Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-29

si x1- - hugn oCohnen'
could have chosen nothing more con-
yincing than this successful comedy
by Moss Hart and George S. Kauf-
man. It Is a medley of satire and
action which appears most appro-
pirate as a tempting morsel for
those who find pleasure in the out
put of the theater. With a large
audience, Manager Taylor's house
had fortunate initial performance.
Passing in review, as the story
unfoids, are trusting souls who hope
to win fame and fortune at Holly
wood, faltering cynics who are al
ways wrong, thoughtful messenger
boys, a perfect feminine Office chief,
authors and other auxiliary unfor-
tunates who have only the lettering
on doors as evidence that they are
employed, masterful luminaries who
know that they are about to produce
great things, and nearly every form
of humanity that illumines modern
1ife-all convinced on one point,
that whatever Is touched by the
films will produce a flow OF gold.
In the midst of the satire that point
seems to have been seriously con-
sidered by the authors, and even
NOUS number of airplanes Is made
to contribute to the wealth OF the
protesting owner of the studio.
Messrs. Hart and kaufman, IN
their play, have resorted to guileless
wit In their patter of comments on
features of the picture colony, and
"Once In Lifetime" offers con-
tinuous succession Of bright touches
which suggest the spontaneity that
mildly stings without ar0using the
curiosity of the victim. It may be
lust a puppet show, but the charac-
tiers are Of flesh and blood, and they
move forward through the three acts
and numerous scenes to a conclusion
which Is dramatic as well as anus
ing. They talk like real people, and
the convincing character Of their
profane vocabulary seems almost
personal to the observer. No scrap
of human quality that attaches to
the business, apparently. has been
overlooked, and there is pathos In
the humor, for each Scintillating
achievement along the way leaves its
trail of misfortune There Is q rec
ord of touching as well IS grotesque
experience for about every kind OF
mentality.
When It Is all over, the newcom-
ers who have passed under the spell
Of the studios have that satisfaction
In their fate which Is the only ac-
ceptable outcome of stage story,
and appear to have shared the for
tune Of all good cinema workers,
whose blImders may be turned to
prosperity A large cast gives weight
to the brisk development Of the plot,
and clever bits Of acting are to be
observed In various directions.
A trio of respondent vaudeville
performers bears the weight of the
drama. Hugh O,Connell, Jean Dixon
and Grant Mills play these parts
resentation of vivid characters. Mr..
O'Connell, as the supposedly least
effective Of the three, turns out to
be the big man at Hollywood and he
plays the part with skill, while Miss
Dixon Is q master Of the humorous
condemnation Of the failures Of
other people which gives her a dis
tinct originality in the creation Of
character. MIR. Mills Is the more
normal Of the trio and his contribu-
ton gives force to the work of his
associates.
Many deserve credit, but outstand-
ing are Marjorie Wood as writer
of movie gossip, Norma Butler as a
young enthusiast, Charles Halton as
the owner Of the studio and Robert
Barratt as q discouraged author
The last mentioned offers an unusual
bit Of acting. Ruthelna Stevens
also has a distinctive place which
she fills with skill. d. @. G.
Private Lives"
A Gem Of Pure Delight.
"PRIvATE LIVES" the better
4 than good Noel Coward comedy,
which appeared at the National last
night, indicates that the theater stil
has few good teeth insits head. 1t
indicates, too, one Of the most pros
porous theatrical weeks of the local
season.
Years hence, when road companies
are no more and when an evening at
the theater means sitting at home
after q dinner of pills and watching
Actor q polish OF his play through
hole In the wall, we should like to
predict that Private Lives" will be
turned on and OF with as much
eagerness as the best comedy Of that
age. At the moment this play repre-
SentS one OF our most acute minds"
OF on rampage about couple and
another couple which proves that 1t
isn't so much the play that matters
but how you play it.
Rumor has II that Mr. Coward,
who matches plays by the yard, sat
down one morning In his deck chair
somewhere" OF the Chinese coast,
and ratified away on his typewriter
until, by cocktail hour, he had COM
pleted his entire script. Enemies of
this comedy viii perhaps say ut
shows it''-but others-and there
must be 1900, 900 strong Of them
will admit that the author has
fabricated something which, though
earthly, suggests immortality through
the sheer exuberance Of its nonsense.
The audience laughed its head on
last night. It isn't Just question
of one round laugh and then silence
either You start during the first
minute and but for q few minutes
of for a scene or two Of "senti-
ment" dts swell" too-Mr Kruger
at the piano, Miss Kennedy sing
ing Some Day I'll Find Your, you
laugh until the last curtain has
come down with a bang. Further
more, the sight of Miss Kennedy
and Mr.. Kruger throwing pillows at