Evening star., 1939-12-09

enough to see beyond the approach
aimed on one occasion or another, but
In the end he has spun yarn.
AS in that former Lloyd film, MI
tiny on the Bounty" the director
Is most at home here when stand
ing on the quarterback of a sturdy
boat with bone in her teeth and
salt spray in her face. When the
Falcon or the Dog Star is pound
ing across the North Atlantic, bit
ing back at gale. the new picture
at the Earle is picturesque and ad-
venturesome.
In Rulers of the Sea-" Mr.. Lloyd
has chosen to tell the story of the
first Atlantic crossing by steam
power, Dog Star being the cinema's S
translation of Sirius for this his
torically based fictional account. As
has the story of any mans early
struggles against time and the ele-
ments, this one has deal of drama
In it. 1t has bit more drama, as
a matter of fact, than Mr.. Lloyd's
screen translation of it, Rulers of
the Sea" probably being best called
workmanlike lesson in part of the
history of navigation.
Where the drama of the photoplav
falls short of the drama of the occa-
sion the responsibility seems to lie
with a slight matter of point of view.
An epic story out of history such as
Is this one can be approached two
Ways-objectively or subjectively-it
can deal in ships and sails and steam
Or in man and his dream, in
events which shape men or in men
who shape events.
Sometimes here Mr.. Lloyd is whip
ping off vigorous seascape with
forceful strokes on a broad canvas
and then at other times he finds
himself trying to reconcile the broad
picture with an intimate portrait.
The conflict isn't enough to keep
Rulers of the Sea" from being a
highly interesting picture, but it
does keep it out of the epic class.
Naturally no director can be
blamed for forgetting the broad ap-
proach to concentrate on a charac.
ter when the character is being Dor.
trayed by Mr.. Will Fyffe, Scotland's S
most notable grizzled gift to the Gin
ema world. For that matter no
director could help himself, for Mr..
Fyffe is the sort of actor who domi-
mates any scene in which he appears,
without half trying.
At any rate his old Scottish ma
chinist. always about to lose his job
in the shop because he is daft enough
to believe he can make steam en-.
gine that will carry boat across the
ocean if a steam engine will work
in coastal waters, is chap you will
be happy to meet. He is ready to
fight at the drop Of a sneer for his
dream, and fight for it he does until
finally, after many an adverse cir
cumstances the Dog Star ends dra-
matte voyage in New York Harbor.
There he can die peacefully, happy
in the knowledge that Margaret
Lockwood and Douglas Fairbanks,
jr., will carry on for steam until
there is not sail left on the horizon.
Incidentally, it may be that Miss
Lockwood is partly responsible that
the drama of Rulers of the Sea" is
not quite so intense as it should be.
One look at her in Scotland and you
can't picture any sensible man
spending time trying to figure out
faster way to get to America.
II
The Earle's stage show is a note
worthy affair, with Comic Charles
Butterworth, Songstress Judy Starr,
mad buffoon named Don Rice and
the best dog act that's been around
in years.
Mr.. Butterworth, having been on
q couple of stages before in his life,
knows a Hollywood personality can't
get away with just standing behind
the footlights saying how happy he
is to be here and meet all you lovely
people. Mr.. Butterworth knows one
has to do something when on a
stage, so he does something. His
comic manner Is at its best in
satire on a Rotary Club speech and
he has some other bright moments,
too, with the help of Eddie Kane
and Miss Starr, whose songs would
be an improvement in anybody's act.
The Gautier's Bricklayers-
are something not to be missed. If
you remember that famed comedy
act of Willie, West and McGinty and
can picture q canine version Of it,
you know what to expect. Mr.. Rice,
who acts as master Of ceremonies,
contributes further happy momehts,
a. do some other people.