ST. JAMES

Evening Star, Issue 23124, 25 November 1938, Page 13

ST. JAMES

UI I Wfllllfa V ‘ Manhattan Merry-go-round,’ the new_ St. James feature, is a merry musical potpourri concocted by the best wits in Hollywood and turned out with a dash -and gay vigour which makes jt one of the most popplar musicals ever presented on the screen. _ It stars Phil Regan, that golden-voiced tenor, and the lovely and talented Ann Dvorak, and features such personalities as Henry Armetta, Leo Carrillo, Ta-, mara Geva, James Gleason, Cab Calloway, Ted Lewis, Joe di Maggio, and Kay Thompson and her rhythm choir. Leo Carrillo is cast as Gordoni, the genial leader of a gang of racketeers, who finds himself the owner of a recording company, and uses his gang to “ persuade,” at the point of the gun, talented singers to make recordings for him. Gordoni assigns to Jerry Hart (Phil Regan) the task of securing the services of Charlizzini (Tamara Geva), a noted opera singer, whom every recording company has sought in vain. After much difficulty Hart induces the singer to make a recording, but complications ensue when Charlizzini’s manager raises objections because of previous contracts. The opera singer is kidnapped, and her terrified manager reluctantly agrees to the recording. Everything that makes for high-class entertainment is provided in ‘ Manhattan Merry-go-round’—song and dance acts and striking new tunes introduced by Cab Calloway and his sepia gentlemen. Romance in the person of beautiful Gwen Gaze makes William Boyd turn from ranching to gold mining in the latest Hopalong Cassidy drama, ‘ Bar 20 Justice,’ which is the second film. When Miss Gaze’s husband is murdered and her mine attacked by a band of gold thieves Boyd, playing the hard-riding Mulford hero, becomes a minor long enough to solve a mystery which has the whole south-west puzzled.