Harrison's Reports (1929)

50 HARRISON’S REPORTS “Fugitives” (SF)— with Madge Bellamy (Fox, Jan 27 ; Syn. and SiL, 5,356 ft.) If Fox had made up his mind to kill whatever drawing powers Madge Bellamy may have, he could not do so more successfully than by giving her stories such as “Fugitives.” She could not have been more out of place. There is not a feature in it that could serve as an inducement for any exhibitor to run it ; it is suitable only for the lowest class of theatres. The Fox production department evidently knew that this story had no merit whatever and tried to add some values to it by making chorus girls appear almost in the nude — as nude as the law permits. The story is a murder melodrama, the heroine being accused of the murder of her employer; she had threatened to kill him because he had made insulting proposals to her, and when he is found dead she is arrested and is accused of the crime. Her trial results in her conviction. But while she was taken to the penitentiary, a pal of hers, who was secretly in love with her, rescues her from the hands of her jailers, and they escape to an island where all fugitives from justice congregated. A few years later the real murderer confesses ; he had been shot and mortally wounded by the police while he was doing a crime and he wanted to pass away with a clean conscience. The District Attorney feels bad because he had helped to convict the heroine, an imiocent person, and, knowing her hiding place, goes to her with the purpose of inducing her to come back to her home town. The heroine thinks it was a frame-up, but she is eventually convinced that he was telling the truth. They fall in love and marry The manner by which the author, or whoever was responsible, caused the heroine and the hero to fall in love with each other will tax the credulity even of seven-yearold children As it stands, the picture is good for morons and imbeciles; it is not for sane people. (Sound on film only.) “The Divine Lady” (SD) — with Corinne Griffith (F. Nat, March 31 ; syn., 9,914 ft.; sit, 8,993 ft) An excellently produced historical play, in which the love affair between Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton is depicted in an exceedingly interesting way. Miss Griffith takes the part of Lady Hamilton. When yet the daughter of a maid servant, she is seen by Greville, nephew of Lord Hamilton, British Ambassador to the court of the Kingdom of Naples. Greville becomes fascinated with her beauty. He learns that his uncle is easily charmed by women, and, fearing lest he marry one of them and make him lose his chances for inheriting his wealth, he throws the heroine in his way. He arranges it so that she and her mother go to Naples with Lord Hamilton. The heroine is heart-broken when she learns that Greville is married. Lord Hamilton falls in love with her and marries her. She becomes a persona grata with the Queen of Naples. Lord Nelson, with his ships battered and his men dying from scurvy as a result of lack of food, enters the Bay of Naples and calls on the King to ask his permission to revictual. The King, threatened by the French Ambassador with dire consequences should he help Nelson, refuses him help. The heroine calls on the Queen and implores her to aid Nelson. She reminds her what her fate might be, she being a sister of Marie Antoinette, should the English lose to the French. She points out to the Queen that, since the birth of an heir to the throne, she had the righ to sign documents in her own right, as a member of the cabinet. She thus induces the Queen to sign an order, ordering the Sicilian authorities to give Nelson every aid he needed to revictual his ships. With his men well fed and with his ships in good trim again. Nelson meets the French Fleet and routs it. He returns to Naples and pays his visit to the heroine, whom he now loved, and by whom he was loved. Word reaches Nelson that the King of England is impatient to see him so as to bestow upon him honors commensurate with his services to England. But as he could not part with the heroine, he takes her along. At the King’s reception the name of Lady Hamilton is omitted. When Nelson learns of the insult, he leaves the reception and goes to the heroine. Soon both retire to a country place and live a secluded life, devoted to each other. Captain Hardy comes to see Lord Nelson to inform him that Napoleon had again got together a formidable fleet, and to ask him to come out of his retirement and prevent the possible defeat of England. The heroine interposes, but Captain Hardy, by reminding the heroine that she had been the cause of his degradation, tells her that she should not stand in his way. The heroine gives in, and lets Lord Nelson take command of the British fleet again. Lord Nelson meets the French fleet at Trafalgar, defeats it, but he himself is shot and mortally wounded. He dies in the hands of Captain Hardy March 30, 1929 vvith the knowledge that the French fleet was defeated and England saved. The incidents of the Battle of Trafalgar and of the death of Ixird Nelson have been reproduced with great realism. There is deep pathos in the scenes of Nelson’s death. His famous utterances, such as, “England expects every man will do his duty,” and “Kiss me. Hardy 1” have been used effectively. Victor Varconi makes an earnest and sincere Nelson. Corinne Griffith does well as Lady Hamilton. In two or three places she is shown singing while playing on a harp ; but no one will fail to guess that the singing is done by someone else. The first battle between the British and the French fleets is as thrilling as is the Battle of Trafalgar. Many ships are used. H. B. Warner does very well as l^rd Hamilton, who did not want to investigate rumors about his wife lest they turn out to be true. “The Divine Lady” is an ambitious production. It rightly belongs to the two-dollar class, both from the point of view of expenditure of money as well as from that of appealing qualities. The only thing against it is the fact that it is a costume play. But it will, no doubt, please every one that will see it. The story was composed by E. Barrington. The picture was directed by Frank Lloyd. Ian Keith, Wm. Conklin, Marie Dressier, Montague Love, Dorothy Cumming and others are in the supporting cast (Sound on disc only.) “Tide of the Elmpire” (SD) — with Renee Adoree (M-G-M, March 23 ; sit and syn., 6,552 ft) Another tiresome drama of the days immediately following the taking over of California by the United States Government. As in all stories of this type, the chief doings are the injustices perpetrated against the Spaniards by the whites, who took their lands by force or by trickery. The hero is shown as winning the heroine’s father’s ranch at a race, but he would not turn the heroine and her father out, because he had fallen in love with her at first sight; he turned the deed over to the heroine and left, going to hunt for gold. The heroine’s father shoots himself when he finds himself without a home or wealth, and the heroine goes in search of the hero so as to give him back the ranch deed, for she was too proud to accept charity. The hero is heartbroken that the heroine should have felt that way. Outlaws attack the town for the purpose of robbing it, but the hero and the townfolk, having been warned by the hero of the impending attack, prepare, give battle to the outlaws, and drive them away, killing some of them. .\mong the wounded is the heroine’s brother; he had been forced by the leader of the outlaws to take part in the attack against his will. He is tried by an impromptu court, convicted and sentenced to hang. The hero, however, rescues him and they all return to the heroine’s ranch, where he marries the heroine, who had learned to love him by this time. The story is by Peter B. Kyne. Allan Dwan directed it. Renee Adoree is the heroine. George Duryea is the hero. George Fawcett is the heroine’s father, and William Collier, Jr., the heroine’s brother. Fred Kohler is the leader of the outlaws. (See substitution analysis, in the March 2 issue.) “Seven Footprints to Satan” (SD) — with Special Cast (F. A^af., Jan. 27 ; sil., 5,238 ft.; syn., 5,400 ft) People will no doubt enjoy this picture provid^ they don’t take it seriously. It is one of the wildest mystery trapdoor melodramas that have been produced in many a moon. The hero, a wealthy young man, is supposed to have a craving for adventure and is preparing for an exploration to some wild countrj’. His uncle, in order to give him at home the thrills he craved for and thus prevent him from going to the hazardous trip he contemplated, prepares a would-be holdup, in which supposedly valuable diamonds are stolen, and has the hero, who tried to save the diamonds, abducted and taken to “Satan” in a queer mansion, where those that entered could not exit, because all exits were guarded by persons faithful to Satan. After being put through many mysterious and exciting experiences, he is finally ordered to tread the seven marked footsteps, that were marked on seven flights, so as to reach Satan, who was seated on a throne, being told that failure meant death to him. He succeeds in reaching Satan. Shortly afterwards he finds out that the Satan was none other than his very uncle, and that all this adventure had been designed for his benefit. The picture has been directed by Benjamin Christensen, from a story by A. Merrit. Thelma Todd, Creighton Hale, Sheldon Lewis, Wm. V. Mong, Sojin, Laska Winters, Kala Pasha, Cissy Fitzgerald, and others are in the cast.