Evening star., 1940-05-18

transcription Of the radio show vi
nights. The supporting cast include
Carmichael, Andy Devine, and the
voices, no more, Of Fred Allen.
Mary Livingstone and Don Wilson.
With each member Of the cast play
ing his radio character under his
own name, and with the script fol-
lowing the radio technique, Buck
Benny Rides Again" is its stars
best picture, good for as many and
the same kind Of laughs expected
of the airs No. l comedian.
Wisely, Benny's latest utilizes the
script writing services of his radio
team, William Morrow and Edmund
Beloin, a pair of lads not above
broad hokum when they feel it will
be handled well. In this case, they
had not only the proper cast for
that kind of treatment but also
the singular good fortune of Mark
Sandrich's direction. A movie man
by training and inclination, Sand
rich recognized he had a radio
show to photograph. q script built
for laughs, studded with gags, and
requiring fast pace to get the
desired effects. The Benny fol-
lowing can be grateful to Mr.. Sand
rich for being that wise. A lot Of
directors might not have been.
The script plunges Benny into
the middle Of girl trouble, the kind
caused by girl who thinks he's 4
stuf1y dope even II he Is q big shot
and she only q little girl trying to
get on the radio. BY way OF prov
ing that he's herman, a son of
the West quite as much as she is
its daughter, he goes to a ranch in
the Rockies. Life, with the girl
looking on in disdainful unbelief,
becomes a series of antics of ex-
treme dizziness. There's one, for
instance, in which a miracle makes
Benny a hero during a runaway
instead of the heel he really is. In
another, thinking he is staging a
mock scrap with couple Of tough
cowhands whom he has paid to take
q beating, he actually meets and
makes a creditable showing against
a pair Of bad men. The wild climax
comes when the outlaw pair really
are captured and end up in the
custody Of Carmichael.
With the wisdom of the good busi-
nessman, which is to say without
the pettiness of some comic artistes,
Benny allows his picture to turn over
q goodly share of its humor to the
artful Rochester. As a servant who
recognizes his masters bark. is
sharper than his bite, Rochester
gives the boss many an uncomforta-
BILE, laughable moment. One such
is that in which, sent with candy
and sweetsome note to the object
Of the latter's love, Rochester starts
q romance of his own with the
lady's colored maid. While the
courtship Is going on, Benny is
waiting below in the rain; a pretty
steady rain, but kept from becoming
unendurably long by virtue of the
fact that Rochester stages one of
his inimitable dances and tosses of
one Of the shows four songs, MY,
Ny"
Aliens contribution to the sue
cess Of Buck Benny Rides Again"
are a few sections of soundtrack,
which represent his usual ironic
comments on Benny, this time Ben
ny as four flushing cowboy. For
his part in the turnings of the story.
Harris is strictly in character as
the mocking band leader who clev-
erly maneuvers the boss into any
position which happens to be con-
venient for Harris.
4 In going outside Of the Sunday
troupe for romantic interest, the
Benny picture settled upon pretty
Ellen Drew, who not only fits in
quite nicely In that connection, but
ornaments singing trio which
makes q nice thing Of a LoesseY-
McHugh composition called "Say It."
A hot Of people probably win be
singing "Says 1t" before all is said
and done, circuitous way Of
thinking 1t will be. q hit.
AL told, comically and melodi-
cally, Mr.. Benny seems to have
found his picture groove in his
radio one.
r. y
Among the short subjects this
week Movietone has inserted Presi-
dent Rooseyelt's defense speech into
the news reel. Needless to say the |
insertness is accomplished with
highly dramatic effect. the more 30
because the reel Is otherwise filled
with lurdd shots of what German
preparedness has wrought in Eu-
rope. j. G.