Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-19
From the Front ROY
Reviews and News of Washington $ Theaters.

V ashlngton s l heaters.
tunes and an unusually rich set
ting In connection. with the stage
show, which also includes the pres
entation, Royal Revels," from the
Capitol Theater, New York, with
the coronation of King Komedy,
under the direction of the comedy
dancer, Ben Blue. Others on the
bill are Margie Greene, acrobatic
dancer; Albertina Vitak, toe dancer:
Fortunello and Cirelino, acrohatic
clowns, and the Palace Orchestra.
The news reel has the latest events.
D. G. G.
Winnie Lightner at the Earle
In Life Of the Party"
TOLD diggers are permitted to
" win the rewards that usually go
to virtue when a comedy is the ex-
cuse for their appearance again on
the screen. as In the Winnie Light
rer offering at the Earle, THE Life
of the Party" which opened yester-
day. The featured member OF the
company is one of those condolences
who are never under the necessity Of
seeking the spotlight or the center
of the stage, for her every act or
tone or facial characteristic Is an
invitation to be amused. Players of
that type are refreshing factors In
the development of the lighter types
of productions, and the comedy at
the Earle is one that will be remem-
bered because of its spontaneous
form Of entertainment.
while Miss Lightner qualities as
the traditional comic lead, the sur
rounding company does not lack the
necessary spirit, and the action moves
with q dash that permits no sugges-
ton of time-killing devices. The
play is particularly rich in clear-cut
characterizations, which bear the
stamp of somewhat exaggerated
types from real life, such as carry
their own delightfully."- interesting
psychology. The original story, from
the pen of Melville CroSsman, has
been turned to screen use, with the
additional merit of color photog-
raphy. The theme itself, exploiting
two models from q garment shop
masQuerading as pair OF tourists,
one of them an heiress, and pursu-
ing the wrong Mr.. Smith In an at
tempt to capture q millionaire, car
ries its own elements of amusement.
In addition to the clever acting Of
Miss Lightner, Charles Butterworth,
as Col. JOY, owner OF racing stable,
who unexpectedly falls In love with
one Of the gold diggers, is very sue
cessful In representing the serio-
comic. while Charles Judels as LIE
Marie. proprietor of the garment
shop, never fails to contribute to the
fun in his moments Of violence, In
the course of which he becomes ex-
pert at smashing furniture. Irene
Delroy as Dot, the companion of the
Flo OF Miss Lightner, Is an efflcient
aid in the schemes, which require
feminine finesse, and the other mem
bers Of the company, Jack Whiting,
John Davidson and Arthur Hoyt, are
capable.
Among the strongest scenes is that
at q race track in which Miss Light
ner takes the place Of q drunken
Jockey and attempts to ride a horse
to victory In order to win the long
odds involved In her bet on the race.
The remainder of the Earle pro-
gram offers Lucas, featured with
songs in which he employs the guitar
for accompaniment; William and
Joe Mandel, acrobatic comedians;
castro end White in songs and
dance, assisted by Bernice Marshall;
Sunny Schuck and the King sisters.
and clifford and Marion. Vitaphone
Variety and the news reel complete
the bill. d. G. G.
The Lady Surrenders"
eleases ut RiaItO.
THE inevitable triangle problem.
featuring an extraordinarily
g.
whose "meanneSs'' would drive any
tired business man into the arms Of
the sympathetic lady standing by
ready and waiting. is the sum and
substance of 1.-THE Lady Surrenders,"
this weeks Offering at the Rialto.
Clever acting by the principals. Gen.
evieve Tobin, Rose Hobart and Con-
rad Nagel, saves the play, with its
distasteful complications, from being
what might easily have been sordid
and tireSome.
One knows from the beginning
that the ignored and mistreated hus-
band, Winthrop Beauvel, played en-
GENTLY by Conrad Nagel, will find
sympathy In feminine form other
than his wife. Not that he seeks 1t.
No, indeed! In fact, he seeks TO
find why his wife does not under
stand him, when his wife's best
friend comes along and attempts to
enlighten him. Even then he thinks
only Of his wife and In the early
part Of the play is model Of f1del-
fly. The play might easily have
been entitled THE Gentleman Sur
renders" and tell the story as
truthfully as the name which 1t now
Briefly, the story tells of Win
throp Beauvel Conrad NageD, at
tractive, serious and conscientious
business man, whose idea Of real
holiday Is to so duck shooting with
his wife.
Isabel, the wife. subtly played by
Genevieve Tobin, has no taste Tor
either duck shooting or husbands.
Her time Is taken up in writing
stories Of unhappy marriages and
playing around with sophisticated
friends. Refusing the invitation TO
90 mentioning with her husband,
she goes on a party with some friv-
olous friends, forgetting that her
friend Mary (Rose Hobart) has been
invited to visit her.
Mary arrives in Isabels absence
and finds the disconsolate husband
regretfully cleaning the gun which
had been intended for the ducks.
While q guest in the Beauvel home,
it does not take Mary long to dis
cover that Winthrop is a woefully
neglected and misunderstood husband.
Isabel, through an article she
writes, discovers that there are two
sides TO the marriage question. She
delegates Mary to find out her hus-
bands true feelings on the subject.
Mary protestingly does as she Is
asked and receives the appreciation
Of Isabel by being accused Of dis
loyalty. Isabel, convinced that her
husband and her friend have been
untrue to her, departs for Paris to
seek q divorce. The day she is to
receive her divorce, her companion
deserts her for an actress, and feel
ing she has better man at home,
she declines the divorce and sails for