Evening star., 1941-02-08

ultimate conquest or female by
male is, of course, definitely adult
and not for the kiddies or your
maiden aunt from Dubuque, its i'm
plications being far enough removed
from subtlety that the distance
might we'll be measured in light
years.
The fact that state of perfectly
legal wedlock exists between the
characters portrayed by Miss Rus
sell and Mr. Douglas seems to have
Deen enough to appease the Hays
office, which quite evidently could
see no reason why he should not
come to know her better, as it
were. Certainly nobody has raised
a hand to check Director Alexander
Hall or Scenarists George Seaton,
Ken Englund and P. J. Wolfson at
any point in these proceedings.
They surely could not have wanted
to be any more frank and OutSpoken
about their report on the comic
turn taken by this particular mar
riage.
Miss RusSell's Ann Winters. you
see, is a business woman with
plan for successful marriage,
plan which involves an attitude
exactly the opposite of that dis
played by the Hays office when 1t
was looking over this script. Miss
Winters, on becoming Mrs. Tfce
Collins. contends that she and her
new husband must maintain a
platonic relationship for the first
three months of their married life
until they are sure of their love,
she say. Tice-that's Melvyn Doug
las-is not one to fly thus in the
face Of custom and from this con-
f1ict of their two theories on how to
be happy though married stems the
action of This Thing Called Love"
1t this seems more to resemble
the thesis for smoklng-room story
than the basis for a motion pic
ture comedy, it probably is because
it is that to which it bears the
closer resemblance. It's just the
sort Of thing AL Woods would have
gobbled up with great glee had 1t
COiIle dCIOSS Ills ucSh III pldy 1OIlli
when he was the theater's top man
in the risque bedroom farce depart
ment.
Still Director Hall and his see
mario writers have managed to err
not too often on the side of poor
taste. For the most part the script
Is a bright antic. with bubbling
smart talk for dialogue and with a
sufficient number of daft situations
to keep it rollicking along at
merry pace.
It is the playing of course, which
makes This Thing Called Love"
gay. playing which is marked by a
tongue-in-the-cheek manner that
allows the participants to laugh at
themselves while engaged in their
primeval battle. Miss Russell is one
of the top condolences of the films,
a lass who no doubt could make
comic matter of a screen version of
the telephone directory, and she
makes the very most of her every
defensive moment here. And Mr..
Douglas is another at his best when
the situation is fraught with COM
plications, the chatter bright, BAN
tering and bearing more than one
meaning. Also about to lend help
ing hand are such capable players
as Binnie Barnes, Gloria Dickson,
Lee Cobb and Allyn Josslyn.
The brightest moments Of the
picture, incidentally, are several
which are connected only remotely
with the pursuit which is the central /
theme. There is battle, for in I
stance. between Miss Dickson and .
Miss Barnes that is almost wonder
full. Then there is the dinner party, !
at which Mr.. Douglas. Miss Barnes
and Mr.. JoSslyn fear the converSa-
ton is heading toward dangerous
ground. proffer toaStS to the first |
thing that comes to mind at periodic |
moments, finally end up by raptly
singing America, the Beautiful"
Stars of NO Time for Gloom"
which is what Harry Anger is call
ing his Earle stage show this week.
are the RoXyettes and the particular
RoXyette star is Miss Eileen Ritter.
Miss Ritter is not Singing Song
With-Mike' this week, but takes
over Joe Lombardis baton and or
chestra for swing overture which
she conducts with considerable
verVe. spices with her vocal version
of that ditty called Scrub Me