Evening star., 1928-12-31
EARLE-"The Barker"


Carnival life, with its tragedies and
! joys, laughs and sobs, is thrown before
your eyes this week at the Earle Thea
ter in the widely-heralded half-talkie
picture. 1.-The Barker
With King Sound accompanying the
movements of the players, one hears
the means of the calliope and the cries
of the showmen. One hears the girl
say II love you," and perhaps even
| the boys heart beat. And with these
noises one begins to remember the
barefoot boy he used to be, sneaking
| under the tents and drinking pink
| lemonade.
| Never has there been more colorful
characterization of that seller OF
goods" in a circus troupe, the Spieler,
| than that which Milton SillS presents.
| Sills we remember as being good in
Skin Deep" better in THE Sea Hawk, P"
but he is supreme in the role of Nifty
| Miller, the barker Director George
Fitzmaurice chose Sills for the leading
man, and let the story ride. Milton
picked up the spirit of the picture and
! lived the part. Jauntily fitting his
crushed felt, merrily twirling his bam-
boo cane that almost talks, staggering
Up and down the platform in his baggy
|
| line of iabber, he attracts the crowds
and Jams the show place with a high
strung audience. Even If you didn't
want to see the shredded wheat act,
Milton of the wagging tongue would
pack you in. He is gruff, rough and
| tough in his acting, and lovable Wlthal.
The story centers around the Jealousy
of the barker's sweetheart, the hula
dancer. Madly in love with Sills, she
| feels sighted whenever he speaks OF his
boy. who's goin' ia be head lawyer OF
the soopreme court" and in her anger
vows vengeance. The diving queen OF
the show is bought to vamp the boy
Then follows an old story with the same
thrills, but done in new style. Trite IN
plot, the picture is success through
uneuualed acting, with splendid talking
scenes, and it lacks only the crunchine
of peanut shells in its sound effects.
Betty CompSon, sWaylng like q
Hawaiian palm, is second to Sills in the
acting honors. Her voice records better
than any actress yet heard.
Dorothy Mackaill the mermaid with
the vamping eyes, plays below her usua
form, but she acts well, nevertheless
throughout. Douglas Fairbanks, jr.
makes his debut in big league picture.
and is fine, especially in the talking
sequences, dS NlIty M1lIcA pOy. LUZ
Dugan, a substitute barker with 6
stutter and no bark, and George Cooper
as the advising ticket seller, whisk one
away to the land of merriment.
Paramount News, an unnecessary MAJ
Davidson comedy, Feed En- and Weep,
and an overture by the Earle Theatel
Orchestra, directed by Daniel Breeskin
round out a pleasing program with {
happy New Year in the background.
METROPOLITAN-"O Trial"
A sound picture, in which the cas-
has overcome that self consciousness
evident at first in all screen artists
performance before the microphone
this is a drama so finished in its tech
l nique that one can scarcely realize tina
5 the personnae are not standing befor
them in flesh and blood. Such is tn
! Metropolitan Theater's offering thi
week, the Warner Brothers feature "Ol
2 Trial"
: It is an absorbing story to begin witt,
! and 1t Is told In a manner to hold tn
. attention completely from the first clat
ter of the ga vel calling to order the Su
nertor Court of the State of New YOrl