Harrison's Reports (1931)

HARRISON’S REPORTS 35 February 28, 193:1 “The Great Meadow” ( Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ; release date, Jan. 24 ; time, 79 m.) A worthy etfort of a historical picture. It depicts the struggles of a band of American pioneers. The players are competent, the story different and is well handled. There is, however, a tendency to lag. But because the attempt is auspicious, the story is a refreshing change from the usual run of society drama and gangster stories ; and because the players seem so sincere in their interpretation of a historical story, "Great Meadow” deserves praise. The story tells of the struggles of a band of pioneers, who, in 1777, left Virginia to seek the Great Meadow of Kentucky. The hero and heroine, just married, start with the group. Their hardships are many, their sufferings great, but their pioneer spirit carries them through the difficult Indian country to the military outpost in the new land. Here the hero and heroine live happily in their rude home. One day, while the heroine and the hero’s mother are in the field, an Indian attacks the former. The latter gives her life to save her son’s wife. The Indian scalps the mother, and escapes. A baby is born to the couple, but the fact that the Indian had committed such a terrible crime haunts the hero. He determines to kill that Indian and leaves his wife alone with the baby, promising to come back soon. For months he travels until he meets the Indian ; he kills him but he is captured. Meanwhile, two years have passed, and the heroine, having heard that her husband had been killed, and because she cannot stand the rigors of pioneer life alone, marries a former suitor. She is happy with her new husband. One day, the former husband returns. The law of the wilderness says the wife must choose. Duty tells her to stay with her second husband, but the latter, seeing that her heart is with the hero, gives her up, and leaves. Charles Brabin has directed it with skill from a story by Elizabeth Madox Roberts. Eleanor Boardman, John Mack Brown, Lucille La Verne, William Blakewell, Russell Simpson, Helen Jerome Eddy, Anita Louise and others are in the cast. The historical background is interesting. The photography is excellent. The sound is good. Good for children of all ages ; and for adults. Excellent for Sundays in small towns. (Out-of-town review.) “The Last Parade” — with Jack Holt ( Columbia , Jan. 31 ; running time, 83 min.) A powerful gangster melodrama. It has human interest and pathos, mixed with comedy, which is caused mainly by two friends "kidding” each other. Although the picture deals with rackets and gangsters, it is not as demoralizing as other gang pictures, because the hero was practicully forced into it. He came back from the war, with the loss of an eye, and had to choose the racketeering profession or starve, being turned down by every one he knew when he requested a job. The good moral always prevails, for the hero’s two friends, his buddy and the girl he loved, plead with him to leave the racket and live a decent life, which he eventually does, only to meet his doom. After all, the hero is not a hardened criminal. There are some gruesome sights, such as the hero's walking to the electric chair, and the one where it is implied that the heroine’s brother, a mere boy, is killed by the rival gang : — The hero and his buddy, a policeman, are in love with the same girl ; they had met her in France during the war. But she is equally fond of both men. The hero, disgusted at being unable to find a job, becomes a racketeer; he conducts a high class cabaret. The heroine’s brother, a young newspaper boy, publishes a story about a well known racketeer, an enemy of the hero’s. He is warned by this racketeer to desist, otherwise they will kill him. When the hero hears of this he warns the racketeer that, if any harm comes to the boy, he will kill him. The heroine pleads with the hero that if he will leave the racket she will marry him. He consents to this and just as he is about to leave with the heroine for California he finds out that the young boy had been killed. He carries out his promise and kills his enemy. He is caught and sentenced to the electric chair. His two pals accompany him as far as the door of the death room. The story was written by Casey Robinson. It was directed by Erie C. Kenton. In the cast are Tom Moore, Constance Cummings, Gaylord Pendleton, Robert Ellis, Earle D. Bunn and others. The talk is clear. (Not a substitution.) Not suitable for children. “East Lynne,” with Ann Harding, Fox : A powerful human interest story, dealing with mother love. It has been founded on the famous novel. Review next week. “Body and Soul” — with Charles Farrell {Fox, Feb. 15; running time, 86 min.) There is considerable merit to this picture for theatres that are not particular in sex matters, for the story deals with a sex phase of life. Because of the fact that the hero is presented as a World War aviator, there are naturally thrills in the situations where flying is resorted to. The picture succeeds in holding the interest well throughout. The hero, a flyer in the Royal Flying Corps, is presented as having ridden with a chum of his, who had been ordered to destroy a German observation balloon. The chum had suddenly been seized with fear, and the hero wanted to encourage him. During the battle with the Germans, the chum is shot and killed and the hero takes control of the ship. He succeeds in destroying the balloon, but lands behind the German lines. In order to enable the dead chum to get the credit, the hero starts the engine, and lets the ship go, with the dead chum in it. There is a crash with a German machine. The hero succeeds in reaching the Allied lines. The hero, in London on furlough, seeks to find his dead friend’s sweetheart, whom he knew only as Pom Pom, so as to deliver to her certain mementos. A woman appears at his hotel and gives him the name Pom Pom. Soon they fall in love with each other, and Pom Pom, feeling that it might be the last time she would see him, surrenders to him. As soon as the hero reaches the front he is sent for by his superior officer and is informed that Pom Pom is a spy. The hero is unwilling to believe it. In the end, however, it proves that the would-be Pom Pom was really the wife of the dead aviator, and that the real Pom Pom was the spy. The hero marries his dead chum’s wife. The plot has been founded on the play by Elliott White Springs and A. E. Thomas ; it was directed by Alfred Santelk Elisa Landi plays opposite Mr. Farrell. Myrna Loy is the spy. Not suitable for children between twelve and twenty. Substitution facts : The production number is 225. On the contract. No. 225 was attached to “Movietone Follies of 1931,” which was described as a "Musical Extravaganza,” and since “Body and Soul” is not such a picture it is a story substitution ; but the picture was sold without a star and is delivered with Charles Farrell. “Rango” ( Paramount , March 17; running time, 64F2 min.) Sumatra, which lies in the Malay Archipelago, is the only place in the world where monkeys and tigers cohabit the same forest. There is naturally a struggle between the two species of animals, the tigers to eat the monkeys for food, and the monkeys to escape with their lives from the tigers. Into this island, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Producer of “Monana,” “Grass,” and “Chang,” went to take a picture of this struggle. In the narrative there appear two characters,— a father and a son, natives. Also an ape, and his son (Rango). The native father teaches his son how to shoot straight, for he feels that it is the son’s only safeguard should he ever come face to face with a tiger, as he often comes in the picture. Mr. Schoedsack has succeeded in making his story appealing by showing several scenes with the young ape acting almost like a human being; the ape likes to be fondled, and seems to have feelings like a human being. In the scene where the tiger attacks the poultry, the young ape, who hears the growling of the tiger, hurdles himself near the sleeping son of the native, and covers himself with his blanket. There is comedy in the scene where the father ape, opening the door of the native’s hut, which stood on stilts, proceeds, while no one is in the hut, to help himself with the stored food. After gorging himself, he leaves with Rango. Soon myriads of monkeys from every point of the forest swarm into the cottage and consume everything the ape and his son had left. There are several scenes where tigers are ready to attack monkeys ; they are thrilling. The most thrilling situation, however, is towards the end, where the young native is shown about to be attacked by the ferocious tiger, after he had killed Rango. He manages to unleash the water buffalo, who attacks the tiger and gores him. There is tragedy in the sight of the ape father sitting on the tree, watching for his son, oblivious of the fact that he is never to return. The picture should appeal to children and to cultured picture-goers, particularly to lovers of animals. In fact, children should be made to see it ; it is a great education for them. The rank and file will appreciate it only fairly. It is not a woman’s picture : at the Rivoli four men to one woman go to see it; and of the women, half go with their children.