The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 75

oonnmn I DM Vj? XJ I l-l -II "la Sfrada" lectual courage and an absence of Hollywood gloss and sentiment. All that is effectively in evidence here. But the odd thing is that this very American film is directed and with tough, crisp em ciency, too by Alexander Mackendrick. a Scots direc tor previously noted, for whimsical English comedies. An even bieser surprise, perhaps, is the emergence of Tony Curtis in a truly out ia fn the SV standing acting performance as a sycophantic Press agent.

Burt Lancaster, as the all GIGANTIC INTERNATIONAL CAST powerful columnist who em ploys the agent to break up by foul means a romance be 30 OF THE WORLD'S tween a young musician and MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRLS! Condnujng throughout March and April, andMfl the columnist sister, produces a vivid and horrifying, but hardly credible, for your convenience mail order bookings now being received 6 weeks advance. 1BX I ITUIIf I1IUIVI1UII 99 maiif 9 character. (Mayfair). rr Alec Guinness in "The Bridge on the River Kwai." The Ten rr Commandments IT'S safe enough to say that this will be the longest and most expensive film of the vear and may well on its previous record be the most profitable. The ninth commandment com NIGHTLY at 8 MATS.t WF.OS.

and 2 P.m. Extra mat. March 17. Michael Todd's T(CHNICOLOa unmbb 6th Month! Plans for March, April, May at Theatre and Paling's, or by mail (enclosing remittance) to Booking Manager, giving alternate date. Sorry, no phone nook.

Ings. All seats bookalile. PRICES: Week nights, 126, 76! Sats. and 15-, 76; 10-, 61: Child, ren half-price at Matinees. pels us to say that it is not at the same time the best film of the year.

Cecil B. DeMille, for the Comm. FRIDAY. MARCH 14 1 A i Giulietta Masina in "La Strada." 1.. TWIC1 NISHHYi 6.60 p.m.

4 1.10 p.n. MATINIH: Wt. and Sati.1- at 2. JO p.m. mmniit wHk J.C.

WIIIImmmi TkMtrM MOVTS MA 10OO TUEATDir THEATRE SIMPLE beauty such a rare quality: in films these days, when serious film-makers every where seem to be turning to harsh, ness and protest, that the tender humanity and compassion of this absorbing drama from Italy shine all the stronger. It is a story of the smalltime circus performers who wander the roads of modern Italy. Its two central characters, a hulking strongman and the fey peasant girl he "buys" as his assistant are both childlike people whose tragedy springs from inability to understand and express their dependence on one another. Although in retrospect it all may seem to be a sentimental fairytale, while one is watching it one cannot fail to be captured by the restrained artistry of director Federico Fellini and the enchanting performance that Giulietta Masina gives in the role of the browbeaten assistant. One could never tire of watching Masina.

With a plain, pudgy face and a pair of enormous and wonderfully expressive eyes, she reveals her feelings with all the fascinating transparency of a child. There is not a movement or an inflection that is not perfectly judged, yet everything she does seems heartrendingly simple, natural and sincere. This could well be the performance of the year. Nor are the other players negligible. Anthony Quinn shows a sombre power as the brutishly pathetic strongman and Richard Basehart mimes brilliantly as the strong-man's natural antagonist, the nimble high-wire acrobat.

(English subtitles.) (Embassy). "Bridge on the River Kwai" If took 12 years for World War I to produce a profoundly critical, anti-war film, "All Quiet On the Western Front." And here, after jus the same length of time, comes the first really significant English-language film that dares to look detachedly at World War II. But this fascinating study of the military mind under pressure has nothing of the passionate protest of "All Quiet." It is, rather, an impartial and ironical commentary; its conclusions are by no means clear-cut. The film traces the madness of a rigidly military English officer, a prisoner of the Japanese, who at Ifirst suffers torture rather than work beside his men in contravention of the Geneva code, then persuades the Japanese commander to let him supervise the building of a strategically vital 'bridge and becomes blindly obsessed with the idea of proving British efficiency, even though it means deliberately aiding the enemy. LIVERPOOL MA9W n'f- Tift vi- THUTICt TS Of TMI UST lp'J Inlrcdming th MODISH PREFERENTIAL BOOKINGS BY MAIL 1 WRITE J.

C. WILLIAMSON "THEATRES BOX 2525, G.P.O. SYDNEY indicating Date and enclosing cheque and self-addressed envelope for return of tickets. OR select person ally at Nicholson's. second time in his career, has turned the Biblical story of the captivity in Egypt, the Exodus and the revelation of the Ten Commandments into a huge, tasteless spectacle, often tedious, often absurd, occasionally impressive despite itself in sheer size.

It is all a grandly unrestrained act of regression to the infantile days of the cinema, which DeMille seems never to have outgrown. The scenes of the passage of the Red Sea and the orgy around the Golden Calf have an overblown magnificence that recalls the Bible illustrations of Gus-tave Dore. Most of the other mass scenes are mere accumulations of detail with no quality other than bigness. Charlton Heston makes a stiffly sententious Moses, but he does no worse than a number of the far more distinguished actors who are dotted through the huge cast and who seem to find the pretentious shallowness of their dialogue baffling to their talents. (Technicolor.) (Prince Edward.) "Mister Rock and Roll" it is an order of the day 1 1 NOW! Elvis Presley in bis first 1BfRACf 2.30 p.m.

Mat, 8 p.m. 2.30 p.m. 8 p.m big dramatic singing role: "MILHOUSE ROCK" with Judy Tyler, Mickey ShaUKhnessy. C'Scope, (G). Plus- Shorts, News, etc.

10.55. 1.55. 4.55, 8.0. Air-con. NOWI MGM's Great Love Drama set in wartime New Zealand "UNTIL THEY SAIL" Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Piper Laurie, Paul Newman.

C'Scope, (A). News, etc. 11. 2, 5, 8. NOW! Special Return Season of MGM's Record-breaking Musical! "HIGH SOCIETY" Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly.

Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong. Colour, G. Plus News, Shorts, etc. 11, 2, 5. 8.

Theatres Air-conditioned." NOW! Two Great MGM Shows! "RAGE IN HEAVEN" Ingrid Bergman, Robert Montgomery, (A). Plus Walter Pidgeon. Rosalind Russell in "DESIGN FOR SCAN. DAL," (A). 1.30, 4.45.

8.0. NOW! Elvis Presley rocking with 6 new songs. "JAILHOUSE ROCK." C'Scope G). Plus Cartoon, News, etc. Sess.t 7.30, 7.45, 9.45.

Gates open 6.30 P.m. Dine-Inn. Playground. Location: Waterloo nil Hume Hiahway. YB1616.

1 and 2. Book: Palings. Trocadero and Kippax's. All tickets from last Wednesday can be exchanged at the bookinp office where ourchased Burt Lancaster (left) and Tony Curtis in "Sweet Smell of Success." RrZDGilDEDEDlEDrZDKED 2 PERFORMANCES 1 DAILY. a role of the colonel seems to be insufficiently developed.

The other main roles are admirably handled by William Holden as the tough ly realistic American, by Sessue Hayakawa as the bemused and morally de- 1 be heard, why should it be u. Mat. i.ju. fcven. I W.bMittS I CheCea It is a big, sprawling film which ultimately grips the whole of one's attention especially in the almost unbearably tense final scenes despite some weaknesses in the screenplay and director David Lean's handling of it.

It attempts to embrace too much. There is a secondary story following the attempt of a party of British to reach the bridge and destroy it, seen as well? This film, like most of its. kind, is an interminable hit parade, illus- teated Japanese comman anA i trated by a sequence of un 10mmandmfit35 111 ii rHiiiVa nut in nan ft uuu isv iiflfi mils as the grimly dedicaled prepossessing faces in stereo- commando. But these, too, lAcu Among the popular "stars" 0RYNNER- HESTON BAXTER-ROBIN5ON0 itCHPieoioii WStiVlSIOH lack the room to reveal Teddy Randazzo the their, motives fully. (Techni- SHOWBOAT CRUISES TODAY 30 Mile tourist cruise at 3 p.m.

Concert cruise at 8 p.m., with topline artists. Showboat sails from Nov 1 Jetty, Circular Quuy. FOR INFORMATION, BU6784. most frequent appearances Reserves both sessions avail- Ul and there are at least three color.) (Lyceum). more important characters, It may be forgivable that he is utterly unable to act.

tut he reveals himself in a few As result, anrl ffosnitA all 'Sweet Smell of the brilliance that Alec Guinness brings to it, the straight numbers as an out-and-out non-singer as well. (Capitol) Continued on opposite, page AvTHCTB and 8aU. at 1 1 HEW IV paw TROCADERO Popular Dancing tonight and every Sunday, 8 p.m. Jjfit. C.

WILLIAMSON STATE ii. 2. 5,8 "THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON," Kenneth More (Tech.) (G). Plus: "Touch ol Spring" (G). BM243I.

Air Conditioned. CAPITOL xSk 7 "MR ROCK AND ROLL" (G). Plus: "Zero Hour" (G). BA4905. LYCEUM "THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI," starring WILLIAM HOLDEN, ALEC GUINNESS and JACK HAWKINS.

In Cinemascope Technicolor (G). 3 SESSIONS daily at 10.30, 2.0, VICTORY "JEANNE EAGELS." Kim Novak (A). Plus: "Jet Job" (G). MA6866. URGENT CALL FOR NURSES MATRON and SISTER required for TARAWA HOSPITAL Gilbert and EHice Islands Colony.

Immediate Vacanclei for a on-ycar period. SALARY, MATRONt 1290 Australian Fixed, Including pay differential phis A30 Uniform Allowance. No other allowances or free concessions. SALARY, SISTER) In the scale of 1050-1242 Australian, includes differential plus A30 Uniform Allowance. No other allowances or free concessions.

Passages paid to the Colony and return on completion ol contract. torn. (DALGETY COMPANY LTD. THIS powerfully unpleasant drama turns a searching light on the shabby, dog-eat-dog ethics of Broadway's entertainment industry and the sinister influence of the American Press columnist. Despite some shrill overstatements that remind one that Clifford Odets had a hand in the screenplay, the film is a highly successful product of what might be called the "New York School" of film-making, which specialises in natural settings, a degree of intel- few 'flfJllJgT'OL-H THE MIKADO Nlahtl at 8.

Matt.t I BOOK: Pallnxs, Nicholsons, I Theatre at 2. Plans Nicholson's and Royal. 6 days ahead. rTHE SUN-HERALD, MARCH ,9, 1958.