Evening star., 1937-04-23


its contents untouched. That is the
kind of attention which this tenderly
beautiful screen story commands-and
merits.
1t is one of the truly fine pictures
Hollywood has made. M-G-M is proud
OF it, And Mr. MacCracken need not
be ashamed Of the unashamed exag-
geration to which we have resorted in
using him as yardstick for measuring
$, its power to hold an audience.
Neither do the more than one hun
dred guests at Woody Van Dykes
farewell party have to feel ashamed
at the tears they felt in little puddles
around the floor, nor the ruined make
g up they carried into the rainy April
might.
IS (The only person who really needs
s'who sat beside Mr.. MacCracken and
Thought the latter was choking him,
only to find the effect was induced by
Jumps in the throat raised by the
performances of Spencer Tracy and
Freddie Bartholomew
Captains Courageous" is not up
O.. for review. 1t was simply being shown
at the Van Dyke adieu affair as a
gracious gesture of the Hollywood
. director toward his many friends in
Washington. Both the picture and the
-. man who brought it here for his
party will be haunting memories for
long, long time.
AESSRS. Tracy and Bartholomew
will have to take their picture to
y lots OF places before putting tiny tears
in so many famous eyes and Jumps in
so many notable throats again. It
was impossible to say just how the
tears and Jumps were apportioned in
that dark room. We would not know,
for instance, about Mrs. Mabel Walker
Willebrandt, guest Of honor. Nor
the Soviet Ambassador, Alexander
Troyanovsky; nor Senator and Mrs
AShurst.
Col. Marvin MacIntyre, however.
came out Of the adventure looking as
If he still were trying to swallow a
persimmon; whole, of course. Com
missioner George E. Allen wore visit
full expression and so did Mrs. Allen.
j. F. T. O'Connor obviously was deeply
moved. 1t was the second time pretty
Mrs. Carleton Duffus had a good cry
over the same picture. And would
have been for Mrs. Andrew r. Kelley,
except that she did not stay to see
1t second time However, Helen and
VI h1I,- IA l, u
been through pretty fearful moment
together-as they always are-whether
or not the moment is fearful Patti
emily Rudy Berger has not felt quite
like that since he was a little boy
and his pet dog disappeared.
A very moving picture, Captains
Courageous"
IT MAKES no difference who acts
what part from now until Decem-
ber, Spencer Tracy already has won
this departments vote for the best
masculine performance OF the year.
His Manuel" in Captains Coura-
eeous," is one OF the most triumphant
interpretations Of simple heart ever
achieved by any actor.
When Woody Van Dyke came to
Washington almost two weeks ago.
Tracy was one OF his favorite sub
jects. When Mr.. Van Dyke said au
revoir, with Tracy's greatest picture
as the party high light, he proved his
point as convincingly as man ever
has done.
ELEM HOERLE came back to
town yesterday for further gliding
of that lily, Ruth Draper. 1t is Miss
tshe used to be Mrs. in this column)
Hoerle's contention that Miss Draper
(who never was Mrs. in this column
is the supreme stage artist when it
comes to the creation of illusions. She
backs it up with story of a sketch
artist who once drew rockers on q
chair in which Miss Draper was
posing simply because the subject sat
? as If she were in a rocking chair.
! There were no rockers, OF course.