS 500 nightly io AT CU- 2nd FEATU22 A UONDEROOLT OP THRILLS AT 500 MILES AH HOUR! HOYHf Bf NtlGHT TO 6 IQlJIilAflAPUIlCIMS 1 fILL BCISSTSnS-' tS 80 to'UO" WEO toTiO 60 ta'l ex: mtlI ptar hr tLTMtl DA VI ft A4nM.

IPWARD CHODOROV itUlM tl-LS lM4tNWkirMDUIC WAJULMAN r- i 1 H0UYW00D U' w7 0OWNT0WN "L.f..- EVERY NIGHT at 8:301 EL CAPITAN JACK. CONWAY ARTHUR HORNBLOW.Jt. VS-a, I WWW Dt, u. EXC 2 COMPLETE SHOWS IEVERIY HIUS i AND 9:45 P. M.

II 11 SUN.2:30-5:3( I Phone GR. 1147 Egyptian LosAngeus Egyptian VHllA ft (Ml lllT'V VllSHIRI pet Smith's if GEPALDINE BROOKS HEALTHFULLY AIR-CONDITIONED WIGHTS 1 EXC. FRI SAT-HQUDATS t. SOc TflUIRUT fltIR TlMl YF AD LONGEST RUN IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD T1 1 i-vnnnrrrTHFATRF MART COLOR BY TECHNICOLOR Directed by WILLIAM WYLER Released by MONOGRAIrl through arrangements with Karl Krueger Productions and U. S.

A. A. F. I wmuii i with art introduction by JAMES STEWART lUltlll CUNTON AT VERMONT HO. 211-21 EVERY NIGHT If RCFRESHMENTS INCLUOCD IH ADMISSION 4.

ZfA, UNITED IRIS umihii THE GRYPHON PLAYERS pr.i.nf CONSTANCE BENNETT 1 "OVER 21" 5 wirh BILL HENRY and BARBARA REED FRED CLARK GUILD ARTISTS HI I 2a HOLLYWOOD vs. OAKLAND XWtbtttr 5151 CITY VENTURA at LAUREL Diity m. Sat Sim. 1 m. 6508 HOllY'D BLVD.

Continuous from Noon GLADSTONE 5862 6126 HOLIY'D BLVD. Continuous from 12:30 HIUSI0E 7111 EISA LANCKESTER YALE PUPPETEERS th ana SXOAOWAY S2I4 WIISHIRE ilVD Continuouf from 12:3 0 Held Over UNFAITHFUL Canl. from 10 o. m. MADISON 6-4114 SSST L0TTE C0SLAR iSm SUNSET 2-2377 -A (July 29 to August 3) I LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE I for Rdiarvititns writ.

Lljun Pliytioute sr ehone Ilium Burb I'll. Individual ticket -Siiiiiii t2.40 Seuan Ticket Available. iiitmS i ooeonrr nuxcts osaoaoc GREAT EXPECTATIONS Jli CIENECA CR. 6-100 iaaariaaallairi i rf i i i a i.