Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-07

Everett Freeman from Herman
sWouk's novel, tells story that
is often a moving one. In his
direction, Irving Rapper brings
off his big emotional scenes
effectively and captures a great
deal of authentic atmosphere
along the way.
The Wouk novel energies in
this cinema translation as the
story of a young girl having
her troubles bridging the diff
ficult gap between her teens
and the beginning of maturity.
These are not the melodramatic
troubles of teen-agers, which
have occupied a number of
movie-makerS recently. They
are genuine emotional problems.
Marjorie. the pretty. normal
daughter of an upper middle
class Jewish family in Man.
haitian, can't quite allow her.
self to become engaged to the
young man of proper position
of whom her mother approves.
At a summer camp she be-
comes enamoured Of Noel Air
man. nee Ehrman, a mixed-up
lad in his 30s and not yet
mature. He is talented. but not
so talented as he thinks; he
can talk a better show than
he can write.
\
To Marjorie, this is the great
love of her life. though. as
somebody observes later. it is
the sort of attachment most
girls get over by the end of
summer. With Marjorie, it
takes much longer and she goes
through quite an ordeal. leav-
ing several young men suffering
from unrequited love along the
way.
The length and emotional
depth of her ordeal. in fact,
m a k e it imperative to issue
a warning about Marjorie
Morningstar." You had better
be prepared for it and in a re-
cepNve mood. Otherwise you
may find yourself fervently
wishing Marjorie would pull
herself together. before rigor
mortiS overcomes you there in
that theater seat that seems to
be turning to granite. Mar
jorie's infatuation with Noel
does hang on and on.
Even so, Miss Wood is both
moving and believable in her
portrayal of the role. She-and
this may be one Of the miracles
~ our century - retains the
ability she had as q little girl
u reach out from the screen
md touch your heart. Opposite
her. Kelly has something Of q |
thankless task, since Noel Air
man is hardly q character to
arouse your sympathy. His per-
Torrance is Q perceptive one, |
however. that illuminates the
tragedy of q man Of small !
talent and large dreams.
Ed Wynn's Uncle Samson is |
top-notch, a characterization |
that has dignity and warmth. |
The same qualities Undue the
playing Of Marjorie's mother (
and father by Claire Trevor /
and Everett Sloane. Carolyn !
Jones. as Marjorie's best friend, |
adds a genuine portrait of a
girl who thinks she knows what |
she wants then finds out that |
isn't it at all. Marty Miner !
strikes just the right note as
the young playwright who is
Marjorie's faithful, under !
standing and patient sutton.
Director Rapper concentrates
on Marjorie's troubles. but he
does lay in touches here and
there Of her Jewish back
ground, in a bar mitzvah cere-
mony. a family Passover din
ner, etc. He also knows as well
as any man that when a girl
looks like Natalie Wood in
Warner-color the only thing to
do is aim the cameras at her
as often as possible.
The one drawback with all
OF this is that the whole Of
Marjorie Morningstar' is less
than the sum Of its parts. I'm
less you are addicted to what
males refer to as women's mag
-ka-s-- ,,A,,fll ArI tAic q