Canadian Film Weekly (May 23, 1945)

@ s THE PICK OF THE PICTURES | a et VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INOUSTRY REVIEWS INFORMATION RATINGS Vol. 10, No. 21 REVIEWS FROM FILM DAILY, NEW YORK $2.00 Per Annum Brazil with Tito Guizar, Virginia Bruce, Edward Everett Horton Republic 91 Mins. LAVISH MUSICAL RATED BEST FROM REPUBLIC; ROMANCE WILL CAPTURE WOMEN. Romance and music are wedded in “Brazil” to create a show that is easily the worthiest of its kind te come from Republic. Here is big-time entertainment astutely keyed to popular taste. The film, superlatively photographed, should profit materially from our heightened interest in the South American scene. For the women particularly is this delightful diversion, what with a plot that is unreservedly romantic and music that watches the tone of the story. The yarn mijoves breezily and gaily in relating the romance between Tito Guizar, a Brazilian composer, and Virginia Bruce, a writer from the States in search of material for a book on our southern neighbor. With Edward Everett Horton playing an important role as a friend of Guizar’s the film is constantly amusing. The picture is prodigally endowed with Ary Barroso numbers among them the one bearing the title of the film. Those who relish South American music will revel in “Brazil.” Robert North has produced on a grand scale, while Joseph Santley has contributed expert direction that has inspired topflight performances from his players. Guizar’s charm should hit the women hard. Also a factor is the presence of Roy Rogers as guest star. CAST: Tito Guizar, Virginia Bruce, Edward Everett Horton, Robert Livingston, Veloz and Yolandda, Fortunio Bonanova, Richard Lane, Frank Puglia, Auro1i Miranda, Alfredo de Sa, Henry Da Silva Rico de Montez, Leon Leonoir, Roy Rogers. CREDITS: Associated Produced, Robert Nerth; Director, Joseph Santley; Screenplay, Frank Gill, Jr., Laura Kerr; Based on story by Richard English; Cameraman, Jack Marta; Musical Director, Walter Scharf; Music, Ary Baroso; Film Editor, Fred Allen; Sound, Tom Carman, Howard Wilson; Art Director, Russell Kimball, Set Decorator, George Milo; Dance Director, Billy Daniels. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. Bandit Killed Five minutes after he held up the Dominion Theatre, Vancouver, and fled with $360, Malcolm McDonald died when a bullet from his own gun entered his body during a struggle with two war veterans who tackled him. Colonel Blimp with Anton Walbrook, Deborah Kerr and Rogers Livesey United Artists 148 Mins. TOP-RANKING BRITISH PICTURE IN MAGNIFICENT TECHNICOLOR. It is likely that ‘Colonel Blimp” will have its principal appeal in the larger theatres catering to class audiences. Its success in so-called subsubsequent runs is dubious, despite the fact that the picture has been produced on a lavish scale, is flawless technically and has drama, comedy and suspense. As a whole, however, the picture proves anew that Britain can produce films on a quality par with Hollywood. Direction and cast are tops and the performances of all players are excellent, especially those of Anton Walbrook, Deborah Kerr and Rogers Livesey. It is in magnificent Technicolor. Livesey, a young British officer on leave in Berlin from the Boer War, is obliged to fight a duel with sabres with Walbrook, a German officer. Both are wounded and recover in a nursing home where they become friends. To avoid a diplomatic incident, the duel is attributed to clash over affections of Deborah Kerr, in Berlin as an English governess. Miss Kerr is a frequent visitor to the nursing home, and Walbrook falls in love with her. Too late, Livesey realizes that he also loves her, but gallantly steps aside, returning to England and the Army. As the years go by, Livesey progresses in His Majesty’s service but his methods and attitude on war remain old fashioned until he is awakened to the meaning of total war by Walbrook who makes him realize that total war cannot be fought successfully by simple reliance on a_ British sportsmen’s code. There are several moments in “Colonel Blimp” which must, for one reason or another, stand out in memory. Among them, certainly, is the duel episode. The picture’s thrust at the old Prussian Code has the biting edge of the sabre itself. Another is the brilliant scene in which Walbrook, now a refugee in England, indicts Nazism. Walbrook rises to the histrionic heights as he recites his tragic story. Incidentally, there is no trickier scene in the picture than this. Outstanding, Army Wives with Elyse Knox, Rick Vallin Monogram . 68 Mins. SENTIMENTAL STORY OF EXPERIENCES OF ARMY MATES HAS WORTH FOR DUAL BILLS. Although not too successful in its attempt to project a picture of what the average Army wife has to go through today in the name of love, the film under analysis will get attention on duals on the basis of its sentimental appeal and the importance it places on the human factor. The film is principally the story of Elyse Knox and her soldier fiance, Rick Vallin. The heart strings are twanged time and again as the two experience one disappoimtment after another in their determination to be hitched. Finally, after the gal has followed her njan hither and yon, they find themselves in a stage of oneness. Paralleling the Knox-Vallin romance is one between Dorothea Kent and Murray Alper. The B. Harrison Orkow screenplay as directed by Phil Rosen has some regard for comedy, with Marjorie Rambeau holding a monopoly on the laughs as a soldier’s wife with a flock of kids. CAST: Elyse Knox, Marjorie Rambeau, Rick Vallin, Dorothea Kent, Hardie Albright, Murray Alper, Ralph Lewis, Ralph Sanford, Jimmy Conlin, Kenneth Brown, Billy Lenhart. CREDITS: Producer, Lindsley Parsons; Director, Phil Rosen; Screenplay, B. Harrison Orkow; Based on idea by Sgt. Joel Levy, Jr.; Cameraman, Mack Stengler; Art Director, Dave Milton; Sound, Frank Webster; Musical Director, Edward Kay. DIRECTION, Okay. Okay. PHOTOPLAY, too, is that sequence in which Livesey shows his trophies of the hunt — an array of mounted heads— to Walbrook. But here the note struck is again satirical, for in the midst of the heads is the portrait of Livesey’s deceased wife. CAST: James McKechnie, Neville Mapp, Vincent Holman, Rogers Livesey, David Hutcheson, Spencer Trevor, Roland Culver, James Knight, Deborah Xerr, Dennis Arundell, David Ward, Jan van Loewen, Valentine Dyall, Clark Jaffe, Albert Lieven, Eric Maturin, Frith Banbury, Robert Harris, Arthur Wontner, Count Zichy, Anton Walbrook, Jane Mellican, Ursula Jeans, Phyllis Morris, Diana Marshall, Muriel Aked, John Laurie and Reginald Tate. CREDITS: Written, Produced and Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger; Cameraman, Goerges Perinal; Musical Director, Allan Gray; Color Production Designer, Alfred Juneg; Military :Adviser, Lt. Gen. Sir Douglas Browndigg; Film Editor, John Seabourne. DIRECTION, Excellent. PHOTOGRAPHY, Excellent. The Woman in The Window with Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett RKO-International 99 Mins. POWERFUL MELODRAMA RATES RAVES; SUPERBLY PRODUCED, ENACTED AND SCRIPTED. ” Representing melodrama at its finest “The Woman in the Window,” the second effort of International Pictures, is as smooth a job of its kind as one can hope to see. It should rate easily among the year’s top contenders in its class. Produced by Nunnally Johnson vith uncommon smartness, the film has a script by him that is a model of intelligence. Under the crafty direction of Fritz Lang the film works up suspense that will hold the audience breathless. A sense of power is conveyed by the simplicity and straightforwardness with which the story has been unfurled. The film has been beautifully acted by a cast headed by Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett. Robinson outdoes himself as a college professor who dreams of being involved with a lovely woman (Miss Bennett) in a nightmarish murder case. The efforts of man and woman to escape apprehension for a crime committed by Robinson in selfdefense have been grippingly depicted. Raynyond Massey as a district attorney and Dan Duryea as a would-be blackmailer are other standouts. The attempt to provide the film with a happy ending has robbed the story of some of its impact. CAST: Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Raymond Massey, Edmond Breon, Dan Duryea, Tohmas E. Jackson, Dorothy Peterson, Arthur Loft, Frank Dawson, Carol Camerson, Bobby Blake. CREDITS: Producer, Nunnally Johnson; Director, Frtiz Lang; Screenplay, Nunnally Johnson; Based on novel by J. H. Wallis; Cameraman, Milton Krasner; Musical Score, Arthur Lange; Art Director, Duncan Cramer; Set Decorator, Julia Heron, Special Effects, Vernon Walker; Sound, Frank McWhorter; Film Editor, Marjorie Johnson. DIRECTION, Aces. PHOTOGRAPHY, Aces. Screen Career Open To Lady Who Rides Republic Pictures is going to give some girl between the age of 16 and 20 the opportunity to ride into a film career—but she really has to ride. They are combing the country for a girl to appear opposite John Wayne in the “Plainsman and the Lady,” a high budget, high-riding saga of the Pony Express.