The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 24, 1926, Page 9

+ — Poincare Passing the Hat. “THE GREAT TEMPTATION” Theater going Chicago is now being tempted with “The Great Temptation” | which does not live up to its name. It is another of those lavish things la- beled “a review in 35 scenes.” All of them are there—with money and talent generously spread on to please the eye. “The Great Temptation” con- tributes but little else. On only two occasions did the audi- ence give unstinted applause. Once to a risque joke of Jack Benny who contributes a bit of humor; and to Miller and Lyles, two good Negro com- edians. They put over a really funny skit in which they prove by all mathe- matical laws that 13 is one-seventh of 28. But perhaps you have seen them do this—they’ve been doing it for a number of years, The humorous skits are quite or- dinary. The dancing also does not rise above the average. The specialty chorus, now the vogue in musical shows, is present in “The Sixteen Fos- ter Girls”—alright in their way but not the equal of either the Gertrude Hoffman Girls or the Albertina Rasch Ballet. The large chorus of “Big Tempta- tions” and “Little Temptations” will tempt no loud applause from anyone. They did not even from the tired busi- ness men for whom this high-priced so-called review was made. With seats running up to $4.40 at the Apollo Theater it is almost a duty to give you the above words of warning. “MISS CALICO” The Princess Theater is now show- ing an All-Negro show superior to any musical show given this season in Chicago. Ethel Waters, an artist of first class rank is the feature of “Miss Calico”—a show of many features. To our theater going comrades we sug- gest this lively entertainment—if you care for this sort of thing. Ethel Waters:is an entertainer of real talent and a charming personal- ity. Around her are grouped a com- Pany contributing much splendid danc- ing and some good song. The com- pany is a small one and the scenery yery modest. The performance™is something else again. ; There is a remarkable dancer nam- ed Lew Kean. A scare-crow dance number which he leads in opening the second act is as gracefully a beautiful thing as we have ever seen. Jimmie and Eddie White do some lively step- ping including a surprising - Russian dance number. Alex Lovejoy is a black-face comedian at moments re- minding you of the late Bert Williams, prince of all comedians. The Taski- anna Four is a pleasing quartette far above the average. And there is a lit- tle lady named Margaret Beckett who looks destined for future stage glory. There is an orchestra that feels and enjoys music. There are skits in “Miss Calico” that are good burlesque un- usually well acted. There is a con- tinuous gift of truly remarkable danc- ing. There is a joyous spirit of good fun thruout the performance. And first and last and above all—there is Ethel Waters, ° songster, comedienne, first-rate artist than whom we have seen none better on the musical stage, As sure as fate she will win you with charm and talent. ae “Miss Calico” is just an evening of light and spirited entertainment. Ex- Gellent in its kind. 1 Bee aS eke =e —Drawing by Lydia Gibson “THE BLONDE SAINT” Lewis Stone, who makes his living by depicting infernal triangles on the screen is playing the role of literary roue in this picture, opposite Doris Kenyon who does not want to be op- posite Lewis but has to, since she also must make a living whether she likes it or not, Stone—this is not his screen name —is a noted and notorious author. He is a a genius, therefore his esca- pades are glossed over. Hig books are bought if not read. In the open- ing reels of the picture he is shown rising from a troubled .couch with indications of a wild night on his countenance. A highball warms him up a little and he proceeds to press his suit to or against “The Blonde Saint,” who is blonde at least. The usual troubles arise, else there would be no story. A respectable mil- lionaire by the name of Bamfort lays siege to the blonde one’s suscepti- bilities and succeeds after a fashion. He is taking her to London to get married in style, when curses! who should be on the same boat but this caveman Stone who lured the blonde one to a lonely part of the deck, seizes her boldly and bodily and with one wild leap carries her with him into the angry sea, only to be saved by an Italian fisherman, who in his turn added to the theatricals of the situation by giving the impression that he would cut two throats for the bracelets on the lady’s wrist and for what he could shake out of Lewis’ pockets, However, a dangerous looking knife in Lewis’ hand turned the Sicilian fisherman into a constitutionalist-and the dire deed was left undone. (I for- got to tell the customers that the scene opened in Rome). Arriving on the island where the fishermen lived there was more trouble since the girl resented the bold way in which the genius plundered her fiance. Suspicious that the literary lion had designs on her person, the blonde beauty armed herself with a bread knife, pushed a dressing table against her bedroom door and awaited developments, which arrived in the person of Stone, whose intentions were O. K. Then the blonde girl was almost as mad betause they were. “The eternal woman,” you will say. To make it short, a plague broke loose, and Stone and the local priest were the heroes. They cured every- body, and everybody seemed to be afflicted with the plague only the two, the blonde saint and the village drunkard who was so chronically load- ed with wine that the plague could not tolerate his breath. At first the blonde lady would not attend the sick but finally she did and drat it if she did not fall in love with Lewis after he had sent an urgent message to her fiance to call for her, Heap much hokum, tho of a sort that is tolerable. I counted five giggles and one grin in the picture. Which is not so bad as things go today. Most of the cus- Sx tomers in the Ori- . ental came to see Paul Ash shake his hips and bob ‘his shoulders. They also chimed in with the organist and enjoyed themselves in a discord of sounds. Commu- nity singing it was. No wonder the ehurches have a sore spot in their hearts for the mov- ies, To sum up, Lew- is Stone was at his best in “The Blonde Saint” since he was not having indigestion from eat- ing hard-boiled eggs and getting mis- understood by his faithful and meek spouse, He was not this time, be- cause he hadn’t any, —T.d. A PEEK EACH WEEK AT MOTION PICTURES | Dolores Del Rio, Mexican actress, In a leading role in “What Price Glory?” “WHAT PRICE GLORY?” At the Sam Harris Theater, New York, With deep misgivings I went to see the screen version. I remembered “The Big Parade” and expected an- other dud. I saw the best American film ever shown. As a spectacle the war stuff—gun fire at night, heavy shelling and attacks are Jess elaborate than “Ben Hur” but far more “réal. Ben Hur was clever make believe— this isn’t, this is genuine. The comic interludes are excellent, not childish and labored as in the “Big Parade.” The captions ask clearly and often— “What the hell’s the use? Why must honest men be shredded up every gen- eration?” A fat old officer behind me with all the earmarks of a hard- boiled service of supply bozo snarled - uneasily every time these captions flashed—he complained that was sen- timentalism! An excellent movie, one in all ways worthy of Lawrence Stallings, author of the only drama and of “Plumes,” one of the worth while volumes of fiction in English on the -war.. More |} power to his elbow, oe * * : “FAUST” Capitol Theater, New York. Emil Jannings of “Variety” and “Last Laugh” stars in this show and is well worth seeing. Jannings as the devil bets with God that he will win the soul of Faust. Faust’s youth is restored and on a magic rug they fly the world over. The scenery is splen- did. Faust falls for the pure maiden Marguerite and the tragic climax of disaster and a torture death follows. God /welshes on the bet. There’s too much Jesus ‘hokum— processions, crucifixes and such frills —for comfort but Jannings’ acting is up to his high standa~; and redeems many things. —J. B. THE SCARLET LETTER — Our N. Y. critic says O. K. PARADISE—‘‘An ordinary movie you can well afford to miss.’’—R. A. THE WINNING OF ~BARBARA WORTH—Little better than the novel. Draw your own conclusions, THE TEMPTRESS—Great Garbo in goo, BREAKING CHAINS—A Russian movie masterpiece, SYNCOPATING SUE—Light “but lively (Uptown and Tivoli). THE BLACK PIRATE—Yo-ho-ho and Douglas Fairbanks. DON JUAN—Barrymore—with the Vitaphone. Vita- phone, THE BETTER 'OLE—Syd Chap- lin—with the Vitaphone. You'll like both. (Woods). VARIETY—Excellent photoplay, THE STRONG MAN—You'll laugh with Langdon. ‘ LONDON—Well—but why bother? You'll like the