Harrison's Reports (1931)

HARRISON’S REPORTS 67 April 25, 1931 “City Streets” — with Gary Cooper ( Paramount , April 18; running time, 8i min.) Another racketeer story, with thrills, naturally. The difference of this picture trom others of this kind lies in the fact that the hero, in order to prevent the murder of the heroine and of himself, who had been put on the spot by the dead gangster leader’s friends, and were being taken for a “ride,” runs the automobile at breakneck speed through the tortuous road, with steep embankments yawning now from the one, now from the other side, until he had the gangsters so frightened that the heroine was given an opportunity to turn around and to cover them with her pistol. The other acts, though thrilling, are familiar : — The most important part of the story deals with the efforts of a racketeer to possess the heroine, who had fallen in love with the hero, member of the beer gang of necessity. The hero defies the gang leader, a murderer, and is ordered taken for a “ride” along with the heroine, who had repulsed him. The hero insists that he drive the “death” car. When they reach a tortuous road by the side of a steep hill, the hero drives the car at breakneck speed, and when he sees the gangsters frightened he dares them to shoot ; he threatens to run the car over the enbankment so as to kill every one in the car. Since the gangsters “froze” from fright, the hero asks the heroine to hold them at the point of his pistol. This done, the hero stops the machine and orders the gangsters out. He then rushes to the first railway station and catches the train for a distant part, determined to give up beer running and to live a peaceful life with the heroine as his wife. There is shooting and killing, the usual amount seen in all gangster pictures. 1 he plot has been founded on a story by Dashiell Hammett ; it was directed by Rouben Mamoulian. Sylvia Sidney plays opposite Gary Cooper. Paul Lukas is the murderous racketeer leader. William Boyd, Betty Sinclair and others are in the cast. The talk is clear. Not for children, or for small towns on Sundays. Bad for the nerves of sensitive children. (Not a substitution.) “Indiscreet” — with Gloria Swanson ( United Artists, April 24; running time, 92 min.) Very good! It is a sex story, but it has been handled so well that most of its offensiveness has been offset. There are several situations with deep emotional appeal. There is also considerable comedy in one situation ; it is where young Arthur Lake, in love with Gloria Swanson’s young sister (Barbara Trent), conceives a plan that would, if put into execution, prevent the marriage of his rival (Monroe Owsley), son of a wealthy father, to Barbara Trent. While at the home of Owsley’s father attending a reception given for the purpose of announcing the coming marriage of Monroe to Barbara Trent, he tells Owsley’s father (Henry Kolker) that there is a “teeny-weeny” bit of insanity in Swanson’s family. Kolker believes it and when Gloria, who had been informed by Lake of his act, acted purposely in a peculiar manner at the dinner table, Kolker becomes convinced that Lake had told him the truth. The acts of Gloria Swanson, who is opposed to her sister’s marrying Owsley, and who “puts on an act” to help young Lake, whom she favored as a brother-in-law, cause many hearty laughs. The sexiness of the story comes from the fact that Swanson is shown as having once been the mistress of Monroe Owsley ; she tried to live it down and feared lest Monroe tell Ben Lyon, to whom she was engaged, about their early affair and spoil their coming mariage. Although this matter has been, as said, handled well, yet the former relations of Swanson and Owsley kept to the forefront all the time. In the development of the plot, Swanson so arranges things that her sister catches her making love to Owsley ; Gloria felt it was the only way for her to bring about a break in her sister’s infatuation for him. But in carrying this out, she brings about a misunderstanding with Ben Lyon, and a parting. In the end, however, Lyon returns to her ; he loved her so much that he could not live without her. It is assumed that Lyon had been convinced of Swanson’s loyalty to him. The plot has been founded on a story by DeSylva, Brown and Henderson ; it was directed with great skill by Leo McCarey. The talk is clear. Being a sex play, it is hardly suitable for young folk ; or for a Sunday show in small towns. (Not a substitution.) “The Secret Six” — with Wallace Beery ( MGM , release date, April 18, time, 82 minutes) A gripping gangster story and one of the best of its kind. Obviously not for children; it looms as a striking conception of a phase of American gang life. Adults who like that sort of movie will find it to be one of the most finished in its class. Then, too, the story carries a strong moral. It illustrates that a lawless policy does not pay ; that even the strongest gang organization cannot beat the law. There are shootings and murders galore, but the story does not seek to glorify the gunman ; it pictures him as a factor in society that will eventually be driven forth forever by the better element of society : — A gang of bootleggers is gaining a foothold in a stockyards town near a large city. The men are dominated by a shrewd, unscrupulous lawyer who keeps them out of jail. A worker in the stockyards (Beery) is attracted by the racket and joins the mob. As the gang prospers, so does he. Finally the group grows stronger and attempts to cut in on the leader of the city’s biggest gang. The group succeeds in defeating the big city bootleggers and gain control of the small town. But seeking bigger revenues they move to the city. Beery is now head of the gang, working with the unscrupulous lawyer (Stone). Two newspaper reporters (Brown and Gable) cover the gang’s activities. Interwoven is a romance between a cigarette girl (Harlow), working in the gang’s cafe, and one of the reporters (Brown). Bui when the latter connects the gang with the death of the rival gang leader (Miljan) he is put on the spot at once. Bootlegging has been put on a big business basis and is a cancer in the side of the city. The Secret Six, an organization of business leaders, determines to put an end to the gang’s power. A fixed jury acquits Beery of the reporter’s death, but the Secret Six begin to act. They pursue the gang, surround the block to which the group has fled, break up the mob, and capture most of them after a gun battle. In a dispute over money during their flight, Beery kills Stone. Captured, the gang is doomed because their legal defender has been disposed of. They pay the supreme penalty. The audience is lead to believe, at the conclusion, that the reporter and the cigarette girl will eventually marry. George Hill directed the story. Frances Marion wrote the dialogue and scenario. Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, John Mack Brown, Jean Harlow, Marjorie Rambeau, Paul Hurst, Clark Gable, Ralph Bellamy, John Miljan, DeWitt Jennings, Fletcher Norton, Theodore Von Eltz and others are in the cast. Not for children ; only adults who like action gang stories. Not a Sunday show for small towns. (Out of town review.) “Three Girls Lost” — with Loretta Young, John Wayne, Lew Cody, Joyce Compton, and Joan Marsh {Fox, April 19 ; running time, 7 1^4 min.) A good picture for sophisticated audiences. There is humor and pathos almost all the way through. The humor is caused by the predicaments three girl friends, who hailed from the country and had met in an aeroplane while flying to Chicago, take a room together and try to make both ends meet. The pathos comes from the heartlessness of one of them (Joan Marsh), a young gold-digger, who was cruel towards John Wayne, who loved her, by playing around with Lew Cody. Most of the pathos occurs in the closing scenes, where young Wayne is in jail, accused of the murder of Lew Cody, head of a beer-running gang; young Wayne had been asked pleadingly by Loretta Young to take Joan Marsh home, even though she did not want to go. But she goes out with Lew Cody. An automobile carrying rival gangsters, who were set upon murdering Cody, followed Cody’s automobile. Marsh noticed it and Cody, realizing that rival gangsters were following him, lets her out; she walks home. Her bag, found in the murdered man’s car, leads the detectives to her door. But because she did not tell the truth, her fiance (Wayne) is arrested, accused of the crime. The pleadings of Loretta Young are unable to melt Marsh’s heart of flint to tell the police the truth so as to clear Wayne. Loretta puts up every dollar she has and some she borrowed for the defense of Wayne. Wayne’s innocense is proved and he is liberated. He calls on Marsh and gives her a piece of his mind, telling her he is through with her. He then calls on Loretta and embraces her. The plot has been founded on a story by Robert D. Andrews ; it was directed by Sidney Lanfield. The talk is clear. Not suitable for young folk, and not a good Sunday show for small towns. NOTE: for the substitution facts, see Section Two of this issue.