Harrison's Reports (1936)

HARRISON'S REPORTS July 4, 1936 "San Francisco" with Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy (MGM, June 26; time, 114 min.) Powerful entertainment, suitable for all types of audiences. It combines virile melodrama of the Barbary Coast days with romance and music, and, without sermonizing, subtly brings in a message of religion. And for sheer thrills and marvelous blending of processed shots, nothing like the earthquake scenes shown here have ever been seen. The tremor, the collapse of buildings, the splitting of sidewalks, the avalanche of bricks, the sudden outbursts of flame, the injury of people — all these occurrences have been handled so expertly that one feels as if one is watching scenes of an actual earthquake. And the realistic background of the year 1906 has been reproduced with strict fidelity to the times, lending power to the story. The music, of both the popular and operatic variety, is excellent; it fits into the story well, never retarding the action. The romance is developed in a way to please spectators : — Clark Gable, owner of gambling establishments on the Barbary Coast, is noted for his fairness and courage. Spencer Tracy, a priest, and Gable's best friend, is unhappy at Gable's scoffing at religion, and unsuccessfully tries his best to convert him. Jeanette MacDonald is engaged as a singer in Gable's dance hall. He falls in love with her as she does with him; she turns down the offers of Jack Holt, a wealthy society man, to establish her in opera. Eventually, fearing that she might succumb to Gable's impassioned love-making. She runs away and joins the opera company. She is acclaimed at her debut. Gable calls to see her and proposes. She leaves everything to go back as a singer in his dance hall. A fight between Gable and Tracy, who resented the fact that Gable was cheapening her, changes her attitude towards Gable and she leaves. Holt, in an effort to ruin Gable, closes down his gambling houses. Miss MacDonald tries to help Gable out at a ball by appearing as the representative of his dance hall and singing, winning the $10,000 prize ; but Gable, disgusted at the fact that she had become engaged to Holt, throws the money at her. Just then there is a tremor and the building begins to collapse, and fire to break out. Gable escapes and wanders about looking for Miss MacDonald. Finally he finds her with Tracy, tending to the wounded. For the first time in his life he feels religious and falls to his knees, thanking God. The lovers become reunited. Robert Hopkins wrote the story, and Anita Loos the screen play. Win. S. Van Dyke directed and produced it. In the cast are Jessie Ralph, Ted I Teal v, Shirley Ross, and others. Children will not understand the sex implication. Suitable for all. Class A. "Trapped by Television" with Lyle Talbot and Mary Astor (Columbia; June 15; Running time, 62 min.) A fair program grade picture. The action is somewhat slow except in the closing scenes, in which Talbot, with the aid of Mary Astor, proves the practicability of his television invention. Comedy is provoked by the actions of Nat Pendleton, an enthusiastic, would-be scientist. The romance between Miss Astor and Talbot is pleasant: — ■ Sent to collect a bill from Talbot, Pendleton, to his delight, discovers him to be an inventor and promptly forgets about bills. They become good friends and with the help of Pendleton, Talbot, needing more money for his invention, gets a job collecting bills. His first call is on Mary Astor, a promoter of shady schemes, with whom he becomes friendly. She sees a great opportunity to make some easy money from Talbot's invention, which sbe thought valueless. She gets from Thurston Hall, president of a broadcasting company, $200, which she intends keeping, but when she sees how much the invention means to Talbot she gives him the money, enabling him to finish the machine. His tests at home prove successful but when shown to the officials of the broadcasting company it fails. Standish, general manager of the company, had tampered with the machine so as to give one of his friends an edge over Talbot. Talbot fixes the machine and gives a second test. Standish and his henchmen again try to destroy the machine but are unsuccessful. Talbot had battled them off long enough to prove the usefulness of his invention and also to trap the culprits. Talbot and Miss Astor marry. The plot was adapted from the story by Sherman Lowe and Al Martin. Lee Loeb and Harold Buchman wrote the screenplay and Del Lord directed it. In the cast are Nat Pendleton, Joyce Compton, Thurston Hall and others. Because of the brutal murder, it is hardly suitable for children, adolescents or for Sundays. Adult entertainment. Class B. "And Sudden Death" with Randolph Scott and Frances Drake (Paramount, June 19; time, 64 mm.) As entertainment this falls a little flat. It is more or less of a sermon against fast automobile driving, with a thin surrounding plot. Most of the characters are weak and do nothing to awaken one's sympathy. During more than half of the picture, Frances Drake (the heroine) is shown as being reckless and callous, driving her car at a high rate of speed, regardless of law and order. The fact that she learns her lesson after her brother's reckless driving kills an innocent child, and willingly goes to prison to shield him, tends to lessen one's displeaure. The speeding and the consequent accidents, although somewhat thrilling, may prove to be a little too harrowing for an average audience. The love affair is developed in a mild manner :■ — Miss Drake, after receiving four tickets for speeding, is brought before Randolph Scott, the police lieutenant in charge of traffic. He lectures her and shows her pictures of horrible accidents caused by speeding. They become good friends and eventually fall in love. A group of friends set out in automobiles for a party, and Miss Drake goes with Tom Brown, her brother, who was drunk. She drives at first but later he insists on taking the wheel and speeding. They crash into a bus filled with children. One child is killed. Miss Drake takes the blame and is arrested. She is tried and convicted ; her brother, although he loves her, is too cowardly to talk and lets her go to prison. Scott, who had suspected that Brown was guilty, questions him ; this frightens him. He runs away and starts speeding in his car. Losing control, he crashes down a cliff. Just before he dies he confesses. Miss Drake is freed. She marries Scott.