Evening star., 1937-02-28
Movies of 20 Years Ago
Had Unconscious HunOr
Simple Plots Disclosed Primitive Ideas Of
Human Experience and Dramatic Technique
Which Gave Obvious Reasons for Ridicule.

cent over that last so us pro-
nounced Desiray) accepted the pro-
posal of one Roger Kendall and finally
became a house cat" In the course
of time Roger became assistant district
attorney under James Graham, who
had been a rival for Desires hand
and who was a favorite of the political
boss, Mike Carney.
Eventually Roger took up a gam
bling investigation, whereupon things
became so hot" for Mr.. Graham and
Mr.. Carney they decided something
should be done. They contacted Mr..
Dopey Louie, "a slender and we'll
groomed East Side young man whose
occupation was shifting coke'-a
"snowbird" in other words-or, in
English. he sought solace and sur
cocaine from the back of his hand.
Cts good thing you didn't say plain
English" Mr.. LathropD At other
times he took in little plain and
fancy numbering as a side line and
could be hired. for really trif1ing
dIlOIls W 4CLIIOfC OOJC(I4OA4-
able persons" Nice guy, Louie.
ZANE then plans for the murder
plans made right before Bartender
Jimmie Regan, who was a devoted
slave to Desire, because she, the little
charity worker. had once befriended
him. Aha. he's going to expose the
plot SO you think so, do you? Well he
didn't. Suspense. by heck, was what
the movies wanted, so Jimmie Regan
didn't pay a great deal of attention
to it, supposing it was just plain,
ordinary murder that was going to be
pulled off,"
Before Thursday night, however,
many things happened. The author
says so himself. One of the things
was that Desire tried to share her
husbands troubles. was treated in the
house cat" manner and flared up at
him with passion. All, what a scene
that was.
Roger was surprised at the out
break, and sought to pacify her; he
put his hand upon her caressingly;
she shook it off roughly. Don't pet
me! don't stroke me as though I
were a cat! o the monotony of it
all Poor Roger didn't know how to
do anything but pet her" (No wonder
it was monotonous.)
1t came out all right, though. De-
sire lured Graham 10 the house while
Roger was away, after receiving a
note from good, old Jimmie Regan,
who overheard the plot in just the
nick Of time She saw Mr.. Dopey
Louie looking in the window. called
Graham my dear husband" and
had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Louie
murder Mr.. Graham in her library.
Messy on the rugs, but it solved the
problem.
1t solved it for time that is. Ken
dal was indignant and averred as how
his wife had brought shame upon him.
1t took Desires faithful nurse to fix
things up by producing the note and
finally, if you're still listening, Kendall
stepped into the room, with all the
humility that gentleman feels when
he has Wronged woman"
THERE is humor in these scenarios
all right. A lot of it is intended
wit, too, but Mr.. Iathrop probably
never thought his "Pair of Queens"
which starred Flora Finch, would be
as funny as it appears today. Give
look to this scene:
Whatever brought HenneSsy into a
department store will always be a
mystery, probably; but there ne was
Hennessy, 1875 pounds of plumber and
gas-f1tter! He wandered down the
aisle in befuddled sort of way, with
the air of a man seeking nothing in
the world but an exit. AS he passed
Names counter, whether it was her
big mop of bronze hair or the red
neckties with nice gold stripes in them
that caught his eye, I cannot say
But the fact is, he hesitated; and you
know what happens to the man that
hesitateS! And Name had a very
friendly face.
go you'll" cooed Hennessy (there's
something; a 195-pound gas-fitter
cooing) as he came to the counter
"tG'wan,' said Name. coquettishly,
the kiddin' room is on the roof! Take
the elevator and get the air!'
"'I was up there said Hennessy.
but they told me you was down here.
What might them be!' said he as he
pretended to examine one of the gor-
geous ties.
Then is neckwear,' said Name
Fifty cents to you. but half dollar
to any one else" (Are you dying yet,
or do you want moreO
Anyhow Hennessy, fast worker that
he was, arranged to take Name to the
bricklayers and mortar workers ball.
So it came to pass that Sadie sat on
the front steps of the rooming house
the following evening and watched
Name sail away on the arm of the
~ lv,ort EYay,naeev %op fha t,rirki q vare,