“MUTINY” REMAINS AND “RENDEZVOUS” RETURNS -- * — —,— — —- Plays Backed by Hollywood Warner Bros.’ Popular New Leading Man Award for Best Comedian I i) mi ■ ■ .. Asked Movie Author N ot ReapingGreat Rewards by trover Jones Says Cinema Neglects a Made That Theater Manuscripts Suggestion Form of Art and Urges That It Be Written With an Eye for the Stage ^e Recognized by Academy. Rather Than for the Screen. / ■——__ By Mollie Merrick. / By E. de S. Melcher. November 23 (N.A.N.A.),—“Hollywood doe* not pay theater which has fj IIIC is a kick against a current condition in the sufficient attention to comedians. In awarding its annual prizes, the M been brought upon it by our very good friends the movie magnates. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scarcely considers It is a condition that is doing the stage no earthly good—nor do we HOLLYWOOD,comedy acting when choosing the outstanding roles of the year." */I X suspect is it doing the brother screen moguls much good. Occasionally Grover Jones, screen writer and member of the Executive Board of the they benefit by it—but on the whole, judging from the licking they have taken icademy, thus calls attention to this deficiency in motion picture awards and X overboard r en Broadway this season, they had best think twice before they go •‘Some of the best actors In Holly- touch longer on sucn mauers. alone in this, the audience shouts and has to do with the wood today are comedians. But few This kick Holly- mit that he didn’t think even “Ceiling I claps when his great broad counte- of kick which people take them seriously enough to wood promotion plays—a Zero” was a very We do nance flashes upon the screen. good play. | them honest tribute on the surface is possibly out of joint, pay alongside think, however, that it ought to make Fred Stone's movie career is young, since if it wasn’t for Hollywood heaven more serious actors. It is not quite very good film. but we had a taste of what he could knows who would be able to finance fair. * * * * do with comedy in “Alice Adams." Nevertheless, too often do we “It is surprising, too. when you plays. If Edward Everett Horton isn't prize to should realize that people in the industry go to the theater nowadays only 'T'HIS being “kick” day we material for high then who 1 know how much harder It is to be a comedy hear after the performance: "Well, like to protest further against : is? If the knew the actor. Of public only care for it much—but it when rcmedian than a dramatic I didn’t ought The lady who didn’t laugh times a producer has been known to make a movie.” at the course, the aim isn’t always as high, to good she saw the Marx brothers say: “This role will be a success effect is more The screen is not itself to but often the truer, endearing Pox the other day. if we can get Eddie Horton to play human and more lasting. the theater, nor the theater to the The using of the wrong kind of a it. Otherwise And if Horton “Understand. I am not holding a screen by presenting shoddy perform- pig in “Mutiny on the Bounty.” can’t be obtained for the particular If brief for any particular comedian. And ances of second-rate plays. Holly- Clark Gable's report that the ladies part it has to be rewritten or thrown write I’m not saying that the academy wood wants such plays it can of the South Seas are not so good out and another story angle sub- should award a comedian this year's them in the shade of Malibu and pre- looking as they are meant to be. mitted. His art is unique and his of the Pa- prize. But I believe comedians don't sent them on the sands (Maybe because Tone got the best of would-be imitators are a consideration when the up against cific—anywhere save on Broadway, the two in the “Mutiny.”) jet enough stone wall. is most of the judging is done. where, it said, people dance in “In Per- Fred Allen's popularity is building Ginger Rogers's as as the know a from a bad one. “The public is guilty people good play son"—not because she doesn't do it j by leaps and bounds, although he's the National was In the industry. Votes sent in from Very recently given but because it's in by only been in picture releases a few well dragged the have a influence on a which, rumor has it, is being outside strong play the ear. weeks’ time. Bob Benchley made into the gaze by a ma- the final decision.” swung public's Margaret Lindsay appearing in ! “China Seas.” In that he was the West Coast studio. The at Most of Grover Jones" picture work jor play, film at a time. only relief from a pretty dismal tale more than one the dramatic al- least on the was very, has been in field, opening night, The local ladies who have been of typhoons and pirates. Frank Mc- It was well though recently, in preparing ‘The very bad. acted averagely what should Hugh, who laughs on a musical note asking us recently they for Harold he has a cast that obviously had its nose Milky Way” Lloyd, and is a by do with their 3-year-old children who delicious comedian, is build- It had one had comedians and their difficult art pointed toward Hollywood. for words. The ing to a strong place. Arthur Treacher are just too talented j to his notice. His good scene—8 or 10 bad ones—and brought more closely will be starred in the Jeeves answer to that is. Keep them home. pictures. after the at least half a observation points to a noticeable lack performance who didn't think much Hugh Herbert has a comedy charm The people in awards, for while it is dozen people were heard to exclaim: academy that has tremendous So has of “Top Hat.” vogue. “Oh, well, it may not be much now, difficult to confuse the comedian’s part, Garbo's ever-and-ever stay abroad, j Ned Sparks. but wait till the movies get hold of it.” in making an award for best perform- When The that Freddie Bartholo- it came to reading Shake- report ance with the Why, then, didn’t the movies get of the year, leading our mew wil wear a stack of false curls spearean lines comedians of Hol- theater audi- man's it is within the of hold of it first? Must role, province did far better than our in “Little Lord Fauntleroy.” lywood average ences be subjected to such tryouts the academy to give an award for the dramatic Maxine Doyle's continued silence. actors. Hugh Herbert, Ar- with the vague hint of a remote best comedy role of the year—man or only to thur Treacher, Frank McHugh, were The rumor that we are not going which celluloid success as a reward? woman—and thus fill a need all excellent in "A Midsummer get Nazimova's excellent revival of Night's Word from Broadway tells us that had not occurred to many oi us before. Dream." I almost “Ghosts" at the National after all, in Oh, forgot the most of this season's plays—not "Jubi- delicious work of Joe E. who spite of a couple of weeks of darkness inapnn txampie uiea. Brown, lee,” etc.—which have been brought to Max at this theater. pleased Reinhardt immensely. the boards via the West Coast have When one realizes what Charlie The rumor that Steve Cochran's Grover Jones will ask the been withdrawn far sooner than their Chaplin has done for the world— academy of henchman, known here and there as when one understands the of which he is an executive to give a sponsors anticipated. depth to be called which informs his comedy award this year. His request It is now fairly definitely estab- “Dutchy-Wutchy,” prefers psychology even “Dutch should meet with response: lished that the best films are those Schultz.” simplest gesture—when one realizes popular Pictures nave an unusual which are written expressly for the The last two acts of “Swing Your that here is a script which requires developed and delightful comedy vein and It 6creen. Even with "Mutiny on the Lady.” far more preparation, takes far more deserves award consideration. Bounty” and other works taken from Audiences that don't wait to see shooting time and is given months 1 (Copyright. 1035 by the North American a success there is little now for cutting and editing as against novels huge “Metropolitan Nocturne," playing Newspaper Alliance Inc.) doubt but that in the long run the at R-K-O Keith’s. weeks for other type pictures—then it ! screen's nicest products are those People who haven't been down to seems only fair that the result of which have been written straight for see that super-ear-sounding equipment such an expenditure of time and Hollywood. which the Little Theater has. money should have more serious con- If Hollywood wishes to experiment The one lady who, launching out of sideration. with the legitimate theater let it dd that excellent performance of “Apron Harold Lloyd's scripts are as care- [ 01 so full sail ahead—but with an eye at the Club this fully prepared as any other star's.