Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

20th Century-Fox 96 minutes Shelley Winters, Gary Merill, Michael Rennie, Keenan Wynn, Evelyn Varden, Warren Stevens, Beatrice Straight, Ted Donaldson, Craig Stevens, Helen Westcott, Sydney Perkins, Hugh Beaumont, Thomas Jackson. Harry Cheshire, Tom Powers, Free , man Lusk, George Eldredge, Nestora Paiva, Perdita Chandler, Genevieve Bell, and also starring Bette Davis. .-Directed by Jean Negulesco. ]V 1 "Phone Call From A Stranger," like "A etter To Three Wives" is an episode drair.a 'md, like that outstanding success, it is disinctive for its taste, originality and striking ntertainment values. It is destined to be a C'iighly popular and widely talked-about film, 'roduced and written by Xunnally Johnson roan an I. A. K. Wylie story, "Phone Call •nun A Stranger" records the adventures of quartette of travellers aboard a plane and low the death of three of them touches the ife of the last. Written with warm humor nd understanding of human foibles, Jolinon's narrative is attention getting at the >utset, compelling in its development, and tartling in its final exciting moments. Jean segulesco's direction breathes vitality into THE MEDIUM' FINE OPERATIC DRAMA ;.!ates • • • • for art and class houses; ok for better naborhood spots exciting and provocative than it was in it J PHONE CALL FROM A STRANGER' A FINE FILM— A BIG SUCCESS! Rates • • • + except for action houses the interpretation of the screenplay and weaves in and out of the time lapse-, flash backs etc. with the ease and smoothness of a goldfish circling a bowl. And the acting of the all-star cast is, indeed, something to rave about, particularly the playing o Bette Davis who comes on last and in a brief appearance proves anew that hers is one of the most vivid and satisfying talents on the screen today. She is superb in a performance that keynotes the whole story and adds the final distinguished touch to a distinguished motion picture. This is a natural for the feminine trade, but ts appeal certainly is not limited to the distaff side. There i igsvor and satire to satisfy the male contingent to say nothing of the satisfaction that comes in seeing a fine movie. The 20th Century-Fox production will do best in the metropolitan centers and better grade houses. Even the action spots should do well if its gimmick of a plane load of passengers lost in a storm is played up. Shelley W inters, a perfect choice for the show girl part, plays it flawlessly. Gary Merrill's unmistakable sincerity distinguishes his playing of the stranger; Michael Kennie's doctor is effective; Keenan Wynn, is outstanding as the salesman. Beatrice Straight, Warren Stevens, Evelyn Varden, Ted -opert Films 2 minutes 4arie Powers, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Leo Pieman, Belva Kibler, Beverly Dame, " )onald Morgan. directed by Gian-Carlo Menotti. As an attraction on the art class theatre ircuit, "The Medium" should be one of the uxoffice winners of the year. A variety of icJactors contribute to this impression — the r success of the work on the stage, the wide ublicity it has received and, by no means i>t. the excellence of the film-opera itself, hese factors should make the film also a ood attraction for better class neighborhood ouses. In transcribing his opera to the creen with Marie Powers and other members of the original cast, Gian-Carol Menotrenders a music dream onlv a shade less original performance. The most frequent and most noticeable flaw is the fact that the orchestra drowns out the voices, making the high dramatic passages unintelligible. Aside from this, "The Medium" is a faithful reproduction of the original, enlarged in settings but still the same brooding, tragic masterpiece about people living on the outskirts of respectable society. Menotti adds a carnival sequence to round out his pictorial values and it turns out to be a highlight. The production filmed in Italy is modest but always effective. Menotti's direction shows materly comprehension of the urgency for movement on the screen. He breathes vitality and fluidity into "The Medium" to make this first screen opera in English notable, even triumphant. In the title role, Marie Powers sings and plays the same powerful performance that HAREM GIRL' JOAN DAVIS SLAPSTICK vates • • as dualler generally; more in Columbia 1 minutes loan Davis, Peggie Castle, Arthur Blake, Donald Randolph, Henry Brandon, Minerva Jrecal, Peter Mamakos, John Dehner, Peter Brocco, Rus Conklin, Wilson Millar, Ric *oman, Nick Thompson, Alan Foster, Robert Tafur, Shepard Menken. Directed by Edward Bernds. This is a silly and hokey comedy, but it •d iffers plenty of laughs for those who find JJIoan Davis a funny gal. Loaded with slaptick and a lot of tired old gags, "Harm ifljANUARY 28. 1952 rural areas Girl" is definitely not for the class houses, although most folks will find it hard to avoid laughing at Joan, if only for the tremendous, frantic energy she pours into her work. On the other hand, less discriminating family audiences will probably get many a belly laugh out of her antics. The plot is just one mad chase and it moves fast enough for anyone's taste. The weakness is in the lack of imagination that went into the script and the direction. Rural situations will probably garner good grosses; elsewhere it will serve best if coupled with a heavy drama. The kids are going to love it. Donoldson, Craig Stevens, Helen Westcott all give performances that add lu>ter to the picture. STORY: Shelley Winters, a show girl; (iary Merrill, a lawyer; Michael Rennie, a doctor; and Keenan Wynn, loud-mouthed salesman, meet on a plane which, after several forced landings, finally cracks up in a storm. Of the quartette, only Merrill survives. Having arrived in I.os Angeles, he picks up slips of paper with his friends' names and addresses, patiently calls the nearest to each of them. The point of "Phone Call" is how the accident affects the lives of those who live on. In the case of Rennie, Merrill is instrumental in solving the problem of the doctor's son, Ted Donaldson who, not knowing the truth about his father, idolizes him to the point that he hates his mother. Merrill convinces the estranged husband of Shelley Winters that Shelley really loved him and brings some needed shame into mother-in-law Evelyn Varden, an old trouper living on past glories. And from Bette Davis, a helpless cripple, he learns something of human nobility in her story of her relationship with Keenan Wynn, crude, vulgar, loquacious, but a man gallant enough to forgive her infidelity ami willing to devote his whole life to their love. HAN'NA (Hollywood) won her acclaim on the stage. Anna Marie Alberghetti has a lovely young soprano which she uses expertly. Leo Coleman's pantomine as the Negro mute is superb. As the visitors, Belva Kibler, Beverly Dame and Donald Morgan play and sing with gratifying sight into Menotti's meaning. STORY: Simplicity itself keynotes the dramatic motivation of "The Medium, a story of a phoney fortune teller who becomes the victim of her own dishonesty. Having for years eked out a precarious living on the hopes of others by pretending to bring them face to face with their deceased loved ones, she herself begins to hear voices, to feel presences. She gives up her business, tries to find if the two young people who live with her are not up to trickery. In her frenzy she shoots and kills Leo Coleman, the mute gypsy. HAXN'A (Hollywood) STORY: Joan Davis is cast as companion to Peggy Castle, princess of a desert kinddom, whose life and throne are in danger of being taken by her enemies. Ordered to marry a sheik she does not love, Peggy leaves Joan disguised in her princess' costume and goes off to rally her loyal followers. From that point on, the story is a wild chase with Joan being pursued by the amorous sheik and by the princess' enemies. When Peggy is captured and threatened with torture. Joan organizes the Harem dancers in a sit-down strike and thus brings the defeat of the princess' enemies. JAMES 15