Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-14
Andrews
Sizing at
Michigan
BY CHARLES GENTRY

ny ShAhLES GENIhf
THOSE BLESSED damozels of
the music machines. those high
priestesses OF chop. chop. chop. the
Andrew Sisters, gave three cheers
for swing yesterday to provide the
Michigan with one of the most
rhythmical stage shows of recent
months.
Since last we saw these close
harmonizing maidens they have
gone to Hollywood and done all
right for themselves. Their film
jobs have given them more poise,
improved their appearance and
lent them a kind OF stardust that
won't brush off, even after using
Listerine.
Amazing though their ability to
harmonic is, we were still more
impressed with the way they CO.
ordinate. Their gestures, their
timing and every expression re-
minds you OF Siamese triplets.
They've also eliminated a lot of
that double talk in swing time,
which used 10 make us regret that
we'd never studied Sanskrit.
They're quite ineligible now and
while they 1--WE enough to satisfy
the hep members of their audience,
they still give out with the music.
TOP ACCOMPANIMENT
Together with Johnny Longs
band providing superb accompani-
ment they offer a program of sew
leral Of their most popular juke
box numbers. The Shrine of St.
Cecilia" they do very smoothly
and. of course. Deep in the Heart
OF Texas gets the whole crowd
clapping before the number is
finished.
Johnny Long, that sentimental
gentleman OF swing" is young
Southerner who doesn't draw the
Mason and Dixon line when il
comes to Yankee 1--WE.
SOUTHPAW VIOLIN
He plays beautiful violin
lefthanded by the way-and leads
a very pleasing swing aggregation.
The band has terrific drummer
and swell brass section. Several
of the numbers. however. are
slightly over arranged and too
much in the same tempo.
His girl singer. Helen Young, IS
"a cutie-comedienne, with a nice
voice 10 boot. while Bob Huston
baritones the male lyrics.
NUTS ABOUT NOTES
Wacky Fred Sanborn and his
wonderful stooges come back TO
remind US that the xylophone is,
the funniest Of all instruments
even when played straight.
The Southern Sisters, two
blondes. caVort acrobat ically
around the stage, although they
are hardly needed on a show that
threatens 10 be too long anyway.
The screen feature is milk
toast version Of John Colton's
shocking play The Shanghai
Gesture "
In order 10 pacify the Hays Of
flee. II has now become rather
feeble gesture and Josef Won
Sternberg hasn't done very much
to pep II up
WHAT A CHANGE
Mother Blank Blank has now
become Mother Gin Sling. the
proprietress Of a gambling casino
rather than OF house OF assigna-
ton.
Other characters. famed for
their evil ways in the original
drama, have given up their bad
habits and become only pale
imitators Of their initial forms
Ona Munson is seen as the
famous Oriental madame. who
wreaks strange revenge on her
own daughter Victor Mature plays
a half-caste chiseler Of poetic and
unscrupulouS leaningS
A GOOD GIRL
Gene Tierney makes the daugh-
ter seem little like Shirley
Temple on her first hinge. and
Walter Huston acts embarrassed
by the whole thing.
Mr.. Sternberg made a picture
some time ago with Marlene
Dietrich called Shanghai Express"
TO which he lent the same aura
vice and glamour. The chief differ
.ence rs that the Shanghai Ex-
press got somewhere. The
Shanghai Gesture" is mainly static.