Evening star., 1929-11-04
The Weeks attractions in Local Theaters
Reviews of New Photoplays and Stage Productions
tist behind that buf1ooning

credited artist behind that bu1oonlng
tongue.
And Harpo, the mute one. dependent
upon gesture and expression and phy-
sical trickery, much more in the genre
of the pantaloon than Groucho. a
"grimacier" where Grcucho is econom-
ical of facial capers. Yet, to recall the
robbery scene, staged in utter dark
ness one remembers that Harpo, unseen
and speechleSs, convulses with the mere
suggestion of his presence, the wild
clatter of iron tools, dozen insignia
of his drollery.
Chico, in italian style, has his own
| claims to attention, though he is more
restrained, mere dignified. If one can
remotely conceive of dignity in con-
nection with these MarXeS His role IS
more that Of the feeder" though in
and the same dark robbery scene he
reveals an individualism which is not
submerged in, if subservient to, the
numskullery of the other two.
1t occurs as an afterthought that
there is a plot to Animal Crackers"
furnished in the book by George S.
kaufman and Morris Ryskind. It con-
Germs the theft of valuable painting
at house party, a mere peg upon which
to hang the fancy and gay hocus-pocus
of the whole doings. Included among
those who contribute to the atmoS-
phere of the party, the commission and
solution of the theft, are Margaret Du-
mont Margaret Irving, Gilmore Hunt,
Charles Baron, Louis Sorin, Neil Col
Inns, Dorothy FitZGibbon, Marjory May
Martyr, Julian Winter and Arthur Lip
son, all entered splendidly in the feel
ing of the piece and are valuable to its
success. Zeppo the fourth of the
Marxes. has small role as Jamison. but
to Groucho and Harpo and Chico with
their madcap sense of nonsense, go the
medallions. F. o.
.CANETN Recommended by all the
~ l l. chief ingredients of a
Social Maids" good burlesque show,
Social Maids" led by
dancing star billed as Miss PERSONAL
ity," opened at the Gayety yesterday.
The young woman who sails so surely
and so effectively under the personality
title is Minnie Fitzgerald, her talents
much renowned around the Mutual cir
cult, but new TO Washington. With
fair for dance and song, she set the
time Of Social Maids" and entirely
won the opening audiences.
Miss Fitzgerald is not alone well
known on the current list of players.
In Social Maids" are such other COM
petent performers as Ethel Spears, a
soubrette; Arthur Rampe, eccentric
comedian; Ben Pierce, straight man,
and Dot Fuller, alluring and capable.
Plus, as always, the chorus.
Social Maids" is among the best of
the Gayetys shows this season. F. o.
PTATTO Some day somebody Is
Al going to write. and the
"R,, N.,,., movies will no doubt
show, a real newspaper
play. The prediction is based on the
generally accepted theory that right will
triumph in the end. But to date no
such play has appeared. Big News"
the feature film at the Rialto this week,
is merely additional evidence that 1t
has not appeared.
Big News" adopts the currently pop
ular idea that a modern newspaper
Office is a madhouse, and that news
paper reporters and their SuperiorS are
either drunken roughnecks or maniacs.
Working on this assumption. the result
ing picture is not bad movie, but it is
a poor newspaper story. 1t may be just
as well to call to the attention of movie
directors and movie audiences the fact
that newspaper work Is a hard task
master, exacting and precise in its de-
mands, and that while there are hectic
moments in the history of every city
roopa, sobriety and cool Judgment play
as important part in getting out
newspaper as in any other of life's more
leisurely callings.
big News" like other newspaper
plays, overlooks these points entirely.
Such plays compare newspaper men to
dope addictS who can't shake the~habit
off and try to drown their troubles in
drink. The result is a farcical parody
that, like any well done parody, has
enough truth in it to be entertaining.
The Rialto play is a movie version OF
George Brooks play, For Two Cents"
Robert Armstrong Is cast in the leading
role Of the drunken newspaper reporter
who, fired for drunkenness and other
crimes, goes out to seek revenge upon
his erStwhile employer by digging up an
amazing expose of dope ring. If more
reporters who get discharged would
seek this particular form of revenge
more of them would be discharged, for
the story that this particular reporter
dug up was without doubt a pippin. A
slight complication is added when the
editor of the paper, with the dope-ring
expose on his desk and about to go into
print. is mysteriously murdered. The
reporter is apparently caught with the.
goods, but he gets a lucky break by
producing the record of the boss die
tograph, which was turned on and for
tunately running at the time of the
crime, thus exposing the real criminal
and glorifying said reporter. Arm
strong does capable piece of work, and
Carol Lombard performs adequately in
the feminine role opposite him.
Grantland Rice, with Willie MacFar-