BIBLE STORY FILMS

Chronicle (Levin), 5 December 1946, Page 6

BIBLE STORY FILMS

LONDON, Nov. 5. Eleven Bible st'ory films, in 35 m.m. and 16 m.na., are now released iu Britain and are available through the Dawn Trust Filni Library, Aylesbury. "A Voiee in the Wilderness/' in two parts, and "Blind Beg^ar of Jerusalem" were privateiy shown in London the other day. It is uufortunate, says the Times, that filnis with sucli excellent purpose must be discussed in terms both of linance and of artistic achievement, but those respousible for. them kuow very well that money is a controliing factor. Gheapness does not mean iuediocrity, and there are suiiicient horrilic examples of how wealth can corrupt the screen to make any defence of a sensible bud get unnecessary, but there are times wlien it is possible to wish that a little uiore time — which is, wliere films are concerned-, money — and effort couid have been spent. on preventing the anticlimax into which earnest and admirable endeavour sometimes falls. The story of 8t. John is, in outline, given a fine dramatic form and significance, but the actor who plays John is without a vestige of prophetic lire, and the language of the Bible and an uneasy eolloquialism do not go well together. The blind beggar, whom Jesus healed, is, on the otlidi' hand, a man of spirit, but here again the desire to tfanslate the Jerusalem of the time of Jesus into the tenns of the twentieth century conflicts with the words Jesus himself speaks. Tliere are many virtues, however, to compensate for the faults, and the worlv of nniking these Biblical stories is work worth doing indeed. cent. The remaining p'assenger space is reserved mainly for Government-paid passengers. The new afrangemenls do not afi'ect routes to tlie Far iiiast (including Alalaya) and the West Indies. On these the Government still coutrois all the accommodation; x\ shipping authority described the change us " a mere drop in the ocean. ' ' No returu to pre-war conditions of travel couid be expected before 11)43. "Of the 90 liners undcr requisitioii by the Government," he said, "only 20 have been hauded baclc. Many months must elapse before they can compiete reconditioning. "As Mr. W. G. Warwick, chairman of Royal Maii Lines, remarked recently: 'A'ot until tovvard the end of 1947 will shipping compauies be abie to work ofi tlie accumuiated, back-iog of reservations that have been made.' ' ' Oue wonders how we can cater ade-' quately next year for tourist traflic."