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THE SCREEN: SIX NEWCOMERS MARK HOLIDAY; Capitol's 'Malaya' Has Tracy and Stewart in Leads-- Two Imports Offered Walt Disney's Feature-Length 'Cinderella,' at the Mayfair, Heads List of Arrivals At the Capitol At the Criterion At the Rialto At the Palace At 55th St. Playhouse

THE SCREEN: SIX NEWCOMERS MARK HOLIDAY; Capitol's 'Malaya' Has Tracy and Stewart in Leads-- Two Imports Offered Walt Disney's Feature-Length 'Cinderella,' at the Mayfair, Heads List of Arrivals At the Capitol At the Criterion At the Rialto At the Palace At 55th St. Playhouse
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After some years of toiling in their workshops—and even more years of dreaming before that—Walt Disney and his swarm of little helpers have finally brought to the screen the all-cartoon "Cinderella" which Mr. Disney once forescast as his chef-d'oeuvre. And a breathless appraiser of the effort, which arrived at the Mayfair yesterday, is quick to concede that, through no chef-d'oeuvre, it is well worth the love and labor spent. As the Fairy Godmother puts it "Even miracles take a litttle time."For Mr. Disney and his craftsmen have brilliantly splashed upon the screen a full-blown and flowery animation of the perennially popular fairy tale. They have told the familiar fable of the beautiful scullery maid who becomes the adored of Prince Charming in extravagant story-book terms, matching the romance of the fable with lushly romantic images. And particularly they have invented a whole set of minor characters to supplement the story and give the film its most notable charm.To be sure, the creators of the picture have leaned rather heavily toward a glamorous style of illustration in retailing the conventional romance—and toward this the more esthetic may take some degree of offense. Out of the pens and the paintpots of Mr. Disney and his boys have emerged a trio of star performers that might be characters from the comic strips. The beautiful Cinderella has a voluptuous face and form—not to mention an eager disposition—to compare with Al Capp's Daisy Mae. Prince Charming resembles L'il Abner in a Student Prince soldier suit, and the Evil Stepmother is completely the stock comic-strip villainess. As a consequence, the situation in which they are mutually involved have the constraint and immobility of panel-expressed episodes. When Mr. Disney tries to make them behave like human beings, they're banal.But the whole retinue of little characters that he and his boys have contrived to run in and out of the story are in his most whimsical style, and it is from them and their eccentricities that the wit of the picture derives. All of the little mice-people who are Cinderella's loyal friends—Jaq, the excited organizer; Gus-Gus, the dope, and many more—as well as their fat and fatuous nemesis, Lucifer, the cat, and Bruno, the dog, and several bluebirds and barnyard creatures are the best things in the show. It is when they are joined with Cinderella in advancing her undismayed career—singing and busy about business—that the picture has real and flowing joy.Translated into music, these joys are best expressed in what is known as the "Cinderella Work Song" and the gibberish number called "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo." The voice of Cinderella, which is provided by Ilene Woods, is also pleasantly directed to a melody tagged "So This Is Love" and to a star-gazing romantic number, "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes."Considering the army of craftsmen who work on a Disney cartoon film, it is hard to give individual credits, for the memorable qualities. But whoever engineered the sequence of the pumpkin transformation in this film—the magical change to coach and horses—deserves an approving hand. And the scene in which Cinderella blows soap bubbles—opalescent globes full of fragile reflections and rainbow colors—is one of the cleverest animations yet seen. To the fellows who dreamed up these fancies we are heartily grateful, indeed. They have sprinkled into "Cinderella"—along with sugar and wit—some vagrant art.

CINDERELLA, a Walt Disney feature-length cartoon based on the Charles Perrault fairy tale; story by William Peed, Ted Sears, Erdman Penner, Winston Hibler and Harry Reeves; directed by Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi; musical direction by Oliver Wallace and Paul Smith, with songs by Mack David, Jerry Levingstone and Al Hoffman; production supervised by Ben Sharpsteen; distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. At the Mayfair.Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer may well be lifting; the curtain in "Malaya" on what was once a top war secret—this country's daring scramble for raw rubber when the Japs held sway in the Pacific. The idea that the pictorial action on the Capitol's screen is authentic is planted quite clearly in the opening reel. Succeeding developments put a heavy strain on continuing belief in the film as a reliable document, but that should not dim its luster as a slambang melodrama. With Spencer Tracy, James Stewart and Sydney Greenstreet acting in top form, Valentina Cortesa adding to the sultry atmosphere of the jungle setting, and just enough Japs in evidence to keep nerves tense, "Malaya" carries a full charge of high adventure. In short, this is a rousing, old-fashioned thriller about bold men with wily minds and crushing fists.Scenarist Frank Fenton crowded plenty of action into the script and Richard Thorpe's direction keeps the screen pulsing with excitement, from the moment Ex-Newspaper Man Stewart is called on by high Government officials to help out in the rubber crisis. Sure he has a scheme and knows how to get tons and tons of the scarce stuff right out from under the noses of the Japs. All he needs is a helper and plenty of gold. Thus Tracy, a crackerjack smuggler, is taken out of the "deep freeze" in Alcatraz and the two head for Malaya, by destroyer and submarine, for a rendezvous with an influential barkeep, Green-street, who is in good standing with the enemy.Beteween organizing a gang of dependable cutthroats, whose hatred of the Japs is fanned to a white heat by the lure of gold and bullying greedy plantation owners to patriotic fervor, Tracy finds time to renew acquaintance with an old flame and carry on a casual romance. For relaxation he knocks five Nipponese soldiers around until they somehow manage to overpower him. Always way ahead of the enemy, he gets the rubber down river and into waiting United States cargo ships and has sense enough to smell a trap even before it is fully set. Why the war lasted so long is a bit of a mystery. But, then, why bother to question the plot in the face of all the other excitement "Malaya" has to offer?On the stage at the Capitol are Blue Barron and orchestra, Gene Sheldon, Paul Sydell and Benny Fields.

At the CapitolMALAYA, screen play by Frank Fenton based on a story by Manchester Boddy; directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Edwin H. Knopf for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.Carnahan . . . . . Spencer TracyJohn Royer . . . . . James StewartLuana . . . . . Valentina CortesaThe Dutchman . . . . . Sydney GreenstreetKellar . . . . . John HodiakJohn Manchester . . . . . Lionel BarrymoreRomano . . . . . Gilbert RolandBruno Gruber . . . . . Roland WintersCol. Genichi Tomura . . . . . Richard LooCarlos Tassuma . . . . . Ian MacDonaldMatisson . . . . . Tom HelmoreAlthough it never pretends to be anything but melodrama, "Woman in Hiding," unlike so many offerings in this genre, adds some convincing characterizations to its suspense. The combination of the two attributes succeeds in raising this new arrival at the Criterion a notch or two above the normal in this category emanating from the Coast. And, aside from a climax which is something less than inspired, Michael Gordon's direction of this story of a newlywed's desperate flight from her homicidal husband is paced toward mounting tension despite some implausible aspects here and there.The director and scenarists have managed to avoid the banal from the outset when a car driven madly by the heroine plunges over a bridge into the river below. From there on the threads of the yarn are picked up in flashback by the lady in question. Why is she racing to an apparent suicide on the first day of her honeymoon and why won't she tell it to the cops?It appears that Seldon Clark, the gent in question, married the lady for her mill. And, he's a lad so obsessed with the idea of making his name illustrious again in the North Carolina town named for his great-grandfather that he has engineered the "accidental" death of his father-in-law as well as removed the brakes on his bride's car on her fateful ride. From here on it's a matter of pursuit by the conniving Clark and the frightened bride's ultimate rescue by a handsome acquaintance she meets on her hurried hegira.As the lady in distress, Ida Lupino gives a perfectly sympathetic portrayal of the fear-crazed wife harried by the knowldege that her scheming mate will either kill her or, failing that, commit her to an asylum. Stephen McNally makes a cool and designing pursuer, who divides his love between the mill he has his heart set upon and a doxy with whom he has been keeping trysts. Howard Duff is equally competent as the ex-GI, who befriends the distraught Miss Lupino, and Peggy Dow, who is herein making her screen debut, contributes a satisfactory supporting role as McNally's ill-fated girl friend. As a modest entry, "Woman in Hiding" has its share of genuine excitements which are presented in a brisk manner.

At the CriterionWOMAN IN HIDING, screen play by Oscar Saul; adaptation by Roy Huggins; based on the magazine serial. "Fugitive From Terror," by James R. Webb; directed by Michael Gordon; produced by Michel Kraike for Universal-International. Deborah Chandler Clark . . . . . Ida LupinoKeith Ramsey . . . . . Howard DuffSeldon Clark . . . . . Stephen McNallyPatricia Monahan . . . . . Peggy DowJohn Chandler . . . . . John LitelLucius Maury . . . . . Taylor HolmesLink . . . . . Irving BaconFat Salesman . . . . . Joe BesserSalesman . . . . . Don BeddoeExcept for the unique opportunity of seeing two reigning giants of Italian films, Anna Magnani and Vittorio De Sica, appearing together on the same screen, there is nothing to recommend "Peddlin' in Society," the Italian farce, which opened at the Rialto yesterday. For this frenzied and foolish little fable about a female vegetable vender who gets rich and tries, in a boisterous way, to crash society is about as specious and flabby as they come.And even the fiery Miss Magnani, who wears low-cut dresses and high-heeled shoes, can do little more than make it noisy with a swaggering performance à la Mae West. As for the great De Sica, lately famed as the director of "The Bicycle Thief," he appears in this one as an actor, playing a destitute count. That's all! Let's go!

At the RialtoPEDDLIN' IN SOCIETY, directed by G. Righelli, and released here by Lux Films.Gioconda . . . . . Anna MagnaniCount Gherani . . . . . Vittorio De SicaDon Nicola . . . . . Virgilio RientoMaid . . . . . Laura GoreLucia . . . . . Zora PiazzaChev. Bonifazio . . . . . Lauro GazzoloTranquillo . . . . . Vito Chiari"Father Is a Bachelor" reads the title of the Palace's new screen partner to the vaudeville program. Father, as played by William Holden in this saccharine, paper-thin little romance, is a sucker, if ever there was one. A supposedly sharp-witted fugitive from a medicine show, he decides to mother a cabinful of young orphans, all of whom look capable of running a bank. But Holden insists on doing all the cooking, wood chopping and even sewing, and practically ignores the village belle, Coleen Gray, who nearly bats her eyelashes off at him.After a feeble little climax involving a mean truant officer, Miss Gray finally lands father, proving she's an even bigger sucker than he is. At least one spectator at the Palace yesterday couldn't take it—a tot of about 4, wearing a cowboy suit, who aimed a toy pistol at the screen and popped off the cast one by one.

At the PalaceFATHER IS A BACHELOR, screen play by Aleen Leslie and James Edward Grant, from a story by Mr. Grant; directed by Norman Foster for Columbia Pictures.Johnny Rutledge . . . . . William HoldenPrudence Millett . . . . . Coleen GrayMay Chalotte . . . . . Mary Jane SaundersMordecal Ford . . . . . Charles WinningerPlato Cassin . . . . . Clinton SundbergLeave it to the French to package a slightly better than average whodunit so picturesquely that it shines like a Christmas tree. An original story idea, consistently good acting and top-notch direction should have made "Between Eleven and Midnight" a suspenseful knockout. Unfortunately, such isn't the case for the newcomer at the Fifty-fifth Street Playhouse yesterday. The plain truth is that "Jenny Lamour" got here first. That elegant import of several years back managed to probe with sophisticated charm amid a group of sleazy Parisians and to rattle off a corking good detective yarn at the same time. This one gets caught between the two and ends up squarely on the fence.The opening sequence is almost too good to be true, with two successive murders in a traffic tunnel brilliantly juxtaposed against a nightmare of gleaming tiles and roaring subways. Enter our old friend, Louis Jouvet, as a French Sherlock. Assuming the identity of one victim, his exact, double and a former gangster, Jouvet presently finds himself confronting more fleeced colleagues and discarded mistresses than you can shake a stick at, one and all after his—or his corpse's—hide. Not only do the two murders eventually link—they overlap, in fact; and pretty confusingly. There's enough plot here for three pictures, and it all adds up to a rather limp, if humane, conclusion. Even Jouvet's sleek urbanity can't give it much punch.The photographer really has himself a field day, however, whipping his camera around nocturnal Paris with devilish adroitness and almost making the picture seem like something special. A little less slick and a bit more sound, and it would have been, too.

At 55th St. PlayhouseBETWEEN ELEVEN AND MIDNIGHT, scenario and adaptation by Marcel Rivet and Henry Decoin; directed by M. Decoin; produced by J. Roitfeld-Francinex and released by Spalter International.Inspector Carrel . . . . . Louis JouvetRossignol . . . . . Robert ArnouxInspector Perpignan . . . . . Leo LaparaVictor . . . . . Jean MeyerBouture . . . . . Jacques MorelLucienne . . . . . Madeleine RobinsonFlorence . . . . . Gisele CasadesusIrma . . . . . Monique Melinand

A version of this article appears in print on   of the National edition with the headline: THE SCREEN: SIX NEWCOMERS MARK HOLIDAY; Capitol's 'Malaya' Has Tracy and Stewart in Leads-- Two Imports Offered Walt Disney's Feature-Length 'Cinderella,' at the Mayfair, Heads List of Arrivals At the Capitol At the Criterion At the Rialto At the Palace At 55th St. Playhouse. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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