Evening star., 1938-04-16

essential, inviolable story of boyhood.
Mississippi lad who lived the expert
ence Of all boys, came to the screen
sufaciently untarnished to please the
most exacting taste. True. it has been
prettified but that simply Is matter
OF technicolor, below the sometimes
rococco hues OF which there always is
to be found the pleasure or poignance
Of q boys experience in discovering
what the world is all about
Tom Sawyer's screen biography,
which opened yesterday at Loew's
Capitol is picture that should be
seen just as 1t long has been book
which everyone, adult and child, should
read. Moreover, it Is offered in con-
nection with stage show which has
been designed to conform to the mood
OF the picture in its every detail.
First Of the logical questions to be
asked in connection with the screen
adaptation of the tale which has de-
lighted two generations of Americans
Is: What have they done to the story?
The answer is that they have followed
~ dullOcU AVCld ally. 1IlSIC dIC SOiAlC
changes of minor nature. but not
evaded or modified in the slightest are
the major incidents in the career of
the lad who every one remembers for
his artfulness in getting the fence
whitewashed, for his bravado in tender
romance, for his heroics in the face of
tragedy. and for his genuine yearning
$o~ o3An{iAv, {va oil ofe of -,
The spectator will recognize large por-
tions Of the dialogue as Twain's own
and of that portion of it which belonds
to John v. A. Weaver's adaptation
there will be no feeling of violation Of
either the letter or the spirit Of the
original. The main objections to the
film will be those of overlength. in
spite of some adroit editing, and Of
excessive dawdling over certain inter-
ludes in which Director Norman Tau
rog seems to have been carried away
by the effectiveness of the camera in
recounting the story.
OF young Tommy Kelly. playing his
hrst role in motion pictures, only nice
things are to be said If one Is willing
10 skip the early sequences in which
the Bronx lad is inclined to be self
conscious. Once the son of the former
p. w. A. worker warns to his task, he
becomes Tom Sawyer with sufficiency
OF talent to captivate any critic. If
he does not feel the part. which may
be open to question, he still has the in
tellieence to do what he is told with
such flnesse. after his initial awkward
ness. that he excels professional child
actors who are members of the cast.
1t is not TO the distinction of all
first-comers to the picture that they
equal the Kelly youngster in acting
ability One of the major weak
nesses OF the Aim from the perspec-
tive Of this department sthat Jackie
Moran. erstwhile Chicago choir singer,
IS nothing more than pallid copy
of the Huckleberry Finn created by
Twain
Ann Gillis, with even more freckles
and redder hair that the lad cast
as Tom, is very convincing. in fact
enchanting, Becky Thatcher. however.
David Holt Is excellent as the tattle-
'oie 0iu sawyer, ana Marcia Mae
Jones is fully up to the task of por-
traying Mary Sawyer In that added
household presided over by Aunt Polly,
played to at least perfection by May
Robson, who knows fully the require
ments Of being diabolical one mo-
ment, sanctified the next. OF the
subordinate performances, you are
bound to like Walter Brennan as
Mum Potter, Victor Jory as Injun
Joe and Donald Meek as the Sunday
school superintendent.
There is no complaint. really. and
every praise to be bestowed upon
the Selznick Interpretation of this
classic which leaves no emotion un-
plumbed in its recital Of what goes
on IN the mind and heart of a boy
IN very interesting period of Ameri-
can development
X X
A STAGE bill which is introduced
by one Of Phil Lampkin's better
overtures. with Dianne Christenberry
singing gracefully the Easter music.