Harrison's Reports (1930)

HARRISON’S REPORTS 150 “Call of the Flesh” (MGM., Sept. 12; running time, 100 min.) Entertaining, in spite of the fact that it is a little too long and drags in some spots. Ramon Novarro sings very well and displays a fine sense of humor. The music is pleasing, being more along operatic lines than jazz, and blends in with the story. There is a good deal of human interest and some of the scenes have an emotional appeal ; as for instance when the hero forces the heroine, by disillusioning her, to go back to the convent where she had come from, although they both loved each other ; and in another, where he is forced to sing at an operatic performance, although his heart is breaking : — The heroine, a novice at a convent, is young and longs for life. Her brother, however, insists that she take the vows and become a nun. Near the convent there is a cafe at which the hero sings and dances with his partner, with whom he is carrying on a love affair. The heroine, looking over the wall of the convent, is able to see the hero and is charmed by his voice and manner. She runs away from the convent in order to search for him and when she does find him she tells him so. He is very much charmed by her simplicity and beauty, and despite the disapproval of his music teacher, he brings her to their home to live with them. Realizing that it would not be pleasant if the girl were found there, they decide to leave for Madrid, where the hero will try out for an operatic career. The disappearance of the heroine had been discovered at the convent and when her brother is informed he swears that if he found them he would kill him. The hero’s dancing partner had found the girl’s cloak in tlie hero’s room and brings it to the convent, telling them who the hero was and expressing the suspicion that he had left with the girl. In Aladrid the hero gets his try-out, but the opera manager says he is too flippant, and that he must suffer first before he will be able to sing well. His music teacher is so desirous of seeing him sing that, without the hero’s knowledge, he plans to pay the manager to put him in a performance in the star role. The hero and heroine, who had fallen in love with each other, decide to marry. They go to church and post the bans. They decide to have a celebration and the heroine goes out shopping. The hero receives a visit from her brother and when her brother hears she is a pure girl he begs the hero to send her back to the convent where she belongs. After much talk, the hero, thinking it the right thing to do, makes love to his old dancing partner, who had come along with the brother, in front of the heroine. This so disillusions her that she begs her brother to take her back to the convent. That night at the opera, heartbroken, the hero sings his role with such pathos that he receives an ovation and the manager wants to sign him up. He loses interest in everything, however, and never stirs from his bed after that. His former sweetheart, realizing the wrong she had done, goes to the convent and begs the heroine to return to the hero, telling her that the hero loved her. The heroine is forgiven by the Mother Superior and is permitted to leave the convent, after which the lovers are reunited. The story was written by Dorothy Farnum. It was directed by Charles Brabin. Capable support is given by Dorothy Jordan, Ernest Torrence, Nance O'Neil. Renee Adoree, Mathilde Comont and Russell Hopton. The talk is clear. (Silent values, very good.) “The Sea Wolf” — with Milton Sills (Fo.r, Sept. 21; running time, rt min.) It is too bad that Milton Sills should have died after doing the best acting in his career. His acting in “The Sea Wolf’’ stands out. “The Sea Wolf” was produced twice before, both times in silent form : the first version was made by Hobart Bosworth, and was released through the Progressive Film Exchange, forerunner of Paramount ; the second version was produced by Paramount. But this version is far superior, from the point of interest as well as from the point of acting. Mr. Sills succeeded in making Wolf Larsen’s part, despicable as it naturally is, somewhat sympathetic. There are thrills aplenty, caused by the mutiny of the crew, who at one time push the hero overboard, he saving himself by grabbing some chain that happened in his way outside the hull of the ship. There is sympathy aroused also by Raymond Hackett, as a weakling, in whom the hero had instilled manliness ; as well as by the heroine, who boarded the ship so as to be near the young man, whom she had met in the port and had fallen in love with at first sight. The closing scenes, which show the hero blinded, are pathetic. There is one scene about the September 20, 1930 middle of the picture, which is very “raw”; it shows the hero grabbing the heroine and taking her to his cabin to take advantage of her. Subsequent events, of course, prevent him from carrying out his purpose. The plot has been founded on the Jack London book. It shows the hero in a port in Japan, skipper of the Ghost, a whaler. His crew shanghai many derelicts. Among them is a young man. The heroine, a woman of the underworld, had met the young man in one of the drinking places and takes an interest in him. Unable to induce him to accepi her help, she ships with the hero’s ship so as to be near the young man ; she was sure that he would be shanghaied. The hero treats the young man harshly, because his philosophy in life was “the survival of the fittest.” He wanted the heroine, and as knew that the heroine was in love with the young man, he dared him to take her from him. On the way the crew revolt and throw him overboard; but he is able to save his life and to climb aboard the ship. Under the cover of fog, the heroine and the young man escape; but after several days at sea they come upon a dismantled ship with no one in sight. They board it and come to the realization that it was the Ghost. They find the hero blinded ; he had been blinded by one of his men, in revenge for the loss of one of his legs, which had been bitten off by a shark when he, by orders of the hero, had been tied to a rope and thrown overboard. The hero is still defiant, but soon succmnbs ; he dies. The young man and the heroine bury him at sea. Alfred Santell directed the picture skillfully. Ra>-mond Hackett is the young man, and Jane Keith the heroine. Mitchell Harris, Nat Pendleton, John Rogers and others are in the supporting cast. The talk is not so clear in spots. (Silent values, very good.) “Follow Thru” {Paramount, Sept. 27 ; running time, 94 min.) Buddy Rogers will need all his popularity to put this picture over, even though he is helped considerably by characters who make “dirty” remarks. The plot, which is interspersed with songs throughout, drags, is hea\">' and too long drawn out. .Although done in all technicolor, which is occasionally attractive, the picture would have been more pleasing without it. There is a good deal of talk that has a double meaning and becomes very vulgar, as for instance in a scene in a women’s shower room, where two men have secreted themselves, and in another scene, when one of these men confesses to his sweetheart that he had been there. The cast, as a whole, seemed listless and uninspired : — The heroine, champion g^olf player of her club, meets defeat at the hands of her rival in an important golf tournament. She. however, does not mind this so much because of a new in’erc.st in the person of the hero, a professional golf player, who had come to the club with his friend, a girl-shy millionaire, in order to teach him golf. The hero, too, is very much attracted to her. He offers to coach the heroine in the weak points of her golf game, which she readily consents to. The hero’s friend, however, afraid of all the women around the place, insists that they bo*h leave. The heroine’s girl friend, realizing that the hero and heroine are in love with each other, decides to vamp this man in order to make him stay. He discovers that this girl is the one who had robbed him of a ring, a family heirloom, at a masquerade ball when he was drunk. He pleads with her to return the ring to him. but she refuses unless he promised to stav on, which he does. The heroine’s golf rival, who had known the hero for some time, wants to regain his affections and in such an endeavor tells fal.se stories to both of them of what each had said about the other. She so incenses the heroine that the heroine challenges her to a game of golf the next morning. The hero, having believed the lies, refuses to go around the golf course with her to coach her on the important points that she is weak on. The heroine is so distracted because of her separation from the hero, that she plays a poor game until the last hole when the hero appears, having been appealed to by her friend to help her. .\s soon as the hero speaks to her she gains confidence and is able to win the game. It is not until later that evening that explanations follow and they become reconciled. The shy millionaire and the heroine’s girl friend also decide to ma’'ry. The plot was taken from the musical comedy of the same name by DeSylva, Brown, Henderson and Schwab. It was directed by Laurence Schwab and Lloyd Corrigan. Others in the cast are Nancy Carroll. Zelma O’Neal, Jack Haley, Eugene Pallette, Thelma Todd, Qaude King. Mar.garet Lee and others. The talk is clear.