Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06

THE local world knows, OF course,
by now just what Miss Moran
thinks of Clark Gable. She claims
that every young girl, mother and
grandmother on the lot almost
goes into faint at his approach.
Some of the scenes he plays with
Carlo in The Rise and Fall of
Susan Lennon" are said to have
Wilted the casual pasSerby with
their heat. And as for the great,
glamorouS Garbo-the idol of the
studios Miss Moran claims that
when this silent lady of the north
first called her Poly" in her deep.
Sonorous baSso, she almost dropped
dead.
NOW that Miss Moran has de-
parted, and Mr. Dresser has
slipped into the sixties booming
forth great words of abuse at the
perturbation of his American
Tragedy locally on exhibition at
the Metropolitan it seems appro-
pirate to echo his words: God
knows how much we owe to
well. other than Joe Cook and Ed
Wynne-let us say, Marie DRESSER,
Will Rogers, Zasu Pitts. Charlie
Chaplin, Joe E. Brown welcome,
brotherD. Mitzi Green, and all
the other host of comedians teven
Ell Brendel-this with tear who
make us forget temporarily what
dull mortalS we are.
x
RUT hasn't a change come over
the cinema horizon? Aren't
there more clouds nowadays than
sunshine? When we tread the
paths of the mammoth film par
lorS. don't we find there less
laughs and more gloom? Witness
all these American Tragedies"
Waterloo Bridges" the gangster
series. the Ruth Chatterton tear
wringers. the Ann Harding East
Lvnnes." the emotional writings
of the gorgeous Carlo, or the
cynical hiStrionicS of Marjorie
| Rambeau. Where are the Buster
Keators and the Harold Lloyds,
of vesteryear? Almost gone
apparently-but not forgotten.
The more laughs the better-the
more Polly Morans the better
but where are they?
PARAMOUNT among the weeks
news gadgets was the storm
of protest echoed by a hundred
exhibitors in New York against
gangSter pictures. high prices and
the contemplated sales policy OF
M.-G.-M. What. said these mighty
men. is the earthly use, for in
stance. of paying Constance Ben
nett $4,000 a week? What. indeed?
And then some bright light came
along and announced that 1T isn't
the sex in films that is objection
able. it's the treatment OF SEX.
Milder news rumbles along the
flicker" boulevardS include def
mite word that Robert Mont.
gomery-the tall, gangling lad
with the one expression whose
method of being himself is said
to have torn whole households
apart-is to play the Noel Coward
role in the film version of Private
Lives" Norma Shearer will, OF
course. be half of the Lives"
and others in lesser capacities will
be Reginald Denny, Una MerKel
and Jean HerShoit.
SUMPTUOUS, to put it mildly,
: - was the dinner given last
Tuesday by the Universal Brother
hood in honor of the re-opening
of the Rialto. Gentlemen OF the
press and their ladies and ladies
of the press and their gentlemen
sat around the banquet table. and
afterward, without so much as
having to move a finger, witnessed
the new film Waterloo Bridge
Pleasant it was to see not only the
film but the smiling faces of
MessrS. Flader and Collier, who
will be with us again now that the
seal on the door of their Ninth
street theater has been burst
; aSunder.
And, by the way, there is a
rumor of no uncertain magnitude
to the effect that there the ladies
; are requested to reach for their
smelling salts Lew Ayres, Univer-
sails shiek par excellence, will ap-
pear in person at the Rialto some
, time before the blooming Of the
late seasons crocuses.