Evening Standard from London, Greater London, England • 8

rr rt raURSQAY AUGUST ig lf Evening Standard NEW SHORT STORY PAGE 8 EVENING STANDARD Tff THE NEWEST HOLLYWOOD MUSICAL IS the house and to his 1 LIKE ALL THE EXCEPT FOR A SURPRISING SMALL BOY kr eovery that Hollywood possesses tie boy a little boy a little boy who Jooks and sounds TYTURDER is not a thing to 1T1 entered into' lightly and Ellis Fook had given the matter considerable and dispassionate thought before he made up his mind There was no question from point of view that it would be a real advantage if his uncle were to die He was his heir and the old man -was worth £30000 Financially Fook was not merely in a mess but was sinking more deeply into it as the days went by He was a bank lays xthit ISinj the THE FILM: Mr Dku Tours (Warner) THE STARS: Doris Day Jack Carson Lee Bowman OPINION Thanks but I have my own is nothing really the A- matter with this technicolor musical except that it follows too exactly the formula laid down lor all technicolor musicals It would be such a relief if a producer could once in a while see his way to making a movie 'about a very successful crooner who crooned worse and worse every night lost her job or perhaps a vocal chord and went home to Milwaukee where she married a soda jerker and had too many children This I know is impossible For a success story swathed in blue ribbons lies close to the heart of humanity and certainly close to the great beating heart of the box office So shall world lighting their way from oblivion to stardom armed with the frail but effective weapons of oomph and a larynx This is as it should be There is hope for all Never mind me film critics are notoriously peevish I suppose until we die we see the Doris Days of this ANYWAY here is Doris Day singing herself into a radio programme train of disai indeed largely pr agent played oy Jack Carson Singing too in a softer silkier fashion is Lee Bowman In addition there is Eve Arden who has long perfected the art of being as tough as old boots and is most endearing and Sakall who has all the amiable characteristics of a teddy bear But as far as I am concerned the one oasis of novelty in this hackneyed tale lies in the dis- found that it was atill fijH ness and apparently dark-had left it the road as he slipped into th J7 winnow at the side house The night seemeS thuf' strange noises as he nuK 38 aaaMwssAg WPJ? He hesitated to mug Sne as the noise might sKiJ'If attention of MlHirB I he remembered the tooIiftjS the garden There was sjrst JurdS the window He knew the way to the hill and when he switched on fie light he saw that his uneto body was still there The staring eyes startled hia for a moment but his brain working clearly and his were no longer his master there wai no sign of the ktr He searched every inch hall and dragged the body km side in case the key were unfa neath it It was not there Carpet desk drawen-he certain that the key wu there He glanced at his watch tohi It was nearly midnight Thai were probably still plenty tramcars and buses and in ul case he meant to walk puWfHi the way back The main thig waa that the key was not ia house Switching off the light si stepping gingerly over the kaf he crossed to the front door A waa still when he opened A car flashed by and aim settled down again as be clad the door behind him IKE a silent shadow he made -Ld hie his way to the gate when once again he listened He breathed more eaiOy suddenly a voice from the dirt- ness to the left of the gate itself said: evening -Dimly he sensed a helmet-H police helmet His nerve' broke complrtfly With a cry he turned and whistle ikw 1 His face when he listens to his I quite forgot to mention the heroine is a war widow singing him a lullaby would launch the combined fleets of the seven seas and I admit allergic as I am to screen children I was forced to launch my own unseaworthy barque at his behest His name is Duncan Richard-son I am quite certain his will-be a success story too THE FILM: Train of Events (Gaumont) THE Hobson Jack Warner Irina Baranova John Clements OPINION Casts little shadow know whether it is -A- because I have become too accustomed to the American idiom or simply because I washed my ears but of late I have had singular difficulty in hearing the various messages philosophies and propounded to me by British actors and actresses It seemed to me that half the players in Train of Events swallowed more than half their words 1 know we are as a nation quiet speakers and nearly all the important things we have to say to each other such as proposals of marriage announcements of death and the selling of insurance policies are inaudible But the whole function of the screen is to take us away from the harsh unpleasantness of real life and I cannot help believing that a talkie is all the better for being comprehensible To strain after a bon mot is I am convinced quite as irksome though I have never tried it as straining after a gnat However let us to the film It THEATRE AND RESTAURANT PHONE PAftSOfl VIRGINIA GRAHAM is as a matter of fact four little films concerning four sets of people who have nothing to do with one another save that in the end they all take the train to Liverpool and are involved in a highly spectacular smash This solves most of their problems As there are three directors and four authors the result is very uneven Some will like one bit and some another but few will like it all' The trouble with having so many characters and so many atmospheres is that one Sannot get on friendly terms with care very to any of to TACK WARNER as an engine driver with a nice cosy wife Gladys Henson a difficult daughter Susan Shaw and an adorable poultry-keeping friend Malleson is hu usual Miles jle self His story and quite uneventful Then there is Joan Dowling tearfully in love with a German prisoner of war played as sombrely as a funeral horse by Laurence Payne I found their saga pretty boring Next there is a spot of comedy in the shape of an eternal triangle featuring John Clements as a flirtatious composer Valerie Hobson as one of those amazingly understanding wives only found in Action who relish their escapades and Irina Baronova as a Russian pianist This trio is played pizzicato and though amusing at times it is not related to life in any instance Lastly there is Peter Finch new to the -screen but bringing his talents from Daphne Laureola without mislaying one of them to murder Mary Morris and put her in a large theatrical hamper He Is first rate He has substance He is worth all the rest who although skilled in their art are not able why not quite sure to make anything but shadowy impressions THE FILM: Film Without Title (Curzon) T1IE STARS Hildrgarde Knef and Willy Fritsch OPINION Laughter after tears rwlHIS is the first German film A-' made in the British Zone of Germany since the war It comes as rf delightful surprise to find that our late sense of humour which has Jain fallow for so long at any rate on the screen is sprouting once again We are shown three men discussing a film they want to make They are visited by a former antique dealer and the peasant girl he loves and it is their story which eventually forms the basis of the film but of course it an ending The endings proposed by these earnest collaborators are wonderfully funny In particular Willy satire on himself he is to play the leading role is delightful For her performance In this film Hildegarde Knef won an international prize Though she is certainly good with one of those placid Saxon faces and big Madonna blue eyes I believe the competition was all that heavy THE FILM The Under-Cover Man at the Plaza THE STARS: Glenn Ford and Nina Foch OPINION: Death and the inceme-taz collector ONE of those near-documentaries so beloved and so excellently produced by Hollywood with all the necessary contrasts of theme and suspense This time it is the story of how Glenn Ford tries to catch a king of the underworld on a tax evasion since no citizen is brave enough to give evidence about the numerous murders that the thug has committed Directed by Joseph Lewis this picture is particularly well favoured in its small-part players each of whom has an autnrni: tic quality and speaks the intelligent script with more than usual intelligence There are a few corpses but not enough to make for foolishness and I can thorougil recommend tail film to anvone who likes a sensible ioort moderately excring and well constructed thriller went to the front door and rang the belL Ellis i This is a surprise i No trouble I his uncle' said anxiously and stood aside for him to enter is a spet of trouble said Fook with a sudden blow Summerley collapsed 'There was no question that he was dead the inertness of his figure told its own story Fook listened for a moment but no sound reached him from the upper floor His uncle had always joked about deafness and Fook was quite certain that the old servant was still safely at the top of the house grin h'Ctrudc the fescue HIS plans had all been made 1 and the test of his work took him only a short time He tipped out several of the drawers of the desk and took his uncle's wallet from his breast pocket The few notes it contained were taken and the wallet dropped on the floor It would appear Fook argued a clear case of robbery He was still wearing gloves they had been on all the time Nothing of his excepting the lead pipe which he had carefully wiped was left behind He was satisfied that he had made no mistake Quietly he closed the door and keeping in the shelter of the trees reached the gate The road was deserted as far as he could see and he made his way by a route he had previously planned towards a point where he could Set a bus that would take him ack to town A sudden temptation to turn and hurry away into the darkness came to him but be realised that it was merely his own nervousness that was frightening him He lit a cigarette with a shaking hand and decided that be must pull himself together Some queer sense urged him to feel in the waistcoat pocket where he usually carried the key of his flat In that second before he felt in the pocket he knew that the key had gone HIS heart was beating with -sudden violence and as the bus came into sight he turned away He had to think to be 'alone But his brain was working erratically He had had the key when he reached home early that evening He must he decided have put it back in his pocket as he always did when he entered the flat And yet it was not there Frantically he searched his other pockets and then felt to see if there were a hole in the lining of any of them Could it have fallen out in his house If the police found it they would rapidly discover that it opened no door belonging to his uncle and assume that it had been dropped by the murderer The word horrified him The key was in any case since he was the man who benefited the police would try it in his door It would link him with the erime there would be questions interminable questions They would trap him The night was cool but he was sweating as he walked blindly' along Suddenly his brain became clearer He must go back to his uncle's house and retrieve the key Jukes would still be asleep he never waked ux till the morning He made his way back over the Common It was nearly half-past eleven when he reached kirk Tlw ragmen (Home 930) irk Her Excellency (Light 830) Promenade Concert (Third 730 910) Frank Cordell Orch 030 Cicely Courtneidge la an excerpt from Her Excellency play by Archie Mcnziea and iter Max Kelt 00 The Piddingtona (mystery feature) 030 Vera Lynn Ttobert Farnon Orch 100 News 1015 Party Dance: 8yd Dean Band 11 A The Norwood Builder by Sir ArUiur Conan Doyle treading 1115 Stanelli Whispering Orch 1150 News Summary THIRD: 5146 2035 30 Return to the Midi by Meray McLaren and Lennox Milne 045c Haydn: Pro Arte Quartet (records) Lulu: talk by Norman Del Mer 735 Interlude 730 Promenade Conrert: Pierre Fournier BBC Symphony Orch Scenery as hiaicrt)-: talk by Maurice Beresford 110 Promenade Concert (Part 2) 945 Cyril Rite hard and Rachel Oumpy in The Dolly Dialogues by Anthony Hope 10 JO Sheep and tne Soil: John Orren Chrr-rngton Rolf Oardiner 110 Bach Kainieen Long (maltol 1130c-( ii irif's 1 and the Arts: talk by Oliver Millar TELEVISION MO Ellen Pollock and Albert Lleven io The Que-n of Spadea bv Pushki 045 Music Makers 10 0-10 to fill the world Twice he KjjL it ai he rushed after the temsed man Ampr Blindly Fook dashed on Be 11 turned to the left not boni where it would lead him suddenly ahead he saw I oa running towards him They came on him together-1 som two big policemen ana come back with n8w( panted the one who hadag j- quest) him emerge from his- uw'L house Fook attempted to Do made only an inarticulate ai to vu tIibm'w pfifristhinff Arc Yoi the 1 There's something the policeman explaSJif to his colleague I tl racial with a reasonably good but his betting transactions been almost as disastrous as -his attempts to make easy money on the Stock Exchange -The idea of murder may occur to any man but only an essentially' weak character or an Intensely passionate 1 ever considers it seriously Fook as his mouth indicated was -weak and the easy way out of the difficulties he himself had created grew more attractive as he realised what little danger was involved John Summerley his uncle lived in an old house on the edge of a suburban common and Fook was familiar with his domestic arrangements The old man lived alone excepting for a woman who came in each morning and left in the early evening and Jukes his elderly servant who was as deaf as an adder and went up to the top floor to bed soon after ten John Summerley himself was a philatelist and Often sat late arranging his collections rpHE more Fook allowed his JL fancy to day with the idea of the murder the simpler it appeared He even went to the Eint of rehearsing it in part took a tramcar from Westminster Bridge and walked over the common to his house A minute or so after ten from -the shelter of the garden he noticed the light in Jukes's bedroom a quarter of an hour later it went out and excepting for' the library where he could see his uncle sitting at his desk the -house was in darkness All he had to do was to ring the bell -and when his uneje opened the door make some casual excuse for the late visit Once the door was closed the short length of lead piping the plumber had left behind at his flat would soon complete the work The next time he went Fook had the piece of lead piping In the pocket of his waterproof He alighted from' the tramcar farther away from the house than on- the previous occasion and made his way to it by unfrequented "roads The house was surrounded by a garden larger than those usually found in the suburbs and on the lawn in front of the house as Fook knew was a mulberry tree which would screen him both from the road and from the house From the shelter of this tree he saw his uncle slowly turning the pages of a large stamp album A he watched Jukes came in he always did at that hour Although Fook could not hear what was said he could easily imagine it That will be all sir? Jukes would say Thank you his uncle would reply 'Then I will retire sir Good night" Good-night Jukes then bowed and left the room Two minutes later Fook saw his light on the top floor ten minutes afterwards it went out The time was then a quarter past ten He waited until he heard the church clock down the road strike the half-hour before he gH Ml HOME: 3421 Children Baron Bear and the Ltt'e Prince (aerial Playi Your Flrat Camp (talk Records 555 Weather ee Neva Sport 0-30 Look Who'a Here with Harry Roboins Marcia Owen Dirk BenUey BBC Variety Orch MS A Date with Betty Bitty Driver Oene Crowley Petersen Brothers Jack White Band 71 5 Christian Outlook Opera Half-Hour Boris Goduno (records Se Geraldo a Open House George Benson Peter Hammond Lana Morris Dance Orch 930 Twentj Questions News S15 Questions of tin Hour 930 Th Frogmen (feature 1015 Recital Rene Soames (tenor Ernest Lu-Ji (accompanist Watscb Forbes (vio'a Alan Richardson piano 110 News Summary UCHT: 1500 2611 BBC Scottish Variety Orch 530 Death and Marv Da rill (serial 0 0 Harold Smart (organ C-inrerl Party: Cambrian Cocktail aitn Lei Jones Hugh Uovd Joe Bald wn Margie Castle Robert Thomas P'ggv Atlbv Patricia Kay Pameh t'irr Jennfer S'uw Freda Birt Roddi H-are mo Bullin' Light Oreh 0 and 735 Sport 719 --Opportunity Knocks an Junes Joaii Young Astral Voices Pattly2Z a fSAYE'S 8amuel mstmt Danny" fellow coming out or Lodge and gave hun a night and he bolted As they turned into the facing the common two policemen joined them group made its way house Mr Summerley was in tiff mye-MMO Fema scient ere zuccir she resea altera Aft barde to-night I saw the onPJ draw expec sister It TECHNICOLOR HUGH HERBERT BSNNV GOODMAN -TOMMY I 4 kjr KO lata now HOWARD HAWKS cotou frags pump nut hoi and Cl policeman said Betltf through the window ana the I killed him Fook wa! morning ftp ill whe afttff FpO turned up at her usual the police wereaeadyWj session They had no dig in getting into the fl key was the door Fook had left it there i mo returned to the flat evening in order of lead piping KlfiRON JtgnPN MOORE JUDY CABIAMO CEN KEUY MICKEY BOONEV WORDS Mm I SHOT JES key Ctam 12S5 pm 31 pa 535 pM 755 pM Pun Opi At 1245 Bronchi at- WORTHING SUTTON OXFORD GUILDFORD TOOTING TWICKENHAM STAINES SLOUGH READING EAST SHEEN WOKING CHICHESTER JACXAMANS lad SOUTHEND HOUNSLOW CRATS Open all day Saturday KINGSTON ON THAMES (Phone: KINgston 3313) One third of your life spent in Bed A headline from one of our advertisements in 1897) Even before 1897 we were celebrated for our Bedding Since then our BillowBed Bedding has got better and better Why don't you try real comfort? 3 ft £7-0-9 4 £9-14-4 4ft tin £9-9-1 £13-9-1 BEDDING Post Orders executed promptly at Kingston he ore Un thi yf fes yoi tip its du totj of an dif thf cr rt RICHMOND IIOAD OppotJt tho Bus Station.