Evening star., 1939-10-11

manifested an aloofness, but he was
won over to display his wondrous
skill in the prophetically named
They Shall Have Music"
incidentally, with reference to the
display of skill, the point is made
Of the movie. and well made. that
no one ever before really has been
able to see Heifetz play. AS no
other medium could, the camera
emphasizes the miracle of his gift
for the production of exquisite
music. It is the closeup trick, but
with new meaning.
1t is pretty late, perhaps, to be
telling 1t now, but when lovely Vera
Zorina was in Washington last
spring she had thing or two to
say about Husband George Balan-
chimes versatility as a choreog-
rapher. However, with "On Your
Toes" about to make its local screen
debut, it probably is not entirely
lacking in timeliness.
Mr.. Balanchine, according to Mrs.
Balanchine, is an artist of quick
and decisive boredoms. No matter
how excellent the dance he has
created, he invariably is content to
toss it aside in favor of another
creation. The public might never
tire of it, but Balanchine does. And
that Invariably is that.
"On Your Toes" offers an en-
phatic illustration of the Balan-
chine temperament. In it. as every
one who saw the stage production
at the National two seasons ago will
remember, was one of the most
ironic of commentaries on the bal
let. Death on Tenth Avenue" the
number was called, and Ray Bolger
and Tamara Geva made it q marvel
to behold, a thing of savage satire
ana burleSQuerie. The movie made
by Warner Bros, with Zorina in the
starring role, seemed inevitably des-
tined to keep the same dance.
Well, they have, but only as to
the rough idea. Mr.. Balanchine has
created a new and reputedly even
better version of Death on Tenth
Avenue" 1t starts off with a strip
tease routine, the more fascinating
when done by a ballerina of 70
rlnas artistic standing, moves into
fist fight, darts from there to gun
play and death. Death is followed
by resurrection and resurrection by
a Wild splurge of jitterbugging
which comes to crescendo that is
bedlam incarnate.
Mr.. Balanchine is a dance creator
who obviously cannot stand still.
X
Another thing about nudists that
is revealed by their appearance be-
fore movie cameras is that they are
almost certainly the worlds worst
actors. The impression gained from
the showing of the first nudist pic
ture here several months ago is
more than confirmed by the presen-
Atation of the second 1t is an en-
tlrely new cast-although the cos
tunes and setting are the same
but Its members are just as inept
at reciting lines and otherwise Gre
ating the impression OF telling a
story.
The old notion that it is the cos
tune that makes the ham will have
to be discarded. Ham is ham with
or without wrapping, a thing that
probably is worth an essay by some
one skilled in the art of saying little
in a great many words.
X X X 4
All those asides in Ladies ano
Gentlemen" at the National consti-
tute an interesting insight into the
minds Of Ben Hecht and Charles
Macarthur. Obviously they find ir.
resistible the impulse to comment
on anything suggested by the de.
velopment of their theme. Even il
it represents a depression, as it &
often does in their latest drama
they must have their sardonic say
about such subjects as the ignorance
of Hollywood, the political situation
with special reference to high taxes
the w. P. A., prenatal influence
business promotion and others.
Such Is their skill about it thai
one forgets the remark frequentl,
has nothing to do with the mair
business at hand.