Harrison's Reports (1932)

102 HARRISON’S REPORTS “Thunder Below” with Tallulah Bankhead, Paul Lukas and Charles Bickford (^Paramount, May 27; running time, 68 min.) One of the worst pictures Paramount has released for some time. Miss Bankhead is again given the part of a moping heroine. The scenario is the poorest seen for a long time, for the characters seem to be doing nothing but walk around, looking unhappy. Nothing that any character does awakens any sympathy. The theme is that of two men in love with the same woman, and the woman, who is married, loves the other man. She shows no character. The background is not extraordinary, either. Paul Lukas is miscast in the role of an oil engineer, working for an oil concern in South America: The hero, manager of an oil producing concern in South America, is going blind. His wife and his best friend are in love with each other but he has no idea of it, for he has great faith in them both. The heroine is unhappy, particularly because she is unable to induce her husband’s friend to forget his loyalty to her husband and respond to their passion. The husband becomes totally blind and cannot understand the queer actions of his wife. He suspects that she has secret relations with an Englishman, a visitor, and is furious; the heroine had kept company with the Englishman in a desire to forget her lover. She decides to go away with the Englishman but the husband sends his friend to find her and to prevent her from going away. The husband follows and finds the friend but is unaware of the fact that his wife is present. He expresses despondency at the fact that he had lost the love of his wife when he loved her with all his heart. The heroine feels sorry and feeling that she hasn’t the heart to leave him now and at the same time knows that life will be one of hell for her she throws herself off the cliff and is killed. The plot has been founded on the book by Thomas Rourlce. It was directed by Richard Wallace. Eugene Pallette, Leslie Fenton, Ralph Forbes and others are in the cast. Unsuitable for children and for Sunday showing. “The Last of the Mohicans” with Harry Carey, Edwina Booth, Junior Coghlan and Hobart Bosworth {A Mascot Serial in Tivelve Chapters.) The serial story “The Vanishing Legion,” produced by Nat Levine with Harry Carey sometime ago, took so well that some of the exhibitors have asked me to review also this one. I do not, as a rule, review short subjects but there is such a shortage of features for reviewing this week that I reviewed it to aid these exhibitors and to help fill the pages. I have seen the first three Chapters and wish to say that there is fast action every moment. Mr. Levine took rare to have something done all the time. He accompanies the action with a lot of noise, supposedly made by the Indians. This keeps one excited. The action revolves around the Chief of the Mohicans and his son, Hobart Bosworth and Junior Coghlan, only remnants of the massacre of the entire tribe by another Indian tribe. The two are cooperating with the English to capture the murderers. Harry Carey is a scout for the English; he is trying to save the General’s daughter, who had fallen into the hands of the French. The French are employing the Chief of another tribe as a spy ; he had a grudge against General Monroe, of the English, and abducted his daughter. The spectator is held in tense suspense in most of the situations. The one where the party is shown riding the rapids is very thrilling. Harry Carey is good, as always. And so are the other members of the cast. If an exhibitor is looking for a serial with action, this is it. In addition, the plot has been founded on the book of James Fennimore Cooper, an old writer, well known not only to Americans but also to the English. “The Last of the Mohicans” was produced as a silent fcature_ several years ago, by Associated Producers. It drew big crowds at that time. “Winner Take All” with James Cagney (IVarner Bros., July 2; running time, 66 min.) A fast-moving comedy ; it will appeal to tlie type of audience that enjoys rough and rovvdyi.sh pictures, for it is June 25, 1932 just that all the way through. The hero is not a sympathetic character for he is conceited, vulgar, and unfaithful to the heroine. There are several demoralizing sex situations in which it is very evident that the hero desires to possess a beautiful young girl who had been leading him on, for he remarks on several occasions that he is “hot” and burning up. The fight scenes are good, especially the last one in which the hero is determined to knock out his opponent in fifteen minutes. The whole atmosphere of the Picture is vulgar : — The hero, a pugilist, is forced to leave New York and go out West for a rest cure. At the sanitarium he meets the heroine, a former night club entertainer in New York, who was out there with her child for his health. She was a widow. She and the hero fall in love. When he learns she is short of funds he engages in a fight, at the risk of his health, and wins two thousand dollars. He pays her debt without her knowledge. He is ordered back to New York by his manager. He promises to be faithful to the heroine. Once in New York he again indulges in drinking and meets a beautiful young society girl. He is very much infatuated with her and wants to marry her. He forgets all about the heroine. He has a plastic surgeon fix up his nose and ear so as to make himself presentable. But this loses favor both with the heroine and his fans for he refuses to do real fighting, always covering up his face. During an important fight he learns that the girl was running away from New York. He forgets about his face and indulges in a fierce battle, beating his opponent. He dashes down to the boat pier, beats up his rival, kicks the girl and satisfied with himself, rushes back. He becomes reconciled with the heroine, telling her that the other girl had never meant anything to him. The plot was adapted from a story by Gerald Beaumont. It was directed by Roy Del Ruth. In the cast are Marian Nixon, Guy Kibbee, Clarence Muse, Virginia Bruce, Dickie Moore, and others. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing. Substitution Facts: “Winner Take AH” is replacing No. 364, “Pleasure First,” by Marjorie Fischer. It is a story substitution and you are not obligated to accept it. But it is a good picture of its kind. “Week Ends Only” with Joan Bennett {Fox, }une 19; running time, 69 min.) Terrible ! It is boresome and long-drawn out ; it has ton much talk and little action. The plot is obvious and, although the heroine arouses some sympathy, it is not enough to hold the interest. It is demoralizing to some degree for the heroine is being constantly bothered by a wealthy man who wants to make her his mistress and who offers her wealth and ease. The hero does not win any sympathy becau.se of his stupid behaviour towards the heroine and his refusal to listen to her explanations : — The heroine’s father loses all his money in the stock market. Their former butler is manager of a high class speakeasy and employs the heroine as a hostess. She earns additional money by going to week-end parties as hostess and general entertainer. Her next door neighbor at the place where she is living is a young struggling artist (hero). They meet and fall in love. He cannot understand what sort of work she is doing that it should keep her out nights but she refuses to tell him. One of her clients, a wealthy bachelor, offers her luxury if she will become his mistress. She refuses. When he learns of her interest in the hero, he invites him to his week-end place to consult him about some paintings. When the hero sees the heroine there he thinks the worst of her. He changes his portrait of her from an innocent young woman, to a woman who listens to the devil’s temptings. This portrait wins a scholarship for him. The heroine feels humiliated. Wanting to forget the hero, she accepts her wealthy client’s offer and agrees to sail with him. But the hero, who had learned the truth about the heroine’s occupation follows her to the boat and they are reconciled. The plot was adapted from a novel by Warner Fabian. It was directed by Alan Crosland. In the cast are Ben Lyon, John Halliday, Halliwell Hobbes, Henry Armetta, John Arledge, and others. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing. Good, perhaps, for sex-bent persons. Substitution Facts : “Week Ends Only” is replacing No. 338, “Swindle,” which was to have been adapted from a story by Charles Francis Coe. It is a story substitution.