Harrison's Reports (1931)

January 17, 1931 11 HARRISON’S REPORTS “One Heavenly Night” — with Evelyn Laye and John Boles ( United Artists, Jan. 10; running time, 80 min.) A pleasing romance, with plentiful comedy. The feminine lead is taken by Miss Evelyn Laye, who appeared last season in “Bitter Sweet,’’ and won popularity. She does not mean very much to the picture box office just now, but her work in this picture is very good, she has a good voice, and is a charming woman. John Boles is the hero ; and he does well. The music, which is melodious, is subordinated to the plot. The main action revolves around a young cigarette girl, who impersonates a famous actress with her consent, falls in love with a Hungarian Prince and eventually wins him as a husband. The plot has been founded on a story by Sidney Howard and Louis Bromfield. It was directed by George Fitzmaurice, for Sam Goldwyn. In the cast are Lilyan Tashman, Leon Errol, Hugh Cameron, Lionel Belinore, and others. Leon Errol and Hugh Cameron cause many laughs in the room where the hero is supposed to have kept his antique collections of chinaware and of glassware ; Leon Errol had dropped and broken many of them to the merriment of the audience at the Rialto. The picture was not shown to best advantage because of the fact that the Rialto instrument, of Western Electric make, made Miss Laye’s voice hoarse in the high as well as in the low notes ; in the low notes the diaphragm of the horn reproducer rattles. “Men on Call” — with Edmund Lowe {Fox, released Jan. 25; running time, 60 min.) Even though the background of this picture is different from the ordinary run, it is no better than a fair program picture. The trouble with it is the fact that the hero acts unfairly in the beginning; the spectator does not, therefore, follow his fate with interest. For instance, he is engaged to a girl ( heroine), and is about to marry her, when he learns that a scandal had been connected with her name. Without waiting for an explanation, he breaks his engagement with her. He feels heartbroken but no one sympathizes with him because of his unfairness. This lack of sympathy becomes worse later on when it comes to light that the heroine had not committed any indiscretion : — On the eve of his marriage, the hero, a railroad engineer, learns that his fiancee had been connected with a scandal. Without waiting for an explanation, he breaks their engagement. Worry makes him overlook the signals and he wrecks his train, for which he is discharged. He is down and out when he is befriended by a Captain of the Coast Guard and is induced to enlist. He makes good in the service. While going ashore, the hero and his pal rescue the heroine ; she had jumped overboard from a yacht to escape a rich man, who attempted to assault her. After recovering, the heroine tries to explain to the hero but in vain. The hero, thinking that the heroine had set her “cap” for his friend, explains to him his relations with her. This brings about a break between the two, which is patched up at a hospital, where the two had been taken after being burned while trying to rescue the crew of a ship on fire at sea. Hero and heroine make up. The plot has been founded on a story by James K. McGuinnes. John Blystone directed it. Mae Clark and Wm. Harrigan are in the cast. “Jaws of Hell” ( Sono-Art , Jan. 15; running time, 65 min.) Fairly entertaining. It is suspensive at times, and there are some beautitul outdoor scenes with soldiers riding horseback. The most thrilling part of the picture is that which is based on Tennyson’s poem, ‘‘The Charge of the Light Brigade. ’ One sees the 600 men of the regiment known as "The Light Brigade” in a pitiful attempt to charge the entire Russian army, with machine guns set against them, due to erroneous orders : — The hero, attached to a Scotch regiment, is forced into a duel with a fellow officer. The officer is shot in the back by some one who had been hiding in the bushes and the hero is discharged from the army. He assumes another name and joins the tainous regiment, “The Light Brigade, ’’during the Crimean War. The hero, together with some members of his regiment, according to orders, force their way into the home of the heroine, an English girl, whose house was situtated just between the enemy lines. The hero and the heroine fall in love with each other. Warned by the heroine, the hero discovers a Russian spy in her home, and learns that the Russians plan to attack them. He informs his Commander of this. Through wrong orders, the 600 men of the "Light Brigade” are sent to charge the Russians. Just a handful of them are left when the Russians are through with them, and the hero is brought back wounded. In the presence of the heroine and a doctor, the man who had really shot the officer confesses. The hero and the heroine are united. The story was written by Boyd Cable. It was directed by Maurice Elvey and Milton Rosmer. In the all English cast are Cyril McLaglen, Benita Hume, Alf Goddard, Miles Mander, Robert Holmes and others. The talk is not very clear. “Kiss Me Again” {First National , Feb. 21 ; running time, 74 min.) Boresome ! It is another of those musical comedies in color, without much action and with very little human interest, and in which ninety per cent of the attention has been paid to the reproduction of vivid colors. The plot has been founded on the Victor Herbert operetta “Mile. Modiste.” It deals with the love affair of a young French nobleman, officer of the army (hero) with a young woman (heroine) employed at a modiste establishment in Paris. The hero’s father, however, objects to such a match. Since he realizes that his efforts to induce his son to give her up will go to nothing, he calls on the heroine and, by pointing out to her the fact that if he marries her he will be disgraced and shunned by his friends, induces her to give him up. The hero and his pal are transferred to Africa. In the meantime the heroine becomes famous as a singer. Eventually they return to Paris. The heroine decides to sing at an affair at the hero’s home. There the hero recognizes her and their love is renewed. The father had to give his consent to their marriage. The picture was directed by William A. Seiter. Bernice Claire is the heroine, Walter Pidgeon the hero, Claude Gillingwater his father, and Edward Everett Horton his pal. Frank McHugh, Judith Voselli, June Collyer, Albert Gran and others are in the cast. The sound is poor; it was recorded on disc.