Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-19
ANDERSON
Con,edyon
FOx Bill
BY CHARLES GENTRY


ALL THAT glitters is not as
full of splendor as you might be
led to believe by the title of The
Magnificent Ambersons," the film
version of which opened at the
Fox yesterday.
The screen treatment of the
well known Booth Harrington
lprize-winning novel has received
such ponderous and heavy hand
ling that interest is very likely 10
lag before you are well into this
saga of a Midwest family during
period of industrial progress.
In case you do not recall the
story, it is that OF a wealthy
household which rides high wide
and unpleasantly over an \Ohio
community, their ancestors helped
10 found. OK
Theirs is the biggesrkouse in
town. theirs is the right 10 social
arbitration, theirs the right TO
snub. TO discard. TO criticize.
The Ambersons can do no
wrong. according TO their own
lights and this corn-fed aristoc-
Iracy rises to overbearing heights.
TRAGIC MISTAKE
The daughter. Isobel, played BY
Dolores Costello, discards the
love of her life because of social
Iinfraction and marries dull lad
of the steady" type.
They have one child who grows
up 10 be the town problem.
Arrogant snob that he is, the
boy. Tim Holt. trades on the de-
lvotion which the family has
always rendered him and takes
all tribute for granted.
YOUTHFUL ARBITER
His disapproval of his widowed
mothers friendship with her old
sutton. Joseph Cotton, provides the
principal problem OF the play.
Later he succeeds in destroying
his mothers only chance of hap
piness. wrecks the family fortunes
and generally dissipates the strong
hold the Ambersons once had
over their community.
AS the town changes into a
large industrial city so the Am
berSonS lose their magnificence
and come 10 pretty tawdry end
IT'S TOO TEDIOUS
As we stated before, the story
itself. is not exciting enough to
sustain interest and the screen
development is of such tedious
nature that you are forced 10 con-
centrate on the individual per-
lformances.
Agnes Moorehcad as the frus-
trated aunt. for examples provides
a portrait OF grim resignation,
rare 10 film characterizations.
Anne Bakers simple charm and
disarming sweetness, and Joseph
Cotton's quiet underplaying are
other outstanding features.
NEGATIVE PERFORMANCE
Dolores Costello resorts TO her
invariable habit of giving a mega
tive performance. Things always
happen 10 her. She never gives
YOU the feeling that she is doing
anything herself. In this instance
it's very effective. Richard Ben
nett and Ray Collins complete the
family album. one rich In char
iaetef flashes but singularly un-i
animated from a picture stand
point.
But If one feature lacks anima-
ton, the other, Lady In Jam,
has too much.
Perhaps we're wrong but we
thought the vogue for hair
Drained heireSses was out for the
duration. We thought the whacks
had all turned into WAACs. but
not according 10 this film which
had Irene Dunno running around
/ the country accompanied by a
psychiatrist. the only sensible note
in the whole affair.
ALL TOO ACTIVE
Let's face il. Miss Dunno is
getting a little too ancient 10
scamper around Arizona throwing
cowboys for a loss. She's plenty
charming in the drawing room.
but when you get her out in the
open. she creaks.
In this case. she's being terribly
cute about a gold mine her grand
mother owns.
The grandmother. Queenie Vas
sar. acts like a combination of
Eva Tanguay and Dead-Eye Doris.
tShe doesn't want TO put up with
all her granddaughter nonsense
and neither do we-but she
ihelps the romance along by
sailing" the exhausted gold mine
and by encouraging the jealousy
of the psychiatrist. using Ralph
Bellamy, a cow-punch-d X
character, for bait.
The whole thing IS too aband-
oned. including the gold mine,
Miss Dunno and our idea of what
constitutes very funny farce.