Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-16
From the Front Roy
Reviews and News of Washington Theaters.

ira, under the direction Of Harry
Borjes, Is Virginia Hunting Scene"
The newsreel has the latest events.
D. c. o.
Rivers End" Il Featured
In Program nc the Earle.
TGLOOS, Eskifnos and q blizzard
which produces shivers to be seen
lend realistic atmosphere to q more
or less unconvincing story, Rivers
End" tale Of the Northwest
Mounted Police. this weeks feature
at the Earle.
Using that much employed ficti-
tiouS theme, dual personalities, In
which the physical resemblance of
one man for another causes most
amazing complications, Rivers
End" the story written by James
Oliver Curwood, carries more con-
viction in printed form than 1t does
upon the screen.
It affords opportunity. however,
for some splendid acting on the part
of Charles Bickford, who portrays
the dual role of Sergt. Commission of
the Canadian Mounted Police and
John Keith, wanted for murder by
the police. Bickford displays adj
mireble versatility in his interpreta-
ton of the two men, physically dupli-
Gates, but temperamentally utterly
different.
Evelyn Knapp as Miriam, "the girl
in the story" acts well and is pretty
to look at. Superiority Of the talk
ing picture over the silent movie in
its ability to entertain Is once more
proven by the parts played by j.
Farrell Mcdonald and Zasu Pitts.
The story, the weakest part of the
picture, involves the pursuit of John
Keith, wanted for murder, by Sergt.
Commission, accompanied by O'Toole,
a guide. Commission dies of pneu-
monia on the homeward trip. Keith
gains the friendship Of the guide and
il aided by him In attempting escape
across the border, dressed in the
uniform of the police. Circumstances
carry Keith, physically the duplicate
of Commission, to police headquarters,
where he Is taken for Commission.
There he meets Miriam. who had
been loved by Commission, and he falls
in love with her.
For three months. carrying out an
extraordinary deception. he remains
at police headquarters. He Incl
dentally learns that Keith has been
freed Of the murder charge But
should he reveal his identity and
announce the death of Commission, he
will be accused of having murdered
the sergeant The only man who
knows the truth is O'Toole While
he awaits the guides arrival to vim
dicate him, a messenger brings news
~
In the meantime, Commission, the
sergeant, Is proven to be a cad, with
wife and child in London. Keith
has the alternative of revealing his
identity, to be Immediately accused
of murder, or continue his pose as
Commission, to be driven from the
camp as q cad. He chooses the lat
ter, but before doing so, tells Miriam
the truth. She believes in him and
follows him when he leaves, the
shadow of disgrace accompanying
him.
Not even the most critical could
poke any holes in the excellent
qualities of the stage show this week.
Lillian Roth, that delightful young
woman, who acquired undying fame
by her inimitable rendition Of "Sing
You Sinners" in the picture
Honey" makes her first appearance
in Washington since her cinema sue
cess. Beautifully gowned, in a be-
coming costume of black velvet,
Miss Roth brings delight both to eye
and ear by her vivid beauty and
her infectious manner Of singing
the song hits of her screen successes.
Wilson, Heppel and Betty intro
duce some novel steps In tap dane
ing on improvised stairs. and also
produce unique effects by throwing
sand upon the boards upon which
they dance. Much hilarity Is pro-
duced by the comedians, Lewis and
Aimes, with jokes and songs. A SUI
perior number Is the Chinese COM
pany Of Long Tack Sam, which pro-
vides q versatile act, including skill
full sleight-of-h tricks, acrobatic
feats, singing. dancing and instru-
mental playing by q company of
several men and two women. The
costumes are of spectacular beauty
and the Oriental features offered are
original and genuine. G. s. s.
Junior Theater Presents
Tom Sawyer With Ability.
THE National Junior Theater bob
= bed up again yesterday morn
ing at the National Theater with
a presentation of Paul Kester's YER
sion Of tom Sawyer" making its
initial bow before any audience.
One can say that in spite of the
growlings of O vast crowd that
seemed to have forgotten that the
aters begin on time and which came
storming noisily down the aisle just
when one was trying to get ac-
Quairted with Mr.. Sawyer-that this
play was q hit. It was hit not
only In the matter Of the actors and
the speed of their delivery but in
the sequences of its story-which
seems as though it were one of the
best plays for juvenile productions
Of this sort. AS q matter of fact,
the production itself was not es-
sentially juvenile, even though many
members of the cast we're q long
way from the frock-coated age, but
shortly after the beginning took on
q professional aspect that remained
until the ANAL drop Of the curtain.
The young actors and actresses
played their roles with niceness-
that many elder thespians would do
well to emulate. Through the tur-
mol Of Mark Twainis excursions,
woven around Tom and Huckleberry
Finn, they comported themselves as
though born with an acting spoon
In their mouths. Most pronounced
was. Of course, the success of Henry
Hull, IT,, Q young actor, who seems
to have gathered from his family
wisdom, into which he injected his
faIxyVa az pftEto aud oafApfRffYaO not.