Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-11

determined that is the judgment
you will make of the screen drama.
You almost certainly will. 1t has
been a long time since so many
handsomely dressed people became
involved in so unpublished romance
for the delight of those who go to
the movies.
In visualizing the heroine and
hero of "Gilda," the producers
might we'll have thought back to
Heathcliffe and Cathy of "Wuther-
ing Heights In the dark violence
of their natures, and the fatal at
traction of their individual chemis-
tries, they are not unlike Emily
Bronte's stormy lovers. But against
the background of modernistic
gambling casino in Buenos Aires,
their story does not carry the same
passionate conviction as the one on
the moors. Suspense and surprise,
yes, but not the deep, unacceptable
feeling that this was what had to be.
Producer Virginia Van Upp, who
started in the movies as roly-poly
child actress, has ordered all the
stops pulled out in telling about
Gilda and Johnny Farrell. Before
the picture ends, the strain of the
lovers emotions is destined to re-
duce them to a pulp and to the
same emotions of the audience.
That is pretty much the effect
achieved by "Gilda,' except possibly
In the case of hardy souls who make
up their minds quickly that 1t is all
too incredible.
X X X
The tone of the Earl's fiery love
story is akin to that which is called
a deadly hush. The content of the
dialogue is rich with explosive
power, but the voice every one uses
it low pitched. Each word Is
fringed with the faint hiss of doom,
as if the speaker might explode any
second and kill every one in the
vicinity. The tension is rather ex-
pertly relieved from time to time
with insets of sardonic humor, but
only to heighten its effect when ap-
piled again.
In this respect, considerable art
fulness went in to "Gilda," to be
credited most likely to Director
Charles Vidor.
X X
Where Gilda and Johnny came
from and how they first were fatally
attracted to each other are never ex-
planned in "Gilda" They are Amer
leans in Buenos Aires, but why
there, and how they came, remain
mystery. All the audience ever
knows of him is that his life is
saved by a dude one night after a
water front dice game, after which
the dude gives Johnny job in the
casino. Johnny is quick with pair
of dice or a deck of cards and equal
" quick in becoming the boss man
Friday.
After this relationship is set, the |
boss goes away for a while, only to
come back with Gilda. She is
magnificent ornament in any ones
life, even the naughty, urbane, mys-
FERROUS casino proprietor's. A wom-
an of fire and wild recklessness,
Gilda instantly assumes the role of
torturing Johnny in preference to
being the centerpiece of the boss
collection. The torture game is one
that he does not relish, the setup
being what it is with the boss, but 1t
turns out that he is even more ex-
merit ar ii than CIilda
There are a lot of things going
on at the casino-one of them being
the building of a tungsten cartel
whose boss will control the world
but they are subordinate in drama
to the affairs of the two lovers.
Attention is kept virtually riveted
upon Gilda and Johnny, who are
convinced in their own minds that
what they feel is mortal hatred for
each other. Her idea of paying him
off-for just what the audience is
never actually told-is to pick up
every handsome male who comes
into the casino. His repayment for
that is to snatch her out of the
arms of each of these itinerant
SWANS with the tormentlng init
nation that it is only for the boss
that he bothers.
I'll take you out and bring you
back as if you were-his laundry"
he tells her.
It's a dramatic duel, you can be
sure, alive with the suggestion that,