Harrison's Reports (1951)

January 13, 1951 HARRISON’S REPORTS 7 “Tomahawk” with Van Heflin, Yvonne De Carlo and Preston Foster Photographed in Technicolor, “Tomahawk” is a glorified Indian-versus'Cavalry western that should thrill those who love action melodramas. The story, which takes place in the post-Civil War days and revolves around the Sioux uprising against white settlers, is episodic, and its dramatic content lacks an appreciable punch. The action, however, is packed with suspense and excitement, particularly in the clashes between the Indians and the Cavalry. The final battle sequence, where the charging Indians with bows and arrows are mowed down by the Cavalry's new breech-loading rifles, is highly thrilling. The direction and acting are competent, and the outdoor scenery, enhanced by the Technicolor photography, is pictorially beautiful: — When the Government orders that a wagon trail be built through Sioux territory, and that a fort be constructed to protect it. Van Heflin, a frontiersman, protests that the action is in violation of the treaty with the Sioux Indians. His protests, however, are of no avail, and Chief Red Cloud (John War Eagle), to keep the peace, promises to make no trouble unless Indian blood is shed. Col. Preston Foster, placed in charge of the fort, offers jobs as Army Scouts to Heflin and Jack Oakie, his partner. Heflin declines but quickly changes his mind when he notices among Foster's officers Alex Nicol, a sadistic fellow, whom he suspected of being one of a group of white renegades who had killed his Indian wife and son in an unprovoked massacre. Several months later, Nicol, leading a mail detail to the new fort, encounters Yvonne De Carlo and Harry Shannon, wagon show entertainers, and agrees to escort them to Virginia City. While all camp for the night, two Indian boys attempt to steal the horses, and Nicol, contrary to Foster's orders, kills one of the boys. This results in an attack by a band of Indians, who wound Tully. They head for the fort to give Tully medical attention, and there Nicol lies to Foster in reporting what caused the skirmish. Because of numerous attacks by the Indians on mail detachments, Foster orders that no one be permitted to leave the fort. Yvonne disobeys the order by taking a ride, and is saved from certain death by Heflin, who is compelled to kill Red Cloud’s son to save her. In gratitude, she informs him that Nicols had boasted to her of his part in the massacre. In the events that follow, Nicols, contrary to orders, leads some of the troops into an Indian ambush, from which he himself makes a cowardly escape. Heflin goes after him for a final showdown, but while they are fighting an Indian arrow ends Nicols’ life. Heflin returns to the scene of the ambush, where he finds the Indians drawn up for a full-scale attack. The timely arrival of Oakie with a wagon-load of new breech-loading rifles enables the outnumbered troops to decimate the Indians. It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by George Sherman from a screen play by Silvia Richards and Maurice Geraghty, suggested by a story by Daniel Jarrett. Suitable for the family. *(Univ.-lnt'l, 82 min.) “Operation Pacific” with John Wayne, Patricia Neal and Ward Bond (Warner Bros., Jan. 27; time, 111 min.) Dealing with submarine warfare during World War II, “Operation Pacific” offers some interesting and exciting battle sequences, but on the whole it is no more than a fair war melodrama of its kind, routine in story and treatment. From the box-office point of view, however, it should do well because of the popularity of John Wayne as well as of the high-powered exploitation campaign that is being carried on in its behalf. Where the picture misses fire is in the patly contrived romantic phases of the plot and the rather farfetched heroics, which are supposedly based on factual incidents. It is in the sequences that show wartime submarine operations in enemy waters that the picture is at its best. These sequences provide many thrills in the depiction of the submarine undergoing depth bomb attacks, rising to the surface to machine-gun and ram a disguised enemy warship, and finding itself in the middle of the Imperial Fleet, which it attacks successfully. The acting, considering the story material, is uniformly good : — John Wayne, a Lieutenant Commander on the submarine "Thunderfish," commanded by Ward Bond, rescues four nuns and a group of children from a Jap-held island. Despite attacks by Jap warships, the submarine manages to reach its base at Pearl Harbor, where Wayne meets up with Patricia Neal, his former wife, now a Navy nurse. Still in love, Wayne hopes to win her back, but he finds a rival in Philip Carey, Bond’s younger brother, who was a Navy pilot. Shortly afterwards the “Thunderfish” sets out on a patrol mission and, during an attack on Jap shipping, it is discovered that most of the torpedoes fail to explode upon hitting the target. The submarine is attacked by a disguised enemy warship, and Bond, seriously wounded on the deck, orders the crew to submerge, thus sacrificing his life to save the others. Wayne assumes command of the ship and returns to the base where, after much testing, he corrects the defects in the torpedoes. Meanwhile Carey arbitrarily holds Wayne responsible for his brother's death. With the torpedo prob* lem solved, Wayne and his crew set out on another mission and eventually find themselves in the middle of the Japanese Imperial Fleet. The “Thunderfish" radios headquarters and, together with the Naval Air Arm, attacks the fleet and takes a heavy toll. During the battle Carey’s plane is downed, and he is rescued by Wayne, who dives into the sea from his submarine. As a result, both men reach a better understanding and, when the “Thunderfish” returns to Pearl Harbor, Wayne finds Patricia waiting for him. It was produced by Louis F. Edelman, and written and directed by George Waggner. Suitable for all. “Gasoline Alley” with Scotty Beckett, Jimmy Lydon and Don Beddoe ( Columbia , January; time, 72 min.) A pleasing program domestic comedy. Since the characters are based on the “Gasoline Alley” comic strip, which is one of the most popular in the country, many people may be curious to see them portrayed on the screen, resulting in better-than-average business. The principal characters are well played by Don Beddoe, as “Walt”; Madelon Mitchell, as “Phyllis”; Jimmy Lydon, as “Skeezix”; Scotty Beckett, as “Corky”; and Patti Brady, as “Judy.” The story, which deals with “Corky’s” surprise marriage and his efforts to set himself up in the restaurant business, keeps one chuckling throughout, for there is something amusing happening all the time. It is apparent that Columbia intends to make a series of these pictures. If the pictures that follow turn out as good as this one, the series should become popular, particularly with family audiences: — Scotty bursts in on his family one day and shocks them with the news that he had quit college and had married Susan Morrow. The family immediately plans to find a job for him, but he emphatically insists upon getting his own job. After a few quick jobs, including one as a male model of underwear, at which time he meets Virginia Toland, who is attracted to him, Scotty takes a permanent job as a dishwasher. He and Dick Wessel, the cook, become fast friends. One day Gus Schilling, a retired pickpocket, informs Scotty about a run-down diner that offered a great opportunity if properly managed. Scotty becomes enthusiastic over the diner's prospects, and Jimmy, his brother, agrees to finance him. Together with Susan, Wessel and Schilling, Scotty redecorates the place and opens for business. Complications arise when Jimmy Lloyd, a representative of a drive-in chain, makes a play for Susan, and she strings him along to learn his intentions. Scotty resents this, but when Susan explains he arranges for a double date with Lloyd and Virginia, the model, while he and Susan pretend to be brother and sister. The evening ends in a fight between Scotty and Lloyd, but not before Scotty learns that Lloyd’s boss was trying to buy out his lease from under him in order to dispossess him. When Lloyd’s boss learns that Scotty is still a minor and that the lease had been signed by Jimmy, he uses persuasive arguments to convince Jimmy that it would pay to sell out at a handsome profit rather than chance bankruptcy because of a competitive diner. Jimmy agrees, despite Scotty's protests, but, before he can sign over the lease, Wessel, having found a man who wanted to sub-lease the parking lot adjoining the diner, arrives in the nick of time with enough money to pay out Jimmy, thus saving the situation. It was produced by Milton Feldman and directed by Edward Bernds from his own screen play, based on the comic strip by Frank O. King. Fine for the family.