Evening star., 1946-05-31

artfulness of Metro Goldwyn-May
yarn becomes one of the finest pie,
which is turning the type into g
blue-plate special. 1t opened yes.
terday at Loew's Capitol, and it /.
hard to see how even theater tha,
large can accommodate within 6
week those who will want to Sc it.
John Garfield and Lana Turner
are perhaps little too pat choices
as the principals in Gains morbid
fascinating fable, but there is nc
denying that they play it to its
skull-bashing hilt. Miss Turner, te
be blunt about it, never had q
sweater or a bathing suit that At
her 50 well as the role OF Cora Smith
tailored by Cain.
In retaining the sharp, sweaty
sanguinary flavor OF 1.-THE Postman,' ~
M-G-M has given a lesson to its
cinema colleagues in handling the
untouchable so that even the most
touchy need not be offended.
X x4x +
The story which Harry Ruskin and
Niven Busch adapted for the Capi-
tolls film is Cain in his most grisly
mood. He has to tell of the illicit
romance of Cora and Frank Cham
bers. She is the wife of an amiable
old codger who runs roadside res
taurant In California. She is secure
and satisfied In her hamburger
heaven until the devil appears in
the form Of Chambers. The latter
takes one look at the beautiful wife
and her pudgy husband, and decides
that the opportunity as handy man
around the place is the opportunity
he has been looking for.
Despite the fact that there are
few surprises in the bare, berserk
emotional conduct of the lovers, Di-
rector Tay Garnett has invested his
picture with an endlessly tingling
suspense. Their acts, climaxed by
brutal murder and volcanic with
eventual hatred for each other, are
allowed to telegraph themselves.
The suspense is wisely built upon
the aftermath of each anoral mis-
deed committed by the pair.
y X r X
The question the spectator asks
himself during 'The Postman" is
not what Cora and Frank will do
next. They are handsome animals
trapped in a fatal fascination for
each other. 1t is obvious that they
will deceive the gentle, trusting
husband. 1t Is obvious that he will
become suspicious and that he will
interfere with them. Clearly there
is nothing for them to do but to kill
him.
The first murder attempt is based
upon plan Cora ran across in a
crime magazine, a scheme to put
marbles In the bath tub to help him
break his neck while taking a
shower after the house lighting sys-
tenn has been jammed.
When that plot goes awry, Frank
sneaks away to leave Cora to her
fate, and to hate him. But a love
like theirs, in Gains thinking, is not
destined to let its victims escape
unscathed. They are dragged back
together for more, and worse of the
same. Their second attempt must
not fail and 50 they contrive to drop
the old man and his car over O con-
venient cliff, after which, in their
simple minded, gland tormented
ways they plan to live happily ever
afterward. How they are frustrated
In that drama provides the climax
OF the Capitol's picture, a revela-
tion Of what happens when love
curdles which makes not merely
powerful drama but also a fine,
black and white moral lesson.
There is small room for a dull
sequence in the naked ugliness of
the tale "The Postman" has to tell.
There are dozens of superb ones.
Many of the latter are those be-
tween Miss Turner and Garheld,
their futile, pitiable constant efforts
to f1nd one moment of happiness in
their illicit relationship. Not a fleet
ing second is granted them of either
JOY or hope; only mounting, mad
dening misery from which both
shall be glad to hear the postman's
second ring.
Miss Turner gives her best per-
Torrance to date in a role tailored
Tor her In the Capitol's melodrama
and Garfield is even more forceful.
There are excellent subordinate per-
formances, those of Leon Ames as