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REG WHITLEY'S VENICE NOTEBOOKWhy make love soGRUESOME?Venice. Thursday.JUDGING from what I have seen here at this film festival, Britain can expect little help from Continental productions when the forthcoming film famine — due, among other things, to Hollywood’s swing over to 3-D—hits the country.I have seen examples or French, Swedish, Russian, Italian and Spanish'screen art and none of it contributesanythlne to the gaiety of nations.In fact, the mood of these films Is violently horrific.France, for instance, has the most original end the mosthorrible boy-meets-girl situation I have ever seen.It occurs In the new film ** Lesgave this awful picture a biggerBril-reception than they did the liant “ Roman Holiday comedy.VET in spite of this * evidence of strangeContinental taste my hot tip isiiiOi gueilleux ” m a scene played by Michele Morgan and GerardPhiJipe.that the British film 44 Moulin Rouge. financed In London by John Woolf, will win the bigaward.So sure of tklr is local social leader Confess* Volt! diSHE SHRIEKSMisuraga, widow of a millionaire who founded the festival,Laughter at WorkShe is the widow of a man whoDICKCHAIRSg2 HOURSdies or cerebro-splnul-nienlngiMs»and to make a or** she la not in-BATHINGTENTS1/6PER HOURV—. t■mfected she is given the spine puncture test The perforation process Is shown in vivid detail.and as the long needle is pushedinto her backbone she shrieks inagony.When it Is withdrawn sh« snuggles up to the drunken doctor who had volunteered tohold her still for the operation.that she has already given a separate parly in its honour.One thousand guests, Including JJilt isii Ambassador Sir VictorMallet, and an eyeful of Internationa) film stars — including SJl-vana Pampanlni—arrived at the palace Volti on the Grand Canal in gorgeous gondolas and danced from midnight till dawn.DARK HORSEAnd it is in this situation that love is born.Michele's troubles are onlybeginning.Later she figures In a romanticinterlude m which she is kickedviolently in the stomach, kid ney-punched and nearly strangled by a disappointed lover.And an audience that stood In the corridors and sat on Hie stairsAt the party I feathered that the only threat to Moulin Rouge ” might come from a last-minute showing of the new Simone Sig-noret drama. “Therese Raquin. tipped to me as a dark horse bythe French delegation.The premiere , o/ MoulinRouge ” teas the most glamorous of the festival, icomen wearing wonderful evening gowns— mostly of pre-Dior length.So heavy was the demandto see the film that scatswere being sold in the black market for £5. and I have never so much minkS1LVANA PAMPANINIArrived in a gondolatravelling in the trolleybuses—Venice isn't allcanals.lead, could Dccouic an international heart - throbif he could speak English.A LTHOOGH the offl-1 clal announcementof the winning film will not be made until tomorrow night, I can tell you about some films that will be among the also-rans.They include a Spanishdrama, ta Guerra deDios. a slow-moving storyabout a padre's fifrhr. ro establish hlmseir in a tough mining district.Claud* I.ayeu, who playsThe Russian fhrs weremainly ponderous and reeked of propaganda and the Communist party line. A new Swedish picture.M Ladies in waiting” fea-tures a new Bergman—In-gar, not Ingrid—but thefilm is disappointing What a pity so many ofthese /Urns are unsuitablefor the Rritish cinema IFor that film famine, I fi-wure you, la just roundt/ic corner.
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