Harrison's Reports (1931)

HARRISON'S REPORTS January 3, 1931 “The Lash” — Richard Barthelmess ( First National, release date, Dec. 28 ; running lime 79 min.) A slow-moving story ot old California, unfolding in the year 1850; it does not offer much opportunity for Kichard Barthelmess to add to his personal triumphs. He seems miscast as a born Californian who resents the tyrannical methods of the conquering Americans, and turns bandit to raid the country and aid the poor. Outside of the fact that the picture of Americans, acting as tyrants and oppressors might puzzle children who have been taught to believe otherwise, it has nothing which might prove offensive to them. There are scenes of pictorial beauty. The tone ot the picture, with its local color, the dances and the Spanish atmosphere, is pleasing. The supporting cast is excellent, and even Barthelmess gets as much out of his part as is possible under the circumstances : — The hero, away at a Mexican University, comes home to his uncle, head of the largest ranch in the district, and to his beautiful sister, to find the Americans in control of the state. He finds it hard to adjust himself to the new conditions. At a fiesta that evening he renews his acquaintance with a childhood sweetheart. While delivering a large herd of cattle to a nearby town next morning he is assaulted by the land commissioner and by other Americans who hate "foreigners”. His life is saved by the sheriff. In his rage, the hero stampedes the cattle through the town, nearly wrecks it, and later comes back to get from the land commissioner the money due him. That night he returns home, leaves the money, tells his sweetheart he is leaving because he cannot stand the system, and becomes El Puma, the bandit. The outlaws, headed by him, raid the countryside, giving the money to the poor. His sweetheart, whom he sees, wishes to go with him, but he refuses to let her. Meanwhile, a plot is on foot to take the ranch away from his uncle and sister. The sheriff, now a local attorney, falls in love with the latter. The Land Commissioner, trying to steal the grant for the ranch, is surprised by the uncle who is shot. The hero secs the Land Commissioner running away, takes the grant from his uncle on his deathbed, and promises to avenge the murder. The hero gives the grant to the sister's sweetheart, who has been sworn to kill El Puma, for safe-keeping. Because the bandit is the brother of his sweetheart, however, he does not shoot him. The hero then finds the land commissioner, allows the latter to draw first and kills him. He outwits the following posse and escapes to Mexico where his sweetheart awaits him. The sister and lawyer are married. The story has been directed by Frank Lloyd, from the story “Adios,” by Lanier Bartlett and Virginia Stivers Bartlett. Robert Edeson is the uncle, Mary Astor, the sweetheart, Marion Nixon the sister and James Rennie her sweetheart. Fred Kohler, Barbara Bedford and Arthur Stone are in the cast. The sound is generally fair, but the musical accompaniment gets “tinny” at times. (Out-oftown review.) “A Soldier’s Plaything” (I Tamer Bros, released Nov. 1 ; running time, 56 min.) Fair entertainment of its kind. For those who like their comedy rowdy, and sometimes bordering on vulgarity, "Soldier’s Plaything” offers many laughs. Generally, it is a collection of situations that have proved laughable in similar comedies. While some of the rough humor might not be called in good taste, the picture is no worse in that respect than other war comedies. The nature of the story places little demand upon the principals or the director, but Harry Langdon and Ben Lyon do good work ; they are the best in the cast. Children will find entertainment in the usual run of slapstick gags : — At the beginning of the war, the hero is shown as a gambler who does not care to fight for his country. His friend, about to join the army, bids him goodbye during a poker game. A heavy winner, the hero leaves for the apartment of a friend to pay a debt. Upon his departure, suspicion of cheating is cast upon him. He is found by the heaviest loser in the card game in the apartment of the friend, whom he had come to repay. The hero is accused of being a cheat and attempting to steal the cardplayer’s sweetheart. There is a fight and the hero, believing he has killed his opponent, flees to escape the wrath of the other card-players ; he joins his pal in the army. The pair go through the war. After the armistice the hero, while stationed in Germany, falls in love with a German girl. He can not marry her for he feels the disgrace of being accused as a murderer. On the day he is to leave for America, heartbroken, he discovers that the man he had thought he had killed in the fight is still alive ; he had just been knocked out in the tiff. (This paves the way for the happy ending.) There are many comic interludes which have nothing to do with the story but which lengthen the running time. Michael Lurtiz directed the story from the script by Vilma Uelmar. Ben Lyon is the hero, Lotti Loder his sweetheart. Harry .Langdon is the soldier-pal. Noah Beery, Fred Kohler, Lee Moran and Jean Hersholt have briei roles. 1 here are two songs in the production. Sound is just average or less. (Out-of-town review.) “Going Wild” — Joe E. Brown ( First National, Dec. 21 ; running time, 68 min.) W nere Joe E. isrown is liked, "ooing Wild'' will be found a hilarious comedy fare. Without him, the picture would be mediocre. With him it has many funny comedy situations. The story is one of mistaken identity, but witti Brown handling the mam role, "Going Wild” should be iound generally satisfactory. His work stands out : — Brown is mistaken for a successful novelist who had written a thrilling book of personal air exploits. Taken for tnis celebrity, the comedian accepts the role and appoints his pal "manager.” In reality, they are two newspaper reporters out of work. The comedian falls in love with the sister ot the hotel owner. Her friend likewise grows to like the manager of the comedian. When a rival airplane owner offers to bet that his plane will beat that manufactured by the father of the manager’s sweetheart, the comedian is urged to take up the challenge. He refuses, never having been up in a plane, but when the situation forces him to make a decision he accepts and plans to substitute another pilot in his plane while in the air. (There are many hilarious scenes as the comedian is tested for his physical fitness for the post.) Before the race, the hotel owned by the brother of the comedian’s sweetheart is wagered on the competition. The comedian takes to the air thinking that he has a real pilot with him. Instead, his sweetheart is hidden in the plane. Eventually, the opposing pilot, fearing to continue this competition, in which the comedian's plane seems to be intent on crashing into him, comes down. The comedian and his sweetheart take to the parachute, the plane crashes, and the day is won. William A. Seiter directed it from a story by Humphrey Pearson. I^awrence Gray, Laura Lee, Walter Pidgeon, Ona Munson, Frank McHugh, Anders Randolph, Arthur Hoyt, Fred Kelsey and Harvey Clark are in the cast. Sound is fair. (Out-of-town review.) (Exhibitors in censorship states should get the correct time from the exchange, because eliminations have been made.) “Divorce Among Friends” (Warner Brothers, release Dec. 27; running time 66 min.) An average comedy of domestic troubles. If the players had been a bit better or the direction had not been so heavy handed, except in a few humorous instances, it could have attained the status of an excellent light comedy. In its present shape, only the work of Lew Cody stands out, and the audience could easily grow tired by the constant quarrels of the married couple. These are repeated and patched up so often that the series of quarrels holds little interest : — 1 he husband, who truly loves his wife, does thoughtless things, which annoy her. He is forgetful, loves to flirt, and expects to be waited on. 1 he wife, also loving him, allows him to have his way until she catches him flirting and trying to he his way out of it. After a quarrel, they make up, but when the wife thinks he is attempting an affair with an old girl friend of hers, a dangerous divorcee, she determines to leave him. Again they make up. The quarrels continue, and through it all a friend of the family, a musician usually intoxicated, proclaims his love for the wife ; but she will have nothing to do with him. Eventually it comes to the point where the husband and wife must part. The wife prepares to leave with the musician friend, who waits for her. But during the packing of her grip, again the husband and wife make up, and the musician friend departs. (There is nothing to believe but that the quarrel and make-up system would continue indefinitely.) James Hall and Irene Delroy are the quarrelsome couple. Lew Cody is the musical friend, Natalie Moorhead, the vampire. Edward Martinde! and Margaret Seddon are in the cast. Roy Del Ruth directed the story by Jack Townley. Sound is average. (Out-of-town heview.) “The Criminal Code,” Columbia, is an excellent prison drama, with deep human interest. “New Moon,” MGM, with Lawrence Tibbett and Grace Moore, two Metropolitan stars, is an excellent picture for high class audiences. “Reaching for the Moon,” with Douglas Fairbanks, is a good entertainment. Reviews next week.