Her ivory body, polished to perfec-tion, ripples bewitchingly whenever she dances or walks. This beauty possesses everything her role demands: calm and jealousy, wanton-ness and noble character, selfishness and indifference. Lollobrigida was never in all her days so bewitching as she appears here. Nor has she ever given, in any role whatsoever, so plain a proof of merit as she has given in this one. Everyone who sees this film will say of "Gina," with all admiration and without any effort, that she is the true Esmeralda, for the oneness between the two of them is plain in the complete expression that Lollobrigida gave to her role — a role that soared high in the art of film production. When we watch her dance before Notre-Dame we shall cast at her glances of longing and desire like those that flew from the eyes of "Claude Frollo" and the hunchback "Quasimodo"... and we shall love her as the handsome officer "Phoebus" and the poet Gringoire loved her, when we see her laugh that innocent laugh that betokens guilelessness and good intent. And we shall all look upon her with tenderness and pity when she is condemned to death for being beautiful — very beautiful!

For these honorable marks of creative excellence in acting the credit goes in the first degree to the skill of "Gina Lollobrigida," and then to the director

Esmeralda responds to the love of Captain Phoebus

A magnificent classic scene — Esmeralda takes pity on the hunchback as he is flogged in the public square

"Jean Delannoy," whose merit is great: by means of astonishing photography (CinemaScope and natural color) he has given of "Notre-Dame de Paris" a speaking picture that stirs admiration, full of vitality and astonishing truths. As for the reading that "Jean Aurenche" and "Jacques Prévert" drew from Victor Hugo's tale, upon it the director built a world that turns entirely on two poles: "Notre-Dame" and "Esmeralda."

Among those acting alongside these two great stars we mention, of course, Anthony Quinn, who plays "the hunchback Quasimodo" and whom we shall not forget — not only for the extremity of his ugliness but also for the gentle-ness it conceals and the astonish-ing wit he displays. Quasimodo's success in his role is owed to his skill in acting, and in this respect alone he stands out above all others. "Jean Danet" played the handsome captain, while "Alain Cuny," in taking on the role of Frollo, displayed a vileness of soul to match the ugliness shown by the hunchback Quasimodo.

Gina has, without doubt, met in her new film "Notre-Dame de Paris" with a great success, and has given us a living, speaking picture of Esmeralda, one that answers the dreams that have hovered before us for so long of Hugo's immortal character.

Dedicated to my son Nazih

Our friend Mrs. Salma al-Haffar al-Kuzbari has written to us from Buenos Aires, "capital of the silver country," where her husband Dr. Nader al-Kuzbari serves as ambassador of Syria to Argentina.

Salma's letter overflows with longing and yearning for the mother homeland and for family and friends. She has made a journey to the land of Chile, whose nature and air, she said, reminded her greatly of enchanting Lebanon...

She says that "The Woman's Voice" holds a cherished place in the hearts of our emigrant brothers there, and that once she has found her spiritual footing she will send us delightful pieces and reportages. Her letter also enclosed this poem — perhaps the first fruits of her verse:

My beloved son, come, come, let us heal the wounds, for the day of reunion — my soul be your ransom — is near within reach

My son, smile — what is the reproach for? Come, climb the paths of the highlands, come, take heart, for you are youth itself!

I want you a bounty that feeds the meadows, I want you a sun that melts the snows, I want you a star to rival the constellations!

Come, let us forgive the tyranny of time, forget the parting and wipe out the sorrow, for the feast of reunion will be on the home-land's soil

Tomorrow we shall make our truce with this age, tomorrow we shall chant the melody of peace, tomorrow the cups of tenderness will overflow

Tomorrow we shall keep the feast, mankind and jinn, tomorrow we shall behold the light of the gardens of paradise, tomorrow we shall reign, for our reunion is near