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spite of the fact that the “hero” commits these crimes by the very note of fantasy and satire in which they are presented. In the present case, one feels that a strong dash of Evelyn Waugh mixed with Chesterton is contained in the story of a sea captain seeking the perfect way of life and who finds it consists of two wives, one each in a port at the end of his two-day run between Gibraltar and North Africa, with exclusively male company of a high intellectual order on the vessel en route. One wife is strongly domesticated, addicted to cocoa for supper and socks for birthdays; the other is a wild, Spanish dancer who is best at mixing champagne cocktails and the high spots in an exotic Eastern night club. The highbrow conversation of the professional passengers who travel between the two ports supplies the third element necessary to the Captain’s idea of earthly paradise.
Alas, the very automatic perfection of the plan is its weakness when a mechanical breakdown on the vessel destroys the idyllic rhythm and brings the ladies together. It would be unfair to say how a most amusing situation is resolved and this is a film which must be seen the right way round; that is, from the beginning to the end.
Alec Guinness is perfection in the role of the Captain : the danger is that he almost develops two entirely different characters, whereas, it is assumed, two facets of the same character are intended. Celia Johnson is delicious as the domesticated lady who shows surprising aptitude for change herself. It is a relief to see this talented actress in a comedy role at last. Charles Goldner, as the sycophantic second-in-command adds another to his long list of first-class character studies. Even Yvonne de Carlo comes to life under the persuasive direction of Anthony Kimmins, She is here something more than shapely. A film to be seen and enjoyed.
V.
BLUEPRINT FOR DANGER
Starring: John Longden, Chili
Bouchier, Roberta Huby. Producer Director: Morton M.
Lewis. Distributors: Archway
Film Distributors Ltd. A Sunset Film Production. Certificate-. A. Category : A. Running time :
54 minutes.
A thriller all about a mysterious wallet containing some top secret microfilm and a quantity of money in notes. The story tells of how it changes hands three times, thereby completely altering the lives of its temporary possessors. To my mind the film has failed to come off. The ending is tame after so much excitement and some of the scenes are remarkably sordid.
T. C. F.
YOUNG BESS
Starring: Jean Simmons, Stewart
Granger, Deborah Kerr and Charles Laughton, with Kay Walsh, Guy Rolfe, Kathleen Byron, Leo G. Carroll, Cecil Kellaway and Rex. Thompson. Director: George Sidney. An
M.-G.-M. Picture. Technicolor. Certificate : U. Category : C.
Running time ; 112 minutes.
It is easy to sneer at historical films and I propose to do a bit of sneering about this one; all the same, I suppose it might, to say the least, be unpleasant to present history too truthfully on the screen. For example, the death-beds of both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were somewhat distressing and if shown, would sabotage the heroic concepts which many loyal Englishmen have about Bluff King Hal and Good Queen Bess. The king, haunted by the ghosts of the gentle Carthusians whom he had sadistically butchered, bloated and ghastly with a