Evening star., 1932-08-06

The film, renowned for its lack Of
sense, is one of the pleasantest dl-
versions we have had down here in
a long time. A shambling comedy
of life in and out of Kloptomania,
where all women are called Angela
and all men George, this may be
said to be perfect warm-weath
screen fare. Acted idiotically by a
splendid collection of clowns, this
should not be missed by those who
get pleasure out of slapstick humor
and the kind of story that begins
nowhere and ends ditto.
Jack Oakie, w. c. Fields, Ben
Turpin and other diverting laugh
kings provide most of the humor,
although the entire cabinet in Mr..
Fields Kloptomanian country is an
engaging bunch which other coun-
tries might do well to emulate.
Physical strength is the reason for
the presidency in this republic, and
a series of daily exercises keeps him
in splendid trim, as also the cabi-
net, which hourly plots its leaders
overthrow.
To win 100000 for the sake Of
its welfare the entire cabinet and
President set out for Los Angeles
where they win all the events at
the OlympicS. This floats the treas
ury again and, supposedly. puts
Kloptomania once more on its feet.
Cuckoo Week" is further sus-
tanned by the presence of those two
top-notch comics, Stuart and Lash,
who wander in and out Of the bill
and provide more than considerable
merrlment. Other features OF the
stage bill include one of Broadway's
most graceful dancing stars, Queenle
Smith, supported by Harry Puck:
Helen Johns Nut Musical Band"
and Pipifax, the international clown.
E. de S. MELCHER.
ELISA Landi. at Fox,
In "A Passport to He'll"
MISS ELISA LANDI, one of
Britain's handsomest and
most intelligent screen ladies, suffers
along with Miss Tallulah Bank
head and other topnotch actresses,
from long. dreary and unpalatable
cinema stories. A smile from either
of these two is hard to Finland
happy ending almost an imposSi-
bility. When they appear you know
beforehand that they will either be
stranded on a hy-bitten isle. or
herded amongst crude, hungry
people whose habits correspond to
ancient West-coast troglodytes.
With the result that they 60 on
through their screen lives being
naughty, naughty women, who never
have had a chance-and who OBJ
Viously never will have.
Miss Landi's current film, now
playing at LoeW's Fox, entitled "A
Passport to He'll" is a typical eX-
ample of this sort of film. In it she
Is seen as an outcast from England,
a neo-Sadie Thompson, who lives
the only way she can, and who hops
around from one African Sea-toWn
to another on the wings of scandal.
A forlorn, torturted young lady, she
tricks a nice young man into mar
riage, has violent affair with Mr..
Paul (without muStache) Lukas, and
ends up in another scandal which
makes the last one look like nothing
at all.
Acted intelligently enough by the
star, supported gallantly by Paul
Lukas, Warner GLAND and Alexander
Kirkland Cthe latter seemingly stuck
to his tropical bonnet, this film Is
far from cheerful, and but for oc-
casional sparks of light, seems rather
dreary throughout. 1t proves again
that what Miss Landi needs Is
light. sophisticated comedy-which
would get her smiling. She looks as
if she had a sense of humor. She
certainly can't go on being a second
rate Mata Hari all her days.
This weeks stage show brings
back Wesley Eddy from Baltimore
this time with his violin more than
his vocal cords in action-and &C
companied by that excellent harpist,
Mr. Alfred Manning. His numbers
are received in the typical Wesley
Eddyan fashion. Others scoring on
the bill are Zelda Santley. imperson-
ating most of Hollywood; Conrads
pigeons, Merna Fortune, who twists
herself into miraculous knots, and
dozens of those timber chorus ladies.
Phil Lampkins overture is Faust"
and there is the usual assortment OF
comedies, newsreels and suchlike.