Variety (February 1959)

REVIEWS VEstiEFT Wednesday, February 4, 1939 The dsarney ' * - CttOLORJ ' Sfeoaff b*«fc for fids easi-west sterr of Re 1S56 Hanrarian revolt. Hollywood, Jan. 30. Metro release of Atty production. Stars Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner; costars Richard Merley. E. G. MardiaH; ‘Tatro- duces” Jason Rebards Jr. ProuuCer- director, Anatote Litvak. Screenplay. George Tabori; camera. Jack Hildyard; musie, Georges Auric; editor, Dorothy Spencer. Previewed at the studio, Jaxu. 28 ,’SbI Harm tog time* 122 MINS. Lady Ashmore._Deborah Karr Major Surer . Yul Brynner Hugh Deverlll.Robert MorTey Rtj£elander .E. G. MandtaH Paul Kedes (Fleming). .Jason Bobards Jr. Czepege .. Kurt Kasznar ULinw David KocscdEE J w^mw , F, . Marie Deem*.! real scene, but be uses it to raise the drama to passionate conviction. T&bori’s screfenulas* i§ .am honest wcetic, and his Itoigiff Into his | various nationalities ^'egbecfeHy perceptive. The ipte matiqra b L .cagt help#, and sO does the fine camera work by Jaek Hildyard and the musical score by Georges Auric. Po we. [■ • ■ — -- ~ r “ inftatlm of Life Fine remake of 1934 film. Tears will be shed, but not by exMbs if Lana Turner-John Gavin starrer is properly pro¬ moted. Hollywood, Jan. 7. Universal release of a Ross Hunter Mr. Hafouh . • Gerald Onxy Stars Lana Turner, John Bcriala .Barbara.Von Nady S^tof^tara^dra Dee, Dan 0 *Herlihy, Jacques. Ftery . M?uince Smfatl Kohnef, Robert Alda; with Juanita -hSlSSPdSSt. SXflTS " .- ™ *591 Running time, 125 MINS. “The Journey" is a powerful and jSSS^.V.*.!’.!.T j^SSto provocative film. Its novel back- Susie cage m ...:.- Sa 2fi£* r ?£5 ground is the abortive Hungarian j David Edward*"... *.. Dp O’Herlihy Sarah Jane (age 18).Susan Kohner revolt of 1956. Anatole Litvak, S^Lo^ .......V.\V.*.'-Eobert Aida who produced and directed, appa- Annie Johnson.•• roast timed « HHiminaeng this ■ .f^^-^--n::";.?*S& , Sta8S' event by the familiar technique of sude (age e>.Teijy Biu^asa showlpg the rebellion’s efieet an. international group of charac- show GiriT.. Ann Robinson ters. This aspect has not been >Franide .. fully realized, hid strong and strik- V; .V.V.‘.V.V.V SrS Ing individual characterizations. Minister —r;-JorfJHu^ea and their intergiay nomad® ::::::::::::: j 3S» W b&£ provide a compelling story. What’s Teacher ..Malda. Severn going to- sell tickets to this Metro gomana.*.• 5 ?£s25 release—and sell a lot of them— *** .-.■. ®T?** release—and sell a lot of them— is the . romantic combination - ' of Deborah’Kerr and Yul Brynner. “Imitation of Life’* crosses a George Tabori’s screenplay is a re- SSiS^SlSS of fSJflSdS rece^^lr^U’Fa film tS? will benefit from word-of-mouth, par- t<y the Austrian frontier a distance ttcularJy ^ Upsticked mouth. A re- of about 106 miles. A group of ma ^ e ^ Fannie Hurst’s novel of pa^ngexs, American. British, the early . 30 > Sf it will need selling* f^enriL lsraeli. etc is trappy at % this tone U has something to the Budapest airport by the Hun- S8 jl garian uprising. The Red Army j.aria Turner, looking in early grounds toe civilian planes, so this scenes as she did 15 years ago, is particular group has to take a has outstanding in the pivotal role to Vienna. They seem due to suf- played in Universalis 1934 version fer n» greater discomfort than sub- £y Claudette Colbert. Scripters stitution of surface travel for air* Eieahore Griffin and Allan Scott, until they arrive at the last check whose screenplay is intelligent,, point on the border, where the basically ' honest add always mav- Hnssian commander is Yul Bryn- ing, transplanted her from the near. original pancake-and-flonr busi- He delays toe party, ostensibly to ness to the American stage, verier their passports and exit per- while this device lends more mils. His reasons are nob dear, scope, it also results in toe over- One seems, to be his purely whim- done busy actress-neglected daugh* sical desire for western company, ter (mnflict, and thus the secondary Another is his suspicion—a cor- plot of a fair-skinned Negress reet one—that one member of the passing as white becomes the film’s, party, Jason Retards Jr., is not a primary force. The relationship of harmless tourist, hut one of the- the young colored girl and her Hungarian rebel leaders. mother—played memorably by The plot is aT complex one, made Susan Kohner ana Juanita Moore more complicated by the fact that •—& sometimes overpowermg, while none of the characters on either relatiOBshiiv of MissTurner side* Communist and non-Commu- ■**& her daughter, Sandra. Dee, nisL is simple. When it eventually comes to life only briefly when Smmersdown to, is apolitical *°i h "*to same man, sexual triangle, with Brynner jeal- ^breading its oub of MissKerr’s attaclmenttn these f& tl iSS h 2£»Sn th 5 Robordfi. The picture ends with Brynner sacrificing himself to al- n °^ bl f blt .. of sto/Y-toBin&- low Miss Kerr and Bobards to es- , The him is a fine achievement cape after toe other have been for producer Ross Htmter and (H- leSlv released vector Douglas Sirk who made 125 rrvZ tnrr, *.'t,™. ^ minutes, lacing back and forth from-one story to the other, play out being one t hing and ended up tivhtlv and infenselv another. A “Grand Hotel*’ tech- ^ ^Seial angle is nique, and the enfoldment of d- strong; with both the g^wh© verse nationalities, dimmed as the wants to “pass" and the mother, three principal characters emerged who calls it a' sin to pretend, stronger and more vital. Litvak presenting their cases admirably, found he could tell his story al- g a storing portrayal, Miss Koh- most entirely through Miss Kerr n«r gives every indication of being (the west! and Brynner (the east), one of the-finest young actresses in so the -subsidiary characters and films, and Moore, as the their subplots suffer. «*- mother, is a- find in the Negro This neglect is Justified, how- character actress field. Gavin, ad- ever, chiefly by the projection of mirably underplays, leaving the Brynner*s characterizatimx. He is theatrics to the actress he loves* capricious, sentimental, erue l, mid with this 1 role is on his way eager for love and suspicious of to the ranks of full-blooded screen attention. He is bright as a pre- heroes. Miss Dee is exuberant and cocious child and just as unsophis- rather forceful when he role der ticated. He is not the type to mands it, turning in a spirited pep- defect, hut he will never be com- fomaace. pletely. comfortable again. Bryn- Miss Turner plays a character of ner does a fine Job in projecting all changing moods, and her charges ; • this are remarkably effective, as she mss' Kerr has the difficult as- Wends love and understanding, sin-, signthent of being In love with one c ! ri i y J^L ^ nbl %?u5 le man, Bobards, and yet unwillingly »s • refle cted neatly in attracted to another, Brynner, who is the opposite of all she admires A1 ^. r AMBnlrfn « tho State’s Attorney who cracks tr* 2 rm*Fi the case and who, in the. end. Is made to look almost ^guilty by wdZlranu baked Welles.- Richard Anderson is nat-' ?^g!! r JSg Jg!?a l S5. l Sff oral as Judd's brother and Robert S!,^S «l£5k Simon Brings * fine sense of bumor stoSf i nlento to bis portrayal of'Lt Johnson. -SSSS’hi SST P W Edward Binns IS effectiye as Tom strong b.o. ontry. Daly, the reported. Louise Lorimer 20th-Fox release of Darryl F. Zanuck hits the right note as Artie’s S0- Frbductipn* ttresentetlon. Produeed by cialite mother. r Richard Murphy,-who wrote toe Diiimarir feaW** E. G. .Marshall, Martin screenplay, did a gratifying ipb in Milner, Richard Anderson, Robert Sunon, sticking Closely to- the Levin book. ^ 5 S , *L.^fio§^ t vSgSS i rffi The dialog is completely believ- Directed by Richard Fleischer; screei^>lay, able. William C. Melloris photo- Richard Mimuiy, from Meyer Levin novel graphy is a big plus. His Camera music?* Lionel C htosroan; editor, Wiiijani moves without any contrived an- ReynoTds. Previewed at the 20th home* files, yet in a host of clever little ogc^N.Y.Jan.zs.^.Ronninx Pme, ^ 0 t S catches toe- essence, of the Jonathan Wilk ....Orson Wellaa ch aracter&. , . Ruth Evans ... mane Varsi But in the final accounting it is . ..-- V, still toe direction and the perfor- Efom ^ .. W *mances that gvie the picture^its ad....... - Martin Milner electric quality. There are some lapses,toi be sure. The.twoboysare Tom Daly . aiward Binns explained, the viewer can under- Mr, straui -...— BcJEE* stand them, but it is impossible to LoSli LoSS get involved. A revoltmg crime has Padua...G?vin MacLeod been committed, but the very ter- 8^u*aw-r.r.'.:::.^S SSS s» * nev “ iuiiy it penetotes ..... Gen-y Lock The film is artful m its technical Detective Davis .Harry Carter detail. Which extends to the per- .fonnan ces , yet it is curiously art- __ less and devoid of imagination whep it comes to the expressions that 316 P^ el y film’d and beyond “Ss* & the scope ot dialog. There is about °Sr*iJ las , be ^ n "T it an tonost sober atmosphere, r ^ eve d somewhat by toe expert and extraordinarily effective cut- study of the notmoous Leopold- tfcg f editor William Reynolds, ° 7 %^ F rfr^?^ ^elNeSnanSe toTmiS^. “Compulsion” latches on to head- lines of yesterday that still seem • sear chip g ^ intrigue the public of today, clarify, a superb sense for dramatic g’s derteSy a weR-made pictSe wito plepty of boxoffice allure titet, m toe final, un- w ^ younger Zanuck’s maiden T 553 ^ agams ^ capital gives one the right to ex- uSSVchard Fleischer’s expert P ” 1 eTen bettof thte * s • at h jS' t mrUV. ;fc mrnrlnnac nf+hfl J * direction, with its overtones of toe ~ J * documentary, the picture—-in black- and-white Cinemascope—achieves = AIt§feg PSSfiWge not only a good deal of tension as _ • - ■ ■ the police piece together the dues Adventwe pto for Joweivhalf that'finally net the arrogant cul- biUhufw u ^ prits, but it provides a superb - insight Into the inter-relation of Hollywood, Jan. 27. the two protagonists, here called ^Twentieth-Fox release of an Associated XU;. 1 sLj^- r""i5 Producer* tec. production. Star* Bflt Artie and JuacL Williams. Nora Hayden* Lyn Tiomas, Both have highly neurotic, seeth- Leslie Bradley, Produced, by Bernard inry mindc hpnt on lipctruptinn sc Glasses. Written and directed by Edward ing minas Denc on aesvrucuon as 3 *.^^ camera (Regaiscope). WiDu» twisted proof of their superiority. Whitley; editor, Richard C. Meyer? music. 3&2S&S r- the subject is not overstressed. Nick Dennis Both come from wealthy families Tin*... T Nora H*y£«» thst spotted them. . -.fgff ftg& These are .the key roles in the . film. They must carry the burden* ^Sk r7.7........... RaymondD^to* As Artie Straus, the sneering. Hubie ..Tommy Cook ?°jf t 5' wh0 cai }Sf >l0 Sl^ S^Vv.'.-.v.-.-.-.v.-.v.-.- gS'hSSIS distinguish between-reality and his MacKmiop ... court Shepard .dreams, but who knows how to Anderson. .Ralph Sanford hide under the veneer of smooth , ,—“—: . politeness, Bradford Dillman turns " Although the first few feet Of m a superb performance. This “Alaska Passage" give promise of mind is evil, and with the camera a timely documentary look-see at helping to establish his character our 49th state; toe film takes a by focusring on bis face, hi * eyes • Quiek detour into a trucking yism and his mouth, the whole of Artie whose locale is inconsequential. It ■ Rfra^ g gets to be translated to the- m a rks the debut for Associated screen Producers tod-, new indie releas- Dillman so far has-been seen in in^-to^j^^WfithrFox, thbu^l i “A Certain Smile” and in “In Love it’s .probably one of toe more [and War." In “Compulsion" he routine and least ambitious pro- emerges as an intelligent, convinc- Auctions,on toe compands slate, ing actor, a performer of major- it .^remains a well -done law- AU 5 OV.WX f « pbll.UJ.iUGl VI JIIMJV*. I _ stature. Despite the distinct nega- 1 budgeter. tive qualities, Artie has human r .Scnptea dimAncirm 'n*llm»n i Passage IS ul( Edward Bernds fc moving as a woman alone in an un- M bearable situation. .*** excellent, with top perform- Marshall as a nice American (not lincnne ‘Tnrouble^ caricatured, for once); Kurt Kasz- -totoSfinS «q^«. ' ^ coatost as toe HusseR Me^s color photog- ^ D 5 B1 ? Ko ? scff a& raphy is an important asset, as is an israen. Anne Jaekson has one direction, by Alexander Colitzen Strongwene in whiqb she timi^ in and Richard H RiedeLset decora- a glowing performance. Others lion hy Russell A. Gausman and worth noting fcrfude Anonk 'Umee, Julia Heron, sound by Leslie I. Siegfried Scburenberg, Maria Ur- ‘Carey and Joe Lapis and editing baa and Barbara Von Nady. by Milton Carruth. Jason RofeardS-Jr,, in his film Frank Skinner’s score is very bow* is e xc ell e nt.. His gaunt and good,, with title song fey Simmy ! haunted face, his halting speech, Fiain and Paul Francis Webster,! at first do not make an impression* sung over Credits by Earl Gr*$t7 except visual. He, too, has hut one another bonus. Re«. - ! dime^ Mta^ rates''top? -.“*2*#'* * e ^«* after this - who move their goods from a small Opposite him, as Judd Steiner, town, TananaCrosstog^o a Mg Dean Stockwell plays an knpres- tow ?* Fairbanks. The ro^s aren’t sionable, sensitive youths crnight sood, toe mountains fall down and up in the spell of his strong-willed companion. K hot sympathy* at ^ Williams, « m toe r«L .The least he evokes pity. Stoekwell’s sQent partner| (Leslie Bradley) Serate ^^ wito lW Varst vades + toe wilds to check on toe * ££s Sr 6UbSS e ‘ ,mme 1 But it is the -interplay between there’s a sexy doll, Nora Hay^ Artie, and Judd, the sense of being ^en, who eyes Williams and finally partners in crime in the context nabs him away-from the-cunning of a larger and more intimate rela- adulteress, and when the* silent tionship, that gives the picture partner—“he’s not so silent any- much of its fascination. Director more”_threatens to leave his wife, Fleischer establishes* it from the sh e hauls out a pistol and gives ; terrifying opening shot when the a ; couple of shots in* the two try to run down a* drunk bn the sbhylder. She races, off, forces a road to their appearance in court, trucker to transport her atoay. :vtoere lawyer Orson Welles pleads from it all and finally ’ ends up for their life in the same idiom quite dead in a fiery crash. ‘ that Clarence Darrow used tp save WiBiams is fine; as . is Miss > Nathan Leopold Jr. Mid Richard : Thomas, white Bradley is a bit too Loeb from the Illinois gallows. unnatural Miss Hayden’s talents Welles, delivering one of the- aren’t subtle. There are top sup- longest monologes ever filmed, is porting performances from Tom- admirable tehis restraint. For once, my Cook and Jorie Wyler, and no one will have trouble under- Nick Dennis delightfully is re¬ standing him. The lines be speaks .spqnsibTe for toe film’s finest become part of the. man himself, moments. an almost classic oration against Writer-director Bemds managed capital' punishment. As the girl to come up with some excitement, who .understands more to an she particularly in a truck chase se- knows* and who- reaches but for quence, and his direction holds his Stoekwell, Miss Varsi*--seems at screenplay together. . Producer times awkward. It’s not an easy Bernard Glasser added good pro¬ part,, and, stiH new to' acting, she ductibn values for this low-budg- .brings to it a tenseness that doesn’t cter* with William Whitley’s always register. photography of the chase most In smaller roles, Martin Milner effective. Other credits are well is sympathetic as- -too student-, handled—editing, by Rtchird C, reporter who helps break the case Mever, art direction by John Mans- by finding Stpckwell’s glasses on ‘bridge, sound by Frank Goodwin too . body , of toe . murdered boy. and murieal score fey Alex Alex- E. G. Marshall is dryly efficient a& t afider. ’ ' Ran;* ■ Hie Trap (CCNLOBl Crime. meHer misfires. ^ top east, spotty b.o. Ukely$ • Hollywood, Jam 30. Paramount release of Parkwood-Heath coproduction. Stars Richard Widmark* Lee J. Cobh; Tina Louise and: Earl Holli¬ man. Produced by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank. Directed .by Panama, Screenplay, Panama 'and Richard Alan Simmons; camera.'Daniel L. Fapp;' editor. Everett Douslas. Previewed at Westwood VilL«e Theatre, Jan, 6, ‘69. Ronniny time. 12 fennS* Ralph Anderson.Richard Widmark Victor Massonetti. Lee J. Coob Linda Anderson Tina Louisa Tippy Anderson . Earl Holliman. Sheriff Anderson.Carl Benton Reid Mr. Davis .. Lome Greene Mellon ....Peter Baldwin 1st Policeman .. Chuck WaasU Lett Karger .. Richard Shannon Joey- .. Carl Milletaire “The Trap?* has strong marquee names and some handsome pic¬ torial values, both geographical and physical. But it is a crime melodrama so over-wrought that it often falls into unintentional par¬ ody, and will have only spotty- suc¬ cess. Melvin Frank and Norman Panama produced the independent coproduction (of their Parkwood and Richard Widmark’s Heath units) for Paramount The faults of the picture are most noticeable in writing and direction. Widmark plays the son of a small town sheriff, Carl Benton Reid, who has expelled him some years before for a minor, youthful indiscretion^ Widmark cbmes home as the mouthpiece of a crime boss, Lee J. Cobb, now on the lam. Cobb and his organization hoods have shut off the little desert commu¬ nity from all outside contact An airplane is to touch down at its isolated field and take Cobb, to another country. Widmark is the willing tool of the syndicate until Cobb’s, hench¬ men kill Reid. Then Widmark turns and attempts to bring Cobb to justice. He is handicapped by his brother, Earl' Holliman, who should be helping Mm, but is a lush and a weakling. Another com-- plication is . Holliman’s luscious wife, Tina Louise, who was for¬ merly Widmark’s girL Their re¬ union sparks the old flame, a fact that further confuses Holliman. “The TTap" is not much differ¬ ent in mood and general plot from several other pictures. It would 1 have justified this familiarity if its • excellent cast had been allowed to I give it Importance or special in- | terest. Unfortunately, the cast*; i members have been ill-served by ; the writing and the direction^ Even such reliable actors as Widmark and Cobb often look foolish with scowling interpretations and over¬ ripe dialog. Ctfbb has a. couple good cynical lines and he delivers them with hfs "Usual*authority; But' too often he and Widmark appear unintentionally and fatally humor¬ ous in moments when menace is intended. Tina Louise, after an auspicious picture bow in “God’s Little Acre," does nothing to advance her ca¬ reer, and. Earl, Holliman make*, little impression in a poorly con¬ ceived role. The supporting cast, Carl Benton Reid, Lome Green, Peter Baldwin and Richard Shan¬ non, come off best, perhaps be¬ cause they are on least. Panama directed the screenplay which he wrote with Richard Alan Simmons, The one solid asset of the picture is the Technicolor photography of the desert. Thesis backgrounds, and the exterior scenes shot there, have interest and often tome excitement. Daniel? L Fapp was cameraman, with Wallace Kelley 'on second unit camera, and Michael Moore as second unit director; Pome. TokynAfter Bark Mild. low-budget meHer with ^ explanation possibilities. ; Hollywood. Jan. 30, .-j Paramount release of a. Nacirem* PrtK ductioB.. Stars Mold KobL Rfehard Long,'' Lawrence DofcJdn, -Paul Bobov* Ten* Shimada, Producer-writer*. Normam Herman and Marvin SejgaL Directed- m 5 Herman; Camera; William M*r*uli w music, Alexander Courage; editor* Robert Lawrence. Previewed at tee studio, Jan, 29, *59; Running time* M MINS. ~ Sumi ... Miehi KoM Sgt. Dougin* . Klcbard' Lon* Major Bradley ........ Lawrence-Debkba ! Jesse Bronson. Paul Bubo? Sen-Sei ..TefuShimada Store Proprietor.Robert Okazaki Mr. Johnson ........... Carlyle .Mitchell NakSmura ...Frank Kumaeafr 2nd G1 .. Jokn BrinWsx Kajima. Edo Mita 1st GI ... Lowell Brown ToaUn.Don Kcigo Takencht Sgt Williams.Jerry Adler . The title of **T6kyo After DariT will lend Itself to lurid'' exploita¬ tion:, and presumably this , is what Paramount is counting off to sell tids Nacirema production. The pieture itself gets littte emotienal or dramatfc value but’ of ff basically iifferesting premise^ that of a GI i* Japan wfia “eftcidbntsdly • itilis. £ * ■ Japanese , civili/’n. “Tokyo After l ' ^Gcmtinued on: page 19^ ; , -