Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 12 November 1936 — Page 14

Crimean War! Is Picture's Chief Motif

Reviewer Praises Acting of - Errol Flynn in Show Opening at Apollo.

BY RALPH NORMAN To Hollywood's growing list of “vast” films, add “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” opening today at the Apollo. To Warner Brothers’ im-

AME

FILM

Sandrich.

ing happiness together.

William Frawley, Lawson.

colleges.

as prize.

pressive coterie of renowned authors which this year has included William Shakespear. {A Midsummer Night's ream”), Hervey Allen (“Anthony Adverse”) and Marc Connelly (“The Green Pastures”), add Alfred Lord Ten-

nyson.

It's Lord Tennyson's famous poem of valiancy of England's Twenty-seventh Lancers at the Crimean front which furnishes, if not the plot, the climax to another spectacular British Foreign Legion picture. To reach his climax, Director Michael Curtiz takes his audience through an hour or so of bloody Indian warfare, plausibly, if not accurately, developing a reason for the Light Brigade’s charge. Briefly, the story is this: Surat Khan, enraged because the Crown has withdrawn an annuity granted his father, attacks the English Indian military outpost, Chukoti, slaughtering women and children in a bloody massacre, while the Twen-ty-seventh Lancers are maneuvering at a neighboring post.

Two Survive Slaughter

There survive only Capt. Vickers (Errol Flynn) and the commandant’s daughter, Elsa Campbell (Olivia de Havilland). Surat Khan flees to the Crimea, joining the Russian forces. Sir Benjamin Warrenton (Nigel Bruce), commander of the Light Brigade, and Maj. Vickers (a raise in rank recognized outstanding leadership) are ordered to the Crimea, with Perry, Maj. Vickers’ younger brother, as a subordinate officer. With Light Brigade officers sworn to avenge the Chukoti massacre, headquarters orders the troop to withdraw from Sebastopol, where siege is laid. Maj. Vickers deliberately changes Sir Charles Macefield’s (Henry Stephenson) orders to advance at once. Then comes the famous charge. . . “Half a league, half a league, half a league onward, all in the valley of death rode the six hundred” .. . in as daring, spectacular and realistic a combat scene as we have seen, the six hundred Warner Brothers horsemen charge upon a movieland garrison. As at Chukoti, ‘blood flows like water, the Twenty-seventh Lancers, to a man ride to vindication and destruction.

Charge Turns Tide

As lance after lance penetrates Surat Khan's lifeless body, one feels the honor of the Empire is avenged. that the charge has turned the tide for England in the Crimea and the Union Jack shall continue to wave around the world. We have neglected Miss de Havjlland and the romantic side of this grim picture. Indeed, Director Curtiz also neglected both romance and Miss de Havilland. Only in the sub-plot is the actress’ presence necessary, and in most scenes her Jot is an unhappy one as she wavers between loyalty to Capt. Vickers, to whom she is engaged when the picture opens, and love for his brother, Perry. She even is deprived

fall in love with same girl.

store.

dancer.

Churchill.

Opening Today Apollo “THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE”—Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Patric Knowles, Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce and Donald Crisp. Directed by Michael Curtiz. Stery—British army captain is sent to India on special mission. Trouble arises between British troops and Amir of India. Captain counterfeits ordér which sends Light Brigade on suicide charge.

Opening Tomorrow

Circle

A WOMAN REBELS—Katharine Hepburn, Herbert Marshall, Elizabeth Allan, Donald Crisp and Lucile Watson. Directéd by Mark

Story—Daughter rebels against domineering father. Disappointed in love at early age, she turns to editorial work. Young diplomat falls in love with her. Story ends with daughter and diplomat find-

ROSE BOWL—Eleanore Whitney, Tom Brown, Larry Crabbe, Benny Baker,

Story—High school football stars separate to enroll in distant In their senior years, the two schools are picked for Rose Bowl competition. Game turns into bitter duel with home-town girl

Loew’s

COME AND GET IT—Edward Arnold, Joel McCrea, Frances Farmer, Walter Brennan, Andrea Leeds, Frank Shields. Directed by Howard Hawks and William Wyler; from the novel by Edna Ferber. Story—Former chore boy returns to lumber camp after 20 years absence to supervise spring logging. Meets old friend and both Chore boy wins her heart, but marries another to secure his financial future. THE LONGEST NIGHT—Robert Young, Florence Rice, Ted Healy, Julie Haydon and Catherine Doucet. : Story—Young heir falls in love with salesgirl. track down gang of murdering warehouse theives. - Heir saves salesgirl's life, and proposes over loudspeaker system in large department

Lyric NEW 1937 STAR PARADE, On Stage—Dave Apollon and band; Johnny Woods, impersonator; Charles and Charlotte Lamberton, deaf mute dancers; Harold Aloma, soloist; Lyda Sue, acrobatic

~~ UNDER YOUR SPELL, On Screen—Lawrence Tibbett, Wendy Barrie, Gregory Ratoff, Arthur Treacher, Gregory Gaye and Berton Directed by Otto Ludwig Preminger. § Story—Popular singer deserts concert stage for cowboy life. Socialite goes hunting for him to fill contract. Singer starts to leave country, but falls in love with socialite,

Nydia Westman and Priscilla

Together they

of a closing last scene the arms of a Vickers, for the b. .hers are killed. Director Curtiz fortunately ended a grim picture in the grim manner it deserved. Attractive as ever, Miss de Havilland makes the most of her lew opportunities, and despite her wavering affections for two men, makes her role a sympathetic one.

Flynn Takes Acting Honors

Acting honors unquestionably go to the one really important person, Errol Flynn as Maj. Vickers. With dignity, sincerity and quiet ease he portrays a Maj. Vickers more interested in loyalty to the Crown than in personal glory. He is surrounded

by able assistants, although Patric Knowles as his brother gives little strength to his characterization. The distinguished trio, Henry Stephenson, Nigel Bruce and Donald Crisp, as well as C. Henry Gordon as Surat Khan, play their parts with customary ease and conviction. Spring Byiggton as Sir Benjamin’s wife, playing an 1854 version of our own Gracie Allen, is responsible for what little humor there is in “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” We mentioned before, and we repeat, it is a ‘bloody movie." Little time is lost with drawing room intrigue, court dinners and other accessories of many movies based on history. It’s a fighting picture, climaxed by the greatest battle of them all, “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”

STARS WRITE TUNE Eleanor Powell and Frances Langford, between scenes in “Born to Dance,” have written a song which ‘hey are titling “Taptation.”

Warren William, Claire Dodd “Case of the Velvet Claws”

Henry Fonda, Pat Paterson “SPENDTHRIFTI”

Tonight’s Presentations at Your

NEIGHBORHOOD THEATERS

WEST SIDE

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BELMONT

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Katherine Hepburn “MARY OF S HARD

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ST. CLAIR Deubie Feature

Edward E. Horton *FRIVALL SECRETARY” Anne Shirley “M’'LISS”

UDELL Bonus risiere

EAST SIDE

RIVOLI seegiooeg 2pm TUXEDO E. New York

A pecial Feature

Fredric BAe Eathatne Hepburn OF SCOTLAN

TACOMA 2442 E. Wash St.

Double Feature “CASE OF THE VE

Warten Vilizms walter Huston “RHODES”

VELVET CLAW 5507 E. Wash St. IRVING mutT “TEXAS RANGERS” Cartoon—Sportlight—Comedy

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“TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE” “TROUBLE FOR TWO” 2361 Station St. * "Double Feature

M.G.M. Is Sued

for $5,000,000

Composer Charges Picture ‘San Francisco’ Was Infringement.

By United Press HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 12.—Damages of $5,000,000 were sought today by Samuel Gormbein, composerwriter, from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio on charges the picture “San Francisco” infringed on his original composition, “Setting for Love.” The composer asked an injunction restraining the motion picture company from distributing the picure. He also sought to have the negative impounded pending trial of the action. Representatives ot the studio said an answer would be filed shortly.

NEW COMEDY STAR “The Little Giant,” has been selected as the title of the one-reel musical ‘which will feature Jerry Bergen, pint-sized night club clown.

LOVE DOES THINGS 4

. .. Love makes them tender, warm and reckless ... and sometimes bitter, and brave, and noble! See what love did to one woman who dared to do what millions of others would like

to do!

~ KATHARINE

Three Often

Sung Operas to Be Heard

San Carlo Troupe to Give Two Performances Next Week.

In choosing “La Boheme,”

“Cavalleria Rusticana” and “I |. Pagliacci”

for Indianapolis’ two nights of San Carlo Opera performances on Wednesdan and Thursday, Mrs. Nancy Martens, manager of Martens Concerts, Inc., selected what undoubtedly are the three most popular Italian op-

eras of the last half century.

All of these works appeared -in the eighteenth-nineties, a decade remarkably rich in gperatic production. - Mascagni wrote “Cavalleria” in 1890; “I Pagliacci,” by Leoncavallo, appeared two years later, and Puccini's “La Boheme” was performed first in 1896,

The Puccini opera, which is- the Wednesday night attraction, attained immediate popularity, remains today a favorite. item in every opera company’s repertoire, and even has found its way into the movies, a portion of the first act having been included in one of Grace Moore’s pictures.

Some of Puccini's own experiences found their way into this musical picture of Parisian.artist life, since the composer and his brother suffered extreme poverty during. their student days in Milan, as do Rodolfo and his companions in the opera. The story, in sharp contrast with the two operas of the second night, tells the quietly tragic story of Rodolfo, the poet; Mimi, the consumptive girl whose life he saves; the misunderstandings and jealousy which drives them apart, and the final reconciliation ‘when Mimi is dying. Plots Are Similar

Fiery emotions and violent tragedy distinguish “Cavalleria” and “I Pagliacci,” which usually are played together. Both have plots dealing with Italian peasant life. The Mascagni opera tells of the philandering Turiddu; the faithless Lola; Santuzza, whom Turiddu has betrayed, and Alfio, Lola’s husband, who stabs Turiddu when he learns of his affection for Lola.

"Leoncavallo wrote his own libretto for “I Pagliacci,” based on an actual incident which he saw as a boy. The composer lived with the Silvio of real life, who like the Silvio of the opera, planned to elope with a Nedda of a strolling players’

troupe, and who forecast the libretto

by getting killed, along with his Nedda, by an irate Canio.

Tomorrow!

TOA Woman

PLAYER AS ARTIST SEES HIM

Even his best friends wouldn’t know him. Reginald Gabstang, leading player in the Civic Theater's “Fly Away Home,” which opens tomorrow night, as a local, caricaturist sees him.

Edna Ferber Admits Error

in Her Novel!

Helps Producer to Adapt ‘Come and Get It’ for Film Production. °

It isn’t every novelist who |.

admits publicly that she has made a mistake in one of her popular books. But Edna Ferber says that is what happened in “Come and Get It,” the novel whose film version opens at Loew's tomorrow, with Edward Arnold, Frances

Farmer and Joel McCrea. The “great error,” as Miss Ferber calls it, was the fact that in the book she “killed off” the hero, Barney, and the vitality of the story dropped away. That might be all right in fiction, the writer thought, but in motion pictures, which must have sustained interest to the end, it would never do. So Miss Ferber went out to Hollywood to supervise the screen play’s preparation. She virtually had one foot on board the Berengaria for

a trip abroad, she said, but when ‘Samuel Goldwyn telephoned an ap-

peal for assistance, she canceled her sailing and left for California the next morning. “Never before this ,time have I

Claire Trevor Arline Judge “STAR FOR A NIGHT”

TIM McCOY “Lightning Bill”

{been interested in writing for the

screen,” Miss Ferber explains. “I have stuck to what I knew best, and have written only what I liked to write. “When my books ‘Show Boat’ and ‘So Big’ were made into motion piotures, I had little to say about the revision. They were as good books as I could make them, and I felt they would have to be screened as they were. “But my latest is a far different matter,” she concludes. “From the motion picture standpoint I made a terrible technical error in it. I had the chance to correct it and I went to Hollywood to do it.”

MASK PROTECTS FACE Buddy Ebsen has been ordered to wear a mask over his face during his boxing lessons, until he finishes his role in “Born to Dance.”

STAR KNOWS CHORES

Robert Montgomery feels qualified to make a short on “How to Milk a Cow” after his lengthy farm life in Connecticut, he says.

GRANADA

1045 Virginia Ave.—at Fountain Square

Tonite, Fri. and Sat. Nites. Sun. Mat. .and Eve. Tonite at 6:00 and 9:20.

M-G-M's SHOW OF SHOWS

William Myrna (TEN)

POWELL - LOY - RAINER

Prices: This engagement only Thurs., Fri. and Sat. ou 25¢ to 6-—38¢ thereafter. Doors 5:30. Sunday— 23¢ te 2—35¢ after 2. 2. Doors open at 1.

SAMUEL GOLDWYN presents EDNA FERBER’S ramous Nove

EDWARD ARNOLD wii

Frank Shields Released thru UNITED ARTISTS

Mady Christians + Walter Brennan + Directed by HOWARD HAWKS and WILLIAM WYLER ¢

Packed with tense, gripping moments of

overpowering drama...tender scenes of heart-rending romance...against a setting of themost heroic days America everknew =the. sprawling; brawling. era when 2 mighey emp of timber + was - 5 wresed

Andrea Leeds

TIA SRE

n * @

FRANCES

CREA - FARMER

from the grudging trackless forests of thé great northwest...More thrilling than Edna Ferber’s “Cimarron”; more appealing than her “Show Boat” is her story of a wrias and ‘the man ‘she dared not love—of a man and the souls he could not conquer.

STARTS TOMORROW!