Harrison's Reports (1932)

February 6, 1932 HARRISON’S REPORTS 23 “Emma” with Marie Dressier {MGM, release date not yet set; 72 min.) Your customers will cry when they see this picture and will be glad that they cried, because they will be in sympathy with the acts and the thoughts of the most important characters. The scene, for instance, where young Cromwell, while flying in stormy weather in the North, grounds in a northern airfield and chances to read a newspaper, for the first time learning that Marie Dressier, the housekeeper of their family, who reared them all after their mother’s death at childbirth, is in trouble, should stir one’s emotions deeply, for young Cromwell, unlike his brothers and sisters, who were against Aliss Dressier, sends her a telegram encouraging her to “keep up a stiff upper lip,” and informing her that he is on his way to help her. The scene after Dressler’s acquittal, where she is shown receiving the telegram and at the same time the news of his death as a result of an accident, should melt a heart of granite. The closing scenes, where Miss Dressier is shown again as the housekeeper of a large family, caring for young ones, is another part that will move one, particularly her request that the baby be named Ronnie, the name of the boy who had been killed, and whom she loved like her own son. There are other situations that are charged with human interest. But deep human appeal is not the only characteristic of the film ; there is plentiful comedy in it. The most laughprovoking situation is that which shows Richard Cromwell, Marie Dressler’s “baby,” tricking her into entering the mechanism that taught young men how to fly without leaving the ground. This situation causes roars of laughter. Children in particular, will find it extremely amusing ; — The heroine, housekeeper to a wealthy family, takes complete charge of the family when the mother dies after childbirth. She looks after the children as if they were her own. But she lavished her greatest love on the young one, a boy. He, too, was fond of her. After years of hard work she decided to take a vacation. She is at the railroad station, ready to go to Niagara Falls, when her feeling of being away from “her children” makes her change her mind ; she decides to remain. But Jean Hersholt, the father of the family, when he sees this, buys a ticket himself to go with her as the only way for him to induce her to go. At Niagara, Hersholt proposes to Marie. At first she is rather embarrassed and bashful but he persists and she finally agrees to marry him. They marry. The children, with the exception of young Cromwell, are shocked to think that their father had married his housekeeper. The father dies and the children bring suit for the breaking of the will, which left everything to Dressier. During the trial the lawyer for the plaintiffs tries to make the jury believe that she had purposely murdered Hersholt so as to inherit his fortune. The young boy learns of it while flying North and, despite the blizzard, takes off and flies homeward with a view to testifying in favor of Miss Dressier, whom he loved as his own mother. But he is killed on the way. The news of his death reaches her shortly after her acquital. She divides the fortune among the children, keeping nothing for herself. She then obtains a position as a housekeeper with a doctor in New Jersey, who had a large family. She thus again finds happiness caring for little ones. Qarence Brown directed it with the greatest of skill, from a story by Frances Marion. Myrna Loy, John Miljan, Purnell B. Pratt, Leila Bennett, Barbara Kent, Kathryn Crawford, and others are in the cast. “Emma” is suitable for every member of the family, on any day of the week. It is destined to make a great success, proving to the producers that not “dirt” but human interest is what most picture-goers want in their entertainment. “West of Broadway” with John Gilbert (MGM, Nov. 28; running time, 65j4 min.) This is one of the poorest pictures that MGM has fumed out in a long while. The story is insipid and the characters are worse than that. For instance, the heroine is a party girl, and the hero is a drunkard and behaves like a cad. There is little human interest and mt much sympathy felt for any of the characters. One of the most disgusting situations is where the hero makes the heroine believe he loves her and that he will accept her as his wife, so that she will give herself to him. She finds out the deception the next morning, and learns that he wants to pay her off to leave him. There is one situation that was meant to be serious but had the opposite reaction on the audience ; it is where the hero is supposed to be trembling and shaking because of illness. What it really looked like was a shimmy dance, and the audience, where I reviewed this picture, broke into loud laughter. the plot was adapted from a story by Ralph Graves and Bess Meredyth. It was directed by Harry Beaumont. In the cast are Lois Moran, Madge Evans, El Brendel, Ralph Bellamy, Frank Conroy, and others. The talk is clear. (Not a substitution.) Unsuitable for children or for Sunday showing. “The Menace” (Columbioj Jan. 25 ; running time, 64 min.) There is so much action and such tense suspense in the story that it will, no doubt, entertain, particularly noncritical picturegoers. But the construction of the plot is childish. For instance, the characters talk aloud in order for the audience to know what they are up to. But this loud talk occurs at places where whispering was essential. At other times, the players act without rime or reason. How could the hero have proved that he had not committed the second murder, had the guilty man refused to confess? Offhand one might blame R. William Neil, the director, but Mr. Neil’s work is invariably so good that one feels as if he were disgusted with the scenario himself : — The hero had been sentenced to life for the murder of his father. He is innocent and is certain that the crime had been committed by his stepmother and her tw'o accomplices. He escapes from prison in an aeroplane and goes to America. He engages in the oil business and becomes wealthy. He is caught in a fire at the oil well and his face is scarred. A plastic surgeon operates on him and the operation is so successful that no one recognizes him. He returns to his home in England to find that his stepmother and her assistants are anxious to sell the estate which is in the bailiff’s hands. The hero poses as an American interested in the estate. He further makes believe that he is in love with his stepmother and proposes marriage to her. She accepts and he presents her with a diamond necklace. The hero is overjoyed to find the heroine, his sweetheart, in his home. She is the bailiff’s assistant. At first he does not tell her who he is. He finally unravels the case and proves that his stepmother and her accomplices were guilty of the crime. The hero and the heroine are united. The plot was adapted from a story by Edgar Wallace, and directed by Roy William Neill. In the cast are H. B. Warner, Bette Davis, Walter Byron, Natalie Moorhead, William Davidson, and others. The talk is clear. (Not a substitution.) Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing, even though most children, except sensitive ones, may enjoy it. “A Woman Commands” with Pola Negri (RKO, Feb. 12; running time, 83 minues) Poor ! It is the story of King Alexander of Serbia, now Jugoslavia, who was murdered by officers of the Army for having married an actress and made her Queen. The only difference is that Maria Draga, the Queen, who was murdered at that time, is not murdered in the picture ; she is allowed to escape, with the hero. It is not clear what values the producers saw in such a story, for it is gruesome, in that it deals with cold-blooded murders, and the chief characters are unsympathetic. In addition, stories dealing with kingdoms and lustful kings are not in much favor just now. In the story the heroine is shoi^m in love with an officer, but the King, who happened to see her at a theatre, becomes so infatuated with her that he wants her; and because she would not have him he induces her to marry him. Thus he makes her his queen. But some army officers, feeling that he had disgraced their country by his elevating to the throne of the Kingdom a, what they think is, prostitute woman, conspire against them. After murdering the king, they send the queen out of the country, making her abdicate on her part as well as the part of her baby son. The plot was adapted from a story by Thilde Forster. It was directed b>' Paul Stein. In the cast are H. B. Warner, Roland Young, Basil Rathbone, Anthony Bushell, Reginald Owen, and others. The talk is clear. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing, for one situation deals with sex. although subtly. Substitution Facts: “A Woman Commands” is taking the place of the Hope Williams production, which w'as to have been based on a story by J. H. Lawson called “Penthouse.” Since the finished product is based on a ston' by Thilde Forster and Hope Williams is not the star it is a story and star substitution and you are not obligated to accept it.