Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25
From the Front Row
Reviews and News of Washington Theaters.


daughter and Polly's son is done in
weakened fashion, due partly to
Anita Pages impossible makeup.
Charles Morton tries his best in the
role Of the lover, and Is as convinc-
ing as he Is allowed to be.
There are amusing short subjects
on the program, and to conclude 1t
the Hearst Metrotone newsreel and
the Columbia Orchestra to their bit.
e. de s. M.
"The White Hell Of Pitt Palu"
Exceptional In Story and Grandeur.
A extraordinary picture of DEATH
defying Alpine climbers, the
magnitude Of which Is as immense
as the lofty mountain peaks which
furnish the inspiration for the story,
Is offered for the first time in this
country, in THE White He'll of PITT
Palu," at the Rialto this week.
Gripping and intense are the
scenes which unfold themselves
rapidly, from the beginning where
two young Swiss honeymooners start
with q companion to climb the north
wall of the unconquerable mountain
PITT Palu, to the closing scenes OF
their rescue when lost In one OF the
mountain crevices.
Throughout the entire picture one
is conscious Of being face to face
with life and death itself-not the
life and death of Hollywood scenes,
but those actually experienced by
the participants of the drama. 1t
Is realism itself which brings this
conviction.
The picture, produced by ia
nous German scientist, DR.. Arnold
- @.a fl,fs Cyrfo
and was eight months in the max
ing. At numerous times the actors
narrowly escaped death in the max
ing of the scenes.
No more audacious nor magnificent
airplane flying has ever been pro-
duced In a picture than the scenes
in which the famous German air
ace, Ernest Udet, loops the loop In
an Alpine mountain crevice so mar
row that the icy walls on each side
seem about to reach out and strike
him. At times the plane used In the
picture is apparently headed straight
for q snow drift, when with q grace
full movement it rises above the
crash which appears unavoidable,
and scars over an ice peak as easily
and gracefully Is 1t would on land
ing field.
A cast comprising excellent Ger
man and Swiss actors, not only SUI
perior artists but adept skiiers and
mountain climbers as well, unfolds
the thrilling drama. The role of DR..
Kraft, one. of the principal char
acters, is played by young German,
Gustav Diesel, who has one of the
strongest and most exceptional faces
yet seen upon the screen. Diesel's
- a. Dc xrfvt I'd >4vrrv a
he seems ideally adapted to his role
. In "The White Hell of PITT Palu."
The story deals with venturesome
souls, who yearly risk their lives to
climb the dangerous mountain peaks
Of Switzerland. A young couple
start forth to spend their honey
moon In this fashion, when they
meet, In refuge cabin half way up
the mountain side, DR.. Kraft, who
two years before had lost his wife in
trying to scale the north wall of
PITT Palu. Frantic from his loss he
had spent the entire time after her
death roaming over the mountains,
hoping to find her body. The young
honeymooners are allowed to ac-
company him upon one of his expe-
ditions up Palu, and in doing so
nearly lose their lives. The thaws
which have set In cause an ava
lanche to fall upon their trail and
S they ind themselves trapped on q
! side OF the mountain. Eventually
located by an airplane they are
rescued a3arely In time TO save them
from freezing to death. Brought
back half alive to the cabin on the
mountain side; they learn that DR..
Kraft had disappeared, leaving q
note that he had gone to Join
Maria" the young wife whom he
had lost two years before.
The story Is exceptionally strong,
and THE White Hell Of Pitz Palu"
picture that one should not fail to
see. q. 8. s.
Born Reckless"
Good Entertainment. ~
A N entertaining, fast-moving pic
ture, handicapped by one Of
those rapidly increasing fallacies OF
the cinema world, its title, Born
Reckless" is offered this week at the
Fox Theater. Not a monotonous
moment is experienced in witnessing
this picture, whose scenes carry one
rapidly from bank robbery in New
York on to France through the
World War, the return of the
terror of New York night club,
! the drawing room of a society
leader and then down to a rack
eteer's hiding place on the shores of
Long Island.
Edmund Lowe, as the leading
member Of an East Side gang, plays
his part convincingly and capably.
Sound effects are unusually good
and delightful bit of singing is
offered by quartet, which, as
soldiers Of the A. e. r. in one Of
the war scenes, entertain the bud
dies with that old number, "On the
Banks Of the Wabash"
In the legion of war pictures
which have flooded the country in
the past 10 years, no more remark
able military scenes have been
shown than those in this picture,
depicting a battalion Of field artil-
lery charging over battle-torn sec
ton, with shrapnel digging up the
roads over which they are travelling.
That stirring artillery song, When
the Caissons Go Rolling Along"
accompanies the roll and the roar
OF the gun carriages, and makes
bAh A1lAIl6 tilCHtN oOiS 4Ot tlC
occasion.
Louis Beretti, played by Edmund
Lowe, Is one of that great New York
underworld who at the beginning of
the war is apprehended for robbery.
He is about to be "sent up the river"
with two companions when the Judge
gives him and his buddies a chance
to 60 to the war instead. He makes
good as real fighting man." and
returns from the war with several
decorations and the decision to make
an honorable living. He achieves
success as owner and proprietor of
a night club and avoids complica-
tons with his old gang. until one of
them kidnaps the child Of young
woman. whose brother had been
buddy" Of Beretti's in France.
Beretti Immediately suspects the
gangster kidnaper. follows him to his
hiding place, and after the smoke
of the shooting rises the gangster
~