Evening star., 1931-05-31

UioIOLl VI Cpccu WHICH mlgnL well De
expected in a popular newsreel. The
marine comedy Of the piece also
gains force from the incident Of the
removal Of two former husbands of
the heroine from the scene by push
ing them through port holes and
leaving them hanging over the side
OF the steamer in which a portion of
the plot Is unfolded.
Miss Lightner has won q con-
spicuous place in comedy Of the
more obvious type, and her films are
worthy OF attention because of con-
tinuous practice in the art of prov
voking laughter. She has a large
following. The theme Of the present
production, which is the develop
ment OF new models by a firm max
ing bathing suits. Is rather thin for
continuous use in the course of full
screen entertainment, and registers
only moderately. with the exception
OF the points already mentioned. So
far as the material -ermits. the cast
performs adequatel. and includes
Dorothy Christy Claude Gilling-
water. Charles Judels, Charley
Grapewin. Arthur Eoyt. George
Byron, Vivian Oakland and Virginia
Sale.
A spirited stage show is headed
by Dack Shing and Company. ORR
entail acrobats and jugglers, with re-
markable exhibitions OF skill. and
includes Glenn and Jenkins. black
face comedians: Phyllis Rae and the
Ambassador Octet, in dancing and
songs, and Joe Phillips and Com
pany, in comedy. Short subjects. Sc
lections by the orchestra. a Newman
travel talk on Brazil, and the news
reel, conclude the bill, with Miss
Doyle as mistress Of ceremonies.
D. c. c.
"Daybreak" at Palace
Features Ramon Novarro.
EVER since the days when Ramon
Eovarro PLAYED The Student
Prince" his cinema life has been
bound up with Heidelberg melodies.
beer gardens and the life of a gay
and dashing adventurer In Day
break" his new film. which opened
yesterday at the Palace, he Is just
such a lad. with perhaps an ounce
more of the boy scout in him.
Unfortunately this picture has
little OF the Zest of many of his
others. Mr.. Novarro has gone dis
tinctlv coy. His characterization Of
the Viennese heart-breaker. a lieu
tenant in the emperor's army. all
wrapped up in elaborate uniforms.
dizzy with buttons. Is by no means
the best in his long and successful
repertory. There Is q sentimental
beginning, in which the heroine
plays the piano, goes to a wine gar
den with her sudden lover (Mr. No
varro), drinks too much, and then.
sitting on the bank of a familiar
Hollywood lake. asks to look at the
moonstruck river, and suggests that
they become swans and swim along
on its current. All this Is fairly di--
couraging particularly the swan
part, and also the fact that al
though perhaps it is an original
idea for a photoplay. most gentle
men wouldn't be too pleased to have
a lady Of their heart. on the first
rendezvous, get garrulous over sew
eral tankards Of wine.
After this. the film sobers up a.
little; the lady is disillusioned by
Mr. Novarro shortly after breakfast,
and starts wildly in on a life OF sin
with a gentleman who apparently
had been waiting downstairs for just
such an outburst. But that doesn't
last forever-and even though the
emperor has commanded all his
officers to marry well-the upshot Of
1t all is-well, three guesses-and the
first one was right!
Jean Hersholt plays excellently in
the picture, as does C. Aubrey Smith
and Mr.. Novarro Is best when he
isn't taking his shirt of. Helen
Chandler Is good in places. and very
bad in others-and just which wins
out is a question.
The stage show, "BreeZing Along"
is excellent Spring tonic, with Hal
Yates, Block and Sully and others OF
commendable note in it.
E. de S. MELCHER.
"Quick Millions" Gang
Film, at Metropolitan.
occasionally an actor comes
~ to the screen and upSetS all the
traditions of mummydom which Gus
tomarily mar the best of movie
stories. In support of this conten-
ton. In Quick Millions" at the
Metropolitan this week, Spencer
Tracey plays the now outWorn role
of gangster chieftain with such skill
that one forgets the trite basis of
the story.
It must be said that the present
tale, although the usual quick ascent
and rapid decline Of an enterpris-
ing bruiser form the conventional
outline of its course, is given fresh
treatment by its director. Bugs
Raymond begins as what Is known
as a tough mug. applies himself to
the fine art of racketeering and
meets with the appalling success
which Hollywood would have us be-
lieve is inevitable.
Recently the trend Of gang heroes
has been Shakespearean, If the term
may be deflled. in that most of our
silver screen Capones are shown to
rise through forcefulness and fall
through some innate fault of char
acter-if the average thug may be
said to have such. Bugs" weak
ness was fair for front" still
known in certain regions as re-
spectability.
The ambitious lad, who machine
gunned his way into partnership
with a famed building contractor,
cherished the desire to marry
debutante and rub silk hats with the
best Of them.
This peculiar penchant of the
great Bugs" righteously infuriated
his less imaginative partners in
crime. Therefore, having Travelled
the road to wealth, power and no
toriety, he was given command in
vitation to his own flowery funeral.
The incidents Of this fruitless
career are pleasingly presented IN
Quick Millions" and the Hollywood
story manufacturers have given the
picture q touch Of familiar interest
by injecting suggestions of the
famed banquet robbery in New York
and the Detroit Staying.
In addition to Spencer Tracey's
splendid performance as Bugs
Characterization en- rlAagip1 that IN