Variety (Jul 1948)

FlOr REVIEWS Wednesday, July 7, 1948 Key Larg;o Hollywood, July 3. Warnor Bro», ^relc'iy*) ol! Jorry WaU pro- duotlon. Staio Huinphvoy Wogai-t, Eilwiird is. Bobinsoii, Lfturen Bacilli; teatiiros Lionel Jiiirrymore, Clali'e Trevor, Tliomas Ooinca. lilfOtitStl Ijy John Hnmnn, RtuTtinnlay, EJehara BrookB, John Huston; bauccl oa Blay by Maxwell Anderson; carowa, ICarl Frcund; music. Max Htelner; ortUor, Iludl jFdlir. Tmdeshown at. Ijo« AuKelca, July 2, M8, Running time, J«0 MUSS. _ riauk M'Clond. Humphrey Bognrt Johnny Bqeeo Edward O. RoblMOn Nora Tpmirto Lauren Bacall Jarneo Temple Liohel Barrymore Bayo. ■ .Onalre Trevor Curly .....•ThomaB llomeis Toots '.'....i........... .Harry liOwls beputy Ciya* Sawyer.,.. John Hodney KItfffv i,...f ■ Miirc Lawrence AnS •'. S-^ymour B«n Wade Monte Ulue SSfcliman William Haiido ^ ,1 D..,. ) Silver Heels Oeceoja Bios j jtoario Bed Wing A tense film thriller has been develiDped from Maxwell Ander- son's play, "Key Largo." It's a hard-hitting, gangster yarn with enough marquee weight in the star names to kick it off strongly at tiie boxoffice. Emphasis is on ten- i^lon in the teUing, and effective Ee of melodramatic mood has en used to point up the suspense r audience satisfaction; There are overtones of soapbox- ing on a better world but this is Sever permitted to interfere with asic plot, resulting in sturdy film *are for the meller fan. The An- derson play has been brought up to the postwar period by scripters BtdiaFd Brooks and John Huston, making a disillusioned veteran and « vice lord represent present-day problems in winning the peace. As noted, that particular theme doesn't interfere wiQi essential aim of telUng a gangster yarn. Key West locale is an aid In Etressing tension ttiat carries through the plot. Atmosphere of the dfeadly, still heat of the keys, the threat of .s hurricane and the m«iace of merciless 'gangsters mske the suspense seem real, and Huston's direction stresses the mood of anticipation. These ele- gients are further hammered home y Jerry Waid's production super- Viston and the skilled use of tech- nical contributions. Humphrey Bogart is seen as a veteran, stopping off at Key Largo to visit the. family of a buddy Idlled in the war. He finds the ^un*down hotel tdken over by a group of gangsters, who are wait- ing to exchange a load of counter- feit for real cash. Kept prisoners over a long day and night, during which a hurricane strikes, the best and the worst is brought out in {ht characters — fear, and the. Strength that comes from it, to the I ;ood, fear, and its weaknesses, for he evil. As the short span of lours come to a conclusion, Bogart las found love and a new purpose in life. The excitement generated Is quiet, seldom rambunctious or Slambang, although there are mo- ments of high action. The per- formances are of uniform excel- lence and go a long way towards establishing credibility of the events. Bogart comes through with a solid performance; Edward G. Robinson has few equals at por- traying swaggering racketeers and makes ids character a standout. Lauren Bacall walks off with the straight assignment of a war widow, demonstrating ability to handle a character without a slink or a whistle. Lionel Barrymore shows, up strongly as the hotel owner. Claire Trevor gets her teeth into role of faded gangster moll, a character with plenty of opportunity to dis- play acting talent. Thomas Gomez, Harry Lewis, Dan Seymour and William Haade make a swell bunch of hencemen for Kobinson. John Rodney, deputy. Marc Law- rence, racketeer, and Monte Blue are among others rating mention. Effective use of actual locale {oota^e with, studio - made scenes lelps air of authenticity obtained by Waid's production. The fine lensing by Karl Freund, special effects, score, art direction and settings ar'e strong contributors to mood. Brog. demess. Preston Foster dreams of establishing a horse ranch in Texas. His wife, Mary Stuart, isn't sure of her love for her husband, and Wil- liam Bishop is a weak youth making a play for the wifi;. Trio presents strange contrasts in the horse hunt and there is excitement in the clashes—human, animal and na- ture. • Kqnhie handling title role adds considerable color and action to the doings as the focal point around which characterizations are devel- oped. Also, he is responsible for tlie eventual saving of Foster and Miss Stuart after the death of Bishop. Plot line, in some ways, re- minds of "Trea.sure of Siena Ma- dre," with the horse substituting for gold and ending happy rather than ironic. Cast threesome gives individually good performances that help main- tain interest. The Ted Richmond production is smooth and the out- door setting has been filmed in sepia by Henry Freulicb for an- other advantage. Phil Karlson's direction has developed the charac- terizations strongly in the Hal Smith script. Outside of an awk- ward length for double bill spot- ting, "Thunderhoof" is a smart de- parture rrom formula program fea- ture. Brofl, The Walls of Jerielio Hollywood. July 3. 20th-Fo)c 'releano of I^omar Trottt produc- tion. ' Stais Cornel Wilde, Llnfla Darnell, Anno Baxter, Kirk Douglas; features Ann Bvoralf, MaiJorlo Kombeau, HeniT Hull, Colleen Townjwnd, ■ Burton Ma('-T.ftT)e. Griff Barnett, William Tracy, Art Baker. Direct- ed by .lohu M. Stahl. Screenplay. Lamar 'A-Ottl; baaed on novel Ity JPaul Wellman; camera, Arthur MlUer: editor, James B. Clarli! mUBic, Cyril Mookrldge. Traile- shown July 1, "48. Running time, 111 MINS; Dav«.......................... Cornel Wild* AlHcrla ; Linda Darnell Julia.....'. .Anne Baxter Tutiker Wedge........... i.i. .Kirk Douglas Belle ,. . Ann Hvorak Mrs. Dunham........... ifarjorle Bambeaa JefJeraon Norman..............Henry Hull Marjorie Bunsome .Colleen Townsend Gotch McCurdy .Barton MacLane JudgB HUtto... ,....«rlff Barnett Ciilly Caiton................William Tracy Pedaigrmr Art Baker Tom Kansome............iSVank Ferguson NeUl<^; i.... .Ann Morri-son Mrs. Hutto ..Hope Ijindtn Mrs. Kansomo.. ..Helen Brown Andy McAdam. .Norman Leavltt JuAga Poster Whltford Kane Baliirr J. Pttrrell M.-ioDonnia Mulllfcen. Dick Bich Dr. Patterson .WUl Wright Thiinderltoof Hollywood, July 2. Columbia release of Ted Hichmond pro- duction, reaturea Preston Foster, Mary etuart, Wllllttm Bishop. Directed by Phil Iterlson. Original screenplay, Ual Bmlth .dded dialog, Kenneth Garnet; camera, lenry Preulich: editor, Jerome Thorns. At antagcs, Hollywood, June 30, '48, Bun bins time. TS JUNS. Spotty Hasan..!, ..<°i>......Preston Poster jlargarlta,.Knry Stuurt %>e Kid... ...:.WUUam Bishop XhUndcrhoof ..Hlmaclt "Thunderhoof attempts to be different from the usual supporting feature, and comes oft rather well. Vsihg small cast and outdoor locale, Slot moves forward at an interest- ig pace, despite being overlength for its release intentions. Story deals with tliree humans and how their characters are re- vealed during a hunt for a fabulous wU4 stallion In the Mexican wU- Miniabire Reviews "Key Larito" (WB). Potent gangster melodrama with Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robin on. Lam-en Bacall, "Thunderhoof" (Col). Pro- gram feature oflf the beaten path; okay supporter. "The Walls of Jencho" (20th). Drama of politics and love in early Kansas will need Strong selling. Good cast names> ,. \ „ "The Illegals" (Indie). Pow- erful docmnentary on the migration of Jewish d.p.'s from Europe to Palestine. "VlHaee Teacher" (Artkmo). Routine Soviet film with lim- ited prospects In foreign lan- guage houses. Th« Illegals (DOCUMENTABY) Mayer-Bui-styn rcle.^so of Meyer Levin, prodnction, directed, written and narrated | Ijy I.*vln. Chimera, Jean-Paul Alohen. Ber- Irand Hchso; mnslc, Wally Itwvono-Pau- quin. Previewed N. Y,, June 28, '48. Run- ning lime, 80 MINS. 'The Walls of Jericho" is a leis- urely screen drama of politics and love as practiced in Kansas early in the 20th century. Indications are that the boxoffice will be spot- ty. The Paul Wellman novel, from which film was adapted, has a num- ber of exploitable angles that can be used to advantage in attracting the femmes. However, strong sell- ing is necessary. Characters are insufficiently es- tablished to give audiences a clear insight into What makes them tick. Footage is long and the leisurely pace used by John M. Stahl's di- rection makes for wavering inter- est. Players, within the limits of the treatment, are good, even add- ing a wallop to some of the more emotional scenes. Despite a num- ber of good points, overall effect of film is flat. Cornel Wilde and Anne Baxter ate the principals around which the plot swings. He is a politically- minded country lawyer in love with her. Miss Baxter is an attorney who returns that love although barred from consummation because of his marriage to a di-unken spouse. Chief political antagonist to Wilde is Linda Darnell, ambitious wife of the town's publisher. Kirk Doug- las. Through her wily, feminine tricks, Miss Darnell manges to estrange all friendships in the town, ruining reputations and best- ing her opponent until the law of averages catch up-with her in the end. As a Portia, Miss Baxter regis- ters in her courtroom plea to save a girl accused of murder and to clear her own reputation, fouled ttirough machinations of Miss Dar- nell. Her love scenes with Wilde also are goodw His character is the most clearly motivated and, con- sequently, shows up strongly. Miss Darnell's reasoning is not suffi- ciently established but she graces the one-sided character with per- sonal charm, Douglas works hard as the publisher used by his wife for her own advantage. Ann Dvorak is seen as Wilde's wife and Marjorie Rambeau as the shrewish mother - in - law. Faring best among the featured players is Colleen Townsend, the young girl accused of murdering Barton MacLane, town bully. Griff Bar- nett, Art Baker, Frank Ferguson and Whitford Kane are among oth-^ ers rating mention. . Lamar Trottl produced from his own screenplay, faring better in supervision of physical values of the Smalltown background than in the writing. Score is dotted with oldtime songs fitted to the era por- trayed and Arthur Miller's photog- raphy Is topnotcb. Brog. "The Illegals," a factual film de- picting the exodus of Jewish dis- placed persons from Europe into Palestine, packs a terrific wallop. This is an authentic documentary made out of the tragic experience of real people in real situations. Whatever this pic's commercial fate will be, it's certain to endure in the historical record as a summa- tion of this era's agony and hopes. Like "My Father's House," M^er Levin's initial production, this film will receive a good reception in carefully selected situations in most of the key cities. Heightened inter- est in the P&lestinian question may widm its appeal to more general circles. However, the pic's unre- mitting sombreness and a few un- avoidable flaws in lighting and lens- ing will probably restrict the play- dates to a narrower field than the film deserves. The best thing about "The Ille- gals" is that it never reaches for dramatic effects. Levin .and his cameramen (recruited from Euro- pean newsrecl outfits) simply fol- lowed the movements* of a group of refugees and let the facts speak ^oquently for themselves. While the film is full of sympathy for the uprooted Jewish people, it scrupu- lously avoids violent partisanship in stating their case. It only prop- agandizes for the right of peoples to go freely to the land of their choosing. The narrative thread is picked up in Poland where a young Jew- ish couple attempts to reconstruct their lives after being released from a Nazi labor camp. However, the universal rubble and the after- math of anti-Semitism, which is sensitively suggested in the shrug of a Polish peasant's shoulders, forces their decision to go to Pales- tine. They join a larger group of emigrants and begin their danger- ous underground trek across a con- tinent where, ironically, virtually everything has been shattered ex- cept the frontiers. The treatment of the final leg of their journey via boat from Italy to Haifa is a brilliant piece of cam- era reportage^ The crowding of women and' children aboard the tiny ship, the stiflling discomfort below deck, the fear of detection by the British and the camaraderie and optimism df the refugees are drawn with poignant detail. Finally a British scouting plane flies over (the ship and soon after, four heavy British cruisers are tagging the tiny vessel to Haifa. At this point, Brit- ish authorities interned the ref- ugees at Cyprus and liut an end to the film. The abrupt finish of the picture is a masked but powerful thrust at the British. Levin's background narration is tempered with judgment and re- straint. Despite many provocations in the material, Levin skirts the pitfalls of over-emotionalism and poetic flights^ which generally sound phoney. Bits of dialog within the film are dubbed into English with uneven results. Recordings of the Jewish folk songs^jiowever, are excellent and add importantly to the film's hauntingly sad quality. . : Hem. Village Teaehcar (RUSSIAN) Artklno release ot Soyusdct prodttetloi). Starn Vera Manrtskaya. Directed by Mark Doonskoy. Screenplay, MurUt. smirnova; camerai Sergei. UresevsHy. Tradeahown N. Y., July 1, '48. Rtihnlng time, 01 MIN». vnrcnka , Vera Maretskaya Martinov,,. i....,.,..(.,...... Dmitri Sagal Voronov Vasslll Maruta School Watchman ........Rivel Olenev Oy;nnaslum Principal ..Roman Pllatt fVohalya Lepeshlnsky ProWoronov I I>inltrl Pavlov ScrEcy TKlgankov..... Tolya Gonichev Dunya.,,., .Bmma fBalashova romance handled without convic- tion. Saddled by an all-powerful but capricious state censorship ap- paratus, Soviet producers are ap- parently finding it healthier to deal with "safe" ideas, In external production values, this offering is almost as slick as one of Hollywood's top items. Tech- nical finesse is found in the lull lighting, expert outdoor camera work, solid Interiors and fine make- up eilects. Accomplished physical setup, however, only serves to high- light the pic's mechanical heart. Undi-amatic yam is concerned with the fictional biog of an ideal- istic young schoolteacher who leaves Moscow for a post in a Si- berian village. Her career begins during the Czarist times and ranges until the end of the second World War. Her husband, first an under- ground revolutionist and then a political commissar, is killed in the war but she is rewarded by the suc- cesses of her students. Growth of the village and world developments during the teacher's lifetime are treated superficially with a crude tooting of the Soviet horn. As the teaclier. Vera Maretskaya registers as a credible performer who grows along with her role with a big lift from the makeup depart- ment. Dmitri Sagal, as her hus- band, is a typical storybook hero- revolutionist. The children provide the film's most natural and likable sequences. , Hem. Historla De Una Mala Miijer (The story of a Bad Woman) (ARGENTINE) Argentine Sono Film release and produc- tion. Directed by I.uis. Saslavsky. Stars Dolores del Rio. Adapted from an- Oscar Wlldo play by Pedro Ulgnel Obllgado; camera/ Alberto Btcbebehere. At Amhassa^ dor, Buenos Aires, Runntng time^ SO MINS. Miss ISrlynne... .Doloi'CB' del Rio Lady Windermere,,, . i........ Maria Duval Lord .Arthur. Francisco de Paula Lord Darlington.,..,. Fernando Lamas lx»rd Windermere. Alberto Closaa Duchess ..Amalla S. Arino This is an unusually careful production for an Argentine-made picture and every effort'-has been made to live up to the prestige and marquee value of Dolores del Rio's name, But even this isn't enough to put the picture-on a par vith those of European or Hollywood studios. It's U. S. appeal is small. Those of Oscar Wilde's original lines which have been allowed to remain in this very free adaptation of his "Lady Windermere's Fan" are entirely lost because the actors haven't mastered them. A great deal of sentimental melodrama has ^ been added to the play, to explain Mrs. Erlynne's past and show her ias sacrificing her great love for Lord Arthur, in order to save her daughter's happiness. In fact, maternal sacrifice is made the whole tlieme of the picture, with a finale different to that of the play, with Mrs. Erlynne selling her jewels, and in particular Lord Arthur's prized gift, before exiling herself from England. Miss del Rio is moving and un- derstandable in the role of Mrs. Erlynne, despite the studied artifi- ciality of some of her poses. The Argentine cameramen are not al^ ways as land to her as are the Mexicans, who are so much more skillful. Maiia Duval is pleasing to the eye as Lady Windermere, and considering her previous thor- oughly ingenue roles, gives < quite surprisingly good performance. Alberto Closas, Spanish legit actor, is the performer who seems most easy in his part. Other players act pretty stiffly. There are moments when the picture drags unbeliev- ably, but relatively spealcing it's the best turned out by local studios in a long thne. Pic ran at the Am- bassador for six weeks, with un- precedented grosses for a local production. Wid. (In Russian; JEtiglish Titles) "Village Teacher" is a mediocre film that will fare well only in the Rus.sophile circuit. Pic is an over- long, sprawling and dull melange of Soviet ^tiiotlsm and "boutsols" Foreign Filiii Re?iew (Untifeeli/ for Angto-U. SMarkei) "11 I'lacrc N. 18" C'Cnb No. 1.1") (ITAUAN). Minerva release of Bxcrlsu production, atars Marcel Hcrrand, Gin- ctte Leclerc, Vera Oarml, Leonardo OOr- tese, Boldano Lupl, Pierre Larauey, Ray- mond Bussicree. Directed by Mario Hattoll. Screenplay, Mettoll, Leo Oat- tozzo, Andre HuKon, Raoul Andre, Jitoquna Rastlcr, from novel by Oi'avler do Montepin, Camera, Jan; StdlUch. At jeiuropa and Galloria, Rom«, BUanlrtK time, IM MINB, Produced also in French version, this big-budgeted adaptation of the dusty melodrama by Xavler de Montepin is lacking in story inter- est. Lavish settings, gorgeous cos- tumes and outstanding lenswork can't give life to puppet-like char- acters and old-fashfoned intrigue. Script, direction and acting don't help much. Pic not a draw here, and unlikely elsewhere, except South-American mnrlnts.' ^mt. Pressure Groups SB Cmtinued from page } ^ source material. It is partially the shibboleths Imposed by the studios on themselves, such as the fact that they don't want war stoHes, they don't want controversial sub-i jects, they don't want costume or historical novels, and they don't want "downbeat" yarns—those that are sad or depressing. Thus, economy, which has been imposed with a vengeance by most studios since the foreign situation became tense last summer, is only an indirect reason, according to the story eds, for the situation which presently finds Hollywood hungry for story properties. With shelves running dry of suitable material for next season's produe-> tion and none available from the usual sources, the perennial seardi by most companies for stories hjB ; become almost frantic. Economy the Basis Economy, of course, is the rea- son for avoiding costumers. They - just cost too much to produce. It has nothing to do, however, with the avoidance of various other types of stories. Incidentally, what is in demand are mellers that Cim be adapted to the semi-documen- tary technique and comedies. Most of the story eds are of the ' opinion that prices of top novels and plays have not come down, de* ' spite the cry for economy. Ac- tually, there have been so few bought that there is no market and it is impossible to tell the status of prices. General feeling is, however, tliat should a topnotch property come along for which a couple studios had a real desire they'd hid up the price as high as ever. The lack of quality material, in- cidentally, is another reason why the best-seller list is so free of film entanglements; Story editors claim that the crop of books dtu> ing the years since the war has been inordinately poor. And what- ever there is of top quality, they say contains subject matter which -Hollywood: won't touch now. Pressure Groups Real sensitivity to the pressure groups dales back to the J. Parnell Thomas committee investigation last fall of alleged Communism in - the film colony. That was accom- panied by such a fanfare that the charges, although unproved, are believed to have resulted in a con- siderable bite being taken, out of the boxoffice. Ever sincei Holly- wood's brass has been so busy tiy- ing to prove that the picture in- .dustry is a right-Uving, right- thinking and right-producing com- munity that they have gone far out of their way to offend no one— whether it be Thomas, the Catho- lic Church, the Jews, the Negroes, the Presbyterians, the American Dental Society or the Institute of Journeymen Plumbers of America. Story eds claim that as a result they have to fine-tooth-comb eveiy prospective book or play so care- fully they can find nothing that will pass the test of all the "may nots." They've had nowhere to turn, therefore, except to writers of originals, at whom a big pitch is now being, aimed to tailor-make yarns for the screen. Originals Pay Oil Many scriveners are chary of doing originals, because they've been approached before, only to have turned down whatever they wrote specifically for Hollywood. Story chiefs are having a tough time convincing the boys and gals that this time the program's going to be different. One of the things they are pointing to is the recent success—and big money—obtained by Herman Wouk, author of last year's "Aurora Davm" (unsold for the screen), in doing an original for .20th.Fox. Wouk came in with an idea for which 20th immediately gave him $5,000 as an option on the original when he wrote it. Studio picked up the option, givhig him $50,000 for the yam, and then sent him out to the Coast to do the screenplay for another $25,000. He's now back east writing another original. His initialer, labeled "Slattery's Hurricane," is about the Navy's weather reseanch, which calls for planes to fly into the eye of hurri-. canes to see what makes them tick- Only three books on the best- seller list owned by picture com- panies are No. 8, "Bright Feather," by Robert Wilder, which Para- mount bought last December; No. 9, -"Raintree County," by Boss Xockridge, Jr., which Metro ac- quired via its prize novel contest, and No. 19, ''Cry, the Beloved Country," by Alan Paton, . which Sir Alexander Korda owns.