Evening star., 1938-01-27


a at this moment upon the recol
general impression created through
the years, Mr.. Barrymore was even
more difficult raw material upon
which to build a new facade (of per-
sonality) than even the young man
who probably deserves to be men,
toned in the same column only
through extreme use of critical license.
Together, of course, with the fact that
both are screen players and both have
the common necessity, in the eyes of
the studios, of being revised on a
somewhat elaborate scale
Ever since last summer, Hollywood
has found one of its best reversals of
the old saw they don't come back"
in the case of Mr. Barrymore. With
a spirit of humility that amazed those
with fixed conception of Barrymore
superiority, the younger, but not so
young, son Of the great stage family
began taking parts in pictures that
once would have been Spurned by him
as Hamlet rejected his stepfather.
And, with spirit of something more
parts in such quick succession that
even his brother Lionel (the always
energetic one) began to look sort of
slothful and indifferent.
1t was the talk of much more than
the one town of Hollywood. That, to
be sure. is as it should have been, for
no seven towns or cities could talk
70 1F
more
How much the flattering conversa-
tion was merited is evident at the
moment in Mr.. Barrymore's playing
in True Confession" In that pic
ture, which comes to the Earle tomor-
row. Mr.. Barrymore has a very good
part. For all its goodness, however,
it is precisely the kind of part in
which you never would have expected to
see John Barrymore. 1t is buffoonish
thing. played, and without bitterness,
as kind of exquisite burlesque upon
the general conception of the arro-
gance Of the Barrymores. 1t is difficult
to imagine Mr.. Barrymore as COM
bination of Charley Chaplin and Harpo
Marx. but that is the combination
which he plays, fellow both daft
and cunning, and he portrays 1t in
a fashion that no observant follower
of the cinema soon will forget.
No ham could be that fascinatingly
hammy. 1t takes an artist of Barry
more proportions.
- X *
IN EXCITED long distance tele-
phone call from New York, first to
Carter Barron, then to this department
last night, added another brilliant
member to the cast of the Presidents
birthday celebration the caller
was Ben Washer, the celebrity Zorina,
the ballerina of The Goldwyn Fol-
lies" You have not seen the
picture yet, but We have seen still
photographs of Zorina If she is
not the most lotus-like of the ladies
who will come here for the festival
which starts tomorrow $50 far as star
massing is concernedD, then the Gold
wyn retouching department is mag
nificently capable But, before
Zorina and Mr. Washer come to town,
YOU can have a nice Eleanor Powell
day. which is a nice kind of day for
fans . Miss Powell is scheduled
to arrive today, with an afternoon
prescribed for rest before the storm
which begins tomorrow -. At Carter
Barron's luncheon at the Mayflower
And at which there will be such
celebrities as Miss Powell, Mr. and
Mrs Frederic March, Ray Bolger,
Zorina and possibly one or two others
Miss Janet Gaynor is scheduled
to arrive Saturday morning :. Nice
Work If You Can Get tt was the
number dedicated to couple of
drama reporters by the Shoreham's
Barnee last night =. And on the eve
of the Presidents birthday celebration,
too :. Just goes to show how unsym-
pathetic orchestra leaders are
Paul Gerrits, who looks like Robert
nies very nicely, will come to the Earle
to me. the special midnight show on
Saturday u. .. Mr.. Gerrits did the same
thing last year Did it well and was
invited back He said yes
Summer Lightning" if you have
been wondering, was the name of the
magazine story on which "I Met My
Love Again" was based .. That's the
picture which comes tomorrow to
Keiths and which will have Joan
Bennett and Henry Fonda in the
starring roles 1t was sneak pre-
viewed here when Miss Bennett WAS
playing at the National in "Stage
Door" Previewed, incidentally, at
LoeW's Capitol :.
\ X X
REFORE Whirlpool" well. maybe
before, comes to the Little Thea
ter, they will run in Paul Munis first