SPANISH WAR STORY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22514, 23 September 1938, Page 7

SPANISH WAR STORY

The most dramatic situation of the present day—the Spanish civil war—forms the background of the love story which is told in “Blockade,” Walter Wanger’s romantic drama, starring Madeleine Carroll and Henry Fonda, which is coming to the Mayfair. This is the romance of a man and a girl drawn into the conflict almost against their will—lovers who were at the same time bitter enemies.

“Blockade,” though it employs the war only as a background and favours neither side in the conflict, furnishes a highly interesting and remarkably accurate, picture of Spain’s civil strife. Produced on. a lavish scale, its many elaborate settings are outstanding examples of Hollywood’s skill in achieving realism in locale and, atmosphere. One setting, the scene of much exciting. action,: shows the entire waterfront of a, Spanish town, with its sea wall ■ fronting on the Mediterranean and a mass of buildings crowding almost to the water’s edge. Aeroplane raids, fierce battles in rural areas, the flight of refugees—all are shown in- a manner that clearly brings to the audience an understanding of conditions that have-, disrupted

Madeleine Carroll in “Blockade”

the life of an entire nation. Without being propaganda in any sense, the picture nevertheless demonstrates the complete futility of war as a means of solving the problems of the world. Another important setting was erected on the bank of the Los Angeles river, at most seasons a tiny rivulet in a dry wash, but the flood conditions resulting from heavy rains caused the river to become a raging torrent, overflowing its banks and completely wrecking the set after it had been used between showers for several days. Confronted with this minor catastrophe technical departments, working all night, constructed within a sound, stage at the studio an exact replica’ of the original set—even to the river—and here the remaining scenes in this location were filmed.

This unusual picture was directed by William Dieterle, whose recent “Life of Emile Zola,” was adjudged by vote of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences the greatest motion picture of 1937. In addition to Leo Carrillo, the cast supporting Madeleine Carroll and Fonda in “Blockade” includes John Hallida - ". Reginald Denny, Vladimir Sokoloff, and Robert Warwick.