Evening star., 1954-05-13

The remarkable talents of Ac-
tress Anna Magnani and Direc.
tor Jean Renoir have beer
joined in THE Golden Coach,
new screen attraction at the
Macarthur Theater. The result
to say the least, is unusual. The
amalgalm is a fantasy COM
pounded of Italian melodrama
and sardonic French wit, which
is not a parlay you encounter ev-
cry day.
The new Technicolor film
made in Italy, is not the best
ever turned out by the director
of a number of noteworthy pic
lures, from Grand Illusion" to
1.-The River" It does not allow
Miss Magnani to achieve any
spectacular dramatic peak
either. 1t does, however, bear
enough of the stamp Of each to
be a generally diverting frolic, in
spite of some dull passages.
1.-The Golden Coach" is based,
after a fashion, on a play by
Propser Merimee. 1t presents
Miss Magnani as the volatile
central figure in a commedia
dell arte troupe which turns up
in the new world to bemuse a
Latin American capital. Mag
mani has quite an impact on this
center of culture.
x X X
She so bedazzleS the viceroy
that the colonial high society
is somewhat more than moder-
ately Mortified. She so sways
him, in fact, that he makes her
a present of the handsome
golden coach which has been
her home for five months on the
boat coming over. This pre-
cipitates a political crisis, since
the coach seems to have been
purchased with public funds and
the local gentry have had visions
of riding around in it.
This is only part of the havoc
the commedia deli arte siren
wreaks. The local bullfighter il
taken by her charms. too. and
things get so complicated that
the young man who has shared
the golden coach during the
crossing goes off to fight the
Indians.
When he finally gets around
to it, Renoir winds the whole
thing up with a fine Gallo jest
that saves face for everybody
and his head for the viceroy.
Miss Magnani, having learned
her lesson-something about art
and reality not mixing-is back
on the boards, safe in the un-
realities of make-believe.
Through all of this. Miss Mag
mani is pretty wonderful. What
ever she does, she does in spades
redoub]ed. Irate, she can make
a bull fighter regard his work
as a refuge. Unhappy, she
creates the impression that the
entire universe has at that mo-
ment collapsed. She is a veri-
table storm of a woman and ii
takes no exercise of the imagi-
nation to see that her descent
on colonial capital would
throw it into turmoil. She could
turn "The Student Prince" into
a fiery ferment.
X X
Mr.. Renoir lets things lag here
and there in the course of "Tht
Golden Coach" but he and hi
star collaborate on some fine
moments. One of these is a lusty
backstage battle in which Mis-:
Magnani proves more than
match for everyone else withir
range. Another Is a bullfight
which you are allowed to watcf
by watching Miss Magnani watch
her suitor in action. It's quite ar
experience.
Mr.. Renoir is not even above
trying his version of the ole
burlesque sketch with men burst.
ing in and out of rooms just toe
late to discover each other. HI
brings it of. too, winding it ur
with the star trying to pacify one
of ner admirers while the othel
two are heaving at each other II
a furious duel.
For theater lovers. Mr.. Renoil
fingers often over the foolishnes.