The Film Daily (1948)

hursday, April 8, 1948 jftlU k DAILY kEviEuis of new fums "Letter From An Unknown Woman" with Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan, Mady Christians I 90 Mins. H/T OBEYED STORY OF TRAGIC LOVE AS'=4JMES t0 BOLSTER, ATTRACT ATRONAGE. [Stefan Zweig's short story upon which is film is based reads better than it scans i the screen. On its credit side it has .■rformances superior to the basic drama it tempts to convey. Louis Jourdan has been en by a mere fraction of the potential dience advance publicity has attracted. this number they have a chance to see m before his initial vehicle arrives. Joan intaine acquits herself skillfully, convincgly delivering a transformation which first ows her a lovestricken adolescent initiated with a musician of Bohemian tenancies, emerging a mother, and so on to lult womanhood. Story has production Iperior to the screenplay. Max Opuls direcpn is heavyhanded, slowmoving and the tished product would have benefited from me close cropping in the editing departlent. The camera many times dwells ■ngthily on unimportant trivia. • After years of nursing a crush for Joursn, Miss Fontaine finally meets him on a ienna street. A young woman on her own r the time, she once lived in the same ouse with him and worshipped him since rst sight. Jourdan is attracted by her harm and naivete. He takes her home, ley spend the night. But he is a musician, lilan calls. He leaves her and it is years iter when again they meet. In the interim le had borne his child, married a man jiuch older than herself who forgave her her suthful mistake. It is all told in flashback. Jourdan is ;en at the outset killing a few hours be)re fighting a duel with a man who turns lilt to be Miss Fontaine's outraged spouse, hat night a letter came. It was from Miss ontaine. In it she tells Jourdan full debils. The respectably married woman meets her nrmer lover and it is revealed they cannot Drget each other. Her husband senses this nd makes known his intent in the event hey resume their affair. Going to Jourdan's ipartment Miss Fontaine sees through him nd brusquely departs. Her son later dies f typhus, a disease which she also con racts. The hospital, after she too, dies, ends her letter to Jourdan. He decides to ight a duel with her husband rather than llee. Basic structure of the story is old stuff nsofar as the drama is concerned. It is an iift told tale. This latest treatment contributes little to the formula. CAST: Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan, Mady jhristians, Marcel Journet, Art Smith, Carol 'orke, Howard Freeman, John Good, Erskine Sanord. Otto Waldis, Sonja Bryden. CREDITS: A Rampart Production; Producer, ohn Houseman; Director, Max Opuls; Screenlay, Howard Koch; From the story by Stefan Iweig; Photography, Frank Planer; Production :o-ordinator, John Hambleton; Art direction, Alexander Golitzen; Editor, Ted J. Kent; Orchesjations, David Tamkin; Sound, Leslie I. Carey, 3!enn E. Anderson; Sets, Russell A. Gausman, luby R. Levitt; Musical score, Daniele Amphiheatrof. DIRECTION, Fair. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. "Fury At Furnace Creek" with Victor Mature, Coleen Gray 20th -Fox 88 Mins. TOP WESTERN FARE SHOULD GIVE PLENTY SATISFACTION TO GENERAL AUDIENCE. Top grade western fare, "Fury At Furnace Creek" has an imaginative injection of interesting developments in its script, is launched on its course by the able direction of Bruce Humberstone and should no doubt score on the box office target. There's a full complement of fireworks. Indians figure prominently. Romance is smoothly worked into the pattern. A fresh brand of comedy provokes laughter. Dramatic conrent is developed in a logical manner. Production values and performances are superior to the regulation item and it all adds up to ultimate patron satisfaction. Two brothers, one a ne'er do well — Mature — the other an Army officer — Glenn Langan — are out to clear their late father's name and reputation. He was implicated in an Indian massacre at Fort Furnace Creek which has all the earmarks of skullduggery on the part of a silver mining syndicate. Mature follows the trial of Reginald Gardner, a weakling who might talk under pressure. Langan arrives on the scene. Gardner is killed. Langan faces trial for his murder. He is found guilty but, aided by Mature, escapes. By this time Albert Dekker, the real guilty party in the proceedings, has the wind up and with his cohorts chases Mature and Langan into the hills. Langan gets away. Mature is wounded. By pulling a neat switch Mature eliminates his pursuit even when he is trapped by Dekker who meets his end when an Apache, Little Dog, who has been gunning for him all along, lets him have it — twice. Mature recovers. Miss Gray is at his bedside. Yarn's developments are sustained throughout by good performances. Charles Kemper supplies comedy relief as a Saturday night bad boy who spends Sunday sober, chained to a big log which he is able to lug into the nearest saloon for a spot of refreshment. CAST: Victor Mature, Coleen Gray, Glenn Langan, Reginald Gardner, Albert Dekker, Fred Clark, Charles Kemper, Robert Warwick, George Cleveland, Roy Roberts, Willard Robertson, Griff Barnett, Frank Orth, J. Farrell MacDonald, Charles Stevens, Jay Silverheels, Robert Adler, Harry Seymour. CREDITS: Producer, Fred Kohlmar; Director, 3ruce Humberstone; Written by Charles G. Booth; Suggested by a story by David Garth; Photography, Harry Jackson; Art directors, Lyle Wheeler, Albert Hogsett; Sets, Thomas Little; Editor, Robert Simpson; Sound, Eugene Grossman, Harry M. Leonard. DIRECTION, Expert. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. lolson-Metro Deed Otf West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY : Hollywood — Al Jolson's deal with Metro for a sequel to "The Jolson Story" is off. Pictorial Films Gets Small 16 mm. Rights Pictorial Films has acquired 16 mm. world-wide non-theatrical rights to 10 Edward Small pix and will start releasing in July. Titles include "Count of Monte Cristo," "My Son, My Son," "Kit Carson," "Corsican Brothers," "Gentleman After Dark," "Friendly Enemies" and "Miss Annie Rooney." Gardner With Taylor West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner have been assigned by M-G-M to star in "The Bride." Pandro Berman will produce. ■ 1948 YEAR BOOK of Motion Pictures is ON THE WAY THE 30th EDITION CONTAINING NEW FACTS! NEW FEATURES! Will soon be ready for distribution A year's subscription to THE FILM DAILY will bring you this Encyclopedia of Motion Pictures FREE. THE FILM DAILY 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y. Hollywood Office: 6425 HOLLYWOOD BLVD. HOLLYWOOD, CALIF.