Evening star., 1933-07-29
BURNS-ALLEN
WIT CREATES
FEATURE ACT
Fox Program Also
Includes Love
Comedy Film.

EVIDENCE of the popularity of
~ George Burns and Oracle Allen is
provided by the size of the audiences
that gathered on their opening day at
the Fox Theater as these two radio
stars headed the stage program at that
house. The two are we'll adapted to
stage presentation, for their different
types Of humor At into succession
of pungent comments on affairs in
everyday life. Each offers starting
points for the other to engage in flights
that touch the high mark Of brilliant
wit. masquerading as stupidity. Miss
Allen especially has developed the poise
and magnetism of an attractive per-
sonality in which she offers the fiction
that lack Of brain equipment can
be displayed with bubbling enthusiasm.
Utterly unconscious. apparently, of the
deficiencies that she has voluntarily
put into her vocal output. she is greet
ed with admiring and incredulous re-
sponse from friendly audiences.
The Burns-Allen act is remarkable
for its unprecedented manufacture of
entertaining material out Of vacuum,
and for that reason, perhaps, is en-
titled to the highest praise that could
merit is not derived from the exploit
ing of succession Of shocks to the
sensibilities, but from sheer cleverness
in touching the human side of the in
congruous. and the essence Of humor.
Legitimate comedy of the kind that
has ornamented- the modern stage is
presented in the motion picture for
the week. Edmund Lowe, the star Of
the play, who had extensive expert
ence in romantic parts, has gradually
employed his capacity for revealing the
humor of life. with the result that in
Her Bodyguard." in which he is as
mold, Alan Dinehart and Marjorie
White, he attains q position among
comedians which Is dependent upon
acting ability and not upon manufac-
tured situations.
A female stage star who has many
admirers and has assembled q collec-
ton of gems is provided with a body
guard in the person of Mr.. Lowe, with
the understanding that he will be with
her at all times, remaining in the vi
cinity of her room at night. His pay
is provided by a magnate, whose pri-
mary purpose Is to keep watch Of other
admirers. The jewels are stolen In
the course Of rapid series Of devel-
opments and the opening of the pro-
posed show Is nearly turned into fail
ure by the search for the valuables.
The material may be described as ro-
mantle fun. Miss Gibson has a try
ing role, in which she is compelled to
merge a harshness of outlook with a
susceptible attitude toward the man,
but, with numerous close-ups and con-
trasting attitudes, she achieves the pic
ture that fits the story, and gives
dry touch to its humor.
The stage show also includes sew
eral strong acts, in addition to the
radio stars, with dancing and adagio
performance by the Lee Sister Twins
and the Ambassador Sextet, a piece of
juggling perfection by Serge Flash, and
a particularly satisfying piece Of work
by Fred Zimbalist and Mildred Ham,
lin, in which it appears that good
voice and harmonica can be made
to demonstrate the finer possibilities
Of music of the higher grade, includ-
ing grand opera. It Is genuine inter-
probation under the direction Of the
man, with the valuable assistance Of
the womans voice, Of fine tone, range
and inspiration. D. G. G.