Evening star., 1932-06-25

- MIN is IaSL-
Fr,nk Bu,k. moving cinema
chronicle. full
of lions, tigers, phythons and croco-
dileS-and acted by them to the
hilt.
These pictures were taken in the
Federated Malay States. Mr.. Bucks
expedition started from Singapore
and worked its way up into the
Malsyan no-man's land. While he
did nothing more than corral, by
various and sundry means tand
some of these means are most in
tereSting), a few specimens Of the
more furious animals for some local
American ZOOS, he has contrived to
invest his picture with scenes that
are vastly exciting II, for instance,
you can look at tiger and python
having some fun without cringing,
then you are probably first-cousin Of
broad-shouldered Mr. Weismuller or
as fun of iron as was, and is, Mr.
Schmeling The sight of a 50-foot
snake coiling itself over and under
the body Of jungle tiger, while the
tiger tickles It's enemy's throat with
bloodthirsty snaps, Is guaranteed to
make you turn alternately hot and
cold.
The film is not, however, COM
pletely wild and woolly. introduced
in 1t are pets" which provide much
humor and many laughs. There is,
for instance, a light-colored gibbon
which wiggles its way back and
forth across log-in the manner Of
a tight-rope walker Then, too,
Master Honey Bear is one Of the
smaller and more agreeable children
of Mother Bear, and runs in and out
Of its little kennel with Zest and
(after his trip all alone out in the
cold, cold world, skipping merrily
over recumbent python) with con-
siderable fire.
Tnese juvenile jungle pets and Mr..
Bucks amusing references to them
Che speaks throughout the film)
provide much salt to the otherwise
ferocious cavortings of the senior
animalia. The total upshot is an
exciting and amusing jungle fllm
(not so great as perhaps we had
been led to expect), full Of snap
shots OF wild life which are well
worth seeing and we'll worth having
a few Nightmares about afterward.
e. de S. MELCHER.
Menjou Has Strong Role at Fox
In Bachelors Affairs"
WITH the advent Of the "talkleS,
w it was pretty generally thought
that Adolphe Menjou, like many an
other great star of the silent drama,
was all washed up" as the saying
goes. But Menjou, after going INTO
retirement long enough to give at
tention to his private a1alrs, re-
turned to the screen with series OF
characterizations far superior 10
anything he had done in the days
when films were voiceless.
And, though time has grayed his
temples and lined his face during
the last few years, Menjou still Is
well, Menjou! This he proves in
highly entertaining fashion in his
latest picture, Bachelors Affairs,
which opened at the Fox Theater
yesterday.
Menjou. in the role of a wealthy
bachelor, who is inveigled into an
unfortunate marriage with beau
tiful- -but-dumb gold-digger, many
years younger than himself, gives a
performance that is on a par with
his best, silent or otherwise.
Nevertheless, he is given rather
close race for the acting honors, it
seems to this watcher, by Minna
Gombell, who is rapidly becoming
one of the screens first ladies.
AS the conniving older sister of
Joan Marsh, who succeeds in getting
herself married to Menjou, Miss
Gombell plays her part so con-
vircingly that one finds ones self
actually disliking her, despite her at
tractiveness-and, as one who has
seen her in several low-cut clinging
evening gowns, this reviewer means
that figuratively as well as literally.
One other member Of the cast is
deserving of a word or two Of
praise-Allan Dinehart, who, as
Menjous business partner, helps
His performance is first rate. Un-
fortunately, as much cannot be said
for that of Miss Marsh.
The program is rounded out by an
excellent stage show, presented by
Benny Davis, noted song writer, and
a novel overture by Phil Lampkin's
Orchestra. Davis describes the
members Of his company as budding
stars" and two or three of them, it
seems, are just that. P. H. L.
Red Headed Woman"
Featured at the Palace.
MISS HARLOW'S platinum tresseS
A'A are said to have gone auburn
in her new film, Red Headed
Woman at Loew's Palace But,
apart from a new and pretty OBJ
jectionable personality (which this
red-headed young lady is meant to
have) she seems much as she has
always seemed-blond through and
through,
Those who admired Miss Ksth-
crime Brush's swift pen drawing OF
loud lazy who eventually got what
she wanted. will not find that the
screen has retained much of its wit
or humor. The net result, in fact,
is something that approaches one
OF the cheapest products Hollywood
has devised In long time Nothing
is stressed in it but the first third
of that old game-"animal, vegetable
and mineral" 1t is, very obviously,
what it Is meant to be. II will OF
course. be very. very popular.
Miss Harlow. as the most un-
pleasant heroine of this season or
any other, does her job amazingly
well-perhaps sometimes too we'll.
AL of which proves that she de-
serves better. But she can't get
away from being horrid little two
timer in her role-she is, as they
say in the film. "on the level like
a fight of stairs"
While the subject in hand is very
unpleasant, and the chief character
about as much Of a real heroine as
was Lady Macbeth, the actors are
all exceedingly good. You can
watch Chester Morris and Leila
Hyams and profit by their acting
restraint-and the same may be
said Of Henry Stephenson tseen so
often and so pleasantly in many
plays in Washington in the past
few Seasons) and May Robson in a
small but juicy bit. And then, too,
there is Una Merkel. who has always
been one Of this departments toys
Nevertheless, the film Is and tries
hard to be oversensational. II you
like this sort Of thing you will find
more embraces by the yard than in
any previous film, and more indeli-
cate inuendos. II tells Of q young
redhead breaking up home, marry
ing eventually into that home, haV-