Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25

introduces the
- - original d a
Grant Withers. technique OF
a college cheer
leader in extracting rhythm from
her associates. One famous creator
flashed cross the American hori-
ION some years ago and won the
earnest attention of music lovers
by his athletic methods of leader
ship. His performance is completely
overshadowed by the acrobattc and
dancing abilities of this young
leader. Miss Grice.
The feature photoplay of the
week introduces once more the
natural screen abilities of Grant
Witchers, playing opposite the
talented Mary AStor in railroad
drama which is full of life, has all
the fascination of the well written
story dealing with the rails, and
presents as its most sensational
periods, collision due to battle
in the engine cab, a raging river In
a flood which washes away bridge
while a train is crossing its span
and numerous exhibitions OF the
fearless playing with perils which
are inherent in this business.
TIC play Is CdllC0 SOAACA NASAA -
Women" though it is plain tri-
angle in which two engine pals are
involved, and become rivals not only
in love, but in recklessly facing
death because of recurring Sentl-
ments of loyalty toward each other.
Besides the leading members, the
cast includes Regis Toomey, James
Cagney. Joan Blondell, j. Farwell
Macdonald and Fred Kolker.
Additional acts on the stage are
given by Lillian Shaw, dialect
Coincidence; Vox and Walters in
clever ventriloQuism, Pop Cameron
and his gang" of farceurs, and
Miss Maxine Doyle as mistress OF
ceremonies.
THE Earle Orchestra under Fred
Clark. short subjects and the news
reel complete the program.
D. c. G.
New Palace Show
Is Fair-Only Fair.
GGTHE BACHELOR FATHER"
Il which thrived nightly on the
stage under the wing OF Mr.. Beiasco'
has been made into long, sentimen.
tai screen play, with only minimum
of humor The new picture, current
at the Palace, is in fact CONSIDER
able ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS only
vaguely of the original and not oeIt
enough in its own right to warrant
ANYTHING save mild enthusiasm.
IN spite of a splendid performance
by G. Aubrey Smith as the English
"Sir." who gathers all his extrane-
ous children to his house, and falr
only fair-bit of tomfoolery by
Marion Davies. the picture sinks into
a lethargy along about the emo OF
the first half hour, from which II
never recuperates.
In spite of a splendid performance
those ridiculously amusing moments
when the secretary goes to the home
of the ex-opera singer in Italy, ETC.,
the picture producers have seen mt
to concentrate on the home OF the
American girl, Tony, and to intro
duce a garrulous Irishwoman-too
Irish to be true-who talks and
cries all over the place-and adds
nothing.
fortunately, some of the first few
moments are spr1ghtly and enter
tanning, and give Miss Dawes an OPP
portunity to be as cute" as her ao-
mirers want her to be-. Afterwaro:
however, she falls into the slough OF
of Ralph Forbes, who at this point
takes the cake for being the most
passionless lover since the flood.
The story, which by now must
have been cried through every ham,
let and farm, concerns the attempt
of a equity old Eglishman to gather
under his roof the children who have
been his in various estates and
countries. and to educate these to
like him as a father. His success
and failure in this made vastly
entertaining play, and only slightly
amusing talkie, which finds Miss
Davies not by any means at her
best.
The stage show, presided over by
the uncomical Harry Rose, and
called Mite Lites," Is enlivened
chiefly by a series OF Lees, and q
duslxy gentleman named Sam Paige.
Short features and newsreels COM
plete the program. E. de 5. M.
Oakie in "Gang Buster"
Presented at Keith's.
TT doesn't seem possible that such
L a disagreeable topic as Chicago
pangsters could be made into a
highly amusing comedy, but such Is
exactly what Jack Oakie has done
in 1.-The Gang Buster" which opened
Yesterday at R-K-O Keith's.
Oakie, in 1.-THE Gang Buster" Is
practically the whole show" He
"busts" his way into job, into the
heart of the "girl Of his dreams"
and then finally, breaks up two OF
the most murderous gangs in large
metropolis, famous for its different
rackets.
Familiarly known as Cyclone,
Oakie takes the part of small town
insurance agent, who has gained his
name by his methods of selling
cyclone insurance. He is transferred
from the small town office to the
big city, where he Immediately sells
insurance to prominent lawyer.
Cyclone meets the lawyers daugh-
ter, Sylvia (Jean Arthur, while
selling insurance to her father and
Immediately falls in love with her.
He asks If he may call that evening.
When he arrives at her home, he is
told by the distracted father that
she has not returned. The phone
rings at that moment, and the
father is told by the chief of the
gangsters that the girl has been
kidnapped. Cyclone says he will find
her. He is warned not TO try, but,
undaunted, he goes forth and stalks
from one deadly peril to another.
The way Cyclone works his way
into the very heart Of gangland,
armed only with monkey wrench,
with which he knocks the heads of
a few careless henchmen, andfn the
end brings about the capture of the
chief of the gang, would make even
the most "hard-boiled" gangster
laugh.
A man-to-man fist fight, at the
end Of the picture, should lend added
attraction to the picture for all
fight fans"
In THE Gang Buster" Oakie es-
tablishes himself in the foremost
ranks Of laugh-provoking comedians.
G. s. 8.
Moran and DreSsIer Stir
Columbia Audiences.