Evening star., 1934-07-12

Miss Davis, as a chiSeling
mind II I do and who is de
anaemic so-and-so, Is so me
in this film that you go ava
fascinated by such an exhibition
There certainly has never been q
more disaRreeable character nor one
which Is played so thoroughly for
what II is worth land Mildred
Isn't worth tuppencej. Miss Davis,
vino can be very handsome when
she wants 10 be- and who has suffered
through a a long series Of yapid roles
on the Warner Bros lot. in this case
proves that she can do things other
than whip out with new haircuts and
fine clothes. In a makeup which de
fies your ever thinking for moment
that she could possibly be good-look-
ing, she stamps her way through this
famous Somerset Vaughan story, as
ill-bred figure as you can imagine,
and acts II all with skill that
suggests she is destined for better
things
We are certainly in the minority
In our opinion that except for Leslie
Howard and Miss Davis and some
of the rest of the performances given
by an excellent cast. this film Is
not so striking as 1t should be. The
ending. while It may have been what
the author intended. leaves you with
neither Joy nor sorrow-giving US,
for instance, a kind Of midway feel
ing OF suspension and a further feel
ing that that last shot" of Miss
Davis, lying in a coma on the floor,
is about the best excuse for healthy
nightmare we have seen in many a
moon.
Frankly. you viii carry away with
you a bitter taste at the unhealthi-
ness Of one of the chief characters
rather than any exhalation that the
film is a good film. We doubt very
much If It is a good film in the first
place. 1t has, however, curious
hold over the average spectator as
he says 10 himself: How could a
man like Leslie Howard ever succumb
SO hopelessly to the cold. hard ma
neuverings Of a creature like Mil
dred?"
You undergo other feelings Of un-
happiness all the way through the pic
ture. Nevertheless, judging from the
crowds and the enthusiasm and the
general rush and excitement to get in
TO see II, II must be better than we
suspect it Is. A certain looseness in
framework and a weak ending do not,
however, make 1t 100 per cent wrong.
1t follows the book rs closely as 1t
can and it is so we'll cast, so wise in
its choice of Leslie Howard as that
II. fantnd YnadinQl GILL;
dent who falls in love with a Scrawny
waitress that you can perhaps for
give both its major and its minor
flaws.
At the moment the picture is enor-
mously popular. both here and In
New York. II you don't go to see it,
you'll miss out on some excellent
dinner table conversation. If you do,
you will be appalled, by that Mildred
gal and by Bette Davis. Has there
ever really been such a creature In
this world2
r UNFORTUNATELY, an unbreakable
~ appointment late yesterday morn
ing prevented our witnessing Mr..
Arthur ReiIly's debut as a stage en-
tertainer. From what we have gath
cred, however, his first appearance
was welcomed with a great big hand
from a great big audience.
%sx u
DICTURES in the new cinema week:
l. The Thin Man" is being held
over for a third week at the Palace.
This puts such celebrities as Mae West
and Tarzan in the shade and indicates
that smooth, likeable William Powell.
and strangely attractive Myrna 10y,
are way up in the screen world these
DAYS. It's a good show all around
and as Bill Powell told us even
can genuinely recommend it
Leo Carrillo and Wesley Eddy are
the chief participants in what should
be a good stage show starting to-
morrow at Warmers Earle Theater.
The film will be Fog Over Frisco"
with Bette Davis, Donald Woods, Lyle
Talbot and others.
Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbe, Allen
jenkins and Hugh Herbert will ap-
pear as The Merry Frinks, start
ing tomorrow at the Metropolitan.
And, If you haven't seen Shirley
Temple you'd better run down to-
morrow to the Columbia, where Lit
tie Miss Marker" is being revived for
another week.
At the Fox you'll find Vincent Lo-
pez's popular orchestra and STAN
boul quest" a film which features
Myrna 10y and George Brent. (This
Is Mr. Brent'S first M-G-M picture)
See above for the current Keith at