Evening star., 1932-02-13

the hearty spec
linen from America breaking through
the ice of foreign dignity. He is that
person as created by the playwright,
but every enterprise in which he en-
cages is just about what would be
expected of him. if the character in
volved were the player himself. in
stead of Earl Tinker, maker of razor
blades. on the way to the land of
Damascus steel. with the object of
monopoliZing the raw material of
shaving devices.
Tinker is rare specimen Of the
gullible and the Shrew American
combined. He is accompanied by a
family which is equally blind to OBJ
vious facts, and, as he studies for
tune telling with the seductive miss
who is in the pay of his business
rivals, and reveals to her dangerous
facts about his own financial plans,
the wife and daughter accept his
simple stories and excuses with equal
simplicity. The whole thing leads up
to dangerous menace to life in the
desert, an attempted rescue by air.
plane and the defeat of the enemy
by the simple device of manufactur-
ing radio messages. In one of the
preliminary scenes there is a stirring
hurricane at sea.
1t isn't much of a story, although
the original is credited to Booth
Harrington. 1t is Will Rogers and a
good company. with the opportunity
TO see Americas greatest public
joker in talking motion pictures. He
is assisted by Jetta Goudal, Joel Nc
Crea, Dorothy Peterson, Peggy Ross,
Cyril Ring, Jed Prouty. Oscar APPEL,
Vernon Dent and Boris Karloff.
The Fox stage show has two nota-
BILE acts. the juggling feats of the
Five Gems" and the Slate Brothers.
tap dancers from the current Earl
Carroll "Vanities." Among the acts
under the Fanchon Marco title
of Hacienda" which has a Span
ish atmosphere and an impressive
opening scene. Numbers are pre-
sented by Sue Russell, with bur-
lesque, ballet and opera, assisted by
Hlnky and Dinky, Gene Doyle and
Don Donnelly and the Six Gordon
ianS. with Adriana as mistress of
ceremonies. Al Mitchell returns to
his old task of conducting the or
chestra. d. C.,
Passionate Plumber"
Nonsensical, But Funny.
"THE PASSIONATE PLUMBER"
erstwhile known to theater-
goers as Her Cardboard Lover"
and once played by that super-Sadie
Thompson, Jeanne Eagels, may now
be seen at Loew's Palace Theater,
graced by the antics of Buster Kea-
tor, Jimmy 'Schnozzle" Durante,
Polly Moran. Irene Purcell, Gilbert
Roland and suchlike.
1t seems to be a most successful
comedy judging from yesterdays
first audience. and, although non
Sensical to the nth degree. has mo-
ments of great hilarity, as we'll as
moments when the humor falls
slightly fiat.
Mr.. Keaton, whose deep basso
voice and slender frame are fea-
tured in this production, is not so
funny. however, as "SchnoZzle'
Durante This gentleman, whose
amorata is the dishevelled Polly
Moran. calls Mr. Rodin a good
"chiseller" and indulges in other
loquacities which. however. hit the
laugh ribs pleasantly. A nitwit
comedian. if there ever was one. he
yet succeeds in stealing the film
more or less bodily from Mr.. Kea-
ton-and does things which are
funny and which nobody else could
possibly make funny.
The story is such a Satiric hodge
podge that its theme at all times is
never particularly necessary. 1t
deals with a plumber, and he is
asked to play gigolo to a handsome
lady, who is unable to make up her
mind whether she loves her lover
or not. After she has thrown a few
plates lamps and other household
bric-a -brac at him, she knows that
she doesn't It is all quite foolish.
sometimes silly, but hundred per
cent funnier than most comedies of
recent date Other than Keaton
and Durante and the bubbling Polly
Moran, the cast is distinguished by
the presence of Irene Purcell, one OF
the really talented younger comedi-
ennes. Gilbert Roland is there for
the ladies and does his role with