Harrison's Reports (1962)

April 7, 1962 HARRISON'S REPORTS SI realises the harsh truth of her fate, she commits sui' cide. DeWilde is stunned. His hatred for the big brother he hero-worshipped so long, is so intense that he's for shooting him down. But, the young boy is grown now, he sees life differently. Photography, good. Produced by John Houseman; directed by John Frankenheimer: screenplay by William Inge, based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy. Adults. "Doctor in Love" with Michael Craig, Virginia Maskell, Leslie Phillips, James Robertson Justice (Governor Films, April; 93 mins.) FAIR. This is another in die "Doctor" series, the fourth. It may cut up comedy touches in its native England, but quite a lot of what may make for a laugh over there, falls rather flat over here. Of course, it's for the so-called art theatres. Even in the realm of comedy, it takes a whale of a plot, great acting and names that are familiar for the broad "A" stuff to have its effect on the American funny-bone. This has its weaknesses. Like some of the patients in the wards the doctors cover, the cinema tries to rise from its anemia and get going places. But, it doesn't quite succeed. What is mistaken for alleged comedy isn't much to laugh about. There are inanities of professionally mature behavior that are downright embarrassing, considering that this shows us the modern day disciples of Hippocrates trying to have some fun. Some of the doctors, in this one, seem to be sad proof that the way they go about trying to throw themselves into biological binges is poor proof that theirs is a super knowledge about these physical wants man is wont to go into near-delirium for. The medicos, here, seem to be on a never-ending chase of anything in skirts. Strip-tease voluptuaries, half-nude burlesque girls are trotted into the plot to give the proceedings zip and zest, perhaps. - and yet, Michael Craig gives a rather pleasing performance. So does James Robertson Justice, blustery with respected authority. Virginia Maskell is a lovely, sensitive-looking doctor. The others are adequate. This was lensed in color. Most of the film plays itself out in London's St. Swithin's Hospital. Michael Craig (a doctor) is sick, giving his colleagues a chance to pull all kinds of kid tricks. James Robertson Justice, the huff-and-a-puff professor, puts an end to the shenanigans. Craig falls in love with his night nurse. It is objected to by another doctor who wants to marry her. Craig takes on a post at a country clinic. Before he does so, with a friend (Leslie Phillips) he helps himself to a free vacation as a guinea pig on a scientific experiment. All kinds of things happen there including some pitching of forbidden woo. Finally, Craig is at work in the clinic. He draws as an assistant, Virginia Maskell, a physician. Her beauty fascinates him. He falls in love with her. But, complications set in, as do some innocent misunderstandings. Miss Maskell walks out on him. In the meantime, a child desperately sick, needs a special serum. Craig moves heaven and earth to get it, thus saving the child's life. Craig is even entrusted with the scalpel on the prof's (Justice's) appendix. The appendix and the rest of the proceedings come out well, and the lovely lady doctor (Miss Maskell) goes back to Craig. Produced by Betty Box; directed by Ralph Thomas; adapted from Richard Gordon's novel "Doctor in Love." General patronage. "Bell' Antonio" with Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Pierre Brasseur, Rina Morelli (Embassy, Current; 101 mins.) GOOD. Italian film producers attack the sex-theme with the ferocity of a hungry dockwalloper a hot helping of beef stew on a cold day. This is another exercise in the subject. It is almost cold-blooded in its telling, but it cleaves its denoument out of the hard bedrock of story-telling honesty. Here was a man, biological idol of every woman (young or old) he met from street sluts to titled prostitutionals, who lost out on marriage because of the sexual suffering of his young bride. This great man, supposedly full of that animal chemical stuff that gave him easy entrance to the ladies' bedrooms, is completely impotent when it comes to his own wife bursting with passions that are never satisfied. The production team went at this with few discriminatory holds barred. They stripped away the superficial and the deceptive from a direct approach, making the cold, hard ironies stand up unashamedly naked as a new-born child. From its opening scene of lewd-like, shocking in' timacy sprawling itself all over a bed, to the final fade-out, where our chief protagonist (Marcello Mastroianni) stands in tears because of the one and only real (but lost) love in his life he cannot dismiss, the film has a driving power of relentless impact on your emotions. While the embarrassing boldness is there, it remains strong stuff reserved, of course, only for the mentally matured, the grown-ups of the art house patronage. Mastroianni gives a sensitive performance. He was the lead character in "La Dolce Vita." Claudia Cardinale, ("Girl With a Suitcase") still remains an alluring, young voluptuary, given, surprisingly, to a coldness of performance. A superb job of acting is turned in by Pierre Brasseur. The support is strong. Subtitles (in English) not overdone. Photography, good. Antonio (Marcello Mastroianni) reputed for his easy conquest of women is home from Rome. His father (Pierre Brasseur) and mother (Rina Morelli) would like him to get married. He demurs, at first, but when he sees a picture of his bride-to-be (Claudia Cardinale) he agrees. They go off on a honeymoon which leaves the young bride in an unhappy state of disillusionment. Her parents learn that the husband had never consummated the marriage . It is soon annulled. The impotency of his son shocks the father. He seeks the bordello section of his small town hoping to prove the virility of the family's males, but dies because of over-indulgence. This saddens and torments Mastroianni. Soon, the young, slovenly-looking housemaid goes into a faint. It is evident that, though unmarried, she is well on her way to motherhood. Mastroianni admits he's the father. His mother shouts her joys from the balcony for all the people in the town to know. Everybody seems happy that the popular, young loverboy has regained his virility. But, Mastroianni is sad and in tears. He still mourns the loss of Signorina Cardinale's love. Produced by Alfredo Bini; directed by Mauro Bolognini; screenplay by Pier Paolo Pasolini and Gino Vissentini. Adults.