The Cinema
"Death Takes a Holiday." At the Carlton
Tins film, based on Alberto Casella's play, ought to have been made in Germany—the old Germany, before Hitler started to regiment the studios. Hollywood is unrivalled at treating everyday events with racy realism, but American producers are never comfortable with attempts at metaphysical sym- bolism. The idea here is that Death puts on human disguise and takes a holiday in the world of men, anxious to discover why mortals long to live and are afraid to die. The scene is supposed to be Italy, but " Duke Lambert," the Italian noble- man acted by Sir Guy Standing, is patently English, and most of his guests talk American.
They are living in a vast villa full of pillars and statues, rather as though the designer of the set had mixed up the order with another one for a classical museum. Late at night a shadowy figure appears on the terrace. It is Death, who proceeds to inform the Duke, in an American accent, of his holiday plans. Soon, wearing a Ruritanian uniform, he is received as a member of the house-party under the name of Prince Sirki. The women find his clear-cut profile and enig- matic manner altogether too fascinating, but when they gaze into his eyes they shudder, and it begins to seem that he will fail to experience the earthly love he craves. But there is one girl, Grazia, who is not afraid ; and at last, when Death's holiday is over, she disappears with him into a blaze of golden limelight.
One effect of his holiday has been that accidents miracu- lously happen on earth without anyone being killed ; but this aspect of the story, which might have been effectively devel. oped, is merely indicated. All that really emerges is that Grazia prefers to die with the man she loves rather than marry the wealthy young Italian to whom she is more or less en- gaged. She is well acted by Evelyn Venable, who should have a future on the screen ; but Fredric March, though sometimes good in eerie parts, cannot do much with the Prince's wooden attitudes and rhetorical speeches. The production is skilful and has moments of dramatic suspense ; but Death with a capital is a difficult film subject. " We do it wrong, being so majestical, To offer it the show of violence . - ."
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