Harrison's Reports (1930)

142 HARRISON’S REPORTS “Outside the Law” {Universal, Sept. 18; running time, 75 min.) The nobility that inspires the soul of hero and heroine towards the end does not seem to enable the picture to move the spectator’s heartstrings, for the reason that almosx throughout the entire picture they are presented as hardened criminals. The hero, helped by the heroine, robs a bank of five hundred thousand dollars, and all tlieir efforts are centered into concealing themselves and into finding an opportunity to skip away with the ill-gotten wealth. The slignt sympathy that one feels for the hero comes from the tact that he had shown friendship towards a little child, a boy about three years old. It is the shooting of this child's father at the hands of another crook that brings about their reformation; they risk being caugnt m order to send for a doctor to attend the dying policeman. 1 here is some suspense towards the end, but the first half is not more than passingly interesting: — The hero procures a position in a bank in order to rob it. The villain, Head of the gangsters ot that town, spies him in the baim and tells mm whatever he takes he must split titty-htty with him. The hero refuses to listen to him, and induces the heroine to become friendly with the villain in order to put him off the track. The villain, however, is not so easily deceived and knows that she is working with the hero. 1 he hero eventually does steal the money and makes a get-a-way with the heroine. They live m a small house and fear to go out. The hero becomes very fond of the next door neighbor s child and plays with him very often. This the heroine resents very much, because she fears lest they be detected by some one. It so happens that the child’s father is a police captain and when the hero and the heroine learn of this they decide to leave the place at night and seek another lodging. The night on which they are to leave, however, the villain discovers their whereabouts. He is about to enter their apartment when the police captain surprises him at the door and a pistol battle ensues. The hero and the heroine remain with the policeman, even though it means their arrest. The villain dies and the money is given back. The hero and heroine receive a jail sentence but they are glad of their chance, after serving out their sentence, to live a new and clean life. The plot was written by Tod Browning and Garrett Fort, it was directed by i'od Browning. The featured players are Mary Nolan, Edward G. Robinson and Owen Moore. Others in the cast are Delniar Watson, John George, UeWitt Jennings, Rockclifte Fellowes and Frank Burke. The talk is clear. NOTE: “Outside the Law’’ was produced in silent form by Universal several years ago, with the late Lon Chaney and Priscilla Lean in the leading parts. The silent picture drew well, and if the fact that the Globe, where the talking picture is now showing, draws big crowds should be a criterion, it will draw also this time. “Abraham Lincoln” {United Artists, Sept. 28; running time, 94 min.) Excellent! The highlights in Lincoln’s life are presented in episodic fashion in which there are shown Lincoln as the boy, the man and then the President; his humor, his ambitions, his love affairs, his ideals and also his peculiarities. It has been directed by D. W. Griffith masterly. Walter Huston in the title role gives an extraordinarily good performance, making one syinpathize with him in his disappointments and exult with him in his victories. There are many suspensive scenes, such as the ride of Sheridan and his small army to victory. Another is the assassination of Lincoln by the mad actor. Booth. There are also many human touches, such as the grieved President visiting the battlefields and pardoning a young man who had been courtmartialed for running away from the army because of fear. One is also given an intimate view of him in his home, which evokes much sympathy. He is shovyn pacing the spacious reception room in the Presidential chambers, barefoot and in night clothes, harrassed and restless and desirous of thinking of some means to end the war, to preserve the union. Lincoln is first presented as a young man with an in.satiable desire for learning. His first teacher is Ann September 6, 1930 Rutledge, who helps him to study law. They are very much in love with each other. Her untimely death brings him great grief. He begins the practice of law, which proves very unlucrative for a time. Then his debate and victory over Douglas. This was the turning point in his life. He meets Mary Todd, who later becomes his wife, but one is made to understand that she never really understood the man as did his first sweetheart, but she, nevertheless, proves to be a good and helplul wife. Then is shown his election as president. He suffers because of dissension among his Caltinet and of their lack of faith in his views. He believed in the preservation of the Union and in the freeing of the slaves, and, to his great grief, this had to be accomplished only through the means of war. After the terrific strain, he is shown murdered by the mad actor. The story was adapted by Stephen Vincent Benet. It was directed by David W. Griffith. Walter Huston received excellent support from Una Merkel, Kay Hammond, Gordon Thorpe, Fred Warren, Oscar .\pfel, Frank Campeau, Hobart Bosworth, Edgar Deering and others. The talk is very clear. “Top Speed” with Joe Brown {First National, Aug. 24; running time, 71 min.) Slow entertainment. Most of the comedj’ is supplied by Joe E. Brown and Laura Lee. The plot was adapted froma musical comedy and retains the music and dancing which, as a rule, hold up the action. At that, there is very little plot, and the only suspensive scene is during a motor boat race, where the hero, who is shown piloting one of the boats and is under suspicion of having thrown the race, comes through to victory at the end. Incidentally, the funniest part of the picture is during this scene: Brown is out with a drunken companion in a motor boat, neither one of them being capable of handling it. They climb over buoys, drive under the water, over land, but yet they cannot stop the motor. They take out all the major parts of the engine until finally the boat upsets and they swim back to snore: — The hero and his pal, who both are order clerks in a broker’s office in Wall Street, decide to stop for the last night of their vacation at a very fashionable country hotel. The moment they get there, the hero’s pal begins to tell all the girls what wealthy and important men they are. Those tales are believed. The heroine and a friend of hers are on their way to her father’s camp when they meet with an automobile accident and are brought to the hotel. The hero falls in love with the heroine at first sight as does his friend with the heroine's pal. The heroine, too, is told the fantastic stories of the young men’s wealth and about the wonderful things they have accomplished in the field of finance. This she believes. When her father comes to see her the next da}’, which is the day before the race in which his motor boat is entered, she introduces the hero and tells her father he knows all about boats As there is something wrong with the motor of his boat, her father asks the hero to try it out. He does and so impresses him with the way he raced the boat that he asks him to run it in the race for him. The hero gladly accepts this offer. The villain, who knows that the hero is only a clerk, threatens to tell the heroine unless he throws the race, offering him $30,000 for doing this. The hero makes the villain believe that he will do it and takes the money. Before the race, however, he tells the heroine who he is but she does not care as she loves him. The hero and his pal find themselves in a very embarrassing position because one of them had forgotten to turn over some stock that was left with him before they went on their vacation. Instead he put it in his pocket. The Sheriff holds them both after the race, which the hero had won. They find the certificate and on returning it to the Sheriff are released. The hero then reveals the fact that the villain had bribed him and returns the money. The heroine's father gives them his blessings. The plot was adapted from the musical comedy of the same name by Bolton, Kalmar and Ruby. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Others in the cast are Bernice Claire, Jack Whiting, Frank McHugh, Rita Flynn, Edmund Breese, Wade Boteler and others. The talk is clear. NOTE: There is some suggestive talk — with double meaning, in some spots.