Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25

sides of the audience to relax for
a while, as well as some of the roars
which reach the rafters to quiet
down enough to hear the spoken
lines, bit of drama is put into the
story toward the end. These serious
moments also give Marie Dressler
an opportunity to reveal her versa
tility as an actress. Despite the fact
that there is q certain pathoS about
the Dressler drama, nevertheless she
Is far more entertaining as
comedian.
There is q real story to RE-
ducing," as there usually Is to Marie
Dressler's comedies.
The play opens with Polly Roche
(Polly Moran, the owner Of pros
porous beauty parlor, telling her
pretty, spoiled daughter Joyce
(Sally Eikers) that she has sent
money to her poverty
encountered sister in South Bend to
come to New York, where she, Polly,
will give work and q home to the
family.
One next gets q picture Of Polly's
sister. Marie Truffie (DreSsler), leaV-
ing South Bend with her husband
(Lucien Littlefleld) and her three
children, one of whom Is O pretty
daughter, Vivian (Anita Page.
The scene in which Marie buys the
tickets to New York, fishing around
in the ample regions above her waist
where she has deposited her money,
which has slipped, and the following
scene in the sleeping car, where
Marie attempts to climb into an
upper berth, are alone worth the
trouble of parking your car or walt
ing in line for ticket.
Laugh follows laugh upon this trip
of the TrufTle family to New York
and they continue on through Marie'S
initiation into the secrets Of Polly's
beauty parlor, where Marie Is given
a chance to work, conducting q class
in reducing exercises.
However, the family waters OF the
Roches and Truffles are soon rufded
by Vivian Truffie stealing from Joyce
Roche her beau, John BeaSley (Wil-
liam Collier, jr). Vivian at the same
time temporarily loses interest In her
own beau, young man, Tommy
Havely, from South Bend. Tragedy
is about to ensue for Joyce when
Aunt Marie steps in and saves the
situation.
The scene between Marie and her
niece Joyce affords an opportunity
for Miss Dressler to do some very
excellent serious acting.
Lucien Littlef1eld, as Marie's mall
carrier husband, and a suffering
ticket agent at the railroad station
are quite as funny in their roles as
the two feminine stars.
Two short-reel comedies, a dog reel
and an animated cartoon, as well as
fAnt rKiN IAI 44~
ment to this weeks bill at the Co
lumbia. @. S. S.
Birth Of q Nation" at RialtO
With Added Sound Effects.
r ATTLE of gunf1re, clatter of
~ horses hoofs and roars from as
sembled masses of people have been
added to 1.-THE Birth of a Nation"
which Is offered in all its original
glory at the Rialto Theater. Those
to whom the Griffith production has
always been q source of inspiration
and a renewal of surging emotion
will flnd that, while it is the same
old film, the addition Of these fea-
lures without dialogue, and with the
original accompaniment reproduced
by mechanical means, augmentS
their appreciation. It is also of in
tereSt to the true motion-picture fan
that an opportunity is offered to
renew acquaintance with the great
Griffith success and to compare its
methods with present-day handling
Of the camera. 1t is concluded that
smoothness in action has been per-
fected in the Intervening years, and
that certain new methods of Great
ing dramatic effect have been evolved
fho orf hos onhfouad r,.ara o,,kAfln
approach to the realities of life.
one or two others of the Griffith COM
participation some of the figures in
to view the roles which brought
fame to some of the principals in
THE Birth of a Nation" It is
quite likely that in the compromise
between the new and the old which
the Rialto presents there will be
much interest, because it recreateS
the unforgotten story of the days Of
reconstruction following the Civil
War.
The Rialto also presents Graham
McNamee and his newsreel, the ex-
pert F1oodas organ selections and
one of the most entertaining and
skillful of its cartoons with music.
D. G. c.
Little Caesar" Begins
Run at Metropolitan.
CT TITLE CAESAR" which noses
out all other gangster pictures
since the year /, has been trans
ferred to the Warner Bros Metro
politan Theater, where It's life should
be as prosperous as 1t has been at
the Earle.
This Aim version Of the rapid-fire
novel that Mr.. Burnett did so well
is recommended without stint as the
best Of the yarns which have to do
with life In the under-underworld
Thanks to q brilliant performance
on the part of Edward G. Robinson,
as the man who shoulders the gang
ster world for a while, only to find
his crown too big for him, and va
rious and other roles done to per-
lection by an excellent cast, this Aim
provides excitement of the I'M
esthetic variety which should tickle
anybody who will let himself sink
into the proper mood. With no par
ticular cinematic flourishes, and
zealously truthful to its printed an
cestor. the picture follows along