Evening star., 1939-10-14

Is to the disadvantage of the film, (
the luscious Vera Zorina CT Marie
The loss, accordingly, is by no mean
the piece. Zorina is lot of COM
pensation and Warner Bros. were
lavish in using her as such in the
picture.
Not entirely has the screens "On
Your Toes" dropped the original
notion that the ballet deserves lot
Of ridicule for its aesthetic stuff
flness. The ridicule is less tart.
however, and is abandoned for long
stretches while the story deals
humorously with the rise of young
composer in the snooty atmosphere
of the classical dance.
The stage show which accom-
panies the glossy tomfoolery of the
feature is neat companion piece,
also heavily spiced with the dance.
Sidewalk Cafe" is Harry Anger's
name for it and 1t is managed with
engaging spirit by the young people
he has hired for the week.
Whatever the changes in the
original theme and intention of "On
Your Toes" it comes up as an ex-
cellent vehicle to establish Zorina in
more substantial place in pictures.
Broadways idol of the classic dance,
a former Ballet Russo ballerina,
Zorina is the perfect choice for a
lady to chide her art for it's arti-
ness. In addition to being beautiful
ond hinhlxy 70 olnyfoI eL, L,.,,,
keen sense of burlesque to a part
that might have been more vivid
had the script writer's dared defy
movie plot conventions.
The high light of the picture. as of
the stage version. is the ballet
Death on Tenth Avenue" The
Satirical flavor of the original is
maintained intact in this climactic
sequence and if the ballet ever came
in for more deflation on the screen,
it escaped this departments notice
AS choreographer of the screen as
we'll as the stage versions, George
Balanchine tZorinas Mister un-
leashes the full force of a sardonic
nature. From the strip tease with
which the number starts to the
wild flying tap with which it ends,
choreographer and dancer are re-
paving in full for the weary hours
they spend in slavery to the tradi-
tions of the dance. It's wonderful
even if the rest of the picture is
not.
Conventionality handicaps the re-
mainder of the film. 1t is the less
of handicap because Eddie Albert
is around to play kind of stumble
bum young composer, Alan Hale to
do a laughable burlesque of a ballet
impressario, and Leonid Kinskey as
an improvident. naughty and un-
talented Russian composer. There
are moments when the things they
do and say sound fresh for the man
ner in which they are done and
said. but so limited is the invention
of the script writer's that everyone
repeats himself from time to time.
The vocal passages which bright
ened the stage version have been
dropped altogether in the adapta-
tion. No one even appears to sing
however unjustified it might have
been in the course of the story
There's A Small Hotel" 1t is re-
prised instrumentally throughout
the score which, in the main, has
been but slightly changed.
Director Ray Enright may have
missed his intention to keep the pace
of the picture fast and constant. but
he saw to it his production was
worthy OF so svelte gift from
Broadway to Hollywood.
A sidewalk cafe revue would have
to open with symbolic routine by
the Roxeyettes and this one does
when the girls start the stage show
with fast bit featuring cocktail
shakers. Comes next Betty Bruce,
tap dancer who gets a tango motif
into her contributions, numbers de-
rived from her experience in Boys
From Syracuse" last year.
Hit of the stage production turns
up in the comedy act of Lorraine
and Rognan. whose chatter is bright
but whose best bit is a burlesque
waltz Watch that fur piece which
the flexible Lorraine wears. It
might turn out to be a live dog.
Edward Rocker, baritone find-of-
the-month, is the shows vocalist.
good enough to get an encore after
two such familiar baritone numbers
as "Old Man River" and Rangers
Song" J.c.