REGENT PREVIEW

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 22, 9 November 1945, Page 5

REGENT PREVIEW

"FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS"

"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is no ordinary just as it is no ordinary book. The book is Ernest Hemingway at his bestand the picture brings to life his great novel about the Spanish Civil in which has been caught the seething spirit of the people the tragic temper of the times. Against the background of barbarity, born of re_ volution is told the passionate yet tender love story of Robert Jordan, the American and the lovely Spanish, girl.

Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman are cast in the leading roles, and as such, have received the fullest support, wherever the picture has been screened. An excellent supporting cast of featured players includes Akhn Tainiroff (the Egyptian hotelkeeper in 'Five Graves to Cairo').

On the technical side, the film is almost as long as "Gone With The Wind" being over 14,000 feet. Its running time is in the neighbourhood of three hours. It took three years to make at the Paramount studio and nine million man hours of devoted care were, lavished on it. Two features of the film are worthy of special mention —the Technicolour photography with its unfamiliar greys, blacks, and deep greens and a hushed musical score * which carries a feeling of secretiveness through the whole length of the film. The former may be accounted for by the fact that many new Technicolour processes were put into the photography. On the latter point, almost every foot of the film was .scored with music. This is most unusual, in that ordinarily only a quarter the footage of a movie is underscored with music, but because music added enormously to the effect, which it was wished to obtain composer-conductor Victor Young, who is accredited with the enormously difficult and lengthy score was asked to create music for approximately 18,000 feet oi film. All the music in "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is original. Not one not© or piece of generally known Spanish music was used. Young's score was such a brilliant success that it was played by the New York Philharmonic Society Orchestra at the Lewisohn Stadium.

On liis own admission, "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is Gary Cooper at his best # and his extraordinary acting ability is given full scope in this film, which will appeal to a wide audience. Owing to the length of the film it will be necessary to commence it almost immediately alter 8 p.m. Patrons are therefore requested by the management to make every effort to arrive early.