Harrison's Reports (1932)

18 HARRISON’S REPORTS “The Man I Killed” with Lionel Barrymore, Phillips Holmes and Nancy Carroll {Paramount, Jan. 23; running time, 75 min.) Of those who will see this picture with a critical eye, none will gainsay that it is a piece of art so far as direction and acting is concerned ; but it can be hardly called an entertainment, for it is too depressing. There are tearful situations, it is true, but they are the kind that leave one in a frame of mind of having attended a funeral, for there are shown mothers visiting a graveyard and mourning over the graves of their loved ones ; fathers grieving for their sons, killed in action ; people with hatred in their hearts against other people as a result of the war. And there is nothing to relieve the gloomy atmosphere. Instead of entertaining all those who will see it, it will bring back unhappy memories to them. Even though the hero is in the end relieved of his tragic thoughts when the parents of the boy he had killed at the front feel towards him as their own son, a fact which brings happiness to him, yet the feeling of depression is not driven off one’s mind. The story revolves around the unhappiness of a young French soldier caused by his having killed a young German soldier on the battlefield. Knowing the name and the address of the boy, which he had found in a book next to the body, he determines to go to the boy’s parents, confess to them and seek their forgiveness. Once there, however, he cannot force himself to tell them. They think he is an old Parisian friend of their son’s. They learn to love him as their own son and pray that he will remain with them. The hero falls in love with the heroine, who had been the German boy’s fiancee. He confesses to her, but she refuses to allow him to tell the boy’s parents because of the great pain it would cause them. Instead he tells them he will stay with them always. At last the parents feel some happiness again. The plot was adapted from the play by Maurice Rostand. In the cast are Tom Douglas, Zasu Pitts, Lucien Littlefield, Louise Carter and others. The talk is clear. Although there is nothing morally objectionable in the picture, it is too morbid for children or for Sunday showing. “The Last Ride” (Universal, December 28 ; running time, 62 min.) Not only is the story poor but also the acting is terrible. It is a racketeer story, in which the leader of one of the factions is brother to a newspaper reporter, who has been assigned to get the stuff on racketeering. The dramatic punch is supposed to be delivered when the reporter learns that Big Boy, who had been murdered by the rival faction, his body having been thrown in front of his house, is his own brother. To continue the dramatic effect, the reporter is shown as having joined the rival gang under an assumed name with the purpose of finding out the man who had murdered his brother and so to avenge his death. To accomplish this, he has the editor of the paper use his influence to bring about his acquaintance with the leader of the murderous gang. But the acting is so mechanical that hardly any effect is produced upon one’s emotions and feelings. Even if the direction and the acting were of the best, gangster stories have now fallen into disrepute and it is hard to arouse any interest in them. Arthur Hoerle wrote the story ; Duke Worne has directed it. Dorothy Revier, Virginia Brown Faire, Charles Morton, Frank Mayo, Tom Santschi, Francis Ford and others are in the cast. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing. “No One Man” with Carole Lombard, Paul Lukas and Ricardo Cortez (Paramount, Jan. 30; running time, 71 min.) A demoralizing sex picture with hardly anv human interest. The characters arouse no sympathy. The heroine is a loose-living young girl, who indulges every whim of the moment. Marriage is treated as a joke and just as one step towards indiscreet affairs. The heroine’s husband, although presumably in love with the heroine, carries on affairs with other women to such an extent that it ruins his health. There is one extremelv u?rlv situation in which the husband, regardless of the doctor’s warnings, goes to the room of his “flame.” A short while later he is found dead there, and the reason for it is easv to under.stand. Another ugly situation is where the heroine’s maid attempts to commit suicide. She had listened to the heroine’s talk about free love and tried it 0"t. onlv to find that she could not take the consequences. The story is inane, useless and at times even ridiculous. As a matter of fact it is iust so much filthy trash: — The heroine, a wealthy society girl, once divorced, is contcmnlating marriage with a young sportsman. She knows he has had many affairs but she hopes that he will change to January 30, 1932 some extent after they are married. During a party she discovers him making love to an old flame of his. This disgusts her and she determines not to marry him. She is interested in the hero, a hard-workng physician. He proposes to her and although she does not love him she agrees to marry him. They elope. The sportsman follows them and forces the heroine to change her mind and marry him instead. The hero is thoroughly disgusted at the heroine when she consents to do this. After a year of marriage she finds that it is really the doctor she loved all the time. Her husband does not work, does not feel any qualms about being supported by her, and continues having his affairs with women. The doctor warns him of his heart condition and tells him he must abstain from physical indulgence. Thinking this a plot on the part of the doctor to keep him away from the heroine, he purposely visits his flame. He is found dead in her room. The heroine gives up her flighty way of living and becomes a nurse in the hero’s sanitarium. Eventually they are united. The plot was adapted from the novel by Rupert Hughes. It was directed by Lloyd Corrigan. In the cast are Juliette Compton, George Barbier, Virginia Hammond, Arthur Pierson, Frances Moffett and Irving Bacon. The talk is clear. Poison for children. Unsuitable for Sunday showing. “Deadline” with Buck Jones (Columbia, Sept, 28; running time, 64 min.) An excellent Western. It has human interest, much action, and holds one in suspense to the very end. In addition the hero and the heroine are shown as being people of fine chasacter; the hero, for instance, released from prison, retuses to be friendly with the heroine, although he loved her, until he proved his innocence, for he did not want to involve her or affect her reputation. The heroine, in turn, regardless of the town gossips, tries to induce the hero to be friendly, for she had always believed in his innocense. There is some good comedy, too, caused by the endeavors of a lovable young boy to bring the two lovers together. The friendship between this boy and the hero is appealing. As a matter oi fact the picture is far more entertaining tlian many of the feature pictures that have been shown recently in uie large downtown theatres : — The hero, after having served one year of a five year sentence for manslaughter, is paroled. The warden warns him that one false step will land him back in jail. He returns to his home town determined to find the real murderer. He is snubbed by all but the heroine, her father, who is the town banker, a young boy, and two old cronies of his. He determines, however, not to be friendly with the heroine until he has proved his innocense. The only clue he has to the real murderer is a letter that had been found on the murdered man, which showed that he was after a man named Clink, wanted in Texas. He suspects a certain man (villain). The villain is after the heroine, but she repulses him. He involves the hero in another murder by stealing his horse so that it might be seen by witnesses near where the murder had been committed. Again the hero is put in jail. But the villain frees him so as to get the Sheriff and his men to chase him ; this act would leave the coast clear for him to rob the bank. But the hero had overheard all this and is successful in capturing the villain, returning the money, and rewinning the love of the heroine. The story was written and directed by Lambert Hillyer in a very competent manner. In the cast are Loretta Sayers, Robert Ellis, Knute Erickson, George Ernst and others. The talk is clear. Suitable for children and for Sunday showing. “University of Southern California — Notre Dame Football Game” (Sono Art-World Wide; released nozo; 45 min.) This is a condensed account of the football game that was played between the University of Southern California and Notre Dame. It is naturally exciting, as all well played football games are. particularly for football fans; and there are millions of them. It is shown just as played, in four ouarters. The picture contains the most important plays of the game. It might prove a good attraction as an addition to the program, provided the lateness in releasing it has not hurt its drawing powers. If you expect to show it, you should be careful to make it plain to your patrons that this is not a drama, and that it is merely a photographic reproduction of the .game just as it 'vas plaved at South Bend, Indiana, on November 21, last vear in which Notre Dame was defeated for the first time in years.