Evening star., 1960-05-28

Phone Repairman Norman Fell
Girl on Davenport - Lisa Drake
there. the guy goes across to
the rooming house, the land
lady rents him the danes
room and then when she comes
back. Simple. huh?"
Sure it is. The only trouble
is that this passage is preceded
by one designed to show now
adroit a lone and defenseless
girl must be not to lose out in
the rat race of success. Fellow
comes to take out her tele-
phone and is at first unmoved
when she pleads that she needs
it to get calls for modelling
jobs. So she Scatters feminine
wiles, verbal innuendos and sly
insinuations around until he,
expecting to use it himself,
agrees to leave that phone
right there for two more weeks.
1t may be, of course, that
Mr.. Perlberg and Mr.. Seaton.
and Mr.. Mulligan and Mr.,
Kanin, are being too subtle for
us here. This could be intended
as a key to the character of
their cha-cha girl, who is for
ever commenting in "The Rat
Race" that she is marked for
eternal i'll fortune. A virtually
penniless girl who runs across
the street to use a pay phone
instead Of using her own can
have plenty Of trouble coping
without having any bad luck
at all.
This is not the only portion
Of '"The Rat Race" that taxes
credulity. but it's the only one
that will be explored here to-
day. Let's just say that the
film doesn't reach any dra-
matte heights, but Director
Mulligan does manage to keep
it from getting maudlin and
falling apart completely.
The proceedings are enliv-
ened, fortunately, by some first
rate subordinate performances.
Kay Medford is responsible for
one Of these. a well-rounded
portrait Of the landlady, who
injects credibility with every
appearance on the screen. Jack
Oakie. lured from his appar-
entlys happy Semi-retirement,
brings some life and laughs to
The Rat Race" as q philo-
Sophical (what other kind is
thereO bartender. Don Rickles.
a comic who has spent q lot Of
time around Washington, turns
up here, too. in a far-from-
comic. vigorous portrayal of a
savage dance hall proprietor.
In the two stellar roles,
Miss Reynolds and MIR. Curtis
do manage at least to be agree
able even If they can't make
their rat racers especially ap-
pealing.
ADDENDA-Tomorrow and
Sunday will be open house days
at the Carter Barron Amphi-
theater from l to 6 o'clock each
afternoon. The seventh
summertime Entertainment
Under the Stars" series offered
by the Field Brothers starts
June IA with Carol Channing'S
Show Business. Mail or
ders for tickets now are being
filled. And, speaking of
tickets, the box offices at
Loew's Palace and Capitol now
are selling same for the
Johansson Patterson return
title fight on theater TV. That's
June 20. at the Capitol. g.
Washington visitor next week
will be Director Billy Wilder,
in town to call attention to his
upcoming movie. "The Apart
ment," his first since he made
Some Like it Hot" Visitors
this week were Jane Wyman
and Boris Morros. in town on
separate projects. Miss
Wyman came to accept a gold
charm bracelet and honorary
membership in the Kiwi Club,
alumnae association of Ameri-
can Airlines hostesses. g.
Movie Producer Morros was
here to call some attention to
the upcoming Cat the Trans
Lux Man on a String"
factual story of his 10 years
as a Russian counterspy for the
FBI. Stanley Warner the
aters promise special Monday
matinees for the Memorial Day