Movieland. (1945)

120th Century-Fox) IRKO-Radlo) SPIRITUALLY and humanly, Franz Werfel’s “The Song of Bernadette” has been transformed into a screen masterpiece. It brings an inspiring and impelling message to a war-torn world, a message which shows the miracles that can be wrought by true, reverent faith. Bernadette possessed exactly such indestructible faith in her vision of “The Lady.” And with the devout who shared her belief she shared the miracle. She was a child of only fourteen when her vision first came to her in the filthy grotto of a dump¬ ing ground outside Lourdes. En¬ chanted by the one others could not see, she returned again and again to blaze a trail for suffering humanity who found healing in the waters of the spring that gushed forth. Among the 850,000 readers of the Werfel novel are many who will de¬ mand nothing short of perfection in a performance of the role of Berna¬ dette. They will be thoroughly gratified by the simple, moving sin¬ cerity of Jennifer Jones as the peas¬ ant girl. It is a strangely exacting portrayal which could not counte¬ nance a single false note. Nor does Jennifer commit the slightest mis¬ step in creating the undefended and essential spirit of one who was pure in heart — one through whom men have learned to see the eternal truths which the common day veils from our feeble eyes. You will exult in the glorious up¬ lift of numerous distinguished con¬ tributions that deftly recapture the mid-Nineteenth Century period in the French Pyrenees. There is space to mention merely a few of the memorable characterizations: the priest by Charles Bickford, the archskeptic by Vincent Price, and the poverty stricken parents by Anne Revere and Roman Bohnen. IN THE windows of America hang countless little service flags of red, white and blue. This is a story about the women who are proudly privi¬ leged to display these stars in honor of their men who are off to war. Specially, the tribute is paid to a typical cross-section of service widows who have assumed the in¬ dustrial duties of husbands and sons for the duration and are living in memories until their men return. “Tender Comrade” will accord you a glowing emotional experience in the theatre. Filled with deeply moving moments of lasting beauty, the drama attains unforgettable heights. Ginger Rogers gives a mag¬ nificent performance of a girl who, with chin up, is determined to aid however she can in the fight. It is her idea that she and three other war workers pool their rent ex¬ penses and share a home as patri¬ otically as they share a car. It is she who thinks of seeking a housekeeper when the housework at night proves a hardship to the girls who labor all day. Her memories of the man she married are those we are invited to share, from the time of the proposal, down through the little irritations of wedded differences, to the last goodbye they said. With her, too, we are stirred to accept the chal¬ lenge for protecting the peace that men are dying now to deliver to us. There is glorious understanding in the portrait Ginger offers. Robert Ryan plays her husband with an honesty that is refreshing. Ruth Hussey does a colorful role of the most brittle member of the girls’ household, Patricia Collinge is the woman with two sons in uniform, and Kim Hunter, the appealing schoolgirl of the group. Mady Christians is a treasure as the Ger¬ man-born housekeeper they find.