Evening star. [volume], August 08, 1946, Page A-18, Image 18

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Musical Has Porter’s Tunes,
If It Isn’t His Life Story
By Joy Cormody
Night, and day. under the hides of them, the Warner Brothers
dreamed of a monumental musical built around the life and works of Cole
Porter. That musical, called “Night and Day” opened today at the Earle.
Its cast glitters with such names as Cary Grant, Mary Martin, Ginny
Simms and Alexis Smith. Its technicolor has downright splendor. Its
music, which is exclusively Porter, is varied and captivating. It is the life
of the sophisticated music mater'
that the studio saw fit to tamper
with, a rewrite job which reduces
him to a stock rags-to-riches film
hero with a song in his heart. But
this studio trick of being tougher on
Porter than life itself ever was does
not minimize the fact that the man
wrote a library of fetching music,
and here is a 10-foot shelf of it.
Coinciding with the 20th anniver
sary of sound. “Night and Day" is a
picture which bespeaks perfectly the
lavishness with which Warner’s feel
the occasion should be qelebrated.
Patently the company spent millions
to make this a music festival worthy
of its day. To demur that it let a few
false notes get into Porter's life
story is merely querlousness that
will never enter the heads or the
reactions of the multitudes who will
enjoy it. '
The main concern of the produc
tion is to dance audiences through
one Porter tune after another and
to make each look more dramatic
than the one that went before. The
eflect is a brilliantly animated
album of Porter music, "Night and
Day,’’ “Begin the Beguine,” “You’re
the Tops.” “I’ve Got You Under My
Skin,” “My Heart Belongs to
Daddy,” and a bookful of others.
When the last note dies, there
is never any doubt that the poor
little Indiana boy millionaire who
wrote the folk music for the pent
house and Riviera sets, had quite a
gift for it.
«Ir ^ U,
To Cary Grant fell the assign
went of impersonating Porter, a
task i.i which he is successful in
avoiding what proletarian writers
cal! preciousness. With a few dis
tortions from the script writer, he
gives the impression of Porter as a
vagabondish Yale lad whose dizzi
ness was only an outward sign of
the music inside of him.
In selecting some of the high
lights of Porter's experience with
the intention of festooning them
with his music for purposes of the
picture, “Night and Day” merely
makes stabs at a genuine Porter
story. It tells of his courtship of
beautiful Linda Lee (Miss Smith 1,
of his risking a $3,000,000 disinherit-,
a nee by refusing to become a law
yer. of his early flops on his way
to a permanent place in Broadway's
wayward heart.
But these apparently significant
events in Porter’s life are treated
no more significantly than appar
ent afterthought on the part of
the script writers which brings
Monty Woolley into the story. Wool
iey, a famous sheep-dog sort of
clown in the movies, seems to have
been a couple of classes ahead of]
Porter at Yale, and a kind of man
Friday throughout his subsequent
career. The character he plays in
the picture is one called Montey
Woolley, which obviates any chance
he has to blame the script writer
for the roaring cutenesses whicn
creep into the narrative.
Grant, whose professional career
g ■ —
AMUSEMENTS
Tonight Through Saturday
CROSS ROADS THEATRE
Bailey'a Cron Road!,. Va.
"Separate Rooms''
Res Willard Ticket Agency. NA.
6575-H. Adm. Si .20 inc. tax
Tickets at Theatre Box Office also
A. B & W. Bus, 12th and Pa. Ave. N.W.
Marked Bailey s Cross Roads. Va.
Beginning Tuesday, Aug. 3 3
"Love From o Stronger."
Straight out Georgia Are. extended
NOW PLAYING
“GOODBYE AGAIN”
Tues. thru Sun. 8:45 P.M.
Sunday Matinee 2:45 P.M.
Bus leaves Ga.
and Alaska Aves.
nightly at 8:00;
returns after
show.
Tickets Now
Selling at Kitt’a
1330 G St.
and at the theatre.
41Last Three Dave"
‘CAPTAIN APPLEJACK’
Every night at 8:40 except Sunday.
Tickets on sale Willard Ticket Agency.
NA 66T5-6. Reservations Phone OL.
,3361.
Evemngs, Box Office. BR. 9659.
( COMING /
/The DRUNKARD'
' Start* Aug. 13th 1
oJLiO • • • • ITurier’s Featnrettel
-The Hullet Ktissc tie Monte Carlo I
WEEK
Michael
REDGRAVE
"A GEM!”
-CUMOOV.
E.M.LOEWS
MMm
At,,,
DRIVE OUT TONIGHT
ENJOY THE EVENING
IREEZES—SIT IN YOU!
(AR -AND SEE
,, WALT DISNEY'S *
3CM4ll£R0S
IN technicolor
ROY ROGERS
DALE EVANS
"SUNSET IN
EL DORADO"
CARS-KIDS FREE
Ho 12 P.M. EVERY DAY
AT THE FORTE-ACRE
(J lenechO
W ^T'-TTlTTTTrTJi TT.T'AR W
* THRILL RIDES, MANY
OTHER AMUSEMENTS
AND PERFECT SANITARY
SWIM POOL
WITH SAND BEACH FOR
■EALTHY RECREATION
Pool Hours—
10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
DANCING
9 to 13 Nightly Ex. Sundays
JACK CORRT BAND
AND KAT I.INTON VOCAI.A
f
"NIGHT AND DAY.” a Warner Bros.
Picture with Cary Grant and Alexis Smith,
produced by Arthur Schwarts, directed by
Michael Curtir. oriRinal screen play by
Charles Hoffman. Leo Townsend and Wil
liam Bowers, adaptation by Jack Mofllt,
music by Cole Porter, additional music
by Max Steiner. At the Earle.
The Cast.
----- Cary Grant
Alexis Smith
-Monty Woolley
-Glnny Simms
-Jane Wyman
ST"j*»r ,.. - - Eve Arden
Ward Blackburn Donald Woods
Specialty Singer - . Carlos Ramirex
Anatola Giron _ __-Victor Prancen
Cole Porter
Lina Lee Porter
Himself
Carole Hill
Grade Harris _
Gabrie'le
Leon Dowling
Nancy_ .
Bernie
Kate Porter_
Omer Porter
Bart McClelland
Wllowsky
Spc laity Dancer
Specialty Dancer
Alan Hale
Dorothy Malone
Tom D'Andrea
Selena Royle
Henry Stephenson
Paul Cavanagh
Sig Ruman
Milada Mladova
George Zoritch
--wvvtitc Ziui iicii
Specialty team Adam and Jayne Di Gatano
Specialty dancer
Caleb
Petey
O’Halloran
Producer
Director
1st Peaches
-d Peaches
Herself
Estelle Sloan
Clarence Muse
John Alvin
„ George Riley
Howard Freeman
Bobby Watson
- John Pearson
Herman Bing
Mary Martin
started in an acrobatic act, is re
quired to add a new facet in the
Earle's picture. That is the one
involved in singing somewhat half
heartedly some of the Porter music.
He is in no way abashed by the
obligation, and enters into it with
gusto at such times as he has the
assistance of a girl like Ginny
Simms, or the backing of a huge
chorus.
Miss Simms, who does most of
the singing of the Porter album, is
quite a good choice for it. More
AMU SEMENTS
over, under the direction of Michael
Curtiz, she brings off a couple of
comedy passages with more effec
tiveness than her previous pictures
may have hinted.
The real musical highlight of the
picture is not Miss Simms’ work,
however. It is the result of the
inspiration which brought Mary
; Martin into the cast to sing the
Porter-Martin triumph of some sea
sons ago, "My Heart Belongs to
I Daddy.” Miss Martin and Holl.v
Iwood do not get along happily, as
I no one needs to be reminded, but
jthe fashion in which she sings her
one song makes that clearly the
more regrettable. Unlike most sing
ers everywhere, especially in the
movies, she realizes that a song is
only as dramatic as the singer makes
it. The word "terrific” might well
have been saved for her brief, bright
and beautiful sequence in "Night
and Day.”
* * * *
Even down among the minor
characters, so many of whom are
played by major actors, "Night and
Day” pays off on the lavish in
vestment Warners made in casting
it. This virtue, along with Porter's
tunes, assure that it w'ill be a popu
lar and profitable thing in spite
of the rerigging of its story.
Ginger Filibusters
ly the Associated Press
HOLLYWOOD.
Ginger Rogers claims a record for
a speech she delivers in "Magnifi
cent Doll.” v
The speech, in which Ginger as
fabulous Dolly Madison pleads with
a lynching mob for the life of Aaron
AMUSEMENTS
Open Tonite
Endy Bros. Shows
and Thrill Circus
Circus Grounds
Benninr Rd. and Oklahoma X.E.
Children Admitted Free to Grounds
Wednesday and Saturday, 1 to 6 P.M.
last TIMES TODAY!
THE NEW, GAY I-ll-TING
BRITISH MUSICAL FILM
with
_ CAROL RAYE
Uichard Tauber, Noted Tenor
FRIDAY and SATURDAY
'FESTIVAL OF FUN"
120 Minutes of Grand Loughter!
CMtllE tHiPUN
rTHE GOLD
m &ush”I
% - Plus -
THREE STOOGES in
"Beer Barrel Polecofs"
Edgar Kennedy Comedy
"ki.tL.. i r>_■<
J
WALT DISNEY’S “PLUTO’
A
14th St. at H, M.W.—Opana Hi 18 AM., Sundays I P.M.
~~~EXTRA! SPEOAlT
UNDERWATER
(BIKINI) BOMB BLAST
THE MOST AMAZING, POWERFUL SPECTACLE IN HISTORY
This Attraction Celebrates Warner Bros.*
20th Anniversary of Talking Pictures!
IN TWENTY YEARS
NO SUCH TREAT
FOR YOUR EYES
AND EARS!
The Greatest Musical of All!
30 Sensational Cole Porter Songs!
Scores of Stars!
Cary GRANT
Alexis SMITH
(
in Warner Bros.
"NIGHT AND I
W l>AY"
u
7Swci&&t//
WITH 5
MONTY WOOLLEY
GINNY SIMMS
JANE WYMAN
EVE ARDEN
CARLOS RAMIREZ
DONALD WOODS
AND
MARY
MARTIN
w
\
* f
«
PHILADELPHIA STORY—
Jeanne Crain plays a leading
role in “Centennial Summer,”
musical set in the Philadel
phia of 1876, noio at Loew s
Columbia.
Burr (David Niven) runs l!i
minutes and took Director Frank
Borzage three days to film.
Where and When i
Current Theater Attractions !
and Time of Showing
sure.
National—"Dear Ruth": 8:30 p.m.
i
Screen.
Capitol—“O S. S.”: 10:30. 1:25. 4:20,
7:10 and 10:05 p.m. Stage shows:
12:45, 3:35, 6:30 and 9:25 pm.
Columbia—"Centennial Summer”:
11, 1:10, 3:15, 5:23, 7:35 and 9:45 p.m.j
Earle—"Night and Dav": 10 am.,1
12:15, 2:35, 4:50, 7:10 and 9:35 p.m.
Hippodrome—"The Man in Grey":
2, 4, 5:55, 7:55 and 9:55 pm.
Keith’s—"Make Mine Music": 12,
2, 4, 6, 8, 10 pm.
Little—“Johnny in the Clouds":
11:25 am., 1:20, 3:30, 5:30, 7:35 and
9:40 p.m.
Metropolitan—"A Stolen Life":
11:40 a.m., 2:10, 4:40, 7:10 and
9:40 pm.
Falace—“Anna and the King of
Siam”: 11:10 am., 1:45, 4:25, 7 and
9:35 p.m.
Pis—"I Married a Witch"; 2:10,
4:50, 7:35 and 10:05 p.m.
Trans-Lux — News and shorts.
Continuous from 10:15 a.m.
AMUSEMENTS
AMUSEMENTS
In&Man
JAMES MASON
STEWART 6RANSER
MARGARET LOCKWOOD
PHYLLIS CALVERT
inG**?
IA1R CONDITIONED I
n?HIPP0DR0ME
WHOO
makes you
laugh and cry
with her great
performance
in M'&'M's
THREE
WISE
FOOLS'?.
Plus great Stars LIONEL BARRYMORE
EDWARD ARNOLD • THOMAS MITCHELL
LEWIS STONE
WMknitr!
JUNE CRAIN
CHIEL WILDE
LINDA DARNELL
WILLIAM EYIHE
WALLED BRENNAN
CONSTANCE BENNETT
DOROTHY GISH
Prndvcnd and Directed by
OTTO PREMINGER
EXTRA! Spectacular Film* 2nd Bikini Atom Explosion
Fat
12th
NOW
LOEW’S COLUMBIA
DOORS
OPEN
10:41
Great Help, Peter
•y th# Atiociatad frM>
HOLLYWOOD.
The fountain, with its gushing
spout, was ideal in the scene, but
it drowned out the dialogue in "The
Chase” between ‘Robert Cummings
and Michele Morgan.
Director Authur Ripley had the
AMUSFMENTS
NATIONAL,
New Air CsoMl
■Em. *:30 Mat*. 2:3*
HILARIOUS COMEDY HIT
•OIL
3&RK0 KEITH’S
<W»?* Om-U.S Trt»luryO»'5tkS'
OPEN 10.45 A. M • SUNDAY. 11 P M
Pr*M«4>it« riw tmlerti ♦f
JNf OOAONHA • AMOY OIMMU
1M KINO'S MIN • ITSOUNO HOUOWAY
iMMnwni
EXTRA — P.AYHE NEWS.
BIKINI ATOM BOMB
INOERWATER TEST SHOTS.
•
NEXT—DANA ANDREWS. BRIAN
DONUtVY. SUSAN HAYWARD IN
CANYON PASSAOE '
IN TECHNICOLOR
PIX
SUriwjTHWfrto]
c#wr. j »it to
»*»K «P«X
I*////#!
The TRUTH About Baby Farms,
Adoption Rings, Fake Doctors!
t*riuh> w» ;
I,AST DAY FOR
"I MARRIED A WITCH"
* “TAKR IT BIfl”
faucet turned lower and lower
j finally to a mere drtp, but. the sounc
technician groaned, "It's still toe
I loud.”
Villlan Peter Lorre, in quiet tones,
broke up the conference when he
gently inquired, "Why don't we try
isoft water?"
SmiTt L M. ct
iimtSEMCNTS
IZZr jSYlUMof HORRORS • o» st.p Friday midnight
L//YC •0NE PERFORMANCE ONLY SHRUKS THRILLS\
ON BELA LUGOSI
»»EEX “THE ARE MAN”
stk^ Lhw’
rcC(ir u**'* CAPITOL
, Tlekih Haw On Salt
EXTRA! SPECTACULAR FILMS, 2ND BIKINI ATOM EXPLOSION
He’s deer«dM|er...
deeper ie tare...
m the Tep
Thrill Shew
•f the Yeti
PATRIC KNOWLES
JOHN HOYT
m mi ***** W WCIMI MAIKAQM
ky ItVIM PICUL
A Paramount Picture
II
n*AH New S7N6B SHOW
BOB EVANS-KAY BALLARD
JOE, LOU & MARILYN CAITES
COLEMAN CLARK
DOORS OPEN 10:45
f •» 14»h
COOL
CAPITOL
LoewTsalutes Warner Bros. on the
t 20th Anniversary of Talking Pictures
SO muon *«wW) I
SO MUCH „d *«..»
SO MUCH ™ CWttR!
* ^0^ DXirryl S/'. Canuck
presents
IRENE REX LINDA
DUNNE HARRISON DARNELL
ANNA and the K8NG
with
LEE J.COBB • GALE SONDERGAARD • MIKHAIL RASUMNY
DENNIS HOEY • TITO RENALDO • RICHARD LYON
»«.d>JOHN CROMWELL^,LOUIS D.LIGHTON
9am Play tw Talbot Jennings and Sally Benson Based Upon the Biography by Margaret Landon
EXTRA! SPECTACULAR FILMS 2nd BIKINI ATOM EXPLOSION
f at
13th
Loews PALACE Now
DOORS
OPEN
10:30