Picturegoer (Jul-Dec 1937)

ju,y ,v, f73f REVIEWS by Lionel Collier I REALLY thought we had finished with war-time stories dealing with the eternal triangle composed of a married man, the wife and his best friend. But here it is again in The Woman Between, conventional in design and generally artificial in atmosphere. Paul Muni is the married man in question, Maury, an unpopular member of a French squadron in which the personnel is composed of 100 per cent. Americans. In point of fact, Muni is practically the only actor who fits into the atmosphere at all convincingly. Unfortunately, his part is not a remarkable one and while he brings to it as much sincerity as possible it does not rouse one to any real emotional heights. There comes to the squadron a young man, Jean, who had fallen in love in Paris with a girl whom he knows only as Denise and it transpires that he forms a close friendship with Maury, the pilot, and acts as his observer. This friendship seems to kill the "jinx" which Maury is popularly supposed to have; he had had two observers killed while on aerial reconnaissance . Jean is played by a fairly recent newcomer Louis Hayward, and while not suggesting any sort of Gallic temperament for a moment he gives an ebullient performance, marred somewhat by a tendency to overemphasise his emotions. When Jean goes on leave he is given a letter to take to Maury's wife Helene, and you will not be surprised to learn that Denise and Helene were one and the same lady. In this thankless part — it is hardly one which can command sympathy— Miriam Hopkins is not at her best. She invests it with a lugubriousness which would have been more effective if it had contained more contrast of light and shade. Anyway, she confesses to Jean that while she loves her husband she also loves him — only in a different way. It seemed rather lame to me, and it evidently did to Jean, for he left her in a temper and went back to Maury a changed man. They continued their successful "Hun strafing" partnership, however, and eventually won medals which were presented with full ceremonial at the aerodrome. They do these things so much better in France, even in war time ! The climax comes when Helene visits her husband when the squadron is taken out to rest. (Another thing they did better — according to this picture — in France during the war.) It is during this period that Maury ' learns of his wife's attachment to his friend and tries to get him to confess. However, urgent orders for an attack postpone any confession and during it Jean is killed and Maury severely wounded. 28 He returns to Paris and there we leave him with his wife who remains in ignorance of his knowledge of her affaire. All of which does not seem to get us very far even if it takes a long time to get where it does. Actually the best performance, apart from Muni's, is that given by Colin Clive as the squadron leader. He is well in character and strikes the right note of war-time spirit. As usual, the aerial camera work is very good, but one has become so familiarised with crashing 'planes and " dog fights " in the air that they do not impress one as much as they might do. The Parisian settings are good even if the people who inhabit them are anything but Parisian and the same applies to the squadron's mess where life appears more hectic than realistic. I'm usually fairly easily moved by sincere sentiment but I failed to shed a single tear for Jean, Maury or his infatuated spouse. MAKE WAY FOR TO-MORROW While it errs at times in overstressing the sentiment there is real sincerity and human feeling in this picture, which deals with the problems affecting their children when the parents are left penniless and dependent on them. Leo McCarey's direction is finely sensitive. It does not suggest a solution to the problem, but simply introduces you to an elderly couple with married sons and daughters who find themselves without a home. None of the children is capable of providing wholly for the old pair, so a son with a wife and adolescent daughter takes the mother and a rather poorly-off sister and her husband take the father. Thus the couple are separated and find it almost intolerably unbearable. The mother upsets the routine of her daughter's house and also interferes to a certain extent in the upbringing of her grandchild. The father is ill at ease with his daughter and becomes an unwilling incubus on the family resources. Finally, it is decided to send the mother to a home for old ladies, but before the son, who hates himself for it, can broach the question, the old lady, who has realised the position, asks to be sent there. Meanwhile, the father has been ill and it is decided to send him to California to another of his children who is able to house him. The pair meet in New York for a few hours before they are parted, perhaps for ever. With sure touches of humour and pathos the director shows how they spend their fleeting moments. They end up in the hotel where they spent their honeymoon, and there the manager makes them guests of the establishment. They waltz together and recall old times, finally going to the railway station, where they bid each other a tearless farewell. It is very moving in all its aspects. No blame is attached to either party, but a pathetic tragedy of life is presented in all its unavoidable cruelty. Victor Moore, a stage and screen comedian, is brilliant as the old father; it is a finely restrained and natural study. Beulah Bondi, too, is remarkably good as the old lady who cannot fit into the jigsaw of modern life and wants only to be with her husband. The children are all extremely well characterised. Fay Bainter is the daughter-in-law who looks after the mother and her attitude to her is extremely human. She expresses forebearance and kindliness, but underneath there is the feeling of inimicality which their different viewpoints arouse. Thomas Mitchell is good as her husband. Cora, who looks after the father, is well acted by Elizabeth Risdon and her husband by Ray Mayer. The daughter who has the most money, but who has a disagreeable husband who refuses to be saddled with relations, is admirably drawn by Minna Gombell, and her husband by Porter Hall. Maurice Moscovitch gives a sound character study of an old storekeeper who tries to help the old father, and Barbara Read is attractive as the grand-daughter who is nearly involved in a divorce case because the presence of her grandmother prevents her from entertaining her men friends at home. A notable little picture this, which will give many cause to ponder on its problems. TOP OF THE TOWN A musical melange which runs true to type and provides quite good entertainment of its kind. The plot is negligible, but the gags are often bright, and there is a spectacular night-club sequence which is planned on a vast scale and is remarkably effective. Doris Nolan, who plays the part of Diana, an heiress who wants to revolutionise cabaret by putting on classical shows, is not particularly striking. She is attractive, but does not get as much character into the role as one could have wished. The hero of the piece is George Murphy, who has plenty of vitality and can also tap dance extremely well. He is cast as Ted T^ane. a danceband leader who has ambitions to get the contract for a new roof show to be opened by the Bordens, four of them, the heiress's uncles. Diana meets Ted and decides to appear in cabaret, but the latter, learning that her uncles look on her behaviour with displeasure, makes this as difficult for her as possible, hoping she will quit. However. Diana has a will of her own and faces all hardships, eventually falling in love with Ted. For his sake — -her uncles will not hear of engaging him unless she leaves the show business — she agrees to give up her chosen career, but, learning how he had tried to scare her out, she pays him in his own coin by taking over the managership of the new cabaret and insisting on putting on a highbrow show. It is a terrible flop, but Ted comes to the rescue by introducing his original hot numbers. Diana finds consolation for her lack of success in Ted's arms and in the ultimate success of the show. Hugh Herbert has not a lot to do but be his usual hesitant self as Ted's right-hand man, but Gregory Ratoff scores as his self-confident booking agent. Ella Logan puts over several " hot " numbers effectively as Dorine, one of Ted's company, and Gertrude Niesens's torch singing will appeal to those who appreciate that rather mournful form of ululation. The Borden uncles are played by well-known character actors, Samuel S. Hinds, Claude Gillingwater, Richard Carle and Ernest Cossart, but they are relegated strictly to the background. A clever tap dance is given by Peggy Ryan, aged ten, who also teams with Murphy in the finale. Henry Armetta adds to the fun as a solemn maestro of classical music engaged by Diana and the Three Sailors tumble about in a delightfully ludicrous manner. The whole production is very well set and the pseudo-classical cabaret designed by Diana is distinctly clever. Incidentally, Mischa Auer makes a short but worthy appearance in that as Hamlet in the famous soliloquy, accompanied by a nigger chorus. The finale is riotous and is a fine example of screencraft and crowd handling. On the Screens Now ♦"•THE GREEN PASTURES Warner. American. "{,'" certificate. Segro religious conception. Runs 89 minutes. ( De Lawd Rex Ingram i Hezdrel I Adam Oscar Polk Gabriel George Reed Mr. Deshee Frank Wilson Moses Eddie Anderson Noah And a long cast of Negro Players. Directed by Max Connelly from Roark Bradford's novel, "01" Man Adam An' His Children." Music arranged by Hall Johnson. Preview, December 12, 1936. 1 dealt very fully with this picture in a previous issue, and since it is a very important film, I would refer readers who desire more detail than I have space for here, to it. It is a beautiful and moving exposition of the child-mind as exemplified by negroes in their conception of religion, and its obvious sincerity and simplicity renders it one of the rare artistic triumphs of the screen. In idea and execution this childlike fantasy has innate grandeur and a deep inner religious significance. The picture is based on the idea that a negro preacher is holding a Sunday school and telling the children the story of the Old Testament in a manner which will bring it vividly before their eyes. Therefore, he describes the events in everyday language and settings with which they are familiar. He invests the Biblical characters with personalities approximating to people they know. Thus, " De Lawd" is a composite character made up of all the good qualities in the listeners' neighbours, and He resembles the man for whom each individual of the class has the most respect. And so it is with all the Biblical characters from Adam down to the final vision which De Lawd has of a man carrying a heavy cross up a hill to atone for the sins of mankind. The picture starts with " De Lawd " as a God of wrath and ends with the idea of a God of mercy. The whole thing is pictured with a wealth of negro humour but, strangely enough, this adds rather than detracts from its spiritual significance. The musical settings which include many spirituals are extremely beautiful and are woven into the fabric of the story with artistry and effect. Rex Ingram plays three roles