Harrison's Reports (1962)

February 17, 1962 HARRISON'S REPORTS 23 local ruler is being slowly poisoned by his treacherous prime minister. The Duke's daughter, Wandisa Guida, is unaware of the foul play and thinks his ill' ness is due to natural causes. Meanwhile, the Duke's son and his friend, Michel Lemoine, have been in France where they come into possession of a letter indicating treachery by the prime minister, who has signed a secret alliance with the French. They escape French soldiers and are attacked by hired killers, who fail to get the letter, but who take the Duke's son prisoner while Lemoine escapes thinking his friend has been killed. Actually, he is imprisoned in a dungeon. When he refuses to give up the letter an iron mask is clapped over his head and he is unable to speak and barely able to breath. Lemoine rallies the oppressed people and harasses the prime minister and his men. When the Duke dies, the prime minister forces Miss Guida to agree to marry him by showing her her brother in the mask. Lemoine rescues her as the wedding is to be performed, after which they prevent her brother from being shipped into France. They get him out of the mask, turn the tables on the pursuing prime minister and he is placed in the mask, sent into France for a lifetime of imprisonment. Produced by Francesco Thellung; directed by Fran' cesco De Feo; screenplay by Soggeto E. Sceneg' giatura based more or less on the story by Alexandre Dumas. General patronage. • "Bernadette of Lourdes" Math Daniele Ajoret, Nadine Alari (Janus Films, Current; 90 mins.) GOOD. If we go along with the sages that meditation makes a profound man, reading a full man, discourse a clear man, then the producer-man engaged in making a picture based on a religious theme must be a spiritually dedicated man full of the re' sponsibility that such a theme calls for. Let's say, if only for the duration of the making of the film. Nor is it to be forgotten that when a producer charts a film like this, he is beset by both handicaps and ad' vantages. To the believers it will be of responsive appeal. To the disbelievers, " of which, prophetically, there are more than their worshipful brethern (ac' cording to the clerics) " the vehicle will lose its at' traction. Another plus on the side of this import, is that it dares break away from man's fall from moral grace, his surrender to sex in nearly all of its perversions and abnormalities that have dominated our imports this year. This release is an inspiring, uplifting lesson in spiritual faith. The film has received the Papal blessing and approval before the start of its shooting. Its chief protagonist is a young girl. Her destinty is to die at an early age. Death is glorious because it comes to her in the service of her God. It is filmed with the profound feel of simple eloquence. It is strong in its appeal. To repeat, that is due to the sincere feel for the subject by the creative-production forces. We are naive enough to feel that that's the way they felt about it. The fact that much of it was photographed at the actual sites of Lourdes and Nevers where Bernadette lived, played, worked and worshipped adds much to diis import from France that has had English dialogue added. The latter fact would make it appear that wider playoff, aside from its natural habitat, the art theatre, would seem a possibility especially in those areas where the Catholic religion plays a prominent role. The story and the treatment is simple, yet interesting. The unknown cast is very able with Daniele Ajoret of the Comedie Francaise particularly fine in the lead role of Bernadette. The direction and production values are superior as is the English dubbing with the latter most natural. The photography is excellent. Daniele Ajoret is the daughter of a poor peasant family in Lourdes who has difficulty doing anything right even to learning the simple lessons in school. One day she sees a vision on a hillside on the outskirts of town. She sees it again and again until Catholic church authorities are convinced that she did indeed see the mother of God. She is admitted to the Order of the Sisters of Nevers to do the work of God as a nun. She lives, works and finally dies within the convent walls after struggling most of her life with asthma. Produced by Georges de la Grandiere; directed by Robert Darene; screenplay by Gilbert Cesbron. General patronage. "Gun Street" with James Brown, Jean Willes, John Clarke (United Artists, February; 67 mins.) POOR. Very little effort is expended here by anyone in the cast. Nor does it appear that those behind the cameras of this western plodding its weary way, were overly concerned whither goest it. It goes from one conversation-filled scene to another. The relatively unknown cast makes an attempt to get across the proper atmposphere and mood. But the people therein are aided neither by the faulty script nor the routine, matter-of-fact direction. The production values are nothing to go that-a-way about. Where an exhibitor needs a short filler feature for his program and where he knows his audiences won't be too fussy, then let him turn towards "Gun Street" and let the threats of action fly where they may because the bullets don't. To be sure, there are towns where even poor westerns get a response. Photography, average. When a killer-convict serving a life sentence for bank robbery and murder escapes from prison after killing a guard, the townspeople, who sent him away, are thrown into a panic fearing revenge. Terribly worried is the convict's ex-wife, Peggy Stewart, who divorced him and married Dr. John Pickard with the latter desirous of adopting her son as his own. Sheriff James Brown and his deputy John Clarke try to guess where he will show visiting among others his sister, Sandra Stone, Jean Willes, tavern owner seemingly in love with Brown, and hoping to have the convict killed blaming the death of her brother on him. An informant who helped put the convict in jail asks for protection, but then bolts out of town and is killed. A posse finally picks up his trail in the hills and find the convict's body, dead from bullet wounds inflicted by the prison guard. Brown, fed-up with law enforcement, turns his badge over to his deputy and rides back toward town. Produced by Robert E. Kent; directed by Edward L. Calm; screenplay by Sam C. Freedle. General patronage.