Harrison's Reports (1951)

March 17, 1951 HARRISON’S REPORTS 43 “Bird of Paradise” with Louis Jourdan, Debra Paget and Jeff Chandler (20th Century -Fox, March; time, 100 min.) This South Sea island drama, with its beautiful actual Hawaiian settings, all enhanced by Technicolor photog' raphy, is a pictorial treat that is a delight to the eye. But for all its physical beauty, its leisurely-paced story is a curious mixture of romance, ancient Polynesian customs and pagan religious superstitions that make for an entertainment that is only moderately interesting. The picture does have its moments of charm and humor in its depiction of the tempestuous native dances and ceremonies having to do with love and courtship, but when it goes into the solemn aspects of the artificial story, such as the heroine walking over a bed of red-hot coals, or throwing herself into the mouth of a flaming volcano to appease the “angry gods,” it becomes morbid. The acting is fair enough, although the ordinary script doesn’t give the players much of a chance. The story casts Jeff Chandler as a Polynesian who, after being educated in the United States, returns to his island home accompanied by Louis Jourdan, an idealistic young Frenchman, who had become his friend at school. It is a case of love at first sight when Jourdan meets Debra Paget, Chandler's sister, but native custom forbids him to speak to her because she had not yet chosen a potential husband. Fascinated by the happy lives led by the natives, Jourdan decides to remain on the island, despite a curse put on him by Maurice Schwartz, the High Priest, who predicts that his presence will bring evil. In order to remain, Chandler agrees to accept the ways of the natives and to abide by their religious beliefs. In due time Debra chooses Jourdan as her potential husband during an elaborate ceremonial, much to the displeasure of the High Priest, who makes Debra walk over a bed of hot coals to prove that she and Jourdan were genuinely in love. They eventually marry and lead a life of bliss. Terror strikes the island one day when a volcano starts erupting and a river of hot lava crawls towards the village. The High Priest calls for a sacrifice to appease the angry gods, and Debra, as the first-born daughter of the chief, hurls herself into the mouth of the volcano after a tearful farewell from Jourdan. Heartbroken, Jourdan prepares to return to France with his memories of a beautiful love. It was produced by Harmon Jones and written and directed by Delmer Daves. Harmless for the family. “Lullaby of Broadway” with Doris Day, Gene Nelson and S. Z. Sakall (Warner Bros., March 24; time, 92 min.) Although there is nothing in it that is extraordinary, this Technicolor musical is an entertaining mixture of songs, dances, comedy and romance. The story itself is rather routine, but it does have some nice touches of human in« terest. The picture is at its best in the musical sequences, with the song-and-dance talents of Doris Day and Gene Nelson displayed to good effect. The songs are particularly enjoyable, for most of them are nostalgic tunes that were popular in the 1930's. S. Z. Sakall is his usual comical self as a theatrical “angel,” and a good quota of laughs is provoked by Billy de Wolfe, as Sakall’s butler. The direction is good, and the color photography fine: — After a stay of several years in England, Doris, an entertainer, returns to the United States on a surprise visit to Gladys George, her mother, a one-time musical comedy star, whose addiction to drink had reduced her to singing in a cheap cafe. Believing that her mother is still a successful star, Doris goes to a swank Beekman Place mansion, which she understood to be her mother’s home, but which was actually owned by Sakall, a wealthy brewer given to backing musical shows. She is greeted by Billy de Wolfe and Ann Triola, a vaudeville team working as Sakall’s butler and maid, who were friends of her mother. To keep the truth from Doris, they tell her that her mother is on tour and that Sakall is renting the house. Sakall, a kindly fellow, agrees to go along with the deception. He takes a friendly interest in Doris and, in due time, decides to back a show starring her and Gene Nelson, a dancer, with whom she had fallen in love. Complications arise when Florence Bates, Sakall's wife, misunderstands his association with Doris and files a suit for divorce. This in turn leads to a break between Doris and Gene when he insinuates that Sakall had more than a fatherly interest in her. To add to Doris’ grief, she learns the truth about her mother. Heartbroken, she decides to return to England but, through De Wolfe, she is brought together with her mother, who convinces her that it is folly to run away from troubles. It ends with a reconciliation between Sakall and his wife who, together with Miss George, watch Doris and Gene score a triumph on the show’s opening night. It was produced by William Jacobs and directed by David Butler from a screen play by Earl Baldwin. Suitable for the family. “Fingerprints Don’t Lie” with Richard Travis (Lippert, March 3; time, 55 min.) A fair program melodrama. The story is somewhat different from the many melodramas produced lately. There is not too much action, but the fact that the young hero is condemned to die for a crime he had not committed holds one in suspense, for one does not know how his innocence will be proved since his fingerprints had been found on the murder weapon. The direction and acting are competent, and the photography sharp and clear: — When the mayor of the town is murdered, Richard Travis, a scientific investigator for the police department, is called in on the case. He learns that Richard Emory, a young artist engaged to Sheila Ryan, the mayor’s daughter, had quarrelled with the mayor over several matters, and when he finds Emory’s fingerprints' on the murder weapon, a telephone, the young man is tried for the crime and sentenced to the electric chair on the strength of Travis’ testimony. After the trial, a reporter accuses Travis of committing legal murder, but he finds peace of mind in the thought that fingerprints don’t lie. Later, when Sheila visits him and tells him of her faith in Emory’s innocence, Travis reluctantly agrees to help her search for the real murderer. Working together, they find certain clues that indicate that some one who knew how to take fingerprints had taken them from Emory's studio. Suspicion falls on Michael Whalen, the police commissioner, and, through clever detective work, Travis discovers that ^A^halen had ingeniously forged Emory's fingerprints on the murder weapon. Learning that he had been found out, WRalen pleads with George Eldredge, who was involved in the crime, to help him escape. Eldredge, to keep Whalen quiet, murders him and tries to make it look like suicide. But a strand of blonde hair on the corpse’s coat leads Travis to Eldredge’s girlfriend, who reveals Eldredge as the killer. Travis is compelled to kill Eldredge when he tries to escape arrest. With Emory cleared, Travis becomes convinced that fingerprints do lie, sometimes. Sigmund Neufield produced it, and Sam Newfield directed it, from a screen play by Orvile Hampton. Unobjectionable morally. DURWOOD THEATRES 1806 Baltimore Avenue Kansas City 8, Mo. February 19, 1951 Dear Mr. Harrison: We have been reading your reports for some time and generally are inclined to agree with you. However, in your letter of February 10 you mention that the proposed merger of exhibitor organizations is not feasible. You say that the large and small operators cannot get together to form a single unit, first, because the interests of the two are conflicting and, second, because the big boys would dominate. These are both good reasons for not forming a single unit. However, if you will look within the ranks of the Allied and TOA organizations you will find both large and small operators and you will also find that although the larger operators dominate, it is for the best interests of all concerned. In spite of the fact that the larger operators do dominate, in both organizations I believe the smaller man has his say and his voice can be heard. With your reasoning, do you believe it would be wise if we abandoned the United Nations? Do you think it was smart for the thirteen original colonies, with their big, rich states and the small, poor ones, to unite? Do you think the various retail and manufacturing organizations should disband after absorbing your logic? This letter is written in friendly criticism. I do believe you are right in stating that certainly there are divergent points of view from the large and small operators, but all of us will have to give a little in order to form one solid united front. The benefits should be much greater than any privileges we would give up, whether we are small or large. Yours very truly, Stanley H. Durwood, SHD:pr General Manager