Daily News from Los Angeles, California • 19

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v. 'f PHILIP PINE on th prison comp buhl questions newcomer, Jimmy Devhtn this tceie from To ffm new Actors'. Leb presentation the current attraction at the Las Palmas JENNIFER JONES, half-breed Indian, giri, pleads with Joseph Cotten to take her away with him in. technicolor Duel- in.tne Sun," opening Tuesday at the Egyptian and Vogue Theaters. iFilm review 'Tlie Best Years 61 Oar Lives9.

By VIRGINIA WRIGHT Aboard a B-17, en route to their hometown, three returning veterans question their prospects In a civilian world. "The thing that worries me' the sergeant confides, Is that everybody Is going to try to rehabilitate me." i 1 riiir ''The Razors Edgrf'- 'By. DAVID HANNA'V 'V'': On mm point, opinion of "Ths Rasors Edge" will he unanimous. It certainly follows ths W. Somerset- Ifaugham novel being Just as obscure In Its philosophy and Jumbled In Its construction.

It is a cast of "damned if you do and damned if you dont." Had 20th Century-Fox not par- 1 ailclod ths action of ths book, Its readers would hsvs been at the studios nock. Now, having been faithful to the company Is Just as suacep- tlMs. Apparently in its seal to acquira any best-seller film men tho fact that not all of them art adaptable to tho screen. Maughams tome dell- hltely fits in that category. and Edmund Colliding's almply tell tho story as Maugham wrote iL In tho terse terms of 'the screen the mysticism which may have explained Sts fucceas as a flcCltm work la lost' Tyrone Power, returning to the screen, does his very beet with Larry Darrell, but beyond the fact that Its good to aeo him back on the Job there la lit- tie also to-be said of his fy Jti' i A great deal of.care has gone Into the Darryl Zanuck pro-; Auction.

Tho settings aro su-i. pert and ths piecs has been art-. fully Ths plot needs no detailed retelling In this comment. It is' simply ths story of a young man In search of a philosophy that 1 wUl satisfy his own Idealistic standards of Ufa. proeccu-.

Ktkm turns away the girl who res Jiira and sends him off to- various parti of the The -r. draautle movement sterna from his contact with people and the 4 effect he has on them parti cu- larly hla interlude with- Sophie, girl brought to dypeomenia hjr tragedy. Lamarr Tlrottis screenplay i i rS' 3 3 fr 1 4 1 per-. formanca. Gene Tierney always has struck ms as the understudy who goes on tor the stars at Wednesday matinees end that, precisely, is ths quality one finds In her portrayal of Isabelle, ths shallow, scheming debutante who seta her hat for Larry and tries to win him even.

hfter her marriage. John Payne, plays Gray Ms-! turln a character reduced In 'Importance by the screenplay. It amounts to a bit part. Against this formidable array of stellar talent It remains for two minor players to bring forth lift that ought to be commonplace In a picture of the (Continued on Page 22, Gd, 6) With ths wtrt that he had never been bom, the young man Is given a backward glance at the community ae It might have If he had never lived. Its a convincing apparently, tor tha hero returns to tho present a happy man and goes home to dlacover that an his troubles are over.

Tha morel Of the piece Is that you have friends youre rich" and to prove it. all the townspeople crowd' Into tho young man's heme to leave. eontrlbu- tions. Even the bank examiner adds his bit. How Impressed you are by all this probably win depend on your reaction to Christmas card mottoes.

While the. film as a. whole lacks unity and some, of tho scenes aro exaggerated beyond reason, -there ere touches by Capra and certain performances which warrant your attention. James 8tewart has moments -of great: charm and touching appeal tho harassed young man, but he also overplays tha scene of hie furious frustration. Much quieter, but thoroughly delightful, is Donna Reed aa tho girl he finally marries, and Henry Travers gives the whale thing a great lift when ha comes on as the guardian angel.

Thomas Mitchell, as ths eare-, less. Ineffectual uncle; Lionel as the town octopus who cornea Into possession of Stewart's lost cash 1 (and for' 'some reason is allowed to keep it); Beulah Bondi, as ths boys WFHm te 'Its a Wonderful Life9 WRIGHT wrote a little etory called "Tho published privately and distributed pearajice a welcome, humorous nn stomach ache for an awfully long 11 It la a good thing "Tempta- fion" la a movie and not radio: broadcast for I am afraid om would have a difficult time distinguishing any of. the prin--cipale. Messrs. Brent and Korvla read their line In a whlipery 1 monotone aa does Miss Tho last named, however, has.

eno big KCM in which aha Kishes her teeth la a fashion t-would have shamed Theda Bara. -Frank Chprq'a first production for ths newly organised Liberty Films. Under ths new title of "It's a Wonderful Life" the film opened yesterday at the street and Pantiges. Capra's war yean In the field of documentary pictures havent lessened hla feeling for the sentimental or his touch with 1 human interest situations. Then art Isolated scenes In this pro- iduction which heir ths mark of JANE WYMAN MxCtaudo' Jarman art teen mother and son theme in The screening at the Certhey Circle into two hours of Vrecn Urns 7 the film becomes an uneven col- A With that wry dig at home front propaganda, "The Best Years of Our Lives" settles down to an Investigation of thred particular postwar problems of adjustment, an investigation that is always intelligent, frequently amusing, and now and then deeply moving.

This, Samuel Coldwyn production, which opened yesterday fpr a limited engagement at fhe Fox Beverly, is superior Jo any of its co'mpelitors the field. Some of its solutions may be too easy, some of its explorations too shallow and occasionally the effect of its humor may seem too calculated, but In spite of these lapses from perfection this Is an admirable Job of movie-making. It has a lot to say about people, and It is this understanding reflected in William. Wyler's direction. Robert ShenvoMTs script, Gregg" Tolands photog- raphy and in the performances of a uniformly excellent cast which gives the film Its special quality.

The returning veterans, unknown to one another until they aboard an ATCf plane, are a young bombardier, a middle- aged aergeant and a sailor who lost his hands and now is skillful In the use of prosthetic honks. Their quick, easy acceptance 'of each other Is a relationship not so easily duplicated In each mans home. The Joy of return-' Ing is mixed in the sergeants mind with the uncomfortable feeling that his wife and chil-. dren are strangers, and In the sa Llor'a mind -with- the distressing sense that he Is being pitied. The lieutenant, who cant locate the wife he married hastily before shipping overseas, has a more tangible reason for uneasiness that first night home.

Seeking escape from their depression, the sergeant, accompanied by his wife and daughter, the lieutenant and the sailor meet again that night at a bar. While only-casually acquainted, their elation at seeing one another is that of brothers in a hostile world. It turns into quite a night- full of wonderfully human details. The lives of the three men crisscross frequently after this, but their predicaments are distinct The sergeant a banker, comes back to a position of new prominence In a profession he doesn't xactly cherish. Put in charge of veterans loans ho has to fight to make loans without collateral.

In his fight against banking conservatism and stuffed shirt thinking, the former sergeant says a good many things that need to be said, but he says them always in scenes that are richly humorous. The lieutenant, born on the wrong side of the tracks, is forced by economic necessity' to accept the fact that he Is no longer considered an officer and a gentleman." Back In his hated aoda-Jerker Job the drug store, he loses appeal tor hit shallow wife, and ho loses his Job when he hits a customer expounding America First propaganda. The former bombardier doesn't solve his problem until he severs domestic relations, puts up -a fight' tor a chance to learn, a new. kiad of work, and marrierthe sergeants daughter! The -sailors adjustment, an. emotional one, Is complete.

Only ho thatlovd, not' pity. Is the basis of his girl's desire to go through with their -planned marriage. This is only the barest out- -line of a three-way story-whose Individual scenes are little gems of drama. From those magnif- iceht flying shots In the opep-. Ing, through -each hesitant homecoming, until the.

finely wedding ceremony when -jthe sailor proves hf not Without hands, The Best Years of Our. Uvea" -la -a beautifully -unified collection-of fciemorable -episodes. Scenes between the sergeant and his wife, their understanding treatment of the -lieutenants nightmare, her frank discussions with her per-entsthe silent scene between -the sellar and his father as ths bey prepares tor bed, hla teat ofhia girl as ha reveals his help? ieasnesa without the harness, the bankers dinner, the moment when- the lieutenants father reads the citations for bravery, the drugstore Interview, the sergeants drunken gaiety in the her could go on and on citing evidence of merit In the writing, direction and photography and, of course In the 'perrormeftcec: Frodric Kerch has his best screen opportunity In years aa ths sergeant and, whether playing It drunk or sober, he is In groat form. As his wife, lfyraa Ley escapee her usually brittle role to give an honest charming portrait. Their ter Is played by Teresa Wi with th.

kind of InteWgeneo and warmth she brings to every performance. Dana Andrews plays the lieutenant with deep sincerity and an occasional light touch thats, especially The most amsslng performance, of course, is turned In by Harold Kusaell, the non-professional whose hands were amputated during the war. More than a Job of perfect type easting, with brilliant direction by Wyler, this relaxed and sensitive portrait of the sailor is drawn by a man with a natural flair for acting. The cast la too largo for detailed mention, but there is good work from Virginia Mayo as the bombardiers wife; Cathy ODonnell, the sailor's sweetheart; Hoagy Carmichael, his uncle; Minna Gombeil and Walter Baldwin, his Ray Collins, the banker, and Roman Bohnen, the bombardier's father. Based on Glory for Me," MacKlnlay Kantors novel In verse, "The Best Years of Our Lives" Is ths most rewarding i picture In a Ipng, long time.

1 1 I i drowning and -a drunken drug-: from filling a prescription with. poison. tho follows 'him through young manhood tho sacrifice of a col-' legs education in favor of his brother; the sacriflco of a trip abroad to watch ths building' and loan business In. a little he, detests; his marriage, on a mediocre Income while his friends get rich; his f-F status whSs his brother wins medals the war end hie building of a small homes project which By VIRGINIA Philip Van Doren Sterh -once Greatest Gift" which he had among his friends on That brief tale has Inspired. lection of fantasy, homely philosophy, slapstick, aentimen-, tsllty and humor.

(Tmnntiii AnV I From a proihlsing opening; as Acmpiauon angel ia given en earthly as- By DAVID HANNA' i give him his wings, "Its a Won- United Art- conspiracyto dispose of erful IJfe" goes 'into an over-. lets, Iris, pulld, Fox Rita and and Uyson the' widow's mite, long biography of tho young Studio theaters is a not too sue- The beautiful woman, however, whom the bln ceaeful rehash of that venerabie gets c6d feet, Korvin gets I Robert Hlchena nlscs rMIi Brent re 1 1 mrcvi civ Robert Hlchena piece "Brild kllled and poor tieorgs Brent has Donna." r- Bella Donna, In ease Its missed you, 'means beautiful woman. The pay Hlchena looks at things beautiful woman ia also something of a sinner an evil temptress who goes through life using her attractions to tn-nare men and do em dirt. In this Edward Small revival Merle Oberon la the charmer a gal-who nets her cap for, scientist Georgs Brent In order to solve some immediate financial problems. Together they go to India where Brent la engaged In exhuming a As you cad Imagine, this life Isnt' exactly cut out for a shady lady and 1 not long before Mias has taken on lover In the person of Charles Korvin.

As matter of fact' her desperation la such that she supports him. Together they enter- Into a As Miss Oberons maid. Lt- faces disaster when the mls-nora, Ulrla with her throaty placing of -funds puts him In a voice and superb manner shows critical position both with ths all th artistry that brought her bank examiners and the town to atardom bn the stage. monopolist. T- Irving Picher directed andp, Ititho night ths money dto- Riobert Thoren did thS'adspU- appears that the harassed young Albert Hackett and tlon.

Billed at the United Art- man takes out his misery on his Frank Capra with additional lata only la "Slightly Scandal- family and comes doss to sul- sesnaa by JO Swerllng. Dmitri ous" with Fred Brady and dds. Here. at long. his.

vTlomkins score Is an effective Sheila Ryan. t. guardian anjfet puU In an apv accompaniment to tha action. mother; Todd Kams as his brother; vWard Bond, the local cop, and Frank Feylen, a cab driver, do commendable work. Tho Kript, which rune into some trouble, IS by Frances.