Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-27
FOX-"Nfovietone Fo,Iies."

FOX-"NIovieton Fo,Iies."
Forthwith we decidedly recommend
the current Fox bill which embrace!
not only the first of series of feature
length "Movietone Follies" as the major
attraction, but an excellent. short stage
show as well, with, Of course, the Lsua
interesting sound newsreel, by way OF
fitting embellishments.
The "Follies' as herein presented with
everything a good revue or musical
comedy might offer plus a cleverly
handled bacEStage comedy drama, Is
admittedly an experiment, which. II
the present standard is maintained, has
brilliant future. Even Florenz Ziegteld
in his most extravaganza moods might
have difficulty in coping with the FOX
"Follies," for it is shown that trick
camera effects add brilliant touches
which are naturally beyond his ken.
1t is worthy effort in which nothing
seems to have been omitted. The cast,
100 strong, is clever and continually ON
its toes. Stepin Fetchit the Fox find, "
who recently scored in Hearts IN
Dixie" is back again with his inimitable
dancing and tantalizing slow motion.
To name only few others, there are
Sue Carol, Lola Lane, Sharon Lynn,
David Rollins. Archie Gotter. Dewitt
Jennings, Arthur Stone and John
Breeden All Of the others, particularly
the chorus groups, work with commend
able vim and sincerity.
The score is slightly Gershwinian
and put across in great fashion. II
includes several smash numbers, sucn
as ."That's You Baby" big City Blues,
'sWalliipg With Susie" and THE Break
away" the latter being reminiscent OF
the Varsity Drag in Good News
with Sue Carol leading the way. Much
more could be said of this splenqd
Foxian gesture, especially the Technl-
color gem that is superbly executed
but why not see it for Yourself?
The stage (not 9 in shadow offers
John Irving Fisher again as master
of ceremonies and pianist, who in turn
presents Billy Carr, an exceptional
comedy dancer: the JazZmanians, the
Foyettes, Virginia Bacon, who must
have iron toes. Mercedes and Ferris IN
song and dance: George. Lyons, harpist
and sentimental songsters, and Bud
and Jack Pierson in trick tap hooilng.
PALACE-"Where East Is East"
Two women. one good and the other
bad. matching wits and emotions against
two men, one weak and the oVheI
strong. in a llama festooned movie set
of the Indian hinterland, form the es-
sential basis of Lon Chaneys latest
DiCluIG,
this week at the Palace.
When CLANCY deserts his extreme
mskeups, such as those he used in The
Hunchback of Notre Dame and The
Phantom of the Opera" and resorts to
straighter playing Though he can never
forego a strong touch OF the blzarre)
there is a $3.50 chance that the PIC
ture will be a success. CLANCY himself
has good dramatic qualifications, he
f-ic1 nf
but so dominantIy is he the central
character of any film he makes that, If
his portrayal falls short, the picture
falls with him His pictures are among
the most perfect examples, for better
or worse, of the effect Of the star"
system.
In the present film Chaneys charac-
terization of Tiger" Haynes, wild ami
NAL trapper, impresseS this reviewer as
an attempt to run middle course be-
tween his straight work, as illustrated
excellentIy in Tell 1t to the Marines"
and his work in the aforementioned
hunchback and phantom pictures. The
resulting man, sinister and claw-scarred,
gentle only where his daughters hap
piness is concerned, moves through the
film with an effort, haltingly, without
the conviction that We have come to
expect of his characters.
Lupe Velez plays the daughter with
a graceful energy. Estelle Taylor's por-
trayal of Nine. de Sylvia, the wicked
mother. is obviously a studied thing,
but effective Lloyd Hughes, as the
youth torn between amorous inclina-
tons, fills in under the necessity of
being "just a boy'' as compared with
the other three highly-colored indi-
viduals.
The stage portion of the Palaces bill
this week is labeled "Seashore Follies."
It has lots of routine work by the Dave
Gould boys and girls. Ed and Morton
Beck sing and clown, the Darling Twins
dance in unison, Prosper and Maret do
gymnastics. and Herbert Rawlinson
conducts the ceremonies with capable
grace, though briefly this week.
The screen offers, also, a, comedy
about a nouyeau richie plumber and
newreels.