Harrison's Reports (1962)

14 HARRISON'S REPORTS February 3, 1962 "Light in the Piazza" with Olivia de Havilland, Rossano Brazzi, Yvette Mimieux, George Hamilton, Barry Sullivan (M-G-M, February; 105 mins.) GOOD. A touching dramatic experience, powerful in its emotional impact has been captured in MetroColor and in the proportions of CinemaScope. It has been sugar-coated with youthful romance and eyefilling views of Italy's Florence and Rome whose streets and precious art treasures have been used as backdrops for the actions of the cast and the unfolding of the story. The latter has to do with an American mother and daughter abroad. The girl, handicapped when an accident kept her from developing mentally succeeded in blossoming into physical beauty and facial allure thanks to a benevolent Mother Nature. She falls in love with a boy, who stands ready to accept her reticent simpleness as an innocence and charm uniquely her own. The mother is unwilling at first and then unable later to upset this possible last chance for happiness for her daughter. The mother sees no reason for selfreproach. It meant marriage. The plot continues in high gear until the satisfying and sympathetic ending. The cast is most expert. The direction and production values are rich in quality. The story of young love and old sympathy, ardent hopes holds interest throughout. They provide plenty of opportunity for tears and joy for women and for strong feelings of compatability with the young. The handsome mounting is a treat to the eyes of the beholders with the photography being excellent. It is good to see Olivia de Havilland back in films. They overdressed her via those outlandish Dior creations. Yvette Mimieux is superb. Olivia de Havilland and daughter Yvette Mimieux are on a sightseeing tour of Florence when George Hamilton is attracted to the young beauty. His attentions cause her to fall in love with him. Miss de Havilland is faced with the problem that her daughter has the mentality of a ten-year old but the body and face of a mature lovely young woman. The condition is the result of an accident. She makes an attempt to explain to Hamilton's father, Rossano Brazzi, but a distraction postpones it. The happiness of the pair has her delaying more and more. When his family accepts Miss Mimieux" wistful simpleness as charming innocence, Miss de Havilland decides to encourage the idea of a wedding despite a decision by her husband, Barry Sullivan, to put the girl in a special school and/or institution upon their return to the U.S. Miss de Havilland feels that her later life will be simple and sheltered and who knows, perhaps her mental growth may resume once again after the wedding. Some last minute complications are resolved and the wedding does take place. As the youngsters leave on their honeymoon, Miss de Havilland is convinced that right has been done. The story rings those sympathetic bells in your heart that have been stilled by the backwash of all that offbeat sex, allowable depravity, unbearable mayhem and just plain mediocrity that have highlighted some of the films released recendy. Produced by Arthur Freed; directed by Guy Green; screenplay by Julius J. Epstein based on a story by Elizabeth Spencer. General patronage. "The Errand Boy" with Jerry Lewis, Brian Donlevy, Howard McNear (Paramount, Current; 92 mins.) FAIR. This premiered in Chicago Thanksgiving Day. For some strange reason Paramount held off showing it to the trade reviewers in New York. We never did catch Jerry Lewis' latest within the cold confines of a projection room, which may be good for a comedy. But, this is not one of Jerry's hot ones. Once again, the beloved comic plays triple-threat man. He tried to combine the talents of actor, director, writer. He fails to score up enough plusses to make this come up on the profit side of the typical Lewis enjoyment ledger. Here we have a film made up of a scries of bits and pieces of tangled-up goingson that is rather weak. He gets a chance to show that he can deal either in slapstick or sentiment with the former more appreciated than the latter by a theatre audience. Many of the scenes are unrelated and the film itself is only held together by a slim thread of a story that is merely an excuse to film the zaney's antics and thus get another Lewis release out on the road. Some of the behind-the-scenes manipulating that goes into the making of movies is exposed and the result is sometimes humorous. It does add a touch of interest. Experience has shown that the Jerry Lewis comedies have generally made money. If this is indeed the case, then this entry, too, should reap the harvest accorded some of his efforts as it is neither his best nor is it his worst. The story has its moments of near-excitement, humor. The cast, production and direction are average. The photography is good. The Paramutual Pictures movie studio headed by Brian Donlevy has been losing money. He and his relatives decide to hire a spy to check on the various departments, preferably one who is unknown. Signposter Jerry Lewis is given the job and made an errand boy, which allows him to roam the studio getting into all kinds of difficulties and to ruin many a scene and routine. The losses increase the longer he is on the job. One of his involvements is accidentally put on film and Donlevy is persuaded to put him into pictures as a comic. He becomes a hit and a star and one of the studio's more valuable properties. To repeat, these behind-the-scenes touches of Hollywood movie-making always is of interest to the fan. Produced by Ernest D. Gluckman; directed by Jerry Lewis with Arthur P. Schmidt associate producer; screenplay by Lewis and Bill Richmond. General patronage. "Tomorrow Is My Turn" with Charles Aznavour, Nicole Courcel, Georges Riviere (Showcorporation, February; 117 mins.) GOOD. From France comes a sturdy drama of people, circumstance and human emotions. It won top honors at the Venice Film Festival. The film has been termed as a strong, sometimes bitter-sweet mixture that reflects the bright, if harsh, light of truth cloaking one's emotions like a soothing rainbow. The cast turns in commendable performances with Charles Aznavour and Georges Riviere particularly note