Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-25
OPENING ATTRACTIONS In WASHINGTON
THEATERS
THEATERS

ties, and what could be presented was
, done so with an undampened ardor.
Ruth Hamilton especially put over
; her comedy skit with real pep and an
, eve for the humor the situation afford
. ed, and with Buddy Paige, as master
of ceremonies. carried off stage honors
Marian Lax, late of the Princess Fla
via" cast. sang remarkably we'll and a
clever dancing team avoided the wet
spots with no little skill.
"Blindfold," the feature picture, stars
Lois Moran and George O'Brien and
gives the rest of a well chosen cast a
; chance to make it good crime story
of unusual twists The plot is cleverly
worked out and presents the amnesia
theme with more logic than is usually
done Miss Moran's transformation
from a sweet, pretty enough girl to a
fascinating reckless foil for gang OF
crooks is reasonably accounted for in
the opening sequences and gives her
later actions the stamp of plausibillty
George O'Brien, representing the
strong arm of the law is given chance
as usual to emphasize the strong arm.
The O'Brien status as real actor was
raised high in Sunrise" and this pic
tire does little to alter it one way or
the other. His work is thoroughly salts
factory.
A new "crook" type is splendidly done
by Fritz Field. and Earle Foxe wears
his beard with real effect. Marie Aida
has little to do, but even then proves
she was worth sending to Spain for
The picture ends in somewhat slap
stick vein. but it should please those
who like to see their two-1sted heroes
given a chance.
A very interesting Movietone news
reel features the backbone folks OF
President elect Hoover. and 1t includes
everything from the signing OF the pa
| pal pact to q looming ring champ
movement with his 3-year son.
PALACE-"The Case of Lena Smith.
Esther Ralston is featured in "The
Case of Lena Smith" Paramount pic
ture, at Loews Palace this week. This
film was produced under the direction
| OF Josef Won Sternberg we'll known
as the director of "UnderWorld' and
THE Last Command"
In the chronological beginning Of the
| picture Miss Ralston appears as
winsome Hungarian country lassie. who,
with two girl friends, leaves the simple
pleasures of village life and stolid
but adoring peasant sweetheart to seek
excitement and fortune In Vienna. In
|
carnival our charming peasant finds 1t
impossible to escape the attentions Of
a staggering unprepossessing Austrian
student officer, Franz HofratZ. Next we
see her employed in the home of the
parents of the said officer as servant.
where the son in one brief visit to his
parents accepts her ministrations with
no sign of recognition. The existence
of her small son is discovered, her
father-in-law and employer, who Incl
dentally is chief of the bureau of morals,
discharges her. and the boy is torn from
| her arms and placed in a gloomy orphan
of a marriage certificate to the father
of her son, her efforts to regain the
| custody of her child result in arrest
and sentence to the workhouse. She
| escapes, steals the son from the asylum
and returns to her old home, where a
welcome from the still faithful Stefan
awaits them. Just as the boy grows
into manhood in 1914 he is drafted into
the Hungarian Army. and the broken
| hearted mother is left alone again.
Miss Ralston in her role embodies
grace, charm and refinement with
strong suggestion of ingenuity and high
mentality, while James Hall character
ICES well the unSympathetic role of the
absolute officer, who evinces SO much
| incompetence and such an utter lack of
| moral sensibility that 1t seems incredible
that the most snobbish could fail to
recognize the reversal of the expected
order. But, upon reflection, it appears
that this inconsistency often occurs in
real life. Gustave Won Seyferfitz gives
splendid representation of the bigoted
old chief Of the bureau of morals and
Fred Kohler, in few brief appearances,
gives such noble representation of the
faithful and indignant peasant that he
makes the aristocratic Holfratz's look
like shamefully misbranded piece of
merchandise
Cooling Off," Loew-Publix stage pro-
ouction. proves that there is something
new under the sun" after all. II seems
| that Wesley Eddy and the Palace Synco-
pators have sailed to the Antarctic
regions. where an Eskimo and his seal,
Plckard and Pal, give an entertaining
program. George Moeser, acrobatic
dancer, demonstrates how the feet are
Kept warm down at the South Pole.
George Givot gives 'em lot of nonsense
winch certainly made big hit with
sunday afternoons audience, the Wal
lace Sisters display a great deal of
graceful agility in their dance numbers,
Helen Anderson sings as the Candy
Hale Girls execute a dance representing
lclcleS In movement. AS the sun goes
down, the ship starts back to the United
States with the band playing a we'll
known American air.
Fox Movietone and M-G.-M. News
completes the bill
METROPOLITAN Man"
Fanny Brice. the popular coincidence.
| has strung together a number of her
stage gems into story featuring My
Man" which remains a second week
at the Metropolitan Theater to enter
tain appreciative audiences.
Fanny Brand, as little mother to a
younger brother and sister Edna Muir
pny ana Billy Seay), also has ambition
TO become singer and has a natural
aptitude for mimicry The girls at the
costuming shop where she works beg
her TO do her stunts during the lunch
period. She gives them THE Floro-
dora Girl Who Married for Love" and
| I'm Yiddisher Indian Squaw" Lam
oau, who happens in Thorne's shop
ABOUT tbs thine, obtains tryout for her
She impersonates Mrs Cohen at the
Beach" to gales of laughter She fails:
she can sing no more, for the sight of
ner missing sister Edna, the willful
blond. kissing the director completely
unnerves her. Fanny, too, has a love
affair, although it is rather one-sided
until she puts the young giant, Joe
Halsey under numerous obligations
Landau, the understanding friend,
offers her part in a musical show, and
later she sings IF You Want the Rain
bow You Must Have the Rain" Miss
Brice's repertoire includes The Spring
Dance" screamingly funny burlesque.
and I'D Rather Be Blue Thinking of
! You Than HapDy With Somebody Else {"
The Vitaphone music Of the orchestra
swung into Stay Out Of the South
during Fanny's tryout, and in intro
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