Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-23

0bEA4 4416 N4OGOk V4otAACt WAAAOAl
attraction at the Metropolitan
there is of dramatic substance
enough perhaps to satisfy youth
full addicts of white scouts an6
red Indians-is the result Of
MannS refusal to accept defeat
At those frequent moments
when the screenplay provides
him nothing really worth shoot
ing. he focuses his camera on a
distant. majestic, snow-capped
mountain peak. Like another
Mann, Thomas. Anthony turns
this one into quite a magic
mountain. 1t is, incidentally, a
Mexican peak, photogenic enough
to justify Columbia's visit south
Of the border for the pictures
location.
A novel, THE Coded Rooster"
by Richard Emery Roberts. is
adapted for the Nets exhibit by
Philip JORDAN and Russell s.
Hughes.
This gilded rooster character
is the one played by Mature
He is 100 per cent pure Nature
Boy, so at home with the birds,
bees and beasts that humans
completely bewilder him. Most
bewildering of the group he
meets at Fort Shallan is the
beautiful blond wife Of the COM
manding colonel. He perceives
instantly that this lovely crea-
ture is the girl he would most
like to be lost in the woods with.
1t completely bafiles him that
the prospect is not equally de-
lghtful to her.
1.-THE Last Frontier" is not ex-
clusively concerned with Nature
Boys courtship Of the colonels
lady. This affair is incidental tc
a war going on in the late Civil
War period, between Federal
troops anxious to open UP the
West and the Indian tribes even
more anxious to keep 1t closed.
AS a scout for the former. Ma
ture is perilously busy at such
times as he is not stalking the
colonel's wife or carousing in an
effort to forget he is not her
social equal.
It is the fatal weakness Of the
picture that it cannot make UP
its mind whether to be a thing
Of simple action or to take its
time to become a drama Of hui
man beings involved in a per-
picking situation.
In addition to providing the
production with wide screen
treatment and color photogra-
ply, Columbia has supplied it
with quite a name cast. In ad-
dition to Mature, others who
battle with the ill-defined char
acters of the script include Guy
Madison, Robert Preston, James
Whitmore and Anne Bancroft.
Miss Bancroft plays the pretty
wife caught in the dilemma of
choosing between coming back to
Civil War Washington with Col.
Preston or going of into the
forest. primeval with a gilded
rooster. And you think you've
got problems.
49,
CHURCH THEATER: New
York's well-known Broadway
Chapel Players will make their
first road" appearance late next
month at Alexandria's Church
Of st. Clement.
From January 10 through 90
they will present "Herod thu
Great" a new drama by Davic
Demerest Lloyd. Mr.. Lloyd is 9
Washington lawyer. executive
director of the Harry s. Truman
Library, Inc, and has lived ir
Alexandria for the past Is years
Broadway's Chapel Players. 9
group Of theater professionals
have gained a national reputa-
ton as a result Of their three
years Of religious drama pre-.
sentation at the Broadway Con-
gregational Church. Their ap-
pearance here is being spon.
sored by Religious Drama Pro.
auctions, a newly formed non
profit, inter denominations
group, composed Of clergymer
and laymen.
"Herod the Great" directed
by Bill Penn, will be presented
nightly except Mondays, from
the altar of ST. Clements. which
will provide accommodation
for 400 persons at each per-
Torrance. Curtain time will bt
$40 nightly, with a matinee
performance on Sunday.
+
BULLETIN BOARD: Today
film openings: "Kismet" at tht
Capitol, and 1.-THE Rains o.
Ranchipur" at the Palace.
And tonight will bring a specia
Christmas bill to the Howard
Theater, one headed by Sonny
Till and The Orioles. There
will be a special midnight per
formance on Christmas night
When Gone With tn
Wind" opens at the Little The
alter on Monday. one of Wash
ington's smallest film house
will be offering shelter to tn
largest picture ever made II