Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1953)

BRIEF REVI EWS For fuller reviews, see Photoplay for months indicated. For this month’s full reviews, see page 20 CINERAMA — Cinerama Productions, Eastman Kodak color; An amazing new movie technique, using three curved screens and special sound, takes you right into the action. No story, but plenty of thrills: a roller-coaster ride, opera at La Scala, an air tour of the U. S. (F) January COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA— Wallis, Paramount: Intimate, grueling drama of a marriage, of youth and the yearning for lost youth. Shirley Booth is magnificent; Burt Lancaster, Terry Moore, Richard Jaeckel score. (A) January FORBIDDEN GAMES — Times Film; Remarkable acting by little Brigitte Fossey, as a war orphan. A — Adults F — Family OUTSTANDING and Georges Poujouly, as her farra*boy playmate, highlights a deeply moving tragicomedy. French dialogue, English titles. (A) March HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN — Gold wyn, RKO; Technicolor: Danny Kaye wins your heart as a story-spinning cobbler in a magical, musical extravaganza. Jeanmaire is exquisite as Farley Granger's ballerina wife. (F) March LIMELIGHT — U. A.: Intensely personal, slow, but affecting story of a has-been music-hall comic who gives a sad young ballerina new faith in life. Charlie Chaplin's unique style runs a full range. from lender moments with lovely Claire Bloom to slapstick with Buster Keaton. (F) February LITTLE WORLD OF DON CAMILLO, THE— I. F. E.: Rollicking, inspiring saga of a village priest's running battle with a Communist mayor. Fernandel and Gino Cervi make doughty adversaries. French dialogue, English titles. (A) March PETER PAN — Disney, RKO, Technicolor: Enchanting cartoon feature based on the beloved fantasy of eternal childhood. Peter, Wendy, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook come alive to the tune of many sprightly songs. (F) February APRIL IN PARIS — Warners, Technicolor: Featherweight farce enlivened by the musical talents of Doris Day, as a chorine on a Paris junket, and Ray Bolger, as a stuffy-to-start-with junior diplomat. Gay songs and dances. (F) February BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, THE— M-G-M: Fascinating close-up of Hollywood. Kirk Douglas is a producer who wins the hatred of actress Lana Turner, director Barry Sullivan, writer Dick Powell — till the surprise finish. (A) February FACE TO FACE — RKO: Two-episode film. “The Secret Sharer,” with James Mason, is a dreary sea tale. But “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky,” with Robert Preston, Marjorie Steele, Minor Watson, is a fine, unusual Western. (F) January FOUR POSTER, THE — Kramer, Columbia: Tragicomic, talky history of a marriage, with only two characters. Lilli Palmer's brilliant throughout; Rex Harrison, at his best in light moments. Cartoon interludes are richly imaginative. (A) February HOAXTERS, THE — M-G-M: Thirty-eight-minute documentary shrewdly contrasting totalitarianism and democracy. (F) March VERY GOOD IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, THE— Rank. U-I; Technicolor: Michael Redgrave, Michael Denison and Edith Evans shine in a stylized, dialogue-dominated farce about uppercrust romance and deception. (A) March KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL— U. A.: Well photographed, tricky thriller about an innocent suspect who solves an armored-car robbery. With John Payne, Coleen Gray. (F) February LAST OF THE COMANCHES— Columbia, Technicolor: Vigorous, tightly constructed Western in which cavalryman Broderick Crawford leads a chance-met group in its stand against desert thirst and hostile Indians. (F) February MAN BEHIND THE GUN, THE— Warners, Technicolor: Randolph Scott foils a big-scale conspiracy in early California. Well-made horse opera, with Patrice Wymore. tF) March MOULIN ROUGE— U. A., Technicolor: Subtle color and rich Parisian atmosphere overshadow Jose Ferrer's portrayal of Toulouse-Lautrec, the tragic, deformed painter. (A) March ABOVE AND BEYOND— M-G-M: Robert Taylor has some gripping moments as the pilot of the plane that dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima; but scenes of domestic discord with wife Eleanor Parker are out of key. (A) February ANDROCLES AND THE LION— RKO: Wordy, occasionally interesting version of Shaw’s play about early Christians. Maurice Evans makes a witty Caesar; Alan Young, a gentle Andrades; Jean Simmons, a glowing Christian maiden; Victor Mature, a stalwart Roman. (A) February GOOD with skeptical, susceptible Bob Mitcbum. Mona Freeman plays good girl. (A) March BLACKBEARD THE PIRATE— RKO, Technicolor: Robert Newton hams it up in the title role; Keith Andes and Linda Darnell are decorative in a muddled adventure yarn. ( F) March MEET ME AT THE F.\IR — U-I, Technicolor: Tune-trimmed, nostalgic comedy-drama about a medicine-show man (Dan Dailey) who befriends an orphan (Chet Allen). (F) February ANGEL FACE — RKO: Suspense drama involving MISSISSIPPI GAMBLER, THE — U-I, Techniinnocent-faced, murder-minded Jean Simmons color: Handsome, fitfully exciting tale of old New MY COUSIN RACHEL — 20th Century-Fox: .\n elegantly mounted but indecisive mystery presents Olivia de Havilland as either murderess or innocent suspect, with newcomer Richard Burton scoring as her accuser and suitor. (A) March NO TIME FOR FLOWERS— RKO: A neatly scripted comedy of captive Czechoslovakia focuses on Viveca Lindfors and Paul Christian, as young reds reformed by love. (F) March ROAD TO BALI — Paramount, Technicolor: Further adventures of Crosby, Hope and Lamour — a casual, comical improvisation on the South Seas theme, with songs, gags, menacing villains and surprise guest celebs. (F) February STOOGE, THE — Wallis, Paramount: Likable vignette of show business. Dean Martin plays a swellheaded star; Jerry Lewis, his humble partner. With Polly Bergen, Marion Marshall. (F) Mareh STOP, YOU’RE KILLING ME— Warners, WarnerColor: Cheerful gangster comedy, with Broderick Crawford as a beer baron gone straight, Claire Trevor as his wife. (F) March Orleans. Honest gambler Tyrone Power loves aristocrat Piper Laurie. (F) March NEVER WAVE AT A WAC— RKO: The Army makes a human being of snooty Rosalind Russell, I with an assist from ex-husband Paul Douglas. Marie Wilson adds more laughs. (F) March , REDHEAD FROM WYOMING, THE— U-I, Technicolor: Pleasant Western, wherein William Bishop dupes Maureen O’Hara into helping him plot a range war. Alex Nicol plays sheriff. (F) March TROPIC ZONE — Paramount, Technicolor: Ronald Reagan saves Rhonda Fleming’s banana plantation « in a Central .American Western. (F) February FAIR P DESPERATE SEARCH— M-G-M: Mechanically plotted drama about flyers seeking two child survivors of a plane crash. With Howard Keel, Patricia Medina, Jane Greer. (F) February 112 THIEF OF VENICE, THE— 20th Century-Fox: Slight, Italian-made yarn of a Renaissance Robin Hood (Paul Christian), with splendid settings. The late Maria Montez stars. (F) February THUNDER IN THE EAST— Paramount: Shallow thriller of strife in India. Alan Ladd’s a greedy American; Deborah Kerr, a British girl; Charles Boyer, a peaceable Indian. (F) February