Harrison's Reports (1958)

164 HARRISON'S REPORTS October 11, 1958 "The Tunnel of Love" with Doris Day, Richard Widmark, Gia Scala and Gig Young (MGM, November; time, 98 win.) A thoroughly enjoyable sophisticated domestic comedy, based on the successful Broadway stage play of the same name. MGM aptly describes the picture as "a bedtime story for adults only/' for, in dealing with the misadventures of a modern young couple living in a typical New York suburban community, the story's humor stems from daringly frank dialogue concerning efforts to become pregnant, as well as from the complications that result when the husband com' mits what he believes to be an act of infidelity that resulted in the birth of his illegitimate child. It is a slick type of comedy, which for the most part is vastly amusing both in dialogue and situations, but even though it is highly sophisticated it is never offensive. Doris Day does a fine job as the forthright and charming wife, but Richard Widmark, who heretofore has appeared in more virile roles, does not seem to be at ease in the part of her tormented husband, even though his handling of the comedy is fairly competent. Gia Scala, as a sexy investigator for a baby adoption agency; Gig Young, as a "wolfish" neighbor; and Elisabeth Fraser, as his perenially preg' nant wife, are very good in supporting roles. The black-and-white CinemaScope photography is first' rate: — Still childless after five years of married life, Doris and Widmark decide to adopt a baby and file an application. When Gia calls at their home to investigate, Widmark mistakes her for a fund drive solicitor, acts gay toward her and generally makes an unfavorable impression. Doris, furious over Widmark's mishandling of the situation, leaves him to stay with Eliza' beth and Young, her next-door neighbors. Meanwhile Gia returns to apologize for her abrupt departure and the lonely and frustrated Widmark persuades her to go out with him for dinner. On the way, he becomes conscience-stricken and tries to calm himself with tranquilizer pills. He awakens in a motel on the following morning, unable to remember anything, and imagines that the worst had happened between him and Gia. His fears are confirmed several months later when Gia visits him and asks for a loan of $1,000 to pay the hospital expenses for her ex' pected baby. In return for his generosity, she promises to use her influence to see that he and Doris get their adopted child as soon as possible. He gives her the money through an arrangement with Young, and during the next six months almost has a breakdown because cf his feeling of guilt and the possibility that Doris will learn of his infidelity. The tension eases when a baby boy is delivered to the household, but complications arise in the ensuing months when Doris begins to notice that the child bears a strong resemblance to Widmark. She starts piecing past events together and these, coupled with her discovery of the $1,000 loan to Gia, cause her to conclude that Widmark is the baby's real father. Angered, she prepares to leave him and to file for a divorce. Before she can depart, however, Gia shows up, repays the money she had borrowed and informs Widmark that she is k'oing to join her husband, who was overseas. Moreover, she shows him photos of her baby — a blond' haired girl. As a result of this disclosure, both Doris and Widmark come to the realization that their adopted baby's resemblance to him was purely acci' dental and they rush into each other's arms. It was produced by Joseph Fields and Martin Mcl cher, and directed by Gene Kelly, from a screenplay by Mr. Fields, based on the play by himself and Peter De Vries. Adult entertainment. "Blood of the Vampire" with Donald Wolfit (Univ.'Int'l, T^ovember; time, 87 min.) You've got to hand it to the British producers when it comes to making horror films, for this is another top shocker of its kind. Produced on a lavish scale and photographed in Eastman color, which accentuates the grisly scenes of dripping human blood, the bizarre story should send chills up and down the spines of the general run of movie-goers, for it effectively presents every trick imaginable to shock the audience. Practically all the action takes place in a forbidding 1880 European prison for the criminally insane, governed by a vampire doctor who uses the unfortunate inmates to fill his need for human blood. An eerie prison graveyard, sadistic guards who commit all sorts of atrocities, man-killing dogs, bloody and inhuman prison laboratory tortures and experiments, the murderous activities of a dim-witted one-eyed hunchback who assists the vampire doctor — all this and more are combined to make this a first-rate horror thriller that sets out to curdle one's blood and succeeds. Tho color photography is excellent: — Executed in Transylvania as a vampire by having a stake driven through his heart, Donald Wolfit is restored to life by a disreputable doctor engaged by Victor Maddern, his one-eyed hunchback servant. Shortly thereafter in Bavaria, Vincent Ball, a young doctor, is wrongly sentenced to life imprisonment for malpractice on the strength of a letter forged by Bryan Coleman, a corrupt official in league with Wolfit, who had somehow managed to become the head of a prison for the criminally insane. Sent to that prison, Ball spends several torturous days before he is brought to Wolfit, who makes him his assistant to conduct blood tests on the prisoners. Unknown to Ball, Wolfit was draining the prisoners of their blood to keep himself alive, and he was trying to find one man with his own type of blood to rid himself of the vampire curse. In the course of the complicated events, during which Wolfit foils an attempted escape by Ball, Barbara Shelley, Ball's fiancee, manages to obtain a job as Wol fit's housekeeper, hoping to obtain evidence that would free her sweetheart. She is recognized one day by Coleman, who threatens to expose her identity unless she submits to him, but his attempt to rape her is stopped by the hunchback, who felt kindly toward her. Angered, Coleman informs Wolfit that she is Ball's fiancee. Meanwhile Ball's blood experiments had given Wolfit the information he needed and he decides to dispose of both him and Barbara in his secret laboratory, where he carried on unspeakable atrocities against the prisoners. Chaining Ball to a wall, Wolfit chloroforms Barbara and prepares to drain her blood. The hunchback objects and Wolfit shoots him down. In the weird events that follow, Ball manages to free himself and overpowers Wolfit before he can harm Barbara. He then forces Wolfit, under threat of stabbing him to death, to escort him and Barbara to the outside of the prison gates. As Wolfit returns through the prison courtyard, the mortally wounded hunchback manages to release a pack of vicious dogs, which attack Wolfit and mangle him to death. It was produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman, and directed by Henry Cass, from a story and screenplay by Jimmy Sangster. Much too horrifying for children.