Evening star., 1934-05-24
"FINISHING
SCHOOL" is
OVERDRAWN
Keith Picture Supposed
to Be an Expose, But
Fails in Purpose.
BY E. de S. MELCHER.

4 \ her mother and a small check
> ($1,00O) from her father, she
never theless prefers the cotton hand
kerchiefs labeled Virginia" which her
waiter-doctor boy friend gives her
and in the end upsetS the applicant
of tradition by waltzing out of "Crocket
Hall (that sublime school which
breaches the doctrine of do what you
want-but for heaven sakes don't get
caught') and falls smack into the
arms of poverty and love.
This film, currently playing at
Keith'S, has an unfortunately over
dramatic ending, including one of
those "Im-going to- have -a-baby" sit
uations so dear to the film industry.
However, some of 1t is shreWdly writ
ten and well acted. Ginger Rogers
has some amusing lines and Frances
Dee looks as though if given the
proper material she might some day
be a capable tragedienne, her face
having more than the flat, hard quail
ties of so many screen celebrities.
Yesterdays first audience at
Keith's, mainly women, welcomed the
picture with considerable enthusiasm.
and it seems as though the young and
sprightly-girlS who have attended
one of these schools or who would
like to attend one-should enjoy it.
The characters, however, are all over
drawn and the plot, likewise, but in
the meantime you have seen love
spread its wings in a proud school;
you have seen Miss Dee hurl whisky
bottle into the fireplace when she first
gets there. you have seen eight girls
In boat" and you are told that no
matter how rich you may be, if you
are schoolgirl and fall in love with
Bruce Cabot, he's worth more mink
coats than you will ever get for
Christmas.
Finishing Schools" should not, of
course, sit we'll with school teachers.
1t implies that their policies are un-
demanded and young ladies of wealth
should be taught not only to fool their
parents but themselves. 1t suggests,
too, that whereas a young girl may
bust whisky bottle in two when
she first gets to school, scorning to
touch anything that she has promised
not to touch, that eventually after
few months of earnest plugging she
will take to such things as a duck
will to water and emerge as singed
but satisfied Cinderella.
However false and misguided such
doctrines are, you cannot help but be
amused at the way some of the girls
pull the wool over their teachers eyes,
and particularly by the way in which
Ginger Rogers carries on. Effective
also is Billie Burke as the butterfly
mother of Miss Dee, Bruce Cabot as
the young inferno who snaps his
fingers in Billie Burke's face, and John
Halliday as Miss Dee's father.
Frightful is that young lady who
walks around apeing Katharine Hep
burn.
A TTRACTIONS for the new week
include (starting Monday JIM
mics Women" at the National; Al
fairs of a Gentleman (today) at the
Rialto; Manhattan Melodrama" at
the Palace; Murder at the Vanities"
at the Earle; Sing and Like 1t" at
the Columbia, and a return engage
ment of that very fine George Arliss
Aim, THE House of Rothschild, which
will be shown at the Columbia. An
other item which goes under the head
of "amusements" is that the. vast
Glen Echo pool will open Saturday.
The following is list of those who
are concerned with these features:
Ruth Abbott. Roy Roberts, Mrs. Hib-
bard. Freddie Sherman, Mr. Callander,
Mr.. Bramley and others will play lead
ing roles in the Myron Fagin comedy
at the National, "Jimmie's Women"
which opens Monday night. How
about Kathryn Givney? We will go
on strike if she doesn't appearD
Clarke Gable, William Powell and
Myrna 10y are the chief players in
Manhattan Melodrama," an unusual
tale of unusual people, which will open
tomorrow at Loew's Palace.
''Muroer at the Vanities," coming
to the Earle, is the Earl Carroll
screen version of the current Broad
way Earl Carroll show. 1t features
Kitty Carlisle, Jack Oakie, Victor Nc
Laglen and a flock of those famous
Carroll beauties. The stage show
will be headed by George Price.
Chief players in Affairs of Gen
tleman," which opens today at the
Rialto are Paul Lukas, Patricia Ellis,
Leila Hyams and Dorothy Burgess.
Stand Up and Cheer" the Fox
musical film which will be featured
tomorrow at Loew's Fox, has as its
headliners Warner Baxter, John
Boles, Sylvia FrooS. Madge Evans and
a little girl called Shirley Temple,
who quietly but definitely walks away
with the show. The stage show will
be headed by that able comic, Herb
Williams, and those deft adagio-
ties, Grace, Ellis and La Rue, will also
be on hand.
If you like Zasu Pitts (and who
doesnt?) you will find her at the
Metropolitan tomorrow in something
called Sing and Like It." Pert Kel-
ton. Edward Everett Horton and Nat
Pendleton are also in the cast. Sounds
funny.
George Arliss' "The House of Roths-
child" tomorrow at sthe Columbia)
is, of course, the best picture of the
year.
OTHER amusement events include
" the showing of some sort of films
at the Gayety starting Sunday, replac-
ing Ann Corio, the admirable Beef
Trust and such like, and Treasure
Island" which possibly shouldn't be
mentioned in the same breath, but
which will be played by those capable
young Community Players at the Ma
tional Theater Saturday morning at
1890 o'clock.