Evening star., 1952-04-28

Lie paramount production,
Hunter, is another one of those
America can be. AS acted by Miss
Hunter and Ferrer. who usually
are up to much more serious busi-
ness, it is an agreeable reminder
that life is not really hopeless.
Anything Can Happen" is
based upon George and Helen
Papashvily's account of the for
mer's discovery of America. This
was best seller back in 1914. It
told OF Georges arrival here from
Kobiankari, Georgia (the Russian
Georgia., and how delighted he
was with everything from the Ian
guage and customs to the charm
of American girls.
These eight years and a num-
ber Of Hollywood cliches later,
America still looks human and
humorouSly inviting through
George and Helen Papashvily's
eyes. The filmed version Of their
story should make Paramount rich
and countless movie patrons less
neurotic.
X x **
Ferrer, who is Broadway's magic
man this year with three hits to
his credit, does his best screen
work in Anything Can Happen"
AS Georgian immigrant who
asks the Statue of Liberty. How
---Are---You?" on sight, Ferrer Isl
a warmly winning human. Brought
up in the land of another Geor-
gian (name of Staline, he could
not find Paradise more delightful
than this strange place.
Save for the barrier of Ian
guage. he finds himself as free as
the oldest inhabitant to enter the
social system here. Instead Of
being viewed with suspicion, he is
welcomed with warmth. Being
the type who responds quickly to
open-heartedness. George more
than matches Americas enthusi-
asm for him. Only an innate shy
ness and dignity keeps him from
exploding with the Joy of being
here.
Georges are not the only wide
eyes through which Anything
Can Happen" looks at America.
Soon after his arrival, he found
himself a member of a Georgian
colony. This was an eXuberantl
group, ready to sing at the most
family exultant prospect and to
throw a banquet on the slightest
excuse. The film directed by
George Seaton makes endlessly
amusing point that no one is bet
ter qualified than Georgians to en-
Joy this as a land of plenty.
Only one who read the original
book of the Papashvilys will know
how faithfully the screenscript
follows it.
The film does make clear that
George was an extraordinarily
energetic and busy fellow. These
are splendid qualities in a movie
hero and Anything Can Happen"
makes the most of them. It shows
how George wrestles English to a
quick draw, finds himself a living
wage job, gets arrested for picking
flowers in Central Park, and meets
the charming girl he is going to
marry.
George Papashvily himself could
not have more enthusiasm for his
life than that shown by Ferrer.
He is an actor with long delayed
chance to play routine comedy and
determined not to let it be rou-
tine. His man, therefore, is a
special creation, the work of an
actor who wants the characters
name remembered along with his
own.
This is a pleasant sight. So IS
the one provided by Miss Hunter
as the American girl, court Ste
nographer, who so charms George
Papashvily that he follows her to
California. This trip, incidentally.
is one of the comedy highlights Of
Anything Can Happen" It shows
that New York is not the only
American vista that can pop the
eyes of the stranger to these
shores.
The principals zest for their
Jobs is matched throughout the
cast of the comedy at the Dupont.
Kurt Kaszmar's immigrant Turk
who volunteers to introduce
George to America is a comedy
gem. Equally so are the portaits