Harrison's Reports (1961)

58 HARRISON'S REPORTS April 15, 1961 "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" Albert Finney, Shirley Anne Field, Rachel Roberts (Continental, April; time, 90 min.) Excellent. Britain's cinematic blockbuster should fare as well this side of the Atlantic. This is the picture, adapted by Allan Sillitoe from his prize-winning novel about a hard-working, high-living young Nottinghame lathe operator who has an affair with a meek co-worker's wife, gets her pregnant, is beaten up by her brother-in-law and his friend, and finally starts to settle down with a pretty young marriageminded girl. This black-and-white import — some of its dialect is impossible to understand — has everything — humor, raw sex, suspense, a brawl, politics, pathos. But best of all it has Albert Finney, the new British stage-screen sensation, who makes the rebellious young worker totally convincing. His toughness, good looks and talent should make Finney a big favorite in the U. S. Rachel Roberts is wonderfully believable as the cheating wife. Shirley Anne Field, who scored in "The Entertainer" renders a realistic portrayal of the girl who finally will lead Finney to the altar. Czech-born Karel Reisz has done a masterful job in directing his first feature film. His documentary background is evident throughout. After it makes a giant name for itself in the art theatres, "Saturday Night" should follow the "Room at the Top" distribution pattern throughout the country: — Tough, good-looking, 22 -year-old Albert Finney works at a lathe in a Nottingham factory for $39.20 weekly. The cynical, fast-living young Englishman maintains a chummy, hail-fellow-well-met relationship with Bryan Pringle, a toolsetter in the factory, while having an affair with Pringle's wife, Rachel Roberts. Finney, although living with his parents, has little to do with them. They've never recovered from the emptiness of the depression of the 1930s. His father spends every free minute watching TV. A go-it-aloner, young Finney believes that laws are made "to be broken by blokes like me." On Saturday night, he wins a drinking duel with a seaman, then moves into Pringle's home with Rachel for the night. Pringle has gone to the seashore to bring back his son from a vacation. After breakfast, Finney cooly leaves his co-worker's home and wife — just as the man returns. Next, at a pub, Finney meets attractive Shirley Anne Field. Finney's cousin, Norman Rossington warns him to stop seeing Rachel, and that Shirley will want an engagement kiss with the first kiss. Finney swears he won't marry till he's good and ready. He starts dating Shirley. Rachel tells him she is pregnant with his child. Finney takes her to Hylda Baker, his aunt, but her suggestions on how to "fix" things do not work and Finney promises Rachel money for an abortion. When Rachel sees Finney with Shirley at the local fair ground, she tells him she's decided to have the baby and face the consequences. Suspicious, Pringle has his big soldierbrother and a buddy, equally large, waylay Finney and give him a terrible beating. His injuries keep him home a week. Shirley finally visits him. He returns to his job. Later, out in the fields with Shirley, he indicates he will marry her, but he warns her he will never stop throwing rocks against the hard, unyielding walls of society. A W(xxJf.ill Film. Harry Saltzman was executive producer; Tony Richardson, producer. Karel Reisz directed from Alan Sillitoe's screenplay adapted from his novel. Adult. "The Amazing Transparent Man" Marguerite Chapman and Douglas Kennedy (American Int'l, current; time, 60 min.) Fair. A modest-budgeted science-fiction crime adventure concerning a foreign agent in the U. S. who helps an ace safecracker escape from prison; makes him invisible with a special ray; orders him to steal radio-active materials from the Government. Grim, fairly suspenseful, the black-and-white feature lacks helpful star names, good acting and dialogue. Douglas Kennedy is competent as the criminal. James Griffith makes a fine dedicated spy. Marguerite Chapman can do little with her role of the espionage agent's mistress. The special effects, allowing a bank robber to be alternately visible and invisible, and the intriguing title, are the chief sales points of the programmer which is a mid-week lower slot attraction for undemanding patrons: — Douglas Kennedy, notorious safecracker and hood, is aided in an escape from prison and joins Marguerite Chapman, who is waiting nearby in a getaway car. Kennedy, never having seen this hard woman before, is suspicious, but has no alternative but to go with her, although he doesn't know who arranged his break. They finally arrive at a secluded Texas ranch, where they are greeted by James Griffith, a master spy who tells Kennedy he has been freed to help steal fissionable materials for the experiments of Ivan Triesault, a refugee scientist held by Griffith. Griffith threatens to turn Kennedy in for the reward — dead, if he doesn't go along with his plans. Also held in Griffith's power is Red Morgan, the ranch's owner, who act as watchman. In the lab, Kennedy learns that Triesault has developed a ray that will make a man invisible. Kennedy sees it as a great implement for committing robberies, while Griffith envisions invisible armies. Subjected to the ray, Kennedy enters a high security area, walks away with radio-active materials. He is convinced he can rob a bank in the same way. Triesault tests upon him one of the stolen materials — the new X-13, fearful of the effects. Triesault's teen-aged daughter is being held by Griffith as a hostage. Triesault soon fiinds that the excessive radiation poisoning will soon prove fatal to Kennedy. Kennedy next double-crosses Griffith, robs a bank. However, the unpredictable X-13 causes him to materialize and be recognized in the middle of the robbery. Kennedy flees with Marguerite. Near the ranch, Kennedy realizes his danger; splits the money with Marguerite, who having fallen in love with him, wants him to take her to Mexico, where they can start life afresh. Invisible again, Kennedy visits Triesault. Marguerite follows. Kennedy locks Griffith in a closet, tells Triesault he must help him. The doctor agrees only on condition that he help his daughter escape. As they are leaving, Morgan tries t<> stop them but is told that Griffith can't get his son out of an Iron Curtain prison — his son has been dead for years. Morgan agrees to leave with them. The scientist tells Kennedy he is to die; that he only has days left. Kennedy agrees to kill Griffith, who n while has broken out of the closet. He shoots Marguerite. Kennedy and Griffith start to scuffle, but a tinned on ray strikes the X-13 causing a nuclear explosion. The house is destroyed, and the surround