ON THE SCREEN Th.e Girl in the News America, Germany, and the USSR. You will A Gaumont British Production released find that they arc totally different and that by 20th Century-Fox. Directed by Carol the American film with its peculiar combina­ Reed. In the leadinK parts: Margaret tion of patriotism, swing, and gay nonsense Lockwood (Nurse Graham), Barry K. Barnes stands in a group by itseJf. (Faringdon), l'>'largaretta Scott (Mrs. Bent- For us who live on the shore of the Pacific ley). Emlyn Williams (Tracy), Roger Livesey and read every day about the importance of (Detective Mather), the US Navy for the political future of this In a British picture made during the war area, a film that can, like In the Navy. boast , -. and set, as the announcement in the news' of the co·operation of the naval authorities papers said, against a background of air raids in San Diego and San Pedro is of special interest. What this film shows however is and London at war, one would expect a story, sla~stick com~dy if not of the war itself, at least closely reo not the American navy but a lated to it. The greater is one's relief to wh.ich accidentally takes places among navy find an excellent mystery film in which the uniforms and battleships. .background of the war is so unobtrusive that The plot is as usual very 5imple. Rus3 it is hardly noticed by the audience. More­ Raymond (Dick Powell), much-adored radio over no llttempt at propaganda is made. ~r?o~er, disappears from sight by secret1>­ Nurse Graham has been innocently in­ JOIDIng the navy. His female admirers are volved in the death of a patient who took too desolate. A pretty girl reporter (Claire many sleeping tablets. Although acquitted, Dodd) succeeds in tracking him down. When she is unable to find a new position and she pursues him, first to the training camp finally changes her name. This is known to a~d ~nalJy .on a battleship to Honolulu, many Tracy, thc butler in the wealthy Bentley hilariOUS Situations result until the biappy 110me, and Mrs. Bentley who is in ending brings the girl reporter into the arms love with him. Deciding to murder Mr. of the singer. Buck PrivauB has hardly any .Bentley, they engage the nurse. When plo~ at all and is just a series of amusing Mr. Hentley dies of an overdose of sleeping IIlcldents ot so-called army life, tablets, the nurse, implicated by circumstan­ The very motives for entering the navy or tial evidence, facea the pllOWll, "iUl;e tlltl army aro characteristic. In uLh~r countries jury, remembering her first trial, is likely they would join for patriotic or other heroie to see in her a homicidal maniac who has reasons; but Russ Raymond does it because he mAde A hal"it ot lUlliulC htlr vaLients with has become tired u~ 1x:iug a crooning gilunour sleeping tablets, It is only due to the efforts boy and wants a vacation away from adoring .." u'e tAlont.>d Younc lawyer Faringdon who lernal"., while the "Duck P.-iVAt.e,," an: c.u"h~ is in love with the nurse, that she is sa;ed. in the army when they run away from a cop The film has all the advantaeetl ot .. thriller and by mistake get into an enliRtment ...mter. in kecpinlt' the audience constantly in Both films are done in the same spirit sur­ suspense. Yet it avoids the pitfnlla of InAn)" prisinll' to any !laVA theAnll'lo-Saxo.n ap"ctll­ JT\y~tery films which cram too much action, tor. There is, for example, a hu~ naval eXCitement, and horror together until the review. Thousands of sailors and officers art! audience is completely confused and unable lined up on a vast field and listen to the ad­ to follow the plot. miral's patriotic speech. After finishinJr his The actinl: is excellent, particularly that sp~ch the admiral hardly has time to step .(Jf the two leading actresses. The only ref· back when the three Andrews Sisters appear erence to air raids is when the nurse, hidden on the platform in fanciful naval uniforms, in the lawyer's room, escapes discovery because dancing and singing for the men. Then there the detective cannot switch on the light as is a celebration on board the battleship with the blackout curtains are not drawn. the unforgettable picture of a tap dancer performing between the barrels of huge naval • •• guns. And in Buck Privates there are scenes In the Navy and Buck Privates which resemble a musical comedy much more than life in the army. Universal Pictures. In the leading parts: It is, we believe, characteristic of the atti­ Lou Costello and Bud Abbott, 'Bnd the three tude and humor of America that, at a time Andrews Sisters. when a large part of the world is in flames. Anyone wishing to compare the characters America's main weapon, the navy, lends its of different nations should look at movie good-natured co-operation to a film of this comedies with a military or naval background carefree type. produced in various countries during the last Lou Costello steals the show In both films few years. Take, for instance, those of with his exceedingly funny acting and lines.