Evening star., 1940-06-08

Edward Arnold, Warren William and
Leo Carrillo. The suitors for all
their variety contribute less of en-
tertainment to Lillian Russell"
than some of her associates in the
amusement world of the period. For
one of its better touches, the film
drags Joe Weber and Lew Fields
out of their retirement to do some
catchily corny excerpts from their
burlesque act which was a rival at
traction on the midways of which
Miss Russell was queen. There is
an lntlmation of a better world, too,
In Eddie Foy, jr.'s imitation of his
old mans famous HE Goes to
Church on Sunday" Things like
that, and Nigel Bruce's impersona-
ton of the crochety, temperamental
old w. S. Gilbert, invest the pic
ture not merely with it's greatest
historical accuracy, but with its
most engrossing moments. Another
contemporary of Miss Russell's who
catches the florid style of the era
with the evidence of complete fidel-
ity is Joseph CaWthorn, who plays
the part of Leopold Damrosch, the
singing teacher who contributed so
much to the professional skill of
the girl who started life as Helen
Leonard.
Miss FayeS imperSonation of Miss
Russell is best when 1t is limited
to the singing of the more popular
songs which the latter sang. There
is, indeed, no intimation that the
dazzling Lillian was vocally more
than able to handle musical comedy
assignments, or worse, burlesque
So far as 1t goes, that is nothing at
which to cavil, for Miss Faye has
a way with songs such as After
the Ball." The Band Played On"
and two new numbers, Blue Love
Bird and "Adored One" These
and others of the musical items,
including some spacious dance num-
bers, are staged on a scale and with
a skill which identify them as items
In a zanuck extract from history
1t is as the toast of not only
the town, but all towns, that Miss
Russell comes off least happily. AS
presented here, she seems hardly
the girl to have captivated such a
variety, and such a lavish express
sion, of devotion.
For propriety's sake. no doubt,
she is denied couple of husbands
in the script which she had in the
vital statistics, denial within the
poetic license of the producer if
he had made the substitution
equally dramatic. AS it is, Miss Rus
sell has only her first and last real
husbands. Don Ameche looking pal
lid and uncomfortable as Edward
Solomon, the composer, and Henry
Fonda as Alexander Moore. whose
perpetual devotion through years of
Illustration apparently is motivated
by nothing stronger than having
saved Miss Russell in a runaway.
Lustiest character treading through
the script is Edward Arnold, once
more Diamond Jim" Brady, who
finds little opportunity to be con-
vincing in showering Miss Russell
with Things ike apphlre-StuQded
bicycles, sables, Sl00 dinners, etc.
Delicacy is not historically quality
of Diamond jim" but it is to be
doubted that he lacked it to the
degree which Arnold's performance
implies
Among the better impersonat tions
which the script permits, and de-
serves, is that of Helen Westley as
the grandmother companion of the
woman whose beauty dazzled sew
eral decades.
The others do their best not to
be lost in the elaborate frame in
which the dramatic story of Miss
Russell undergoes the process of
dilution
A worthy short subject. The Flag
Speaks" supplements the Palace at
traction this week.