Evening star., 1938-10-17

sion OF 1JS deepest dumHdVloH 4oA ''Ao
with a dexterity that is unbelievably
fine. It can be guaranteed to shake
up the emotions as but few cinema
compositions are capable of doing.
Life Dances On" called in French
"Un Garnet de Bal" is narrative OF
woman's disenchantment. And, no
matter how much it sounds like toying
with words. there is nothing to do
but say it is told in terms that are
enchanting-at least most OF the tlme.
If it we're not for the brilliant acting
and the extraordinarily skilled direc-
ton, the basic plot and construction OF
the picture might be challengeaole.
AS it is, they are accepted just as
Julian Duvivier intended they should
be, which is to say without questlon.
M. Duvivier who wrote as well as
directed Life Dances On" begins his
piquant story in the early Widownooo
of Christine, young, beautl1ul,
wealthy woman whose marriage mas
been a failure Kidding her luxurlous
home of all reminders OF her late nus
band she runs across an old dance
propram. that of her first ball. Its
pages are filled with the names OF
men she might have married, men
who at least shared life with her
when it held it's brightest promise OF
glories that never came.
With nothing better to do, she sets
ont to find the one man OF the once
ardent group with whom she can begin
again at the level of happiness rep
resented by that period of her life. 1t
is a Journey of disillusionment for her,
but one packed with intense drama for
picture audiences.
The six episodes in the quest for
the Joyous spirit of her youth. as re-
membered in the names on the pro-
gram. lead the beautiful widow first to
the home of boy who committed
suicide for love of her Immediately
after the ball The bereaved mother,
insane since the death Of her son,
ereets the widow with her first aware
ness that the balls aftermath was
tragic for others. too.
Five other men who protested love
everlasting on that occasion remain on
the itinerary. Successfully she sees
them. One is an embittered operator
of dubious night club, a criminal,
whom she remembers as young law
yer with whose heart her own sang
CAV duets OF endless oneness. The
others include lovers who became, one
a priest after having been great
musician, another phlloSophic Alpine
guide third a robust vulgarian mayor
of midland village and the last an
epileptic sot who fell far below his
aspirations to be great physician.
1t is story of type which all too
rarely has the good fortune to be
recorded on celluloid. And. in spite OF
its generally tragic tone, it has been
given the intelligent relief OF some
highly humorous incident
The episode involving the small town
mayor, for example, achieves the effect
of bucolic comedy without seeming
alien to the essential story, feats of
acting and direction that are alto
gether admirable and tend to COM
pensate for the fact that the sequence
ends unnecessarily in an extreme man.
Hesitation of brutality.
Without seeing the picture, it is diff
cult to accept the fact that such epi-
sodic material could be given genu-
inc unity. That it possesses that
quality. however, is strong in its i'm
plication that NJ Duvivier is much
greater director than he is scenarist
With the help of a cast that is one of
the finest ever assembled for a single
screen drama, his directorial ability
turned defective script into picture
that is one of the most distinguished
brought to this country from Europe
Marie Bell, Francoise Rosay, Louis
Jouvet, Harry Baur, Raimu and Pierre
Richard Willm are the players whose
talents Life Dances On" owes much
of its brilliance.
Examinations in the waltz contest
sponsored by Metro -Goldwyn- Mayer
and Loew's, Inc, will be held tonight
at the Shorehams blue room. Five
couples will be selected, from which
the champion pair will be chosen on