Evening star., 1940-07-13

N and intelligence that will make 1t
highly expert cast have acquitted
themselves handsomely in every
detail
Deletions there were, necessarily,
In Robinson's script. None of them,
however, modified the strong char
acterlzation which was the most
striking feature of the original novel.
Nor did they reduce the story to
standard dimensions for it requires
two hours and 20 minutes for the
telling, a considerable slice of time
but one of which the audience is
never conscious as the gripping tale
unfolds.
Dark were the shadows that lay
across the love of the duke and the
little governess and the screen
version makes no pretense that
such was not the case. Brooding
constantly over the devotion and
deep understanding of the two is
the brutal crime to which it led so
inevitably and as the incarnation of
the Inflated lovers, Boyer and Miss
Davis lead it to its climax with
unfailing tensity.
AS the loving, lovable Henriette,
in whose tiny being was an un-
conquerable strength, Miss Davis
gives a performance whose quiet re-
straint is one of its most excellent
qualities. AS the aristocratic
Frenchman Boyer, too, has an un-
paralleled opportunity to demon
strate he is vastly more the actor
than as the lightsome gent with
the careSsing voice in those en-
gaging comedies. A man on his
way to madness with love for one
woman and an anguished hate for
another, the duke is an actors
dream part, and Boyer sees that it
comes true.
On a part with the portraiture
OF the principals is that of Barbara
O'Neil as the passionate religeuse,
the neurotic wife whose ungovern-
able jealous RACES drive happiness
far from the De Praslin domicile
In one of the least sympathetic
parts in years Miss O,Neil demon
strates that Hollywood has been
inexcusably dull in not Frightening
more of its works with her talent,
Next to the excellence of the
script the outstanding feature of
the picture is the skill of it's casting.
For small parts the studio en-
ployed such players as Helen West
ley, Walter Hampden. Harry Daven-
port, George Coulouris, Montagu
Love, Janet Beecher and Fritz
Leiber. Singularly fortunate was
the company in its selection of
youngsters to play the De Praslin
children. AS the lovely, elfin Lou
Use, Virginia Weidler is excellent,
and so is June Lockhart daughter
OF Gene) as the bewildered, sensi-
tive Isabelle. Ann Todd plays the
stubborn, willful Berthe somewhat
spottily, but Richard Nichols makes
very engaging character of Baby
Raynald.
In its concentration upon the
lyrical love affair the political
implications Of the De Praslin
scandal are sidetracked in the film
version, but the loss is negligi-
BILE. The f1ash-back technique is util-
lied in telling the story, prologue
presenting Miss Davis as a panicky
young teacher at Miss Hams school.
aware of the schools knowledge of
her past and determined to Law
the whole story before the skeptical
children. The closing scene deals
with the complete conversion of the
youngsters after they have heard
her account of the ghastly ordeal.
Mr.. Litvak's direction is marked
by an earnestness to recreate pre-
cisely the background of each ele-
ment in his somberly moving story.
Dozens OF scenes reflect the COM
plete success of his effort, none bet
ter than the court sequence in which
Miss Davis is brilliant in her in
sistence uon the truth that her love
for De Praslin was purely platonic
affair. The scenes between the gov
erness and the children are exuu;s-
itely handled to bring out the ten
derness Of the relationship between
them; those between the duke and
duchess to reveal the responsiveness
OF her passionate nature.
An altogether fine Job. which
should not be marred by the bubble
that some areas of the story are
characterized by torpid movement.
X X X X
High light of the abbreviated stage
program which has been worked out
as a neat adjunct to the Earle's
program is the stilt tap routine by
the intrepid RoXyettes. Not since
they tanned those 16 mad unicvcles
have the girls INDUCED ANYTHING
so fancy and menacing. Vocal in
terlude is furnished by the New
Workers. a mixed octet of skill
Betty Bruce offers a variety of ex-
cellent dancing skits, and Jeanne
Lanier dashes off a song or two in
the sophisticated manner.
Whenever Dot 0,pr;e,, h..