Evening star., 1952-01-02

"NO' AO NOu0Il Cdl Uc QulUS COII
notably evident where there are
two sets of them to be dealt with
as in the case of a widow and
widower who might take it into
their heads to merge their re-
spective families. -
This is the theme Of the Uni
verSal-International comedy which
stars Van Heflin and Patricia Neal
and which features among others
Gigi Perreau and a younger sis
ter, Jaime. The latter indicates
that the Perreau family is almost
topheavy with talent.
The screenplay by Joseph Hoff-
man rests its case principally
upon the point that children and
the parent who happens to be
left to them have sharply diverse
opinions on the qualities desir-
able in second fathers or mothers.
Miss Neal, who is blessed-as
the phrase goeS-with two sons
In her widowhood. is looking for
man quite like Heflin. At least
she realizes this almost from the
minute she lays eyes on him, a
vidower despatching his two
daughters off to summer camp.
The sons have a different idea.
The ideal mate for their mother,
as they see it, is a camp direc-
tor sort. This is the type who
knows how to build fires, find his
way out Of the woods, and teach
young males the principles of
manliness. Heflin may be their
mothers type but this is some
thing she might be induced to
grow out of anywhere but in a
movie script.
Miss Meals offspring's objec-
tion to Hef1in are no whit
stronger than those his children
feel toward her. Their idea of
q substitute mother is a girl like
Virginia Field, a glamorous
actress type who can give flash
to home.
The principle setting Of this
several sided conflict is the rea-
sonably inviting one of the sum-
mer camp. There is just enough
OF outdoorsiness about it to bring
out the best and worst of the
competing adults, Richard Den
ming as the camp director who
has feet of clay and Miss Field
who turns too predatory.
Douglas Sirk, a director who,
like several Of his players, is usu-
ally concerned with much more
serious material than weekend
With Father" proves himself art
fully at home in the frivolity Of
the new film at Keith's. He is
content to let the merriment of
the script roll. off the surface Of
his characters and there is never
anything seriously wrong with
this decision on his part.
The especially shining merit of
weekend With Father" as family /
comedy is to be found in the quail
ity Of it's acting. Hef1in is a re-
markably polished performer who
is not at all disconnected to find
himself in a picture with the pre-
cocious young, even Gigi Perreau.
The Misses Neal and Field also
manage to hold their own in this
elfln company although neither
is quite so assured as Gigi whose
grasp Of life grows more impress
sive with every picture she makes.
Bulletin board: "Quo VadiS" en-
ters its second week at the Palace
with the same momentum that
started it off ahead of Gone
With The Wind" . incidentally.
tardy though the report is, the
Metro extravaganza is the Sign
magazines choice as the best pic
ture of 1851. Seats are now on
sale at the Gayety boxoffice for
the two-weeks' engagement there
of Jose Greco and his Spanish
Dancers which promises to be the
highlight of dance theater in
Washington this winter. "Fle-
dermaus" reached it's high point