Sometime last year Metro Goldwyn Mayer decided that one of its bread-and-butter boxoffice stars was ready for promotion. The Commisary heads gambled well; they gave Van Johnson a good dramatic role, and threw in Dorothy McGuire and Ruth Roman to help him along. The movie, entiteld simply "Invitation," is at the Astor now, and should please all but the most discriminating.

Notwithstanding the overzealous efforts of the female co-stars, Van does surprisingly well. His performance as a weak Long Island social climber, which fortunately requires no difficult facial expressions, is excellent. He sustains a convincing dapper-heel effect, which is his bonanza, until the traditionally gooey ending.

Both Miss McGuire and her busty co-star overact. The former is cast as the daughter of a Long Island millionaire, a soft mouthed old gent portrayed by Louis Calhern with die-cut precision. Miss McGuire suffers from an incurable heart ailment, a part for which she is physically fitted. Her expression is one of such pain, however, that she might have been better cast as a girl correspondent shipwrecked in a leper colony.

Miss Roman is more convincing than her colleague, but she spends too much time convincing the audience that she's a spoiled lot, a point which is evident from the very first sneer.

To round out the bill, the manager has included three shorts. One of these is a fifteen minute keyhole view of Blue Baron and his orchestra. Close your eyes, and it's just like turning on the radio. Open your eyes, and you've got T.V.