Sympathetic Presentation of Classic of the Cumberlands

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 45, 23 February 1938, Page 11

Sympathetic Presentation of Classic of the Cumberlands

“THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE.” (Mayfair: Screening To-day.) Directed by Henry Hathaway, ‘•The Trail of the Lonesome Pine” is a warm, glowing, sympathetic presentation of John Fox, Jr.’s classic of the Cumberlands, with Sylvia Sidney, Fred Mac Murray and Henry Fonda heading a large and well-chosen cast. The film, which tells of the primitive mountain folk and their instinctive distrust for modern civilisation, has its action entirely set in the thickly wooded hill country of Kentucky, which has given Technicolour photopraphy a magnificent opportunity to bring to the screen all the natural colour and beauty of the magnificent scenery. The colour photography, with admirable restraint, has entirely avoided flooding the production with gaudy, harsh colours, a fault which was found with many earlier attempts to bring colour to the screen. In "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine,” the colour has the simplicity and tho naturalness of the true outdoors; it is never too blatant, but rather always easy and understandable. Very often onq even feels that the action is really taking place before his eyes, rather than on a screen I Every member of the cast, from Miss Sidney, Mac Murray and Fonda down to the smallest role, is magnificent, but special mention is deserved by the little four-year-old newcomer, "Spunky ’’ McFarland, who captures the hearts of the audience by his portrayal of "Buddie."

Simone Simon sings for the first time in the new musical hit, “Love And Hisses," 20th Oentury-Fox picture, in which she is co-starred with Walter Winchell and Ben Bernie. Not only does Simone sing several of the new song hits by Gordon and Revel which head the musical hit list, of the film, but she is also heard in tho famous “Bell Song" from the opera “Lakme. ’’

The four leading male roles in “Four Men and a Prayer" the 20th CenturyFox picture in which Loretta Young plays the feminine stellar tolc, have been assigned to George Sanders, William Henry, Reginald Denny and David Niven. The picture is based upon the magazine story by David Garth.