Harrison's Reports (1951)

June 16, 1951 HARRISON’S REPORTS 95 hearse taken from a funeral parlor, the crooks sneak up on the armored-car guards. A gun battle ensues, with two of the guards and several of the crooks being killed. Police officers Stuart Randall and Tom Hubbard race to the scene and set up a blockade, but the gangsters escape by joining a funeral procession set up in advance. When the gang starts to split up the loot, one of them claims a share for the dead gangsters. Lawrence objects and the others turn on him. They take him for a ride, throw him from the speeding car, and spray him with bullets, but he rolls under a parked car and escapes. He then makes his way to his brother and tries to get him to save him from the scrape, but his brother, now aware of the reason for his sweetheart’s suicide, takes Lawrence at gunpoint to the city dump to put an end to his miserable existence. The brother, however, is beaten to the draw by the two police officers, who had trailed them to the dump. It was produced by Maurice Kodloff for Jack Schwartz, and directed by Max Nosseck, from a story and screenplay by Sam Neuman and Nat Tanchuck. An adult picture. “Take Care of My Little Girl’ with Jeanne Crain and Dale Robertson (20th Century-Fox, July; time, 93 min.) A fairly good campus drama, photographed in Technicolor. The story, which focuses a spotlight on the deficiencies and undemocracies of sorority activities, is somewhat different from the usual type of college stories, and holds one’s interest throughout. There is considerable dramatic impact in the depiction of the heartaches suffered by college girls whose aspirations to be pledged by a particular sorority are shattered by the snobbery and prejudices practiced by the sorority's members. Although the story is treated in a serious vein, it does have its light touches throughout and is further enhanced by a pleasant romantic interest. All in all, the general run of audiences should find it to be a diverting entertainment : — Arriving at Midwestern University, Jeanne Crain looks forward eagerly to being pledged by Tri U, the most exclusive sorority on the campus, to which her mother had belonged. Jeanne’s happiness at being accepted is clouded when Beverly Dennis, her childhood friends, fails to get a bid because several of the snobbish Tri U girls did not think her clothes stylish. Heartbroken, Beverly goes home. Jeanne becomes friendly with Dale Robertson, a senior student who had little use for sororities or fraternities, but he takes a liking to her despite her Tri U aspirations. Jeanne moves into the sorority house and, in the course of events, has an opportunity to observe closely the snobbish attitudes assumed by the girls, but she does not give it any serious thought in the belief that their making life unpleasant for some of the girls was all part of their initiation. Besides, she herself was popular with the girls because of the attentions paid to her by Jeffrey Hunter, leader of the school’s top fraternity, who had given her his fraternity pin. Jeanne’s feelings towards exclusive sororities and fraternities undergoes a change when Hunter berates her for mixing with Robertson and some of his friends, none of whom were eligible for the top societies. Peeved, she returns his fraternity pin. That same night, she learns that the Tri U girls had de-pledged one of her close friends for a flimsy reason, after the girl had undergone many hardships during initiation week and had caught pneumonia in the process. Their cruelties are such a shock to Jeanne that she resigns from the sorority and goes to live in one of the dormitories, much to Robertson's delight. It was produced by Julian Blaustein and directed by Jean Negulesco from a screenplay by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein, based on the novel by Peggy Goodin. Suitable for the family. “Captain Horatio Hornblower” with Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo (Warner Bros., Aug. 11; time, 117 min.) A rousing sea adventure melodrama that should find favor with the action-loving fans, despite its overlong running time. Some judicious cutting could get rid of the draggy moments to the benefit of the picture as a whole. Photographed in Technicolor and set in the days of the Napo< leonic Wars, its story about the exploits of a British frigate under the command of a daring captain is somewhat ordinary and rather fanciful, but it has all the excitement, robust action and heroics that one expects to find in a film of this type. The shipboard fights, the swordplay, and the running sea battles between the British frigate and enemy warships are extremely thrilling. Gregory Peck, as the courageous captain, plays the title role to the hilt, while Virginia Mayo, as an English noblewoman with whom he falls in love, is adequate. The romantic interest, however, seems to have been dragged in by the ear: — With England at war against French and Spanish soldiers under Napoleon, the H.M.S. Lydia, a sturdy British frigate commanded by Peck, goes to Pacific waters for a secret rendezvous with Alec Mango, a Spanish rebel, with whom Peck had been ordered to cooperate in order to foment a revolution within the Spanish armies. Peck delivers a cargo of guns and ammunition to Mango, as well as a captured Spanish warship. He sails away and, several days later, encounters a Spanish lugger and learns that the English had signed a treaty with Spain and both were now allies against Napoleon. He realizes that he must now recapture the warship given to the Spanish rebel. Before he leaves the lugger, Peck is compelled to accept as a passenger Virginia Mayo, an English noblewoman, who had been a Spanish captive. He eventually catches up with the rebel’s warship and sends it to the bottom after a brilliant battle. He sets sail for England and, during the voyage, he and Virginia fall in love, although he had a wife and child, and she was betrothed to an admiral. Arriving home, Peck learns that his wife had died in childbirth. Later, he learns that Virginia had become the admiral’s wife. Peck is assigned to the fleet commanded by Virginia’s husband. In a major engagement with the French fleet in the English channel, the admiral dies in action. Peck’s daring and superior seamanship inflicts great damage on the French fleet before he maneuvers his sinking ship to a spot that blocks the channel to the French. Captured and taken to Paris, Peck and his men manage to escape and, after many hair-raising exploits, return to England. He finds Virginia waiting for him and caring for his young son. It was directed by Raoul Walsh from a screen play by Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts and Aeneas MacKenzie, from the novel by C. S. Forester. Fine for the family. “That’s My Boy” with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis ( Paramount , August; time, 98 min.) Very good! It is a campus-type comedy, the best of the Martin-Lewis pictures yet made, and if the uproarious laughter that greeted it at a New York sneak preview is any indication, it should go over very well with all types of audiences. Revolving around an anemic, 'teen-aged introvert, played by Lewis, whose lack of athletic prowess is a keen disappointment to his father, a domineering ex-AllAmerican gridiron star, who had hoped that his son would follow in his foosteps, the story, though lightweight, is highly amusing, with just the right touch of wholesomeness and human interest. Unlike their previous screen appearances, which played up their zany brand of comedy, both Lewis and Martin are more subdued in this picture, although they do let loose occasionally; it makes for a welcome change of pace without in any way diminishing the number of laughs they are capable of garnering. Lewis’ fumbling tactics on the foots ball field are highly comical, such as his scoring a touchdown for the opposing team. In the end, of course, he redeems himself by winning an important game single-handedly. Special mention is due Eddie Mayehoff for a most effective performance as Lewis' father. Having graduated from high school, Lewis enrolls at Ridgeville University, his dad’s alma mater. Mayehoff, determined that Lewis should follow in his footsteps, virtually blackmails the coach into putting Lewis on the football squad by offering to finance the education of Dean Martin, a local high school football star just graduated, whom the coach needed to strengthen the team. Martin promises Mayehoff that he will room with Lewis and look after him. At college, Lewis falls in love with Marion Marshall, a co-ed, but being too shy to tell her of his love he asks Martin to be his spokesman, unaware that Martin loved her himself. Given a chance to play in the opening game, Lewis disgraces himself by scoring a touchdown for the opposing team, Ashamed, he plans to leave the school, but Marion and Martin persuade him to remain, and Martin undertakes to teach him the fundametntals of the game in secret at night. Martin becomes disturbed over his inability to openly declare his loye for Marion, and gets drunk on the eve of the season's most important game; he is removed from the team. In the final few minutes of the game, with Ridgeville behind 7-0, the coach, in desperation, sends in Lewis. He scores a 9 3 -yard touchdown and boots a field goal on the last play, winning the game 9-7. At a victory dance that night, Lewis loses Marion to Martin, but he remains happy at being hailed as a hero while his father beams with pride. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and directed by Hal Walker, from a story and screenplay by Cy Howard, the •jaonpoad ajeposse Very good for the family.