Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1957)

Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, January 8, 1957i REVIEW: The Barretts of Wimpole Street MGM — CinemaScope The famous love story of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, known to millions through the play by Rudolf Besier, a previous screen version in 1934 and a recent production on television, has been brought once more to the screen by MGM. This time the modern accoutrements of color and CinemaScope have been added to a basically one-set play and they provide good reasons for moving the action outside the heroine's room. The apparently true story of Miss Barrett, her unhappy surroundings and her escape from them is a valid dramatic plot but, unfortunately, is as dated as the period in which it takes place-the 1840's. However, this new version has the nostalgic quality of bittersweet romance, some fine performances, a lovely production and is a good example of a woman's picture. As such, it should do well at the box office. Elizabeth Barrett, played by Jennifer Jones, is a bedridden invalid, the oldest of nine children all of whom fear their tyrannical father, John Gielgud. He rules the house with an iron fist and forbids any of them marrying. Miss Jones' happiest moments are derived from her poetry and from her correspondence with Browning, played by Bill Travers. The latter has fallen in love with her through her poetry and letters and comes to see her. His exuberance, strength and obvious love produce a miraculous change in her physically as she gradually regains her health. He proposes marriage but she is reluctant at first. But when her father refuses to let her stay in Italy despite the doctor's orders and is unnecessarily cruel to her younger sister for haying an innocent love affair, she decides to leave surreptitiously. Father gets his comeuppance somewhat tardily as Elizabeth is the only child he ever loved. His abominable behavior is explained, somewhat sketehilv, by an unhappy marriage, all his children but one not born ofJloye )ifcid,.to a lesser degree, the Victorian attitude of the times. Sir John is fine although he tends to be more theatrical than necessary while young Travers is perfect as the overbearing but wonderfully alive and joyous Browning. Miss Jones is also quite good although the role seems somewhat colorless. The. surprise of the film is Virginia McKenna as the frustrated sister whose love story forms a complementary sub-plot to the main one. She was the only actress among the Top Ten in the recent Motion Picture Herald-Fame poll of British Money-Making Stars and although she has made but a few, brief appearances in this country it is quite obvious why she is so popular across the Atlantic. She is a lovely and talented young actress. The picture, made in England, has an all-British cast, aside from Miss Jones, and they fit .their roles perfectly. Sam Zimbalist produced and Sidney Franklin directed from the screenplay by John Dighton. "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," like its heroine, is fragile and oldfashioned yet winning and likable. It is a tear-jerker with class which the ladies will love. Running time, 105 minutes. General classification. For February release. Jay Remer 'Wind' Opens Friday Universal-International's "Written on die Wind," starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone, will have its New York premiere at the Capitol Theatre on Friday. TEASERETTES FAMOUS FOR These 3 frame trailer* feature art b a « Itgrounds, photos and compelling off-stege voicel NO CONTRACTS, NO RETURNS! eachV Anderson to Chicago In Midwest Roach Post Appointment of James E. Anderson to %\e post of director of Midwest operations for the commercial division tpf Hal Roach Studios has been announced by Sidney S. Van Keuren, vice-president and general manager. Anderson's headquarters will be in the newly established Chicago, office of the company. FILMACK 1321 S. WABASH CHICAGO 5. ILL. DCA Acquires 'Glory' Distributors Corporation of America has acquired distribution rights for the Western hemisphere on "Their Greatest Glory," British-made Wilcox Neagle Production. Release of film is planned in April, Television Today PASSING IN REVIEW.... the After Two Weeks of holiday cheer, television last week got back on the track no-nonsense— and the results were substantially more joyful than a sleigh-load of Tiny Tims. It was not a week notable for its live drama, although Thelma Ritter did give another fine performance in lackadaisical U.S. Steel script Wednesday. The week's outstanding contributions all were in the public affairs-documentary category, with the possible exception of one new half-hour comedy series which seemed to be, in fact, the first first-rate comedy series to be introduced in a long, singularly humorless season. Supporting Roles Well Done This is CBS-TV's Mr. Adams and Eve which, despite its terribly cute name, gave promise in its premiere segment Friday night of being not only literate and clever, but also funny. Co-starring Ida Lupino and Howard Duff as a Hollywood married couple, the show has a lot of tradey sophistication well integrated with the kind of comic staples which increase the range of audience appreciation. The evidence of Miss Lupino 's remarkable showbusiness skill was all over the opening show— in script, dialogue and insistence upon the best in supporting roles. Last week these included Gloria Talbott, as an ingenue who believes in The Method, and Olive Carey, as a housekeeper who thrives on prophesies of doom. Things are looking up. It was CBS-TV all the way in the public affairs department Sunday with the premieres of Odyssey and The Last Word ( a panel show whose only jackpot is audience entertainment and information), plus the Ed Murrow-Fred Friendly See It Now report on Clinton, Tennessee, and the law. Lexicographer Included Odyssey was launched in auspicious fashion with a live-and-film pictorial essay on Virginia City, more, then than now, which is as it should be. Although some Or its historical 're-creations" were a little shaky and although Charles Collingwood's narration several times left fascinating anecdote hanging in mid-air, the show succeeded in dramatizing in vivid terms the vigor and vitality, peculiar to the American frontier, which resulted in such wild booms and inevitable busts. All this and no sponsors. Also mysteriously unsponsored is Dr. Bergen Evans' Last Word, dealing with— of all outlandish things— the English language. The bright, interesting initial panel members Emily HOWARD DUFF and IDA LUPINO play the title roles (plain, down-to1 earth, average American movie stars) '{ in the new TV film series, "Mr. Adams ij{ and Eve." Kimbrough, Russell Lynes and John :j Mason Brown ranged from "it's me !| (or I?)" through the adverbial use of I "tender" in Elvis' "Love Me. , , ." II With Pan American Airways no\w| picking up the entire tab (by way j of some excellent commercials), See It Now's report on the desegregation j crises in one small Tennessee town j turned out to be perhaps the finest 1 show in that superior series. Keeping 1 their sights on one locality, Murrow |l and Friendly were able to report— as 1 the long-hairs say— in depth. The re 1 suit was a true television documen | tary. It illuminated the larger issues j| while at the same time it covered in specific terms the forces of bigotry |! and heroism that have made Clinton, || Tenn., so important to the entire j country. This one was a prize win-|] ner. The week's best melodrama was the I Omnibus presentation on ABC-TV Sunday night of "Oedipus Rex," out j of Sophocles by Walter Kerr. It | was, thank the gods, a straightforward j television presentation, handsomely j acted by Christopher Plummer, and staged with no attempts to make the hoi polloi of Thebes more meaningful by having them wear indiscriminate 1 black suits. For the record, it should j be set down that Friday, January 4, j Blondie came to television in an NBCTV film series. There is no reason to j suspect it won't have a certain popu j larity.-V. C. NBC Appoints Three New Vice-Presidents The election of three vice-presidents of the National Broadcasting Co. was announced early this week by Robert W. Sarnoff, president of tha company. The new officers are: James E. Denning, named vice-president, talent and program contract division; Richard H. Graham, vice-president, law, Pacific division, ' and Thomas W. Sarnoff, vice-president, production and busi-j ness affairs, Pacific division. Sarnoff is the youngest son of Brig, Gen. David! Sarnoff.