Evening star., 1935-06-22
RIVET TOSSERS.
ARE NEW EST.
OF FILM HEROES.
George Brent Leads Gang
of Bridge Builders 1f
the Earle This Week.

In their search for new worlds to
tell stories about, the film people have
hit upon the Travellers Aid Societies,
agents Of sweet charity to the wrecks,
strays and castaways of this world
Refurbishing the melodrama of bridge
building and labor wars, the producers
of Stranded" have combined the two
factors into q human, deft and
thoroughly satisfactory program pic
ture which carries about 30 per cent
Of the weight on the Earle Theater
bill this week.
Since most people are scared cross
cared If they have to walk around
any higher than O first balcony with
out ropes to support them, the pro-
tographic angles naturally developed
In q story Of steel workers has q GER
tain inherent drama. Al the Juice
is squeezed out of that fruity offering
in Stranded" the cameramen ap-
parently following rivet singers
around with avid anticipation every
time they walked a beam or looked
down to see how things were going
on the lower level. The boss In charge
of all this elevated horror is George
Brent, foreman of a vast suspension
bridge job and somewhat plagued by
labor agitatiors operating what is
known in the polite terminology Of
racketeering as protective asso-
ciation."
Although you and you wouldn't dare
climb so high without parachute and
a guaranteed elevator, the acrobats on
this job seem to be victims Of firewater,
imbibing freely without much urging
and thereafter tottering around the
brink of destruction in an amiable
coma. Those games, Of course, are
ruinous to morale and the business.
Hard-hitting Mr.. Brent attempts to
break it up, and he gets into lot of
trouble. The Travellers Aid, which is
pulled In by a backhand stroke through
Miss Kay Francis association with its
ofices, finally has to step up and help
him, too. At first convinced that buns
are buns and that rehabilitation is q
sissie's game, Mr.. Brent is made to
see the error of his notions, to admit
that his girl knows more about people
than he does. That confession brings
the tale to close with every one full
of perfect understanding after Miss
Francis has saved the day and proved
to some decidedly rough strikers that
they were being victimized by bad boys
who meant them no good. There is
some handy fist and knife fighting
interjected here and there along this
march of events and the comedy is
relatively fresh. Both Miss Francis
and Brent are, in fact, accomplished
romantic comedians-whatever that is.
The other, or stage, half Of the
Earle schedule this week is rather
lukewarm. Dorothy Croker opens
with dance act which eventually
turns into a marathon with the audi
ence-the latter losing ground all the
time-although it must be admitted
that her balance dance and the con-
tortionist writings of a certain
young man in the troupe earn the
applause they get.
You will make a great mistake if
you run before waiting to hear more
when we tell you that the second act
consists Of some limitations of stage,
screen and radio stars Everyone
owns a backyard full Of mimics these
days, but Jerry Mann nevertheless
managed to stop the first show yes
terday with his numbers. He is like
able, even if you've heard it all be-
fore.
The feature spot is devoted to Hal
Kemp's band, which renders nice
music but has nothing especially
stirring to offer in the way of vaude-
vile. The novelty numbers by a
corpulent saxaphonist were perhaps
the best. There is also a technicolor
short. r. B. p, jr.