Evening star., 1941-02-28

and wisely flecked with humor. But
it would be an even better picture
did the nature of the narrative
permit it to escape a quality ol
repetition, present less of a chal.
lenge to its producers to make il
overlong. These are not defects
that are not redeemed to large
extent by directional and acting
dexterity, even though the re-
demption is not complete.
X n
An item which virtually clamors
for mention in connection with the
distinction of 80 Ends Our Night
is the direction by John Cromwell
Obviously encouraged by the Messrs
Loew and Levin, Cromwell has
adopted the technique and many
of the devices which once won SO
much praise for European films
Before Europe became merely the
locale of sad screen stories made
in America.
80 Ends Our Night" is not a mar
rative of race persecution alone
1t derives additional strength, and
not merely Of box office, by show
ing that totalitarian brutality Is
not built on q mere hideous myth
of blood, but upon an equal hate
of its own tancied kin when the
latter opposes It's barbarous ideology.
There are three main characters
in the story which Talbot Jen-
nings adapted for the screen. The
most appealing of the lot Is an un-
believing former German Army Of
ficer, an Aryan of toughness equal
to his honor, of hatred for the
Nazis equal to their frightened lust
to get him out of the way. This
debonair figure, played by March,
is guide, counsellor and friend to
the other two characters, f1ne
and sensitive boy of 10 whose blood
is half-Jewish, a brilliant girl who
has committed the same sin against
the impurity which the Nazis call
purity.
Through these symbolic figures,
who never become mere symbols, Is
told the frightening story OF the
dispossessed. The story begins in
1887. follows the flight OF these
bounded innocents from Vienna to
Prague to Zurich to Paris. 1t shows
them in their tragic relation not
merely to those responsible for their
dislnheritance of homeland, but
their even more tragic one with citi-
zens of non-Nazi countries who.
either through indifference or fear,
drive them ever on. The latter,
March says in one of the best
speeches in the film, is an almost
equally monstrouS fate; to md no
understanding save among those
similarly prosecuted, to realize that
only the fleeing can know the an
suish of those in flight. 1t is one OF
the most forceful points of 80 Ends
Our Night"
Many a humorous character and
situation enliven 80 Ends Our
Night Pleasant especially are the
episodes in which March, after for
tifying his legal position with a
bogus passport, returns to sock a
brutal cop, another in which he gives
a confidence man lessons in refined
brigandage.
March gives one of his better per-
formances as the former German
officer whose legendary courage and
intelligence could frighten the wits
out of the Nazis, communicate itself
to the bounded boy and girl under
his wing. He is ably abetted not
only by Miss SULLIVAN but by Glenn
Ford, screen newcomer who comes
cloose to stealing the picture in the
role OF the half-Jewish lad who
grows from sensitiveness to tough
ness before his night comes to an
end. Lesser roles are also excel
lently cast.
In their first picture as producers,
Loew and Levin prove themselves
persons with something to say, the
courage to say it and the ability to
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