Critical Moments

Will Rogers, Jean Harlow and George Bancroft are each featured respectively in a new picture that has come to Broadway this week and it can be whispered safely that this trio of cinema comedies adds little to the general enjoyment of either nations or persons. Probably just the usual seasonal lull.

Mr. Rogers’s appearance occurs at the Roxy in a thing called “Handy Andy,” a Fox effort which is an adaptation of Lewis Beach’s play, “Merry Andrew.” It has to do with Andrew Yates (Rogers), a well-to-do drug merchant with a wife (Peggy Wood) who has ambitions to shine both musically and socially. Andy is a homey, plain fellow who is not above using his knife on the peas if no one – is looking. Of course, his wife’s ideas about how to live are sharply opposed to his, but, like the typical hen-pecked American husband Andy makes a feeble attempt to conform with her standards.

This naturally leads to many and varied complications, including the fuss raised when his only daughter (Mary Carlisle) is about to marry her mother’s choice rather than her own, who happens to be the son of one of Andy’s cronies. There are other difficulties, including scenes in New Orleans at the Mardi Gras whither Andy has been taken by his wife, much to his disgust, and asked to appear at a ball in a period costume. As you would expect, before the picture is finished Andy revolts and wins the right to live as sloppily as he wishes. If you like Will Rogers, “Handy Andy” will seem mildly amusing.

“The Girl From Missouri,” from a story by Anita (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) Loos and John Emerson, is the vehicle chosen by M-G-M for Jean Harlow. It is now playing at the Capitol. The vital Miss Harlow plays the role of Eadie, a lady who is more than just outspoken. In the picture, Eadie, whose father was a drunkard and whose mother was a liquor seller, comes to New York determined to make her way—and make it expensive. Her dealings with conservative bankers and other varieties of stuffed shirts give her an opportunity to revenge herself on all those who abide by the social conventions. Her first victim is a wealthy banker who, before he can marry her, commits suicide. As her next playmate she chooses the wealthy T. R. Paige (Lionel Barrymore), but he finds Eadie’s uncouthness an unsurmountable barrier. However, his son (Franchot Tone) is not so sensitive and falls for Eadie with the proverbial thud. Pa Paige does not give in without a fight and he tries to frame our heroine, but finds her more than a match. In the end he capitulates, and the film ends with the marriage of young Paige and the beautiful Eadie, who can now be a lady. All of which is rather amusingly and speedily played and acted by a good cast.

The third angle in this triangle of comedies is “Elmer and Elsie,” which Paramount presents at the theatre of that name, and in which the huge, robust George Bancroft acts the role of Elmer in an adaptation of George Kaufman’s and Marc Connelly’s play, “To the Ladies.” Bancroft’s previous roles have always shown him as a dominating individual who would allow nothing to interfere with his desires. In “Elmer and Elsie” he is cast as a truck driver for a piano company who is not nearly as tough and hard as he pretends to be. In fact most of his courage comes from his wife (Frances Fuller).

The big moment occurs at the company dinner when Elmer, who has memorized a speech which he has copied from a book, sits agonized while his helper (Roscoe Karns). delivers the same talk. Elmer’s wife comes to the rescue by rising and apologizing for her husband’s cold—which he really hasn’t got—and then reads a speech she says her husband wrote for the occasion. “Elmer and Elsie” is far ##om the best thing Bancroft has done. In fact it is definitely second rate.