Harrison's Reports (1951)

July 7, 1951 HARRISON’S REPORTS 107 Barton, Jane’s father, favors Crosby, but Connie Gilchrist, her mother, wants her to marry Tone, a wealthy real estate operator. Crosby sets out on a campaign to win back Jane, and begins by tricking her into giving him a lease on her house already rented. He meets Tone in the resultant confusion. Both confess their love for Jane, and Tone, confident that Jane prefers him, agrees to permit Crosby to make every effort to win her back, and even consents to Crosby and the children moving into a gatehouse on his estate, where Jane and her parents were to stay until the wedding. There, Crosby learns that Alexis, a beautiful bu t stuffy girl, was in love with Tone, her cousin. He cultivates her friendship, teaches her to be sexy, and induces her to make a play for Tone. This results in Alexis and Jane staging a brawl during the wedding rehearsal. Tone sees through this and other tricks planned by Crosby and, lest Crosby use the fate of the children to play on Jane’s sympathies, he arranges to adopt the children himself. At the finish, Crosby, aided by Barton, Alexis and the children, cooks up a scheme whereby he interrupts the wedding ceremony by making it appear as if the FBI had arrested him and the children are to be deported. Tone recognizes this as another trick, but when he notices Jane's concern for Crosby, he pulls him to altar and gallantly steps aside so that he can marry Jane. Virginia Van Upp, Liam O’Brien and Myles Connolly wrote the screenplay from a story by Robert Riskin and Mr. O’Brien. Fine for the family. “Rich, Young and Pretty” with Jane Powell, Danielle Darrieux, Wendell Corey and Vic Damone (MGM, August; time, 95 min.) A lavishly produced romantic comedy with music, photographed in Technicolor and set against a Parisian background. It is a pleasing, light-hearted entertainment that should go over well in most situations, for even though the story is thin its gay combination of romance, music and comedy is easy to take. The picture marks the screen debut of Vic Damone, the popular crooner, who has a pleasant personality. He acquits himself satisfactorily as an actor, although the story does not make heavy demands on his dramatic ability. The songs, some new and some old, are melodious and listenable as sung by Damone, Jane Powell and Danielle Darrieux: — Sent to Paris on State Department business, Wendell Corey, a wealthy Texan, is accompanied by Jane, his daughter, and Una Merkel, his housekeeper. Corey is concerned lest they meet Danielle, his estranged wife, a Parisian cafe singer who had left him twenty years previously because she found life on a Texas ranch too dull. Jane was unaware of her parents’ marital troubles and believed that her mother was dead. In Paris, Jane meets and falls in love with Damone, a government clerk, who takes her to a night-club. There, Danielle, recognizing Jane, cultivates her friendship without revealing that she is her mother. Corey, remembering his own experience, frowns upon a romance between his daughter and a Parisian and does his utmost to break it up. He almost succeeds when a rift develops between the couple because of Damone’s insistence that Jane remain with him in Paris after their marriage. Corey and Danielle get together and, after discussing the situation, decide that their daughter should not make the same mistake they made. It ends with Jane learning that Danielle is her mother, and with her agreeing to marry Damone under an arrangement that would permit them to divide their time between Paris and Texas. It was produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Norman Taurog from a screen play by Dorothy Cooper and Sidney Sheldon, based on a story by Miss Cooper. Good for the family. “Iron Man” with Jeff Chandler, Evelyn Keyes and Stephen McNally ( Univ.'Int’l , August; time, 82 min.) A good prizefight melodrama, well directed and performed. The story, which revolves around the rise of a young Pennsylvania miner in the pugilistic world, is a hard-hitting tale about a good-natured young man who, because of some mental quirk, is endowed with a killer instinst when he enters the ring, making him decidedly unpopular with the fans. It grips one’s attention from the first to the final scene and, though it will satisfy the general run of audiences, it should have a particular appeal for the sports fans because of the realistically staged fight sequences. The closing scenes, where the hero loses his title to a close pal but wins the cheers of the crowd for his display of fine sportsmanship, are highly dramatic : — Although a mild-mannered fellow, Jeff Chandler, a coal miner, is goaded into a fight by a bullying miner. They settle their differences in the ring, where Chandler, exploding with animal fury, knocks out the bully but antagonizes the crowd with the viciousness of his attack. Stephen McNally, Chandler’s brother, a glib pool-room operator, urges Chandler to become a professional boxer, and Evelyn Keyes, his sweetheart, dazzled by the prospect of big money, persuades the reluctant Chandler to assent to the plan. Managed by McNally, and coached by Rock Hudson, an amateur boxer. Chandler wins the first few bouts lined up for him, but invariably gains the enmity of the crowd, which considers him a killer and a dirty fighter. Matched with Steve Martin, a leading contender, Chandler is hopelessly outclassed and absorbs a terrific beating. Jim Backus, a sports writer, as well as McNally and Evelyn, urge him to give up boxing, but he insists upon remaining in the game until he wins the championship and the respect of the fans. He marries Evelyn and goes on to win fight after fight, eventually becoming a leading title challenger. Before he can fight for the championship, however, a return match with Martin is arranged. Unbeknownst to Chandler, McNally and Evelyn make a deal with Martin to throw the fight. Chandler wins handily, but Barkus, suspecting collusion, instigates an investigation. Chandler is cleared, but he breaks with McNally and Evelyn after forcing them to confess their part in the deal. He takes up with Joyce Holden, a photographer, and persuades Backus to become his manager. Under Backus’ tutelage, he becomes the world’s heavyweight champion and successfully defends his crown against all comers, but the crowd still hates him. Meanwhile Hudson, now managed by McNally, had become a leading contender, and a match with Chandler is arranged. In the ring, Chandler, for the first time, is able to suppress his killer instinct. The battle is long, clean and hard-fought, but Chandler finally collapses and loses his title. As he regains consciousness, the crowd, for the first time in his career, cheers him wildly. He proudly returns to his dressing room, accompanied by Evelyn, McNally, Backus and Hudson. It was produced by Aaron Rosenberg and directed by Joseph Pevney, from a screenplay by George Zuckerman and Borden Chase, based on the story by W. R. Burnett. Best suited for mature audiences.