Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-10

the great American home" Surely
several OF the hilarious bits of the
production bore the stamp Of irrepres-
slole wit, not readily manufactured In
advance.
Delf's play does not 60 outside the
connnes OF an average home for its
characters and its humor. It produces
laughs because 1t depicts situations
sucn as all Of us, at one time or an
other. have been confronted with. There
Is. Tor instance, that opening scene,
Wnere pa, all keyed UP to break the
news OF his promotion to the folks at
nome, Is dismayed to find they have
aLreaoy heard 1t by the grapevine route.
AND the excitement created by the visit
OF the Oldest daughters first beau"
Ana the efforts of Mr.. Collier to get
comfortable in the newly-installed
moderne" furniture, to keep tab on
ms sons love affairs and to restrain his
VIE from meddling in his daughters,
are to the manner born.
The play is built around the match
making proclivities of the mother. a
role aptly portrayed by Elizabeth Pat
t tsrson. The charming daughter, who is
the victim OF her mothers overanxious-
ness, Is lovely Marguerite Churchill,
comparatively a newcomer to the
IaiKles. incidentally, she played in
Wlu Rogers picture. This young lady
Is due for q well-deserved run of
popularity. Rex Bell, erstwhile cowboy
OF the screen, makes an entirely logical
reason for the daughter to fall in love.
Charles Eaton Is corking adolescent
youth Dixie Lee, his flapperesque sweet
neart OF the dance halls, and Charlotte
Henry, his young, sweet and dumb
sister, Dora, help to make this Offering
a laugh-riot that one must see and
hear to appreciate.
stage is the old but always appealing
revue in miniature, literally speaking
by Singers Midgets. These half-pint
editions Of humanity stage q really
creoitable show, all to themselves, with
vaudeville, musical comedy and circus
stun colorfully and att actively inter-
mingled: The children will enjoy the
performing elephants, Shetland ponies
and reindeer.
A short supplementary comedy with
neIectlve sound reproduction, but anus
ing plot based on the stock market
crash was shown at the opening per-
Iormance Saturday, in addition to a
FOX Mov1etone clay-modeling feature
depicting the life of Lincoln. Maestro
Brusiloh leads his talented musicians
In an excellent overture, blending sew
eraI Wen known classics including that
old favorite, "Anitras Dance"
PALACE The tallkies also have
helped to immortalize J.
"Seven Days NJ. Barrie. They have
Leave" taken his delightful war
play, 1.-THE Old Lady
Shows Her Medals" and transformed it
into one of the most charming, whim-
steal, humanity touching pictures SO far
produced. Under the title Seven DAYS
Leave" 1t is now being shown at the
Palace. The picture contains so much
OF Barrie and so little Of HOLLYWOOD
that one wonders how the powers of
hlmdom ever achieved such a thing.
Considerable courage and speculation
must have been in the air when the
possibilities OF this story were being
considered. Certainly there is material
in it reasonably foreign to the usual
Hollywood propaganda. Far from the
usual is It's theme, the action con-
Germs a mere Seven-day interlude in the
wartime lives Of q soldier and a senti-
mental woman who pretend that they
are mother and son. Out of this SEEM
tngly threadbare myth the talkieS have
fashioned a masterpiece.