Evening star., 1938-06-04

OF tnaC b1Cter-Sweet Sentlmental1ty SO
written by the "ah-me-the-pa pain-of- Iii
derided in the script paid the ex-
pected sums to hear themselves lam
basted, Mr.. Barry reaped neat profit,
and Holiday was sold to Hollywood.
There 1t became starring vehicle
for Ann Harding, as we say in the
star vehicular business, and went on
to its box-office rewards. Now, behold,
this week Holiday" Is back with us
again at the Earle, recast, rewritten
to bring in few timely references to
John L. Lewis and the income tax,
but essentially a story about poor
little rich girl who was unhappy in
her gilded palace, and boy who had
never been rich and didn't quite un-
derstand why there should be any
innate incompatibility between large
bank account and the enjoyment of
life.
This puzzled lad (Cary Grant, hap
pened to fall in love with very
wealthy lass Doris Nolan) in the first
act of the drama, and through her
he met the whole tribe of gilt-edged,
proper and rather unhappy Setons.
There was Papa Seton who felt sure
the Tories were right, but was plagued
by his eccentric children; Linda Seton
(Katharine Hepbur11) who was brim-
ming with boredom and undiscovered
tenderness; Ned Seton, who was brim-
ming with liquor; assorted other Sc
tons, mostly of the overstuffed variety.
These people had everything but a
good time, and the boy who had
worked all his life was distressed to
observe that even his lady love thought
him crazy, her idea being that q
young man who has barrel Of money
should go forth and try to make two
barrels. 1t had been his notion that
the owner of one chest Of doubloons
might as well spend it, especially since
keeping 1t around the house never
seemed to provide any personal happi-
ness for any one.
Against the rather clear logicality
of this lads viewpoint was arrayed
the tight-mindedness of the Setons-
all the Setons except Linda, who didn't
believe what the rest of them did, and
Ned, who didn't much care one way
or another. From that premise of
conflict Mr.. Barry built his drama,
taking care to see that the right people
came out in the right places. They
still do in the screen version at the
Earle, which is largely to the credit
Of Donald Ogden Stewart, who did
the dialogue; of George Cukor, who
directed, and of Katharine Hepburn,
who, so help me, is gradually Develop
ing to the point where she is prac-
tically human, and no longer a mere
monotone on the sound track. Mr..
Grant is not especially dazzling as the
hero Of the piece, but he had very
little chance to steal the show, for
the Hollywood boys have seen to it
that Holiday" is now thoroughly and
completely 'woman's picture" Doris
Nolan Is as good Seton as any, Lew
Ayres works faithfully at his drunken
part in the proceedings, and Edward
Everett Horton and Jean Dixon give
two excellent limitations of living
people plunked right down in the
midst of a raft Of stuffed shirts.
HAVING written book and a half
on Holiday" we will have to cut
down, but not bear down, on the stage
show. Happy Felton's Band. the songs
by Mildred Fenton, a single dance turn
by the Gaylene Sisters, you should
find to the queens taste. Coming here
without much of q local reputation,
the FELTON, troupe slammed. sang and
played its way to immediate pop
ularity yesterday at the first show.
Only mark-down, the rather awful
closing number which the orchestra
leader sang himself. There is a drum
mer in the gang who will set the swing
fans afire, and hefty swingster FELTON,
is an agreeable, amusing personality.
Miss Fenton deserves an extra round
Of applause for the originality Of her
song selections and the fact she has
bothered to have novel arrangements
made for them.
Presumably headliners Of the stage
show are the three Hollywood stooges,
Moe, Larry and Curly.
They must be indeed very funny
fellows, for they stirred up storm
Of laughter with some Of their antics
yesterday. This would indicate that
the trio is the proud possessor Of 4
/ fond public, which public il welcome
to all the joys that may be derived
from watching them.