Evening star., 1953-04-15

Spur" a f1ve-character frontier
by James Stewart. And, those
who have seen it have added an
other to their lists in Paramount'S S
Shane" which George Stevens
GA Place in the SUM- directed
and in which Van Heflin and
Alan Ladd star.
That leaves eight places open
on 10-beSt lists for other west
erns and other types of film that
may come along between now
and the end of December. It is
possible, of course. that The
Naked Spur" and Shane" will be
diSpossessed of their present slots
but it will take films of remark
able quality to do it. More likely
is the prospect that another one
or more westerns of merit will
come along to pre-empt other
places on the tentative 10-best
lists.
THEY PAY OFF: Enhancing
the prospect of additional quail
ity westerns is their popularity
at the boxoffice. High Noon"
is not merely an artistic success.
It is also likely to turn out to be
Stanley Kramer's most profit
able production. Its Is weeks
at the Dupont, which will be ex-
tended at least two more, teSti-
fies to its appeal.
THE Naked Spur" is having
the same sort of boxoffice i'm
pact, and Shane" has started
at a pace which indicates that it
will be among the top money
earners of the current year. So
it has always been with the
quality western, "The Gun
fighter" of a couple of seasons
ago, "Stagecoach." and back
through "Cimmaron" to "The
Covered Wagon"
Also encouraging the produc-
ton of class westerns is the fact
that the difference between the
routine film of the type Zone OF
the dullest of movie Staples) and
the blue ribbon winner is quite
simple. What makes the latter
stand out in almost every case is
that it's creators bother to make
1t a character study, to center its
drama in the conflict of an in
dividual with fate or with anoth-
er character equally cleanly
drawn.
This point is not being lost
upon the most creative minds in
Hollywood. Or, upon the studios
with the most money who do not
mind investing it lavishly in pic
lures that promise similarly Law
ish returns.
BRAVE GIRL: Jane Froman
merits every plaudit she has re-
ceived for her comeback from
the wartime airplane crash that
would have finished the careers
of most entertainers.
There was another girl in the
same crash, however, and she
too deserves a great measure OF
admiration, more than she has
received.
The second girl is Gypsy Mar
koff, a petite brunette who could
make an accordion do astound-
ing things for an accordion. At
the crest Of her career, just be-
fore World War II, Miss Markot1
was a happy ornament Of the ma
tion's class night clubs and
vaudeville theaters.
After the Lisbon crash. In
which her hands we're mangled,
1t seemed as unlikely that she
would play again as that Miss
Froman would sing. Perhaps
even less likely. But Miss Mar
koff could not give up. 1t wasn't
in her nature. BY way Of getting
back into show business, she
learned to sing. Audiences liked
her as a singer and admired the
spirit that made her one.
This did not satisfy Miss Mar
koff. however. She wanted to
return to her accordion as the
basic part of her act. So she set
her unavoidable hands to work.
ing out a new technique on the
instrument. It was tedious and
torturous routine, the more so
to one who had had a genius
touch. Nevertheless, mastering
1t was an imperative Of Gypsy
Markoff's nature. So she mas
tered it.
How well, her old admirers
here can see and hear for them
selves starting April 18 when
Gypsy returns to the Old New
Orleans as an accordionlSt-
singer.
BULLETIN BOARD-Catholic
University's annual musical, of
which three have gone to Broad
way, is a comedy by Ed eastman
called Gentlemen, Be Seated. :"
T71an NarAI,NoR;0ro rr,Lio1 will