Korda Translates French into English

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 34, 3 February 1939, Page 14

Korda Translates French into English

["Prison Without Bars.’’ London Films-United Artists. Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst. Starring Corinne Luchaire, Edna Best, Barry K. Barnes. First release: Wellington, February 3.] 66é RISON Without Bars’’ is an almost exact, scene by scene, translation into English (so I understand) of the French film "Prison Sans Barreaux.’’ Since we have little chance over here of seeing the French original, we should be very graiefui to Alexander Korda for having Anglicised it. We shoult be particularly grateful to him for having secured the services of Corinne Luchaire, the original French star. It is always unwise to start singing loud hosannas about the birth of a new star Gn the strength of ene performance. So much depends on the script or the direction of her subsequent pictures. Bad handling can (and often does) kill new stars much quicker than good handling can make them. But with this reservation, I would say that Corinne Luchaire herself has all that it takes to be something much more than a seven days’ wonder. She is one of the most exciting new stars that have swum into my ken in a moderately lengthy career of cinemastro- nomy,. Mile. Luchaire is said to be only 17 years old. What is more, she looks it. Not exactly beautiful in the conventional sense, she has youthful grace of movement an@ considerable personal charm. In spite of her comparatively tender

years, there is tothing the least immature about Ler acting; on the contrary, it is alive and intelligent, and with an emotional depth far beyond the ordinary. Female Devil’s Island "PRISON WITHOUT BARS" pre sents this vital young person jas the chief problem ghild in a

modern French institution euphemistically known as a "school of correction for girls," but which, at the outset, falls not far short of being a female Devil’s Island. Tf you didn’t know it was only a film, your blood would boil at the cailons treatment of the unfortunate inmates by a squad of vinegarish spinsters in high-necked dresses. As it is, it will probably be in a fairly constant state of sinimering until the advent of Edna Best, in a lower-necked dress and with ideals about treating the girls as human beings. Miss Best is the new superintendent, whose policy of kindness and understanding and windows without bars soon arouses a gratifying response from the girls, but enrages the demoted superintendent and her attendant warders. Kisses And Blackmail REBELLIOUS Suzanne (Corinne Luchaire) is the chief object of experiment in Miss Best’s "honour system," and all goes well untif she falls in love with the reformatory doctor. The doctor is secretly engaged to Miss Best, which is an obvious source of trouble; because one of the other girls catches Suzanne and the doctor in a tender embrace and practises black- mail. In a strong, if rather unlikely climax, Miss Best is presented with the familiar choice between love and duty. Expert Acting SEE this picture, in the first place because of Corinne Luchaire’s performance, and after that because of the notable direction of Brian Desmond Hurst, and many expert character studies from the supporting cast. The French origin of the film is easily discernible in the terse and siraightforward treatment of the _ story, which, though highly coloured and basically unoriginal, is well-knit and gripping. Edna Best plays the crusading superintendent with sincerity and conviction, making her a warm and womanly character. It struck me that Barry K. Barnes was much too attractive to be the doctor to a collection of emotionally-starved females; but perhaps that only made the eternal triangle situation between him, Suzanne and the superintendent more believable. Martita Hunt is a thoroughly nasty piece of work as the fanatical exsuperintendent; and many of the young inmates are so admirably tough and interesting that I would describe them as "Dead End Girls" were it not for the fact that that description would give you rather the wrong impression of this thoroughly worthwhile piece of Anglo-French melodrama.