FilmIndia (1945)

December, 1945 FILM I It DM DUGAL PICTURES PRESENT "NAJMA" and "HARISH" IN " H A 0 D A R " A great Muslim Sccial Subject uuhaQalaxy of Stars: H. PRAKASH, ANITA SHARMA AMIRBAI KARNATAKI, SAYAN* KALYANI, BABY ROSHAN P. D. LAL, RAZIA BANO and AZAD Story : Dialogues & Songs : Music : RAZIA BANO C. M. HUNAR M SHAFI Direction: RAFIQ RAZVI North & Sitid with: Bengal with: SURjIT FILM DISTRIBUTORS. CENTRAL FILM CIRCUIT CONTACT: DUGAL PICTURES, RAWALPINDI Tinwala Bldg. Tribhuvan Road, * BOMBAY. proved, Jennifer looks^ forward to a happy life with the man whose love letters she held dear. Ayn Rand wrote the screen play from the novel by Chris Massie, William Dieterle directed it, and Hal Walljs produced it. " The cast ' includes Ann Richards, Anita Louise, Cecil Kellaway and others. Unobjectionable morally. "THE LOST WEEKEND" (Paramount, Nov. 23; time, 99 min.) From an artistic point of view, this drama is impressive, for the direction and the acting are of the highest order. But it is hardly the type of entertainment that motion picture-goers want to see today, for it grim and depressing. Its chief appeal will probably be to class audiences and to those who seek the unusual in motion pictures. It is definitely not a picture for children, and its reception by women is doubtful; they may find the action too rnor bid for their tastes. The story, which is based on the widely read novel by Charles S. Jackson, revolves around a chronic drunkard, and it depicts his physical and men tal sufferings as a result of his inability to curb his frenzied desire for drink. Were it not for the effective way in which Ray Milland portrays the alcoholic, he would be an extremely unsympathetic character, for his actions are unpleasant almost to the end; one cannot, however, help feel ing pity for him. One particular sequence, where Milland: in a state of delirium, sees a flying bat corner and kill a mouse, is so starkly realistic that persons with sensitive stomachs will be sickened. Human suffering, whether physical or mental, is not a cheerful theme, and this pic ture is certainly not a pretty one: Having just recovered from a severe case of alcoho lism, Milland, an aspiring writer, contrives to avoid spend ing a weekend in the country with his younger brother. Phil Terry, whose apartment he shared, so that he could resume his drinking. Left without any money for drinks, Milland, frenzied with thirst, steals ten dollars his brother had hidden for a cleaning woman, and purchases two quarts of rye whiskey. He drinks himself into uncon sciousness. On the following day, he resolves to give up drink and get to work on his novel, but his lusc for alcohol proves so strong that he gives up trying to write and re sorts to purse snatching to raise money for liquor. Weak for hunger and excessive drinking, he collapses in the street and is taken to the alcoholic ward of a local hospital There, a male nurse chides him for being an incurable drunkard. Unable to stand the ravings of the other alco holies, Milland escapes from the ward and forces a liquor store proprietor to give him a bottle of rye without pay ment. He returns home and finds Jane Wyman, his sweet heart, waiting for him. She puts him to bed. On the following morning, Milland, ashamed, determines to com mit suicide in the belief that he would be better off dead than a slave to drink. But Jane, who had long made sacri ficial efforts to cure him, learns of his intentions. She foils his suicide attempt and convinces him that he possess ed the will power to rehabilitate himself. Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder wrote the screen play Mr. Brackett produced it, and Mr. Wilder directed it. The cast includes Howard da Silva, Doris Dowling, Frank Fai'len and others.