Evening star., 1938-07-29

the moviegoer has there been any,
thing worthy of comparison with this
film, which was fashioned from the
story of Kate Douglas Wiggin, and
which induces a real glow of satisfac-
tion with being a member of the
human species.
There is comedy, in the best sense
OF the word, in this tale Of widow
and her four diversified children.
Moreover. there is romance in it; the
old-fashioned kind of romance which
has been more or less ignored In re-
cent connections from the land of
the movie camera. That combination
OF entertainment values, which opened
yesterday at Keith's. gives promise of
being so appealing that Hardie
Meakln can sit back and twiddle his
thumbs (or just count the money!
for several weeks to come
Mother Carey's Chickens" which
stars Fay Banter and Ann Shirley
and introduces Ruby Keeler in her
6rst straight dramatic role, is one of
the simplest stories maginable 1t is
80 simple, indeed, that it is almost
startling to find 1t can be so stimu-
lating to the emotions. One does not
believe that one can be moved so
deeply by such naive characters until
he actually finds himself being moved
by them. The experience seems a
very important one-and so, correla-
lively. does the film.
There Is richness in Mother Carey's
Chickens" far beyond that which is
indicated in narration of the plot.
The latter concerns, as every one
should know. the vicissitudes which
beset the widow and children of a
naval captain killed in the Spanish
War. The five, mother and four chill
dren. have one passionate desire in
the world. and that is to remain
together despite the effort of circum-
stance to break them up. Calamity,
bravely. in defiance of everything that
seems best" they stick together and
overcome the vicissitudes Their battle
is one of those things to choke the
spectator with good. wholesome emo
ton, which is great deal more than
can be said for lot of the things
that have been pictured recently by
Hollywood.
Q-K-O deserves little corner Of
the movie patrons heart for not
trying to escape from the plain sig
nificance of the original story by Mrs.
Wiggin. 1t has made not the lightest
concession to the fact that there is
such a thing as brittleness in the
world. Rather it has adhered rigidly
to the facts of a mothers love for her
children, of childrens love for their
mother. and has been completely and
Fundamentally unashamed of the pos
sibility that it might be charged with
excess sentimentality. The result is
very nice, indeed.
In his conformity to the mood Of a
story that started to be an important
bit of folklore almost three decades
ago, Director Rowland w. Lee (who
has not always been so wise) has
utilized the most modern form Of
screen technique. In doing so, he has
achieved some imposing results. one
Of the best bits being that involving
the efforts of the Carey's to prove that
their lovely home is haunted when it
seems that it is about to be taken
from them. That scene, as do many
Of the others, takes the audience
through what deservedly may be
called the "pamut of human emo
tions."
X X X X
= A MONG the other phases of its i'm
portance, Mother Carey's Chick
ems" will have to be recognized as
the picture which introduces Miss