Evening star., 1935-03-09
HELEN HAYES
IN HER FINAL
MOVIE EFFORT
"Vanessa,'' at the Fox, Is
Supposed to Be Her
S,Uar Song to Films.

After seeing "Vanessa; Her Love
Story" at Loew's Fox this week, tht
only thing you can do is go home ar1c
wall. Probably you will have beer
doing bit of tear making at the
theater anyway, succumbing to grief
over Vanessas misfortunes.
The cause for the fireside lament,
however, is entirely different. This
picture supposedly constitutes Helen
Hayes swan song to the cinema.
When you have seen just how mag
nificent Miss Hayes can be before the
camera, the thought of her retire.
ment will produce either acute melan-
cholia or a desire to run out and
commit hari kari as a sacrificial pro-
test.
In the cold, gray light of F street
yesterday afternoon "Vanessa" did
not appear to be exactly a master
piece of screen story. Better than
most, but not the classic of the year.
However, the tale seemed as poignant
and real as any We have ever seen
embalmed in celluloid. The answer is,
Miss Hayes. She is on the screen
most of the time. and during those
moments neither plot, setting or ac-
cessory characters matter in the least.
Maybe this idea emerges from hyp-
noSis. If so, We can desire nothing
better
AS for that mildly maligned plot, it
concerns an English country lass of
good family and young buck we'll
born and rather badly behaved. They
fall in love and thereafter fate gives
them swift kick every time they are
about to be happy together. The de-
tails OF their recurrent tragedies are
pot-pourri of misunderstanding, bad
luck and self-sacrifice. At two or
three stages of the game Vanessa and
her handsome lover are about to reach
out and pluck the plum of union and
happiness they desire, but each time
the prize swings back. just out of
range. There are four distinct cpl
sodes in this saga of sorrows, one not
essentially very different from the
other, but all completely enchanting
becauSe-well, we are embarrassed to
mention it again. but you might as
well know the truth. It's because of
Miss Hayes.
Robert Montgomery plays the
thwarted lover to Vanessa, role rude
ly surprising to the Montgomery fans.
The character of Benjamin Herries is
a rather sketchy affair as drawn by
the scenario writer's Zone of them
being Hugh Walpole. who wrote the
original novel;, but Herr Montgomery
does justice to all that was given him.
The rest Of the cast is approxi-
mately perfect, with May Robson,
Henry Stephenson, the British bach
elor- umbrella novelist, and Otto
Kruger. beautifully crazy whenever
the script says he should be. There is
lot of sentimentality about Queen
Victoria, at various times in the
flicker, but otherwise it is so well d.
rected you might never suspect the
story really doesn't get anywhere.
Somewhere long before this we
should have mentioned the Fox stage
show. 1t is by far the best seen in
this house in months. Milton Berle
headlines the business, and never be
tricked into thinking he is not good
and hard-working comedian. Some
of his gags are the ones grandmother
used to bake. but the first audience
yesterday had fun most of the time
M. Berle was on stage. His maun-
derings are supported by the inimita-
BILE Cardini Eve were just about to
find out all those secrets and tell you.
when stage hand tossed us out OF
the wings), Barbara Jason, a pleasant
singer; Chiffon and Thomas sharp
dancing, and the famous beef trust
chorus with Nate Eagles midgets.
Very funny! The Casino de Paree
unit also brings to town the hand
soonest chorus and the most beautiful
show girls of the season.
The Terry Toon cartoon this week
also is good. r. B. P. Jr.