Evening star., 1952-06-03

Norman only q uCCle DlC newer,
Miss Charming heretofore has
been merely a legend around here.
Also as in the case of the incom-
parable star of "Call Me Madam, I"
the legend turns out not to have
been a bit exaggerated.
Miss Claiming is virtually the
funniest girl alive and her demon
stration of predatory blondness
is irresistible. She is the complete
mistress of every high and low
strategy In the war between the
sexes and that she should not
win every battle would be an out
rage against nature. It could
only be a delight to lose to such
a siren.
Miss Channing's co-conspiratorsl
In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
seem every bit as enthusiastic in
their work as she is. Not a wrinkle
Of fatigue is allowed to show it
self in their treatment of a fable
that has made Anita Loos a bene-
factor Of the people for decades.
One naturally does not get the
impression that they are just
launching a new production but
no one is allowed to conclude that
time can damage a girl like
Lorelei Lee.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is
q noisy, handsome, healthy and
vastly enjoyable musical. It's
theme is approximately SEEK. but
this is a subject that should not
be mentioned in the presence of
any one so innocent as Lorelei.
Her concept Of men is that they
are kindly and rich and that their
greatest satisfaction is buying Tif-
fany's and Carriers to make girls
more decorative.
All she asks of them is bushels
Of diamonds. In return she gives
them wide-eyed stares that would
make a faun look phoney. AS an
additional return of generosity,
she treats them to a handling OF
vowels that is the funniest thing
since sound began to make sense.
Exactly what it is that Miss
Charming does to these is inde-
Scribable but it is something like
teleScoping of "a", "e'', and i'
Even the 80" is thrown in for good
measure in her pronunciation of
Mr.. Esmond as "Mr. Esmend."
The cumulative effect of this can
be pleasantly shattering.
X X y X
The best minds in show business
are foolish If they are not ready
now with sequel for Miss Chan
ming. She and Lorelei Lee should
not go out of business ever, much
less with one adventure such as
this gold-digger's trip to France
and back. They are an uproari-
ously matched pair of baby-faced
man-eaters and should be sup
ported by the Government If they
were not so much more capable of
supporting themselves.
Naturally, even such a talented
girl as Miss Charming needs help
in an enterprise so scopish as
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" It is
eyer so expertly proffered in the
book which Joseph Fields and
Miss Loos wrote, and in Leo
Robins lyrics set to julie Styne's
captivating music.
AS in the case Of any good musi-
cal, familiarity with the tunes
breeds no such thing as weariness
with them when they are heard
again in context. The sight of
Miss Charming singing them re-
stores freshness completely to "A
Little Girl From Little Rock" and
Diamonds Are A Girls Best
Friend"
Matching the demand for en-
cores with the supply in the case
Of these is one of the superb feats
Of the postwar period which, on
the whole, has not been very
superb.
The makers Of Gentlemen Pre-
Ter Blondes" have been extremely
tactful in not expecting Lorelei to
carry the whole production. They
give her generous intervals in
which to catch her breath and
change her costumes. Moreover,
they fill these with a number of
other suitably amusing charac-
ers.t
Lorelei's friends are perfectly
chosen, the button kings som
played by Jack McCauley; her
Follies girl friend impersonated
by Shirl Conway; her inhibited
Philadelphia aristocrat pal played
by Mary Finney; the latter's son
played by Eric Brotherson: and al
buzzingly busy dancer friend por-
trayed by Dorothy Etheridge.
Paris never saw such group
OF american tourists ana nelCher
did Washington.
\ X \ 4
AS a debt Of honor to the roar
ing 20s when musicals were made
for tired business men, the pro-
ducers Of Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes" have cast it with the
prettiest show girls available.
They have also provided it with
the lustiest singing chorus heard
In years and with a dancing group
that makes the most of Agnes De
Miles pleasing choreography.
Oliver Smith designed the
ocean liner and the racy recrea-
ton rooms in which Lorelei stages
her rapacious romp. He is good in
deed at this sort of thing and so
is Miles White who created the
20s wardrobe which is so vital
Q part Of the hilarity of the musi-