The Film Daily (1939)

Wednesday, November 1, 1939 <?ity DAILY # REVIEWS Of THE I1EIU FlLflS A £^e Quai Brumes" (Port Of Shadows) with Jean Gabin, Michele Morgan, Michel Simon Film Alliance of the U. S. 90 Mins. POWERFUL DRAMATIC STORY SUPERBLY PROJECTED TO SCREEN WITH TALENTED CAST. This new French release is a distinguished film in every respect, taking rank with the finest French pictures exhibited in this country. Essentially, it is a brilliant character study. The actors are top flight from principal roles to the smallest bit parts, and the direction of Marcel Came is incisive and deft in creating a sinister atmosphere. Jean Gabin is excellent as the deserter from the French army. Michele Morgan is lovely to look at and interesting to watch in her characterization of the girl of the port, and Michel Simon is as sinister a villain as one could want to 'see. Using the port city of Le Havre as the background, the story is told in direct and concise form. Gabin, a deserter from the army, is seeking passage on a boat to escape the country. He meets Michele and dreams of a haven on some far shore where they will be able to start a new life together. A man dies and Gabin gets new clothes and a new identity to use, but with an apparent reprieve staring him in the face, fate deals him out of the game. In trying to save Michele from her guardian, Simon, Gabin falls before a gangster's bullet and dies. Certainly, not a haunting film of laughter and love, but just as certainly a brilliantly portrayed story that is a welcome change in entertainment venue. English titles will adequately assist audiences who don't understand French. CAST: Jean Gabin, Michele Morgan, Michel Simon, Pierre Brasseur, Perez, Gen in, Legris, Delmont, Aimois, Le Vigan. CREDITS: Producer, Gregoire Rabinovitch; Director, Marcel Carne. Presented at the Central Theater with French dialogue and English titles. DIRECTION, Fine. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. "Mirele Efros" with Berta Gersten, Ruth Elbaum, Michael Rosenberg Credo Pictures, Inc. 87 Mins. POPULAR JEWISH STORY EFFECTIVELY PROJECTED TO THE SCREEN BY A FINE CAST. One of the best Yiddish films to be produced, this new Roman Rebush production -will undoubtedly draw heavily. The story is popular and widely known, and it has been endowed with a first-class production value according to standards for production of this type of film. In addition, the cast is capable and hard working. Unusual also, is the fact that there is a considerable amount of comedy in the story to lighten it, a marked change from the usually gloomy and tearful Yiddish pix. Ruth Elbaum, Berta Gersten, Michael Rosenberg, Moishe Feder, Paula Walter, Jerry Rosenberg and Sarah Krohner handle the principal roles ably. Miss Gersten is particularly good in the title role. Story deals with Miss Gersten's dominance of her family as a wealthy widow. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth Elbaum, schemes to get control of the family wealth, and when she does, heaps indignities on her mother-in-law. However, in due time she goes to Berta and pleads forgiveness and she returns to the family. CAST: Berta Gersten, Ruth Elbaum, Michael Rosenberg, Moishe Feder, Paula Walter, Jerry Rosenberg, Sarah Krohner, Ella Brouner, Rubin Wendroff, Jacob Mestel, Moishe Schorr, Eugene Sigaloff, Clara Deutchman, Louis Brandt. CREDITS: Producer, Roman Rebush; Director, Josef Berne. Presented at the Cameo Theater with Yiddish dialogue and English titles. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. "Megvedtem Egy Asszonyt" (I Defended A. Woman) with Antal Pager, Maria Lazar Danubia Films 76 Mins. AMUSING COMEDY WITH CAPABLE CAST IS ENTERTAINING SCREENFARE. The Hungarian audiences will be pleased with this new Magyar production. It is amusing, well paced and well cast. The direction of Akos Ratkonyi keeps the film moving, and he keeps his characters well in hand. Antal Pager, Maria Lazar and Bela Mihalyffy headline the cast, which includes a number of other Hungarian favorites. Pager defends a strange woman, Maria Lazar, and unwitting of the circumstances, he is named a co-respondent in a divorce case. Nobody believes his story that the woman is actually a stranger he has never seen before, and his family press him to marry the divorcee. He marries Maria with an understanding that they will be divorced as soon as possible. However, before the time for the divorce, many things have happened and they stay married. CAST: Antal Pager, Maria Lazar, Bela Mihalyffy, Agi Donat, Lajos Boray, Andor Ajtay, Mariska Vizvary, Maszlo Molnar. CREDITS: Elit Film Production; Director, Akos Ratkonyi. Presented at the Modern Playhouse with Hungarian dialogue and no English titles. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. "Drugct Mlodosc" (Second Youth) with Witoid Zacharewicz, Maria Gorczynska Polish American Film Co. 91 Mins. POOR STORY MATERIAL DEFEATS EFFORTS OF CAST IN TRYING TO MAKE FILM ENTERTAINING. Athough Polish audiences will probably enjoy this picture, both for sentimental reasons and because it is in the Polish tongue, it fails to have value for exhibition outside its own sphere. The story is trite, and it has not been retold with any ingenuity. The cast works hard, but some of the performances could be better. Plot deals with the infidelity of a middle aged v/oman, who leaves her husband and family to live with her young lover. Naturally, he tires of her soon and she wanders around pawning her jewelry in order to live. Finally she makes one last visit to her family, planning suicide after she has seen them, but all is forgiven. CAST: Maria Gorczynska, Witoid Zacharewicz, Junosza Stepowski, Mieczyslaw Cybulski, Wlodzimierz Lozinski, Mieczyslawa Cwiklinska, Elzbieta Krynska, Tamara Wisniewska, Wanda Jarszewska, P. Owerlo, Stanislaw Wysocka. CREDITS: Produced by Feniks Films; Director, Michal Waszynski. Presented at the Miami Theater with Polish dialogue and English titles. DIRECTION, Fair. PHOTOGRAPHY, O.K. "Ho Perduto Mio Marito" (My Husband Is Lost) with Nino Besozzi, Paola Borboni, Enrico Viarisio Esperia Films 86 Mins. BREEZY, SOPHISTICATED ITALIAN COMEDY HAS PLENTY OF LAUGHS. Gay and amusing, this new release will vastly entertain Italian-American audiences, but its scope must necessarily be limited as there are no English titles accompanying the Italian dialogue. The cast is able and the film has been given an entertaining and well paced script. Nino Besozzi, Paola Borboni, Enrico Viarisio and Nicola Maldacea headline the cast. Miss Borboni, in love with Besozzi, but unable to get him to propose, tricks him into accompanying her on a search for an alleged husband she has just married, but lost at the train. Their search for the non-existent husband takes them to a number of cities, with Besozzi finally realizing he is in love with her. However, it is not until he gets involved in a duel that Paola confesses she has tricked him, but everything is satisfactorily worked out. CAST: Nino Besozzi, Paola Borboni, Enrico Viarisio, Vanna Vanni, Nicola Maldacea, Vittorina Benvenuti, Romolo Costa. CREDITS: Astra Films Production; Director, Giovanni Cenzato. Presented at the Cinecitta Theater with Italian dialogue and no English titles. DIRECTION, Able. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. "Gyimesi Vadvirag" (The Wildflower of Gyimes) with Klari Tolnay, Zoltan Greguss Hungaria Pictures, Inc. 85 Mins. MUSICAL COMEDY WITH FINE MUSICAL SCORE AND ABLE CAST WILL PLEASE MAGYAR AUDIENCES. Closely paralelling a Hungarian operetta that was extremely popular with the Magyar races after the World War, this Hungarian release will undoubtedly find favor in its own sphere. Lack of English titles restricts the exhibition value of the film. The music of Johann Sebastian Bach is delightful. The cast, headed by Klari Tolnay, Zoltan Greguss, Jozsef Timar and Zsoka Ulvedy is extremely able. Greguss jilts his fiancee, Klari, on their wedding day in revenge because her father had RADIO GASH GIVEAWAY SAID HURTING FILMS (Continued from Page 1) are eligible for cash awards if their telephone numbers are picked and called during the program. Principal squawks have centered in the Detroit area, although it is reported that exhibs. protests are being made in various parts of the country. Theater business on Tuesday nights has been taking a nosedive, showmen contend, indicating that prospective patrons appear to be staying home in the hope that their numbers will be called. "Pot of Gold" is sponsored by Turns (Lewis-Howe Co.), with StackGoble Advertising Agency handling. It is aired 8:30-9 p.m. every Tuesday over NBC's Red network. Giveaway plan is said to be lottery proof. Should the winner be out, he receives a $100 prize, remaining $900 going into the kitty. "The Lion Has Wings" to be UA Release Here (Continued from Page 1) distributed in the U. S. by United Artists as a Korda pix, it was reported yesterday. Shown for the first time in London on Monday, initial print of the pix which co-stars Merle Oberon and Ralph Richardson is expected here within two weeks. Quick release on this side is planned, it is understood. London (By Cable) — British Government's war fund will get half of the proceeds from the distribution of "The Lion Has Wings," it is understood. Blaufox on the Coast Jay David Blaufox, writer and authority on Aviation, arrives in Hollywood today, to complete magazine and book assignments for Eastern publishers. Writer was formerly attached to Home Office film publicity departments. Set "Seventeen" Premiere World premiere of Paramount's "Seventeen," adapted from the story by Booth Tarkingston and starring Jackie Cooper and Betty Field, will be held in mid-January in Indianapolis, home of the author. jilted his mother in the same church years before. Shortly after that Klari marries Timar. From there on there are numerous family mixups and squabbles until Greguss marries another girl with whom he has fallen in love. CAST: Klari Tolnay, Zoltan Greguss, Zsoka Ulvedy, Jozsef Timar, Ferenc Vendrey, Dr. Zoltan Hosszu, Gero Maly, Lajos Kopecy Booc, Gyula Gozon. CREDITS: Produced by Objectiv Films; Director, Akos Rathonyi. Presented at the Modern Playhouse with Hungarian dialogue and no English titles. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good.