CRIMSON PLAYGOER

"Marie Galante" is an exciting picture a well-constructed story swiftly and surely moving to a satisfying climax. Ketti Gallian, a gift from France, does quite well with a rather vapid leading role in which she is allowed to do little more than look attractive and sing a Lucienne Boyet type of song in a rather even, delicate voice. Miss Gallian is very handsome to see and has a highly attractive sort of Gallic charm; she should do well given a worthy vehicle for her talents.

The story of "Marie Galante" is an adventurous one. An orphan, Marie is the pet of the town which supports her by allowing her to deliver telegrams to congenial owners of little shops and cafes. Her innocent beauty strikes the eye of a sinister ship captain, who shanghai's her as soon as alcohol has relieved him of his scanty scruples. The ship turns out to be the vessel of a group whose every effort is bent upon keeping the powers at sword's edge, a sort of munitions-makers' fairy godmother. At the moment this virtuous band is plotting to blow up the Panama Canal and blame it on the Japanese, so that the America-Japanese war will not take so long in coming about. In her efforts to return to her native land our poor Marie becomes hopelessly involved in the machinations of these sons of Mars and is saved from a spy's death only by the love and cleverness of that bright young knight-errant Spencer Tracy. It's much better than it sounds, though it does make international relations look humorously simple.

This column has carefully avoided, for the past few weeks, any mention of Fabian Sebvitsky and his "Grand Orchestra." Time for silence is now over, as patience reaches the limit. It has been rumored that Mr. Sevitsky is a real musician, but thus far this rumor is utterly contradicted by the evidence. Please, Mr. Sevitsky, if your boys can't do it, please refrain from your weekly annihilations of great music.

The stage is taken up this week by the descendants of Eddie Foy, a star of the golden days of vaudeville. They dance well and are amusing in a bawdy way.