Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-26

TINE rules for box once success In
the movies are revised from day
to day. depending upon whether
L gangster melodrama, q lurid
lesson in sex or two-reel
comedy achieved the highest gross last
week in Topeka, Kans. If it's the gang
film that did the biggest business, then
every studio In Hollywood will send out
an order for another thousand Thomp-
son sub-machine guns and Al Capone
will be called upon to deny l18 fresh
rumors that he has been signed to a
movie contract.
II it's the sex lesson that gathers the
greatest number of customers, then all
scenario supervisors will be ordered by
their bosses to get in touch at cnce with
Ursula Parrot and find out how much
she will accept for an option on her
next unwritten true confession. Whereas
If the comedy springs a surprise and
tops them all, then the major corpora
tions will Immediately begin to bid
against each other for the services of
the youthful members Of Our Gang"
AS the verdict rendered yesterday by
Topeka may be completely reversed to-
morrow by the verdict Of Spokane. and
then again the next day by the verdict
of Jacksonville, it is small wonder that
the great moguls of Hollywood are in
a constant state of indecisive bewilder-
ment There is one thing. however,
that Is reasonably sure: Whatever are
the current rules Of box office success
George Arliss has violated all of them
The fact that his pictures, "Disrael, "
The Green Goddess" "Old English
and THE Millionaire" have been profit
able while many sure-fire hits have
been Hopping should give one the dark
suspicion that perhaps the rules mean
nothing
1t is true that all his offerings have
been adorned with a modicum of sex
appeal. In "Disraeli' it was Joan
Bennett, and In THE Millionaire" the
latest, it is Evalyn Knapp, who resem-
b,es a composite of all the Bennett
sisters. But this desirable element has
been so effectually subjugated as to be
negligible.
On top Of all this, in THE Million
aire" Mr.. Arliss commits the arch
crime Of impersonating a typical Amer
the homely Coolidge philosophy, who
talks with a scholarly English accent.
Can you tie that, folks? It is as though
the Archbishop Of Canterbury were to
play opposite Charlie Murray In THE
Cohens and Kellys in Arabia"
Perhaps you will find the answer to
the mystery of Mr.. Arliss' success in
the faces of the crowds who go to see
his pictures and enjoy his charm and
his distinction. They are the faces of
people who aren't ordinarily to be OBJ
served in film parlors. They form the
great reserve audience. whose existence
the film producers ordinarily ignore.
TN 1.-THE woman's Angle" corner of
Variety appears the following blanket
Endorsement Of Strangers May Kiss:
Has everytl1ing-sex, clothes, interest
ing conflict, appealing moral and q
favorite star"
With the first, second, third and NTH
assets mentioned. no one can possibly
disagree. strangers May Kiss" I'M
questionably has sex, clothes, interesting
conflict and a favorite star.
What bothers me. however. Is that
term, appealing moral" Just what Is
it? Presumably it is a moral that will
appeal to women-but in what way?
Let us examine briefly the story Of
Strangers May Kiss" and see If we
can discover the secret. Norma Shearer
is stenographer with advanced ideas.
She doesn't believe in marriage Her
contempt for this ancient institution Is
heightened when somebody's aunt COM
mits suicide because her husband has
been unfaithful, while the guilty hus-
band goes on living, drinking and en-
joying himself
Following which Miss Shearer dashes
of gayly to Mexico with q man who