Evening star., 1949-12-25
The Year SO TopFi|nos
Hiqh In Drama Level
All the Kings Men Chosen as Cinen1o's S
Best With Fallen IdoF Second
By Joy Cormody

AS any year rolls BY well almost any year. the motion pic
with In the keeping track Of these odd
and there which to qualify for 1obes list
The notes he makes merely mental and they are false
kind false of security
There to be Of these pzeworthy productions
that always he will have trouble when the hour
decision always the and is always for
the pictures turn out to be fewer than had counted and the
Among the Better Years.
better others this respect
and s4s Of these It had Hamlet to spreadeagle
the field the Laurence Olivier production did last year. but the
Of quality from end of the lobe to the ether may
higher rate here this departments choices
from the hundreds of screenpays which passed in review:
q "The Fallen Idol" 7. monsieur Vincent"
3. "Pnky" 8. Command Decision"
Ps;s1er: to Pnie0" % ss ss %a9aa Ghs%D,en
It an international list American English Italian and
reasonably enough by the native product
It might even have been more American IN avo nad couple o.
other Hollywood poductonsThe Heress and Batteground
will be Academy award nominees but this
list logically limited to pictures which have been shown
here during the calendar
io-bes this gives confidence that
it readily deensbe although probably not against the more
Devil the FLESH, lost Boundaries
he setUp Task Force and several others which were run
ners-up.
all personal choices which paraded public in
remaining private most tastes do In this world these
probably call for explanation.
Why tor instance is IAN the Kings Men" selected
1.-THE Fallen Idol" the top picture Of the year?
good question says on the radio and
may call better than this movegoer able to
give His reply however will have to to he found
the Robert Rossen biography demagogue quite
crossing other picture and somehow OF more pernence
or consequence words it dramatic OF
reveal the workings Of demagogus character than
to merely mystyng relations of small boy to
1.-THE Fallen Idol" did the latter with
exquisite effect, it seemed less pressing in theme
Pnky" choice Lost Boundaries" which deals
racial repression justly calls for ex
PLANTATION perhaps better than that which
follows latter taken from life and made with documentary
corking statement of its and more power
full than In its reach for audience,
handicapped by its Journalistic approach which,
for once was eclpsed by the cinematic treatment
Comedies Easily Defended
the comedies of the Passport to Pmlico"
"uarte" fourth and sixth places the easily
defensbe selections of the lot Both British made
English in flavor and somehow leagues ahead Holywoods
adventures into humor Passport to Plico" the story of
small London suburb which decided secede and become
French colony the basis of old grant,
surprising freshness fantasy
joke and American audiences enjoyed
hugely than those of its native land In its sophisticated
way W. Maughams way Quartet" achieved
the happy effect huge audiences and set records
everywhere.
Paan Roberto Rossens human Of GIs and Italians
at with the Germans and Monsieur Vincent the biography
the worlds humanists obviously belong
best pictures list.
this reviewer feels does Command Decision"
full revelation that all the torment of borne by soldiers
who carry out orders
And, for "The Champion" melodrama must high to
equal that with which the picture the sport Of fong
going height it almost equaled in The Window" which
oddly enough is the single picture the list which
boxofhce disappointment