Evening star., 1944-05-26

yCSlcludy. Ii S dS ldlJllIul 10 CIl6
can think of, including caster oil.
involving six dashes of brashness,
brashness, another song, another
dance, then more of the same until
the director himself crys enough" !"
OConnor-now in the Army and
under the discipline of sergeants
who probably have their own no.
tions of child discipline-is sur
rounded in his latest picture by the
usual assortment of talented jul
veniles and capable adults. Nearest
to being co-equals are Peggy Ryan,
his Yubbery dancing and singing
partner, and little Ann Blyth,
freshman vocalist who obviously Is
being developed in the Deanna
Durbin tradition. The grown-ups
participating most prominently are
Helen Vinson, Helen Broderick and
Arthur Treacher, three players who
have proved sufficiently shock
proof to romp with Universal's
strenuous kiddies.
Chip Of the Old Block" as a
piece of writing. assumes that the
O'Connor lad is clown who can
knock them dead no matter what
he is given to work with. He is in
troduced as an irresponsible cadet
in one of those Navy prep schools,
is expelled as soon as the red tape
permits, is thrust into the middle
of a producing set in New
York, and there is allowed to show
off his talent for the wisecrack, the
dance, and the song. 1t has been
done the same way so many times
that the obvious conclusion is that
there isn't any other story.
One of the rarely fresh touches
in the early phase of the film is the
gag introduction Of Joel Kupper-
man, the quiz kid with the astound-
Ing mathematical brain and the In
ternationally famous lisp. He is
allowed to show of both gifts in q
sequence, which Is notable chiefly
for the fact that he manages to
obscure O'Connor completely.
That is quite q trick. even for .
quiz kid.
Miss Blyth, diminutive prima
donna, Is given q two-way build
up in the unfoldment Of "Chip Oh
the Old Block" The studio deemed
that it would not hurt. her bit to
be made O'Connor's co-principal
in the adolescent romance which
flows through the plot. 1t is PAL
pably right n that assumption, for
O'Connor has a flair for attracting
attention enough for two in any
situation; in fact, for three, con-
sidering that Miss Ryan figures in
majority as the aggressive, pos
sessive and violently jealous adoles-
cent female.
The other aspect of Miss Blyths
career to be taken care of is that
bent upon demonstrating that she
has an unusual voice for one her
size and age. It is hardly the
equipment to set Kristen Flagstead
worrying about her place in the
history Of opera, but it Is AMI
extremely pleasant little voice in
which Miss Blyth sings. 1t is used
cutely in a routine ballad, "It's
Mighty Nice to Have Met You"
which she sings as a duet with
O'Connor, much more impressive
in Love Is Like Music" and my
Song" which she offers without
any ones assistance.
The impish Miss Ryan is by no
means submerged-as how could
she be?-in Chip On the Old
Block"
The swing department is one
that she and O'Connor handle with
a skill that is definitely bound to
please the young. regardless Of its
reverse effect upon their elders.
AS the formula requires, they not |
only give the vocal version of what
ever music as assigned to them, but
come out of 1t in that characteristic
1itterbug swirl Of their previous
pictures. Liveliest of their dances is
one which emerges as the wind-up
of an item called Gotta Give My
Feet q Break"
The adults associated with "Chip
OF the Old Block" find themselves
surrounded by that lush, modern
istic interior setting which Uni
versal has found worth while ever
since 1t made Deanna Durbin's
first picture. No new work has been