◆ SpookStack

a fon meee eg Lae eee eae Ne SS NERA = ge oes = gall a rarGrs fe Meme = - a Le . ’ ST aocieesihatr otvie peta her ae Fr ; Farmers and Gangsters HE TITLE of “The Farmer's Daugh- ter” has made it the butt of the saddest of reviewers’ jokes, and the ad- vertising blurbs have made it sound a dreary business. Yet the film itself is - y political fantasy with some funny dia- logue, grown-up direction and good performance. It's almost a relief to find a good film that puts its worst foot for- ‘ward, . In this fairy story, politics are glossed '- + with a clear candy coating, but the con- fection is produced with practically none of the usual stupidity. There is through out the movie a tendency toward lib- eralism; just the broader aspects, of course, since this is a box-office com- modity and care has been taken not to be specific or militant and to offend no one with the price of a ticket or the car of a congressman. Out-and-out fascism, _., however, is still a sitting duck, and “S. there are some satisfying digs at a Bund- «ist organization with America First over- “+tones. There is even a'lusty fight in. which the liver is beaten out ofa whole lodgeful of these creatures. In this picture my favorite movie mansion, which is authentic in contrast to the silly house in “The Late George Apley.” is run by a Mr. Clancy, the butler and cherished friend of the Morleys, 2 prominent family of Capitol City, somewhere in the Middle West. He is played by Charles Bickford, who gives a valid characterization of great charm. How chic is simplicity! Clancy runs the house for the widow of a beloved sena- tor of the state, wittily played by Ethel Barrymore, who seems to enjoy this dowager role, and for her son, Repre- sentative Morley. This Prince Charming : is Joseph Cotten, who looks like a man and invariably makes sense. Loretta Young, as Katie, is starred as a cute Swedish farm girl of decided opinions and countless capabilities. She looks as though she could not only call _ annie: canine aati Movies Dot aha Reeeitnal taateaaeenteria an cael ane neta g a hog, but butcher it when it came trustingly up to her, smoke it, pickle it, and very likely make shoes of it. She NEW REPUBLIG 3 '& HH. C. Potter, 2 young director with the: play, “A Bell for Adano,” and severa: : geod movies to his credit, directs i | script adapted by Allen Rivkin ane - Laura Kerr. They have made from wha-: could have been a run-of-the-mill affai:. a fable of political integrity and kind® ness which woulda’t happen this side o- a leaves her, stalwart, attractive family— heaven, but is fun to watch. E the backbahe, and in this case, the heart , ; i#h a and head of the nation—to study nursing AVING been breathlessly assured E° & B=: in town, and there has a nasty oped the elevator boy that “The DEY; ence with one of the villains Thumbs a Ride” was a he, of the piece, a slick sign painter played pretty heavily by Rhys Williams. Williams, who was fine with Ethel Bar- rymore in “The Corn Is Green” and with Helen Hayes in “Hagriet,” seems a little nervous as the drunk who has to get the taste of paint out of his mouth. She loses her sav- ings, gets a job as a waitress in the Morley house, is a hit the first day and is invited to stay as long as she will. In no time, Katie is deep in the po- litical activities of the Morleys and their assorted party bosses. She has her own ideas about candidates, entrances the as- semblage with her knowledge of ma- ‘chine methods and’ soon wins the heart of the tongressman and heir. There is a scene in which Mrs. Morley and Clancy place modest bets on the’ romance be- ’ tween the waitress and the scion. As the fantasy becomes more fantastic, Katie swings 2 big political meeting, is her- self nominated in opposition to the Morley candidate and rides handsomely into office. In the Jast scene, the only stupid one, the hero and hero- ine (they could as well have ETHEL BARRYMORE tied through a field of wheat into the setting sun) walk up the steps of the Capitol hand in hand. “The Farmer's Daughter” is the first picture in which Loretta Young has made a good, positive impression on me as an actress. She gives an appealing, sustained performance that should mean for her, in comedy, a new lease on life. It is worth noting that Katie's mother is a bit part played by Anna Q. Nils- son, a star of the old silent pictures. FR el ace : 7 Selenite renee nama DICK POWELL great, terrific movie showir the most deadly of our ne ;; screen desperados, Lawren ? Tierney, and destined to f, a surprise hit, I gathered 1, my spectacles and headed [.4 the theatre. The boy exagge?- ated, but the picture isn’t bag It has some good chai scenes and one wonderf: police poker game in whi? a kid, the gas-station attendant wet = can identify the criminal, is relic ay #8 tantly allowed to sit in. His m= teacher has taught him all the perce“; ages, he handles his cards like a hig’! class sharp, and takes the whole nin) shift at the station house to the clean’ Tierney, whom I praised in “San Qu: tin,” is now. getting a little too ir: faced. That cold calm has stood man: movie murderer in good stead, but i wise to break the mask occasionally, _ ; the effect be that of dummy dressedy bolts of gabardinc. = IcK POWELL, who used to b D sweet-singing type, never cat my attention until he distinguished f ° self in “Murder, My Sweet,” one the best of the whodunits. “Jot” O'Clock,” his latest, is not the pic: the Chandler story was, but it is 3° in comparison to the last few Bc: 9 efforts or to any of the other re" gangster stuff. Lee J. Cobb, who g:. beautiful performance as the chie police in “Boomerang,” is the polic spector of “Johnny O'Clock” and t ; his usual standard. The combinatic. « Powell, as the smart, self-contained _ bling-joint proprietor, . Cobb and actor who plays Powell's partne - Thomas Gomez, is easily worth .. hours of watching. ‘ MN gD