Johnny Belinda (Warner Bros.) (1948)

NEWSPAPER COPY JOHNNY BELINDA’ 10 JANE WYMAN plays her most exacting role in Warner Bros.’ ‘Johnny Belinda,” due soon at the Strand Theatre. Still JW-1079 Mat 689-1B LEW AYRES co-stars with Jane Wyman in Warner Bros.’ sen sational drama, “Johnny Belinda,”’ due soon. Still LA-5 Mat 689-1G IN JOHNNY BELINDA’ (Review) Jane Wyman Triumphs Opposite Lew Ayres in ‘Johnny Belinda’ Sheer artistry stamps Warner Bros.’ new drama, “Johnny Belinda,” which co-stars the amazing Jane Wyman and Lew Ayres. This unusual film opened yesterday at the Strand Theatre and captivated the audience with its dramatic impact and excitement. It is a simply-told tale of love and betrayal, and through the meritorious team work of all Warner departments, something rare has been turned out. Filmed in black and _ white against a stark coastline, many scenes of fleeting beauty have been captured by the camera. Then Miss Wyman’s triumphant performance is something special to get excited over. Heretofore, associated with glib characters, she completely submerges her personality into Belinda, the pathetic country lass, who is limited in self expression until love comes her way. It is.a challenge which many Hollywood actreses would shun, but Miss Wyman meets it with superb skill. Casting Ayres opposite Miss Wyman in another asset. His quiet charm compliments her appeal, and he makes his doctor’s role impressive. Charles Bickford is another important member of the cast, playing Belinda’s gruff father who is later killed. He is excellent. That sterling character actress Agnes Moorehead, is also present and one can expect some very fine acting from her. Two newcomers bow in also. Stephen McNally plays the heavy role here, and a stunning blonde actress, Jan Sterling, registers as the village belle. Briefly, the drama relates the plight of Belinda, who does most of the hard chores on her father’s bleak farm. No one pays any attention to her and kind ness is unknown to her, until the village doctor appears and tries to educate her. Her life takes on new interest, until one night a bully attacks her. Her life then becomes a public scandal and she is ostracized. She fights for her baby and kills her attacker. Placed on trial the doctor comes to her assistance in a most unusual climax. Throughout this emotional drama, Jean Negulesco has kept the warmth and appeal of Belinda paramount. A last word for Miss Wyman. She has a beauty which is different from any other actress of the screen, and her talent which has been expanding with leaps and bounds of late, comes into full stature here as Belinda. Her performance is flawless in its carefully timed creation. Others would have faltered as this unusual assignment, but Miss Wyman. She’s superb! BICKFORD LIKES 10 FIGHT BUT— Charles Bickford thinks Steve McNally is a promising actor and a very nice guy indeed. But he wishes Steve would learn to fight—motion picture fashion. Bickford and McNally do mortal combat in Warner Bros.’ “Johnny Belinda,” which was shot at Fort Bragg, Calif. The script called for McNally to kill Bickford. Bickford has been fighting in films since 1929, when he did “Dynamite” for C. B. De Mille. Steve McNally is comparatively new to motion pictures and camera-staged fights. During shooting, therefore, he hit Bickford with everything loose. Bickford, who doesn’t claim to be young anymore, went around with a couple of shiners, and torn fingers. ROMANCE. Jane Wyman and Lew Ayres, stars of Warner Bros.’ long-awaited drama, “Johnny Belinda,” which advance trade com ment lauds as one of Hollywood’s finest films, comes next Friday to the Strand Theatre. Still 689-536 Mat 689-2B ADVANCE RAVES OVER NEW FILM Hollywood’s most discussed drama, Warner Bros.’ “Johnny Belinda,” co-starring Jane Wyman and Lew Ayres, opens at the Strand next Friday. No film in years has created such a storm of heated interest as the stark, moving drama of the Nova Scotia folk, which Jean Negulesco. has directed. Miss Wyman’s role in particular has stirred up much advance comment. She shelves her usual beauty and glamor for the plain, simple role of a country lass, disliked by her widower father until tragedy enters her life. The demands of this role are most unusual, and grapevine talk has it that Miss Wyman turns in one of the finest performances ever screened. “Johnny Belinda” is from E]mer Harris’ stage play of the same name which ran on Broadway a few seasons ago. The strong supporting cast includes: Charles Bickford, Agnes Moorehead and Stephen MeNally, the latter who is also mentioned as a strong potential for starring roles. He plays the villain in the drama, hitting a new high for this type of screen portrayal. Jan Sterling, fresh from Broadway, plays his wife. Of special interest in this film too, are the photographic effects achieved by veteran cameraman Ted McCord. Scenes of the rugged coastline, a raging storm, and particularly marine sequences have already caused much comment. Clothes Suffer Beating For Art To achieve the drabness desired for Jane Wyman’s wardrobe in Warner Bros.’ sensational drama, “Johnny Belinda,” opening Friday at the Strand Theatre, her clothes were soaked for weeks in lysol and thoroughly beaten by rocks and brushes. She plays a simple eountry girl who is befriended by a_ doctor played by Lew Ayres. All of the action takes place in Nova Scotia, a fishing and farming land off the east coast of Canada. FORDHAM STAR NOW IN FILMS Stephen McNally, one-time football player for Fordham, plays at being a screen villain with all the force he used to give blasting off-tackle. He just can’t help it and he’s pretty upset over the damage he’s wrought on Jane Wyman and Charles Bickford. Someday, somehow, he hopes, he’s going to learn to pull his punches. Steve, who is big, husky and weighs in at 190, left Fordham to become a New York City lawyer, and from there he went on the stage. Hollywood claimed him next and at this moment he’s one of the cruelest villains on record in Warner Bros.’ “Johnny Belinda,’ which opens Friday at the Strand. As such he assaults Jane Wyman and kills Jane’s father in the film, Charles Bickford. He actually injured both Miss Wyman and Bickford while playing the scenes. MeNally, is pretty sure he’s now learning to pull his punches for motion picture fights. “T’'d_ better,” the husky “heavy” says, “because if it keeps up no star will want to go into a picture with me. And there’s always the chance that some day I might meet up with a guy larger, faster and a better puncher than myself.” Newcomer Debuts In Strand Drama Jan Sterling, the stage actress imported for films for Warner Bros.’ “Johnny Belinda,” is used to moving fast. She finds it not only profitable, but fun to boot. Jan was appearing in Noel Coward’s Broadway production of “Present Laughter,” when she was given but three days (and three rehearsals) to be ready for the prize role of Billy Dawn in “Born Yesterday.” When Hollywood became aware of her work in this hit, she was given only two weeks to wind up her part in the show and report to Warners’ Burbank studio, up in her lines, for the part of the ‘other woman’, Stella Maguire, in “Johnny Belinda,” the Jane Wyman-Lew Ayres starring picture opening Friday at the Strand Theatre,