Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 20, 1946)

THE PICK OF THE PICTURES | Vol. 11, No. 47 The Dark Mirror with Olivia de Havilland, Lew Ayres Thomas Mitchell Universal-International 85 Mins. MASTERFUL DIRECTION, EXPERT SCREEN WRITING, AND A_ BOX OFFICE CAST PUTS THIS PSYCHO LOGICAL MURDER MYSTERY INTO THE BONANZA CLASS. That Robert Siodmak is an artistic, yet commercial interpreter of screenplay entertainment is established anew by the superb direction of his latest murder mystery picture. Nunnally Johnson deserves two pats on the back for his expert adaptation of a story which was featured in Good Housekeeping Magazine, and for the effective productive quality. Paralleling the technical accomplishments is Olivia de Havilland’s intriguing dual role portrayal of identical twins, and Lew Ayres’ delightfully charming manner as a young psychologist who aids in the solution of a murder. Thomas Mitchell also merits special acclaim for pitching his role of detective with honesty and sincerity of purpose. Dimitri Tiomkin’s musical score offers.a flavored background to the moods which Siodmak has a knack of achieving through lights and shadows. The absorbing story deals with an attempt by Ayres and Mitchell to help solve the mysterious stabbing of a prominent physician by breaking through some fool-preof alibis offered’ by identical twins, one of whom might easily have committed the crime. Ayres, who had acquired a fondness for one of the twin girls before discovering she had a sister, offers them a salary to become the subjects of a special study he is making on twins. Through a series of tests he discovers one of them is slightly insane and extremely jealous of her sister’s romantic interests. A trap is set whereby one of the girls shows herself to be the killer, and Ayres is then “doubly” sure of the one he really likes. CAST: Olivia de Havilland, Lew Ayres, Thomas Mitchell, Richard Long, Charles Evans, Garry Owen, Lester Allen, Lela Bliss, Marta Mitrovich, /Amelita Ward. CREDITS: Producer, Nunnally Johnson; Screenplay, Nunnally Johnson; Original story, Vladimir Pozner; Director, Robert Siodmak; Cameramen, Milton Krasner, Duncan Cramer. DIRECTION, Superb, PHOTOGRA PHY, Excellent. Buys "New Mexico’ Producer Irving Allen has pought Trell’s “New Mexico.” REVIEWS FROM FILM DAILY, NEW YORK Mr. Ace with Sylvian Sidney, George Raft United Artists 84 Mins. FAIRLY GOOD DRAMATIC YARN OF A WOMAN IN POLITICS IS A TIMELY OFFERING. What with the oncoming elections, the alert exhibitor might set up a smart campaign to assist in putting “Mr. Ace” over to good results at the boxoffice. This should be particularly emphasized in utilizing the potentialities of women’s clubs, Yarn’s novelty is that it portrays a woman who at first chooses politics as an outlet for her private ambition and subjugates all her fundamental womanly instincts, including marriage, for political ends. When she is defeated by what amounts to subtle blackmail, she makes a comeback and at the price of a powerful political leader’s machine, she is elected governor. Miss Sidney is the wife of a publisher. She is a Congresswoman. By conniving she gets the nomination for governor. Her husband wants a divorce. She says no, his name is to her advantage in her gubernatorial campaign. She attempts to enlist the aid of Raft’s organization which is machine politics but beautiful women and politics don’t mix, he thinks. She arranges a private dinner with Raft and a college professor at the latter’s home. Raft comes. It proves unrenumerative as far as enlisting Raft is concerned. He takes her home to her lodge where they spend the night, a storm conveniently coming along to keep Raft there. He sleeps on the couch. One of Raft’s henchmen doublecrosses him. Miss Sidney gets the nomination. Raft puts out that he spent the night with her at the lodge. Her husband threatens divorce if she runs. She doesn’t, rejects the nomination. Later she gets a divorce. Then Raft’s eyes are opened up to the underlying, fundamental sincerity of Miss Sidney’s interest in politics and with the aid of the kindly old professor he in turn doublecrosses his organization and Miss Sidney is duly elected on a reform ticket. CAST: George Raft, Sylvia Sidney, Stanley Ridges, Sara Haden, Jerome Cowan, Sid Silvers, Alan Edwards, Ro man Bohnen, The Flennoy Trio, Joyce Bryant. CREDITS: Producer, Benedict Bogeaus; Director, Edwin L. Marin; Screenplay, original story, Fred Finklehoffe; Cameraman, Karl Struss. DIRECTION, Fair. PHOTOGRAPHY, cod Renegades with Evelyn Keyes, Willard Parker, Larry Parks Columbia && Mins. SUPERIOR BRAND OF WESTERN ENTERTAINMENT IN TECHNICOLOR IS MANNA FOR ACTION FANS. Set in the early days of the West, “Renegades” is a savory morsel for those who follow the hellbent-for-leather school of entertainment. This western omelette has been served up with trimmings calculated to excite the eye as well as the taste buds of the action-picture gourmet. Outspeeding its field, the film is the sort of stuff that stirs an audience to life and keeps its interest engaged even though the story is strictly stock. The yarn has been presented with every regard for the western fans’ likes and dislikes, and it allows the thinking apparatus to take a rest since every turn of the plot can be readily foreseen. What the story lacks in newness it more than makes up in tempo, with every opportunity for exciting action having been taken advantage of. The picture owes a lot to the Technicolor in which it has been dressed. The use of color reduces the offering’s faults to. a minimum that can be disregarded by all but the most critical of patrons. The screenplay Melvin Levy and Francis Edwards Faragoh fashioned from the Harold Shumate story makes little attempt at originality, contenting itself with re-working material and situations that have proved favorites of western devotees. Evelyn Keyes plays a gal who jilts Willard Parker, a dust-eating doctor, to become the bride of Larry Parks, who throws in his lot with his outlaw brothers and father (Edgar Buchanan) when he believes he is to be hanged simply because he is a kin of the brigands. Miss Keyes, who comes to regret her choice, turns to Parker for help in her desperation. When Parks meets a violent end, the doctor and the girl, who is about to become a mother, are reunited. CAST: Evelyn Keyes, Willard Parker, Larry Parks, Edgar Buchanan, Jim Ban non, Forrest Tucker, Ludwig Donath, Frank Sully. CREDITS: Preducer, Michel Kraike, Director, George Sherman; Screenplay, Melvin Levy, Francis Edwards Faragoh; Based on story by Harold Shumate; Cameraman, William Snyder. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Hecht Adapts Story Ben Hecht will adapt Dan Totheroh’s “Distant Drums.” REVIEWS IMFORMATION RATIMGS $2.00 Per Annum Two Guys From Milwaukee with Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Joan Leslie Warner Brothers $0 Mins. SPIRITED COMEDY IS POPULAR TYPE OF ENTERTAINMENT THAT WILL GO OVER MORE THAN WELL. Full of life, “Two Guys From Milwaukee” is crowded with the kind of comedy to which audiences react warmly. The production, consistently entertaining, is popular stuff with a hearty quality aobut it that is infectious. The picture brings together a group of players who enter fully into the spirit of the occasion. Chief among them are Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Joan Leslie and S. Z. Sakall, with Janis Paige and Tom D’Andrea making an impression in a smaller way. The work of the cast contributes much to the zestfulness of the show. In “Iwo Guys From Milwaukee” an old story is told well and interestingly. Let it be said that, familiar as the tale is, it still remains one that audiences rarely tire of having repeated. In their screenplay Charles Hoffman and I. A. L. Diamond relate colorfully the story of a Balkan prince who sheds his identity on a visit to the United States so that he may be in a better posiion to observe the American character. He rubs shoulders with the ordinary people, having experiences that are extremely amusing. The fun goes into high gear when he strikes up a friendship with Carson, a taxi driver from whom he acquires a liberal education in the ways of America and Americans. By the time his identity is discovered he has become completely sold on America and democracy. When his people vote for a republic in a plebiscite he is the happiest man in the world. As evidence of how democratic the fellow has become he’s ready to take a job selling beer for a Milwaukee brewery. A romance with Joan Leslie, Carson's girl friend, is part of his education in American democracy. The audience is kept guessing who's going to get the gal until the last moment. The winner: Carson, CAST: Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Me — _— Paige, S. Z. Sakall, a r Fe 2 ady, Tom D'Andrea, Rosemary CREDITS: Producer, Alex Gottlieb; Director, David Butler; Screenplay, Charles Hoffman, I. A. L. Diamond; Cameraman, Arthur Edesen. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, ‘ts eT te meaeeen,