Evening star., 1934-02-09

The Lost PatIol,' which defies
most Of the laws of picture-mak1ng
and has the above ingredients is,
nevertheless. corking good film 1t
Is slow, it is grim, it is once or twice
badly overWTitten, but it has genu-
tnely sound impetus rising to several
neat climaxes-and yesterdays first
audience at R-K-O Kelths seemed
to be definitely impressed with it.
What carries it out of the average
run of films, besides its unusual
theme, and the excellent direction Of
John Ford, is its musical theme.
Max Steiner, who is one of Holly
woods amazingly gifted musicians,
has written this with an uncanny eye
for effect and with the most detailed
and accurate conception OF musical
reality. Dovetailing music IN with
action is a game with which the films
are daily becoming more and more
familiar. 1t does not usually, how
ever, inspire audiences to sit up
and take notice. If the music doesn't
intrude particularly on your con-
sciousnesS, it is said to be a good
score. If the heroine melts as the
band plays The Blue Danube" you
can be certain to have a warm and
favorable reaction to her melting. If
marches are played while men are
marching, and Did You Ever See a
Dream Go Walking?" as the hero first
spots the love of his life, all is apt
to be we'll Music in such cases is
taken for granted.
You cannot. however, take Mr..
6teiner's music for granted in THE
Lost Patrol" 1t Is too vital a part
of the whole. On certain moments
OF the players and to give them the
proper psychological reaction to the
bitter struggle through which they
are passing. While the music was,
Of course, written not with the shoot
ing of the script, but after it, you
would swear that each player knew
the exact musical bar with which he
is being constantly associated and
when, for instance, that Scotchman
sets off across the desert with the
song of Scotland ringing in his ear.
you would swear again that the music
is actually bolstering along his cour-
aye anu CdlI SuIs IIIlll 4IlIO IlAo oou
eternity with the good cheer which
he deserves
THE acting Of the eight men, lost
= in this Mesopotanlian hot-spot, is
first rate, save for a few too hectic
moments contributed by Boris Karlof
Whether or not it is because you can
not ever think of Mr.. Karloff sanely
and wisely after his cinema skirmishes
as Mr.. Frankenstein, it is still diff
cult to take him seriously. His play
ing OF the crazed religious fanatic
hence falls curiously fat. With a
sincere performance turned in un-
theatically by a man without a
Frankenstein background, this would
doubtless have become a moving char
acter study AS it is we are afraid
that Mr. Karloff's wide eye gleam-
ings and the furious expression OF
despair which asserts itself is so remi-
niscent of certain silly Frankenstein
moments that it is not to be wondered
that the audience frankly and un-
shamably laughs at him.
*x
THE error of casting Mr.. Karlof in
such a role is, however, the film S
only major error-the other, that Of
occasional overwriting. leaning on the
side Of virtue. Reginald Denny S
speech at one point is good solid stuff,
reminiscent Of Noel Coward While
you cannot quite imagine man lying
In a sand spot almost frizzled to the
gills giving away to such succlnct
thought, it is still pleasant to listen
to its phrasing and vastly more OF a
credit to its makers than if the man
had INDUCED once and for all in GER
tain more popular film fiction.
DIRECTOR FORD has chosen his
- cast with an eye for Drawn as
well as brain and with remarkable
insight into type and character. You
will see, for instance, Wrestler Sammy
Stein making his debut in the films as
q solemn fighting man, who stays
with his colors until the end; Victor
McLaglen, less staggering than
usual, turning in perhaps his best
performance as the sergeant who finds
his small patrol shot from under him;
Reginald Denny. speaking that one
speech with remarkably clear and true
diction; Wallace Ford, rising to mo-
ment Of believable hysteria with tre-
mendous zeal; Billy Bevan, not being
jot more humorous than he is
meant to be- and young man by
the name of Douglas Walton, who
speaks his little speech to the moon
with great sensitiveness and charm,
All of these men, except possibly
the grim Mr.. Karloff. have been
directed 50 that their true characters
are revealed without too much
theatricalism. When young Mr.. Walton
dies, for instance, you expect long
and painful dirge-a directors oppor-
tunity to turn his woman audience
into tears. When McLaglen reaches
his maddest and baddest climax you
expect him almost to tear his shirt of
In his genuine frenzy. When that one