Tbe Moviegoer

The chief impression that we carried away from Steamboat Round the Bend was that it should have been much more exciting. And, strangely enough, it had everything to make it so, including a steamboat race and the hero saved from hanging all rolled into one episode. But it just didn't quite come off-for us, at least.

This last of the Will Rogers sagas is about a Mississippi steamboat captain who turns his boat into a waxworks to make enough money to save an accused nephew from hanging. (If that brings any sort of picture to mind.) And when the nephew is definitely condemned, the frantic uncle steams madly up and down the river looking for the one witness of his nephew's innocence.

In the course of things he gets into a steamboat race to Baton Rouge (scene of the nephew's forthcoming execution), and at the very height of the race, who should be see standing on the shore, waiting to be lassoed, but the star witness.

Things still look bad, both as regards the hanging and the race, until someone has the happy idea of throwing rum-jugs into the furnace, Columbia of fire pour from the stacks and the ship leaps ahead like a wild thing. (Shot nephew mounting scaffold.) Shot of entire personnel of the Marie Lou hurling rum-jugs. One wonders who's steering the boat.) Whistles blowing, bands playing, people cheering.

And yet, despite all this we found ourselves stifling a yawn. Perhaps we weren't in the mood.

We might add, though, that the salty humor of Will Rogers and the amusing portraysis of Irving Cobb and Eugene Babette make up for a lot.

here Comes the Band is all right if you don't mind Ted Lewis. We do--very much. And the Dionne Quintuplets are swell if you like them. But frankly it wasn't one of our best afternoons at the University.