Evening star., 1933-11-03

Mr.. Berkeley has also staged his
Honeymoon Hotel and Shanghai
LII numbers with accustomed skill.
fhey are done u gargantuan and Zleg-
feldlan fashion, being timed to perfec-
ton and thick with pretty girls, lovely
costumes and here and there a dash
OF humor.
The humor, however, through the
rest of the film is emily dash. And
the plot is woeful little brain child
which must have been created way
after midnight.
We have tried twice now to recon-
cile ourselves to the fact that Foot
light Parade is all that it is said to be.
And it can't be done The first part
is too long and too dull and tends to
wilt the audience before it has arrived
at the dance and music revelry. Then
again. for instance, if you were sitting
in a theater you would find it hard to
endure three long stage "prologues'
before film. So why is it any more
reasonable to suppose that three long
sequences of this kind in a film
should be any more stimulating?
In other words, there is too much Of
everything much good and too
much bad-the bad being merely an
innocuous plot which is built around
tliS 11lSIOiy "a SldSS III OlOs 11oi III
less subject, but one which has been
dragged out to the sticking point.
Nevertheless, you will enjoy Jimmie
Cagney and his new hoofing racket,
the music and all the efficient looking
ladies. Ruby Keeler however dances
too little and sings too much in three
distinct voices (who sang that water
fall number for hero and to our way
of thinking has lost ground-and poor
IOan Bl0ndell zone Of the better V0Vp-
ers) follows Cagney around with hang
dog look, getting him only in the final
curtain.
If you come in for the last half of
this you will get all you want. The
staging Of the three giant numbers is
one of the legitimate triumphs of the
film business. The rest. is too bad
too bad because Berkeley deserved
better build-up from his writing and
acting contemporaries.
X
NORMA SHEhRER is returning to
the screen. Admirers of the hand
some Mrs. Irving Thalberg will be
pleased to hear that she is about to
enter into something called RIP Tide"
which Helen Hayes husband Charles
Macarthur, has written especially for
finland it will be put before the
camera In about two weeks. Miss
shearer will subsequently, portray
brought to the attention Of Hollywood
via the Stefan zweig biography.
JOEL McCREA has promised to ap-
pear in person with his attractive
young wife, Frances Dee, at Keith's to-
night-this in honor Of director George
Archainbaud and the cast of Rod
ney," who are being feted by sagacious
Manager Hardie Meakin. Others on
hand will be Walter Huston and Robert
Shayne. Rodney, the horse, has sent
in his regrets.
TODAY'S outstanding theater item!
l. The Theater Guild has started
work on q musical operatic version OF
"Porgy" George Gershwin is writing
the music-1ra Gershvin the lyrics.
Author Dubose Hayward Is attending to
the libretto. The guild originally pre-
sented "Porgy' back in 1927.
DON'T forget to go to Fort Myer on
~ Monday evening to see that first
washington showing OF MlUSHlpIlldu
Jack" which will be staged with all OF
Hollywood's best fire and thunder. Nine
O'Clock is the hour-and there will be
microphones. lights. cameras, peanuts
popcorn. stars and everything that you
see outside of Hollywood's Graumont
Theater when something big opens
there. The post band will play-and
Rodney, the horse, will have stall
built for him for the occasion with
fresh straw and a special wreath of
flowers. Stars who will appear and
who will say word or two over the
mike include Frances Dee. joel McCrea,
Walter Huston and Director George
Archinbaud You know-the same bunch
that YOU can see tonight at 9 o'clock
at Keith's. Proceeds Of this Army post
premiere will be turned over to the
Army Relief Society.
y
! A DRAMATIC event Of civic impor-
tance will take place Monday night,
November 18, when the Montgomery