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

who found that PhilIip Holmes.
he was more OF
a villain than a hero. The mere
mention of the villainy in him, of
course, reduces him to considerably
less than what the author intended.
So one can agree that Mr.. Dresser
is perhaps justified in his complaints.
But for tie average film-goer, who
has not delved into the authors
psychological intricacies, there is no
reason in the world why he should
not be interested-if, at the end a
trifle disguised.
The direction Of Joseph Won Stern
berg is swift. sudden and sometimes
breathtaking. He unleasheS scene
after scene with considerable speed
although oftentimeS injecting cpl
sodeS-such as the eternal grinding
away of the presses-which are need
leSsly commonplace. The general
effect of speed. however, tends TO
enliven a story which might other
wise have died in its boots.
Since there is too little time In
a film to look behind the hinges Of
a persons mind, the murder that
Clyde commits seems about the
worst villainy he could possibly
have plotted. The scene in the
canoe in which he browns Roberta
Alden Sylvia Sidney, the unfor-
tunate factory girl who wanted him
to marry her, is an act that it is i'm
possible to justify (the book. Of
course. does justify it,. And from
that moment until the end there
is not one grain of sympathy that
ha hO, u-i1N
was struggling to get to what he
thought was the top of the world,
and found only misery and another
very different kind of a world there
instead.
Phillips Holmes performance OF
this Mid-WeStern lad, who started as
Dellboy in a hotel and found that
his blonde hair attracted the at
tention Of all visiting ladies, is much
less satisfactory than one could hope
for 1t is performance which
rises only to real power in the splen-
did court room scene (the best thing
in the picture), fer he walks through
the whole in a kind of daze which
seems unnecsS sarily cold.
Sylvia Sidney fares much better
in fact, her smile is the most visit
full Fart of the story-and Irving
Pirhel as Orville Mason is also ex-
cellent. Frances Dee, who plays
the debutante" responsible for
Cylde's downfall. seems adequate, if
a trifle Hollywcooish.
All Of them. however. including
Cylde'S ps9lm-singing mother and
the unpliable Mr. Holmes, contrib
ute to a film which has superlative
moments. whether you think it too
drab or too un-Dreiserish. or too
unlike what you would prefer an
American tragedy to be.
e. DE S. MELCHER.
CIaudette Colbert at Palace
in Secrets of a Secretary"
WHILE MURDER charges are made
mildly intriguing in Secrets Of
a Secretary" featuring Claudette
Colbert at the Palace Theater. they
are important chiefly because they
lead to ingenuity in devising de-
fenSive tactics for young wo ran,
and create suspense in the romantic
story of another young woman who
undertakes to save her friend. The
saving process involves the high
sacrifice of her own freedom from
guilt.
Miss Colbert plays the role of the
social secretary, who is also the self
effacing friend of her. employer, a
daughter of wealth. The produc-
ton is important because of the
prominence it gives to the work OF
this young actress, who has had less
important duties in recent films,
and because her talent is sufficient
to meet the demands of plot which
has some merit and does not provide
too great a strain on the credulity.
Miss Colbert, without losing sight OF
the fact that she is creating a per-
sonality of quality, covers the wide
range Of emotional acting, and is
equally effective in moments OF
gayety and in the moods that &C
company the distress of tragic
events. Herbert Marshall has the
conventional part of Lord Danforth,
whose desire to wed her leads to
complications. He is pleasant and
unqualifiedly correct perSon-just
the proper selection for an impress
sive wedding such as he arrangeS
with the young woman of wealth.
The intended bride has been guilty
of indiscretions with the gigolo hus-
band of her secretary and is about
to pay him blackman money when
he is killed by a gang for holding
out the proceeds of robberies. The
part of Sylvia Merritt, the daughter
of wealth, is played effectively by
Betty Lawford, while the gigolo, a
flaming type, is in the capable hands
of Georges MetaXa.
Among the fine characterizations
in this play are those of the mother
and father of Sylvia, and the APP
pearance of Mary Boland and Berton
Churchill as Mr.. and Mrs. Merritt
is a source of pleasure to those who
are familiar with the high places
that they have achieved on the stage.
Others in the cast are Averell Harris,
Betty Garde and Hugh OConnell.
The Palace has two good comedies,
one of which is a finely done
cartoon, while the stage show, with
artistic settings and its chorus ac-
compartment has a program of
adagio, dancing and comedy which
is made attractive with the contri-
buttons of the Condos Brothers,
ChriSty and Nelson, Miles and Kover,
Jack Reid and Rudy Mason.
D. c. c.
"The Star Witness" and
Joe E. Brown Swamp Earle.
WHEN, yesterday at midday, Joe
W E. Brown, the idol funnyman of
juvenile America, swung his cavern
Gus jaws wide apart, and intoned
that gutteral roar which has
gathered for him more financial roses
than was the highest of neo-Barry-
mores, he was rewarded with such
an answering roar as made the Earle
Theater's rafterS, the streets, in fact
all of this midtown block, shake with
wonder. Outside, the swarm of police
gathered to keep hysterical lady ad-
mirers of Mr.. Brown at arms length,
looked at each other, and wondered
too-that such a mere mortal lin
truth he is a real mortal, even with
red tie, black and white shoes and
patent-leather hair) could do SO
little and win such rewards.
Mr.. Brown has come-and he has
conquered. And mothers will be
miserable all week, handing out the
required sum so that little Willy
can see this great laughing, laugh
ing man For Mr. Brown Is one of