Harrison's Reports (1932)

54 HARRISON’S REPORTS “The Gay Caballero” with George O’Brien and Victor McLaglen {Fox, Feb. 28; running time, 62 min.) Fair entertainment. At times it is slow-moving and tedious ; the story is somewhat illogical. The most exciting situation is in the end where the hero rescues the heroine from the designing attempts of her uncle to marry her off to a man of his choice. The hero and the heroine arouse some sympathy. There is the usual good horseback riding and the scenic background is excellent : — The hero, graduated from college, comes west at the invitation of a friend. He is told that his father had lost all his money in a venture and that he is now a pauper. He goes to work for his friend. He meets the heroine, a wealthy Mexican girl. Her uncle is noted for his cruelty. His one desire is to set up a kingdom by ousting the rightful owners of property and putting in his own people. He is being thwarted by a man known as El Coyote, a bandit, who robs to help the poor. The hero learns that his friend is El Coyote and joins forces with him when he learns of the mistreatment towards the natives. The heroine’s uncle tries to prevent her from seeing the hero for he wants her to marry the man of his choice, which she refuses. El Coyote gives himself up to the police in order to procure the release of his men who had been captured. But the chief officer refuses to believe he is the bandit. El Coyote is freed and promises never to ride again. The hero saves the heroine from being forced into a marriage with her uncle’s choice. The uncle is killed by a Mexican whose property and home he had ruined. The hero and the heroine are united. The plot was adapted from a story by Tom Gill. It was directed by Alfred Werker. In the cast are Conchita Montenegro, Linda Watkins, C. Henry Gordon and others. Because of the fact that men are shown taking the law into their own hands, it is unsuitable for children or for Sunday showing. Substitution Facts : In the contract 339 is listed as “Royal Road to Romance,’’ from the story by Richard Halliburton, and since “The Gay Caballero” is based on a story by Tom Gill, it is a story substitution. “The Shadow Between” (B. I. P., April 1 ; running tune, 75 min.) An interesting drama. The story material is good, but it has not been produced as well as it should have been. The chief fault is that it is too theatrical and long drawn out, particularly in the last half, tending to detract one’s attention. The characters are fairly sympathetic, the heroine. who at all times is shown as being noble, courageous and kind, being the most sympathetic. There is some suspense towards the end when there is danger of the hero and the heroine being parted : — After being happily married for two years, the heroine is plunged into despair when her husband commits suicide because of money troubles. She goes back to her father’s parish but his bigotry and selfishness make her unhappy. While out walking she meets the hero, a friend of her neighbor’s. They become friends. Feeling sorry for her the hero offers to marry her and to permit her to live in his home. She is to be his wife in name only. She accepts his proposal and they are married. She travels most of the time. In the meantime, the hero falls in love with her; he does not know that she, too, loves him. They find out their love for each other too late. The hero’s firm goes into bankruptcy. His partner commits suicide and the hero, an innocent victim, goes to jail. The heroine goes to work. She is framed by one of her co-workers and sent to jail. This makes her happy for now she and the hero are on an equal footing. On the day of his freedom the heroine, in an attempt to save the woman who had framed her. and who was now her friend, is almost involved in a robbery committed by the woman. But the woman repents and not only takes the blame for the robbery but confesses she was the hero’s partner’s mistress and gives evidence to the heroine showing that the hero was free of guilt. The hero and the heroine are united. The plot was adapted from a story by Dion Titheradge. It was directed by Norman Walker. Godfrey Tearle and Kathleen O’Regan both give excellent performances. Others in the cast are Olga Lindo, Henry Caine, Henry Wenman and Arthur Chesney. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing. April 2, 1932 “The Crowd Roars” with James Cagney {Warner Bros., April 16; time, 84 min.) Because of the thrilling racing scenes, particularly of those in the second race, in which a man is burned to death when the gasoline catches fire, “The Crowd Roars” will thrill the masses. But to tender-hearted persons and to those who have a nervous disposition, the scenes of the burning will prove too horrible. The sight of cars running at terrific speed and colliding, turning somersault in the air and leaving death in their wake, will not be relished by such persons either. Women will feel likewise. The story itself is demoralizing in that the hero is shown living with a woman, this fact being brought out very clearly. There are other demoralizing situations. The character of the hero is bad all the way through, except toward the end where his reformation is effected : — The hero, a famous automobile racer, returns for a visit to his home town, where his father and younger brother live. His brother begs to be taken with him when he leaves for his ambition is to become a racer, too. The hero tries to dissuade him but after watching him drive decides to take him. The hero had been living with the heroine, but now that his brother was with him he finds it necessary to live differently. This is resented by the heroine. She is griefstricken when the hero finally deserts her for he feels his brother is innocent and he wants to keep him that way. The heroine asks her girl friend to go after the younger brother. She does and this angers the hero. But the girl and the brother fall in love. During a race in which the two brothers and the hero’s pal are to run, the hero tries to beat his brother. The pal, sensing trouble, drives between them. This angers the hero and he bumps his car into his pal’s. The pal’s car swerves off the track, sets on fire and the pal is burned to death. Conscience-stricken the hero sinks low and no one hears from him. His brother and the girl marry and are happy. At an important race the brothers are reunited. So are the hero and the heroine. The brother gives the hero a chance to prove that he is still a good racer. The plot was adapted from a story by Howard Hawks, and directed by him. In the cast are Ann Dvorak, Eric Linden, Guy Kibbee, Frank McHugh, and others. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing. Not a picture for women. There is drinking. (Not a substitution). — “Tarzan, the Ape Man” {MGM., Apr. 2 ; running time, gg min.) Very entertaining. It is filled with suspensive stiuations and contains much comedy. The story is hardly believeable but this is soon forgotten in the many thrills presented. Johnny Weissmuller, the famous swimmer, who enacts the part of Tarzan, is agile and strong, and it is exciting to watch him swing from tree to tree, climb trees, and dive from a dizzy height into the water. The situations in which Tarzan fights lions and other animals, even though “faked,” are exciting; they are so well done that they appear real. Most of the comedy is caused b}’ the antics of the apes, who are Tarzan’s friends. In one situation in which the heroine tends Tarzan, who had been wounded, the small ape is so grateful to her that he puts his arm around her, pats her face and kisses her. The most thrilling situation is towards the end when the heroine, her father and another man are captured by a tribe of vicious dwarf tribesmen, who attempt to torture them to death. By a peculiar cry known to the animals, Tarzan gets together a herd of elephants, who break down the camp of the tribesmen and rescue the party. The animal scenes have been worked into the picture very well, particularly during one situation in which the heroine’s party attempts to cross water infested by hippopotami and crocodiles. The story revolves around the attempts of the heroine’s father and his friend to locate the spot where elephants go to die and which naturally contains a fortune in ivory. During their travels the heroine is captured by Tarzan, a wild man living with animals. They become friendly and fall in love with each other. Her father dies just as he locates the spot. She decides to give up civilized life so as to be with Tarzan. The plot was adapted from stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was directed by W. S. Van Dike. In the cast are Neil Hamilton, Maureen O’Sullivan, C. Aubrey Smith, and others. Children will no doubt find this exciting; suitable for Sunday showing. (Not a substitution).