Evening star., 1933-02-18

the shell of Ar
Georre Ar,is.. liss has been
prese d.
There Is opportunity for him to play
with human qualities, Just as do
other great actors. and to do the
bits that make up total of distinc-
ton with little better approach to
life than is possible to less exper-
fenced actors.
There is keen pleasure in observ-
ing play that makes the everyday
actions of characters square with
such people as they appear in COM
mon associations Mr. Arliss repre-
sents person who is not altogether
common, but he Is free from the ar
tiflciality that surrounds even an
uncommon life. There is no doubt
that THE Kings Vacation" attains
success through the equipment of
the actor and that he has been per-
mitted to exert his own brilliance in
fashioning the democratic king.
Even the camera shots of his back
are SO ordered that they tell story
Of dramatic force.
The film Is deserving Of much
public attention. Its story Is one
which, accidentally, IS symbolic Of
the screen development of Mr.. Arliss
himself. A king, wearied with the
continual round of trivial cere-
monies, and compelled by his min
listers to approve bad legislation, de-
cides to quit the throne and seek
surroundings in which he may
achieve the simple life. He sepa-
rates from the queen and goes back
to the former wife and daughter,
who were not permitted to share
royalty with him. He meets both
wives in the old scenes, finds that
the former wife Is tainted with the
same worship of insincerity from
which he fed, and learns that the
former queen has the same enthu-
siaSm for simplicity that has moved
MIN. So the royal family Is reunited
under new auspices, while he re-
Jects call to return to the throne.
The daughter also shares in the ia
theirs taste and prepares to marry
IN humble circumstances.
Supporting the star are Florence
Arliss, who ably puts domestic
quality into the personality of the
queen; Dick Powell and Patricia
Ellis, as the younger couple; Dud-
ley DiggeS, o. P. Heggie, Marjorie
Gateson, Vernon Steele, James Bell
and Maude Leslie.
The newsreel at the Metropoli-
tan shows the attack on Mr.. Roose-
velt in Florida, and the other short
nlms include an excellent and elab-
crate dramatic setting for Ruth Et-
tlngS songs, very amusing comedy
OF the experiences of a ventriloquist
among supposed savages, and q
6osco cartoon. D. c. c.
Gus Van, ArbuckIe and
Blonde Johnson at Earle.
"A SORT Of "old timers week" got
under way at the Earle yes
terday, with Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle
beginning his long -talked-of screen
comeback and Gus Van, famous as
the first half Of the vaudeville team
OF Van and Schenck, continuing to
carry on without the able assistance
OF his late partner If you liked
the hefty comedian back In the dear,
dead days when he was generally
recognized as one of filmlands
greatest funsters, you'll probably
laugh at him just as heartily as ever
in his latest offering, "Buzzin'
Around" All in all, he's the same
old Fatty. You'll like Gus about as
well as ever, too, but, unless you
never had the pleasure of hearing
Van and Schenck, you're bound to
miss the voice that was stilled by
death few years ago.
Whether or not you like the prin-
cipal cinema attraction, Blonde
Johnson" will depend almost en-
tirely on how you feel about gangster
and racketeer pictures. If you've
had enough of 'em, the chances are
that the activities of Blonde. por-
trayed by comely Joan Blondell, will
leave you cold as last weeks
weather. If you're not completely
fed up. as the saying is, with under
world films, however, you'll undoubt-
edly fall for the Johnson gal, rackets
and all.
AS matter of fact, Joan turns in
one Of the most convincing perform
anceS Of her career. Her role Is that
Of destitute girl who, embittered
when her mother dies of pneumonia
after they are evicted from their
humble home for non-payment of
rent, decides to gather to herself all
the money she can lay her hands
on, no matter how. She acquires the
cash, all right, but the business of
raking 1t in gets her and the man
she loves, played by Chester Morris,
Into heap of trouble. There's what
you might call semi-happy ending,
Dut-Well, you'd better see 1t for
yourself.
Anyway. Joan is excellent, and
Morris comes within an ace of being
just as good. AS for the remainder
OF the staff-maybe you'll like 'em
and maybe you will not. We don't
know. Personally, however, we did.
Reverting to Arbuckle-well, he's
the same old Fatty. Which is to say
that "Buzzin' Around" Is about the
same-no better than, no worse than
as all the other Fatty Arbuckle
films you've ever seen. The only
dlf1erence is that Fatty talks this
time. All the other times you've
seen him, he merely looked dumb.
In this respect, he is ably assisted,
In his current offering, by AL st.
John, another old-timer.
Speaking Of Van-and we were
Just few minutes ago, you know!-
he makes out pretty well, consider
ing the absence of his partner. He
presents a repertoire of songs that
are hard to beat. Schenck or no
Schenck, he's really clever.
The vaudeville program also in
cludes Sidney Page and his Pages
of Fun" which are pretty terrible,
and the Casting Campbells," who
are rather good. One of the other
acts-the Twelve Aristocrats," or
something of the sorts not much in
the way of pulchritude. but the girls
know how to dance. P. H. L.
-"State Fair" q Fine Film,
With n HOe ax the Star