Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-17
The Snoring Picture cAlbum
BY Robert e. Sherwood.
N that easily forgettabIe film drama,
Born TO Love-" is a demonstra-

N that easily forgettable film drama,
Born TO Love-" is demonstra-
ton Of the evils that occur when
4 truth is sacrificed for the benefit
OF a solitary star. We see Miss
Constance Bennett as q war nurse
Early in the picture she falls in love
with q handsome young leading man
who Is about to return to the line in
France. Later she hears that he has
been killed However, a singularly
noble and broad-minded British officer
InarrieS her and all is well--until the
original lover returns Unexpectedly
from nowhere. Following which her
husband turns mean and divorces her,
thereby enabling her in the final fade
out to merge with the man Of her first
choice.
To carry out this preposterous plot
and also to give Miss Bennett all the
audiences sympathy at all times, it is
necessary TO warp and distort the i'm
portant character of the British off,
Ger. He must be gallant and decent
enough to forgive her. and also attrae-
tive enough to gain her affection; and
then, for no good reason. he must sud-
denly become a heartleSs, repulsive
monster In the beginning he must
justify Miss Bennett In marrying him
and clinging TO him. and In the end
he must justify her in loathing him
and leaving him.
It is small wonder that throughout
Born TO Love" Miss Bennett gives the
impression that she hasn't the faintest
idea what 1t is all about. She walks
through the picture IN dazed sort OF
way, obediently fulfilling the terms OF
her contract, doing as she is told being
shot by the camera In one emotional
scene after another, but indicating al
all times that she doesn't know what
the shooting's for and, Furthermore,
doesn't much care.
There is another instance of unfortu-
nate character manipulation in The
Secret Six"
This is a highly moral melodrama
purporting TO show how the bootleggine
industry In a great city is wiped out
by group of patriotic vigilantes, aided
by noble newspaper men and gallant
policemen. It would be all very stirring
and the audience would doubtless De
moved to cheer the triumph OF virtue
were it not that the forces of vicious
ness are led by Wallace Berry.
The trouble is that Mr.. Berry Is SC
much more alive, more hearty, more
ponents that, despite the strenuous
efforts of the scenario writer to repre-
sent him as a contemplate cur, the
crowds sympathy is all with him.
TOO often movie authors evolve
wonderful ideas for plots and ther
create characters TO fit into them. They
should work just the other way around
For characters are apt to assert theil
right TO live their own lives: they re.
fuse to At into the mechanical plot'
devised for them.
One of the finest of all examples oil
honest, fortnight character develop.
ment is in The Public Enemy" The
chief protagonist OF this remarkable
melodrama is permitted TO shift fol
himself, with the result that the recorc
of his progress upward and downward
is relentlessly consistent and logical
The authors haven't tried to make hin
turn sweet for the sake of sentiment2
effect, or to realize the error of hi
ways for the sake Of happy ending
Re lives like a rat. and he dies like {
rat, and the audience knows that thu
hlgi,sr justice has been done.
fT TIE way, have heard an inter
.-1S but possibly unauthentic ex
r .naCion Of the surprising excellenc
Of the The Public Enemy" Waite