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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1927)
; i Section Two. Pages One to Four SHVENTY-SEVKNTII YEAR m-.icft of Elsinoro Thoa- dl in milium? ol fine Tnlo.nl !t:l infill n; which the -build- . ... il'P t.-:i n t il'u I Elsinore thca-' u i - to wield in Hi' rtiltural i ;, ,.r tin- city. w;-s lelt imjinedi-j , i. i niM.n iis completion, ;t t rac- i n- i t i t snltH1 oT I III" greatest t,l. hi ill.- musical world lias to , n.r in a series of concert. .-albi j i!t, S.il-hi Artist .Horit-s. This in-; ;i u.-ih .- was r -It throughout the ; ,.,iii.. Willamette valley anl at-; I ,,, M il the attention of tin' inusi- I , ,l magazines throughout the I . initry' i 'I'h- Salem At list series brought i i.. Si I in four outstanding attrac tion (liirii)K the past year, and ihU i- i ho continued during the ii. mini: season by an even greater; ;.!ti-t series, again under the man- j ..iM-iiMMit of the Wolfsohn Musical j luireau. lot-ally managed by the j KNinore personnel, with the aid ;.inl cooperation of the leading j n. usual organizations of the city, i Salem is to have four of the principal events appearing on the h.ijjo musical courses throughout i he country during the coming musical season. In December, Ed war. i Johnson, leading tenor of tie Metropolitan Opera company, will he heard in concert at the El Hi nore. When he appeared in Portland as leading tenor with the Chicago Opera company four years .ago. when that organization last loured the coast, one leading mus ical critic said: "Wild with en thusiasm, Portland music lovers threw their hats in the air, shout ed and whistled for encore after iicnre at the marvelous singing of Edward Johnson in "the muni cipal auditorium." " The golden magic of his voice" is a favorite expression of critics, and Melba recently expressed the opinion that "Johnson is not ex- ;d among living tenors." January comes that loveliest ol all the newcomers in the world if opera, Mary Lewis, beautiful ex-Follies girl, whose debut at the .Metropolitan in 1925 was one of the sensations of a most brilliant season. Mary Lewis' climb to grand opera heights from the stage of the Follies is graphically told Jiy ln-rself in a series of articles now being published in the Ladies' Home Journal, the first install ment appearing in the current May is .1 ue of the magazine. "Hravo! Oreater than Jeritza" (Coo ti n ii ed on Page 4.) N.-w Air Brought Into Thea loi Through Set of Tem- ponzing Cbils Salem people wondered last -ummi-r when the sun was shining us brightest how the Elsinore, ihater could be so delightfully 'ool. Xo matter how hot was the la v r he theater proved to be a . -otnfortable relief from the snltri-nei-s without. Not all realized that the air which comes into the building is given a 'hower bath" before it is forced by an eight lo .f fan into the main 'auditorium. N'ew air is brought into the 'h'nter through a set, of tempor izing coils directly Into the air w isher. Water removes the dust, find the disease germs. After the cUansing, the air passes to the reheating coils where It is raised to a temperature conforming to the demands of the audience. In summer, the reheating colls are not used and the air cooled and purified by ice waer,. passes dl drtly through the fan tojthe roof of the main auditorium where l is gradually diffused throughout Hie rest rooms, the dressing rooms, and the auditorium. Cool comfort in the hottest of weather thus is assured. In the winter time, new air. Is r"??rought in from the outside tvM.antly, but instead the old air In the auditorium is run through an ozonator fpr purification, after which it is redistributed. This re moves the necessity of heating and reheatln the cold air. Ozone in the ozonator is created by riolet ray. The yentilation system is one of mosi modern types 'ior tnea ters, and. was installed at great expense by the management. EMnQife T a. vrfin pdht norrc ! ruunoncHi lvliiiu rr COMING TO SALEM, -'!: VElYTltflTIDN PLAN ' ADDS TO COMFORT; : i I mm O ELSINORE THEATER FACING HIGH STREET I 1 4 ' i . 1 , f ' i , v-y - s r,-t - ' I t r 1J,J- rv-I ' !r i"!"'las!Ldi' 'T- """ Wt -1 i n i - i mm . . n t mi i. i. L i ;. FINE AMCTI S JMineteen Road Shows Ap peared in Year; Many Fine Pictures on Screen New York presentations receive first rating in the theatrical world, j followed closely by those in San Francisco. Los Angeles and Chi- raeo Productions in the latter tbree cities interlan with those of j New York, using . practically the same talent at a later date, or as in many cases. Broadway stars are made on their advance tours. j Snoh is the class of entertain nrent offered to Salem theater pa trons at the Eisinore during the rast year. Hesides the many su perior caliber vaudeville offerings of Fanchon & Marco, 19 road at tractions have appeared on the El .sinore stage since September 21 li.st. Julian Street's Players opened the season on that dale with the comedy, "Seventh Heaven," and followed a week later with "Love 'Km and Leave 'Km." opening the way for the brilliant attractions which were to come later. The favorite. Moroni Olsen com pany, witn an au-star cast, pro duced "Dear Brutus" October 21, being received with such enthusi asm that h returned January 27 with "Outward Bound." a melo drama centered upon a powerful human interest plot. The Ukrainian National chorus, appearing in brilliant native cos tumes, delighted a large audience December 8. The famed screen and stage star, Pauline Frederick, presented her own stage produc tion, "Lady Trederlck," on De cember 1. As the feature of Christmas week, the Manhattan Opera com pany offered Tamaki Miura, out standing Japanese stage artist in that inimitable production, "Ma dame Butterfly." This attraction proved to be the feature of the early winter series, the theater be ing packed with patrons, not only from Salem but many other towns in the valley. The closing attraction of the year was trie comeuy, "btruttin Sam," presented December 29. The beauty of the Elsinore as tounded the famed Bertha Kalich, star. of "Magda," the presentation of January 6. M. Kalich described the theater as the most beautiful in which she had been privileged to play during her brilliant career. "Rain," the production which held Broadway's attention for 18 inonths, was presented January 11, starring Isabel Withers. ' Then "followed a series of the Salem Artists' presentations. Ce celia Hansen, riolinist, whom the Oreeonian described as "the girl w ho looked like an angel and play ed like a 'man?' delighted a large A week later came Reginald iWerrenrath, baritone, rated,, as America', greatest offer in his class Ernest 'DoKnanyi. IS BROUGHT TO O! 3erve Irir -, .- ;f J" Til ; t f 7 r t.- i4vr- ' ' -. Geo. B. Guthrie Man With Vision And Faith Builder and Owner of the Elsinore One of the Unassuming Type Who Do Things; Iowa Native, Graduate of Harvard Law School I am asked, by the managing editor, to write about five j inches of 10 point, double column, to fit the space under the above heading with about 10 minutes left for the task; ! ; after being out of town for several hours up to nearly time for this section to go to press vJWiu mwxc mcwi cnuugii spttte aim unit; ior veu. r. viutnrie to if it an auoui most modest and unassuming who do big things. Witness Lindbergh. Geo. B. Guthrie was born in Buchanan county, Iowa, in 1882; graduated from Iowa State College 1906; from Harvard law school in 1909. Came immediately to Portland and began practicing law. An accident brought him to locate in Port land ; another accident caused him to begin his connection with Salem theaters in 1912 or 1913. That's the story But he had faith in Salem and her future from the time he first saw this city, and he soon developed a vision out of which grew the Elsinore Theater. He carried the vision for years; dreamed the dream for more than two years, and spent nearly a whole year in, the building of the play house: He was personally on the job. Oh yes; he had the architect's drawings. But he built and rebuilt. Changed the plans. Tore out finished work antLsubstituted other work. He built himself into that theaer. It is individual. It is different. It i3 unique. There is nothing else like it. And great artists, world famous in their fields, have pronounced this distinctive Salem play house the finest on the round earth. They keep saying this, one after another. The Elsinore theater is Geo. B. Guthrie's monument. It is more. It is Geo. B. Guthrie (Continued on Pnjre 4.) INTERIOR VfEW OF THE ELSINORE, "THEATER MAGNIFICENT' i J.V- -- f ttr $ ........... 5. ;? ; ... a'-r P - i - i - . ! . -- j -J - . .. ... .. .t . - -"J ;, ...:: . H...-a I V r r-T -- , . , - iT"!J .v . f 'A . tZr"- mji-i: t -i SALEM, OREGON, SATURDAY ! mmseu ; ior ne is one Ol ine of men characteristic of men t v-.. )M1 ..... -- '"'' " ' r MORNING, MAY 28, 1927 - r ' i Univoisity of Oregon Sym pliuny Orchestra to Give Concert; Pictures A ;i fill ins retninder of theox-; cill-nt Miiadhms which hav ap .i nri'il on th... sl':it:e of i he Elsi- nore theater in the past year and: of the many outstanding offerings which arc to come in the future, i .tonight's observance of the thea-j ' 1 r's lirst anniversary will he feat lured by the appearance of Uio ; 1 nivt-i-sity uf Oregon orchestra.; directed by Hex I'nderwood. prom- inent Oregon nuisictan. Doris Helen Patterson, nation ally known harp soloist, will be " 1 the .headline performer of the eve- j ! ning. j ! Following is the program which ' the university musicians will pre-; I sent : i i March. "Coronation". ...Kreischmar ! Waltz. "Vienna 'Life-" Strauss j Harp solo " ! Doris Helen Patterson. i Viol in sob). "Tambourine Chi- Kreisler nois ! Nina Marnock. j I Serenade Pierne j Poet and Peasant . " Snppe j The orchestra will also appear; ai the afternoon performance, but j the two shows in the evening, be ginning at 7 uud ! o'clock, will ! constitute the gram. anniversary -ro- ' In addition to the musical at traction, the program will include ! the feature film. "The Whirlwind j of Youth." j As the title indicates this adap- tation of. A. Hamilton Cibbs' novel j "Soundings." deals with "youth" j and the cast is composed of fresh : young players who are a prfsitive delight on the screen. L6is Mor ' an, Paraniount's new star, ertntrib- utesfa characterization that bp.C-gs (Continued on Pajje 4.) T ELSINORE OWNER A (ieo. It. Guthrie nail i SPECIAL PRDGRAM : PLANNEDFQRTGDAYi Great Gothic Lobby Looking, South . , . " .T.' t- - " " I? 1 1 Attractions Booked for Coming Season Vithont. doubt the outstanding theatrical attraction booked for Salem during the summer months will be the appearance of Otis Skinner in "The Honor of the Family," June 22, at the Elsinore theater.' Skinner rates higher in char acter parts -than any other actor in America, according to tlramatic critics of the New York Times and the Sun. With him he brings his own company, a group selected carefully from the galaxy of actors who wish to associate with a man of Skinner's caliber. Four months away is the ap pearance of John Philip Sousa with his SO-piece band. Sousa comes to Salem with one of the best groups in his entire career, a personnel of picked musicians. Besides road attractions,' the regular vaudeville offerings are increasing in popularity. Fanchon & Marco, representing the best the Pacific coast has to offer. The following Fanchon & Marco stage presentations are coming to the Hlsinore next month: Aerial ballet. June 5 and 6 Cntilo r .in1 VT fiti rl .1 tr A bevy of 20 beautiful girls, se lected from a group of hundreds of finished aerial artists, are pre sented in a magnificent scene that hohls the audience freathless with tt.e daring originality of the num- (Con Untied on Vase 4.) w -yr--.i'r - - , '.In Tl'v" ' "-'Ijj-t.a. - t Zip!-' - : . r"3: .t '" . T .... f i J -its . ' . it rir . -. i I H:;i ' 1-11 STAGE OF SPAGIQUS PROPORTIONS LIKED Thirteen Dressing Rooms Provide Modern Conven , iences to Players With a space of 62 feet from side wall to side wall, the stage at the Elsinore theater has a ca pacity sufficient lo handle any at traction which comes to Sajjem. In one show which was given at the theater this year, 125 people were grouped on the platform at once. The front .between' the arches measures 32 feet, and the stage depth is 28 feet. Thirteen dressing rooms of vari ous sizes provide all modern con veniences for visiting players They occupy the entire central and. southern, portion of- the space dl redly under the stage. Floors of the rooms are of concrete, and the walls finished in two tonesfc ngnt, almost buff, brown for the ! uPPpr .color, and a slightly darker I brown for the lower portion. - Four decks of flood lights sas pended directly over the state, and a full railing of footlights, in volving over 200 globes of varying sizes, all -of which are diffused, make up the lighting system. With four different colors in the flood lights white, blue, amber nd rtd- any possible combination of lighting effects cau be brought about. .... " . . " c ". . The lights are controlled by a system of rotary controls installed on a platform on the left "front wall of the stage. Thus the oper ator Is enabled to have full control over every light in the t heater r Exit's on either side of the stage make for still greater convenience for actors, who may come from either wingor from the rear cen ter. . . . The -floor of the stage is entire ly of hsrdwood, and only-the most modern equipment ( has been in stalled. A : great many -men are required to handle details, of the perform antes.- For the, recent per formance of "The Judge's Hns band," by William. Hodge, 22 men were employed, Itegular' stage hands are - not ' numbered among the' personnel of the. theater, but t hey ; a re provided by the union at the request of the management. AH totd, there are 31' employes on. the Elsinore staff. Thirteen of these are ushers. The remainder are musicians and business staff members. . ; ' BOUXCER REQUIRE!) HOLLYWOOD, Cal., Iay. Once' In' a while the people who look tough on the screen' are as tough as they look.' So a boun cer"; in ; the person of jr Jimmie Kllgannon , -ali 0 0-pou nd lad, was hi red f or . the d a nee hall set. where several h u ndred extras were . paid to loolc "hard-boiled"- It" was his duty "to Keep "7 ofver-enthusiaatlii members of the crowd well with- the bounds of' make-VeUeveJ" EUinoire. Anniversary. Edition - PRICE FIVE CENTS; THEATER'S BEAUTY Decorative Care Apparent Throughout: People Appre ciate Elsinole ; Does beauty, seen every daf, grow commonplace or does it come to he more thoroughly appreciated as the days and years pass? The answer., perhaps, depends a the individual. Some admire a beauti ful building, scene or" work of art once, and then see it no more, even though It appears before, their gaze every day; others,, whose response to the harmooic in; outline, color and proportion ia deeper rooted, find new perfec,-' tions to appreciate the oftener the object of beauty la seen. J J" i-ln, Salem, it I sfe to say there are both": 'and it would be inter esting, on. this first anniversary of. the opening of the Elsinore, it one could get. a cross-section of their varied reactions tathe famil iar but none the less unsurpassed beauty of the building, ibothl with in and without. ' ' ' To some it has grown so ramll- lar that they do not take tho trou ble to look and admire, yet. they . are the very -People who did net take the trouble to inspect. It thoroughly at first, and there are beauties there which they do not suspect. Others, eveu though they sought to 'drink Jin. every line and to forni an appreciative conception of tho whole one year ago when they attained their first opportunity to view it, never enter the theater or even pass by it, without being instinctively drawn to renew mat original appreciation and add to it by the discovery of additional details. v ;. But.whetner he appreciates it himself or not, the Salem citizen is jconstanUy ftbeing reminded ,t the outstanding perfectiom of the Elsinore,. through the admiration expressed by newcomers and vis itors from out of town. Many prominent people have added thel bit of praise, and the agreeabif , shock experienced by these vlsltort and by artists and performer wha are scheduled" to appear, on it4 stage, oa first seeing the exterior, and interior of the building, con-. stantly. renew Salem's apprecia tion of its 'own unequaled amuse ment, place,,. Reiteration of the comparison which reveals the supremacy of the Elsinore among- theaters of. (Continued on Page 4.) , WONDERFUL OH LEiSMOCH CI1K George Guthrie Spent Con siderableTime in Planning for Instrument ; i Realizing the vital part the or gan' has in "the theater of today, Mr. Guthrie spent 'a great deal -of thought and study In planning and designing the magnificent instru ment that now graces this templa of art, the Elsinore theater, and a few words regarding ' the pipe organ may be of interest. ,. .The organ, was built in the Wur litxer factorifea in North -Tpna-wsnda. N. Y., in direct accordance with the plans of Mr. Guthrie and hts "consnrtlng ' colleagues, and front a tonal as well as a mechani cal standpoint, i is as near per fect as, human ingenuity can con ceive. t It comprises 150 stops, so selected that each and every- one can be used as a solo stop as Wr ell as in conjunction with others to for many desired tone colors j or shadings that the artist may re quire, either in concert work otl in giving interpretation to pic-, tures. : Many organists of note havtf praised the Instrument for tha beauty and, flexibility of Its tone, and the rapidity and response oC action is marveled at by every on who ha had the pleasure of play ing on it. . " ' :.: : The, organ is installed In ,fptir separate ; chambers directly overt the proscenium arch, and no 'ex- pense was spared in making the chambers dnst and tone proof, thereby assuring perfect rendu io of sound to all parts of the t'u . teri-''-'.'. ;-!, : .... :, ' ! - i . Much hag been said of the vr- dpous beauty and atmo: hero the Elsinore theater, and the i gan, although hidden a way, I. : ; unseen charm that Iendenc ,ment to an artistic whole. : - ' i . . WIS MUCH PRMSE (Centinued M.Pp;4.) ,' . i I . , ... ' ' I ' ,