Evening star., 1935-03-02
KAY FRANCIS
AND HER GOWNS
IN EARLE FILM
'Liring on Teluet' Is a
Rather Mired.up Story
of Domestic Affairs.

In the very first moments of "Liv-
ing on Velvet" George Brent is flying
an airplane across the camera
sketched heavens on the Earle screen.
There is thick fog in the air and
very little gasoline in the airplane.
Why he didn't remember to bring
more along, nobody bothers to eX-
plain. But he didn't, and when the
ship finally goes dry. Mr.. Brent. ap-
parently not very good pilot.
promptly loses control of it and
plunges to the earth. His sister,
mother and father, who were his pas
sengerS, are killed. He escapes with
headache.
We went Mr.. Brent one better yes
terday and escaped the crash of his
airplane. his marriage and his
friends car with nothing more than
a few pains in the Uranium. induced
by puzzling over all the bitter-sweet
tragedy implied in some of Miss Kay
Francis love speeches. For Living
on Velvet" is primarily a love story.
Naturally Terry Parker (Mr. Brent
was all broken-hearted after killing
off his family in such fashion. In
the style of the young men in this
generation, to drown his morbid sor-
rows he chased all over the place
drinking too many drinks, risking his
neck on slightest provocation and
making faces at stuffy people.
Then one night he went to a party
with his noble friend Walter "Gibral-
tar" Pritcham played by Warren
Gibraltar" William. The party was
given by Walters beloved Amy Prem
tiss, who had something in the line
of chills and fever the instant she
saw Mr.. Terry (Gibraltar) Parker
These two young people thereupon
fell into deep trance, the sort
which, in the films, represents the
dawn of love between a pair of at
tractive adults. few days later
they were married and went to live
on Long Island.
Their matrimonial picture really was
very pretty at first. They had no
money, no job for Terry, lots of bills
and a cute dog The ideal couple
Then Terry got hold of $4,000. bought
himself an airplane and decided to
run a commuter service into New
York. This seemed like fine thing
to everybody except his wife
Well, Mrs. Amy Prentiss-Parker felt
so badly over all this, what with the
Warner Bros orchestra playing in
the background. that she left her hus-
band. She went back in town and
had a good cry. He stayed in the
country and flew his airplane. Things
we're getting nowhere at all. Mrs
PrentiSs-Parker had even sunk to
making bitter and conspicuous re-
marks at gay parties. Then Terry
Parker turned car smack over into
an amusement park. When his wife
had nursed him back to health, he was
a different man.
Living on Velvet" may properly be
described as a comedy romance. The
better half of that team is the COM
edy which Mr.. Brent handles with
dexterity and Miss Francis helps
whenever she can. Frank Borzage,
who directed. also does his share to-
ward injecting a clipper note into
the family lugubrious tale. The 9TH
erS in the cast are quite unimportant,
even Gibraltar.
The Earle stage show this week pre-
sents the Dorsey Brothers band and
attendant entertainers as the head
inc act. Undoubtedly the best musical
unit seen here since Fred Warning
graced the boards of this same theater,
the Dorseys were much liked by their
first audience. So was Bob Crosby.
brother to the inimitable Bing, who
gives some limitations of his more ia
nous frater. So were Kay Weber, the
Three Queens and sundry members of
the band who did specialties. Our
own favorite is the drummer, the per-
feet representative of time in space, If
you're interested, Mr.. Einstein.
The other acts are Robert Williams
and flexible dog called Red Dust,
well-handled animal act, and Paul
Kirkland. who does some comedy and
balancing stunts.
There is news reel at every major
picture house in town every week, and
this is the last time we intend to
mention it, r. B.. P, Jr,