Evening star., 1939-12-28

Wv OCCduSC IAcIc WIS StEOLlS
dramatic appeal about the dark,
embittered, laconic Mickey Borden,
the character he impersonated.
Warmers might have let the
mishap turn them bitter. Lesser
things frequently have had that
effect upon picture producers. In
stead, however, they have chosen
to face the music-the very music
which Borden composer, created
out of his tormented youthful soul.
All of it is in the latest episode,
-Four Wives" in which the script
goes to such an extreme of making
Borden revered memory that
psychiatrist might find it a symp-
tom of self -fagellation.
Anyone who thinks that is all
they have done to keep Mickey
alive, however, is grossly under
estimating the artfulness of the
makers of the Lemp family saga.
They have gone so far in beautiful
self -abasement for the error of
letting Mickey die that in -Four
Wives" they allow his widow to
be the first to accomplish mater
nifty; the infant obviously created
for purposes of keeping the
Borden tradition alive. Then, as
if to make doubly sure that the
atonement is complete they inject
into the latest of the series the
ghostly representation of Borden,
a neatly contrived double exposure
which reminds the series large
audience that Garfield was the
husband of Priscilla Lane in the
first picture.
Without too great a strain upon
the imagination, it is possible to
see the addition of Eddie Albert to
the cast of the latest chapter, an
other flattering tribute to Garfield.
They are pretty much the same in
acting style and as if to assure
perpetuity of Albert in the series,
they have made him a brilliant
young doctor
The debt for that original error
would appear to have been richly
repaid.
X X X X
A little late for Christmas, but
what's a little lateness under the
circumstances, Louella Parsons and
her troup of Hollywood star!ets will
arrive in Washington today. The
six in the order in which they come
to mind, our notes having gone
already to the mislaid pile, are June
Preisser. Arlean Whelan, Joy Hodges,
Susan Hayward, Jane Wyman and
Ronald Reavan. Their advent to-
day, as prelude to going to work
tomorrow at Loew's Capitol Theater,
is heralded in the following wire
from Carter Barron, Loew's division
chief:
May We induce you to curtail
your workday and meet with other
representatives of the press at a
cocktail reception honoring Louella
Parsons and her six lovely Holly
wood stars. The Carlton Hotels
north lounge at Thursday aft
ernoon. May we expect you?"
With all that loveliness, you GER
tainly may! Besides, we have a g.
year old, unfinished argument with
June as to which of us is the more
expert yo-yo manipulation. So hide
the yo-yos!
X X X X
Red Book magazine, with its chief
justice, Douglas w. Churchill, who
used to write for this page, presiding,
yesterday handed down the decision
that Bette Davis is the player who
has made the most distinguished
contribution to the art of the motion
picture in 1899. Mr.. Churchill, whose
opinions are expressed in incontro-
vertible terms, makes pointed men
ton OF. Miss Davis's acting in
"Jaurez," Dark Victory" ''The Old
Maid" and Elizabeth and Essex"
in support of his judgment. Formal
presentation of the award, which
will be featured by the fearsomely
critical voice of the tempestuous
Douglas himself, will be made on the
Screen Actors Guild program jan
uary ID.
The glorious voice of Meliza Kor-
jus, employed to such brilliant effect
but once since she became Holly
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