STORM CENTER (1956). Director: Daniel Taradash.
"The ball park isn't the only place someone can be a hero."
Middle-aged librarian Alicia Hull (Bette Davis) is importuned by the town council to remove a book on Communism from the library. While not in any way a communist, Hull is against censorship and also feels that the book only illustrates the foolishness and stupidity of the communist tract -- she refuses to remove it. Before long many in the town are denouncing her, and her relationship with a book-loving boy named Freddie (Kevin Coughlin) is demolished. There is an interesting sub-plot wherein Kevin's father can't relate to his son's interest in reading over sports, and his wife can't relate to her husband's distrust of, and complete disinterest in, culture of any kind. (Unfortunately, the especially melodramatic developments with Freddie seem almost dragged in to add some drama and poignancy.) While Storm Center is intelligent (and a bit heroic considering the year it was made, although it might have been even more daring had Hull actually been a communist) and has some good dialogue and scenes, it's as if a good picture somehow got lost along the way. The main problem with the film is Bette Davis' positively dreadful performance, which has not one ounce of veracity or normalcy to it. She had entered her "grand lady of films" period and struts through the film so affectedly and unnaturally that she virtually stinks up almost every scene she's in. Davis has always been criticized for her performance in King Vidor's under-rated Beyond the Forest, but her acting in that is miles ahead of her work in Storm Center. (Another truth is that, despite her battered appearance, Davis was simply too sexual -- think of her in All About Eve -- to be convincing as some dried up -- if admirable-- old library hag.) Young Kevin Coughlin is better as Freddie, although he over-acts at times. Paul Kelly is excellent as a loyal friend of Hull's and Kim Hunter and Brian Keith are solid as Hull's assistant and her boyfriend, one of Hull's foremost accusers.
Verdict: Admirable failure with a woeful lead performance. **1/2.
2 comments:
Oh, Bill, you are so right about this one. Has to be Davis’s absolute worst performance. In fact, her mid 1950s films are all lacking her trademark charisma and chutzpah. Before that she was excellent in All About Eve and The Star, and after this of course Baby Jane and Charlotte, and even at the end of her career she displayed some style in fare like Harvest Home and Death On the Nile. But I think her marriage to Gary Merrill was an unhappy time in her life, and it shows in her film work during this period.
- Chris
Chris, that may well explain why she was so poor in this and other films. It's like she just showed up to read lines -- badly. I guess her mind really was elsewhere. And the directors didn't dare tell her to shape up and give a performance. Too bad!
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