Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-13

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play for a living, a pair Of slap
stick comics named Lewis and
Martin. Whatever indignation
this may inspire in the hearts
of Runyon fans, it will no doubt
prove acceptable to those who
cannot get enough of Jerry and
Dean.
This particular spectator knew
Runyon first and likes him bet
ter. He was a much funnier
and more artistically durable
writer than audiences will ever
know from seeing Money From
Home"
Paramount, an informed stu
dio. undoubtedly knows this, too.
1t also knows Lewis and Martin,
their style and it's limits, and
the futility of trying to do any,
thing about it.
+ +
Money From Home" produc-
tion-wiSe, is a throwback. It is
in Sd. the result Of being made
in that period when the future
of this was dubious, and another
movie which strengthens the
prosecutions case against the
process.
The characters played by the
stars OF the Palace feature bear
Runyon like names. Martins
man is one who takes race track
bets, kind of small bookmaker
at large-named Honey Talk
Nelson. Lewis is a more comic
ally shaped character, a veteri-
marian inferno who is much
more at home with dogs and
monkeys than with humans.
They are involved in a situa-
ton that is a loose approxima-
ton of the one Runyon wrote,
which is that of fixing a Mary
land SteeplechaSe in favor of a
horse backed py national
bookie racket. This pits them in
a contest with one of the pref
test girls in the Maryland horse
ariStocracy. A roughhouse af-
fair, inevitably, this turns out
to be.
Like their other directors,
George MarShall'S notion of ham
ding Lewis and Martin is to turn
them loose and see what comes
of it.
What comes of it here is a re-
peat of what came of it there.
a cavalcada of slapstick which is
sometimes funny. more often not
A specimen of the former is
when Lewis imperSonates a IA
nous English Steeplechase rider
at a preface ball, of the latter
when he is summoned into the
upholstered presence of a maha-
rajah into whose harem he
wandered by mistake. Another
comic bit which Lewis impro-
vises in his best form is that in
which he illustrates the life of
an inferno in an animal hospital.
This IS a corner of life into
which only Runyon would peek
and the junior of Paramount's
comics turns it INTO a hilarious
bit. He is assisted in the passage
by a collection of those intel
ligent animals who make their
living in Southern California.
The nearest thing to a pure
Runyon scene in Money from
Home" is the opening sequence
in which a miscellany of New
York's subworld creatures act
out the astounding facts of their
lives in a busy horse room Their
small, disastrous dealings in
thoroughbreds look far more ex-
citing than those of the wealthy
breeders who own and race the
horses.
Paramount. as usual when
betting on Lewis and Martin,
puts one of its bigger wads on
Money From Home" In addi-
ton to the elaborate production,
1t has inserted such ornaments
into the cast as Pat Crowley and
Marie Miller, and such authentic
comics as Sheldon Leonard,
Ric h ard Haydn and Robert
Strauss.
That's it, in Sd.
X
SATURDAY Urinary
BEST Years of Our Lives" a big
hit at Keith's. could stay third
week at Keith'S except for one
thing. That is the definite
booking of THE Glenn Miller
Story" set to open next Wednes-
day. The musical biography
of the great band leader is
counted upon to be one of the