It seems to be a feature of Hollywood contracts now that at least once a year every actor on the lot pitch in for a huge all-inclusive party, which is then passed on to an eager public as a star-studded extravaganza.

Paramount's latest block party is typical of all these potpourris. It is based this time on the popular radio program, Duffy's Tavern, and it is held together, flimsily as usual, by the attempts of amiable Ed Gardner, the inimitable Archie, aided and abetted by the perennial Victor Moore, to put together a block party (surprisingly enough) with all the available talent from the Paramount lot.

The usual vaudevillian pattern of brief appearances by a large number of well-known Paramount characters is followed to the letter. While it obviously isn't art, it is undeniably good, or at least varied, entertainment. There are, in fact, several numbers which go over very well, particularly a humorous biography of Crooner Crosby, narrated quite cynically by Bob Benchley to Crosby's four equally cynical sons.

But the long list of stars must take a back seat to Paramount's latest find, though Ed Gardner's many fans could have told us years ago about this new-found "Maggotism, personal maggotism." This modern Malaprop steals the show with his classic but chering of the King's English, and his latest crack about Duffy and his money--"That guy, if he can't take it with him to Heaven, positively won't go!"--more than atones for the rest of the ordeal. mss