Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-01-29

AAAoAS tOo SOAOl III OCUuL d. nC4O1
that included the military, Of
fetal and social elite of this elite
community. The Frederick Bris-
son production, starring the pro-
ducer's wife, RoSalind Russell, is
q polished, light-hearted affair
that is a credit to every one in
volved.
This is saying quite a bit, let
1t be understood, for one Of those
involved is Gen. Omar N. Brad
ley. Defense Chief Of Staff. Gen.
Bradley is an actor in Never
Wave At A Wac" playing the
role Of a character called Gen.
Bradley. He gives it quite q pro-
feSsional quality.
\ y y \
Mr.. BriSson, a producer blessed
with a rich resource in q wife
Of Miss Russell's comedy caliber,
approaches the Armed Services
in a becomingly fresh mood.
Whereas the Hollywood fashion
is to be deadly serious, and so
often boring as a result, Bris-
sons Aim is both amused and
amusing.
What it has to say of Woman's
Army Corps life, namely that
1t can be pretty blithe- spirited,
might very we'll make it highly
useful recruiting poster. It makes
quite clear the fact that eligible
young women can find useful,
rosy-cheeked and happy careers
in Set-ups like that at Camp
Lee, Va, where most of the
pictures was made.
\ \ a.
Ken England did the screen
play which Norman z. Mcleod
directed. Between them and
with the help of a cast which
also includes Paul Douglas and
Marie Wilson, they come up with
q cinema document that is
human, humorous and illuminat-
ing. AS to the latter quality,
Brisson's film takes a pretty
searching look at a multitude Of
details Of Wac training. This
imparts a neat documentary
touch that is an impressive
quality not ordinarily found in
comedy.
Never Wave At A Wac"
profits also by being the nearest |
thing to a RoSalind Russell
comedy that has been around |
in several seasons. This used to
be a standard item in the movie
menu and it is pleasant to have
1t back.
Unsurprisingly. there is a
strong Washington flavor in |
Never Wave At A Wac" The |
character Miss Russell plays &C
counts for much of this, the |
Wac essence of the story for |
the rest.
Miss RuSSell's role is that of |
a brilliant, sophisticated Wash
ington hostess, daughter of a
top-rung Senator. It is a Cutlery
life she leads. but hardly
enough to satisfy so spirited a
female webbing between a re-
cent divorce and a budding
romance with a handsome Army
colonel. BY joining the Woman'S
Army Corps, the heroine figures,
she will be instantly eligible to
join the latter on an overseas
assignment.
This, it turns out, is a grue-
some miscalculation of Wac
policy. Instead of handing out
commissions to highborn re-
cruits, it treats them as if this
were the democracy it is sup
posed to be. Miss Russell dis
covers she is Wac rookie and
stuck with it. And how. she is
stuck, the more hilariously when
she becomes the guinea pig Of,
her ex-dnusband in a series Of
f1eld-teSts Of Wac uniforms and
equipment.
Miss Russell's establishment
provides the film with its domi-
nant comedy note, but the film
has two other extremely funny
characters in those played by
Douglas and Miss Wilson. The
latter as a shapely feather-brain
who figures she ought to be in
intelligence because of her effect
upon men is an unfailingly valu-
able asset to the picture.
Douglas as the eX-mate who
has an irresistible chance to ruin
Miss RusSell's rich girl image of
herself. is an altogether admir-
able bit of casting. AS a shrew
tanner. his obvious talent is i'm
plemented by an array of WAC
training and testing nnIlinn1ent