The Moviegoer

Hiding behind a smoky title that would send the most tolerant Boston censor racing to his alarm gong, the latest United Artist release quickly unmasks as a lukewarm comedy well grooved in the rut of its countless predecessors. For lack of a decent script, Hollywood has again fallen back on the opium of "poor girl wants rich boy," the only difference between this movie and its ancestors being in the quantity of "poor girl and the numbers of swooning suckers. Instead of the usual single love interest, "Bachelor's Daughters" travels on a quadruple con game that grinds to a sleepy halt after the first ten minutes. Not even the superb artistry of Adolph Menjou, cast as a floor walker bulldozed into playing father to the feminine fortune hunters, can dispel the disappointed and belligerent hush that soon blankets the audience.

Those hardy few who stayed through until the second feature were amply rewarded by the usual volume of Red Skelton's antics and prat-falls. Unable to satisfy any but the most ardent fan by sheer weight of pantomime and well-timed gags, M.G.M. has wisely injected a bit of pathos into the comedy. Cast as a well-meaning, but deadly boor, Red Skelton takes "The Showoff" through a series of heart breaking mishaps with amazing dexterity and an almost embarrassing reality. A living portrait of the guy who would break his leg while putting on a hat, Skelton uses his comedy style to give moviegoers something funny and at the same time touching. It's a long haul between laughs in the first attraction at the U.T. and for those who don't like Adolph Menjon well enough to sweat out the trek. "The Showoff" starts at 9:40.