Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1948)

FOREIGN FILMS HOLD PLACE With some 190 French, Italian, Russian and German productions destined to reach the American market during 1948 through 25 companies, pictures released during 1947 still are doing good business in the still comparatively few selected spots across the country serving the carriage trade. The number of art theatres is growing steadily, however, and by now this development has spread to towns outside the key areas. In 1946 some 100 houses across the nation — a large majority situated in New York and Los Angeles — catered to foreign product. During 1947 their number rose to more than 250 and is still rising. Following is a listing of foreign features, reviewed in Motion Picture Herald since June, 1947, with the American distributor named and the date and page number of the Herald review. All are in the original language with English subtitles except where indicated. FOREIGN REVIEWS A LOVER'S RETURN LE REVENANT {Westport International — French with English subtitles) Louis Jouvet, who had prominent roles in the recent "Volpone" and "Jenny Lamour," heads the cast in another importation from France. As the successful ballet producer who returns to his native city to ruin the lives of a woman who left him and the two men who attempted to murder him 20 years before, M. Jouvet gives a restrained but excellent performance, although he is somewhat handicapped by a complicated story. As a secondary theme there has been incorporated an illicit romance between the son of one of the men and a ballerina of questionable character — a romance engineered by Jouvet to bring disgrace to the boy's family. Supporting the star are Gaby Morlay as the woman who has married another, Francois Perier, the son who brings ruin to his family, and Ludmila Tcherina as the ballerina appearing with the ballet of Monte Carlo. Christian Jaque directed. Running time, 96 minutes. Adult, audience classification. Good. — G. H. S. FURY FURIA {Film Classics-W estport International. Italian with English subtitles) Italy here offers the American public a production sure to arouse controversy and resentment. The film has realism and exsellent performances, but it falls far below the mark set by such Italian pictures as "Open City" and "To Live in Peace." In chosing the delicate subject of irrepressible passion and marital infidelity, Goffredo Alessandrini, responsible for both the direction and the screenplay, has mingled art with a forthright bid to the audience's lower instincts, an appeal that includes scenes which have no place on the screen. The theme will arouse sharp resentment in many who come to the theatre to be entertained. Scenes wherein a married woman parades up and down for long minutes, clad only scantily and bent obviously on seduction, cannot be classed as recommendable film fare. The picture has already been cut 20 minutes. It could stand more severe trimming. The story tells of beautiful and sensuous Isa Pola, wife of Gino Gervi, a breeder of horses. Isa is in love with Rossano Brazzi, young and handsome stud-keeper. She also likes to taunt Umberto Spadaro, a dim-wit stableman, who gives the picture's best performance. When Gervi's daughter, Adriana Benetti, comes home, Gervi gets suspicious of Isa. He surprises her at home while she is with Brazzi, but the lovers are warned by Adriana who accepts Isa's shame and is banned from home, marrying Rossano. Gervi dies in an accident and Isa urges Brazzi to resume their illicit relationship. In the end she is killed by Spadaro. Running time, 90 minutes. Adult audience classification. Poor. — F. H. THE IDIOT (European Copyrights & Distribution — French with English subtitles) Based on a novel of the same title by the noted Russian novelist, Dostoievsky, this film presents an interesting story in which the characters use different means in their search for happiness. The central personage, the prince, portrayed by Gerard Philippe, is suffering from a mental illness. His child-like simplicity is shattered when he realizes that he cannot bring peace to others. Two women, one a young girl who is being forced to marry a man she doesn't love, and the other seeking to escape from her past, come to the prince for aid. The young girl is unhappy because the prince does not love ITALIAN Title and Distributor Date Page Anything for a Song — Superfilm ... Aug. 9, '47 23 Barber of Seville, The — Excelsior. . June 7, '47 41 Cavalleria Rusticana — Superfilm ...Jan. I7,'48 38 Elixir of Love — Film Rights Dec. 6,'47 39 Farewell, My Beautiful Naples — Saturnia Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Fury — Film Classics — Westport . . . Jan. 31/48 34 Great Dawn, The — Superfilm June 7, '47 48 King's Gesture, The — Superfilm ... .June 7, '47 41 Marco Visconti — Film Rights Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Miracle of Monte June 7, '47 41 Cassino — Simplex Co Dec. 6,'47 41 Return, Most Beloved — Grandi Film Dec. 6, '47 39 Revenge — Distinguished Dec. 6, '47 39 Schoolgirl Diary — Film Distributor. Dec. 1 3, '47 37 Shoe-Shine — Lopert Aug. 30, '47. .41 To Live in Peace — Times Film Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Tosca — Superfilm Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Two on a Vacation — Hoffberg Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Wine of Love, The — Superfilm Jan. 3 I ,'48 34 FRENCH Beauty and the Beast — Lopert Dec. 6/47 39 Blue Veil, The— Leo Cohn Jan. I7,'48 38 Cage of Nightingales, A — Lopert. June 7, '47 41 Colonel Chabert— Siritzky Aug. 30,'47 41 Devil's Story, The — Superfilm Dec. 1 3, '47 ' 37 her and the other woman finally is stabbed to death by her lover. Philippe gives a sympathetic and appealing performance and is supported by Edwige Feuillere, Marguerite Moreno and Lucien Coedel. Georges Lampin directed and Charles Spaak wrote the screenplay. It was produced in France in 1947 by Sacha Gordine. The English subtitles are satisfactory. Running time, 90 minutes. Adult audience classification. Good. — M.R.Y. FANNY (Siritzky International—French, with English subtitles) This film is part of a trilogy made several years before the war and consisting of "Fanny," "Caesar" and "Marius." Marcel Pagnol takes credit for both the screenplay and production. "Fanny," like most good French pictures, has a simple story and involves simple people. They reflect the best in French character and their portrayal is brilliant. They are as good, as mean, as understanding and as boisterous as any people who live their lives in restricted environments as part of the French middle-class. The late Raimu is superb as the selfish and bullish, yet tender and understanding father. The performances of warm and lovable Charpin and of the excitable Pierre Fresnay are of top caliber. Orane is due. to have an illegitimate child by Fresnay, the son of Raimu. Charpin knows this and, since Pierre has sailed away, he marries the girl. Fresnay comes back and, knowing that Orane still loves him, wants Charpin to give up both her and the baby. Raimu, seeing the injustice, makes him depart. This is excellent as art theatre film material. Adult audience classification. Running time, 124 minutes. Excellent. — F. H. Titfe and Distributor Date Page Fanny — Siritzky Jan. 31,48 34 Idiot, The — European Jan. 3 1, '48 34 La Vie de Boheme — Superfilm Dec. 6, '47 39 Lover's Return, A — Westport Jan. 3 1, '48 34 Midnight in Paris — Distinguished. ..Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Murderer Lives at Number 21, The — Mage Films Aug. 30,'47 41 Panic — Tricolore Dec. 6, '47 39 Queen's Necklace, The — Siritzky. . .June 7/47 41 She Came Back at Dawn— J. Millard Aug. 30/47 41 Star Without Light— Cine Classics Aug. 9/47 23 Symphonie Fantastique — AF Film . Jan. 17/48 38 Volpone — Siritzky Jan. 17/48 38 RUSSIAN Nuremberg Trial, The — Artkino . . . June 7/47 41 Road Home, The — Artkino June 7/47 41 Russian Ballerina — Artkino Dec. 6/47 39 Vow, The — Artkino Aug. 9/47 23 INDIAN Humayun — Mehboob June 7/47 41 Shakuntala — Mayer-Burstyn Jan. 17/48 38 BELGIAN We Lived Through Buchenwald — Mage Films Aug. 30/47 41 THE WINE OF LOVE L'ELISIR D'AMORE (Superfilm — Italian with English subtitles) Another film in the experiment of bringing opera directly to the screen, "The Wine of Love" has progressed farther perhaps than any previous attempt, for the producers have not only taken Dinizetti's comic opera of a tricornered romance but show how an opera of the stage can be enhanced by the clever use of the camera. In this Prora Film has made full use of closSups, long distant shots, fadeouts, lights and shadows and other cinema devices, thus overcoming the disadvantages present when an opera is photographed directly from the stage. Starring in the picture is the photogenic Nelly Corradi as the village maiden toying with the hearts of Gino Sinemberghi, an inarticulate youth, and Tito Gobbi, the romantically aggressive army sergeant. Milton Cross, the announcer, does the narrating. It was directed by Mario Costa who also wrote the screenplay with C. Castelli. Running time, 85 minutes. General audience classification. Very good. — G. H. S. Venice Film Exposition Set for August II to 26 The Ninth International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art will be held in Venice August 11 through 26, the Department of Commerce has announced in Washington. The exhibition, which will be held in the Exposition theatre and in the Garden of Illumination Fountains on the Lido, will be presided over by Dr. Vincenzo Calvino. 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948