The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 51

1 ife? llUfloi 1 -4 FY FILMS. AND STARS Inquirer SUNDAY. JANUARY 17, 1943 I 1 If i 1 -XT II IV, i If at First You Don't fii ax mivW v. FTw Vw.f-:i..:i SENDING THE BRIDAL BOUQUET TO HER MOTHER Richard Ney plays courier to deliver the wedding mother in "The War Against Mrs. Hadley," which if flowers of his screen sister, Jean Rogers, to their scheduled to arrive on Friday at the Aldine.

ft 1 7 rS I if 1" I v-f-'--' r. Mt. a 1 'War Against Mrs. Hadley vPalm Beach Story7 Coming 'Commandos Strike at Dawn' Due; Wy M-'l Ex-Marine, 13, Gains Laughs Geo. Holle Has Sense of Humor By Louella O.

Parsons HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 16. The best laugh I have had in months came from George William 'Casablanca' 'Forest THEY CALL HER A 'FIGHTING TIGRESS' Gene Tierney portrays the title role in "China Girl," romantic war drama which is scheduled as the next picture at the Fox. CAMERA ANGLES ALDINE "THE WAR AGAINST MRS. HADLEY" is scheduled on Friday to replace "LIFE BEGINS AT EIGHT-THIRTY," drama in its second week, starring Monty Woolley and Ida Lupino.

Fay Bainter has the title role in the coming film, portraying a Washington society woman who continues to lead her old life after war's outbreak, until the seriousness of the situation is brought home to her. Harold S. Bucquet directed from an original screenplay by George Oppenheimer. Edward Arnold enacts Miss Bainter's suitor, Richard Ney and Jean Rogers are her children, Van Johnson plays opposite Miss Rogers. Sara Allgood and Spring Byington are also in the cast.

i FOX "THE' FOREST RANGERS," In color, stars Fred Mac- Succeed From Scenarist To. Producer in 3 Easy Lessons Special to The Inquirer HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 16. Whenever the writers on one of his productions have a difference of opinion as to the screenplay, Hal Wallis likes to iron things out by telling this pertinent yarn: It seems that a scrivener who toiled in the celluloid factories turned out what he deemed his finest story. He had spent three years in making each syllable scintillate, and he felt that if he never penned another line, this opus would stand a3 a fitting testimonial to his talent.

This was in the primeval days of the cinema, before the movie studios had learned to reward genius with checks of $100,000 or more, and so this scriptwriter received a measly $20,000 for his brainchild, a not inconsiderable sum In that era. Story Unrecognizable But then the studio proceeded to rehash, revise and otherwise muti late this literary gem. When it final ly reacned the screen the author was unable to even recognize the plot. The fact that the picture was a I click and made a lot of moola did not alleviate the injury. But this writer was a man of fortitude who never said die.

Several year3 later, considering that his story was still virgin, he brushed it up and sold it to another studio under a different title. This time he received $50,000 in payment, since standards for Hollywood pen-pushers had improved in the in terim. But again the producers changad tne story until it was com pletely unrecognizable, and again the resultant epic made the ticket- wickets turn merrily. Produced It Himself A few more years elapsed. The writer peddled his original yarn for a third time under a still different handle.

Again the scenario underwent a profound change and again it brought in a pretty penny to the studio. By this time, as a result of these three hit pictures, our hero was a full-fledged Hollywood genius with a bulging bankroll. He decided that the time had come to go out on his own and produce the picture himself. And that is precisely what he did. He organized a company.

He ex humed his story in its pristine state. He filmed it exactly as he had written it. He lingered over every scene, he didn't alter a single He lost every dime he ever owned. Ironical that two of M-G-M's best pictures of the year were either neglected or sloughed off by that studio and premiered with much less fanfare than many a big flop namely, "Journey for Margaret" and Saroyan "A Good Job," which were singled out for orchids by most of the cr'tics. Colorful, Kaleidoscopic, Is Tense Film of Africa 'Casablanca' Perfect Combination Of Writing, Acting and Direction Richard Ney In -Navy Notv Interrupts Career After Two Films Richard Ney is checking his acting career for the duration.

He has Joined Uncle Sam's Navy to help win the war against the Axis. Ney belongs in the more fabu lous of Hollywood's success stories, having achieved in his first picture, Mrs. Miniver," a place for himself usually reserved for veterans. Both critics and public responded enthusiastically to this tall, lanky youth's initial performance. As a reward for his work in "Mrs.

Miniver," M-G-M promptly placed him in a second role of equal im portance, that of young Ted Hadley, the son of Fay Bainter in "The War against Mrs. Hadley," which is scheduled to open at the Aldine on Friday. In 'Life With, Father" Ney arrived in Hollywood some months ago with a single play to his Credit. The play was "Life with Father" which promises to go on forever on Broadway in which he played the eldest of the red-headed Day boys. His friends say success has not turned Richard's head.

A modest, unaffected young man, he dismisses his accomplishments by saying simply that he has had "all the breaks." Born In New York He was born in New York but has lived most of his life in Lakeville. Connecticut, where he attended public school. Later he enrolled at Columbia, majoring in Engysh. He wrote articles and conducted a column for the Lakeville Journal, expecting to carve out a writing career for himself when he graduated, which was in 1940. He enlisted in the TJ.

S. Naval Reserve in Detroit when the United States entered the war. As soon as he completed "The War against Mrs. Hadley" he left for Notre Dame University for officers' train-, ing in the Navy. By Mildred Martin "Casablanca" hits the dramatic bull's-eye.

In fact, this timely, spine-tingling, intelligent picture of the intrigue-riddled French African city before its capture by the A. E. F. is a stunning example of what can be accomplished when writing, acting and direction are all of the same high caliber. With last season's Best Ten carefully chosen, recorded and relegated to neat niches in memory, there seems less than the shadow of a doubt that "Casablanca" is destined for a top spot Murray as a Ranger searching for a saboteur wno sets giant trees ablaze.

Paulette Goddard is the socialite he marries, Susan Hayward the tomboy lumber-mill operator he jilts. Songs by Frank Loesser, Joseph Lilly and Frederick Hollander include "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle." George Marshall directed; the film is based on Thelma Strabel's story. The cast includes Lynne Overman, Albert Dekker, Eugene Pallette, Comedy, Drama Listed BOYD "THE PALM BEACH STORY" is listed to replace on Thursday "REUNION IN FRANCE." melodrama with Joan Crawford, John Wayne and Philip Dorn. Written and directed by Preston Sturges, "The Palm Beach Story" is a comedy about a wife who feels she can do more for her husband, an inventor, as his "sister," so she goes to Florida to get a divorce, encountering Rudy Vallee and other millionaires en route. Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea star as the wife and husband; Mary Astor is Rudy's much-married sister.

"Reunion in France" also plays today at the Earle. A "COMMANDOS STRIKE AT DAWN" is scheduled to follow "ROAD TO comedy starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, in its third week. Paul Muni stars in the coming film as a Norwegian who returns to his native village on a Commando raid from England. John among the cream of this year's movie crop. To miss it would be a major disaster for any film goer.

And if that seems a gaudy compliment, this department dares you to dispute it after a trip to the Mastbaum. Bow Farrow directed. Sir Cedric Hard-wicke, Anna Lee and Robert Coote are the English family Muni befriends, Ray Collins and Lillian Gish play an unfortunate Norwegian others include Elisabeth Fraser, Alexander Knox, Rosemary DeCamp, Richard Derr. 'Casablanca' Is New MASTBAUM "CASABLANCA" has its local in Morocco, where In grid Bergman and Paul Henreid are fleeing from the Nazis, and seek French exit visas which Humphrey Bogart holds for safekeeping. Conrad Veldt is the Nazi officer attempting to seize the visas, and in other important roles are Claude Rains.

Peter Lorre, Sydney Green- street and S. Z. Sakau. Micnaei Curtis directed. STANTON "PITTSBURGH," in its second week, has its locale in the Smoky City, where John Wayne rises from a miner to an industrial tycoon.

forgetting his friends until Pearl Harbor jolts him. Marlene Dietrich and Randolph Scott fill out the trio; Frank Craven is a research scientist. Lewis Seller directed, from Tom Reed's scenario. Holmes Mystery Opens EARLE "SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON" finds Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (Dr. Watson) protecting a secret bombsight against Lionel At- will (Moriarty) and his enemy pals.

Kaaren Verne is the girl in the case Roy William Neill directed. The film is based on a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Cab Calloway and his orchestra head the stage bill. STUDIO "ECSTASY," in its second week, is the European-made film starring Hedy Lamarr as the unhappy bride of an elderly man who finds romance with a young en gineer. Gustav Machaty directed from a screenplay by Samuel Cum mins.

'Battle Cry of China' CAPITOL "KUKAN BATTLE CRY OF CHINA," in color, is Rey Scott's dramatic filmization of the Chinese people's unceasing struggle against the Japanese invaders "SHIPS WITH WINGS," sharing tne bill, pictures war in the Medi terranean, with the aircraft-carrier Ark Royal. Sergei Nolbandov di rected; John Clements and Leslie Banks head the cast. KARLTON "THE MOON AND SIXPENCE," from Maugham's novel, stars George Sanders as the artist who lived only to paint, enduring poverty in Paris and later nnfling a haven in Tahiti. Albert Lewin adapted the story and direct ed; Herbert Marshall and Steve Geray are in the cast. ARCADIA "BET WEEN US GIRLS" finds Diana Barrymore ore tending to be a 12-year-old in order to iurtner tne romance of her mother (Kay Francis) with John Boles.

Robert Cummings plays opposite Diana. Henry Koster is di rector-producer. 'Sing You Sinners' Here NEWS "SING YOU SINNERS" tomorrow will replace "TOP HAT," irving Berlin musical, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In "Sine You Sinners" Bing Crosby plays a neer-ao-weil who wins fame in night clubs, while Fred Murray is the serious-minded brother whose romance with Ellen Drew is threat ened by Bing's escapades. Wesley Kuggies directed.

KEITH'S "YANKEE DOODLE DANDY" stars James Cagney in a musical mography of George M. Co- nan, witn Joan Leslie as his wife Richard Whorf as Sam Harris and waiter -Huston as Cohan's father Michael Curtiz directed. Holle, the 13-year-old lad who was in the Marine Corps for four teen months before his tender years caught up with him. George has a sly sense of humor which all the coaching in the world by his elders can not destroy. He came to see me all done up in the uniform wore when he served with the Marines in the South Seas.

How do you like movies?" I asked Oh, theyH do," he said, "until I can get back in the Marines. I saw 'Sergeant York' today." "Did you like it?" "Well, they told me at Warners I should say it was a good picture. Of course it's about the Army, and it would have been better if Gary Cooper had been a Marine but he's an right. He's a real guy. fishes and hunts, but IH tell you.

when my picture is made that'll an Academy winner. Ill take any bet on it. If 'Sergeant York' can win a prize my picture, which we're calling 'One of the Many, is ia already." An Adult But a Boy Remember. George is Just a kid and all this bravado hides a rather bewildered youngster a boy who is yet to learn what all this sudden fame means. His great hero is not in the mdvies but is a newspaper manJack Malloy, no less, editor of a Chicago daily, to whom he is grateful.

He also lists Roy Topper, promotion man of the same newspaper, as an all-right guy. George is in the peculiar position of having had all the experiences of an adult and yet being really a coy at heart. For instance, he loves Flash Gordon, the Phantom and Mandrake the Magician, and when he was on his way West he got off the train and bought them all and then hid them in his blouse so no-one would think he was younj enough to get a thrill out of the "funnies." George didnt know the grownups Jove the comics as well as the children. The Marines Are First When he went to Eau Claire. his home town, he felt in a way he had outgrown his school mates.

He had had a little night-life experience in San Francisco and Chicago and he knew that sherbet was something to eat and that a demi-tasse was a small cup of coffee. The other kids didn't know that. Warners wanted to call the younj Marine's picture "Baby Marine," but he put his foot down on that. To him the Marines mean victory. He said, "the Army and Navy will fight to the last Marine!" "I'd like to be a newspaper man.

George said, "if it weren't for the Marines!" What will happen to George, a boy who at the age of thirteen has had experiences of a man? He's been through "boot camp," he has faced the enemy, he has roughed it, he was only 12 when he forged his stepmother's name" on an enlistment blank and said he was 17-years-old. He could easily pass for 19 now he's over six feet tall but he's still a child and after talkto? with him you get the feeling he is a little boy dressed up to look like a man. Raised by Stepmother Young Holle is crazy about his stepmother, who raised him, and the one thing he wants to do is get her here. His own mother is with, him and she is good to him but he spent most of his childhood with his father and stepmother and she gave him all the home life he has ever known. He calls his mother Marge and his stepmother Annie and tries to be impartial in his affections.

"Who is your favorite star?" I asked him. "Maureen O'Hara." he said without hesitation. "She played in To the Shores of Tripoli and that's the best picture ever made, but don't say I told you because it isn't a Warner Brothers picture." With, that? parting shot lie left, Albert Dekker Switches Roles Usually Villain, Sometimes Hero Albert Dekker is one actor who doesn't mind villain roles because, it seems, he can switch to sympathetic parts with the greatest of ease. No matter how obnoxious he makes himself on the screen, Dekker seems to shed villainy like a due-: sheds water. His current picture 13 "The Forest Rangers," at the Fox.

Dekker's most recent film was "Wake Island," in which he portrayed the heroic civilian contractor who pitched right in to help the Marines repel the Jap invaders. Before that he was a maniacal murderer in "Among the Living," just one of many horror roles. He was the terrible br. Cyclops in "Dr. Cyclops." Off the screen he's a model family man, makes perfume as a hobby, dotes on dogs and gardening.

As a youth he studied medicine, dabble! In psychology, and then, on the advice of a friend, decided to put the latter knowledge to practical us-. That's how he became an actor. Future Films WEDNESDAY CAPITOL "Bowery at Midnight," mystery, starring Bela Lugosi. THURSDAY BOYD "The Palm Beach Story" FRIDAY ALDINE "The War Against Mn. Hadley." EARLE "Madame Spy," melodrama, with Constance Bennett, Don Porter and John Li tel.

Glenn Gray and orchestra on stage. ARCADIA "Stand By for Action." war drama, with Robert Taylor, Brian Donlevy, Charles Laughton, Walter Brennan. MONDAY, JAN. 25 NEWS "The Texans," Western, with Randolph Scott, Joan Ber-nett, Robert Cummings, Walter Brennan, May Rpbson. UNDATED STANLEY "Commandos Strike sit Dawn." MASTBAUM "The Hard Way," drama, with Ida Lupino, Joan Le 3- lie, and Dennis Morgan.

FOX "China Girl," war drama, with Gene Tierney, George Mont gomery and Victor McLaglen. STANTON "Nightmare," mystery melodrama, with Diana Barry more, Brian Donlevy and Hen-y Daniell. Sabu Rides Horse Now HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 16 Transportation note Sabu, who is always riding ele phants on the screen, is new Corporal Sabu of the California State Militia, and drills every Thursday night with his cavalry troop in Griffith Park. Timetable of ALDINE "Life Begins at Eight-Thirty," 2.45, 4.25.

6.20, 8.05, 10. ARCADIA "Between Us Girls," 2.25, 4.20, 6.15. 8.10, 10.05. BOYD "Reunion in France," 2.10, 4.10, 6.05, 8, 10. CAPITOL "Ships with 3.06, 5.24, 7.42.

10, and "Kuksn, Battle Cry of China," 2.24, 4.42, 7. 9.13. EARLE "Reunion in France." 2.30, 4.20, 6.15, 8.10, 10.05. FAYS "Junior Army." 10 P. 1.

FOX "The Forest Rangers," 2.10, 4JS0, 6.20, 8.10, 10. Rich in color and evil, crowded with refugees hoping and trying to buy their' way to safety, Casablanca offers ideal setting for human melodrama. The courageous, the terrified and the pitiful are pitted against dealers in faked exit visas, black-market traders, corrupt offi cials of the Vichy police, swagger ing Nazi officers and the Gestapo. Death stalks the streets of Casablanca and danger dogs the foot steps of those who, for their own purposes, find their way to Rick's American Cafe. Tense Tale of Manhunt For all its kaleidoscopic action and hosts of characters, neither the writers nor Director Michael Curtiz have for a moment faltered in buildinz suspense or giving full value to central iigures in mis desperate story of a manhunt.

Each bit in the mosaic falls perfectly Into place as tension mounts and Rick, who insists: "i suck my neck out for nobody." finally makes a gesture more in keeping with his past than with his bitter, hard-boiled Dresent. Into Rick's cafe one December nieht came the woman he had loved and her husband, Czech leader in the European under ground upon whose head there is a price. Bitter at what he consid ers his former sweetheart's faith lessness. Rick refuses to sell for any price the letters of transit which would carry the pair to safety. Duel of Wits and Words The duel of wits, words and emotions begins while the trap is about to be sprung on the heroic Czech.

The situation between Rick and Ilsa is handled in an adult fashion too seldom achieved on the screen. Into both writing and playing have gone great honesty, acute understanding of human loneliness, disappointment and tangled feelings. Ordinarily, Rick's eventual generosity might be set down as just an arbitrary device of authors to bring about a happy ending. But not this time. For Rick's real character has been firmly drawn.

Sunday Films KARLTON "The Moon and Sixpence," 2.40, 4.30, 6.20, 8.10, 10. KEITH'S "Yankee Doodle Dandy," 2.40, 5, 7.25, 9.50. MASTBAUM "Casablanca," 2.30, 4.20, 6.15, 8.05, 10. NEWS "Top Hat," 2, 3.50, 5.45, 7.40, 9.30, 11.25, and all night. STANLEY "Road to 2.05, 3.40, 5.15, 6.50, 8.20, 10.

STANTON "Pittsburgh," 2.15, 4.10, 6.10, 8.05, 10.05. STUDIO "Ecstasy," 2.05, 3.42, 5.08, 6.50, 8.32, 10.14, aod all night. One knows he has a fondness for the underdog, that he ran guns to the Ethiopians, fought on the side of the Loyalists in Spain, that he is still capable of displaying a soft heart, for he has helped a pair of pathetic youngsters win at his own gambling tables enough to buy their exit visas. Character Is Consistent Consequently, when he puts Ilsa and her husband aboard the Lis bon-bound plane armed with the precious letters of transit and even commits murder for their sake, it is thoroughly in keeping with the portrait so carefully painted throughout the film. Certainly, there is no denying the excellence of the screenplay Julius J.

and Philip G. Epstein have written in collaboration with Howard Koch from an unproduced play by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. Nor is there any blinking the brilliance of Mr. Curtiz's dlrec tlon. But without the superlative cast Warners assembled for the oc casion "Casablanca" might very well not be quite the picture It now is.

Bogart Is Ideal in Role No one, surely, could have brought such force and flavor to the role of Rick but Humphrey Bogart, an expert at this sort of thing. Yet even Mr. Bogart impasses his past record for unf alter ing, steady and persuasive playing in what is probably the most dif cult, and most rewarding, assign ment of his career. As Ilsa, emotionally tortured, torn between love for the embit tered American and loyalty to her patriot husband, Ingrid Bergman has an even harder task. The role does not create its own sympathy, On the contrary.

Less tenderly played, handled with superficiality and without understanding, Ilsa might have emerged cheap if not entirely worthless. Yet Miss Berg man sidesteps every pitfall inherent in the part, illuminates every scene in which she appears. Highlights of Picture Paul Henreid is enormously ef fective. avoiding heroics as the heroic Czech who, just once, allows his feelings to get the better of him when he orders the little cafe orchestra to play the "Marseillaise" and leads the customers in singing the anthem drowning out a chorus of Nazis singing the "Wacht am Rhein." One of the many highlights of the picture, this is a sequence you are likely to remember for a long time. It isn't only the three principals who matter in "Casablanca." Warners have been generous in fitting fine players to roles that become gems, each in its own way, through 1 the incisive handling of Claude Rains, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Dooley Wilson, S.

Z. akall and Joy i 1 -s jc- i 4 Vi; KK rl Sp A i4 1 jimin il mill il iiiii iiiij CLAUDETTE LIKES IT, BUT JOEL DOESN'T Joel McCrea (center) disapproves of eccentric millionaire Rudy Vallee's to Claudette Colbert in "The Palm Beach Story," at the Boyd Thursday. i.