Harrison's Reports (1930)

202 HARRISON’S REPORTS December 20, 1930 “Sleeping Partners” (British Int., Dec. 12; running time, 71 min.) A mediocre French farce. The plot has very little substance. It is, in fact, ridiculous, because the hero, a middleaged man, is made to behave like a young boy suffering from puppy love, getting down on his knees and behaving stupidly throughout. There is very little human interest and none of the characters create any sympathy : — The heroine, bored by her husband, accepts an invitation to the hero’s home for an after-dinner cigarette. When she arrives there the hero makes love to her and she feels faint. He rushes to get her some smelling pits but, through an error, he gives her a sleeping potion instead. She immediately falls asleep. He does not know what to do with her and falls asleep himself. They both awake the next morning and the heroine is horrified to find that she had spent the night away from home. She fears the wrath of her husband. Before she had a chance to leave the hero’s home her husband arrives there, begging the hero to help him out of a mess. He had spent the night away from home, also. The hero, relieved to find this out, arranges affairs so that the husband does not know about his wife. He gives the husband a sleeping potion and suggests to the heroine that they go out together. She refuses the invitation, saying that she had benefited by her experience of the night before. The plot was adapted from the comedy by Sacha Guitry. It was directed by Seymour Hicks, who also takes the part of the hero. He is assisted by Edna Best, Lyn Harding, Herbert Waring, Marguerite Allen and David Paget. The sound is not very clear. “Hook, Line and Sinker” — with Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey (RKO, released November 29; running time, 75 min.) .A very good comedy, of the usual Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey type. This time the pair are real estate operators, who turn into hotel managers so as to oblige the heroine. The comedy occurs in the scenes where they are shown conducting the hotel. Gangmen learn that among the visitors are many wealthy people and decide to rob the safe, containing their valuable jewels. There is much machine-gun shooting when a rival gang comes to the hotel for the same purpose. The pair of heroes unv.'ittingly touch machine gun levers and the guns start shooting bullets automatically, making the gangsters believe that the guns are manipulated by experts. The final comedy scene i.s towards the end, when the sheriff arrives at the hotel and the lights are turned on : he congratulates the two herop for having so frightened the gangsters as to make their capture possible. There is, of course, a love affair ; Dorothy Lee. who had met the two friends and had interested them in her hotel enterprise, marries Bert Wheeler and her mother (Jobyna Howland), Robert Woolsey; she had consenten to this after she had found out that her lawyer, who wanted her daughter as a wife, was the leader of one of the gangs, his object being to get hold of her wealth. The plot has been founded on an original story by Tim Whelan. Edward Cline directed it. The talk is very clear. “The Passion Flower” (MGM, December 6; running time, 80 minutes) Very good, but it is an entertainment for adults only, it has no appeal for children. Although there are some slow moments, the action holds the interest well throughout, thanks to the excellent direction. The director has succeeded in keeping his characters real at all times. They are likeable because they are easily understood. Zasu Pitts deserves special mention because she carries the sole comedy part artistically. Charles Bickford is in the difficult part of a husband who loves two women. But he gives a restrained performance : — The story opens showing two cousins, both very wealthy. One is married to a Don. older than she. He gives her everything that money can buy. The other confesses her love for the family chauffeur. When the father learns of the affair, he forces his daughter to leave with the chauffeur. They are married in the home of the wealthy cousin, who, for a wedding present, offers them her large and expensively furnished ranch. The chauffeur is too proud to accept it and, with his wife, rents a two room furnished apartment in a middle-class district. He gets a job as a stevedore. For five years, during which time they have two children, the husband struggles but does not advance. His wife, true blue. stands the drudgery because she loves him. He loses his job and, wanting to see his children get the benefit of country life, swallows his pride and accepts tlie ranch from the cousin, in time the cousin falls in love with him. The Don learns of it but he can do nothing about it, particularly since his wife tells him that she will not divorce him. The chauffeur’s wife knows nothing of the affair. When she hears of it, she consents to let her husband run away v/ith the cousin, even though she loves him passionately. The husband and the cousin go to Paris. When he receives a letter from his wife asking him to go back to her, he decides to return. On the trip back they learn that the Don had died. She now wants him to divorce his wife so that they may marry. This she agrees to do. When he reaches America the husband does not let his wife know. The cousin induces the wife to apply for a divorce. The husband, however, goes to the wife and tells her that he loves her. She, too, tells him that she had never ceased loving him. The cousin interrupts the scene. But the husband tells her that he loves his family more than anything else in the world, and that he intends to stay with them. The cousin, a good sportswoman, and a woman with a heart, gives him up to his family. Kay Francis, as the Don’s wife, is excellent. Charles Bickford, too, is good as the husband. Kay Johnson gives a pleasing performance as the wife. Lewis Stone is admirably cast as the Don. Zasu Pitts takes the comedy part as the iio’.isekeeper. The story is by Kathleen Norris; it was directed by William de Mille. The sound is good. (Out-oftown review.) “Free Love” (Universal, Jan. 5; running time, 6g min.) fairly entertaining picture of marital difficulties. The constant bickering between the hero and the heroine, however, becomes tiresome. Neither of them creates any sympathy because of their intolerant, often stupid, attitude towards each other. One loses respect for the heroine, who, although married to the hero and is the mother of two children, because of her willful desire to be free of all bonds, forgets her duty and suggests to her husband’s best friend that he take her out of town for a week-end. Furthermore, it is not pleasant to see a husband strike his wife, even though she provoked him : — The hero and the heroine, after being married happily for six years, suddenly get on each other’s nerves. The heroine permits herself to be influenced by a quack psychoanalyst, who tells her that she should lead her own life and leave her husband. She does this. The hero pleads with her to return home and tells her that he will try' to be tolerant. She does return home, but with the understanding that she will live there as a guest and not as a wife, to go and come as she pleased. The hero consents to this but his patience is taxed when he hears his wife make arrangements to go to Atlantic City with his best friend. He punches his friend on the jaw, leaves in a fury, and becomes intoxicated. He becomes friendly with a girl and while on his way to .Atlantic City with her he meets with an accident. His wife discovers all this and prepares to go to Reno for a divorce. The children become ill and the hero forbids the heroine to leave their home. She opposes him and be knocks her out with a blow on tbe chin. This brings her to her senses and she later pleads for forgiveness. They are reconciled. The plot was adapted from the stage play “Half Gods.’’ by Sidney Howard. It was directed very well by Hobart Henley. In the cast are Conrad Nagel. Geneviene Tobin. Monroe Owsley, Zasu Pitts. Slim Summerville and others. The talk is clear. Suitable chiefly for high-class audiences. “Men of the North” (MGM , Dec. 27 : running time, 61 min.) A fair program picture! It is an outdoor story of the Canadian Northwest, so familiar to picture audiences. The hero is shown accused of a crime he had not committed, falling in love with a mine-owner’s daughter, saving her life, and eventually' being cleared of the unjust accusation. It may interest children because of the atmosphere, but on the whole it is no more than just another picture of this kind. Willard Mack’s “Monsieur le Fox,” has furnished the plot. Hal Roach directed it. Gilbert Roland is the hero, Barbara Leonard, the heroine, and Robert Elliot, who does about the best acting, is the sergeant. The sound is poor in spots. (Out-of-town review.) Note : This picture has not yet been shown in this zone.