Evening star., 1953-11-12

simmering sex and sadism.
T. In this it apparently reflet
moviegoers have not been en-
tirely alienated from flat-looking
actors. Not so long as they can
be so recklessly spirited as Ladd.
as smoothly savage as Mason,
and as seductive as Patricia
Medina.
The conduct and misconduct
of these is related in Botany
Bay" to the early colonization of
Australia. That still rather wide
open land might be embarrassed
by the implication that these
characters were it's founding
fathers, and mothers. These are
not progenitors of whom a coun-
try can be unreservedly proud.
Paramount. however, concluded
that their dramatic vitality quail
ifles them nicely for movie pur-
poses.
:. This is not without it's logical
aspects from the pure cinematic
point of view. whatever its virtue
as accurate history.
: Nordoff and Hall, a pair of
seafaring novelists who also
wrote "Mutiny on the Bounty"
are naturals as Hollywood writer's.
q 1t is not in their natures as au-
thorS to demand of actors more
than the surface representation
of their characters. It is enough
that Ladd look like a reckless
American medical school stu
dent in London in the 18th CEN
tury, that Mason sketch subtly
poisonous ship captain, and that
Miss Medina mimic seductress
who can turn the heads of both.
This is pie. In Technicolor, no
less.
Paramount's maritime melo-
drama, directed with sweep by
John Farrow, begins on the lower
level of an 18th century London
Jail. Here the dregs of the un-
derworld, and a few innocent |
victims of injustice, get strange |
and sudden reprieve. If they will
go to Botany Bay in Australia, /
England will forget if not for
give them.
Naturally they go, decision |
tilaU gives Director Farrow a
chance to picture months long
sea voyage that must still
hold the record for homicidal
violence, wretchedneSS. depravity
and even occasional spots of riot
GUS comedy. Fortunately for the
pictures budget, the ship is a
small, inexpensive, long-obSolete
type and the coStumeS-except
for MaSon'S-a collection that
might come from the nearest
rag-picker.
AS Botany Bay" drifts along
from murder to murder, storm
to storm, and one romantic mis-
alliance to another, it has a
tendency to lose track of time
which, of course, was not as i'm
portant then as now.
In the course of its meander-
ing, however, it does show that
Miss Medina is an almost fatally
attractive girl, that British JUS
tice was not always infallible,
and that Ladd is Mason's master
not merely in virtue but in mus
cularity.
1t also illustrates, and quite
dramatically, the old punish
ment known as keel-hauling.
This provides Botany Bay" with
it's most tortuous sequence and
may even provide a yardstick
by which to measure how much
more civilized is modern mari
time law.
1t takes a multitude of actors
to colonize Australia and it has
been a long time since Para
mount hired a group more We
hement and vigorous in its
chores. Moviegoers might be
understandably less enthusiastic
about Botany Bay"
BULLETIN BOARD: Three Gill
bert and Sullivan favorites COM
prise the repertory the Ameri-
can Savoyards will bring to the
National the week of November
% These are "The Mikado,"
Monday nights opener. Pirates
of Penzance" and Patience" -.
The group will follow the Sla-
venska- Franklin ballet company
which also will appear here
under the auspices of Patrick
Hayes in the American Univer-
sity Concert series -. Before it
opened in Hartford, Conn, last
night THE Prescott Proposals"
had a New York advance sale
of more than 100000 The
Howard Lindsay-Russel Grouse
play with Katharine Cornell will
open a two-weeks' date at the
National November 80. . Piquant
Mindy Carson will be followed at
the Casino Royal by Washing
tons own Johnny Puleo and his
Harmonica Rascals i. F.. 1t will be
eight years since the harmonica
virtuoso has played in his home
town Arlington Players will
open their fall season with /
Mines 'Mr. PIN Passes By"
with three performances 'Novem-
ber 1921 These will be given
In the Fellowship Hall of the |