Evening star., 1944-12-16

UNDERSTOOD individual dimensions
taught Hollywood what it was
missing in the way of patronage
and profit. The melodrama has
been doing just fine ever since and
Is in for a cinema whirl the like of
which it has not enjoyed in years
Two subsequent releases have had
at least as much as the Paramount
notwithstanding Fred MacMurray
and Barbara StanWyck-in setting
the studios aflre with fervor for the
murder mystery, either with or
without psychologist overtones.
First of these was Laura" tale
of murder in cafe society, the other
the current Keith Offering, The
Woman in the Window" which deals
with violence, not among the CLAM
orous set, but just as Interestingly
among group of intellectuals
headed by psychology professor
and including successful surgeon
and scholarly district attorney
The public, viewing these pictures.
has concluded that it is fascinating
to see these normally better"
people-as contrasted with the old
gangster types-letting their emo
tions go to the point of homicide
Hollywood, which takes it's cues
from such public moods has con-
cluded to play the trend for all it
is worth, which promises to be mil
lions.
The psychologist melodrama. with
or without its element of mystery,
is a thing of such impact that it
would not surprise many followers
of the cinema to find two, possibly
three, of such offerings on many a
critics 10-best list before Decem-
ber's end brings the final decision
on such things. Laura" is certain
to be on great many such ballots
in spite of its several implications
of faulty police work. So also is
THE Woman in the Window"
tricky treatment of the theme which
has been enormously popular wher-
ever it has been exhibited.
Another melodrama which has
attracted vast critical and public
acclaim is the Warner Bros. con-
tribution based upon Ernest Hem
ingway's story, ITO Have and Have
Not" Washington has not seen
the picture, but 1t has been left in
no doubt that 1t serves very effec-
lively to introduce the years most
sensational newcomer, Lauren Ba-
call. To this extent it resembles a
previous item of the same general
type, This Gun for Hire" which
gave such impetus to the careers
nf tyITn nthor ttuo
erS, Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd.
Another career that promises to
he revitalized, not initiated, by
elodrama is that of Dick Powell.
The erstWhile crooner, who was di-
Verted into comedy channels when
his musical career went into the
eclipse phase, is off to a third start
as the detective in another psycho-
logic thriller, RKO's Farewell My
Lovely" That, of course, is an
adaptation of another of Raymond
Chambers detective pieces, sudden
ly highly desirable library of writ
ing on the part of Hollywood The
next one to be released will star
Humphrey Bogart, no stranger, of
course, to that sort of thing.
The melodrama of all melodramaS
on the stages of the film capital at
the moment. however, is none of
these, but rather Paramount's adap-
tation of The Lost Week End
starring Ray Milland. That account
of an experience in protracted in
ebriation represents one of the most
ticklish of script writing jobs ever
undertaken by even such experts
and artful authors as Charles
Bracket and Billy Wilder.
Their version, however, was tact
full enough not merely to get by the
Hays office, but sufficiently SO to
make Milland the envy of many an
other male star who was willing
not merely to assume the risks of