Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-10
The Weeks Attractions in Local Theaters
Reviews of New Photoplays and Stage Productions
NATIONAL
"Across the World.
The most recent
re- cord of that
world : rowing pair,
Mr.. and Mrs. Mar

NATIONAL The most recent
= record of that
"Across the World" world rowing pair
Mr.. and Mrs. Mar
tin johnson, entitled Across the World
With Mr.. and Mrs. Martin Johnson, 81
is on view this week, afternoons and
evenings, at the National Theater. That
their experiences have dwindled per-
ceptibly since they filmed "Simba" is
apparent, but that they have found in
teresting cannibals, entertained three
Boy Scouts and been witnesses to the
migration of what seems like a world
of zebraS is beyond doubt.
The first part Of the film, taken in
the South Sea Islands, has 1t all over
the last half, which wanderS over into
Africa. The reason for this Is that
the cannibals look much more ferocious
than the lions. What with the Boy
Scouts playing a mock game of golf,
supposedly in the very jaws Of the
wild beasts, and Mrs. johnson "prink-
ing" as she goes into action there is
something bit tame about the African
Congo scenes. Perhaps it is because
one has a feeling that the lions are
actually a mile or so away, instead of
a few feet, that the excitement is
placed at disadvantage. At any rate,
there isn't climax that exhilarates,
and one goes home with a feeling that
the expedition must have had a good
time. but rather forgot to cook up q
"sure-fire" ending.
This picture Is advertised as the
Johnsons' first talkie. The synchroni-
cation of sound, however, hardy proceeds
with the film. The only talking there Is
comes from the studio voice of Mr..
johnson, with occasional witticisms-if
you want to call them that-from his
WIFE Starting of with an after-dinner
party at the Martins New York apart
ment, one is shown what the stars Of
this film look like in evening dress.
The light goes out in q minute and
one is waited across the world to the
Solomon Islands in the South Seas.
From then on the pictures are very
interesting. The many views that have
been shown of cannibalS in various films
up until now can't compare with the
glimpSes the Jo11nsons have brought
back with them. Their noses riddled
with adornments, their dried-up flesh,
their elongated heads, make these can
nibalS very unusual camera studies.
They are photographed in laughter and
in anger and, in one case, dancing on
the grave of one of their kinsmen whom
they had recently buried alive on &C
count of his advanced years. They
are also SHOWN Win tLlelF oeVu-
devils" which they try to keep amused.
BY the time the camera reaches
Africa, after picturing many crocodiles,
rhinoceri and hippopotami in the South
Seas, the explorers seem to have grown
weary, for from then on, apart from q
few well fed lions, a superb glimpse of
o threatened invasion of Zebras and
wildebestes and q picture of an Afri-
can chief drinking a glass Of water
aided and abetted by his five wives,
there is really very little of Importance.
Dick Douglas, however, one of the
three Boy Scouts that visited the john
sons in Africa, between the halves of
the film told the audience of amusing
and exciting experiences and made up
for whatever the pictures might have
omitted.
Before the feature film there is q