Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01
From the Front Row
Reviews and News of Washington Theaters.

came to a close just at that partlcu-
lar moment
Up until then Miss Bennett had
been blandly living the life OF the
idle in modernistic apartment, with
the unwedded Adolph Menjou, whilst
her boy lover-Robert Montgomery
made a career for himself by get
ting scoops on the Argentine revo-
luton. Then, presto, out into the
cold went the young lady after the
boy had come back from there,
found his girl in the apartment of
this sleek and possessive man, and
thrown her down with thud that
must have frozen the Washington
Monument Cold and worn and liv-
ing a life that one hates to think
about. Miss Bennett finally sneaks
out to her sisters home in Pelham
or the Bronx and presses her nose
up against the window pane just as
the Christmas tree is being illumi-
mated and the little tots are running
around singing Noel"
In the midst of this familiar story
about the girl who had to choose be-
tween a tinSel lover and a real one,
there are some splendid moments
provided, not only by the comely
Miss Bennett but by Adolphe Men
jou and Robert Montgomery. Mar
jorie Rambeau, too, appears briefly
as a demi-mondaine whose life is
about as uncertain as a chickens.
On the whole, however. it is all too
full Of "dramatics" and the kind of
moral painting that brought flush
back in the gay nineties, but has
since gone the way of mothballs and
camphor. And the ending is dreary
and finds impressionable ladies of
the audience caught Unexpectedly
with their handkerchiefs wiping
away the tears around about their
eyes.
On. the stage there is just about
average vaudeville provided, with
Bert Gordon, Vera Kingston. Eileen
Dougall and the Melody Boys bring
ing home most of the bacon. Also
E. de S. M.
DreSsIer- Moran
Reduce" for Second Week.
TN Reducing" the Marie Dressler-
Il Polly Moran farce, which is roll
ing along at Loew's Columbia for an
other week. the cinema moguls have
concocted what to most seems to be
a furiouSly amusing comedy. IN
fortunately. to this casual observer.
il seems linn ~~1 i-~--~ ~ IF
tomfoolery, with no redeeming fea-
lures e.,ceDt Seine - -.--J.e. )
expert facial maneuverings.
In spite of the reasonable aspect
of such remark one would like to
add that Miss Moran does not add
one jot or one iota to it, Just why
she has to be linked with Miss Ores
sler is a mystery, since by herself,
Il NNFskl y, H. .11.- st Lot
ter lady has created during the past
season some of the finest bits of
character study in the films. When
they scramble together such hodge
podge of inanities, all one can say
is that it is just too bad
There seems to be an iron-bound
rule that for half the picture these
ladies shall be adoring sisters, or
suchlike. that for the most of the
other half they shall be tearing each
others hair out, and that in the
end they shall be crying all over
each other.
Reducing" offers no novelties in
the unraveling of this plot. 1t goes
on true TO form, even up to the final
blurb of tears And when it is over,
one yearns to see Miss DRESSER
again as she was in Min and Bill"
VA AZ LEU 70 DC gay VI All k1ilIid
Christie For, although she can
probably throw a mud pie at some
body with funnier effects that any,
body around the cinema lot, there
are those who prefer her ADDING
day by day to her inimitable gallery
OF character studies instead.
Anita Page is the usual blonde
anc ms pid daughter and Sally Eilers
IS the other daughter, about whom
all the luss Is made. E. de S. M
Huston at Metropolitan
In THE Criminal Code"
dramatic incidents within prison
walls are shown in The Grim
inal Code" the pholoplay attraction
offered at the Metropolitan Theater.
With a strong cast, headed by Wal
ter Huston and including Constance
Cummings, Phillips Homes Mary
D-ran, Boris Karloff and Arthur
Hoyt, it presents some thrilling mo-
meats in the life of a man who has
served as prosecuting attorney and
then becomes warden of a prison.
Illuminating scenes from the prison
give force to the plot There is
unique incidental romance.