The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 46

6 TREND SECTION Of THI BROOKLYN UGLI SUNDAY, SEPT. 22, 1940 PLAYTHINGS H) Uv A 1 wssss" 7. Brooklynites Who Go to Porto Rico Must Cut Out Rum or 'Helliapoppin' By ARTHI'R POLLOCK Hellzapoppin" played its first performance in New York just two years ago and it seermd at that time to most people, who ought to have known better, that it could not live very long. Nevertheless, the other night, though prematurely by several days. Olsen and Johnson, the show's brains and brawn, celebrated at the Winter Garden "Hellzapoppin's" second birthday, attended by a horde of Mayors from cities alt over the country, a band sent down by the Danbury Hatters, an N.

B. C. broadcast and all sorts of other didoes. "Hellza poppin" is now in its, third year and the wonder no longer is that it lasts but that Olsen and Johnson la. t.

How do they stand the strain? A lot of people can't. Brooklynites who go to Porto Rico, for instance. They get seeing things. Attending the ceremony la.st Thursday evening I discovered that I could roar just as heartily at the goings on in the Winter Garden as ever before. But I shall never go to see "Hellzapoppin" again.

It does something to you. At least it seems lo have done something to me, Anyhow, something has done something to me. I have gone out of my mind. Or else a number of Brooklynites had too much rum in Porto Rico last Summer. Or else I did.

Maybe Porto Rico did something to me. Or perhaps all the Brooklynites who go to Porto Rico in the Summer are "Hellzapoppin" crazy. At any rate, there is definitely something wrong either with me or with the other Brooklynites who went to Porto Rico the last two weeks of July and the first two of August. They keep informing the Brooklyn Eagle that I took pictures down there and promised that they would shortly see their sunny faces reproduced in this paper. I did no such thing.

Perhaps I should not be so definite about it. I have seen "Hellzapoppin" four or five times and to any one who has had that much of "Hellzapoppin" the world seems an entirely different place, lull to the brim of crazy but amusing people. Just the other day, when another complaint came in that the paper had never printed that picture I took of somebody from Brooklyn down in Porto Rico, the managing editor said to me, "You'd better keep away from 'Hellzapoppin'." That gave me the key to the mystery. The people of Brooklyn are running too often to "Hellzapoppin." I wish they would stop it. It is becoming very embarrassing for me.

A joke is a joke. Apparently I went da.shing about San Juan, Ponce and the other towns and cities of Porto Rico and the hotels of Escambron and Condado with my little camera, snap, snap, snap, picking oft Brooklynites and saying, "Buy the Brooklyn Eagle tomorrow and see your picture!" It is said, too that I worked the boats between here and San Juan, particularly the Coamo, though I was on the Borinquen only. People come into the Brooklyn Eagle and describe exactly how they posed when I took their picture. This illustrates the harm Olsen and Johnson have done to men and women otherwise normal. The rum is very good in Porto Rico.

I drank there probably not too much less than the average American citizen. But never too much. I am sure of it. Once up in the mountains at El Semil I drank a bottle of something the name of which I do not remember but non intoxicating, a native soft drink given me by a man named RaTael Nido. He will bear me out.

I drank it to the dregs just to be polite, like a Porto Rican, whereafter another Porto Rican, too late, said, "That sometimes upsets your stomach." It almost killed me. But that was two days before. I started home and it appears I took all my pictures of Brooklynites long before that. It might have been amnesiR. But my wife is very careful about such things and would have led me by the hand at once to a psychiatrist if she had noticed.

The truth is I took pictures of not a single solitary Brooklynite in Porto Rico. I took a picture of two gypsies who had migrated from this continent to tell fortunes in San Juan. Were they Brooklynites? One of them told me I would live 99 years. I don't believe it. I met a man and his wife from Richmond Hill.

Both went to the same high school I did. He is building an ice cream factory down there. I did not take their pictures. If I had wanted to take pictures of Brooklynites I would have gone to Brooklyn this Summer. I started once to take a sneak picture of a nice fellow who was going to Porto Rico to head the F.

B. I. I thought the picture might be important some time. But I stopped because he had become a friend and it seemed sneaky to sneak a picture of a man. I took a picture, on th porch of a little house built by Eleanor Roosevelt, of a girl named Nora and her 4 year old naked son.

She wanted him to put his pants on but he said no. He could not have been a Brooklynite. I took a picture of an old workman sitting smoking a pipe EDDIE DOWLING AND JULIE HAYDON, chief players in "The Time of Your Life," the prize winning Saroyan comedy of last season, which comes back to the Guild Theater tomorrow evening. Hunnicutt Has a Good Job RAMON NOVARRO, long a Hollywood star, who will make his stage debut in this section of the country at the Brighton Theater, Brighton Beach, on Tuesday evening In "The Command to Love." to me and it made me kinda mad. I went back to the laundry and wrote a letter to the Guild.

Next morning they phoned me to come right down. I went into the inner office and there were four persons waiting to hear me read." Novarro Star at Brighton The role in "Love's Old Sweet Latin Film Star Takes to Stage in 'Command to Love' Laundry Worker for Frank Case Success in 'Time of Your Life' The glittering praise that showered on Arkansas born Arthur Hunnicutt last season when he Appeared as the Okie father of a dozen odd young yearlings, including a half wit son and a pair of twin girls, in William Saroan's Love's Old Swen Song'' has opened wide the gate that leads to the offices of Hollywood and local casting directors but It was not ever thus. When the long ieesed Hunnicutt formed the hotel that he was steps onto the stase of the i quitting. Guild Theater tomorrow night in; "i glad to hear that," Ca.e told the two week revival of William him, "because that means you're Saroyan Critics' Cirrle Puhtzrr 1 probably moving on to a better job Prize winer of last season. "The tne way wnal are ou gomg; t0 Time of Your Life." he will take over the colorful part of Kit Car I rn gomg t0 my profession son, the two fisted, tall drinking, an artor." Hunnicutt admitted.

sick and tired and Jittery when he went to hU bosses at the M. G. M. studio and asked them to release him from the balance of his contract. Senor Novarro went home, kicked a mountain of mall off his front stoop, entred hU mountainside mansion, sat down and started to think.

One thought led to another and eventually to the decision that he would no longer be the Ramon Novarro who was dour, ascetic, aloof and remote as Oarbo. Song'; was the first time Arthur Hunnicutt ever had any security in the theater. It was the first time he knew he was going to be working in a play that would open again the following week after locking up shop on Saturday night. His success in that play has brought him two Hollywood offers already, but he chooses to remain on Broadway in the part given him In the prize winning Saroyan comedy. Hunnicutt was bom in Gravely, a town whose name describes Majestic Theater where Edward Everett Horton held forth with his stock company.

It was Ferdinand Plnney Earle who gave Novarro his first real break. Spotting the sleek Latin as he piloted dazzled dowager down the theater aisle, Earle picked him for the film lead In "Omar tall story teller hanger on in Nick's Jose Ramon Oil Samaniego to list but four of the names given to him at birth is the latest screen players to go "legit." The Mexican actor, who is known to all the world as Ramon Novarro, long the leading Latin lover of the films, has been trying his hand at stage roles, and he will make his first appearance in Greater New York on Tuesday evening at the Brighton Theater, where lately so many Hollywood performers have received their foot light baptism. The much publicized movie sheik was bon in Durango, Mexico, the youngest of nine children. His four brothers and four sisters joined Khayyam." From that moment Ramon proceeded to make his name mean something 13 years of star roles In star picture from "Ben Hur" to "Prisoner of Zenda," 13 years of fanfare, top salaries and unhappiness. He went nowhere and was unapproachablehe always wore black Henceforth he would laugh and sing, which he did in "The Cat and the Fiddle" and on a concert tour that took him half way around the world.

He will elng, too. In "The Command to Love," even though the playwrights never expected to find for the role of the dashing army officer an actor who also could dish out ditties. The cast supporting Mr. Novarro is headed by Claudia Morgan and includes Douglas Wood, Joan its mountainside soil. His training as a comedian began early in life.

"People always expected me to be funny," he says, speaking of the early days, "even the kids expected me to shoot the paper wads in public school and it was that way clean through college." Outside the church shows, organized for fund raising purposes. "I'm going to act with Walter Huston in the new Saroyan play." Now that Hunnicutt's profession has become known at the Algonquin laundry, quirks which seemed odd at the time have last their oddity. He had not been there long before he asked the housekeeper if it mattered what hours he worked a.s long a. he did his job well. She co operated by letting him off whenever he had one of his myriad appointments, all of which turned out to be job mirages.

After a short time working days Hunnicutt switched to night work. In that way he could spend most of his days making the endless him in family theatricals and and there were stories of his grim asceticism and his deep religious feeling and how he had been in tended for the priesthood. He was Castle, Craig Mitchell, Nat Burns. helped stage childish marionette shows. When the Huerta revolt broke out in 1913, Ramon's father, a prosperous dentist, was obliged to flee.

He had backed "the wrong horse" in the revolutionary race STAGE PLAYS MANHATTAN in a trough in St. German, a good picture, too. Was that Dr. Miller? I haven't and I have searched every face in every film I shot a single picture of a Brooklynite. Will these people suffering from too much "Hellzapoppin" please come in some day and identify me? Maybe they can tell me interesting stories of other escapades of mine in Porto Rico.

I don't want to miss anything. he acted as master of ceremonies at many church suppers and "fiddling contests" where his job was to keep folks laughing. His reputation grew to such an extent that when the late Will Rogers didn't show up on time when touring Arkansas on his drought relief young Hunnicutt, a student at the State Teachers' College, was enlisted to keep the 5.000 in the stadium from be Entertainment Palace and Saloon in which most of the play unfolds itself. The ease with which Hun nicutt snakes his hulking frame across the staee. and the twangy assurance his voice speak of long years before the footlights but this will be only his second appearance on Broadway, and the road behind him is not strewn with roses.

Two years ago Hunnicutt came to New York. Like many another who had taken part in country thea'nrals. interspersed here and there with a side venture into Summer stock, he felt that he was readv for Broadway. But endless knocking at. casting directors' offices without results proved that Broadway was not yet ready for him.

Since a man must eat while making the rounds, he sought, any kind of employment that would permit him to remain in New York. Some one sent him to Frank Ca. proprietor of the Hotel Algonquin, who gave hm a job in the laundry. checked the linens, sorted them, moved the huge hampers and did the hundred and one other odd jobs required, to keep a basement laundry tidy. After 17 months of this, he in FOR PERFECT THEATREGOINQ 2 B.

G. De SYLVA MUSICAL HITS and his fortune was wiped out. Hamon and his brother, Marian, succeeded in slipping through the bandit lines at the border. With only $10 between them they got as far as Los Angeles. There Roman found work as a grocery clerk at $4 a week.

Later he taught piano, HILARIOUSLY FUNNY. "4 ORCHIDS TO TOWN'S NEW REVIVAL Watts, HrraU Tribune HIT." Walter Winchell WILLIAM VERA vir.Toe Monday "The Time of Your Life," William Saroyan's play that won the Drama Critics Circle award and the Pulitzer Prize last season, comes back for a two weeks engagement at the Guild Theater, Eddie Dowiing and Julie Haydon head the cast as before. coming restless. With a trusty harmonica and an endless flow of funny stories he held the audience for more than a half hour. rounds.

Then followed 17 solid months of doubling as laundry man and job hunter, during which time he never once got past the office boy. Then some one told him about "Love's Old Sweet Song," which was being cast at the Guild offices. "Heard there was an Okie in the play." Hunnirutt remembered, "and it seemed to me as if that was a part I could play. Oklahoma, isn't tar from "Arkansas where I was bnm and I knew those people pretty I went over to the Theater Guild and waited in a room full of people for two solid days. Seemed I like they were never going to get BERT LAHR DU BARRY WASALADY COLE PORTER SONGS "hest musical of the season." Time Magniinr GAXTON Z0RINA MOORE LOUISIANA PURCHASE with IRENE B0RD0NI IRVING BERLIN SONGS Book by MORRIE RYSKIND Muriel Hutchison Is Drug Store Dream That Came True There isn't a decent sized medicine show traveling through Kentucky, Illinois, Georgia, Indiana or Mississippi, nor a stock company touring those States, which hasn't had the name of Arthur Hunnicutt on its programs.

After eight years in 19D6 he decided that since he was going to make the theater his career he should study theatrical technique and joined a Cleveland drama school for one year. This led to a job with a Summer stock company. sang in cafes and worked In motion picture theaters, where he attracted the attention of Marion Morgan. She gave him a place In her vaudeville dancing act and sent him to New York to rehearse. While waiting for the act to open, he got a job as bus boy in the Broadway Automat for $6 a week and all the apples he could steal.

Finally he was able to cross the street and play the Palace. Immediately he was rich. Out of his first week's earnings he paid the astonished cafeteria manager for 72 apples. A tour of the country with the Morgan Dancers eventually returned the young Mexican to his starting point, Los Angeles. Right away he became an usher in the everything from Shakespeare's Broadway drug stores are crowded these days with ambitious ingenues just returned from a Summer of stock, who dream of grabbing off fat parts while toying with a small "coke." Each dream is differently constructed along the 46TH ST.

THEATRE, W. of B'way. Evgt. 8:30. Matt.

Wed. and Sat. at 2:30, $2.75. IMPERIAL THEATRE, W. 45rii St.

Evgt. 8:30. Matt. Wad. and Sat.

at 2:30, $2.75. The word "job" is used advisedly Both Theatre Scientifically Air Conditioned tragedies to light comedy leads', The following season Miss Hutchison made her Broadway debut in a little transient opus called "The Sap Runs High." "The Sap" ran for about six performances. Nevertheless it was not in vain. Gilbert Miller saw her and had her read for a part opposite Sir Cedric Hardwicks in "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse." As a result of her work with Sir Cedric, she was brought out to Hollywood to appear in "The Women," "Another Thin Man" and "Joe and Ethel Call nthe President," TLAYS BRIGHTON BEACH lines of an old fahioned melodrama, but the conclusion remains the same, and the girl gets the part.

Just such a story once came true, with all the trimming, for Muriel Hutchison currently In "The Man Who Came to Dinner," the Moss Hart George S. Kaufman comedy hit at the Music Box. A few years ago Miss Hutchison was a third year student at Barnard College, making the rounds of BRIGHTON ParWiy BRIGHTON BEACH ESlin.i 2 7100 THIRD YEAR STARTS TOM'W OUen St Johnfton't Nf Neffr Stoppin Hellz A P0PPIN WINTER GARDEN, B'way A 50lh St. Start Evil. 1:30, SI.

ID M.JO, 81. Toui'tn Mt. fd. and Sat. l.

1 1 0 AL JOLSON HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS for he was plumber, carpenter and handyman. Not being an Equity member he didn't have the money to join he couldn't appear as a regular member of the cast. By special agreement, however, he was given a few assignments. One was the role of Abraham Lincoln in Drinkwater's "Lincoln." The praise he got In stock playing brought about the decision to try Broadway. It also brought about the subsequent 17 months tenure as a member of the Algonquin laundry department a.s he kept up his end Tonight at 8:40 55 to SZ.75 you'll lo Dante," Newt DANTE Sim a a i YSTFRY YO MILLER MOROSCO THFA W.

4Mh St. ft H230 Ktrrj Nlcbt Inrl. Bonda; at :40. lt.V Irs Mala. Wed.

and SSe ta 2.2n "HILARIOUS FUN." HAM H. HARMS Brfvnti a Comedv ''fn K' 7 T0NITE; JOE E. BROWN, "Tilt Shaw Oil" Tiif.dar Etc. IN rmSOS nr Such Sentimentality! JACK BKRT I ft kw.fh CLAUDIA MORGAN Niht (Inrl. SI'NIMYl: Mr, 17c.

1 Matn. anil Mte tiie theaters to purchase matinee tickets. She decided to take a short cut through Shubert Alley. Half way through, a stranger ran up to her and breathlessly blurted that THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER bw MOSS HART and GtO. S.

KAVfHAN with MONTY WOOLLfY MI1SH1 ROX. W. of ft.4ft3R KVGS. MATS. THI RA.

gAT. I 40 RAVE WHITING GORDON SHI'BFR T.W. 41th St. I.th.:SII Mat. HKD.

and tl.10 to S2.7S 39flncoinf Sof All Pt rormotire.t It Eftwtiva tliatr." Mantlr. Neai JOHNNY BELINDA Elmer Harrlt with Louift Hrlrn Hftrar HKCTOR RAIO McNAI.I.V BFLASCO 44th. E. at y. Mali.

Wia. It Bat. Nllhta II. lOtaH.M.Mah.tl.Wte 12.20. iR.I MM Warner Brothers is going sentimental for John Garfield's sake.

One of the streets pictured in "East of the River," the story of New York's East Side, is being called Rivington St. Garfield, the star of the picture, was born and brought up on that street. less battering at the unfeeling Broadway theater walls. And now that he is quite secure Summer Theatren Maple wood, N. J.

MAPI FWOOD THM" 0m Wrd. anil Rat. l. SSr il.ln THE SMART SPOT VARIETIES THE HARTMANS SHEILA BARRETT, Oth.n Mr. Shubert had a part for her.

Miss Hutchison was so startled at being taken for a real live actress that she followed the stranger without a word. After several weeks of mixing assignments in in "The Timp of Your Life," his second Theater Guild part, since he scaled the heights, Hunnicutt. "Brilliant Performance." Cir.Sc.ATotiKor IUP1TER LAUGHS i grins and says, "Well, I guess It AMI'SEMENTS MINEOLA TAIR, L. I. Open, TOM'W EVG.

at 8:40 TWO WFKKS ONLY Print to Rnni Tour CRITICS' CIRCir AWARD and PI1MTZFR PRIZE PLAT THE THFATRF. (llin.D. in BMonodon U'iflt SDDIE t)OW I. INC. nrrtrntt WILLIAM SAROYAN'S Ray.

Mai The time of your life with Eddie DOWI ING find lulie HAYDON GUILD W. J2 St. Cli.mn. J2 7Sta53e Mail. THURS.

and BAT. at 2:40. 12.2(1 la 5S 7ong ddowd'A 2ajMC I English literature with love making from Alan Jones, whom she was cast opposite, the show opened for its tryout. The musical stayed open just long enough for Miss Hutchison to was worth it." Which proves something or other about actors or does it? Will Geer Teaches A new plav by A. J.

CRONIN BII.TMORF,W.4 St. Clr.H CIM. Mata. WF.D. and 2:4, R.te to "Higl.lyj)7ble." GRACE GEORGE lB Kind lady eLAYHOUaC, H7W.4St.

BR. 1 2628. Eli. 11:40 Mata. WED.

and Me to Will Geer, current Jeeter Lester receive her Bachelor of Arts degree of "Tobacco Road," will teach via correspondence and a burning makeup at New Theater School, 110 ambition to be an actress. Limited Fnrarement End Sat, Not Alfred LUNT Lyn. F0NTANNE ROFtFRT E. SHFRWOOD'A New Plte There shall be no night ALVTN Theatre. SM Bl.

COI. 8 4114 Eya. Mata. THI'tB. and 8:30 W.

47th St during the Fall term As she was a very thorough OSCAR SERLIN pruenfj Clarente Day'l LIFE WITH FATHER Mnrte iiitn ft vlnv hv HOWARD LINDSAY ana RURSEL CROUl EMPIRE R'trarand 40 St. PE ft R.Mn Fea. t(l. Mata. WED.

and i.4R feK FUN 8 A.M. to MIDNIGHT Jfii" Y. Roftltiti Cjlore ViJ LAST WEEKS ORCHESTRA 1 SLrAKAlL KUUMo I Month TOU ifm Dn An balcony which start Oct. 7. Having playrd a variety of rnles in Broadway productions, from juvenile newspn pr reporters to his pment an cent role, O'er ts considered one of the most expert makeup artists In I the profession.

vouns lady. IWiss Hutchison decided to go abroad and acquire stage training. She was with the Edinburgh Repertory Company for two and then returned to the United S'etej and trent out to Ann Arbor, where the played Alt. Dlaenirt Slewti Faffall LyleTal.iti I vrunww iwnu Sfle aed T5e EUNICE HEALEY, dancing with Al Jolson in Mr. Jolson's comeback show, "Hold on to Your Hats," ot the Shubert jVater.

PLVMOUTM Taa t. w. l'ty. 4 i Tlth WTLL OF Ft tree. Matt.

Wed. and Bat. at Me F0RRE8T.49 8t.W.! way. Matl.Wed.4 Bat. 2:45.