Grand Jamboree of Mirth and Merriment

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 151, 29 June 1938, Page 11

Grand Jamboree of Mirth and Merriment

“LIFE BEGINS IN COLLEGE” STARS RITZ BROTHERS (Kosy: Screening Friday.) “Life Begins in College,” Twentieth Century-Fox musical smash stars the comedy-mad Ritz Brothers and features Joan Davis, Tony Martin and Gloria Stuart, and a tremendous cast. Augmented by the sensational song hits of Lew Pollack and Sidney D. Alitchell which include “Why Talk About Love?”, 4 4 Big Chief Swing It,” 44 The Rhumba Goes Collegiate,” 44 Our Team Is On tho Warpath” and 44 Fair Lombardy,” together writh “Sweet Varsity Sue” by Charles Tobias, A 1 Lewis and Alurray Mencher, “Life Begins in College” moves along on a tidal wave of giddy gags, gorgeous girls, songstors and steppers. The mad merrymaniacs of “Sing, Baby, Sing,” “On the Avenue” and 44 You Can’t Have Everything” have the time of their life in a three-Ritz circus of the wildest maddest gags over put over. They’re pants pressers working their way through college and they upset all past traditions with their riotous antics.

But that’s only the beginuing of the fun. Comie-faced Joan Davis is on a heart-hunt for a poor Indian with ten thousand dollars a day to spend, and during the chase staggers around on her rubber legs in a manner that incites ribticking laughter. It’s red-headed Joan’s greatest role. There’s Tony Martin, youthful and handsome, leading tho band and singing the Pollack and Alitcholl song hits. There’s Gloria Stuart catching up with romance amid a setting of campus frolics and musical jamborees, while gorgeous girls sway to swingablo rhythms in breath-taking dance ensembles surrounding the amusing plot.

One of tho most highly publicised landmarks in Hollywood is the oldest exterior set at Paramount’s studio, which was demolished recently to make way for studio extension. The old set, built twelve years ago, has been used in production of a long list of films, first as a Venetial canal in Florence Vidor’s picture, “Honeymoon Hate” and in other films as a New York waterfront, a section of the Erie Canal, a square in Moscow, a Shanghai street, a part of Atarscilles during the Crusades, Limehouse, a Cairo bazaar and as streets in Madrid, Havana, Singapore, Yokohama Berlin and many other cities. The set, which has been visited by thousands of tourists, was demolished without ceremony except that a photographer made stills as ropes, drawn taut by a tractor, pulled the structure to the ground in a cloud of dust.

Dummy though he is, Charlie McCarthy, who has risen from a sawmill to stardom and worldwido popularity, is one of the best protected individuals iu America. Bergen, ventriloquist extraordinary, has him insured for 10,000 dollars against fire and theft. He has patented his name, copyrighted his likeness. Recently ho organized a Charlie AlcCarthy corporation. The sales of Charlie AlcCarthy merchandise now rival the sales of Mickey Alouse.