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EAS WINNETKA WEEKLY TALK, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1924 15 HERE AND THERE ON STAGE AND Reviews of the Week By Thespian STAGE SEVENTH HEAVEN Cohan's Grand Opera House After running for months and months in New York, "Seventh Heaven" packed up bag and baggage and moved to Chi- cago. And it hit Chicago with a bang, according to press agent advice as to the box office situation at Cohan's Grand. It is what most people call a good show. There is a little of everything in it and most of it is relished by the average play-goer. At the end of each act your neighbor opines that this is an "odd" piece and you agree. The scene is laid in Paris, the slums of Paris it seems, and Diane and her sister are rather low in the social scale of even this district. Chico, a sewer worker with ambitions to be- come a street sweeper and with some well defined ideas as to many things including atheism, is always complain- nig that he is called upon to do just the things he does not want to do. It is in this mood that he pretends that Diana is his wife in order to save her from the police. To com- plete the deception he takes her to his attic room where she does his necessary housework in a most en- gaging manner. He decides he is real- ly in love with the girl, repulses rich relatives who would take Diana away with them and proceeds to marry the girl in his own unique way, sans priest or license. War arrives almost as the pledging of their troth is completed and he is called away. (The rest should be seen rather than told. Into this story are woven some un- usual charaterizations including the sister who dominates Diane and uses a horse whip to accentuate her com- mands. It is reverse English at the end of the second act however, Diane being the wielder of the whip and causing much excitement therewith. Miss Helen Menken takes the role of Diane and does an excellent job notwithstanding the fact that she has been doing it over and over for many months. She has many emotional moments and the dramatic bits do not suffer in her hands. Jason Rob- ards is the sewer worker, not just such an one as you might think of when that trade is mentioned but en- tirely suitable for the lines the author causes him to use in carrying on his theories. Reginald Barlow as the taxi driver is capital and one of the hits of the show as is William H. Post as the priest. Seventh Heaven is around "theatre." "IN THE NEXT ROOM" Princess Theatre If you are looking for a few plain and fancy thrills here's your chance. "In the Next Room" is that kind of a play and to my way of thinking one of the best mystery plays that has been presented. It is more plausible than "The Bat" and more exciting than "Cat and Canary." And there are no long white hands pushing their way through book cases. But it will make many a shiver run down your spine and you will be inclined to jump at queer noises for awhile after your visit. The play is based on a novel writ- ten by Burton Stevenson and Eleanor Robson and Harriett Ford had a hand in its theatrical version. It involves a double mystery, two murders the same night. There are jewels, secret cabinets, the letters and some antique furniture. And there is a little fun caused by a fat butler who has the- ories of his own as to how it all hap- pened. The solution of the murders is legically worked out and while the suspense is terrible at times they never allow you to be badly scared and there is always a touch of humor to relieve the situation. You will particularly enjoy the splendid performance of George Rid- dell as the butler. Seldom does one find a butler capturing major honors but it is a real joy to watch him per- form. Betty Linley as the niece will also strike your fancy. She is pretty and clever. H. Langdon Bruce plays the father sincerely and with unusual regard for detail. The balance of the cast is well up to standard, in fact as well balanced as one could ask. "In the Next Room" is a perfectly safe bet for a pleasant evening's en- tertainment. general all "WINE OF YOUTH" Chicago Theatre "Mary the Third" was a splendid play. Here it is in picture form. It starts out right well, shows the 1870 episode and the one in 1897. Then it plunges into the modern story and does a deal of theorizing and moral- izing to the detriment of the entire picture. It covers life in grandmas day and life in mothers day and points out that the fundamentals today are little different from previous generations even though differently expressed. In the modern episode they show a mod- ern flapper doing many of the things they are supposed to do much to the dismay of a business like father and a patient mother. But mother and father, it seems, do not travel a bed of roses as far as their married life is concerned and son and daughter find it out. They proceed to express themselves in no uncertain terms, agree that mother is right in want- ing to leave and daughter orders the man of her choice to come and get her even if it is five o'clock in the morning. The cast is one of the youngest I have ever seen assembled with the exception of E. J. Ratcliffe who por- trays the modern father. In his seri- ous moments as a business man he is fine but fails to register as well when he attempts to be sentimental. The same is true of the young man who portrays his son. He is a good comedian but when he is made to cry --well--the audience started to laugh and nearly ruined the show. Gertrude Claire and Fulalie Jensen are very acceptable. "EMPTY HANDS" McVickers Theatre Jack Holt and Norma Shearer do the principal work in this film. She portrays a young girl of rather wild ways who lives a life of leisure and who is the particular pet of her widowed father. Through certain circumstances she is cast on a deserted island with a rather up-standing young man who proceeds to teach her a few things about a side of life with which she is not particularly familiar. Eventu- ally rescued, she apparently goes back to her old ways because of gossip but at the final curtain all is well. There is some excitement in the scenes showing them in the treach- erous stream and going over the waterfalls. Also some comedy in the island scenes. Taken as a whole, however, the picture is not a strong one in spite of the fact that Jack Holt does some very capable work. AROUND THE THEATRES GREAT NORTHERN Florence Mills and her "Dixie to Broadway" company are in their last two weeks of this revue which will find a place on Broadway after leav- ing Chicago. GARRICK "Mary Jane McKane" a snappy musical comedy with the very funny Hal Skelly seems to have caught on. It has many good tunes and pretty girls. LA SALLE THEATRE "Early to Bed" will be renamed this week because some people have an idea it is a bedroom farce. Rather is it a very funny comedy of family life. It is attracting large crowds. AUDITORIUM The life of Shubert set to his music and called "Blossom Time" is doing big business here in spite of the fact that it was in Chicago for many weeks last year. It is beautiful and well worth a visit before it leaves on September 27. Neighboring Theaters NEW EVANSTON Every youth, in his romantic moments, has dreamed of being ship- wrecked on a desert isle, or lost in the wilderness, with a beautiful maiden. The first half of the week, commencing Monday, September 22, such an opportunity will be given to every person from five years to ninety, at the New Evanston theatre, when "Empty Hands" will be shown with At the Howard Betty Compson in the amount Picture *The Female" Jack Holt and Norma Sherer in the leading parts. "Empty Hands" is an adaptation from the story by Arthur Stringer. It deals with the adventures of Grim- shaw, a mining engineer, and Claire Endicott, a wealthy society girl, who are lost in the wilderness and have to use natural means and methods in se- curing a living. The two start their adventures in wresting from nature their needs, with the man finding things a little easier because of his acquaintance with outdoor life 'while the girl was used to the satin slippers and shining ballroom. After starvation is driven away, the honor of the two is questioned, but they find everything in their favor when they show an intense love for each other. Among the supporting cast are Gertrude Olmstead, Ramsey Wallace, Ward Crane and Hank Mann. The last half of the week, the New Evanston will present "Spitfire," which has been requested by a number of patrons who did not have an oppor- tunity to see the film before. IGNITY marks our service at all times. Ex- perience has taught us how to serve in such a way as to re- lieve the situation of all confusion and misunderstanding. We Understand Ward & Buchholz : ORS AVE. ¢ nie A Evanston NEWELL & H The House of Harmony D Continuous Every Day--2:15 to 11:15 N. W. "L" Station at Howard Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Sept. 21, 22, 23 BETTY COMPSON "The Female" BEN TURPIN "ROMEO AND JULIET" 'Wed., Thurs. Fri., Sat. Sept. 24, 25, 26, 27 NORMA TALMADGE in her greatest success "Secrets" Pathe Comedy "EAST OF THE WATER PLUG" RETCHIN ADELPHI Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays 7074 North Clark St. Sunday, Sept. 21 PATSY RUTH MILLER "The Wise Virgin" Monday, Tuesday Sept. 22, 23 ERNEST TORRENCE ANNA C. NILSSON "The Side Show of Life" Wednesday, Thursday MONTE BLUE BEVERLY BAYNE "Her Marriage Vow" Friday and Saturday COLEEN MOORE CONWAY TEARLE "Flirting With Love" Our Gang Comedy "SEEING THINGS" The North Shore's Most Representative Theaters HOWARD "The Female," a Sam Wood Para- mount production starring Betty Compson and adapted by Agnes Chris- tine Johnston from the popular maga- zine serial, "Dalla, the Lion Cub," by Cynthia Stockley, is booked for a three days' run at the Howard theatre beginning Sunday, September 21. Miss Compson in the title role is known as "the lion cub" because in infancy she was lost in the jungle of South Africa and mothered by a lion- ess until rescued by her guardian. She meets Colonel Valentia, a young Englishman, at the dress ball in the grand hotel at Johannesburg, and falls in love with him. He is attracted to her but their friendship is broken when she hears a malicious conver- sation engineered by an English woman who is in love with Valentia. The cub marries her guardian on the condition that she spend three years in England to become a cultured woman. Shortly after the return she goes on a lion hunt and the things that follow bring about a desirable SCREEN ending. Warner Baxter and Noah Beery have the male leads. In her most recent production, Norma' Talmadge portrays the roles of a woman from the time she is 19 years until she is an old woman in her last span of life. "Secrets," her latest production, will find Miss Tal- madge doing some of her best work at the Howard for four days starting Wednesday, September 24. The story is of one marriage which gives all the secrets that are involved. Now that the babbitteers are be- coming a little tiresome to the theatre- goers, the producers have taken on war plays. "Havoc," "Nerves" and "What Price Glory?" are stories of the recent war, with the last named play getting the pet phrases of the New York critics. The making of the great west will be one of the most vital topics of "Sundown," with Bessie Love, which will be a First National film to be released soon. New Evanston Jack Holt "Empty Hands" Comedy Weekly Hoyburn Mon., Tues. and Wed. ANNA Q. NILSSON ERNEST TORRENCE "The Side Show of Life" Gump Comedy Thur., Fri. and Sat. Double Feature HELENE CHADWICK "Her Own Free Will" and LLOYD HAMILTON "His Darker Self" Daily Shows at 2, 4, 7 and 9--Saturday Continuous 2 to 11 P. M. # ALLEGHENEY Edinger % EVANSTON 77% Evanston 5035 V2 BUY YOUR COAL NOW -- REDUCED PRICES FOR CASH -- WILMETTE Noyes and Colfax 1301 Lake Avenue Wilmette 641-642 ANTHRACITE $16.90 per ton $17.15 per ton $16.90 per ton & Sons 7% AN A 2% PR TH Established 1907 WINNETKA 722 Elm Street Winnetka 643 the same undue costs. Whatever the Circumstances helpful service in managing all perplexing detaile--are ac- corded you whether you desire am unlimited expendi- ture or whether circumstances suggest that you refrain from SERVICE J he oa = Phone Wilmette 654 1124 Central Ave. Wilmette