Daily News from Los Angeles, California · 19

4k. r;THE-NEWS; LOS ANGELES;' WEDNESDAY;; JAN. 1,1941 NINETEEN 1 rsonamai m ill Oc I n c iha ttcr ' WriiM km la fall.) By VIRGINIA WRIGHT. 'j .,V; Drama Editor' . ANNUALLY, at thistime, it .-cYteths custom of drama do-. partments to select the outstanding motion pictures of the year. Although . reviewers, 'throughout toq country have' settled on . the arbitrary 'figure of JO, no standards of. selection have been agreed upon. ' -There la some hazy talk - of rrquality-and ordinarily box- office .- receipts are completeiy disregarded In the making of " - these lists. In - aSf -own case, JTh willing to admit, the meas- - - wring - stick : Is' merely. One - of pereonal-prej On that basis; then, are the following selections made: "THE GRAPES OF WRATH" Because, ss far as ltgoea thia. 1. a screen version Is an eloquent and ;j. Indignant- .as the John . Stein--, beck novel from which It was - adapted. -, -. ' Because its unrelenting pic- ture of Hie dust ' bowls dispos-.T aessed "makes no compromises,'' and no concessions to pressure V groups.-;-"-7 :7" ;- ; - i Simple and direct the picture grasps the spirit of an entire and tie; theres grandeur majesty about the action's fl In all, a film to prove the to-screen has reached its maturity. "OUR TOWN" A" supetla- iuSSi DONT LOOK NOW, but ilia men behind those white whiskers quality of Thornton Wiklerti is' Bob Hope, disguised and 'equipped 'as Father TimeT Obviously -words. Completely iiheonven- . tional, this film has the courage to be quite simple. - For that, tor its warm humor, Its tenderness and for Its whole r-WBiatkLecpnceptlHi, this adaptation of thbTc9taer prise play belongs among the top pictures of. the year. - - - - - "-"THE GREAT DICTATOR" Charlie Chaplin does the Impos- slble turns the dementias of two dictators into fit subjects for hilarious ridicule and proves that - a - contemporary study neednt detract at all from the old ; Chapllh : humorr;; Hiti&pal: performance and his especially 7- Inspired moment with a balloon globe makes this, notable, ' Hv "THE ;; LONG VOYAGE J HOME" A visually magnlfi-- cent porlrait uf thegeyand-tie' ' men who sail upon her. pnL" : . Perhaps she does much better 'John Ford hu given tola film in this new film because Shes thr vigor of one ,of Thomu cast opposite Wilbur Evans; well Bentons' lithographs: it Is hu- known radio and concert harl-morous and pathetic and full of . toneTThe voices Of the pair blend toe loneliness of these men of the sea,. ' A strong and beautifully composed production. , DR. EHRLICHS MAGIC BULLET" This biography of . a . bacteriologist Is distinguished. .-By -expert performances; an en-; grossing, clinical . story and a h thoroughly ; unconventional use of dramatic values. Not even the -f. "soapbox" finish can. alter 'toe. -Importance at tola drama of test, r:, tubes.- - THE FIGHT TOR LIFE" iLperiapaUiU w made tar toe U. S.' ttH under the tiroctlonOf Pare r LorenU doesnt rightfully be - long-to-toe-comnany-or Holly- J : .and remarkable Both lta . narrative and its piuaie JicorelbyLwiU Gruenbcrg-ara so far 'from toe beaten movie track toey probably - should be glveiTTOme special 'iccolsde of .toeir wn.;.UntIl such time this 'study of health and housing to Ihe United States must be listed THETPHIL AD E L P H I A STORY" This plcture,-whlch Just-gets under the ;l940 wlrer shoulud go down at the smartest comedy of toe yeaxvBetter even -3-than-the Philip Barry play from . which It was adapted .it Is fast; - funny and altogether delightful, ir-it werentair these -S(C9onttoued fin Page2l,OoL-T) Inexperienced YT fhe role, which be assumed only to plug"! 94 1 , ho seems afraid that the hourglass will explode, j ; . - EDITH FELLOWS SCORES By FRANK MITTAUER; - ; V- RemembcrEdltlrFellowsrtoe youngster who used to play those hoydenlsh roles on the screen? ..Well, shes not a hoyden any more. Shes quite grown up and very decorative, and is the Hawaii In an appealing little number titled mance." - - '.' "The" filmte" a"musicaL but " ell the elements that make more on the unpretentious order Cinderella, stories perennial fa- of "Love Me Tonight" "4 other vorltea. There s the wicked ! foreign -lmportatlonsT than the AinMiiwg Hollywood variety. In It Miss Fellows has full oppor- ...... - . tunlty-- to dlaplay.-her. excellent peraon of .Evana, voice, ' which . somehow never . .Who i wt as nopm Mger. - seemed to mean much in toe. And theres even a baRr a col- lege-ehlndig-where-Mise-Frilowe bilAnnMMm 9 v A mi wan dlnnA 4ada admirably, particularly In duet "Love Ir life.?-.' 7- - toe But it takes more toon felid-touf casting to explain toe very pleasant Jmpressian- Miss'. Fellows, makes .throughout toe picture. -The plain fact la that thoee -years- of childhood experience ? before the cameraa stood her in good stead, - even - though they touched sometimes 00 slapstick. For. plot-toe filmdependsou-frw rrflatiU Ctnilerella ttm, u ilii adapted to pictures by 1 Adels ; whoU ba remembered for io - ;ividlngmuchofthe'miree - t Gjf1" riP fJ?eanIU ,- Hufbln, gives the new film some- of the aame.disanntog simplicity r.- that marked tor earlier eff orL- whose betrayal of Brown helps. In the capture of the latter at Harpers Ferry Shows the actors talents most effectively. Heflin should go faOr in Hollywood upon . returning from his. tour with' Katharine . Hepburn' ' in "The Philadelphia Story." by Robert ' Buckner and marked with Michael Curtis capable direction, "Santa Fe TTaIT results la a - thrilling, action laden narrative of events. . , .... - leading up to an Inevitable clash ter, -played with surprising men-T7betweeir the people of the north ace by the' beautiful Jacqueline- 7 - Wells.; Thwe's the prince charnir r . the welght of the story given over to the crushing of! blossoms out on her flrsL date. ; Edward Dmytryk, hitherto as- . aociated with action pictures, proves his skill at directing gentler story material In "Her First Romance." He secures sin--cere- member, of the cast and really outstanding ones, than Marlon Kerby, ' Judith Linden .(late of "Meet toe People) and Alan' Ladd. : (' . ' .v. Photography hy. JohaJfeican ls-up to Hollywoods usual high standard. The . musical score, which Includes suafc favorites as - "Dark Ey es tod " Jeanle WltlA. ranged by Gregory Storm L, E. filia,;jceleaeed. by.Monogram. . - - Secondpicture on toe newbillT t the Hawall ls TheOutsider,,; a screen version of the stage play, Georgs Sanders and Mary Magulre have top billlng to Hie hnd.- John Brown inHansns By. HARRY MINES- Although-; Errol - Flynn - Olivia DellavlUand - fining- in "Sants Fo Trtil" at Warners Downtown and Holly- ; wood theaters it's Raymond Massey and Van wfiiw of the : 7 supporting cast who contribute . the performances. ' : -f -. Both- have the advantages of : ' colorfully written . roles while ; . the leide are obliged to get along '-as, best they can -with a. hum-.. Jrdnuuplotromance dragging. at : their heels. Flynn is handsome and heroic 7 as ."Jeb". Stuart-of West Point : who is sent . with ' comrades L.George. Custer,. Phil Sheridan, - James. Longstroet,' George Pick- , .. ett, John Hood and Bob Holliday- - to Fort Leavenworth In "bloody" Kansas territory,. The picture hlntsof the eventual daywhen T theae friends will fight one an-" other, as Civil war grips the ; country.;- vV : Miss DeHavllland as tomboy lsh Kit Carson Holliday occupies herself '-' bossing her father's r wagon freight lines 'over the ' Santa' Fe trail to the west' and ' reaching a decision as to suitors, Stuart and Custer. "Santa Fe Trail," however, x owes its punch to Masseys feverish Interpretation of John Brown, the fanatical antislaver ' who fought for a cause in which " he sincerely believed, although ' his murderous actions ' turned him into the scourge of the land. The somber, moody Massey per- . -sonaUty-makes him an ldeal se-rr lection for the zealous leader. 1 - Heflin's . scoundrelly Rader . John Brown and his murderous - horde theres not much made out M tna Va.Twwg-y-viiarv-n- - Alone the Santa. Fe tralL The at Harpera Ferry has. been excitingly plcturized as the army brings to an end toe plane of a.aelf appointed crusader. , . . The routine comedy material ven Guinn Williams and Alan as a couple of frontier handicaps these two positive performers. Ronald Reagan - Is pleasanUy-present. as Custer ..while Gene Reynolds, Alan Bax-. teivHenry.. ONeil, John Lltel, Monml Olsen, Suzanne Carna-. 'ban, Hobart Cavanaugh, Joe STAGE ATTRACTIONS itoilfe 'ffeasW'iiWii O o - wm diw-1 1940s (MIMED Y LEGACY By VIRGtNIAWRIGHT : At three theaters last night, Loewa State, Graumani Chinese' .and the Carthay Circle, the old year went out bn the beat comedy product - of -lM0. -"Tho -Philadelphia Story", Is more than a carbon .. PT of Philip Barry's successful play. It has been embellished here . nd cut there until It emerges now as a smooth, sophisticated, wans "d -veI7- Tunny study of the rich and their detractors, J principal success Is due, of course; to the return of JKaths-. rine Hepburn to- tbo screens Barry wrote the play , for her and no actress la the country-. could give Tracy lord the arro-. gance, the shining superiority or to marry . Tracy except on .his . own terms. ' " A -little slow to emerge from -the stupor of the night before, ' Tracy keeps her wedding guests - - waiting while sne breaks off her ' .. engagement and refuses a polite even the eventual warmth that- proposal of marriage from the -"Iiepburn'dQes. Ie porter, But she doesn't dlsap- Tracy-te-theddmt--daughter, point her guests. " She marries . of a wealthy Philadelphia fern-.... ber former husband. - ily. a young woman whose first-' Philip Barry should be very' T grateful for' the marriage ended a little violently and who - Is about to ' embark, ; when the picture' opens,-on her: ' second.' ' . In the course of the day and 'night before the wedding quite - a few persons have quite a bit Ito -iay-abaut Trscy.Lord Her. :' estranged - father calls ; her 7 a . prig; her young sister calls her hard; her mother admits shes a little difficult because she sets . such high standards for herself; 1 standards that others have trouble living up to; her former hus-. hand insists tha 'reason for her . Intolerance is that her own toot has never slipped, and the man she Is about to many sees her . as an aloof goddess. -. . Zt remains for a young re - porter sent down by the maga-. sine Spy. to ..cover "the Philadelphia story," to have a hn- . manlzlng effect on Tracy Lord. -Be - gets - tipsy with her on .champagne, goes with her tor a -midnight swim, causes a mQd scandal by carrying her to her '.room, and makes her a much L nicer person by helping her down from her pedestal.. ' The only on who doesnt appreciate the Improvement Is the 'young bridegroom, who refuses Sawyer and David Bruce are other principals. Elsa Maxwell in "Riding Into .Society?., serves as a farce fn-' turet on the program and -allows an undignified closeup . of the celebrated hostess of the so-called smart set. . JOIIITELRostP2T!3 I'Eiraska ifStslfcri ON THB-SCRBtM Alt WABNEP THEATRES - A Thousand Milos of Danger.a Thousand Thrills o Erma!, n. -r : OLIVIA Dijumuma in Warner Bros. First Great -Action Sensation with RAYMOND MASSiV RONALD REAGAN ALAN HALT mm usee meee we menus &El6JPMMCTAFTEft - 8TAGE ATTRACTIONS EimAPITAN inntRBBr SIlCw7-C?F 7 NM ClAMA Modem 1 fwiim Lecture Fhilharmonls Aud -January Lectures Monday evening, - January S . Wed. Evening, Jan. S-Tha IMutit IS to ft it 4tx rMIbar. SMS, MU. direction of' George Cukor and tha adaptation of 'Donald Ogden 8tewart'- - He la equally fortunate In toe casting of the film. While Kath- arine . Hepburn dominates ' the ' Whole proceedings she' has a brilliant supporting cut. Caiy Grant plays G. Dexter' Haven, toe first husband, In a . subdued manner that Is com-. r pletely charming; James Stewart, u the reporter. Is especially good in his moments of -Inebriation, and little Virginia. Weidler does a great piece of comedy work u toe meddlesome young sister. Ruth Husaey, the photographer . sent down by Spy to get pic- tures of the wedding; John Hal- - liday and MSry Nash, tJt Hr. and - Mrs. Lord, and Roland Young; . as Uncle Willie, all help to mako this ena of the best acted eome- ; dies of any year. --"The Philadelphia Story" Is a , long and beautifully sustained. . motion picture. The three toes., ten are dignifying It by presenting It on a single bUl, ao-companled only by a Disney cartoon. - STAGE ATTRACTIONS JW-M Mtwialamat hB . Mai MJlairaa aarlaf Miaa. st atwi a Om. aim Haad, qa Mi a ban S FOILI rs ns f"" : Ji- -ss--v TODAY. - 'T STAGE ATTRACTIONS A LAFF PANiCf am miAMOtCK , "Demoeracyo ' Leaf Stand" , Exploova MdlUrrnn,, sen. TU. 1144 ill P Matwl 3b SSL- OOXAXON" ' PADUA $ 4. v. ftp-- r. x v n ti