Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-02

bASECDO t1AAAAS VA bAAS ONeN0OAA
in local filmdom is the showing OF
the Amos n Andy picture, Check
and Double Check" You may be
disappointed in the first screen
effort of the comedians; you may
consider the story entirely insult
able for their combined talents;
you may decide that the two
highly paid performers shine
more brightly as radio stars, but
you must admit that they have
taken the city by storm. Man
ager Shield of the Keith's R-K-O
Theater has wedged in an extra
showing during the day and he
has made unusual efforts to give
everybody in the city-man, wom-
an and child-a chance to see
the picture, but in spite of all
this, long lines are waiting outside
his box Office.
The writer is compelled to ad-
nit at this point that he has long
been a follower of the Amos n
Andy radio serial. He has count
ed the evening lost if he has
missed events of the Fresh Air
Taxicab Office, but he was rather
disappointed in the first screen
work of the comedians. 1t may
be that they will become better
actors as time goes on, and when
one really gets down to the facts,
they are not to blame for the de-
fects of their first picture.
In the first place, 1t appears
that their producers paid a for
tune for the work of the two stars
and then about SIS for the COM
bined story and settings. The
comedians were certainly worthy
of better vehicle, at least when
one considers that they were paid
a half million dollars for their
few days in the studio. However,
Amos N Andy are funny; their
picture will be one of the big
money makers of the season, and
they bring a new note to the
screen. It Is idle to compare
either their voices or antics with
those of such blackface comedians
as Mcintyre and Heath, Honey
Boy Evans, George Primrose,
Frank Tinney and Lew Dock
stader. The latter group were a
class unto themselves finished
stage comedians of another day
and it is difficult to place these
modern comedians in their shoes.
Naturally, in the radio talks of
Amos n Andy, the dialogue is all
we are concerned with, and by
following the picture closely it
will be noticed that this feature
is the dominant one. It is the di-
alogue of the two stars which car
rieS the picture-not the story.
Familiar words bring the laughs
and turn the picture into box
Office hit.
MUSIC-or no music?
This is a problem which is
being given serious consideration
by the Hollywood manufacturers.
You see, it is this way: Some of
the big musical Aims produced
and exhibited in this country
have been fair box office attrac-
tions-that is they have done
about as well as could be expect
ed, although their producing cost
in some instances mounted high.
But these same pictures are sent
W 4OACAGA 4641Ao.s 4A4C NdcAA AAO4A
the foreign sales is velvet" for
the producer. The American
showings may pay of the cost of
production. But in a large num-
Der of recent cases, the musical
pictures have been fat failures in
Europe. The foreigners have not
liked our singers, and one partic-
ular case may be cited. Paris"
with Irene Bordoni and Jack
Buchanan as the stars, received
such a cold welcome in Berlin that
a portion of the audiences asked
their money back, according to
German newspapers.
The musical picture was the
first successful form of sound pic
ture, and unless there is mighty
upward trend in its popularity
within the next few months, it
will probably be the first to be
discarded. However, such pictures
as "Whoopee," which is a straight
muical comedy, are expected to do
much for the singers of sweet
songs. Florenz Zeigfeld would
not suddenly become interested in
the sound motion pictures unless
he could foresee a future in his
particular line of endeavor. He
is much interested in ''Whoopee"
and in the stage and screen pro-
duction of something new, which
is now known as Smiles"
WASHINGTON theat ergoers
w have a big week ahead of
them, according to the list OF pic
lures scheduled. For instance,
Norma Talmadge comes back as
the flaming 'Du Barry; Amos m
Andy are held over in the hit,
"Check and Double Check; Eyes
of the World" will give us some
thing out of the ordinary, accord
ing to advance notices; Edmund
Lowe has a real star part in
Scotland Yard; Eddie Cantor,
one of the highest paid stage
comedians, brings his joyous COM
pany in "Whoopee"; Loretta
Young gives us the Truth About
Youth" and Bert Lytell shows the
'fLast of Lone Wolf" And Of
course, you may know all the facts
about "Unguarded Girls" Indi-
cations point to a list of thor
oughly worthwhile pictures.
IA S regards new pictures just over
the horizon, the Mark Twain
story, tom Sawyer" starring
Jackie Coogan, is being looked
forward to. 1t will be remembered
that this young actor made his
screen debut when he was only 6
years old. Jackie in his new pic
ture should be just about as visit