Evening star., 1939-07-08

scene of their first triumph, includ-
ing John Garfield, who was killed in
the original script, everything is set
Tor happy reunion between cast
and audience. The happiness, of
course, is interspersed with just the
proper balance of tears, but life is
like that and the picture is like life.
There has been some changing of
character, some of 1t actually for
the better, in the case of the new
picture. Best breaks go to Claude
Rains and May Robson. Whereas
he was the perfect husband and
father in the first assembly of the
group, he turns up this time as
charming, irresponsible scapegrace;
a fellow whose answer to the mo-
notony OF 1t all when his fourth baby
daughter arrived was to 60 away
for couple of decades. At the risk
OF seeming anti-social, one must say
that Mr.. Rains is a much more en-
gaging fellow in his new guise. So
is Miss Robson. who has been trans
muted from the grandma into kind
of grand dame servant.
The rest of them pair off about as
usual, with Priscilla Lane as the
youngest and sprightliest of the
daughters forming the apex of that
piquant triangle which again in
cludes John Garfield and Jeffrey
Lynn. The real story, however, is
devoted to the triangle which in
wolves mother Gay Bainter), father
and eX-husband (Rains) and hus-
band-to-be donald Crisp. For all
his shortcomings in marriage, Pop
has what it takes to make the more
substantial fiance look like the
crudest kind of blunderer in love.
The title of the picture no doubt
derives from the circumstances that
for all of his charm. which wins
them over one by one, the daugh-
ters have enough courage at the
climax to send father packing before
he makes their otherwise sensible
mother twice a fool.
One of the pleasant things about
the film, which Michael Curtiz di-
rected with such skill, is that every
character in it invariably is of
human proportions. No one is either
completely black or completely
white. with the result that every
one is recognizable as some one you
might know. For the revelation of
just what each person is supposed
to represent, authors and director
have collaborated in the invention
OF situations which are convincing
and affecting. Laughter follows
tears, and vice versa, just as simply
and logically as it does off the
screen. The same naturalness is
an outstanding quality of the dia-
logue, both on the occasion when it
is supposed to be witty and on the
one when it is wistful.
Topf1ight players are Rains and
Garfield, two of a kind after some
Introductory passages in which the
latter apparently is playing a COM
posite of the six Dead End kids.
The pair have some excellent scenes
together. So do mother and the
daughters, of course, but the more
memorable ones are those in which
the scapegraces get together to dis
cuss life and their own inescapable
weaknesses.
1t is in its earlier passages that
Daughters Courageous" raises the
question as to whether it will recap
ture the charm of the earlier pic
ture. Once these. with their tinges
OF artiflciality, are past it settles
down to the old charm and main
tains 1t to the end.
The largest ice stage in local vau-
deville history has been set for the
Lake Placid Ice Show which is the
weeks stage feature. On it. there is
everything that goes with the mod
ern skating carnival, all of it done
with high skill. Show stopper bit
was that contributed by Ted Meza,
whose comic drunk made an intol-
Grant critic laugh in spite of her
pledge never to laugh at another
stage drunk. Figure champions
Brunei and Jolly, who probably
would have felt more at home on
fast ice, provided the grace of the
act, assisted by Sonic and Margo.
Gloria Blake, find of the month"
turns out to be one of the prettiest
and most talented sopranos ever
found in any month.
Three routines, all on skates, with
bunch of miscellany to handle in
between, prove that the Roxyettes
are the most courageous and tai
ented chorus this department ever
admired for its courage and talent.