Harrison's Reports (1932)

March 26, 1932 51 HARRISON’S REPORTS “Hotel Continental” with Peggy Shannon {Tiffany, Feb. 21; running time, 67 min.) A good drama. It holds one in suspense to the very end. All the action takes place in a hotel, and centers around the hero’s attempt to find money he had embezzled and hidden in the hotel five years previously. It is exciting throughout, especially in the situation in which the heroine’s accomplices attempt to take the money from the hero. There is not much sympathy felt for either the hero or the heroine because they are both crooks, but towards the end each shows himself to be noble : — .... A famous hotel is crowded with people, it being its last night, for the following day it is to be demolished. The hero, just out of prison, registers at the hotel. His one desire is to find money he had hidden there five years previously. But he is not the only one interested in the money ; the heroine and her accomplices, crooks, are there watching for him. Detectives are there, too, watching the hero’s every move. The heroine, through a ruse, becomes friendly with the hero. He takes her into his confidence and tells her he will marry her and they will live in ease for the rest of their lives. She believes him and does not want to double-cross him with her pals. But they force her to do so, and she gives the signal when the hero digs out the money. Her pals come down to the room and take it from the hero. He hates the heroine when he finds out her part in the scheme. The heroine regrets it and at the point of a gun takes the money away from her pals. She is shot and wounded, but is able to get back to the hero with the money. When he sees that she is wounded he gives up all thought of leaving; he calls for a doctor and for the defective, having decided to give up the money. The plot was adapted from a story by F. Hugh Herbert and Paul Perez. It was directed by Christy Cabanne. In the cast are Theodore VonEltz, Alan Mowbray, J. Farrell MacDonald, Rockcliffe Fellowes, and others. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing. (Not a substitution). “Polly of the Circus” with Marion Davies and Clark Gable (MGM., Feb. 27; running time, 69 vtin.) slow-moving, hackneyed and dull comedy-drama, barely holding one’s attention. In addition, it is offensive, and will be resented not only by the Protestant ministry but by all churches. In one situation where the hero gives the bible to the heroine she remarks that she will read the “hot” parts, .^t another time when she is talking to him she says that if he were married his wife would have to sleep in the wood-shed during Lent. At different times she complains bitterly about the fact that the hero is so attached to the church. Another situation that may be resented is where the heroine is shown going to the minister’s (hero’s) room in her night-clothes, and although the situation is harmless it is undignified. The few entertaining moments are those in which some clever trapeze work is done : — The heroine, a trapeze performer in a circus, falls to the ground when she misses a difficult jump. The hero, minister of the town's church, has her taken to his home. She is forced to stay there two months. During that time they become friends and the night before she is to leave they confess their love to each other. Despite the objection of his uncle, a bishop, they marry. He loses his post as minister of the church and is forced to seek employment outside of the church. He is not very successful. The heroine calls on his uncle and begs him to do something for the hero. He refuses, and the heroine tells him she will leave the hero so as not to interfere with his career. She goes back to the circus, letting the hero believe there is another man. But the bishop repents for having misjudged her and tells the hero the truth. They both rush to the circus in time to prevent the heroine from killing herself. The plot was adapted from the play by Margaret Mayo. It was directed by .Alfred Santell. In the cast are C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Hatton, David Landau, and others. The treatment of the plot and its direction do not do justice to Miss Davies’ acting ability. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing. (Not a substitution). “Play Girl” with Loretta Young and Winnie Lightner (Warner Bros., March 12; running time, 60 min.) A fair picture, with a bad moral, for it advocates more or less gambling. For instance, in two situations the heroine, who despised gambling, is shown betting on a horse. She did this because she needed money and both times she is shown winning. The hero is an unsympathetic character for it is shown that he married the heroine without telling her his real profession, that of a gambler, making her think he had a good position. Again he is shown deserting the heroine w’hen he knew she was to become a mother. 3 here is much suggestive and dirty talk throughout the picture. The picture may be described as an unsuccessful second edition of “Bad Girl.” It is in poor taste The heroine, a salesgirl, determines not to marry but instead to make a career for herself. But when she meets the hero, he sweeps her off her feet and after a short courtship they marry. She thinks he has an excellent position and is disillusioned when she learns he is a gambler by profession. She tells him she will leave him unless he stops gambling. He promises her he will but he cannot refrain from gambling. He is happy when she tells him she is going to have a baby. He gets a position and they start a joint savings account. She is heartbroken when she finds out he had taken ninety dollars out of the account. She orders him to leave. He does and later she is heartbroken when s'ne finds that he had bought a baby carriage for the money. He does not return and she is left to make a living for herself. She is destitute and although she despises gambling she puts her last Fifty dollars on a horse to win. A friend of her husband’s tries to do her out of the money. She weeps and the hero, who had come to the same betting place, sees her. She faints and he rushes her to a hospital. The baby is born and the hero and the heroine are reconciled, never to part again. The plot was adapted from a story by Maurine Watkins. It was directed by Ray Enright. In the cast are Norman Foster, Guy Kibbee, James Ellison, Dorothy Burgess and others. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing. Substitution Facts : In the contract 377 is listed as “Big Hearted Bertha,” by Leona Wilkins. Since “Play Girl” has been adapted from a story by Maurine Watkins, it is a story substitution and you are not obligated to accept it. “Ghost City” with Bill Cody and Andy Shuford (Monogram, Mar. IS; running time, 60 min.) An entertaining Western. It has action and suspense. Most of the excitement is caused by the hero’s defiance of the villain and his threats to print in his newspaper the truth about the villain. There is human interest and syrnpathy felt for the hero when the heroine believes his shooting of one of the villain’s men was only his desire to show off : — The hero edits a newspaper. The villain threatens him and orders him to leave town, but the hero refuses telling the villain he will print all he knows about him. He takes the villain’s step-son in his employ for the boy was being mistreated by the villain. They set up shop in the heroine’s store. The hero, in self defense, is forced to kill one of the villain’s men. This angers the heroine who hated bloodshed. She leaves the town. Gold is found in a claim owned by the heroine. The hero risks his life in order to get her claim papers from the villain. He finally succeeds. By this time the heroine realizes how she had misjudged the hero and they are united. The plot was adapted from a story by Harry Fraser and G. Durham. It was directed by Harry Fraser. In the cast are Helen Foster, Walter Miller, Kate Campbell and others. Suitable for children and for Sunday showing where Westerns are shown on such day. TALKING ABOUT KEEPING PROMISES! For two years the Fox Home office has promised its sales forces a bonus of $70,000 each year if they should exert their best efforts to increase the sales ; for two years the sales forces worked hard and brought results, but for two years the Home Office failed to keep its promises. The result has been that the morale of the men in the field is shot to pieces. We know, of course, that the Fox Film Corporation is not in a position to offer bonuses in these days. But why do the Home Office executives make such promises ? Would it not have been better if the condition of the company were explained to the men and their help for the increase of sales asked? The Fox sales forces are entitled to the bonuses promised them for two consecutive years. If they do not get them, the sane men in the industry will feel that a great injustice has been done to them. Harrison’s Reports will watch closely to see what the Fox Home Office will do in this matter.