Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1943)

THE SHADOW STAGE beloved war-orphan companions. Soon enough of course she finds herself in all manner of difficulties and head over heels in love with the late Commodore's attractive grandson (Edmond O'Brien). The eight war orphans of many nationalities and ages are important to the action, supplying laughter and tears. It is to them Deanna sings. Your Reviewer Says: Much of it will charm you. *V Shadow Of A Doubt (Universal) It's About: The growing suspicion against a family member. IT'S odd when you think of it, but the I direction of this film is even better than the story. One becomes fascinated with the deft, brilliant leadership of director Alfred Hitchcock. The very real little town of Santa Rosa, California, was chosen as the locale. Into its peaceful and beautiful midst comes handsome Joseph Cotten to visit his married sister, Patricia Collinge, and her family consisting of husband Henry Travers, a bank clerk, and her children Teresa Wright, Edna May Wonacott and Charles Bates. Between Teresa and Cotten exists a warm, tender bond. Then, slowly, eerily, suspicion creeps into Teresa's mind concerning her uncle, nurtured by his peculiar behavior with a newspaper item, his gift to her, a ring with another's initials, and finally the visit of two young men to the house, men whom she finally discovers to be detectives. And then the whole awful truth floods over her, almost costing her her life. Macdonald Carey is a standout as the young detective in love with Teresa. Edna May Wonacott, discovered by Hitchcock in Santa Rosa, is a natural youngster. Patricia Collinge is marvelous. Travis and his friend Hume Cronyn as the amateur sleuths are a hit. But it's Teresa and Cotten who outshine everyone with their wonderful performances. Or, wait a moment! Is it Hitchcock who in the end really steals the show? Your Reviewer Says: Brilliant. ^ No Time For Love (Paramount) It's About: A girl photographer and a ] man of brawn. CLAUDETTE COLBERT is a highpowered photographer for a picture magazine who meets sand hog Fred MacMurray. Claudette, who had gone into a tunnel to photograph the men at work, is unable to get the big muscle and brawn lad out of her mind. So, when he is suspended from his job because Miss Colbert's picture reveals him in a brawl, Claudette hires him as an assistant in hopes she will get rid of her yen. Instead, Mr. MacMurray has a way of growing on one until — but you'll see how it turns out. The story tries very hard to be excru• ciatingly funny but is only fairly so. Your Reviewer Says: Purely escapist. APRIL. 1943 (Continued from page 16) China Girl (Twentieth Century-Fox) It's About: A newsreel photographer and foreign spies. GEORGE MONTGOMERY is another of those brash unbelievably reckless Americans, a newsreel cameraman in Mandalay, who loses his job, gets involved with two Japanese agents, Lynn Bari and Victor McLaglen, and falls in love with Chinese Gene Tierney. George excites plenty of sex appeal in a slightly incredible story. Miss Tierney has nothing to do but appear Oriental. This she does with all her might and main. The little tyke who follows George about is fetching. Your Reviewer Says: A good little action picture. ^ Forever And A Day (RKO-Radio) It's About: An old house and the men and women who lived there. THE story begins in 1941 when a young ' newspaper correspondent (Kent Smith), in England to cover the bombings, receives a letter from his father in the U. S. asking him to call at a certain London house, a relic of the family's estates. The boy arrives at the old house as sirens warn of approaching Luftwaffes. He finds the cellar, converted into a public air-raid shelter, filling with a motley crowd. The woman in charge of the house turns out to be a beautiful girl (Ruth Warrick), also a descendant of old Admiral Trimble (C. Aubrey Smith) who in 1804 built the house. While the air raid goes on she tells him the story of the house and all who lived within its thick walls. One generation after another moves across the screen with its own dramatic story. Others in the incredibly brilliant cast The Best Pictures of the Month Air Force Shadow Of A Doubt The Immortal Sergeant The Spirit Of '43 Forever And A Day Best Performances Joseph Cotten in "Shadow Of A Doubt" Teresa Wright in "Shadow Of A Doubt" Thomas Mitchell in "The Immortal Sergeant" Henry Fonda in "The Immortal Sergeant" Philip Dorn in "Chetniks!" Otto Preminger in "Margin For En rror Milton Berle in "Margin For Error" are Sir Cedric Hardwicke (who also produced it) , Merle Oberon, Robert Cummings, Brian Aherne, Ida Lupino, Edward Everett Horton, Anna Lee, Charles Laughton, Reginald Gardiner, Victor McLaglen, Arthur Treacher, Herbert Marshall, Ray Milland, Dame May Whitty, Claude Rains, Gene Lockhart, Anna Neagle. Also Roland Young and Gladys Cooper who contribute two of the beautifully moving performances. Your Reviewer Says: Admissions paid for this picture will go to the war charity your town specifies. All the stars, writers, directors and technicians donated their services to make this picture memorable. *V Chetniks! (Twentieth Century-Fox) It's About: The true story of Draja Mihailovitch. RIGHT out of newspaper headlines comes this story of the brave Jugoslavia guerrillas who refused to be conquered by Hitler's hordes. Hiding in the hills with his men, Mihailovitch, leader of the guerrillas, played magnificently by Philip Dorn, constantly besieges the Nazi -held town where his wife and two children live under assumed names. Stealing an Italian supply train, the guerrilla general marches into Nazi headquarters under a flag of truce with demands that his people be freed of the food blockade. Eventually his family are discovered and taken prisoners and Mihailovitch pretends to surrender to the Nazis. Instead, he surrounds and annihilates them, recapturing the town. This is a thrilling, stirring story indeed and one to make the fight for freedom even more worthwhile. Anna Sten as Dorn's wife, Merrill Rodin and Patricia Prest as his children are very good. John Shepperd as Dorn's aid and Martin Kosleck the German Gestapo officer give polished performances. Your Reviewer Says: A stirring film. ^ Margin For Error (Twentieth Century-Fox) It's About: The murder of a loathsome German official. OTTO PREMINGER creates more genuine hatred as the German prewar consul-general to this country than is healthily good for himself or those who hate him. Never have we loathed anyone so thoroughly. This same Otto Preminger, who also directed the film as well as acted in it, is indeed, a man of talent. His acting and directing of the Clare Boothe Luce story is better than the show itself, to our way of thinking. Milton Berle as police officer Moe Finkelsiein is, incongruously, detailed to guard the German consul. Through his influence Carl Esmond, the German's secretary, and Poldy Dur, the maid, become imbued with Americanism. Berle gives the performance of his career as the Jewish cop. His lines sparkle like icicles in the sun. Joan Bennett is good as the German's wife who is suspected of her husband's (Continued on page 99) 19