The Crimson Playgoer

With the success of "Silver Dollar." "Cavalcade," and other epics in mind, producers have outdone themselves in the manufacture of this type of film. "Song of the Eagle," now showing at the Met, is a better than average example of the craze. Instead of dealing with an era from the point of view of the country at large, this picture portrays the brewing industry from the succulent pre-war days to the frothy present, as exemplified by experiences of the Hoffman family, master brewers.

There are many opportunities for over-sentimentality but fortunately director Ralph Murphy has charted the course of his feamy schooner around these perils. The plot is somewhat standard: Papa Hoffman, Americanized German, whose name has for years been synonymous with the best of beer, sends his sons to France to fight the Fatherland. During their absence the Volsteadian debacle closes his lawful business and establishes the lucrative blind pig and speakeasy. Conflict between his remaining son, who now manufactures near beer, "the nearest we will ever got to beer," and Nails, his erst-while truck driver, and present racket king, brings the action to a head with shootings, typewriters, pineapples, and fights in the approved style, with, of course, the appropriate happy ending.

The acting is better than the ordinary run of these pictures with Jean Hershelt taking first prize as Papa Hoffman. Louise Dresser in the role of Mama Hoffman is the only actress to do a good job, but most of the supporting actors. George E. Stone and Richard Arlen especially, are adequate.

In William E. Fields, Mack Sennett has a comedian who not only is a good actor, but is also funny. His lampooning of the old "mellowdrammer" is shown off to striking advantage by the "Souvenirs" which followed it. On the stage James E. Barton acts the drunk, sings, dances, and paniomimes while the audience adjourns, or wishes it could, to the smoking room. Continuing this, Beatrice Powell gives an impersonation of Schuossle Durante which is too much like him to be pleasant, but her idea of Mae West assisted by the Broadway Beauties is amusing especially when some of the chorines forget which way to turn and become considerably scrambled. Last but not least, in their estimation, are The Four Trojans, who gyrate and tumble to the tune of "The Stein Song."