Evening star., 1943-01-09

ton that your picture, which We
saw today, titled The Human Com
edy," Is the greatest motion picture
we have ever seen. From beginning
TO end the picture is utterly fiawless
and is unquestionably the finest
presentation Of American life ever
put onto the screen. Our heartiest
congratulations to you and to your
associates at Metro. May you all
live long to make some others like
this. Best wishes"
X
Bing and Bob Score.
Bob Hope. tops on radio, and No.
5 IN the list of ace box -of1ice stars,
has come along faster in four years
than any other star in Hollywood.
He was signed by Paramount for
six months and the front ONCE was
ready to drop his option when he
suddenly hit with a song, Thanks
for the Memory" His formula for
success Is the man who is always in
trouble, never gets the girl, and the
unwanted lover. On radio he hits
because he is quick on the repartee
trigger, knows better than any of
his rival stars, barring Fred Allen,
how to get laugh out of an un-
expected situation which might arise.
Thought of this yesterday when
Warner Bros. screened Road to
Morocco" This is the best of the
Hope Crosby pictures and has moth
Ing whatsoever to do with the North
African war. AS matter of fact,
it's all madcap nosense, wacky and
scorning the conventional screen
technique. As one camel in the herd
turns to the audience and says:
This is the screwiest picture I was
ever in" Boy, he said a humpful.
Washed up on the African coast
and beginning the long hike across
the desert they remark that it's
8 to l they will run into Dorothy
Lamour. Good guess, they do. They
opine that Paramount will watch
out for them because they're signed
for five years. When the two have
been trussed up and left to die by
a native rival for Miss Lamour they
suddenly appear unfettered: How
did we get loose?" Mr.. Hope naively
remarks. IF we told anybody they'd
never believe US" replied Bing.
We'll, let's not tell EN-" And SO
the audience is left to figure it out.
At another point Mr.. Hope starts
to tell Bing what has gone before in
he story. Hold on" says Mr.. Crosby,
4 know all that" YEAH" replied
Hope, but the people who came in
the middle of the picture don't"
Mr.. Crosby sighs. Gee, you mean
they missed my song"
Road to Morocco" is good, clean
fun and registers impressively be-
cause neither star deigns to take 1t
seriously. It's a lark for both
players and audiences.
Mary Pickford's Comeback"
Mary Pickford, whose multiple ac-
tlvlties in Hollywood have not in
cluded a screen appearance since
she starred in Secrets" in 1888, will
terminate her decade long absence
with a role in Sol Lesser's forth
coming Stage Door Canteen," 1t
was announced today.
Miss Pickford has been active in
radio, literature and movie pro-
duclng since the interruption of her
career as an acting star. One of
most famous citizens.
she has helped make the worldwide
reputation of American motion pic
lures with her roles in "Coquette,"
Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall"
Rosita." Tess of the Storm Coun-
try The Love Light" "Suds,"
Heart O. the Hills" Daddy Long
Legs and many others.
Miss Pickford also was instru-
mental in organizing United Artists
Corp, which has distributed the
great majority of her pictures and
will also release Stage Door Can
teen."
The picture is now in production
IN Hollywood under the direction of
Frank Borzage.