Harrison's Reports (1931)

38 March 7, 1931 HARRISON’S REPORTS “East Lynne” — with Ann Harding {Fox, March i ; running time, ioi min.) A famous novel and play, a popular star, and a good production combine to make “East Lynne’’ an excellent picture and a good box office asset. There is deep human appeal in many of the situations, thanks to the good acting of Miss Harding. The scene where she is shown coming back to see her child once more, staying all night and becoming blind in the morning, will wring one’s heart. The ending is tragic ; she walks to her death, falling over a precipice on the rocks below. This scene is heart-rending, especially because the hero, who had been unjust and cruel to her, finds out too late that she had been innocent of any wrong-doing. The novel does not give these twists, but it has been changed for picture purposes : — The heroine, a beautiful woman, of gay disposition, marries the hero and goes to live at his country estate. His sister, a woman of puritanical disposition, takes every opportunity to make her unhappy. The heroine’s only joy is her child. An old friend of hers, connected with the diplomatic service, is invited by her husband to visit them. During his absence she attends a ball with him and when they return the sister sees him enter her room at night. Upon the return of her brother the following day she makes him believe that the heroine had been unfaithful to him. Without giving the heroine a chance to explain he believes the accusations. The heroine becomes so angry that she leaves him. But she is heartbroken at his forbidding her to take their child along. She becomes the mistress of the man who had been the cause of it all and travels all over Europe with him, trying to forget her unhappiness in drink and in gayeties. Her man is expelled from the diplomatic service when he is caught selling secrets of state to another nation. They return to Paris. The Prussians, who were at war with France, bombard Paris. The heroine is wounded and the doctor tells her that she will go blind. She returns to England to have a last glimpse of her child. The child’s governess lets her into her child’s room at night time. When she makes ready to leave in the morning she tells the nurse that she is blind. The hero sees her in the house and remonstrates with the governess. The heroine walks out unaided ; she falls off a precipice and is killed. The plot has been based on the novel by Mrs. Henry Wood. It was directed by Frank Lloyd. In the cast are Cecilia Loftus, Beryl Mercer, O. P. Heggie, David Torrence and others. The talk is clear. (Sold as a Special.) Not suitable for children. Not good for Sundays in small towns. “Not Exactly Gentlemen” {Fox, released March 8 ; running time, 6o min.) A very good melodrama of the pioneer days. The action is fast and interesting, thanks to the characterizations of the three actors, Victor MacLaglen, Lew Cody and Eddie Gribbon. Though in the beginning they are presented as fugitives from justice, MacLaglen being hunted for bank robbery, Cody (a gambler) for murder, and Gribbon for horse stealing, during the picture they are presented from a different angle — they protect the heroine and help her reach the frontier, where President Grant was opening land for settlers. The scenes where the hero, his two pals, and the heroine’s fiance, engage the villain’s men, who had abducted the heroine, stolen her map, which indicated the location of gold land in the Black Hills, and held her prisoner, are thrilling. The land rush is as thrilling as that in Cimarron : in the mad rush, wagons are upset, people are spilled, and horses tumble : — A bank robber (Victor MacLaglen), a horse thief (Eddie Gribbon) and a gambler (Lew Cody), who had killed a man he discovered cheating him at cards, meet in the West and band themselves together. They are headed for the frontier, where President Grant was about to open for settlers a piece of land, much of which contained gold. On the way they rescue the heroine from the hands of the villain’s men, who had held her up and were intending to steal her fine horses, which her father had brought with him for the land rush. But the hold-up men had shot and killed her father. They reach the frontier. Soon the heroine’s fiance, a young man, reaches the place and finds the heroine. On the day of the land rush the villain has the heroine abducted and the map taken away from her. The hero, when he misses the heroine, surmises who was back of it all and goes to the villain’s saloon, where he and his chums, after beating the villain’s men, rescue the heroine. They join the land rush. The hero overtakes the villain and gives him a good beating, pre venting him from locating the choice land. After the heroine, her fiance, and his chums had arrived, they notice that the sheriff is after them. They succeed in escaping. Before going away, the hero admonishes the young man to take good care of the heroine. The plot has been taken from Herman Whitaker’s “Over the Border” ; Benjamin Stoloff has directed it. Fay Wray is the heroine, David Worth the fiance, and Robert Warwick the villain. The talk is clear. Substitution facts: “No Favors Asked” (246) is supposed to be the contract title. But according to the contract it was to have been taken from the story “The Great Train Robbery,” by Paul Leicester Ford ; and since “Not Exactly Gentlemen” has been founded on a different story, by a different author, it is a story substitution. Since it is a good picture, however, no harm will be done to your interests by accepting it. “Behind Office Doors” {RKO, released March 15 th; running time, 82 min.) Good for certain class of picture-goers — for those that do not object to seeing stories "dressed” in the sex element. It is on the style of “The Office Wife,” which was produced by Warner Bros. ; only that “Behind Office Doors” is a much finer production from every point of view — the story is more substantial, the acting is better, and the recording cannot admit comparison : — The heroine, private secretary to a big business man, is in love with the hero, a salesman in the concern. Her employer is ordered by his doctor to retire from business and the heroine suggests that the hero be made the president of the concern. Her business ability is so great that she is able to convince the bankers backing her employer that the hero is the right man for the job. With the help of the experienced heroine he makes a great success. But success goes to his head and he pays attention to young butterflies. The heroine bears it all, however, and sticks to her job until it is announced that he is going to marry her old employer’s daughter. His fiance calls on her and, telling her that she is aware of the fact that she is in love with the man who is to be her husband, demands that she resign. The heroine, however, resigns, not because the hero's fiancee had asked her to but because of his ingratitude. After her resignation, things go from bad to worse and the hero comes to realize how much she had meant to him.While at Atlantic City, the heroine learns that things were not smooth between the hero and his fiancee, and that he was in need of a good secretary. She presents herself for the job and the hero scolds her for not getting to work at once. Before the day is over, they patch up everything and they go away and marry. The story is by Alan Brener Schultz ; the direction, by Melville Brown. Mary Astor is the heroine, Robert Ames the hero, and Ricardo Cortez the married man who was infatuated with the heroine. Kitty Kelly, Edna Murphy, Catherine Dale Owen, Charles Sellon, William Morris and others are in the cast. (This is one of the four specials. Not a substitution.) Not quite suitable for young folks, even though the sex element is not so pronounced in it. Not a Sunday picture for small towns. “The Doctor’s Wife” — with Warner Baxter (Fox, March 15; running time not yet determined) I have not yet reviewed this picture, but I am writing this for the purpose of giving you the substitution facts. The production number of it is 228. On the contract, No. 228 is the picture titled, “The Spider.” “The Spider,” however, was to have been founded on the stage play by Fulton Oursler and Lowell Brentano, and since “The Doctor’s Wife” has been founded on an original story by Henry and Sylvia Lieferant it is a story substitution. Whether, however, it is prudent for you to reject a Warner Baxter picture or not, it is for you to determine. The picture will probably be reviewed in a week or so. “The Spy” (Fox. released March 29: running time. 58 min.) I have not yet reviewed this picture but I thought of giving you the substitution facts. According to the contract and the Work Sheet, “The Spy” was to have been founded on an original story by S. N. Behrman ; and since the finished product has been founded on a story by Ernest Pascal it is a story substitution. The picture will be reviewed in about three or four weeks.