Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 8, 1948)

THE PICK OF THE PICTURES Vol. 18, No. 47 My Dear Secretary th Laraine Day, Kirk Douglas, Keenan " Wynn, Helen Walker, Rudy Vallee. United Artists 94 Mins. QUALITY PRODUCTION FASHIONED FOR LAUGHS, THIS ONE HAS THE RIGHT MATERIALS: IT’S CREDITABLE FARE FOR THE TICKETBUYER OUT FOR FUN. Fashioned for laughs, this one has the right materials in its construction. ‘What labor went into the concoction of gag situations is rewarded by the audience reaction. LEasily tickled these days when laugh fodder is infrequent, this one can be set before the average’ ticket-buyer with full confidence on the part of the showman that he is purveying creditable fun. Production has quality. Charles Martin directed the farce from his own writings. He has spaced his comic situations closely and the principals are almost always in evidence pitching gags hither and yon. Much of the comedy falls to Keenan Wynn and he makes the most of it with shrewd timing for the right effect. Main players are adequate to the plot although at times they appear to be rather formal and stiff in line delivery. Maybe it was a good thing thespic art was soft pedaled while buffoonery was emphasized. Aspiring to be a writer, Laraine Day embarks upon the literary life by becoming secretary to Kirk Douglas, who has just dismissed Helen Walker for some reason or other. Douglas lives with Keenan Wynn. Latter handies the culinary end of the household—and is quite funny at it. From about that point on the Script runs wild. Miss Day marries Douglas. Their careers conflict. They separate and come together again almost at once. Wynn is always on the lookout for a woman,’ being the wolf type. There is a parade of secretaries and in time, after one Situation and another has been fairly milked dry for laughs, the Piece ends with Kirk on the Teceiving end, Miss Day delivering and Wynn winds up marrying the landlady, an old bag. CAST: Laraine Day, Kirk Douglas, Keenan Wynn, Helen Walker, Rudy Vallee, Florence Bates, Alan Mowbray, Grady Sutton, woREDITs: Producer, Leo G, Popkin; re tten and directed by Charles Martin; Otography, Joseph Biro, Gong ECTION: Good, PHOTOGRAPHY: 4 yy { h y ? a = VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUS? FDOT AES ILS EVIEWS FROM Joh DAILY,. NEW YORK nny Belinda with Jane Wyman, Lew Ayres, Charles Bickford, Agnes Moorehead 102 Mins. RICH, PROFOUNDLY MOVING DRAMA, SHOULD GO TO THE TOP OF THE LIST IN °’48 INDUSTRY HONORS, WILL BE A LONG REMEMBERED FILM. MAY PROVE A PHENOMENAL TURNING POINT IN ELIMINATING CURRENT TICKETBUYING LETHARGY. It is rich, profoundly-moving drama that has been fashioned in Warners “Johnny Belinda.” To watch this story unfold is to experience a series of keen emotional impacts. A superior example of the craftsmanship that goes into making fine films, it may be said for this production that the cinematic medium has again proved itself the superior of the theatre. It is with consummate taste and execution that Producer Jerry Wald and, Director Jean Negulesco have brought Elmer Harris’ stage play to the screen. If theer is any sort of justice this production in its entirety goes to the top of the list from which this industry’s honors are dealt out. An intense human document that probes deeply into life, the currents of experience and feeling, this offering has a wealth of fine performances delineated with superb artistry by the leaders and all others concerned. Here Jane Wyman, always a top performer, surpasses herself and in so doing she is staunchly supported. Negulesco’s direction has the stamp of genius. The basic mechanism of filmmaking, the camera, in the hands of Ted McCord gives photographic brilliancy to the story. In these days of generally superior lensing, when something of this nature is developed, the know-how behind the exposure meter must be saluted. It would be a waste of type, space and time about here to even hazard a guess at the boxoffice potential of “Johnny Belinda.” It is going to be remembered a long time by both patron and showman. It’s going to be brought back again and again, too. This is one picture that can stand many viewings. The big splash you are going to hear will be the result of everybody going overboard lauding what most likely will turn out to be a phenomenal turning point in eliminating the current epidemic of ticketbuying lethargy. Told with power, strength and restraint “Johnny Belinda” is the story of a young girl, deaf and mute from birth, how a kindly young doctor opens her eyes and widens her Cape Breton Island horizon to a point where she is a human being completely reborn, once more happy. As she becomes glowingly alive, a brutal note is struck. She is raped. Endeavoring to find a possible cure for her prenatal condition, the doctor is informed by a colleague the girl is pregnant. The girl’s father, when he at length is informed of her condition is incensed. But his sister prevails upon him to be sensible. The girl has the baby. The girl’s parent is killed later in a cliffside brawl. In time the rapist marries. Small town society decides to take the baby, give it to the newlyweds for adoption. When the pair go to pick up the child, the mute kills the father and is thence arrested and tried. The trial brings out evidence that it was in self defense and the young doctor and the girl prepare to live anew. In its bare outlines the story is simple, yet as sturdy as its island setting off the Canadian coast in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is generated into gripping drama woven with a fine tensile quality. In “Johnny Belinda” the industry can take a long, deserved bow for an achievement that comes very near to being triumphant. CAST: Jane Wyman, Lew Ayres, Charles Bickford, Agnes Moorehead, Stephen McNally, Jan! Sterling, Rosalind Ivan, Dan Seymour, Mabel Paige, Ida Moore, Alan Napier, Monte Blue, Douglas Kennedy, James (Craven, Richard Taylor, Richard Walsh, Joan Winfield, Ian Wolfe, Holmes Herbert, Jonathan Hale, Ray Montgomery. CREDITS: Producer, Jerry Wald; Director, Jean Negulesso; Screenplay, Irmgard von Cube, Allen Vincent: From the stage play by Elmer: Harris, produced by Harry Wagstaff Gribble; Photography, Ted McCord; Art, Robert Haas; Editor, David Weigqbart; Sound, Charles Lang; Sets, William Wallace; Technical advisers, Elizabeth Gesner, Bruce Carruthers; Orchestral arrangements, ‘Murray Cutter; Musical director, Leo F, Forbstein. , DIRECTION: Superb, PHOTOGRAPHY: Brilliant "Chicago Deadline’ Adler To Produce SIS SE ERE a ee “Chicago Deadline’ is the release title for Paramount’s Alan Ladd-Donna Reed June Havoc starrer filmed under the title “One Woman,” Columbia has assigned Buddy Adler to produce the comedy, “What My Next Husband Will Be,” as a Rosalind Russell starrer, REVIEWS INFORMATION RATINGS $2.00 Per Annum Road House with Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm, Richard Widmark. 20th-Fox 95 Mins. SUSTAINED DRAMATIC FARE, LUPINO, WILDE, WIDMARK, HOLM IN SOLID ROLES, GOOD PRODUCTION, DIRECTION. LEAD NAMES .WILL SPELL SALES EVERYWHERE. It’s a skillful job of plot triangulation that is attempted and accomplished in this production. The basic plot has been worked over intelligently. It emerges a sustained dramatic entertainment wherein a collection of people, very wise to the way of the particular world they inhabit become a crew of compelling characters. Their lives and purposes are revealed in section after section of story development and thereby a substantial load of entertainment is delivered. Quartet of lead names spells sales at: anybody’s boxoffice. Production details are excellent and Miss Lupino who does not rush from picture to picture, cuts another creditable notch in her career. Wilde is better than previously. Miss Holm is a convincing and hep foil while Widmark, quite normal at the beginning, reverts to style in the last reel blowing his oft-blown top when he gets ginned up and goes agunning for Wilde who stole his gal, Ida. ; At bottom a pat yarn, the high spots are ably knit together in the direction of Negulesco who also makes photography count in creating the right moods. Manager of Widmark’s road house, Wilde, after falling in love with Miss Lupino while the’ boss is away on a hunting trip, is framed by the latter, He is arrested for stealing a sveek’s receipts, found guilty and paroled in Widmark’s custody. This immediately after he and Ida planned to run off. It is Widmark’s Scheme to provoke Wilde into a spot wherein he will get the full rap. But events turn out otherwise. Miss Holm finds evidence that will clear Wilde. This last event takes place at a hunting cabin and tragedy stalks and catches up with Widmark as he g0es berserk and murderqusly pursues Wilde and Ida. CAST: Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm, Richard Widmark, 0. Z. Whitehead, Robert Karnes, George Beranger, CREDITS: Producer, Edward Chodorov; Director, Jean Negulesco; Screenplay, Edward Chodorovy, based on a story by Margaret Gruen, Oscar Saul, DIRECTION: Skillful. PHOTOGRA. PHY: Very Good,