Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 2, 1943)

| THE PICK OF THE PICTURES }f REVIEWS INFORMATION [fl RATINGS i} Vol. 8, No. 28 COAST-TO-COAST COVERAGE June 2, 1943 ‘Kive Graves’, ‘Brittany’ Good ‘Air Foree’ Thrilling “ATR FORCE” WARNERS (Running Time: 124 Mins.) Though “Air Force” occupies the screen for more than the usual length of time, it is a highly unusual film and the time passes quickly and thrillingly. The film is distinctly American but because it concerns itself all the way with the adventures of a bomber and its crew, public interest will be focussed on the people involved rather than the ‘country of origin. The adventures of the bomber and crew starts with Pearl Harbour and takes in every American military event up to the bombing of Tokyo. That is sock stuff across the line. Here “Air Force’ will have to score on its merits as a motion picture. From that standpoint it has nothing to fear and much to expect. Best known from a_ boxoffice standpoint are John Garfield and George Tobias and both do their work well. Garfield is the unpopular member of the crew who becomes a hero and Tobias, as Corporal Weinberg, is the same goodnatured funny lug. Harry Carey, as a wise old army man, captures considerable sympathy. That part of the story not dealing with the adventures of the flyers has to do with the hopes and fears of sweethearts and wives. Conflict other than physical derives from misunderstandings. But nothing is allowed to distract from the thrills and the fighting, better presented here than in most films of the same nature. A large and capable cast serve the purposes of the director splendidly. Outstanding is Gig Young, as a bombardier, and James Brown, a pursuit pilot. Their difference of aeronautic opinion pro vides much clean and _ honest comedy. “Air Force” is punch-packed, very human and gives one a grandstand look at real air war. Charlie Chan to Do a Comeback The Charlie Chan series will soon be back on the screen, this time for Monogram, which company got a release from 20th-Fox. Sydney Toler starts where he left off. “FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO” PARAMOUNT (Running Time: 96 Mins.) This film will have a happy ride home on the interest of the moment. The African victory provided all the publicity necessary to bring the customers. “Five Graves” centres around Franchot Tone as a British corporal who, after being lost in the desert, reaches a town just as the enemy occupies it. It’s to Tone’s credit that, competing for the footage with such scene snatchers as Akim Tamiroff and Erich von Stroheim, he comes out best. Because of Tone’s capabilities the story, a purely fictional account of the British success, maintains a logical balance. The leading character is not outplayed by minor ones with strong parts. The chief factors in its boxoffice potentialities are the interesting background and the steady suspense. Akim Tamiroff, a hotel keeper of the town, hides Tone when the Germans arrive, with the toleration but without the sympathy of Anne Baxer, a waitress who hates the British because of the fall of France. Tone assumes the identity of a waiter killed in a bombing. When Rommel and his officers arrive to use the hotel as division headquarters, it is revealed that the waiter was a Gestapo man whom they had never seen. Rommel discusses his strategy with captured British officers, withholding the key. Tone searches for the key in Rommel’s ordinary map of Egypt and finds it. The mystery thus provided does much for the picture. Von Stroheim’s playing of Rommel as a cocky, strutting and humorously crafty German is perfect according to the common conception of the defeated Field Marshal. Tamirofi’s performance, one of constant fear instead of his customary bravado, is interesting but not expert. Anne Baxer shows much promise as Mouche, the waitress. “Five Graves,” though it passes up battle scenes, manages to be powerful and suspenseful almost all the way. “ASSIGNMENT IN BRITTANY” REGAL (Running Time: 94 Mins.) Though one of the many Underground stories issued this season by Hollywood, “Assignment in Brittany” is probably the most palatable. It has its tense moments but these are relieved on the whole with pastoral and picturesque scenery, as well as good love scenes. Adding much to this departure from the usual is a new actor, Pierre Aumont, who was a member of the Free French forces before coming to this continent. Aumont is the bestlooking importation of all of them, with an engaging personality and good, understandable English. The story, which ran in the Saturday Evening Post, also had wide readership as a novel —which won't hinder the boxOffice any. Aumont is dropped by British Intelligence into a village close to a submarine base. He is given the role of a known collaborationist, still in England, and goes to the farm home of the appeaser. There, though accepted, he finds himself suffering the disgust of the villagers with the individual he has replaced. Susan Peters, sweetheart of the other man, resumes her romance with him, as does Signe Hasne, a characterless wench with whom the collaborator had been doing a little cheating. The adventures of Aumont in the Underground holds the interest of the watchers and the climax is a crackerjack Commando raid. Performances are up to par all the way. A strong cast includes Richard Whorf, Margaret Wycherly, Reginald Owen, John Emery, George Colouris, Sarah Padden, Miles Mander and Darryl Hickman. DON'T FORGET YOUR FAT MATINEE ‘Savage’ Easy To Look At “WHITE SAVAGE” UNIVERSAL (Running Time: 75 Mins.) Pepped up by the success of “Arabian Nights,” Universal is preparing a string of escapist Technicolor productions with the same cast. Though the second of these, “White Savage,” is somewhat below the first, it’s still in the winning groove and should attract film-goers who prefer diversion. Chief attraction for the masculine eye is semi-saronged Maria Montez, Latin America’s gift to Technicolor. She’s the ruler of an idyllic isle in the South Seas, in which Jon Hall fishes. Hall does little fishing in the picture, becoming involved in the protection of Montez’ treasure of gold and rubies, but he does snare the princess. Sabu, who is getting to be a big boy, again acts as the conniver of romance. Montez’ ne’er-do-well brother is being hooked in a poker game by Thomas Gomez and his mob. He wants to bet the deed to the island and its treasure, the latter being known to a few. Hall enters the poker game, wins the deed by outsmarting Gomez and his hidden aces, and finds himself accused of the murder of Montez’ brother. Color, backgrounds and natives are fetching to the eye. Picture ends with a mild earthquake instigated by the Pagan god in protection of the treasure. The villains perish in the shakeup. Best touch in the picture from an acting standpoint is provided by Sydney Toler, playing a Charlie Chan kind of Chinaman who befriends Hall. The film falls into a popular market these days and = should come close to the business of its predecessor. Bloom, Regal Has ‘Brittany’ Disc Dewey Bloom, Regal publicity chief, has a five-minute recording of an interview of Pierre Aumount, star of MGM's “Assignment in Brittany” by Lionel Barrymore. The dise is available to anyone who wants to use it.