Evening star., 1952-10-24

in 1917.
Despite the excellent intention
nal event must clearly have over
shadowed the dramatic impact OF
the imitation. The latter catches
at the intimations of FatlmaS S one
spectacular moment in history but
it does SO more in cinsmatic terms
than in any other. 1t has no such
depth of feeling as that earlier
Hollywood foray into the super
natural. the prizeWorthy Song OF
Bernadette.
A simple, documentary flavor
apparently is what the producers
of THE Miracle of Fatima" are
striving for in the Warnercolor
film. With the exception of Gilbert
Roland, they work with cast OF
little known players whose faces
are unfamiliar. The setting OF the
film is starkly primitive.
Crane Wilbur and James O'Han-
lon wrote the screenplay which,
John Brahms directed with SINGER
ity in spite of too-Studled ettortI
to inject qualities of warmth and
humor.
The miracle with which the
script deals is that which befell
three innocent shepherd children
of Fatima one fine Sunday in the
spring of 1917 A lady of super
natural loveliness appeared toI
them to ask their services in bring
ing a message of peace to warning
mankind.
In the tradition of those who
have seen visions, the children
are reluctant to talk about their
experience, the more so for the
'lady's" warning they will have
to suffer for their service to her.
The burden. however. is too great
to be borne in silence and the
youngest of the trio confdeS in, OF
all villagers, the community s
{ kindhearted, roguish atheist,
played by Roland.
Before long, to the skeptical in
dignation of the childrenS fam
lilies, the dismay Of their pastor
and the outraged sense of the
civil authorities. Fatima is a ma
tional center of attention. Every
pressure is put upon the children
to disavoW their story OF the
"lady," to admit they lied, and to-
abandon their intent to return on
the same day each month for six
months to the scene OF the vision.
This they cannot do. They have
promised to be the "lady'S' faith /
full messengers and no threat OF .
dire punishment, including the
civil administrations threat of ex-
ecution, can divert them.
1.-THE Miracle of Fatima" makes
much of the fact that no matter
how scornful or skeptical of mir
acles civil and religious authors
ties may be, the mass OF men is
only too anxious to believe in them.
The happening at Fatima pro-
duces a convulsion in Portugal
and the bewildered youngsters liv-
ing in its exact center are its chief
sufferers.
Their faith in their lady" is
subjected to the most anguished
of tests. At home, the Oldest girl.
Lucia is physically punished and
made to feel an outcast for bring
ing their once peaceful home into
the national limelight. AT the
village church, she is subjected
to inquisiterial routine by the pas
tor fearful that the civil authori-
ties will resort again to closing
the recently reopened churches. i
Worst of all is the treatment ,
the three receive at the hands OF
the civil administration. When ]
all other means fail to move them,
they are thrown into cell of ban
dts, murderers, traitors and other I
offenders. They remain unshaken.
Whether 1t actually happened 7
this way. the film is careful to
counterpoint these scenes of tenn
pestuouS drama with contrasting K
touches of comedy. Vastly useful i
for this purpose is the lovable
rogue character played by Roland.
Atheist though he is, he is the
youngsters most cunning ally. If Il
he does not believe their miracle,
he nevertheless loves them enough L
to join their resistance to the civil /
and religious authorities.
In his standard rogue dimen-
sions, Roland is a solid comedy I
figure in The Miracle of Fatima,"
never more so than in an out
rageously improba lie moment
when he hawks rosaries and sacred
ornaments to the crowd come to .
see the miracle.
This latter, incidentally, is the
recession and darkening of the
sun, the sign by which the Por-
tugese are finally convinced of
the lady's visit to Fatima.