Evening star., 1939-08-12

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scenarist to live a while in a famed
New York hostelry where a man
can't get within 10 feet of the ele-
vator. That may have been a good
thought on Mr.. Zanuck's part, but
he has yet to prove it. All he has
proved in Hotel for Women" is
that the place is equipped with hot
and cold running cliches in every
room.
The drama the scenarist got out
OF her stay at the hotel for women
was yarn about girl who went
to New York to meet the man she
loved. She found he didn't love her,
became famous model quick as a
flash, became innocently involved in
a scandal, became thus an infamous
model and found the fellow did
love her
Lest this paint too dark picture,
let us hasten to say that there are
some bright spots in Hotel for
Women" There are occasions when
1t perks up in a sprightly manner
and becomes gay and diverting
little comedy. Director Gregory
Ratof1 has managed as fine hodge
podge OF the picture, though, as his
Russian dialect does with the Eng
llsh language. For there are other
moments when it is downright hi
larious without the saving grace of
intent to be hilarious.
We submit, too, in competition
1or the prize for the years fun.
nlest line Of unfunny dialogue the
heroine's scathing remark when the
lad who has spurned her attempts
10 WOO her when she gets glamour
AND now," she shouts, after point
Ing out his past actions, you can't
press your lips to mine and make
everything go back the way it
was"
Now back to the bright side of
this matter of Hotel for Women"
and there is Miss Linda Darnell
Miss Darnell is the very young lass
who is introduced proudly as 1.-The
screens newest star in her first
role and who has what it takes to
live up to the introduction. She is an
attractive young lady who seems to
have considerable dramatic talent
and 1t is safe to predict that those
great big eyes will make her the
screens newest star. Ann Sothern.
in that wise cracking "Maisie" mood
is another of the picture assets. And
Jimmy Ellison does not detract from
it. Nor does Elsa Maxwell who
makes her film debut by proving
she is a better actress than. say.
Louella Parsons.
\
For the new stage show the Capt.
tol management has brought from
out of somewhere the orchestra of
Woody Herman and some clever
specially acts and it all is diverting
business. This Mr.. Herman. who can
play the daylights out of clarinet.
has the band the boys say is on the
way to the upper brackets among
the swingsters. And it is easy to see
why and to agree. These lads have
a version of "Old Man Nose that
would make a hep cat out of even
one who was convinced "Old Man
Nose should stay dead and buried.
They're at their best, though, when
they lapse into that slow. pulsating
jungle rhythm-the tempo that's
liked on U street-to do something
like their Blues in D Minor" That S
a honey even If we have it in the
wrong key.
/ Others who contribute to the fun
are Joe and Jane McKenna, in that
slightly slapstick turn which is top
notch entertainment every time; Vic
Hyde, the one-man band fellow who
used to stop shows playing three
trumpets and who now stops them
by playing four bugles: the Tro-
jams, who are amazingly adept at
defying the law of gravity. and Mary
Ann Mccall. who swings some songs
nicely. There's another overture (at
the end of the show, though, instead
of the beginning conducted by
Yasha Bunchuk, featuring his ar
rangement of a group of gypsy airs.