Harrison's Reports (1958)

48 HARRISON'S REPORTS March 22, 1958 "South Pacific" with Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi and John Kerr (Magna, Special; time, 171 min.) Photographed in the Todd-AO process and Technicolor, and produced on a spectacular scale, "South Pacific" no doubt will prove to be a box-office giant, for the fame of this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is world-wide and the millions who did not see the stage production will be eager to see this lavish screen version. It is a highly entertaining show and it should easily satisfy the great majority of those who will see it, for its musical score is as enchanting as ever, the romantic interest charming and touching and the comedy often hilariously funny. Moreover, the performances are engaging, with acting honors going to Mitzi Gaynor, who is excellent as Nellie, the Navy nurse, the part originated by Mary Martin on the stage. Effective portrayals are turned in by Rosanna Brazzi, as the French plantation owner who falls in love with Mitzi; John Kerr as the young lieutenant who falls in love with a winsome native girl, beautifully played by France Nuyen; Juanita Hall, who recreates her colorful stage role as "Bloody Mary," Miss Nuyen's mother; and Ray Walston, as an enterprising Seabee, whose wacky characterization provokes many laughs. There are several things about the picture, however, that are disconcerting and that tend to lessen one's enjoyment. For example, the singing, except in the case of Miss Gaynor, is dubbed, and the voices that come out of Brazzi and Kerr seem unnatural even though the synchronization of their lip movements is perfect. The photography, too, offers a distraction in the use of colored filters to fill different scenes with hues of yellow, purple and green. This is intended to set a mood, but for the most part it is less than enhancing. On the whole, however, the tropical island backgrounds are beautiful and picturesque. What there is in the way of a story is concerned mainly with the two romances. In the case of Miss Gaynor and Brazzi, their romance hits a snag when she learns that he had been married to a Polynesian woman who had died after bearing him two children. In the end, however, she realizes her deep love for him and warmly takes to his two children. In the case of Kerr and Miss Nuyen, their idyllic romance is stymied because of his inability to bring himself to the point of marrying a native girl, but his problem is solved when he is killed in action while on a mission against the enemy. The romances, though interesting, lack real dramatic force. Aside from the romantic interludes, considerable comedy is worked into the proceedings as a result of the horseplay among the enlisted men. The musical numbers have been staged most effectively and they are without question the most enjoyable parts of the whole show. It was produced by Buddy Adler and directed by Joshua Logan from a screenplay by Paul Osborn, based on "Tales of the South Pacific," by James A. Michener. Family. "Teacher's Pet" with Clark Gable, Doris Day and Gig Young (Paramount, April; time, 120 min.) A gay romantic comedy that should go over everywhere. The story idea is somewhat familiar, but it has been handled smartly and its blend of humor and romance is put over effectively by the principal players, who make the most of the brilliant dialogue and the comedy situations. Age has not diminished Clark Gable's charm and poise, and he makes believable his characterization of a hard-boiled, self-taught editor who does not believe in schooling until he falls for Doris Day, a pretty journalism teacher. There are human touches in Gable's pursuit of Miss Day, and many of the laughs are provoked by the romantic competition he encounters from Gig Young, a handsome and talented psychologist, who outmaneuvers him at every turn. What puts the comedy over is the fact that it is natural and never forced. The photography is excellent: — When Doris, whom he had never met, invites him to lecture to her class in journalism, Gable sends her a stinging letter of refusal. His publisher, however, orders him to appear at the lecture. When he arrives at the school, he fi ids Doris reading his bitter letter to the class and denouncing his "primitive" views on education. Embarrassed, he pretends to be a new student, but he finds Doris attractive and decides to continue the masquerade. Doris takes a special interest in him because of his apparent ability, and he in turn pursues her romantically, but he makes little headway because of the competition of Young, who easily tops him in every department, except drinking. In due time Doris falls in love with Gable, but their romance hits a snag when she accidentally discovers his real identity. She blasts his contempt for education and breaks with him. In love and confused, Gable goes in desperation to the amiable Young, who tries to restore his self-confidence. Young eventually persuades Doris to have pity on the lovelorn Gable, but his efforts are wasted when Gable, who had found copies of a country newspaper that won a Pulitzer Prize for Doris' father, rips them apart as out-dated, gossipy and small-town. His confidence restored, he demands that Doris criticize them fairly and give credit to his own modern, though unschooled, brand of journalism. Although outraged, Doris admits to herself that Gable is right. She apologizes to him and they are lovingly reunited. It was produced by William Perlberg and directed by George Seaton from a screenplay by Fay and Michael Kanin. Family. "Merry Andrew" with Danny Kaye, Pier Angeli and Baccaloni (MGM, April; time, 103 min.) This is indeed a happy and joyous entertainment, one that should give all types of audiences a right good time. Photographed in CinemaScope and Metrocolor, and set against a circus background, it is a thoroughly delightful and amusing comedy, centering around Danny Kaye as a timid but cheerful English schoolmaster who is dominated by a stern father, the headmaster, but who finds that life can be gay and satisfying when he inadvertently becomes involved with a traveling circus and loses his heart to Pier Angeli, a winsome trapeze artist. The story itself is light, but it is filled with laughs from start to finish and gives Kaye ample opportunity to romp through his part in his inimitable comic style. Several of the sequences are hilarious, such as when Kaye finds himself trapped in a cage full of lions; when he substitutes for the ringmaster; and when he is grabbed up by a group of acrobats and tossed about on a flying trapeze. Worked into the proceedings are several highly entertaining song-and-dance numbers that have been staged in imaginative style. Worthy of special mention are the witty lyrics. The production values are fine and so is the color photography: — Kaye, a timid schoolteacher in a stuffy English school, is dominated by Noel Purcell, his father and headmaster, who thinks that he lacks confidence and refuses to promote him. As a result, Kaye is unable to marry Patricia Cutt, an icy English girl, to whom he had been engaged for five years. When vacation time rolls around, Kaye, pursuing his hobby of archeology, goes to the site of an old Roman ruin to dig for a lost statuette. There he becomes involved with a family circus headed by Baccaloni, a rotund Italian, who had encamped on the site for a week's engagement. He makes friends with Baccaloni and his five sons, and finds himself attracted to Pier Angeli, a lovely young aerialist, who was Baccaloni's niece. A romance blossoms between the two but it is hampered by Baccaloni's sons, who seek to protect Pier from harm. Before long Kaye becomes mixed up in the activities of the circus but eventually is compelled to return to the dreary life at home. In the events that follow, he and Pier meet again when the statuette he had been seeking is found by her pet chimpanzee, and when several of his students run away from school to sec the circus, which had moved to a site nearby. This results in a series of zany complications that end with Kaye arranging a marriage between Patricia and Robert Coote, his older brother, while he goes off with Pier to lead a carefree life with the circus. It was produced by Sol C. Siegcl and directed by Michncl Kidd from a screenplay by Isobel Lcnnart and I.A.L. Diamond, based on a story by Paul Gallico. Family.