Evening star., 1952-04-04

with steel. Not back here on the
page are like two happy. healthy
The subject Of steel is broug
Capitol Theater and everything i
what seems to be bothering every
one else.
In "Steel Town." wages anc
prices are never mentioned. The
workers have Ann Sheridan tC
keep them happy, trick she ac-
complishes by dressing somewhat
recklessly and serving them SIR
loin steak luncheons. Moreover
these people live in community
that looks something like Wesley
Heights, drive cars 25-feet long
and apparently spend their nights
drinking champagne.
The only group that could con-
ceiyably be justified in striking in
"Steel Town" would be the board
Of directors Of the KoStane Com
pany, which seems a thinly dis
guised variant another whose
name begins with K.
The fact is the only thing wrong
with "Steel Town" is that it is
q dull movie. In trying to picture
conditions as this blissful, Uni
versal seems to be making more OF
q monkey OF itself than usual.
Apart from the view Of Miss
Sheridan, who has pumped up a
bit, and not unbecomingly, the
best thing about "Steel Town" is
the machinery.
That West Coast company
whose name begins with K vir-
tually turned over its entire plant
in return for the commercial. or
whatever "Steel Town" represents.
Thus the cameras are able to keep
turning from Miss Sheridan to
giant cranes and from her smoul-
dering to the molten steel as If
there was q symbolic relation be-
tween the two.
knowing the innocence OF movie
makers. this is a purely accidental
effect in the picture, OF course.
X X X X
The higher h n anyone
thought comedy note in "Steel
Town" is that embraced in the
character played by John Lund.
Lund is the nephew OF old Mike
Kostane who owns the mills. Like
old Mike, it is up to him to reach
the top the hard way. He will
begin with a third helpers shovel
and when he has mastered that
he will get better one. Well, it
turns out the kids not only got
the stuff for that but for charm
ing the angel ears" on Miss
Sheridan to boot. Thus. long be-
fore he gets old Mixes mills. he
is gifted far beyond most young
men.
It is quite a solid cast that
Universal recruited for steel
Town." but it remains dramati-
cally uninspired by either the
script or George Sherman's direc-
tion. Each incident is played as
il it were next to the most IN
credible ever written and each line
of dialogue as If not q word in it
was going to be believed.
This leaves the Technicolored
film the chance to look attractive
only when 1t is concerned with the
sparks flying from the blast
furnaces or from Miss Sheridan.
BY way of restoring the atmos-
ptere Of the Capitol to normal
this week after q screaming seven
days Of Johnny Ray. the stage
show goes in for q calm and con-
ventional type singer. She is
Connee Boswell, q talented girl
who grew up with d respect for
music and a talent for using it
attractively.
Norman Evans, an English
comedian. the comedy dancers
Sis and Sonny Arthur and the
Three Kanazawas complete the
bill.
Springtime most Sizable revue
entertainment might very well
turn out to be the special one
April 25 at Constitution Hall for
the benefit of the Soldiers. Sailors.
Marines and Airmen's club. "The
1852 Broadway Revue" it is called
and it will include IS song, dance
and comedy acts. These, starring
well-known entertainers Of stage.
screen and radio. are under the
direction Of Nat Abramson, Radio
Station WOR, New York.
The show is brought to Wash
tngton by the Woman's Army and
Navy League, sponsors Of the
club. and tickets are on sale at
the Willard Hotel agency.
y x y
Bulletin Board: Helen Gahagan
Douglas, out Of Congress, comes
back to the theater in Washing
ton The date is May 10, the
play the City Center's revival
Of the comedy, First Lady"
Miss GahaGan will play the role
Of Lucy Chase Wayne in the
satirical jest. Between shows
at the Statler's Embassy Room
Victor Borge is reading . comedy
IN which he has been offered a
starring role on Broadway next
fall MY Son john" Helen
Hayes first movie since 1895 will
open at the Palace Theater on
April "a The picture was
photographed largely on location
In Washington. Walter Kerr's
"Stardust." a comedy. will be pre-
sented tonight by the Drama Cluk
af WnStArVo EYj0Io SchnoI This