Screenland (Nov 1936-Apr 1937)

52 SCREENLAND THE GARDEN OF ALLAH— Selznlck-United Artists COLOR becomes a thrilling thing on the screen in "The Garden of Allah." For the first time, color is dramatic, rather than merely decorative. The moods as" well as the manners of the characters are caught and held in glowing beauty; the desert and bazaar scenes are no colored postcards, but actual places ; Madame Nature for once is not maligned, but glorified, with skies and sunsets and sand dunes to make you melt. And speaking of meltingly lovely things, Miss Dietrich's first color close-up will awe you for its exquisite tones. Marlene is not always perfectly happy in Technicolor, particularly outdoors; and she pursues her regrettable policy of facing the audience rather than her fellow players in all her best scenes — if only she'd concentrate on characterization instead of close-ups. for a change! At that, it is by far her most human and warm performance. It is Charles Boyer, however, who steals all available acting honors with his fine, sensitive, and spiritual portrait of the Trappist monk struggling against his love for Marlene. Boyer's long close-up in which he tells of his torments is remarkably moving — a great actor, here. Tilly Losch, the dancer, makes a triumphant screen debut. Basil Rathbone, C. Aubrey Smith, fine. THEODORA GOES WILD— Columbia NOT important, maybe, but grand fun, with the lovely Irene Dunne in her first completely comedic role, in which she convinces me she can become the first comedienne of the screen any time she feels in the mood. Here she is entirely entrancing as a small-town girl who, under a nom dc plume, is the author of the year's most sensational bestseller. It's a secret from her maiden aunts, but she finds a kindred spirit in Melvyn Douglas, also somewhat in disguise as the world's handsomest gardener. Oh, it's all pretty inconsequential, I grant you ; but wait until you hear the dialogue, which abounds in real sparkle; and watch the smoothly polished performances of Miss Dunne and Mr. Douglas, another brilliant new team which makes me bless the producer who thought it up ; and the amusing "supporting cast" which includes Elisabeth Risdon, Spring Byington — always a joy — and others. If you're looking for sheer, sprightly entertainment with never a dull moment and never, either, a cerebral scene, here's your movie meat — only it's more like dessert, it's that light and frothy. Miss Dunne establishes herself as our most versatile girl star. : SEALOF) | Reviews of the best Pictures by THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE— Warner Bros. FOR honest excitement, here's the outstanding cinema show of the season ! "The Charge of the Light Brigade" is the most rousing celluloid drama we've had in many moons ; it will hold your interest, keep you thrilled, and leave you limp at the finish ; you won't want to miss it, for it's a "Must" of the month. Alfred, Lord Tennyson's famous poem of course provided the inspiration for this picture, but the best of Hollywood's box-office brains have embellished the idea until it becomes one hundred per cent movie thriller, in the highest sense of the word. From the start this picture moves, and it keeps right on moving until, with the "Charge" itself, it whirls into the most terrific action the cameras have probably ever caught. Right in the thick of the thrills is, always, the handsome, heroic, and ruthless Errol Flynn, here eclipsing his own Captain Blood performance with a less colorful, perhaps, but even more convincing portrayal of Major Geoffrey Vickers, ye compleat British soldier and gentleman, who leaves his love who unaccountably prefers his own brother to himself, and rides to certain death at the head of the 600. Olivia de Havilland is the lovely heroine.