"They Knew What They Wanted" is one of the most gripping films Hollywood has made recently. It handles old themes--love, jealousy, lust--in a straightforward, unaffected fashion that carries great conviction. Charles Laughton, as an Italian fruit-grower, and Carole Lombard, as a hash-house waitress, squeeze every bit of pathos and humor from their roles. William Gargan is a truly tragic figure as the villain of the piece, who ruins his own chances for happiness at the same time that he comes near to destroying the lives of those he loves most. Unlike the average Hollywood product, this film uses the setting to great advantage in creating atmosphere. The story takes place in the Napa vally of California, a beautiful fruit-growing area surrounded by brown, cloud-topped hills and dotted with rich farms. The landscape frames a touching story, and makes an impressive whole.

The second feature is "The Great Profile," with John Barrymore playing John Barrymore, a pastime which Mr. B. has been indulging in on and off stage for quite some time now. The picture is funny, if you can forget that Barrymore once played Hamlet, and played it magnificently, and if you can forget that he comes from the American theatre's royal family. If you can forget all that, and just take him for a drunken, lecherous, old man with a sense of humor and a flair of exhibitionism, you'll enjoy the picture. But actually, another aristocrat has bit the dust.