Motion Picture Reviews (1944)

Six MOTION PICTURE REVIEWS beautifully acted and directed, and is well worth seeing. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Depressing and mature No ❖ IN OUR TIME O O Ida Lupino, Paul Henried, Nancy Coleman, Mary Boland, Victor Francen, Nazimova, Michael Chekhov. Original screen play by Ellis St. John and Howard Koch. Music by Franz Waxman. Photography by Carl Guthrie, A.S.C. Direction by Vincent Sherman. Warner Brothers. The title uses Chamberlain’s flimsy promise that there should be no war, “in our time.” An English girl traveling in Poland meets and marries a young Polish aristocrat, and after attempting an experiment to run his estate on well-planned social lines, they are caught in the German invasion. In showing the fall of Poland and the kind of thinking which made it possible, the picture brings out clearly the change of viewpoint that is taking place with tremendous implications for the future. The love story is moving. Paul Henreid brings a sharpness and fire to the role of Stephen, and Ida Lupino shows strength of character blended with a disarming naivete. The supporting cast is excellent. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Good but mature No interest ❖ IT HAPPENED TOMORROW O O Dick Powell, Linda Darnell, Jack Oakie, Edgar Kennedy, John Philliber, Edward Brophy, George Cleveland, Sig Ruman, Paul Guilfoyle. Screen play by Dudley Nichols and Rene Clair. Direction by Rene Clair. Arnold Pressburger production. United Artists. To all of us who have wished at times that we could look into the future, this fable will be a delight. Ingeniously devised, especially in its ending, it tells the story of the fulfillment of a reporter’s dream — to be able to write tomorrow's headlines today. Novel in plot, exceptionally well acted and directed, and holding a pleasant measure of suspense, it is excellent entertainment. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Good Yes JANE EYRE O O Orson Welles, Joan Fontaine, Margaret O'Brien, Peggy Ann Garner, John Sutton, Sara Allgood, Henry Daniell, Agnes Moorehead, Aubrey Mather, Edith Barrett. From the novel by Charlotte Bronte. Music by Bernard Herrmann. Photography by George Barnes. Direction Robert Stevenson. 20th CenturyFox. The story of “Jane Eyre,” the hapless orphan who at last found refuge in the love of the stormy master of Thornfield, is told in an unforgettable novel, and the film version also leaves a vivid impression, though in a different way. The picture has a certain wild beauty with its sombre tones and its atmosphere of deep brooding, increased by the masterly use of lighting and music. The novel was an intimate disclosure of Jane’s thoughts and experiences. Joan Fontaine is a lovely serene Jane, and little Peggy Ann Garner makes the character very dear to us as a child, but no excellence of acting on their parts can keep the film from becoming the story of Rochester. Orson Welles dominates the picture. Although he did not direct it, his touch is apparent in the dark, massive backgrounds, the strong, melodramatic action, his own flowing garments and his declaiming of lines in the Shakespearean manner. This is not Bronte's “Javne Eyre,” but it is a fascinating production. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 1 2 Good No. Unsuitable. Early scenes distressing LADY IN THE DARK O O Ginger Rogers, Ray Milland, Warner Baxter, Jon Hall, Barry Sullivan, Mischa Auer, Phyllis Brooks, Mary Philips, Edward Fielding. Screen play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based on the play by Moss Hart. Music by Kurt Weill. Lyrics by Ira Gershwin. Director of photography, Ray Rennahan, A.S.C. Direction by Mitchell Leisen. Paramount. To many people, the stage production was a rare combination of psychological study and dazzling pageantry such as is seen once in a lifetime. The film production falls short of that mark, but it is a glorious symphony of color, a fashion parade using deep, rich tones when the earthly scenes are portrayed and exquisite pastels in the dream sequences. Graceful dancing and inspiring music increase the aesthetic value. The center of interest is Liza, who doesn’t “know her mind” until a psycho-analyst takes her in hand. The cast, headed by Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland, is proficient. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Mature Far too mature ♦% LIFEBOAT O O Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Hume Cronyn, Canada Lee. Screen play by Jo Sterling, adapted from a story by John Steinbeck. Direction by Alfred Hitchcock. 20th Century-Fox. It is a distinctive achievement to depict the survivors of a shipwreck, adrift for days in a lifeboat, without making them tiresome or melodramatic. The film is compelling in its realism, and this effect is accomplished through strong characterizations and telling dialogue. The twisted philosophy of the Nazi captain is contrasted with democratic ideals expressed by such widely divergent individuals as the American capitalist and a sim