Harrison's Reports (1962)

August 4, 1962 HARRISON'S REPORTS 119 crumpet. There is also a certain unimpeachable authenticity to the settings, the locales, the Stalag Luft, the compound structures, etc. It was a daring plot-structure to grapple with. But, neither the act' ing talent nor the producer-director allowed the spoofed-up suspense comedy to get out of hand. To be sure, it isn't until nearly half of the tale has unspooled itself that the offering begins to make sense and its believability begins to make its impact. Since this is art house fodder, some of the names (in addition to those heading the review) may be known to the devotees of the British imports. The photography, coldly realistic and impressive. It is late 1942 and James Robertson Justice boards an RAF bomber to make special observations over enemy territory. Justice holds a high rank in Radar Research. The plane is damaged leaving a gaping hole on one side. Though warned by the crew, he is sucked out of the aircraft. Justice lands in the German countryside and is captured. The Luftwaffe interrogates him but all they get is his name, rank and serial number. Even to his RAF hut companions he is a mystery. Justice strikes back at a German officer. His contempt for his fellow (British) prisoners grows more intense with each passing day and cooked-up scheme for his escape. Finally, of all the plans, the one he will go through with is impersonating the Swiss representatives who make regular visits to the camp. Naturally, it's his own. Leslie Phillips and another (with Justice) make up the trio. Stanley Baxter plays the German commandant. The way this piece of skullduggery plays itself out is a gem of clever direction and superb acting. After several more strokes of sheer brilliance Justice is back in England at the research station. He goes in for a few more high-jinksed shenanigans, but by this time no matter what he does is no surprise to anyone. Produced by Julian Wintle and Leslie Parkyn; directed by Ken Annakin; screenplay by Jack Davies and Henry Blyth. General patronage. "Guns of Darkness" with Leslie Caron, David Niven, David Opatoshu, James Robertson Justice (Warner Bros., August; 95 mins.) FAIR. Elsewhere, in this review section, we spoke of David Niven as a sort-of guarantee that his kind of acting helps a release make the grade, though a weak story may try to anchor his histrionic efforts. He's with us again in this one, where once more we meet up with internal war, bloody revolution, changing regimes via the route of clever political coups. But, we're afraid that Niven, the stalwart, has been done wrong by with the nature of screen adaptation of the novel, 'Act of Mercy." Even he couldn't save it. The movie vehicle tends to go off on too many tangents unraveling the texture of the story-pattern enough to leave it without any dramatic tightness. When tottering republics fall, - especially those mythical little ones tucked away in South America's remoteness - their former rulers begin spouting the strange philosophies that sound foreign to the David Nivens. They hate violence even though he (Niven) too must adapt himself quickly to the "kill or be killed" idealogy of life when turbulence and violence break out in a revolution-ridden land. Leslie Caron, who plays Niven's long-suffering wife, never appeared more alluring than in this one. She's lost that scrawny look. Or maybe it's because the pixie-eyed star of "Lili," "Gigi," and "Fanny" went dramatic in this. That may have done it. Britisher James Robertson Justice and David Opatoshu do well with their faulty material. The British-made film used the lush scenery of Malaga, Spain, for the outdoor sequences. Photography, good. It is New Year's eve and an appropriate celebration is going on. But, near the house of the president of a small republic of a South American state are the trucks. Filled with soldiers, they're waiting for the moment to take over. It is at the stroke of midnight. The new president steps in and the deposed ruler (David Opatoshu) is on the run. He takes refuge in David Niven's car. He is Niven's responsibility much to the dreadful annoyance of Niven's wife (Leslie Caron) who is pregnant. Niven wants to help the former president by taking him to a rest home near the border. Revolutionaries make it hard for Niven. He is stopped several times. It is 80 miles to their objective. They must make it by foot against interminable odds. Eventually, they reach the border, only to be captured within sight of it. They succeed in getting away. By this time the wounded Opatoshu has been placed in a hospital. They visit the ailing former ruler. He makes Niven reveal why he helped him escape when he lost his rule. Niven explains his hatred for violence, admitting that he too found it necessary to kill. The deposed president breathes his last as Niven and Miss Caron start out to make a new life for themselves. Produced by Thomas Clyde; directed by Anthony Asquith; screenplay by John Mortimer based on the Francis Clifford novel, "Act of Mercy." General patronage. "Opinion Makers" Spoil Previews To subscribers of "Harrison's Reports" this won't be the first time they've read about the matter, ~ the great number of "opinion makers," professional crashers and other noisy, restless folk who give the trade press reviewers quite a time of it when catching a new release. . . . Not all majors are guilty of crowding their projection rooms with so-called important people, most of whom can bring no added value to a film when it goes into release. Woe be to the distributor who makes the innocent mistake of inviting these alleged "opinion makers" to a film that doesn't play itself out to their satisfaction. You can hear their wisecracking criticism all the way through the running of the movie. Their derisive remarks are loud enough to interfere with the trade critic's attempt to concentrate on the presentation. ... As we are upon a new season in the film business, it would do several majors well, indeed, if they sat down and fine-combed their preview invitational list. Prune it down to the bare necessity of rating an invitation to the presentation of a new release. There can't possibly be that many alleged "opinion makers" as turn out to some of these previews in which the trade press sits in.