Evening star., 1953-04-24


original form which leads at least
one reader to suspect that Miss
Niggli must have done a con-
Siderably tidier job than the
Hollywood adaptation turns out
to be.
Under the direction of Norman
Foster, the various strands OF
the story separate so confusingly
that the snugness which is the
reputed charm of village life dis
appears almost entirely. This Is
rather a sad loss even when
shared among as many name
players as Ricardo Montalban,
Pier Angel, Vittorio Gassman.
Yvonne de Carlo, Cyd Charlse.
etc.
AS the picture progresses, the
ways of the Mexican villagers
seem as helter- -skelter and ex-
temporized as our own. Everyone
knows how intolerable that ar
rangement is.
The Mexicans pictured in,
"Sombrero" are a volatile, hand
some, fun-loving lot. including
even the village priest who be-
lieves in happiness here and now
for his innocent. childlike flock.
The story of the village exist
ence is told chiefly in the char
acters of three young males and
q corresponding number of fe-
males. One of the former trio
Is the vibrant young village
cheesemakeT (MontalbaO, an
impetuous romantic and an in
corrigible practical joker. His
effort to end a long time feud
with the neighboring village, in
order to marry Miss Angel, its
most attractive native, is the
plots chief thread.
The second young man (Gass-
mani is the son of the towns
leading aristocrat. He is ira
ditionally committed to marry
his opposite number in the vii
lage society but. being young and
liberal, he is emotionally dedi-
Gated to a river bank beauty
(Miss De Carlo.
Completing the trio of vibrant
young villagers. is the candy
vender. It is his dramatic mis-
fortune to fall in love with the
lovely gypsy sister of Mexico'S
greatest matador and to live un-
happily in the prospect that the
bull fighter will kill him on
sight.
Any one of the three stories
would have been enough for the
average film and there are evil
denceS in Director Fosters ham
ding of the story that he fire.
quently feels this way himself.
X + II
In its general flavor. SON.
. brero" does manage to catch
something of the popular feel
ing in this country that Para
disc lies Just south of the Rio
Grande River. AS photographed
in M-G-M's vivid Technicolor.
it is a land of bland days and
enticing nights whose people
spend the sunlit hours resting
up for their nighttime roaming.
AS ways of life go. this one is
productive of a community dis
position that harrassed humans
on this side of the border may
we'll envy. Even the biggest
blusterers in "Sombrero" are
agreeable and amusing and until
Nina Foch shows her real ma
ture. villainy is totally invisible
on the Capitol's screen.
It is inevitable that in a pic
ture as big and good-hearted as
"Sombrero." some dramatic frag-
ments are bound to appear. One
such touch is that given by Span
ish Dancer Jose Greco when he
gives a lively sample of his spe-
cialty. Another is a second dane
ing excerpt. this one by Miss
Charlse who dances the gypsy
out Of her soul one night on a
moonlit mountain top.
The acting requirements Of
"Sombrero" are the type that
should not. and do not. prove
burdensome to the Ornamental
people to whom Metro has as
signed the various roles.
X y
Singer Bill Lawrence makes an
amiable headliner for this