Harrison's Reports (1954)

March 20, 1954 HARRISON’S REPORTS 47 A frantic cable from a socialite woman friend, asking for his help, brings Hayward to London, but he is Slocked to learn on arrival that she had drowned accidentally after her sports car had crashed into the Thames River. Hayward refuses to accept the police verdict about her death being accidental and, suspect' ing murder, he sets out to uncover the guilty party. This annoys Scotland Yard Inspector Charles Victor, who places a “tail” on Hayward to check his movements, but Hayward has little trouble shaking off the “tail.” Without any clues to guide him, Hayward learns from the dead woman’s guardian that she had been gambling. Armed with a wad of counterfeit money that he had borrowed from an off'color friend, Hayward goes to a bar and catches the eye of beauti' ful Naomi Chance, who soon leads him to an illegal gambhng casino located on a river barge. The gam' Hers, speaking about the absence of their mysterious chief, are enraged because Naomi had brought to the casino a semi'Crook of Hayward’s type. Their attitude makes Hayward sure that he is on to something im' portant, and he sets out to learn the identity of the “chief.” His pursuit leads him to a weekend at a country castle, to a brawl in an infamous nightclub, and to a personal call on Diana Dors, the “Chief’s” blonde girl'friend. While dodging Inspector Victor and foiling several attempts on his own Hfe, Hayward makes Naomi his assistant. He helps to solve her difficulties with the gamblers and while doing so he threads his way past two more murders committed by the gang. He eventually meets up with the “chief” and proves the murder charges against him and his gang. With his customary resourcefulness, Hayward sees to it that the criminals are rounded up by Scot' land Yard while he, accompanied by Naomi, escapes with the gamblers’ cash box. It was produced by Anthony Hinds, and directed by Seymour Friedman, from a story and screenplay by Allan MacKinnon, based on the characters created by Leshe Charteris. For the family. “Stormy, the Thoroughbred” (Buena Vista, no release date set; time. 45 min.) This is an engrossing documentary 'like featurette that can be used by the exhibitors to good advantage to round out a double bill. Presented by Walt Disney and photographed in Technicolor, it is the story of a colt who is born on a thoroughbred breeding farm seven months later than the regular foaling season, and who is so much smaller and younger than the other members of his yearling class that he is con' sidered a misfit and receives scant attention from the owners and trainers. Since no one will take a gamble on hitn as a race'horse. Stormy, the horse, is sold to a California ranch, where he is given an intensive period of training as a cow pony. His expertness in this field makes him a great favorite of the cowpokes and brings him to the attention of a famous polo player who purchases him as an addition to his string of expensive ponies. Stormy finishes his polo training in time for the big game of the season, and it is in the final crucial period of the hard fought game that his owner brings him onto the field as a replacement for an injured mount. When the opposing horses begin to push, and box and intimidate him. Stormy’s thoroughbred blood boils up to a fighting pitch; he takes the initiative, outrides the more experienced ponies and puts his owner in a position to crash through with the winning goal. Thus Stormy, rejected as a race'horse, becomes famous as a polo pony. The entire production has a fascinating quality, and the shots of the Kentucky breeding farm and of the training on the ranch and on the polo field are highly interesting. The most exciting and thrilling part of the picture, however, are the polo playing scenes which, thanks to the expert camera work, give the spectator a clear idea of the hard'riding, spills and collisions the dangerous game entails. The color photography is excellent. It was produced and directed by Larry Lansburgh, based on a story by Jack Holt and Carolyn Coggins. The fiine narration is by George Fenneman. Good for the family. “The Scarlet Spear” with John Bentley and Martha Hyers (United Artists, March; time. 78 min.) Photographed in Technicolor and filmed entirely in Africa, this documentary'like jungle melodrama should get by as a supporting feature wherever such films are popular. The picture is replete with shots of the African jimgle terrain and of a variety of animals, some of them in deadly combat, but though all this is well photographed it offers little that has not been seen many times in countless similar pictures. Worked into the proceedings is a slight story revolv' ing around the efforts of a young native to prove himself worthy of succeeding his father as chieftan, and around the efforts of a white district commis' sioner to talk him out of attempting to kill a member of another tribe lest he provoke a tribal war. The romantic interest, concerning Martha Hyer, as a fe' male journalist, and John Bentley, as the district commissioner, seems to have been dragged in by the ear: — When the chief of the Masai natives is mauled by a lion and killed, Morasi, his son, in accordance with the Masai tradition, sets out to prove his fitness to succeed his father. In addition to invading alien territories to test his courage, wisdom and stamina, it was necessary for Morasi to stain his spear with the blood of a rival, killed in a fight to the death. Bentley, the district commissioner, is aware that Morasi’s quest could provoke a tribal war, and he has no choice but to follow him in the hope that he can prevent him from killing a rival. Interested in Bentley’s efforts to maintain law and order in the area, Martha Hyer, a journalist, insists upon accompanying him in the hope of getting a story. The couple trail Morasi through the treacherous jimgle country and, in addi' tion to encountering many dangers themselves, watch Morasi kill a lion single'handedly and see him emerge victorious in a fight with a cobra. In the events that follow, Bentley trails Morasi into an area inhabited by the enemies of the Masai tribe. There, Bentley himself is attacked by the savage natives. Morasi comes to his rescue and in that way succeeds in staining his spear with the blood of an enemy. The fight, however, leaves Morasi himself mortally wounded, and he returns to his village and dies. Upon the announcement of Morasi’s death, his ’teen'aged son sets out to prove his worth as the new chieftan. It was produced by Charles Reynolds, and written and directed by George Breakston and Ray Stahl. Family.