The pitiful sight of Hollywood attempting a classic of character and turning out a turgid Grade B pot-boiler is now on view for the second week at the Keith Memorial in "Primrose Path." Unoriginal in conception, dull--often interminable--in pace and direction, it tells the story of a sweet young thing (Ginger Rogers) caught in the sordid atmosphere created by a prostitute-mother, a constantly drunken father, and an incredibly cruel grandmother. Falling in love with Joel McCrea because he nearly kills her by reckless driving, she conceals her true identity, has the usual misunderstandings, and emerges happy ever after.

The original play by Robert Buckner and Walter Hart was a powerfully realistic portrayal of several interesting characters, whose development saved the drama from its unoriginality of plot. In the screen version, much of the realism remains, strongly bolstered by a good performance by Miles Mander, the father. Strictures of the Hays office have toned it down to a certain extent, but this is not its principal fault. Failure lies in the dialogue, which is often incredibly dull and obvious, and in the mediocrity of acting by Joel McCrea, Queenie Vassar (the grandmother), and Marjorie Rambeau (the mother). Ginger Rogers does well, and adds pictorial value, but trite situations, leading to a particularly obvious conclusion, constantly shine through the veneer and contribute to a dull and disappointing film.