Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 6, 1955)

| — Ee THE PICK OF | THE PICTURES | “a VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY REVIEWS INFORMATION RATINGS April 6, 1955 USA AND UK REVIEWS Page 11 CAPTAIN LIGHTFOOT (From The Film Daily, NY) with Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, Jeff Morrow (CinemaScope-Technicolor) Empire-Universal 91 Mins. ATTRACTIVELY PHOTOGRAPHED IRISH YARN CONCERNING REBEL ACTIVITIES CIRCA 1815, FAN FAVORITE HUDSON MAY CHARGE ITS BOXOFFICE BATTERY. At the turn of the nineteenth century, Ireland seethed with rebellion against the English rule. The activities of the patriots of the time have been the subject of numerous motion pictures, not the least of which is this Ross Hunter CinemaScope production starring fan favorite Rock Hudson as Captain Lightfoot, aide to Ireland’s greatest rebel, Captain Thunderbolt, portrayed earnestly by Jeff Morrow. The lush green terrain of the countryside and the quaint Irish villages provide a _ picturesque setting for the W. R. BurnettOscar Brodney screenplay. The footage, well photographed by Irving Glassberg, was shot in its entirety in Hire. Hudson becomes Morrow’s second in command after the latter has seen him outwit pursuing soldiers with outstanding daring and skill. Though leading the activities of Ireland’s rebellious patriots, Morrow ostensibly operates a gaming establishment presided over by his cousin, Kathleen Ryan, who also serves as guardian for Morrow’s daughter, Barbara Rush. A rival gambler spurs a raid on Morrow’s place during which Hudson is taken into custody. In a revenge visit to their rival’s home, Morrow is_ critically wounded and delegates all future responsibility to Hudson, until such a time as he can come out of hiding. Handling his chores with finesse, Hudson wins the love of Miss Rush. She inadvertently reveals her father’s hiding place to the police, and both men are taken prisoner. Hudson is sent to prison for a previous crime, but manages to escape to lead further struggles against the Empire, and marry Miss Rush. CAST: Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, Jeff Morrow, Kathleen Ryan, Finlay Currie. CREDITS: Producer, Ross Hunter; Director, Doualas Sirk; Screenplay, W. R. Burnett, Oscar Brodney; Photography, Irving Glassberg. DIRECTION: Good. PHOTOGRAPHY: Eye-pleasing. Stars Of 'Pete Kelly's Blues’ Jack Webb, Janet Leigh and Edmond O’Brien star in Warners’ Pete Kelly's Blues, now before the cameras. THE LONG GRAY LINE (From The Film Daily, NY) with Tyrone Power, Maureen O’Hara, Robert Francis, Donald Crisp Columbia (CinemaScope-Technicolor) 138 Mins. IMPRESSIVE STORY OF WEST POINT TOLD WARMLY AND IMAGINATIVELY BY JOHN FORD. UNUSUALLY LARGE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN, EXPLOITABLE SUBJECT AND TOP STARS SPELL HEAVY RETURNS. One of the most highly publicized pictures in recent years, this John Ford presentation stands to break many a record before its playing dates are over. When you've got the United States Military Academy as a backdrop, a human, heart-warming story that spans 1900-1950, marquee favorites Tyrone Power, Maureen O’Hara and Donald Crisp, and the imagination of Ford to give it life, you’ve got a presentation that can stand with the best of them as solid family entertainment with universal appeal. Edward Hope is credited with the engaging screenplay, based upon the book, Bringing Up the Brass, by Marty Maher (the subject of the film) and Nardi Reeder Campion. In any less capable hands than John Ford’s, the screenplay might have seemed tedious and overly long, but his warm, poignant, and skillful handling of the script sustains interest all the way. A big production in every sense of the word, the film reviews cadet life at West Point and the honor system so rigidly adhered to, through the eyes of Maher, assistant athletic director of the Academy from early in the century till recent years. Producer Robert Arthur has opened his picture with the arrival of Maher, portrayed by Tyrone Power, fresh off the boat from Ireland and eager to make good in his job as a waiter at West Point. The CinemaScope camera, beautifully handled by Charles Lawton, Jr., has captured the grandeur and solidity of the place as it first impressed Power and intersperses phases of cadet life through the personal story of Power and his wife, Maureen O’Hara. Miss O’Hara, a native of Ireland, seems a bit more at home with her brogue than does Power. However, his characterization was an unusual one for him to tackle and he has given it depth and charm, qualities matched in Miss O’Hara’s performance. The supporting cast is excellent, notably Donald Crisp as Power’s father, Ward Bond as Power’s immediate superior, Robert Francis as a cadet more-or-less adopted by Power, and Betsy Palmer, as the cadet’s mother. After enlisting in the Army to avoid paying his enormous breakage bill created while a waiter, Power is picked by Bond to be his assistant in athletics. Through Bond he meets another Irish immigrant, Miss O’Hara, and after a most unusual courtship, they marry. Although Power has thoughts of returning to the old country, Miss O’Hara curbs them by withdrawing their savings to pay passage for Power’s father and brother, who join them in their house at the Point. Crisp, most often referred to by the young people as Himself, rules the household with a Victorian hand concurring with Miss O’Hara that the family should remain at the Academy whenever Power talks of leaving. The couple have a baby boy but he dies soon after birth. From then on every cadet is thought of as a son, particularly young Francis, born of marriage between William Leslie and Betsy Palmer, whom Power and Miss O’Hara have introduced. When Leslie is killed in World War I, they centre their love and hope in the future of Francis as a cadet. Before graduation he confides to Power that he’s been secretly married, a fact that according to the honor system, he must report himself. Although it means losing his commission, Francis acknowledges his mistake. When Pearl Harbor is attacked he enlists in the regular Army, returning a battlefield hero. Miss O’Hara has since died, and Power, awaiting retirement, is given a full-dress parade in honor of his devotion to the generations of boys he’s guided through the Academy. CAST: Tyrone Power, Maureen O’Hara, Robert Francis, Donald Crisp, Ward Bond, Betsy Palmer, Phil Carey, William Les!ie, Harry Carey, Jr, CREDITS: Producer, Robert Arthur; Director, John Ford; Screenolay, Edward Hope; Based upon Bringing Up the Brass, by Marty Maher ond Nardi Reeder Campion; Photography, Charles Lawton, Jr. DIRECTION: Masterful. PHOTOGRAPHY: Excellent. MGM's ‘Kismet’ Stars Cast Ann Blyth, Howard Keel, Dolores Gray and Vic Damone will star in MGM’s Kismet. ‘The Harder They Fall’ Columbia has purchased from RKO The Harder They Fall as a vehicle for Humphrey Bogart. -and propitious message. CHANCE MEETING (From Kine Weekly, London) with Odile Versois, David Knight, David Kossof. Produced by Anthony HavelockAllan. Directed by Anthony Asquith. J. Arthur Rank 95 Mins. Stimulating, up-to-the-minute romantic melodrama, with a powerful political fringe. Its tender theme, beautifully acted and fortified by shrewd and sensible observations on the futility of international distrust, steadily builds up to a stern, though happy, climax and, at the same time, provides satisfying and rich food for thought. Profound screen sermon, infallible woman’s film and de luxe thriller in one, it’s confidently recommended for all classes and types of audiences. Story — Ted Hutchens, young member of the intelligence section of the U.S. Embassy in London, meets Anna, _ attractive daughter secretary of Geza Szobek, Minister of the Red Embassy, at the ballet. The two become deeply attached, and when Anna tries to break with Ted for obvious reasons their feelings prove too much for them. Later, Szobek forbids Anna to see Ted again, while Ted’s_ superiors, equally apprehensive, have him shadowed. After Anna discovers that she is to have a child, her father orders her home and Ted makes desperate efforts to contact her. His actions are misunderstood and he is arrested, prior to his return to America. He escapes and rejoins Anna at Newhaven. They elude their pursuers and eventually get away in a boat during a storm, leaving behind a note confirming their love for each other and telling of their loyalty to their own countries. Production — The picture not only has an absorbing tale but also clearly delivers a persuasive Odile Versois, intelligent and appealing, and David Knight, forthright and likable, work perfectly in double harness and touchingly depict human frailty and strength of character as Anna and Ted. David Kossoff contributes a superb portrayal as Szobek, and Joseph Tomelty, too, scores freely as a British security officer seconded to Grosvenor Square, Points of Appeal — Topical, provocative and holding story, charming sentiment, smooth and incisive dialogue, suspenseful finale, terrific feminine angle, fine acting, sensitive and showmanlike treatment and impeccable atmosphere.