FILM REVIEWS &SBIET? Wednesday, October 31, 1962 What Ever Happened and Michael Luciano's expert edit­ Period Of Adjustment some progressively mora intoxi­ Live Now—Pay Later ing although the latter still has (PANAVISION) cated caroleers has been over­ To Baby Jane? work to do. Once the inept, draggy worked to the point of diminishing (BRITISH) start is passed, the film's pace returns. All production credits are Powerful acting by Bette Davis Tennessee Williams' serio-eom- Somewhat uncertain combo of builds with ever-growing force. edy about marital mayhem. favorable, including Paul C. Vogel's comedy and drama. Some neat and Joan Crawford overcomes photography, Fredric Steinkamp's tedious beginning; word-of- Occasionally, Aldrich oversteps Uneven film, but more peaks performances, but a sprawling his generally strong power of sug­ than valleys. Savvy trade and editing, Lyn Murray's score and script which doesn't suffi­ mouth could make it top the George W. Davis-Edward Oar- grosser. gestion. Instance: a carefully- consumer selling could pay off. ciently develop the key char­ dropped remark by Jane about a fagno art direction. Tube. acters. Hollywood, Oct. 20. rat, seconds after bringing the Hollywood, Oct. 12. already-terrorized Blanche her Metro release of Lawrence Weingarten Warner Bros, release of Seven Arts- production. Stars Tony Franciosa, Jane Tanze Mit Mir in Den London, Oct. 23. Associates and Aldrich production. Stars luncheon tray, tells everything Fonda, Jim Hutton. Directed by George Regal Films International release of a Bette Davis, Joan Crawford. Features Vic­ (and here a Hitchcock would have Roy Hill. Screenplay; Isobel Lennart, Morgen Jay Lewis (Jack Hanbury) production tor Buono. Produced and directed by based on Tennessee Williams' play; cam­ (Dance With Me Into the Morning) for Woodlands Productions. Stars John Robert Aldrich. Screenplay by Lukas stopped). There is no reason for era, Paul C. Vogel; editor, Fredric Stein- Gregson, June Ritchie, Ian Hendry; fea­ Heller, based on novel by Henry Farrell; showing the rodent, and it is repul­ kamp; music, Lyn Murray; assistant di­ (AUSTRIAN—SONGS—COLOR) tures Liz Fraser, Geoffrey Keen, Jeanette usie, Frank DeVol; camera, Ernest sive. Aldrich immediately recov­ rector, Al Jennings. Reviewed at Beverly Berlin, Oct. 30. Sterke, Peter Butterworth, Nyree Dawn Saller: editor, Michael Luciano; sound, Theatre, Oct. 12, '62. Running time, 112 Nora (German) release of Stadthalle Porter, Ronald Howard, Harold Berens, Jack Solomon; asst. director, Tom Con­ ers, however, by a brilliant over­ MINS. Wien production. With Paul Hoerbiger, Thelma Ruby, Monty Landis, Joan. Heal, nors. Reviewed at Pantages Theatre, Los Guggi Loewinger, Rex Gildo, Oskar Sima, Geoffrey Hibbert, Judith Furse, Andrew Angeles, Oct. 18. Running time, 132 MINS. head shot of Blanche, endlessly cir­ Ralph Baitz Tony Franciosa Lotte Lang. Guest singers: Gerhard Cruickshank, John Wood. Directed by cling in her wheelchair, as cer­ Isabel Haversack Jane Fondo Wendland, Camela Corren, Danny Mann, Lewis. Screenplay, Jack Trevor Story ane Hudson Bette Davis tainly trapped as a squirrel in a George Haverstick Jim Hutton Peter Beil, Peter Hinnen, Chris Howland, from Jack Lindsay's novel, "All On the lanche Hudson Joan Crawford Dorothea Baitz Lois Nettleton Ines Taddio, Kurt Grosskurth and George Never Never"; music, Ron Grainer; edi­ idwin Flagg Victor Buono cage. Dimu. Directed by Peter Doerre. Camera, larjorie Bennett Delia Flagg Stewart P. McGill John McGiver tor, Roger Cherrill; camera, Jack Hill- Some fast takes throughout the Mrs. Alice McGill Mabel Albertson Hanns Matula; choreography, Willi Dirtl; yard. At Carlton, London. Running time, lvira Stitt Maidie Norman Desk Sergeant Jack Albertson artistic supervision, Paul Loewinger. At 104 MINS. [rs. Bates Anna Lee film add much to the suspense, Roxy Palast, West Berlin. Running time, •iza Bates Barbara Merrill including a pan shot of a billboard »3 MINS. Albert Ian Hendry aby Jane (child) Julie Allred "Period of Adjustment" is lower Treasure June Ritchie Blanche (child) Gina Gillespie advertising an undertaker, and one case Tennessee Williams, but it Johann Ebeseder Paul Hoerbiger Callendar John Gregson :ay Hudson Dave Willock of a drunken Buono, careening Franziska, his grand-daughter Joyce Corby Liz Fraser lorn Hudson Ann Barton also illustrates that lower case „. Guggi Loewinger Reggie Corby Geeoffrey Keen about the hallway in Blanche's Williams is superior to the upper Stefan Breuer Rex Gildo Grace Jeanette Sterke wheelchair, almost scaring Jane Franz Biedermann Oskar Sima Fred Peter Butterworth I Many of the prime ingredients case of most modern playwrights. Daisy, his daughter Evi Kent into her wits, Marjorie Mason Nyree Dawn Porter of a boxoffice smash—notably a The lapses, inconsistencies and un­ Amalia Strassmeier Lotte Lang Cedric Mason Ronald Howard euspenseful story, outstanding di­ Beyond the two femme stars and likelihoods of Williams' stage com­ Wenzel Kainz Rudolf Carl Solly Cowell Harold Berens their heavy-weighted male back­ Max, his son Udo Juergens Hetty Thelma Ruby rector, topflight technicians, and edy-drama have not been eradi­ Arnold Monty Landis topnotch performances by two stop, the supporting cast is merely cated in Isobel Lennart's screen The best that can be said about Jackson Kevin Brennan female "stars," in the truest sense that, Maidie Norman has some ef­ adaptation for producer Lawrence Ratty Malcolm Knight this Nora release is that it will Gloria Bridget Armstrong ©f the word—are present in Seven fective moments as the maid, but Weingarten, but neither, happily, probably please large segments of Mrs.- Ackroyd Judith Furse Arts' "What • Ever Happened to Anna Lee, Julie Allread, Gina Gil­ have the insights and substance the German teenage set. Produc­ Mrs. Pocock Joan Heal Baby Jane?" The potential is some­ lespie and Marjorie Bennett are that enable this examination of Bailiff Michael Brennan tion cashes in on the popularity of Major Simpkini William Kendall what hampered, however, by a long limited in their roles. One fast shot modern marriage to involve an several German disk faves includ­ Lucy Georgina Cookson introduction that creates less sus­ that might escape many viewers is audience emotionally with the ing Gerhard Wendland whose cur­ Coral Wentworth Justine Lord of the child Blanche's face as she Price Geoffrey Hibbert pense than tedium, and needs seemingly comical but fundamen­ rent hit, "Tanze mit mir in den Vicar Andrew Cruickshank drastic pruning. Once past the utters a single vengeance-promis­ tally critical experiences of two Morgen" supplies the title for this Curat* John Wood Intro and credits, "Baby Jane" ing remark, to be recalled later young couples on the brink of mar­ thin-plotted musical. Pic will do becomes an emotional toboggan during the adult Blanche's confes­ ital disaster. well in the German-lingo market The pernicious influence of ride, stopped only by its horribly sion. "Period of Adjustment" is an but there's nothing special about widespread credit buying, causing obvious outcome. Frank DeVol's score, except for uneven film, but at least when it it to give other than limited wives to get into debt, corruption, Teaming Bette Davis and Joan an ear-and-taste violating song, hits its dramatic and comedic chances elsewhere. distortion of personal views and Crawford now seems like a veri­ "I've Written a Letter to Daddy," peaks, it hits them with impact. Film is a routine mixture of a a cynical "grab what's going while table prerequisite to putting Henry which serves as Jane's leit-motif, Very likely—and understandably— meagre plot, some familiar situa­ you can" attitude is a valid, timely barren's slight tale of terror on is routine. Minor plot inconsisten­ the Metro release will be bally- tions, a bit of sentiment plus a theme for a picture. But this one the screen. Although the results cies pop up, but not enough to hoped as Tennessee Williams' first lineup of guest singers. Story con­ wavers too uncertainly between heavily favor Miss Davis (and she detract the hypnotized-with-horror comedy, which could be unfortu­ cerns a poor theatre director who broad comedy, farce and romantic earns the credit), it should be average viewer. A film clip, prob­ nate in the respect that many cus­ struggles along to keep his pitiful drama. There is also the jarring recognized that the plot, of neces­ ably from the 1933 "Parachute tomers may be unprepared for and enterprise alive; there are the introduction of the death of a sity, allows her to run unfettered Jumper," inserted to establish resultantly confused by its more authorities that want to tear down young wife in a road accident through all the stages of oncoming Jane's ineptness as an actress, fails serious dramatic aspects. The film, the shabby house; there's a young which is a contrived plot point but Insanity, which the uninhibited to do so. Despite its shortcomings, therefore, should not be described man among the authorities who certainly doesn't fit the general lady proceeds to do—like a mad however, "Baby Jane" gives the as an out-and-out, open-and-shut falls in love with the director's atmosphere of the film. Organist, warming up to Berlioz' motion picture screen its best case of comedy. A potential audi­ twist - conscious granddaughter; Jack Trevor Story's screenplay "Damnation of Faust," with, even­ "shocker" since "Psycho," and two ence must not be thus misled. and it goes more of the same. In has many amusing moments, but tually, every stop out. fine actress worthy roles. Robe. There should be a tipoff that the the end, the theatre burns down overall it is untidy and does not Whisky-voiced, slovenly, wonder­ picture embodies a more substan­ but suddenly a rich American develop the personalities of some fully and hideously gowned and tial and intimate streak. Handled woman, a far-distant relative of of the main characters sufficiently.