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TALKING OF FILMS
By MARJORIE BECKINGSALE
N»^Ar The Loves of Carmen
IF all wandering gipsies
looked like Rita Hayworth
(in technicolor) there might
well be a mass exodus of mas-
culine city dwellers in search
of so much feminine pul-
chritude.
Columbia's new version of Pros-
per Merimee's old Spanish story,
now under the title of "The Loves
of Carmen," is a highly glamorised
affair, which would be rather dull
if it were not for the technicolor
scenery-including Rita Hayworth.
My general reaction was that the
current Carmen is a time-worn
story related with a Hollywood
accent.
I do not regard Rita as the true
gipsy type, but she has been care-
fully tutored to display changes of
mood, from ardent love-making to
frequent spitting and hurling of
abuse, while wearing a series of
highly expensive gipsy dresses, high
heeled shoes, and carefully careless
hair-dos.
No dentist is ever likely to make
much money from having to care
for her teeth. Every one of them
looks perfect, and we get dozens of
chances to view them closely.
Carmen bestows her favors and
insults alternately on a procession of
men ranging from a bewhiskered
bandit (Victor Jory), an elderly
colonel (Arnold Moss), a naive Span-
ish soldier (Ron Randell, disguised
almost beyond recognition), a glum
soldier turned renegade (Glenn
Ford), to a dapper matador (John
Baragey).
As the film works its way through
this list, it seems a long time be-
fore we get to the final scene of
Carmen and her only real love, Don
Jose (Ford), dying clasped in each
other's arms.
Carmen has been stabbed by the
jealous Don Jose, and he has been
shot by the police.
If Glenn Ford got any enjoyment
from playing his role of Don Jose,
he certainly conceals it, because
from start to finish he looks sour
and disgruntled.
I hope that Columbia will give him
a comedy role as quickly as possible
to offset the effect of his gloom in
this film.
The technicolor camera ranges
through some superb Californian
scenery representing Spain, and
there are many finely designed
street scenes. The musical score
by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco is
first class.
Some wild western cross country
chases, a duel with knives, and a
fair bit of face slapping all round
add to the action.
The film is at the State.
* Symphonie Fantastique
A FRENCH production on
the life of composer Hec-
tor Berlioz, "Symphonie Fan-
tastique," released by Kapferer
Productions (Sydney), has Jean
Louis Barrault in the leading role.
Barrault will he recalled for the
excellent impression he made in the
successful film, "Les Enfants du
Paradis."
"Symphonie Fantastique" has
plenty of faults, the worst being
stilted direction, and a poor sound
track which nearly ruins some fine
orchestral performances of Berlioz's
compositions.
But it has considerable merit due
to the sensitive work of Barrault,
and the fine photography of Armand
Chiraud.
The story of Berlioz's life moves
from his early struggle for recog-
nition, his domestic upsets, to his
success (achieved with the assist
ance of his mistress), and his final
parting with her.
The film follows the French tra-
dition of stressing the less heroic
though dramatic side of the central
character. It does not follow the
English and Hollywood custom of
endowing him with more heroism
and glamor than he possessed.
The Conservatory Orchestra of
Paris lends its considerable weight
to the frequent interpolations of
Berlioz compositions, some of which
rise above the faulty recording.
The film is at the Variety.
$