Focus: A Film Review (1950-1951)

275 TRIO Producer: Anthony Darnborough. Directors: Ken Annakin and Harold French. A Sydney Box Production for Gainsborough. Certificate-. A. Category : B. Running time : 91 minutes. This film is a repetition of the Quartette experiment, though for some l reason it stopped at three ; it was probably simply that three stories in this case filled the time that cinema patrons demand for the feature film. It begins, as did Quartette with an explanation in Somerset Maugham’s familiar manner, as much as to say : “Don’t blame me if you don’t like it. These boys asked me if they could do it, and I don’t like to disappoint them.” So the boys got on with the job and produced Trio, which is simply three short films shown one after the other, in the pattern of the aforesaid Quartette. I do not know whether a “Duet” is contemplated, but if so, the sooner it is over and they get back to the principle, one story equals one film, the better. Three ones make three, and they will never really make one. 1 — The Verger Starring: James Hayter and Kathleen Harrison. These two players are not what one would normally call great, judging by what we have seen of them. But in the character parts which they usually play, how perfect they are ! One can almost see that Albert Foreman cannot read and write, which is really the point of the story. And Emma, who becomes his wife, never overplays herself as the shopkeeper’s wife. But the story is too slight even for one-third of a film. 2 — Mr. Knowall 1 Starring: Nigel Patrick and Anne Crawford. Mr. Maugham claims to be nothing more than a storyteller, in the old tradition that begins with Chaucer. But he does that uncommonly well, and with the spoken word one avoids those tantalising bits of bad writing which sometimes blotch his novels. Nigel Patrick as Kelada, the man who knows everything, is outstanding. By a pleasant little twist, Mr. Maugham in this story turns a character which one would normally detest into one for which one is compelled to have a sneaking regard. 3 — Sanatorium Starring: Jean Simmons and Michael Rennie. Dramatically this is easily the best of the three and the quality of the play is maintained throughout. It is the only one of the three in fact that has the makings of a full-length picture. Evie Bishop and Major Templeton (we never seem to get as far as Christian names with the Major) are fellowpatients at a T.B. sanatorium. In the midst of the little personal dramas of the other patients, these two gradually fall in love and decide, after hearing the doctor’s verdict that marriage will mean death for one and permanent illness for the other, that happiness is more important than a long life. It may be simply that this being the best of the three one forgets that one has seen three films, but I feel that this is the inevitable result of this experiment. One’s impression of the whole will depend on the last item, which is not satisfactory. Somerset Maugham has written any number of full-length stories. Let some of these be filmed. U. ROCKETSHIP X.M. Starring: Lloyd Bridges, Osa Massen, John Emery, Noah Beery, Jnr., Hugh O'Brian, Morris Ankrum. Producer and Director: Kurt Neumann. An “Exclusive” Lippert Production. Category : B. Running time : 70 minutes. A film that tries to record what happened in the attempt of a Rocketship to go to the moon and back is dependent for its success on the imagination, credulity and capacity for emotional strain of the audience. The scientificallv-rhinded, on the look-out for defects, might be sceptical, while the lovers of the fantastic, especially children, would have all the emotional thrills they could want. Certainly it would be difficult for the average filmgoer to remain quite calm when the