"Army Girl" Better Than It Looks

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 25, 2 December 1938, Page 14

"Army Girl" Better Than It Looks

-_ ("Army Girl.’ Republic. Directed by George Nicholls, Jr. With Madge Evans, Preston Foster, dames Gleason, H. B. Warner. at release: Wellington, December HE very title of ‘‘Army Gil’? had me on my guard at onee. I seem to be sensitive to such things. Surely, I thought, it wasn’t time already fer another of those West Point disappointments, or another of those sugar-coated recruitinz-propaganda "epics of the service" which Hollywood puts out every now and then in return for the loan of a battleship for Dick Powell to sing on, or a regiment of cavelry to act as extras in a Western? But I need not have worried, and neither need you, for "Army Girl" is a much better picture than its title. It is, in fact, a pretty good show. The American flag is undoubtedly wagged a bit, but with commendable discretion. And as recruiting propaganda I have a feeling that this picture might work both ways. For "Army Girl’ is a story about the peace-time mechanisation of the cavairy, its central figure being an infernal machine called a whippet tank; and after seeing what the crew has to put up with, I'm still further than ever off being convinced that the best way to serve my country is inside a tank. Tank v. Horse HERE’S something to be said for the theory, though, that an occasion might arise when it would be a trifie more comfortable inside a tank than outside it. The highlight of this picture is a cross-country race and endurance test between two men in a tank and a hundred men on horses; and the way that whirring, snortmg machine of the devil runs rings round the horses, rattles and bumps over all kinds of obstacles, and then practically sits up and sheers at the cavalry, is not onty extremely exciting, but also rather terrifying. By demonstrating with such signal suecess that petrol and steel are superior to horseflesh in warfare, Captain. Dike Conger (Preston Foster) arouses the enmity and jealousy of officers and men at the desert cavalry post to which he has been sent to carry out mechanisation tests. There is even a con-

"~~ spiracy hatched te disgrace him-~ which doesn’t seem to be at aH the proper army spirit-leading to the death of the dear old colonel (H. B. Warner), much b®terness from the previously-infatuated colonel’s deughter (Madge TFvans}, courtmartial, and a last-minute wunsmirching of the Conger escutcheon., Tries Too Much PEESTON FOSTER portrays one of those self-confident ladykillers to be found in the ranks of practically every Hollywood army; but does it with such spirit, such a wealth of brittle, wise-cracking humour that he makes the part worth while. Madge Evans, always intelligent and beautiful, has seldom been more so as the colonel’s daughter, v In supporting roles of "Army Girl’ are to be seen many competent, well-preved players, such as James Gleeson, Ruth Donnelly, Heather Angel, Billy Gilbert and. Neil Hamilton, It is, indeed, the chief fault of this picture that, while finding reom for such artists in the cast, it couldn't find enough ?

for them to do; or, in trying to justify their presence, cluttered up the story with side-issues. For instance: Heather Angel appears in the first svenes, establishes herself with a fine piece of acting in an hysterical outburst against the monotony of life at the army post, and thereafter fades right out of the picture. This is just one of several side-tracks in the plot that lead nowhere. : Like the smail who overeats at a party, a tendency to attempt too much is a common symptom of immaturity; and it has to be remembered that "Army Gil" was produced by the comparatively unknown, studio of Republic. In practically every other aspect;‘however, this is a film which even the biggest studios could feel very pleased to have produced. --|_"