Harrison's Reports (1938)

170 HARRISON'S REPORTS October 22, 1938 "Five of a Kind" with the D tonne Quintuplets, Jean Hersholt and Claire Trevor (20th Century-Fox, Oct. 14; time, 85 min.} Just fair entertainment. The main attraction is the Quintuplets, for the story itself is rather weak. Where their other two pictures have gone over, this should do well, too, for there arc several scenes in which the children appear ; although there is nothing remarkable in what they do, it is amusing to watch the five of them together — playing, singing, and eating. Naturally, its appeal is mostly for women. Despite the efforts of the performers, the farfetched story falls flat; even the romance is unbelievable: — Claire Trevor and Cesar Romero, two rival newspaper reporters, are constantly playing tricks on each other. Their rivalry eventually leads them to the same town in Canada, where they both try to sign up the Quintuplets for a radio program. Romero, by posing as a police inspector from New York, induces the constable (Slim Summervillc) to arrest Miss Trevor; but the trick is discovered and Miss Trevor is released. She obtains the contract from Jean Hersholt, the children's doctor. Henry Wilcoxon, a young doctor and director of a nursery in New York, calls on Miss Trevor to ask for her help in helping him raise funds for the nursery. She hits upon the idea of bringing the Quintuplets to New York for a benefit performance on behalf of the nursery. But Romero, through a trick, places Miss Trevor in a position where she is discredited; because of this the managers of the Quintuplets call off the performance. Realizing what he had done, Romero goes to the Canadian officials and confesses ; but they refuse to permit the children to go to New York. Romero finally induces them to permit the performance to go on by means of television ; and so the benefit performance is successful. Romero and Miss Trevor are reconciled. Lou Breslow and John Patrick wrote the original screen play; Herbert I. Leeds directed it. In the cast are Inez Courtney, John Qualen, Jane Darwell, Pauline Moore, and others. Suitability, Class A. "There Goes My Heart" with Fredric March, Virginia Bruce and Patsy Kelly (United Artists, Oct. 14; time, 83 min.) A fairly good comedy. Lacking a substantial plot, the picture depends mostly on gags and wisecracks for its entertainment value ; for the most part, these are good. Patsy Kelly provokes most of the laughter ; two situations in which she appears, one, as a customer in a cafeteria and, another, as a demonstrator for a vibrator, are extremely comical and should provoke hearty laughter. As a matter of fact, each time she appears there is something to laugh about. The action lags a bit in a few spots ; this is so particularly towards the end. Fredric March and Virginia Bruce make a pleasant romantic team, despite the routine way in which the romance is developed: — Virginia Bruce, the world's wealthiest heiress, is tired of being denied freedom by her grandfather (Claude Gillingwater). When he is called to London on a business trip, she orders the Captain of her yacht to take her to New York ; she then runs away. The newspapers learn of the latest exploit by the runaway heiress ; Fredric March, a reporter, is assigned to the case by his editor. In the meantime, Miss Bruce strikes up an acquaintance in a cafeteria with Miss Kelly, who thinks she is homeless and penniless ; Miss Kelly takes her to her shabby one-room apartment and then offers to get her a position in her own department store. Miss Bruce loves the experience and enjoys working. March finds out who she is, but does not let her suspect that he knew. They become good friends and he starts working on his story, promising to give it to the editor when it was completed: in the meantime, however, he falls in love with Miss Bruce. He tears up the story; but the irate editor pieces it together again and prints it. Naturally Miss Bruce is disgusted and agrees to go back to her grandfather. Miss Kelly, by a ruse, brings them together again, and sees to it that they get married. Ed Sullivan wrote the story, and Eddie Moran and Jack Jcvne, the screen play; Norman Z. McLeod directed it, and Hal Roach produced it. In the cast are Alan Mowbray, Nancy Carroll, Eugene Pallette, Arthur Lake, and others. Suitability, Class A. "Brother Rat" with Wayne Morris and Priscilla Lane (First National, Oct. 29; time, 88 min.) A delightful comedy, centering around the lighter side of student life at Virginia Military Institute; the performances are excellent. Without resorting to music, or college dances, or football scenes, it offers something novel in the way of entertainment for a picture of this type. Most of the action centers around three students, who manage to get into trouble more than any of the others ; their adventures and the resultant punishments are the cause for hearty laughter. It is all treated in a light vein, even to the romances ; no serious problems are presented. This is the type of picture that makes a spectator forget his troubles and relax : — Wayne Morris, Ronald Reagan, and Eddie Albert are roommates at V.M.I. Morris is constantly getting into trouble and dragging his pals in it with him. He induces Reagan to sneak out with him to visit Priscilla Lane, who had just arrived home with a girl friend. They are caught .and punished. Albert was eagerly looking forwatd to winning the $250 prize given to the school's best athlete. But the night before the big football game of the season, he learns from Jane Bryan, to whom he was secretly married, that he was to become a father. Realizing that he would be expelled if it became known that he was married, he becomes nervous. In the meantime, Morris, to whom Albert had entrusted $50, decides to bet it fin the game in order to help Alljcrt along. But when Albert tells him about his troubles and expresses a desire not to play in the game, Morris chases around pawning whatever he could put his. hands on in order to get enough money together to bet on the other team and so safeguard Albert's money. Albert is hit on the head with a ball, and his team loses the game ; with that he loses the athletic prize. But he graduates and is overjoyed when he gets the news that he had a son ; with this he gets $300 for being the first father of his class. The plot was adapted from the play by John Monks, Jr., and Fred Finklehoffe ; Richard Macaulay and Jerry Wald wrote the screen play, William Keighiey directed it, and Robert Lord produced it. In the cast are Johnnie Davis, Jane Wyman, Louise Beavers, Henry O'Neill, William, Tracy, and others. Suitability, Class A. "Girls on Probation" with Jane Bryan, Ronald Reagan and Sheila Bromley (First National, Oct. 22; time, 63 min.) A good program melodrama. It holds one's interest throughout because of the sympathy one feels for the heroine, who innocently becomes involved in crime due to the machinations of a particularly vicious character. There are several exciting situations ; the closing scenes, where the crooks are caught, are thrilling. The hero, because of his faith in the heroine and his efforts to help her, is an appealing character : — Held down by a harsh father (Sig Rumann), who refused to let her have good clothes or go out with young men, Jane Bryan decides to take the advice of Sheila Bromley and go out dancing with her and two young men ; Miss Bromley suggests that Miss Bryan wear one of her dresses, which she accidentally tears. It develops that the dress had been taken by Miss Bromley from the cleaning store where she worked ; the insurance company insists on prosecuting. Miss Bryan is arrested, but later, up .n payment of the cost of the dress, is released. Miss Bromley had shifted all the blame on Miss Bryan and then had ran away. A few months later Miss Bryan sees Miss Bromley sitting in an automobile ; she enters the car to talk to her to ask her to dear her name; in that way she becomes involved in a bank robbery along with Miss Bromley and Anthony Averill. They are all caught, tried, and sentenced to prison. Miss Bryan wins the sympathy of a parole officer (Dorothy Peterson), who believes her story ; she is released and goes back home. She works for Ronald Reagan, assistant district attorney ; in a short time they are in love with each other. When Miss Bromley is released, she calls to see Miss Bryan an 1 makes her miserable by saying that she was going to use her again. Miss Bryan tells Reagan what was happening. Eventually Miss Bryan is instrumental in turning over Miss Bromley and Averill, who had escaped from prison, to the police ; her name is cleared. Crane Wilbur wrote the story and screen play; William McGann directed it, and Bryan Foy produced it. In the cast are Esther Dale, Elizabeth Risdon, Henry O Neill, and others. Unsuitable for children. Class B.