Motion Picture Herald (Sep-Oct 1945)

rich oil man in manners and trains the prince for the task of being king. The young man believes in democratic rule and is in love with a bargekeeper's daughter, Marianne. They met as students in Paris, whereupon the prince does not want to leave to rule his kingdom. Cercleux solves the problem by making Marianne a princess. The prince's mother, played by Elvire Popesco, divides her attentions between Cercleux and the oil man. In the screenplay by Carlo Rim and H. G. Clouzot stress is laid on satire. A capable cast presents characters which on American standards are overdrawn. Alerme as Chautard, the oil man, is delightful and effective in his comedy characterization. Alexander Esway directed. Seen at the 55th Street Playhouse, New York, where a matinee audience was mildly amused. Reviewer's Rating : Fair. — M. R. Y. Release date, September 4, 1945. Running time, 70 min. Adult audience classification. Cercleux Louis Jouvet Sofia Elvira Popesco Alerme, Robert Lynen, Charpin, Josette Day. Girl No. 217 Artkino — Nazi War Crimes It is quite understandable that practically all the films to come out of that country during the war years have treated some aspect of its struggle against the Nazis. In the production currently making its appearance here, a stern indictment is made not only of the German militarists, but also of the average, everyday citizen, from grocer and clerk to housewife. Related restrospectively in powerful terms, the story unfolds of Tanya, a Russian girl, who is shipped to a German slave market, thereafter to become identified as No. 217. Bought by a grocer and his wife, like so much stock, they heap upon her cruelties and indignities, all the while remaining uncomprehending of her crushed reaction to their evil. The drama moves with intensity, from scenes of the girl's confinement in a torture prison, to the death clubbing of her brother slave, a noted Russian scientist, and a well-acted sequence of two German soldiers, home from the front, pathologically taunting their victims to make a holiday for themselves. Directed by Mikhail Romm, all performances are forceful and effective, with Elena Kuzmina's portrayal of Tanya and Vladimir Vladislavsky as the grocer especially noteworthy. English subtitles are adequate. Seen at the Stanley theatre. New York, where the regular Russian film patrons expressed their reaction with prolonged applause. Reviewer's Rating : Good. — Mandel Herbstman. Release date, September 1, 1945. Running; time, 94 minutes. General audience classification. Tanya Elena Kuzmina Grocer Vladimir Vladislavsky Anastasia Lisianskaya, Vassili Zaichkov, Gregory Mikhailov, Tania Barisheva, Ludmilla Sukharevskaya, Peter Sukhanov, Vaesili Balashov, Gregory Greif. The True Glory OWI-WAC-Columbia— History Marches Footage available: 6,500,000 feet Footage used: 7,560. Running time: 84 mnutes. With jet-propulsion speed, the story of the campaign in Western Europe has been telescoped into a magnificent documentary of determined purpose, unflinching courage and horrific destruction. To many, "The True Glory" will epitomize the long struggle and, consequently, will emerge as the definitive film of the war. It is breathtaking in its magnitude, staggering in its scope. It is also impossible for a civilian to grasp the fullest measure of its impact. Millions of men and women af the sources of production, the marshalling of final preparations throughout Britain's length and breadth, D-Day and the progressive, as well as the retrogressive, steps which dotted the checkered course of victory — all this and more are on the screen in equations of the living and the dead. This film with its introduction and its occasionally interspersed word of General Eisenhower is no pretty picture. Its seascapes are rough and tumbling, its night scenes rent the air with high explosive, its dawns are merely preludes to new, or renewed, attack. For this was the big show and that big show was hard, cruel and unrelenting. Now it's there on the screen for those who have read about it to see. It is well worth the seeing and it is well worth the remembering. The product of a gigantic job of editing and writing, "The True Glory" bears the imprint of what is described as the Joint Anglo-American. Film Planning Committee. Its directors, so called, are Capt. Garson Kanin for the United States and Carol Reed for Britain. Its writers were S/Sgt. Guy Trosper, Pvt. Harry Brown and Sgt. Saul Levitt of the U. S. Army; Lt. Col. Eric Maschwitz, Pvt. Peter Ustinov and Capt Frank Harvey for the British forces with an assist from Flight Lieut. Arthur Macrae of the RAF. Its footage, drawn from the bulk activities of 1,400 cameramen, of whom 32 gave their lives, was recorded by the combined effort of 10 American and British photographic units variously attached to Army, Navy and Air Force commands. Probably no one can say with complete accuracy where precise credits may be fixed, since this is an operational job attributed generally and perhaps not too specifically to the joint planning committee representing the English-speaking allies. However, it was to Kanin and Reed that the compilation fell ; thus, they were the editors rather than the directors. But however they may be described, there can be no dispute over the calibre of their professional performance. Their editing is tight, dramatic and impressive. Pictorially, their over-all results beggar any single word or single lines of description. All of the footage they employ, of course, is not new. But it makes no essential difference, for what they have done is to highlight in staccato those clips which moved forward the fabric of the campaign from preparation behind the lines to performance on the lines. In this, they were aided by an intelligent and effective historical commentary written mainly by Gerald Kersh, British novelist, and delivered in kind by Robert Harris. They were aided, too, by the device of having men and women of the ranks round out the total pattern with their experiences and reactions. These experiences and these reactions admittedly do not always square with the military accuracies of the campaign and its strategies, but their words humanize the account and bring it close to the level of the general audience for which "The True Glory" is designed. These unknowns, therefore, give voice to the eye and they do it with immeasurable success. In the background and frequently soaring into the foreground of spouting guns and roaring planes is William Alwyn's musical score performed with distinction by the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Muir Matheson. There is, however, one criticism. From the viewpoint of history, it is unquestionably minor. From the viewpoint of audiences, it may prove major. To the layman, battles rarely prove decisive and are more apt than otherwise to prove confusing. This confusion characterizes "The True Glory" as it has so many earlier documentaries. Perhaps it is because the impact is too staggering to grasp. But however the reason may best be described, this stirring and impressive film would fare better in less footage. Sixty minutes or fractionally beyond are enough in which to see a world torn asunder. Columbia is releasing for OWI and WAC. RED KANN (Reprinted from last week's Herald) Shady Lady Universal — Musical Comedy Charles Coburn, as a jovial professional card sharp, gives a characteristic performance in Universale musical comedy, "Shady Lady." Lyrical ballads rendered by Ginny Simms are pleasing sequences woven through the film. Among the musical highlights are Miss Simms' renditions of "In Love with Love," "Xango" and "Cuddle Up a Little Closer." In addition to the songs, which were well staged, there are interesting dance numbers created by Lester Horton. There is a well balanced proportion of music and comedy. The story is centered about Charles Coburn as "Colonel" Appleby and his niece, played by Ginny Simms. The "Colonel" tries to go straight with the assistance of his niece, who sings at a Chicago night club. On their way to Chicago they meet the deputy state's attorney in charge of gambling and rackets, played by Robert Paige. The owner of the night club where Miss Simms sings is Marty, played by Alan Curtis, a smooth and ruthless racketeer. The state's attorney attempts to arrest the night club owner, who blackmails him. Eventually Marty is brought to justice. Miss Simms and Paige fall in love after quarrels and misunderstanding. A more mature romance is presented by Coburn and Kathleen Howard, who portrays Paige's wealthy aunt. The aunt buys the night club for the "Colonel" to operate. Coburn's amusing characterization supplies many of the comedy incidents. Performances of the top players are good and the supporting cast lends valuable assistance. Martha O'Driscoll, as the sister of the state's attorney, gives a good dramatic performance which is worthy of note. Curt Siodmak, Gerald Geraghty and M. M. Musselman wrote the original screenplay. George Waggner produced and directed. Joe Gershenson was the executive producer. Seen at the home office projection room. Reviewer's Rating : Good. — M. R. Y. Release date, September 6, 1945. Running time, 93 min. PCA No. 11128. General audience classification. "Colonel" Appleby Charles Coburn Bob Wendell Robert Paige Lee Ginny Simms Alan Curtis, Martha O'Driscoll, Kathleen Howard, James Burke, John Gallaudet, Joe Frisco, Thomas Jackson, Billy Wayne, William Hall, Bill Hunt, Erno Verebes, George Lynn, Bert Moorhouse, Stuart Holmes, Billy Green, Emmitt Smith, Chuck Hamilton. (.Reprinted from last week's Herald) TABLOID REVIEWS Love Letters Paramount — Psychological Drama Hal Wallis' latest production gets off to a quiet start, then increases in pace and tension to reach a highly emotional climax. The unusual story is revealed slowly, allowing audience curiosity plenty of time to develop and increase to fever-pitch. The restrained performances of Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten contribute in large part to the effectiveness of this device. Cotten, a British Army officer, undertakes, on behalf of his buddy, to write love letters to a girl he has never seen. He falls in love with the girl, but learns that she has married his friend. A year later Cotten discovers that his friend has been murdered and that the girl to whom he wrote the letters is suffering a mental breakdown because of the murder. Cotten, therefore, is confronted with a difficult problem. If he marries the girl, as his heart prompts him to do, she may later recover her memory and, learning that he wrote the letters which led to her first husband's death and her own suffering, turn against him. The resolution of the problem makes for an absorbing climax. Reviewer's Rating: Good. Singleton Jennifer Jones Alan Quinton Joseph Cotten Dilly Carson Ann Richards Anita Louise, Cecil Kellaway, Byron Barr, Robert Scully, Gladys Cooper, Reginald Denny, Ernest Cossart. Complete review published August 25, 1945, page 2609. Paris— Underground United Artists Constance Bennett — How It Was Done Etta Shiber's best-seller in which the writer related her experiences in aiding Allied aviators shot down over France has undergone a few changes and a lengthening of period, but it is essentially the same story dealing with the important phases of the Nazi occupation in France. The picture opens with the Germans approaching Paris and with the principal characters, an American woman and an English woman, unable to escape. They are treated thereafter as neutrals and utilize the limited liberty as a cover for operations in which they smuggle some 259 Allied fliers out of France. Reviewer's Rating : Good. Kitty De Mornay Constance Bennett Emmy Gracie Fields George Rigaud, Kurt Kreuger, Charles Andrew, Leslie Vincent, Eily Malyou, Gregory Gaye, Richard Ryen, Vladimir Sokoloff, Roland Varno, Andrew McLaglen. Complete review published August 25, 1945, page 2610. 2646 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, SEPTEMBER 15, 1945