Harrison's Reports (1954)

44 HARRISON’S REPORTS March 13, 1954 finds it more practical to play an anamorphic picture in a 2 to 1 aspect ratio rather than in the 2.55 to 1 Cinema-Scope ratio, the flexibility of the SuperScope lens will permit him to do so. Another reason why the SuperScope system may prove highly competitive to CinemaScope is that it offers the different producers a means by which they can make their future pictures available to the exhibitors in either standard or anamorphic form, thus saving themselves many thousands of dollars by eliminating the necessity of shooting a picture in both forms. Important to the exhibitors also is that the SuperScope lenses will be available in quantity within 60 days and that they will be sold for approximately $700 a pair. Another important factor to many exhibitors is that pictures available through SuperScope will not require them to use stereophonic sound. Whether or not the SuperScope system will live up to the claims made for it will not be known until it is demons strated in New York on March 22. And even if the demonstration is successful there may be many technical questions that will have to be answered in order to determine if the system is practical for all theatres, regardless of sise. Several exhibitor leaders and circuit heads who have witnessed a demonstration of the system are highly enthusiastic over its quahty and flexibility, but in view of the fact that some of them, in the opinion of this paper, have overestimated Vistavision's worth to exhibition, Harrison’s Reports prefers to judge the merits of SuperScope on its own before making a report for the guidance of its subscribers. “Night People” with Gregory Peck, Broderick Crawford and Rita Gam (20th Century-Fox, March; time, 93 min.) Set in present-day Berlin and photographed in Technicolor, this latest CinemaScope production is a taut and absorbing topical cleak-and-dagger melodrama that grips one's attention from start to finish. The tense story revolves around the intrigues that ensue when a young American corporal is kidnapped from the western zone by the Russians, who seek to exchange the young man for a wanted elderly German couple. What heightens the intrigue is the fact that the Russians will not admit officially that they are holding the corporal, and that they carry on the exchange negotiations through underworld methods rather than through diplomatic channels. Fine performances are turned in by the entire cast, but the outstanding one is dehvered by Gregory Peck as a dynamic American colonel in counterintelligence who despises political red-tape and influence and who outwits the Russians at their own game in negotiating the return of the kidnapped soldier. Broderick Crawford, too, turns in a forceful performance as the kidnapped boy’s wealthy, overbearing father, who tries unsuccessfully to use his money and political influence to speed up the return of his son, regardless of the consequences to others. Although there is no violent action, the story maintains a high tension throughout and is strongly dramatic in many of the situations. There are good touches of comedy here and there to relieve the tension. The actual Berlin backgrounds, as caught by the CinemaScope camera, give the proceedings a realistic touch. A brief synopsis cannot do justice to the many twists in the intriguing plot, which opens with Ted Allen Avery, a young American soldier, kidnapped by the Russians from the American sector of Berlin after saying goodnight to his German girl-friend. Learning of his son’s kidnapping, Crawford, a politically powerful business tycoon, flies to Berlin and begins to throw his weight around in an effort to speed up the return of his boy. Peck, in charge of the case, makes it clear to Crawford that he will brook no interference from him and gives him a tongue-lashing for attempting to use his money and influence to make a deal with the Russians. Through Anita Bjork, a German girl who did undercover work for him. Peck learns that the Russians were willing to return Crawford’s son in exchange for an elderly German couple wanted by them. Peck informs Crawford of the offer and explains that the elderly couple probably would be murdered by the Russians if the exchange were made, but Crawford demands the boy’s freedom regardless of who gets hurt. When the elderly couple are questioned by Peck’s aides, they fear that they will be sent to the Russians and swallow poison. Peck rushes them to the hospital and immediately sets in motion a series of intrigues, during which he discovers, as his secretary, Rita Gam, had long suspected, that Anita is actually a Russian spy. Feining confidence in and love for Anita, Peck arranges for her to act as go-between in arranging for the Russians to deliver the kidnapped boy to the hospital and to take back the elderly couple. When the Russian ambulance arrives. Peck, in a series of swift and clever moves, leads Anita and the Russians to believe that the elderly German man had died and, after knocking Anita unconscious, he succeeds in substituting her for the elderly woman. The Russians, none the wiser, drive off with Anita in the ambulance. On the following day, while a chastened Crawford expresses his gratitude to Peck, the Russian radio announces that the boy had been returned “through regular channels’’ as an indication of their desire for peaceful relations with the western powers. Nunnally Johnson wrote the screenplay and produced and directed it, based on a story by Jed Harris and Thomas Reed. For general audiences. “Fangs of the Wild” with Charles Chaplin, Jr., Marcia Dean and Onslow Stevens {Lippert, April 2; time, 74 min.) An interesting program picture. The action holds one’s attention all the way through, even though the story has a familiar ring. It revolves around the efforts of a 12-years old boy to convince his father that he had been an eyewitness to a murder, and around the father’s refusal to believe the boy because he knew that he had an imaginative mind. Charles Chaplin, Jr. is effective as the murderer. Freddy Ridgeway, as the boy, will be Uked by everybody, for he has a sympathetic personality and his acting is natural and convincing. There is hardly any comedy relief, but the picture depends, not on comedy, but on its emotional appeal. The picture was photographed in the Big Bear Woods Valley, east of San Bernardino, Calif., and the enchanting natural scenery is a treat to the eye. The photography, though black and white, is beautiful; — While hunting in the woods with his dog, Freddy, son of Onslow Stevens, sees Chaplin deliberately shoot and kill a hunting companion. Freddy returns home and tells his father about the cold-blooded murder, but Stevens, aware that Freddy was in the habit of exaggerating, attributes the story to his imagination. Marcia Dean, Chaplin’s wife, guesses that her husband had killed his companion out of jealousy, and she suggests to Freddy that he take his dog and hunt for a red jacket the dead man had been wearing at the time of the shooting. She figures that Chaplin could not have had time to dispose of the jacket and that Freddy and his dog could locate it nearby. Chaplin, having seen Marcia talking to Freddy, forces her to reveal what they had been talking about. He then takes his rifle and sets out after the youngster. Realizing that Chaplin planned to kill the boy and thus eliminate the only eye-witness to his crime, Marcia rushes to Freddy’s home to warn his father but does not find him there. She finally locates him in the woods and he rushes to his son’s rescue. Meanwhile Chaplin catches up with Freddy and starts to shoot at him. While Freddy shoots back in self-defense, his dog breaks loose and attacks Chaphn. During the struggle with the dog, Chaplin topples over a cliff and is killed in the fall. Stevens, arriving on the scene, realizes that Freddy’s story had been true. It is a Robert L. Lippert, Jr. production, directed by William Claxton, from a screenplay by Orville Hampton, based on a story idea by Mr. Claxton. Family.