Harrison's Reports (1950)

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26 HARRISON'S REPORTS February 18, 1950 "Stromboli" with Ingrid Bergman (RKO, no rel. date set; time, 81 min.) Whatever success this picture will have at the box' office will depend mainly on the curiosity that has been aroused as a result of the wide publicity given to the scandalous affair between Ingrid Bergman, the star, and Roberto Rossellini, the director. As enter' tainment, it does have a few moments of distinction, but on the whole it is a dull slowpaced piece, badly edited and mediocre in writing, direction and acting. It is a vague, episodic character study of a despondent but not sympathetic woman, hardly of the type that will appeal to the general run of moviegoers, for it leaves one emotionally cold. It may, of course, do fairly well in the early runs because of the current interest in the Bergman-Rossellini scandal, but un' favorable word-of-mouth undoubtedly will hurt the picture's chances in the subsequent'runs. Many local religious and civic groups throughout the country are opposing exhibition of the film because of the per' sonal conduct of Miss Bergman and Rossellini. Whether or not an exhibitor should bow to this pressure is a matter he must decide for himself. The story, which is set on the bleak, volcanic island of Stromboli, depicts Miss Bergman as a disheartened woman in a displaced persons1 camp outside of Rome. To get out of the hated camp, she accepts the marriage proposal of Mario Vitale, a former Italian soldier, who yearned to return to his home on Stromboli, where he had earned a living as a simple fisherman prior to the war, and which he describes to her as a place of beauty. Arriving on the island, she finds it to be an ugly, barren wasteland, inhabited by primi' tive people who led a primitive existence. Having known a better, more civilized way of life, she makes no secret of her distaste for the island and its people. Her attitude provokes the resentment of the other villagers, who begin to look upon her as a woman of questionable morals because of her failure to adhere to time-honored traditions, and because of several compromising but perfectly innocent incidents. Her husband, having become the butt of unkind remarks by the villagers, beats her savagely. Despite her anguish, however, she grows to love her husband and in due time finds herself pregnant. But she resolves to flee from the island after a violent eruption of its active volcano causes havoc and destitution. She makes an unsuccessful play for the island's priest in an effort to get his help. Failing this, she succeeds in seducing a young lighthouse keeper, who gives her money and points out a mountain route over which she can get to another town to obtain passage to the mainland. The route takes her near the mouth of the volcano, where she falls unconscious after being over' come by the smoke and gasses. On awakening and finding the day bright and clear, she sees beauty in the island, becomes regenerated and, realizing that her place is with her husband, returns to him. It is a choppy, synthetic story, not always understandable, and the characterizations are neither sym' pathetic nor believable. Except for Miss Bergman, all the other players are Italian, and considerable use is made of their native tongue. To the picture's credit is a fine sequence of an actual tuna fishing expedition. The eruption of the volcano is vividly depicted. The original screen play was written by Rossellini in collaboration with Art Cohn, Renzo Cesana, Sergio Amidei and G. P. Callegari. Strictly adult fare. "The Astonished Heart" with Noel Coward and Celia Johnson (Univ.-Int'l, February; time, 92 min.) This British-made domestic triangle drama is entertainment chiefly for high-class audiences. The story, which revolves around the mental torment of a London psychiatrist who is torn between love for his understanding wife and his passionate desire for a vivacious blonde, has an unreal, theatrical quality, but those who enjoy polished performances and smart, intelligent dialogue may be willing to overlook the artificiality of the plot. Its reception by the rank and file is doubtful, for it is all talk and no action, and makes no concessions to mass appeal : — Noel Coward, a famous psychiatrist, takes his professional work very seriously and lives quietly and affectionately with Celia Johnson, whom he had married twelve years previously. One day Celia meets by chance Margaret Leighton, an old school chum, a vivacious divorcee who believed in having a good time. She visits Celia's home and, when Coward, an austere fellow, pays little attention to her, she determines to captivate him. The opportunity presents itself when Celia is suddenly called out of town and Coward invites her to the theatre. She makes Coward fall in love with her and, much to her own surprise, finds herself sincerely in love with him. Returning home, Celia finds the affair well under way, but, realizing that he was torn between his deep affection for her and his passionate desire for Margaret, she suggests that he go away with Margaret and to come back to her only when he feels sure that he has gotten Margaret out of his system and can settle down properly. Coward and Margaret accept Celia's noble gesture, but soon after they go away together they do nothing but quarrel, chiefly because of Coward's insane jealousy. His attitude causes Margaret to tire of him rapidly. They separate, and Coward returns home, but he becomes a mental wreck, unable to concentrate on his work. He makes one last desperate effort to re-establish his relationship with Margaret when she returns to London, but she tells him that her love for him is dead. Frustrated and ashamed to face Celia, Coward commits suicide by leaping from the roof of his apartment building. It was produced by Antony Daraborough, who codirected it with Terence Fisher, from a screen play by Noel Coward. Adult fare. "Guilty Bystander" with Faye Emerson, Zachary Scott and Mary Boland (Film Classics, January; time, 92 min.) Patrons who enjoy suspense melodramas should find this one engrossing, despite the complex story. It is a well made production, capably directed and acted. The mood is grim and the action, at times, violent, but it grips one's attention because of the constant danger to the hero, a former policeman given to drink, who is sobered into quick action when his young son is kidnapped and used as a pawn by a gang of smugglers. The fact that the identity of the person responsible for the kidnapping is not revealed until the finish gives the plot an intriguing touch of mystery. Much of the action has been filmed against actual New York backgrounds, giving the proceedings a realistic qual