FilmIndia (1946)

Reviewed In New York %. P. S. HARRISON (Editor; HARRISON'S REPORTS) "PILLOW OF DEATH" (Universal, Dec. 14; time, 66 min.) Ordinary program fare. It may serve as a supporting feature in theatres whose audiences :ike chilling murder mystery stories, regardless of whether or not they make sense. Those who demand some semblance of logic in stories wi.l be either amused or bored by ihe lack of it in this tale about a psychopathic murderer. The action is filled with mysterious happenings, aimed at directing suspicion on the different characters, and these should keep the followers of "chiller" melodramas in suspense. The usual eerie effects are employed, such as sliding doors, secret passages, sudden screams, and even the disappearance of the corpse, but none of these make much of an impression since the story itself is a muddled affair: — When his wife is murdered mysteriously, Lon Chaney, admittedly in love with Brenda Joyce, his secretary, is accused of the murder by Clara Blandick, Brenda s aunt, and Rosalind Ivan, her cousin. The police arrest Chaney, but release him for lack of evidence. Chaney, seeking to prove his innocence, and to find his wife's murderer, finds reason to suspect J. Edward Bromberg, a fake spiritualist, with whom his wife had been friendly; Bernard Thomas, who, too, was in love with Brenda; and Clara and Rosalind, who disapproved of his love for Brenda. Chaney felt that each had a desire to see him behind bars to keep him away from Brenda. He broods over his predicament and experiences a nightmare in which he is haunted by his wife's voice accusing him of her murder. He follows the voice to the cemetery, where he finds his wife's body missing from the crypt. Meanwhile two more murders are committed; that of Clara, and of George Cleveland, Clara's elderly brother. Later, Chaney and Brenda discover his wife's body in the cellar of C'ara's home, but Thomas admits that he had placed it there to frighten Chaney into a confession. Chaney, worried over Brenda'-; safety, decides to s:and guard in her home. During the night, his wife's voice lures him to Cleveland's room and compels him to re-enact the slaying of the o'd man. Brenda, awakened by Chaney 's ravings, enters the room and soon realizes that he was a psychopathic murderer when he attempts to add her to his list of victims. The timely arrival of Thomas and the police save her from a violent death, and Chaney, heeding his wife's voice, plunges to his death through an open window. George Bricker wrote the screen play, Ben Pivar produced it, and Wal'ace Fox directed it. Adult entertainment. "THEY WERE EXPENDABLE" (MGM, no release date set; time, 135 min.) Based on William L White's widely-read book of the same title, "They Were Expendable" is a high-rating war melodrama, and a stirring tribute to the valiant officers and crews of the Navy's P T. boats, which played an all-important part in harassing the Japanese invasions at the start of the war. The production, direction, and acting are first rate. Void of "Hollywood heroics", the story is a cheerless but sincere account of the courageous exploits of a squadron of P. T. boats, based in the Philippines. It is a realistic depiction of hardships, discouragements, and sudden death, as the brave crews carry out their assignments against insurmountable odds. The action is particularly thrilling in the scenes that show the boats slipping into Jap-infested, mine-filled harbours to attack and sink enemy warships. The miniature work in these scenes is most impressive. There are many dramatic moments, too, such as the evacuation of General MacArthur and his family from beleagured Bataan. A pleasant, heart-warming romance between an army nurse and an officer has been worked into the plot. Although the picture deserves top rating as a war drama, the fact remains that the story it tells is dated. Accordingly, this fact, coupled with the fact that many picturegoers have had their fill of war pictures, makes the extent of its box-office possibilities questionable: — Despite the complacency of their commanding officers, who regarded P. T. boats as little more than pleasure crafts, Lieutenants Robert Montgomery and John Wayne There is a slight misunderstanding between Anwar and Munnawar Sultana in "Naiyya," a social story produced by Mazhar Khan. 65