Evening star., 1937-05-24
Appealing
Film STAYS
At National
w WEAVING the Intangible stun
from which dreams are
w made into motion picture
In M AaxU faak hdh fha

II IlO easy IdSk, UQt LIlc
Columbia Pictures people have been
completely successful at 1t in Lost
Horizon" now in its second week at
the National. The James Hilton
story has been mounted by Director
Frank Capra and his cast with SEN
sitive feeling which endows the film
with a beauty that Is sometimes
breathless and always appealing.
Lost Horizon" of course, Is tho
sheerest Of fantasy, the escape-yarn
raised one more power, and less skill
fully done 1t would tax credulity be-
yond the breaking point. But thanks
to Mr.. Capra, to his cameraman, who
Is true artist and to the players
(maybe thanks, too, to Mr.. Hilton), the
motion picture version OF Lost Hor-
izon' is a completely engrossing tale,
interviewer with glimpses OF the
beauty Of life as it might be and per-
haps should be. You believe 1t be-
cause you are impelled to, for the
same reason you want to believe your
dreams.
The picture doesn't keep its head
in the clouds Of philosophic day.
dreaming, however, no matter how at
tractive its visions might be, but it
brings the dreams down to earth with
some richly human characters and 1t
counterpoints its moments Of fantasy
with tragedy and the tragedy with
comedy.
Ronald Coleman does something Of
q superb Job (when didn't he?) in
the central role, and there are a host
Of others-particularly Tommy Mitch
ell, Edward Everett Horton, Isabel
Jewell, Sam Jaffee. Margo and Jane
Wyatt-who contribute considerable
skill to the endowing Of dreams with
credibility.
Technically, too, there's nothing to
complain about Except perhaps that
the lamasery looks more like a movie
theater in Hollywood than lamasery)
and the airplane crash scenes are
some Of the best ever done. In all
things Lost Horizon" Is rich.
A memo from Oscar Doob advises
that Captains Courageous" the
Spencer Tracy-Freddie Bartholomew
piece which Woody" Van Dyke di-
rected, will not be road-showed here
New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and
some other large cities will pay foldin'
money to see the film on a two-a-day
basis, but In Washington it's to be
released as part Of Loew's special
Summer schedule. arriving late in
July or early In August, probably at
the Palace.
Guy Lombardo and his Canadians,
currently slithering soft syncopation
across the Earle's footnghts, 60 to
Annapolis q week from tonight to
play at the Naval Academy's gradua-
ton hop.
Tomorrow morning couple Of new
(at least new to Washington) French
films come into the Belasco for four
days. One Of them has Simone Simon
and It's based on q Vicki Baum novel
Title Is "Lady's Lake" The other Is
Happiness" Charles Boyer star
ring vehicle made from a play by
Henry Bernstein. Bernstein, Incl
dentally, did the screep play for
"Lady's Lake." too.
And, just because he thinks there
are q lot Of people about town who
want to see Simone Simon and
Charles Boyer, Jack Thoman, Be-
lasco manager, Is opening the balcony
for the first time.
The Berkeley Plsymakers in Berke-
ley, Calf, have a one-act play con-
test under way. Closes September
-. Gene Ford is In New York
scouting for stage shows Irene
Weber, Carter Barron's secretary, i
in New York, too . The third of the
Three Men on Horse" has gone te
Hollywood and films .. He's Horace
McMahonn, who has q featured roll
with Spencer Tracy, Franchot TONE
and Gladys George in They Gave
Him a Cum" the Capitol's next.