Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-08
METROPOLITAN-"On with the
Show"

lie IlTSJ 10 De GlI1GeQ ILlTOuSIlOuL Will
technicolor. An amazingly good, even
and transformations job they have done
on 1t, too. If the successors OF this
piece maintain the high standard which
it sets, there is more than a likelihood
that the colored film is here to stay.
ION With the Show somehow man
ages to include the principal features
of the revue, extravaganza, musical
comedy and back stage drama, blend
ing them nicely. This, backed by
splendid recording, good photography,
intelligent direction, fine orchestral ac-
compartment and excellent acting,
turns out sure-f1re box-offlce hit. The
score is at all times pleasing, with Am
I Blue?" leading in tunefulness and
presentation. Ethel Waters, the well
known singing star, puts it over in her
own rhymical way, and thereby nearly
steals the show.
However, any picture that can boast
of having Betty CompSon in its cost
in these days of new faces, new votes
and comebackS, seems assured OF at
least one stellar performance Here,
Betty is at her best easily leading all
of the others (and there Is long cast
of big names and great acting. She
apparently sings, too, and II so, she has
an excellent soprano.
To name and praise each member OF
the company in his turn with praise
demanding superlativeS, would require
columns of space. Let 1t suffice to say
that they are all good, and pick out
lust few of the higher lights. There
are Louise Fazenda and Joe E. Brown
clowning with all their lnimltable
antics; Sally O'Neill and William Bake
we'll in the juvenile leads in the back
stage portion and Sally and Arthur Lake
in the same in the front-stage side. Sam
Hardy and Wheeler Oakman assume
the heavy leads, while the Fairbanks
twins lead the ensemble with their
stepping.
ION With the Show" is at best an eX-
pertinent, rather daring one, and &C
ceptably a successful one. 1t is credited
to Vitaphone, which here, as seems its
custom, is first. If the all-natural-color,
singing, talking and dancing picture
becomes an institution, and there is
more than a remote possibility that 1t
will, much it will owe TO TINS, lts
pioneer. At the performance, two eve
ninps hack. the only other diversion
offered was a trailer announcement OF
the next attraction, Twin BEDS.
PALACE-"Fashions in Love-"
Adolphe Menjou scores personal
4ri,Innh in his first talking picture,
"Fashions in Love-" and, If one accepts
the comments of several in the audience
Saturday afternoon, never has ne zone
better work than in this picture In
the typical Menjou role OF the So
phisticated, faultlessly groomed: 1aSn-
iorahIv dressed male f1irt, he talks with
an accent. gestures in true continental
fashion and plays the piano with con-
In this picture we have. not the
famed love triangle, but love quad,
rangle, consisting of one perfectly eooo
husband, one perfectly good VIE,
second husband not so gooo ana oLle
wife whose reason for existence Is no.
exnlained. Menjou, as you may nave
c,,eseed IS the famous pianist who can
not or will not escape the attentions
of lot of idle women. Fay Compton
Is Mrs. de Remy, his lovely VIE, 100
dependable to be appreciated: JoilI
MILAN is DR.. Martin, scientist WIN
his nose glued to microscope: ana
Miriam Seegar is his wife, Delpnlpe'
silly little f1irt
toned. John MILAN gives Spienolo
imnerSonation of the scientist, sincere
in purpose, faltering of speech ana
hesitant in manner, which rivals tnaI
of the star in the more sophisticated
role. Fay Compton plays the dl1ncuit
role of q genius lesser hall SO Skill
fully as to win the eVldenC SYN
pathy of an approving audience. hei
vocal rendition of "Delphine" is 'eSpe-
ciaIIy good. Of not hers, good piece
of doubling) Miriam Seegar ooes
equally we'll in less sympathetic role.
ON the stage Herbert RaWllnSon'
master of ceremonies, presents an ar
raw of talent in Frank Cambria's The
Surprise Party" which Is as mucn OF
a treat as is the feature picture. ~
would be difficult to say just whom
the honors should go to, so vigorously
anplauded were Zelaya, pianist, son OF
a former president of Nicaragua; the
lime Trio, acrobats extraordinary, ana
a Youthful pair of tap dancers whose
names were not on the pillDoalo'
Others contributing much to the sue,
cess of the stage performance are wen
Jewell, vocalist; the Gluck Sorel Clris
and the Palace Syncopators;
Charles Gaige gives dengnt1ul or
canistic Interpretation of modern
wedding, and an excellent news reel
completes the bill.
COLUMBIA-"She Goes to War"
When Henry King undertook to make
into a MOVIE the Rupert Hughes story
of a social butterfly who went 10 war,
taking her fiance's place In tne RANKS
of battle to save him from disgrace, and
discovered thereby a new set of values
bv which to measure men, he hao
fundamentally good film material. IN
fortunately, he went the way OF Holly
wood flesh, melodramatized and super
sentimentalized his yarn, used miles OF
celluloid for fight sequences which are
wan repetitions of what we nave al
ready seen a dozen times, tossed in
some comedy relief and turned over
the finished product to United Artists
as She Goes to War" 1t Is showing
this week at the Columbia. Eleanor
Boardman is starred.
The picture is mostly silent, with,
however, an accompaniment OF syn
chronized music. Dialogue and song are
used two or three times, once when
Alma Rubens is shown with a dying
soldier who has called desperately for
his mother. 1t is an incident with the
potentiality for real pathos; its ham
ding is somehow characteristic of the
handling of the whole picture. At a
time like that, as a subtitled remark
conveys, ANY woman will do" for the
boy is delirious and has but short
time to live. Instead of carrying
through the delusion with quiet and
simple effectiveness, showing a woman
performing this exquisite service for
the absent mother in an humble and
sincere fashion the dierctor has fingered
over it with maudlin tenderness. Miss
Rubens chants her lachrymoSe melody
of comfort with full orchestral accom-