Modern Screen (Jan-Nov 1956)

tattoo on his chest. It's only after his death that she hears rumors of his romance with a cafe hostess (Virginia Grey). Tortured by doubt and grief she proceeds to fall apart in the magnificent, tragic-comic way she has mastered. She suspects the innocent sailor (Ben Cooper) her daughter loves, she scorns her fishwife neighbors, she harries her priest in an attempt to make him reveal her husband's confessions and she succumbs to the courtship of another truckdriver (Burt Lancaster). To Magnani Burt is "a clown with the body of my husband," and it's the body she can't resist. Lancaster is extremely funny as a somewhat idiotic, sentimental suitor. Go see The Rose Tattoo. It's one of the best movies to come out of Hollywood this year. Vista Vision — Para. LEASE OF LSFE A stirring, made-in-England drama ■ Some movies cry and scream about the meaning of life and the message hits you like a wet towel. Lease Of Life is a quiet, beautiful treatment of a major theme. Robert Donat plays a gentle, dull vicar of a small Yorkshire village. His wife (Kay Walsh) was reasonably content until now. Now their talented daughter (Adrienne Corri) has a chance for a music scholarship in London. But the vicar has no money and never was ambitious. He's been asked to deliver a sermon at a nearby school. He's merely flattered, but his wife knows that it may lead to a big promotion. Donat discovers he has a bad heart and won't live more than a year. Overwhelmed by this knowledge he delivers an impromptu, impassioned sermon to live life with courage, joy and individuality. He's shortly branded a libertine; his wife commits a criminal act in her desperation to help Adrienne's career and Adrienne is spurred on to maturity. Very subtle, very moving and very beautifully photographed, Lease Of Life is well worth seeing. Eastman Color — I.F.E. THE SPOILERS Gold and greed in Alaska ■ Crafty Rory Calhoun is the new Gold Commissioner up in Alaska, handing out fair deals right and left. I don't trust him a farthing, mutters John Mclntyre. But his partner, Jeff Chandler, trusts him enough to hand over their mine for the law to ponder its rightful ownership. It turns out there is no law — just Rory and his faker friends, foremost among whom is Barbara Britton, a lady if Nome ever saw one. What Nome has been used to seeing is Anne Baxter, decked out in black lace, and pink boas and slinking after Jeff like Mae West. (He likes it, too.) Also in Nome is a man named Bla-ckie (Ray Danton). He's on nobody's side but he goes smirking around shooting people in the dark. To get back to the story, Jeff gets back his mine. (I forgot to mention the dynamiting, blood-letting, brawling and intrigue that occurs beforehand.) Technicolor — U.I. HELL'S HORIZON Mission in Korea ■ A bridge across the Yalu River has to be destroyed so Pilot John Ireland and his crew (including Bill Williams, Hugh Beaumont, Chet Baker and Larry Pennell) are hauled out of their tents to do it. The crew would rather bomb headquarters but Ireland — tight-lipped, cold-hearted, mean, ambitious corrupter of women that he is, (tries to steal Maria English away from Larry Pennell and he has the rank to do it) is not at all loath to perform this bit of heroics. And awTay they go — flying, flying in the clouds. Bombs away, someone finally shouts. Boom goes the bridge. Sixteen MIG's at five o'clock. What's sixteen MIG's? Ack-ack-ack — down they go. One man wounded, one dead, one suicide. How'd that happen? Well, there's a hole in the plane and he sails through it. Easy as pie. — Col. A LAWLESS STREET A "hilling" Western ■ Don't think Randolph Scott likes being sheriff and having his blood tainted with murder. Still, every morning he brushes his clenched teeth, hoists his holster and bops off a criminal. Respectable businessmen like Warner Anderson and John Emery hate him because they wish to take over the town themselves. They even hire several gunmen to eliminate Randolph, but he's a tricky target. Comes the day he plays dead and that town goes crazy, paradoxically restoring two women to their sanity. There's Jean Parker who sees she is too old and tired to carry on with Warner behind her husband, and there's Angela Lansbury who decides not to marry Warner since she is already wed to Randolph. In the midst of these luminations Randolph returns and Lor', what a great day that is! Technicolor — Col. I'LL CRY TOMORROW The life of Lillian Roth ■ The tragic, somewhat heroic, dimensions of Lillian Roth's story are reduced to soap opera proportions in this film version. Lillian was driven to stardom by a neurotic mother, driven into ruinous marriages and alcoholism. After sixteen years of dying she rose to triumph both personally and in her career. Only Jo Van Fleet (Lillian's mother) seems real. In its attempt to cover a life crammed with conflict and action MGM blithely skirts over the underlying causes to parade a succession of characters and events that never take root. Susan Hayward plays Lillian. Some of the men in her life are Ray Danton, Don Taylor, Richard Conte, Eddie Albert. — MGM HOLD BACK TOMORROW Love in a death cell ■ Here's a real happy movie. Starts with Cleo Moore diving into a river and cursing the guy who yanks her out. But she was saved for a higher purpose— i.e., to cast some form of ecstasy into the remaining hours of girl-killer (he strangles 'em) John Agar's life. Cleo, or for that matter any girl, is his last request and the warden can't find it in him to refuse. Well, it all goes to show you never know how or where you're going to meet Mr. Right. Cleo's joy, I'm sorry to say, is necessarily short-lived. — U.I. RECOMMENDED FILMS NOW PLAYING THE BIG KNIFE (U.A.) : A behind-the-scenes story of the world's most fascinating industry. Stars Jack Palance, Ida Lupino, Wendell Corey, Rod Steiger and Shelley Winters add their talents to this explosive film. IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER (MGM) : One of the most delightfully clever musicals ever put on film. Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Dan Dailey, Dolores Gray, and Michael Kidd. The story of three GIs reunited after ten years causes no end of complications together with laughs galore and great dancing. You'll enjoj' this one. CinemaScope. THE LEFT HAND OF GOD (20th-Fox) : Humphrey Bogart, posing as a priest, and Gene Tierney portraying a nurse bring to the screen an adventure story with a spiritual quality. CinemaScope. TRIAL (MGM) : A really fine and exciting film, this one deals with a young Mexican boy accused of murder. Race prejudice and Communism enter into the trial, with Glenn Ford, Arthur Kennedy, Dorothy McGuire and Raphael Campos as the principals involved. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (Warners): An excellent movie about the juvenile delinquents who come from "good" homes. James Dean is splendid as the confused youngster. With Natalie Wood. CinemaScope. THE DESEPERATE HOURS (Para.): A fast-moving, frightening film concerned with the horror that envelops a family when their home is invaded and taken over by three escaped convicts. Humphrey Bogart, Fredric March and Martha Scott are superb. VistaVision. ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (U.I.) : Love conquers all in this film starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. There are numerous difficulties, however, before the pic reaches its happy conclusion. CinemaScope. THE SHEEP HAS FIVE LEGS (U.M.P.) : A delight ful French comedy starring the riotous Fernandel BLOOD ALLEY (Warners) : John Wayne and Lauren Bacall have some pretty narrow escapes before they are able to move an entire village out from under the noses of the Red Chinese. Nice work if you can get it. CinemaScope. I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES (Warners): Jack Palance as Public Enemy Number One and Shelley Winters as a confused dance-hall hostess who adores him make this film one of the best of its kind. It's taut melodrama. With Lori Nelson and Perry Lopez. CinemaScope. 23