Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-05

greater gayety.
1t is always a little difficult to
figure out one of these pictures of
the modern youngsters and their
ways, inasmuch as the ways are
magnified SO unceremoniousiy be-
fore the camera. For instance. at
the beginning of this, Miss Craw-
ford. whose father is riding on the
crest Of stock market prosperity, is
depicted giving party on her
yacht, at which all gentlemen and
ladies present strip to the most per-
sonal of their garments, jump over
board and back again, and chat
with each other as though dressed
for the warm and woody gay COS.
This rather informal bit of badi-
mage no doubt may occur frequently
on the rockbound coast of Califor-
MIA, but it does seem a bit strange
when one of the guests-Lester Vail,
and the lights are snuffed-and be-
fore you can say Jack Rabbit you
see your best lady friend standing
beside you in her lingerie, waiting
to do mermaid act without benefit
of bathing suit.
Well, anyway, the rest of the pic
ture is theatrical, but not at all I'M
pleasantly so, and Miss Crawford's
brother joins a gangster tribe, shoots
che Of his sisters Newspaper friends
dead, and dies not ingloriously in her
arms as she sobs over him. All
this is swallowed fairly easily through
the grand efforts of the comely
heroine. And the moral Of it is that
if you have a rich father and he
loses all his money in the stock
market, watch out that little Willie
doesn't turn bootlegger and that you
don't join newspaper and find out
about it.
Miss Crawford, slim, fluffy Golf
ed, handsome in her dancing, capa-
BILE in her acting, steals, of course,
all the honors-except when Cliff
Edwards is around-which isn't half
long enough. Lester Vail is the up
right looking but not too upright
acting hero. William Blackwell does
especially well as the boy with an
alcoholic soul and Natalie Morehead
walks around as per usual as mad
and bad blondine vamp.
The stage show this week is a
unit entitled Novelties, and fea-
lures such ert.sts as Castleton, Mack
and various and Sundry others.
E. de S. MELCHER.
Helen Twelvetrees Has
Fine Support at Metropolitan.
I TNDILUTED Western drama,
with cast bearing some famous
stage names. gives Helen Twelve
trees an opportunity to appear in a
film drama which represents one Of
those stories that tell themselves"
She is a factor of importance in the
telling, and Is at home in the part
of girl of the cattle country, VINO
Is ready for any kind of warfare
where the family fortunes are at
stake. In facial mobility and in
general bearing, she is qualified to
meet, with admirable skill, the sit
uations which are usually 6evoid Of
the feminine element. She is a part
of the continuous action. instead of
appearing at the moments of climax
as a part of the applauding contin-
gsnt.
AS the weeks offering at the Met
rcpolitan. under the policy Of first
run pictures, THE Painted Desert"
has the merit Of giving new force
to a thsme which has been under
taken on numerous occasions. The
cattle stampede Is handled with the
skill which denotes development in
that essential part of dramas of this
type, and the inevitable 6uel intro
duces rare incident which is an
outstanding example of originality.
The runaway mule string with the
ore carts, is realistic, and the dash
over the edge of the canyonlike earth
wall is impressive. So, also, is the
explosion in a mine, which is made
part of the plot.
Two of the older personalities in
the play, participants in the warfare
of the wilds, take on unusual i'm
pOrtance. as one observes that these
lifelong feud fighters are played by
two such finished actors as William
Farnum and J. Farrell Macdonald,
while Edmund Breese and Wade
Boteler contribute their share to the
battle for wealth in wild environ
ment. William Boyd, in the hero's
role. Is outstanding in his work. and
deserves credit for much Of the in
terest in the story. Charles Sellon
and Al ST. John also are on the list.
The Hollywood film of the Stolen
Joo!s' is made part of the pro-
gram at the Metropolitan, while the
Looney Tune for the week, entitled,
Dumb Luck" offers a slight change
from routine, in its emphasis on the
sensational adjunct which gives
greater point to the humor. The
news reel and the organ complete
the program. D. C. C.
Leon Enrol and Zazu Pitts,
With MitZi Green, at RiaIto.
SOMETHING new in comedies has
~ come to the Rialto this week.
A highly amusing quartet has been
wisely and well chosen. with Leon
Enrol, Zazu Pitts. that weirdly pre-
cocious child; Mitzi Green and
Jackie Scarf to represent a Middle
West family travelling in Paris.
Finn and Hattie" which derives
its original title from Finley and
Hattie Had5ock, the Middle Western
married couple, who decide to use
some Of the wealth acquired in that
Furnishing place, back home" to
give their 10-vear-old daughter "ad-
Vart7ees" offers delightful oppor-
tun!t'as for mirth-provoking compli-
cations.
Although Mitzi Green at times
appears so sophisticated as a To-
year-Old girl that she Goes not seem
natural. 1t is more the fault of the
lines she has been given to speak
than her acting. which is spontane-
Gus and convincing.
Rarely has more perfect type
been selected to interpret role than
has been done in securing Zazu Pitts
as the provincial, trusting. small
town American wife. Mise Pitts,
with her blank, surprised Oppression,
is funny lust to look at"
Leon Enrol is delightful as Finley
Haddock, loose in Paris for the first
time away from his wife.
Briefly. the story tells Of the Had
docks taking 10-yesr-old Mildred
abroad. They are Joined in New
York by Mildreds young cousin, Sid
ney, who turns out to be all that is
expected OF an "enIant terrible"
From the minute ttat Mildred
pushes Sidney overheard in order to
catch a duck floating on the water
until she RECEIVERS q 50,000-doliar