Word: whorf
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...lather leviathan, is superb. He dismisses intelligence with the air of someone who has been acquainted with radio and television for a long time. A lampoon of this industry has been a long-time. A lampoon of this industry has been a long-time in coming but director Richard Whorf, known to some as a Shakespearean actor, has allowed the direction to get out of hand. There are too many irrelevancies and not enough of the quip situations in which Mr. Colman can handle himself best. The picture should have run an hour and it ran for two hours...
...Chain Lightning" is a story of post-war jet piloting. Matt Brennan (Bogart), is a former B-17 ace who becomes chief test pilot for Leland Willis (Raymond Massey) after the war, finds his wartime love (Eleanor Parker) working as Willis secretary and her new fiance, Carl Troxell (Richard Whorf), designing planes for Willis...
Last week's production accepted, indeed courted, Richard as melodrama. Everything was painted in bold primary colors; a good deal was literally bathed in baleful crimson light. But the thing had pace and a certain crude excitement, and Richard Whorf's usurper, limping of foot and swift of brain, was enjoyably malign. There was nothing subtle about any of it, and toward the end there was much that was strident; but if never anything more, it was a pretty good show...
...Whorf has also done some or all of the directing and here his fast tempo has been put to better use. Most of the action takes place in the Tower of London and a single set and part of the orchestra is used. The scenes flow rapidly one into the other by use of lights, rather than curtains and there is seldom a moment, without visual activity. When Richard is soliloquizing on his villainy, there is a red light, presumably from Hell, shining upon him. During the battle scene, which is done all in silhouette and with imaginary weapons...
Aside from Mr. Whorf, the cast includes other notables such as Philip Bourneuf, Frances Reid, Polly Rowles, and Grace Coppin. The performances of Mr. Bourneuf and Miss Coppin seem to stand up best in the vacuum that follows Mr. Whorf's whirlwind...