The Crimson Moviegoer

"Ali Baba Goes to Town" is a good musical comedy but a mediocre political satire. It makes people laugh but seldom think, ergo the perfect evening's relation. Some of the wisecracks are excellent, others can be soon hours before they come off.

Eddie Cantor is himself but this time no more fantastic than the rest of the cast. Evidently unsatisfied with his aquaplane-ski-chariot ride in "Roman Scandals," Mr. Cantor again falls asleep to dream of the past in terms of the present, a la Conecticut Yaunkee, and to ride on a soaring carpet.

Roland Young is horribly miscast as the Sultan of Bagdad, and Louise Hovick as the villainess is unconvincing if not actually pathetic in her portrayal, but then the script did not give either of the two much in the way of material. June Lang does a perfect job providing a more or less platonic love interest with Tony Martin.

In the musical line, Messrs Gordon and Ravel score in a small way with "Swing Is Here To Stay" and "I've Got My Heart Set on You." Raymond Scott and his quintet beat out "Twilight in Turkey" with intestinal fortitude in spite of two sinuous dancing girls who hardly do the tune justice.

Based on political satire that is amusing if not very biting, "All Baba" is worth seeing though to some it may seem to suffer from the plethora of stage and screen production of the same nature currently before the public.

The stage show with Jane Froman, Stoopnagle and Bud, Bob Ripa, and Borah Minevitch's Harmonica Rascals is excellent.