The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-12-06

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lard Keefe and he has promoted
a robust, intuitive and raucous
infant. To me it is a better
comedy than els Eat So" which
treated, generally, of pugilism
in Mayfair or like surroundings.
Underlying the Keefian jests,
is a broadside at the cruder ma
chinery of million-dollar pugil-
ism; its gambling dictatorship,
its attempts at fixing" and the
domination of brawny-fisted
Herculae by Trailer Mussolinis
called managers AS is in
evitable in essays treating of
this ilk, there is profusion of
the smart-erack in vernacular,
a sprinkling of "dese's" and
doses" and such heavier in
digoes as "Damns" and "Hells"
and worse. There is nothing,
though, that offends.
The curtain rises at a time
when the fortunes of Barry
Regain, heavyweight contender.
are brighter than on that previous
day when the shrewd Circus"
Snyder found him postponing his
meals and looking for a place to
sleep.
Circus" knows more about
publicity than Barnum. more
about convincing the public that
clay model is bronze, than a
lily.gilder. By keeping his gladia-
tor in the background and doing
the talking himself. Circus has
ballyhooed his champion into the
public eye as a man Of culture,
an example of clean manhood
and an aesthetic whose brutalities
to his opponents are painful pre-
liminaries to a LIES aim of dwell
ing in the gracious quietude of
his books. his poetry and soft
spoken friends.
Outwardly magnificent speci-
men. Regan's brain.pan hasn't
the skidding surface Of a dime.
lie begins to believe he is all
that is printed about him. at least
sufficiently so to think that he
can get along without manager.
In sympathy with this belief. let
it be stated he is goaded to 1t by
attempts to have him frame"
his fights.
To enlarge this chimera. Circus
fills the papers with pictures of
Regan caressinE his dear old
mother ("Mumsy" being a stout
lady of 40, heavily addicted to
Scotch and also to grey wigs and
spectacles when the reporters are
about. He also side-tracks Re-
gan's blonde STEADY" and sub
stitutes for her gentle young
ster whose face is no impeach-
ment Of her virtue. The hippo
drome Is successful. the public is
gulled to the very eve Of Regan's
fight with Brennan. Then
Regan's ego wags his tongue in
front OF reporters and the care
fully built structure begins to
tumble. He beats Brennan. de-
cides to manage his own affairs
and man handles his manager.
Alone on the telephone, when
the championship prospect is men,
toned. he is as helpless as a babe
in a boat and. re.enter. Circus,
to save him from embarrassment
and oblivion.
Crane Wilbur, as the manager
who strings his puppet to success,
gives as fine performance as
the season will probably favor US
with. Good as all the character
izations are. the stage takes an
extra zestfuI glamour when he's
about. Square jawed, duick-think-
ing and unafraid of the protege
who could crush him with fist,
he Is of part, we are told,
with some actual managers who
are silently contemptuous of their
buns" The casting of Wilbur
in this role was barely this side
of luck and inspiration.
Constance Mckay is another
ripe one in this orchard of types.
As the shelved 'sweetie" she
does sublimely by a role which
equips her with vituperative
tongue and the quips to put on it.
AS the visionary pug, Gavin
Gordon presents an awe.inspiring
physique and no little ability, an
ability which has to contend with
alternating between a boob and
giant with mind of his own.
Nice bits are from Claude
Cooper as broken.down fighter,
Hale Norcross as some sort Of an
intermediary; Maurice Freeman as