MOVIEGOER

It is sometimes difficult for this corner to see what useful purpose a gorgeous production like "Cover Girl" serves in time of war. Its beautiful costuming and fancy scenery must have caused an outlay of cash sufficient to make up a day's losses over Berlin. The manpower involved in its production might well have turned the tide at the Cassino hotel, and the celluloid expended enabled the RAF to take better pictures at the invasion coast.

The old question remains why should something like "Cover Girl" be put on at all?

The movie itself is an utterly blameless attempt to display the faces and figures of a number of models under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is also a vehicle for Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly and the average moviegoer has seen the same thing two or three times before. No particular effort was expended in the writing of the script, and the picture vibrates rapidly between the ancient and the inane.

In its own way, it is relaxing. Some of the scenes are interesting, some even sexy. The tired navy officer fresh out. of Communications classes might even enjoy it, if he kept his eyes closed at the strategic and rather embarrassing moments of amateurishness. But, by all means, stay away from the question "why"? If that question comes up, it will spoil whatever enjoyment the show might give.