Harrison's Reports (1958)

202 HARRISON'S REPORTS December 20, 1958 "A Night to Remember" with Kenneth More (Ran\ Film Distr., Feb.; time, 123 min.) The tragedy of the Titanic, the massive ocean liner that sank on her maiden voyage in 1912, had been depicted in films a number of times, but never on a scale that is as epic, thrilling and dramatic as this excellent British-made production. From the opening scenes that show the launching of the Titanic to the closing scenes where she plunges to her watery grave with hundreds of people still trapped on her decks, the action holds a vise-like grip on the spectator. Although the story is factual and devoid of fiction, it has been presented in powerfully dramatic terms, particularly in the depiction of the events that followed the vessel's collision with an iceberg. The scenes of panic when the passengers are notified that the ship is expected to sink within two hours and that the available lifeboats could not accommodate even one-half of them; the touching farewells between men and their families; the individual acts of bravery and cowardice; the varied reactions of the different passengers, from the rich to the poor — all this and much more is shown in a way that will long be remembered by the viewer, thanks to the masterful direction and the very fine acting of the huge cast. The action is, in fact, so realistic that one feels as if he is participating in the tragedy. This is due in no small measure to the remarkable staging and the true-to-detail settings that lend authenticity to the recreation of this great sea disaster. The photography is superb: — Briefly, the story depicts the start of the Titanic's maiden voyage in April 1912, thought to be unsinkable by her 2,207 passengers from all walks of life. Overloaded with personal messages of the ship's first-class passengers, the radio operators fail to hear wireless warnings from other ships about icebergs in the vicinity. Two days out of Liverpool, the Titanic strikes an iceberg that leaves a mortal gash, 300 feet long, below her waterline. The ship's designer investigates the damage and determines that the ship will sink within two hours from the weight of the water pouring in. Unbelieving passengers scoff when the alarm is sounded but panic when the danger becomes real and they are notified that the lifeboats can accomodate only half of them with priority given to women and children. The liner Carpathia, four hours away, steams to the rescue in response to SOS signals. Meanwhile Kenneth More, the ship's second officer, and other members of the crew, work ceaselessly to control the panicky passengers and deal ruthlessly with men who cowardly attempt to enter the lifeboats ahead of the women and children. As the ship sinks slowly but surely, many pathetic farewells take place between those in the lifeboats and the unfortunate ones on board. Finally, with hundreds of people still on her after decks, the Titanic plunges to the bottom of the sea. 705 horrified survivors are picked up by the Carpathia when she reaches the disaster area. It was produced by William MacQuitty and directed by Roy Baker from a screenplay by Eric Ambler, based on the book by Walter Lord. Family. "The Doctor's Dilemma" with Leslie Caron, Dick Bogarde and Alastair Sim (MUM, January; time, 99 min.) A good British-made screen version of George Bernard Shaw's period play, lavishly produced and finely photographed in Eastman color. As an entertainment, however, its appeal probably will be limited to Shaw's devotees and others who patronize the art houses, for which the film seems best suited. It is doubtful if the rank-and-file picture-goers will find it to their liking, for it is all talk and very little movement. Moreover, few of them will appreciate fully the sardonic and at times witty Shavian dialogue, particularly his comments on the chicanery of the medical profession at the turn of the century. The acting is very good, with Leslie Caron most appealing as a young wife who believes blindly in her tubercular but unprincipled artist-husband, and who pleads with several doctors to help with a new treatment of questionable worth. Whether or not the bounder should be helped is the dilemma faced by the cynical doctors. The direction is competent, but the story on the whole has an outdated flavor: — When John Robinson, an eminent British surgeon is knighted for his discovery of a tuberculosis serurn, he wins the congratulations of Alastair Sim, Robert Morley and Felix Aylmer, his wealthy and influential colleagues, as well as of Michael Gwynn, a poor but dedicated doctor. Reading of the discovery, Leslie Caron, supposedly married to Dick Bogarde, a consumptive, unprincipled artist, visits Robinson and pleads with him to treat her man. Intrigued by Leslie and recognizing an outstanding talent when she shows him one of Bogarde's paintings, Robinson arranges a dinner party so that his cronies may meet Bogarde and Leslie and help him to decide whether or not it would be worthwhile to use his limited supply of the new serum on Bogarde. The artist charms them all at the dinner, but after he leaves it is discovered that he had borrowed money from each of the guests and had even stolen a gold cigarette case. The doctors converge on Bogarde's studio and confront him with what he had done. A hot discussion ensues over the morality of his actions, during which it is discovered that he is married to someone else and merely living with Leslie, who stoutly defends him. Robinson finally decides not to treat Bogarde, but Morley agrees to try to cure him with a quack method of his own. This treatment fails and Bogarde dies. Robinson, who had fallen in love with Leslie, tries to console her, but due to the deathbed influence exerted on her by the wily Bogarde, who had sensed Robinson's intentions, Leslie dismisses him with utter contempt. It was produced by Anatole de Grunwald and directed by Anthony Asquith from a screenplay by the producer. Adult fare. "The Last Blitzkrieg" with Van Johnson, Kerwin Mathews and Dick York (Columbia, January; time, 84 min.) A fairly good war melodrama with an off-beat story. What makes it different is the fact that the action revolves around a German lieutenant who, having lived in the United States prior to the war, acts and speaks like an American and is thus able to pose as a GI and lead other Englishspeaking Nazis behind Allied lines to carry out a campaign of sabotage. The action holds one's interest well and there are a number of suspenseful situations. Van Johnson is effective as the principal German spy, but one finds it difficult to accept him as a sympathetic character because his acts of sabotage cost many Allied lives. There is no comedy relief or romantic interest. Clips of actual warfare have been edited into the action to good effect: — Having lived in the United States prior to the war and having learned to speak English without an accent, Johnson, son of a German general, is assigned to POW barracks as a spy. There he wins the trust and confidence of the American prisoners and is responsible for many of them being shot when they attempt to escape. With the war all but lost, the Nazis assign Johnson to head a small group of spies familiar with the American customs and language, and to infiltrate behind the Allied lines for sabotage purposes. Dressed as GI's, the spies easily get behind the lines by pretending that they had become separated from their outfit. In this way they plod along with the American troops and commit many acts of sabotage without creating the slightest suspicion. Complications arise when Kerwin Mathews, a spy who killed because he enjoyed it, makes several chance remarks that strike Dick York, a Germanspeaking American, as being more characteristic of Nazis than of Yanks. The suspicion aroused eventually leads to the discovery of Johnson and his pals as spies during a deadly skirmish with a German patrol. All are killed except Johnson, who is taken prisoner, but he is saved when German reserves back up the patrol and force the Americans to surrender. But when the Germans begin to sadistically mow down the American prisoners, Johnson, unable to control his contempt, seizes a grenade and attacks his own forces. His brave action turns the tide of battle in favor of the Americans, but mortally wounded, he dies urging his countrymen to ignore Hitler's insane dream of power. It was produced by Sam Katzman and directed by Arthur Dreifuss from a screenplay by Lou Morheim. Family.