The Conspirators (Warner Bros.) (1944)

‘The Conspirators,’ Dramatic Love Story, Opens At Strand (Prepared Review) Warner Bros.’ _—_ cinematic odyssey which started with “Casablanca” continues on its spine-tingling itinerary in “The Conspirators,’ an adventurepacked tale of hunter and hunted set against a backdrop of terror and treachery. Starring Hedy Lamarr and Paul Henreid, the film opened at the Strand last night. The Portuguese capital of Lisbon, transformed into a cauldron of romance and _ intrigue by a world at war, where spies and counter-spies, Nazis and anti-Nazis, soldiers of fortune and cringing refugees from the abattoir that was occupied Europe, rub elbows, forms the background for this absorbing mystery-romance and the journey into its seething environs is so imbued with dramatic impact and emotional stimulation, your reviewer was hard put to recall many contemporary equals. A triumph in itself for which the Messrs. Warner deserve the well known laurel wreath is the consummate and elever casting of the film which finds. seductive Hedy Lamarr and suave Paul Henreid caught in a web of international intrigue with such smooth and sinister continental spiders as Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Victor Francen, Joseph Calleia and Edward Ciannelli weaving the strands. Vincent Van Der Lyn (Paul Henreid), member of the Dutch underground famed for his exploits in sabotage against the Nazis, comes to Lisbon to contact confederates. Here he encounters and falls victim to the sultry beauty of Irene (Hedy --amarr), suspect Nazi agent and wife of a German Legation member. Vincent’s escape, af‘te> his arrest for the murder of a feilow member of the underground; his search for the unknown who fired the deadly shot, with all its baffling manipulations of plot; his nervewracking pursuit of the real murderer whose identity, when disclosed, supplies shocking surprise, and his final reunion with Irene, prior to his return on an important mission behind Nazi lines, makes for a succulent dish of suspenseful and invigorating filmfare that will be savored by gourmets of the celluloid. The coupling of Hedy Lamarr with Paul Henreid, as the lovers beset by the fortunes of war, was a happy choice. Both are in reality familiar with the somber aspects of a Europe torn by strife and, as a result, their performances glow with all the sincerity and depth of true authenticity. Sydney Greenstreet, Victor Francen and Peter Lorre, those sterling exponents of evil and crime, who made life so harrowing in Warners’ recent “The Mask of Dimitrios,” top their former goose-pimple-raising escapades in “The Conspirators.” Also on hand in finely etched portraits as protagonists of violence and death are Joseph Calleia and Edward Ciannelli. Carol Thurston, youthful Warner starlet, contributes an effective portrayal of a Portuguese fishermaid who provides succor for the harried Paul Henreid. Credit director Jean Negulesco for taking the potent ingredients, found in this timely tale, and fashioning a perfectly fitting screen vehicle for his principals. “The Conspirators” is a Jack Chertok production. Vladimir Ponzner and Leo Rosten sculptured the fast-moving screen play from the novel by Fredric Prokosch. Max Steiner was musical direetor. 4 Mat No. 201; Still TC 521; 30c Hedy Lamarr and Paul Henreid, who star in Warners’ new dramatic hit, "The Conspirators,"' opening tonight at the Strand. Also in the cast are Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Victor Francen. SYMPATHETIC? THEN ACTRESS GEOGRAPHICAL HAND-KISSING WILL LIKE YOU ONLY SKIN DEEP Any man interested in cultivating a beauty like Hedy Lamarr—or Miss Lamarr herself, for that matter—should cultivate that most heart-skipping of all virtues, sympathy. Such was the confidential advice given recently by Miss Lamarr as she emerged, somewhat ecstatically, it seemed, from a prolonged embrace in the arms of Paul Henreid. It was during the filming of Warner Bros.’ “The Conspirators,” currently playing at the Strand. “Handsome men make such a mistake,” said Hedy, “in the assumption that physical attributes alone are captivating. They have a momentary interest only.” The thing that makes her leading man, Henreid, click with the ladies, she said, is that very quality of sympathy. “Paul’s way of lighting a cigarette for a lady, two at a time, has been given too much credit by people trying to figure out his charm for girls. “The fact is that this gesture of Paul’s is just a natural expression of his sympathy, which is perhaps the outstanding trait of his personality. It’s a natural expression, and only one of many.” She said that she used to think she liked Viennese men because they made her, a native of Vienna, feel at home. “Paul is Viennese,” she said of Henreid with whom she costars in “The Conspirators,” “and when I act with him I am aware that the key to the Vienna spirit is sympathy. So I know it is something that appeals to. me as a woman and not as a fellow countryman.” She added that this spirit was by no means confined to Vienna or Europe. “In fact, it is among European men that you find the polished formality and good looks of men without anything inside. American men don’t excel at kissing hands, but when it comes to sympatry, they’re tops. They were kissing hands— Hedy Lamarr’s hands. Instead of a tall slim Viennese bending low over her hand, it was stubby, fearsome little Peter Lorre. They were rehearsing a scene and searching for what the film makers call a “mood.” It was on stage 11 at Warner Bros., and the set was a glittering hotel ballroom in Lisbon, Portugal. In addition to Miss Lamarr and Lorre the cluster of people under the lights included Paul Henreid, Jean Negulesco, the director, and a stranger. The picture was “The Conspirators,” the story of Europe’s anti-Nazi underground movement, which opens Friday at the Strand. “That was fine, Peter,” said Director Negulesco. But before rehearsing the scene again he introduced the stranger, a well known magazine writer. “And now this time, Paul,” Negulesco went on, addressing Henreid, “you kiss her hand right after Peter.” The scene was run off, Paul, the true Viennese, kissing her hand with a finesse and grace that left no doubt of its authenticity. “What do you think of that, my friend?” smiled Negulesco at the guest. “It is very charming,” the writer replied, “and also interesting. It shows the influence of background. Mr. Henreid is the product of Vienna. Now, Mr. Lorre, his gesture is quite different. Yes, it’s a very clearcut example of how different backgrounds produce variations in manners.” “You understand, of course,” interposed Negulesco, “that the character is quite different. He’s gauche, a little rough and awkward.” Hedy Lamarr smiled a knowing smile. “By the way, Peter?” she asked, “what part of Europe do you come from?” “Vienna,” answered Lorre. ‘CONSPIRATORS’ OPENING AT STRAND TONIGHT (Opening Day Reader) Warner Brothers’ latest cinematic account of romance, adventure and violence, with a background of neutral Lisbon in a Europe at war, bows in tonight at the Strand Theatre. The film is “The Conspirators,” and it stars Hedy Lamarr and Paul Henreid. Lisbon, Portugal, made fascinating and dangerous by the influx of refugees and _ spies from a war torn continent, makes a dazzling backdrop for this timely picturization of romance and adventure. Besides Hedy Lamarr and Paul Henreid who supply the love interest, also in the cast, furnishing sinister characterizations to the perilous proceedings, are those masters in international intrigue —Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet and Victor Francen, appropriately cast as shadowy members of the European underground. Carol Thurston, youthful Warner starlet, contributes an effective portrayal of a Portuguese fishermaid who provides succor to the harried $70,000 Fixtures On Strand Screen Two crystal chandeliers, totalling $70,000 in value and once the property of a famed Monte Carlo casino, arrived in Hollywood recently from New York City. They were needed in the Hedy Lamarr-Paul Henreid film “The Conspirators,”” at Warner Bros. Studio, which bought the chandeliers from a_ collection once belonging to William Randolph Hearst. Because of their size, the | chandeliers required the work of six men for eight hours in assembly, the studio property department claims. “The Conspirators’ is currently playing at the Strand Theatre. Paul Henreid. Joseph Calleia and Edward Cianelli are also in evidence as sympathetic Portuguese police official and troubleburdened Portuguese General, respectively. The screenplay was adapted from the Fredric Prokosch novel of the same name by Vladimir Posner and Leo Rosten with additional dialogue by Jack Moffet. Musical background was supplied by Max Steiner. Jack Chertok produced with Jean Negulesco handling the directorial reins. ‘Conspirators’ Coming Friday To The Strand (Advance Theatre Story) Psychiatrists say that audiences identify themselves with the characters and characterizations of film favorites thereby finding an outlet for otherwise pent-up and frustrated emotions. Taking the axe to grandma for the solid hunk of inheritance you expect to receive when she is gone or shearing the ears off the guy who beat out your full house with a middle draw straight flush may not be in keeping with Emily Post’s standards of behavior but are inhibitions, nevertheless, deeply inherent in all of us. For proof of this argument we point to the unprecedented popularity of such Warner Bros.’ propagators of cinematic mayhem as the recent “The Mask of Dimitrios” and “Passage to Marseille’ which, all things considered, should make Warners proud of its ability to absorb what, left unchecked, might otherwise have become dangerous emotionalism. Using these factors as the basis for a prediction, the activities of Hedy Lamarr, Paul Henreid, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Victor Francen and others in “The Conspirators,” a tale of love amidst violence and death, coming to the Strand Friday, will be welcomed with open arms by the vast majority of moviegoers whose every-day lives have been by-passed by romance and adventure. Mat No. 102; Still SG57; 15c Sydney Greenstreet The Portuguese capital of Lisbon, transformed into an oasis of refuge for victims of the present world conflagration, is the: foundation upon which Warners’ production architects built this latest thrill-packed edifice of motion-picture enjoyment. For those who like their romance on a continental plane, Hedy Lamarr and Paul Henreid, as the lovers beset by the fortunes of war, are on hand to gratify this desire. Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet and Victor Francen supply stimulating doses of violence and intrigue in large enough quantities to satiate even the most blood-thirsty filmgoers. Transferred to the screen by Viadimar Pozner and Leo Rosten from Fredric Prokosch’s novel of the same name, “The Conspirators” retains all the suspense and excitement that made the book so popular. An excellent supporting cast includes Carol Thurston, as an appealing Portuguese fishermaid; Edward Ciannelli, as a sympathetic police official; Kurt Katch, as a Nazi thug; Joseph Calleia, as a harried General, and Monte Blue, popular star of bygone years, who plays the part of a British agent. SOLARIUM PROVES TO BE BLASS HOUSE Hedy Lamarr is trying to buy a mountain top in Hollywood, and for a unique reason. It seems that Miss Lamarr had a solarium built at considerable expense before the war. Only recently, during the midst of a sun bath, did Miss Lamarr discover that it has a serious flaw. She spied a couple of hikers on a nearby mountain top. Miss Lamarr, currently to be seen opposite Paul Henreid in Warners’ “The Conspirators” at the Strand, covered her surprise with a towel and made a quick retreat.