Evening star., 1932-02-13
From the Front Row
Reviews and News of Washington 5 Theaters.

rugged. stalwart and amusing dig
nifty. Even the plates don't shat
ter his composure.
The stage show, q kind of vaude-
vile revue in which there is q good
adagio team, Is chiefly enlivened by
Joe Cook, that postmaster of come
dians. who delivers series OF his
inimitable tumblings, jugglings and
inventions. One of the most like
able OF all laugh kings, he includes
that hilarious invention Of his.
which plays one dulcet note Of
music" as the curtain comes down.
Anything he does. as q matter Of
fact, is funny. which makes the
whole show a more than successful
bit of propaganda against that OF
davil plague-depression."
Z. de S. MELCHER.
West Of Broadway
At Warmers Metropolitan.
THE cinematic doings at the War
ners Metropolitan this week
provide a variety OF entertainment,
three-quartefS Of which Is way up
IN the better-than-average class.
In the first place. there is a we'll
timed and stimulating picture on
"Manchuria," in the second. John
Gilberts latest Aim. West of
Broadway" much better than you
might suspect, and thirdly. other
items that include an s. s. Van
Dine mystery yarn, and q Rudy
Vallee short in which Rudy allows
himself to be eclipsed by a young
"boop-a-doop" lady.
Mr.. Gilbert's acting in his current
film is much better than 1t has been
of late. In fact, he2presents version
of the "jitters" and morning latter
hangover, which is beyond doubt
the best display of post-alco-
holic misery on record. He Is seen,
too, as young man thrown over by
his lady friend. instead Of having to
knock her down (as has been his
cinematic wont) for her over-heavy
fondneSs for him.
The story-more than vaguely
familiar-is a harmless exhibition
of young millionaire. who on And
ing that his fiance has forgotten
him while he fights the good fight
in France, marries a slightly rough
and-tough young lady, whom he has
just met and with whom he is not
at all in love. When, the next morn
ing, he finds himself with an unex-
pected wife, he tells her good-by,
offers to pay her of, heads out to
the great wide open spaces to get a
new lease on life, and once there
finds that his wife" has somehow
gotten there ahead of him. In des-
peration he tries by various and
sundry means to get rid of her
but in the end succeeds only in dis
covering that he has been In love
with her all along.
While there is nothing startling
in this film there is also nothing
Objectionable, and the sight of such
handsome faces as Madge Evans
and Lois Moran do much toward
making it a real pleasure. Miss
Moran, however, seems always cast
as an off color laSSie, when in
reality she should always be the
most docile and gentle of girls.
e. de S. M.
Three Wise Girls"
And Unkindness of a Big City.
7 IFE in a big city is unkind to
numerous persons who make up
the personnel of Three Wise Girls"
the new film at the Rialto Theater.
AS a motion picture subject 1t is
especially kind to Jean Harlow, and
presents her in a character which
is featured throughout the story.
1t is probably the most pretentious
piece of work in which she has ap-
peared for some time.
In cooperation with Walter Byron,
she gives a good exhibition of the
reactions of the country girl rising
from drug store clerk to the posi-
ton of the wife of a man of wealth.
There are many misunderstanding
through the placing of each of the
principals in false light, but with
an intervening divorce from sec
ond woman, after the girl has re-
turned to the home town, there Is
concluding situation with the sun
shining with unalloyed brightness.
Miss Harlow puts force into her
character and is. closely associated
with another romance which ends
less happily-an attachment be-
tween her friend from back home
and a man who eventually with
draws divorce proceedings against
his wife and by abandonment of
the country girl leaves her to dis
aster. These two roles are played
with Mae Clark's usual artistic skill
and Jameson Thomas in his pres
entation of less attractive char
acter.
One outstanding feature of the
screen play is the acting of Marie
Provost in a role admirably adapted
to her well recognized talent for
humor Her match with the chauf-
feur (played by Andy Devine) is
one of the bright spots in story