A Stolen Life (Warner Bros.) (1946)

A double portion of Davis dexterity is promised in Warner Bros.’ new screen drama, “A Stolen Life,'' coming to the Strand on Friday. The film stars Bette in her first cinematic dual role—as identical twins who fall in love with the same man. Glenn Ford plays the object of the girls’ affection, and Charlie Ruggles are seen in other important roles. Lucky Star Claims Good Luck Can Go A Little Too Far More than three years have passed since Dane Clark, Warner actor currently appearing in that studio’s “A Stolen Life,” the Bette Davis starring film now at the Strand, drove a battered old jalopy from the east coast to Hollywood in search of fame, fortune and the pursuit of stardom. Today he has achieved all three. Perhaps he’s a little light in the fortune department, but he has reached stardom, and quite a few people know his name and face. Somehow Clark links up his good luck with that bailing wire jalopy of his. He calls it his good luck car and he’s hung onto it in spite of being financially able to own fancier jobs. But recently the actor suffered a change of heart and is no longer sure of its being a good-luck piece. On the way to work at Warner Bros. where he was working in “A Stolen Life,” Dane’s antiquated auto lost a wheel in full flight. The wheel sped across a lawn, barely missing two old ladies, and hurtled into a residence, smashing things enroute. The car, with only three wheels down, skittered and swayed, finally coming up hard against a palm, where it sighed and stopped. Now the actor is in a quandary. Has his good-luck car outlived its luck? Should he junk it for something sturdier? Or should he patch it up and give it another chance? MAT NO. 3A Bette Davis Doubly Good In Dual Role At Strand (Prepared Review) Bette Davis fans get a double portion of their favorite actress in Warner Bros.’ new romantic drama, “A Stolen Life,’ which opened at the Strand Theatre last night. Miss Davis is cast in a role which gives her every opportunity to display her incomparable talents, _ literally running the gamut of emotions in her dual portrayal of twin sisters, Kate and Pat Bosworth, identical only in their physical attributes, whose lot it is to fall in love with the same man. Tackles Difficult Task A less experienced actress would undoubtedly find the characterizations of the two extremely unlike twins too exacting and difficult a task. Not so Miss Davis! With truly artistic effortlessness, the star makes Kate a believably lovable, selfless and sympathetic character and at the same time has everyone loathing Pat. Kate, who dabbles in art, meets Bill (Glenn Ford) quite inadvertently on a visit to her cousin Freddie’s (Charlie Ruggles), at a remote island off the Massachusetts coast. Their mutual interests, common ambitions and_ well suited natures destine them to fall in love. But Pat, quick to recognize in Bill another extremely desirable admirer, soon employs all of her feminine wiles to woo him away from guileless Kate. From then on it’s each to his own device with Bette Davis winning any way you look at it, the one love culminating in tragedy, the other in happiness. Glenn Ford, recently discharged from the Marines, does admirably as the handsome, much sought after engineer. Dane Clark, as the artist Karnok, under whose strict, if not tyrannical, surveillance Kate works in an attempt to forget Bill, comports himself in experienced Thespian style and earns, beyond doubt, the right to be known as Hollywood’s white hope of 1946. Adding his usual realistic touch to a picture, Walter Brennan acquits himself with consummate artistry as Eben Folger, a cantankerous New England lighthouse keeper. Another excellent performance is_ contributed by Bruce Bennett, who will be remembered for his other splendid characterization as Joan Crawford’s husband in ‘“Mildred Pierce.” As Jack Talbot, playboy admirer of Pat in “A Stolen Life,’ Bennett ably handles a role on which the picture’s exciting climax hinges. Authentic New England The production is distinguished by careful and authentic shots of picturesque New England. Curtis Bernhardt, the film’s director, has woven the plot most expertly into a tautly absorbing screen drama which Max Steiner’s original score does much to complement. The script, ably executed, was written by Catherine Turney from an adaptation by Margaret Buell Wilder of a novel by Karel J. Benes. while Dane Clark, Walter Brennan { ‘A Stolen Life’ Employs 6 Bettes, 1 ‘Split Screen’ Bette Davis’ current starring picture, Warner Bros” “A Stolen Life,” now at the Strand, is the most pretentious of her many films. During the film’s production there were as many as six Bettes on the set at the same time. Because the star plays dual roles, twin sisters named Kate and Pat Bosworth, a “split sereen” had to be employed by the cameraman, Sol Polito, A.S.C. Plays To Stand-In When Bette was Kate, she “played to” her twin sister Pat, portrayed by Sally Sage, who for ten years was her stand-in. When Bette portrayed Pat, she had to emote to the other twin, Kate, played by Elizabeth Wright. Both Sally Sage and Elizabeth Wright had their own stand-ins, so at this point the count was up to five Bettes. Bette’s own stand-in brought the total up to six. “A Stolen Life” is the first picture made by handsome Glenn Ford, who plays the male lead in the film, since his two and a half year hitch in the Marine Corps. It is also Bette Davis’ first producing effort. On the screen it is designated as a “B.D. Inc.” production. From this date on she will produce one picture for herself a year and two under the aegis of Warner Bros. Warners will release them all. 3