Harrison's Reports (1932)

114 HARRISON’S REPORTS “Miss Pinkerton” with Joan Blondell and George Brent (First National, July 30; running time, 65 min.) A fairly good murder mystery melodrama with the usual chilling situations and suspicious characters. There is one very bad scene in which a coffin, supposed to contain the body of the murdered man, is shown being carried out of tlie house. The audience at the theatre where I reviewed this picture expressed their disapproval by booing. The suspense is held to the end because on several occasions the heroine’s life is endangered. The audience did not seem to take the story seriously, at times laughing at some of the supposed serious situations : — The heroine is a nurse. Craving excitement, she accepts a position as nurse to an old woman in whose home her nepliew had been murdered. The inspector of police (hero) enlists the heroine’s aid to help him find the murderer. During the course of events somebody substitutes poison for the sleeping powder which the heroine gave to the old woman. The woman dies and the doctor who had been treating the case insists that the heroine be held. Eventually the murderer of both the man and the woman is discovered. By this time the hero and heroine had fallen in love with each other. The plot was adapted from a story by Mary Roberts Rinehart. It was directed by Lloyd Bacon. In the cast are Holmes Herbert, Donald Dilloway, Ruth Hall, Mary Doran, C. Henry Gordon, and others. Sensitive children may be frightened ; otherwise suitable for children and for Sunday showing. Substitution facts: “Miss Pinkerton’’ is replacing No. 676, listed on the contract as “As Good As New,” from the stage hit by Thompson Buchanan. It is a story and star substitution and you are not compelled to accept it. “Hollywood Speaks” with Genevieve Tobin and Pat O’Brien (Columbia, June 25; running time, 69 min.) Fair ! There is some human interest but the story is slow and has little comedy relief. The heroine is not a sympathetic character as she does not display a sense of loyalty or appreciation for people who had helped her. She is spineless. Of course, at the end she redeems herself by sacrificing her career for the sake of the hero. But it does not help much. The picture will not add much to the prestige of Hollywood because of its general atmosphere and the behavior of some of the characters : — The heroine lives in Hollywood and dreams of being a motion picture star. Despondent, she attempts to take poison in front of a well known theatre but is stopped by the hero who happened to be passing by. He promises to make her a star by starting a good publicity campaign. After he gets her in she refuses to take his advice and becomes involved with a director who had an evil reputation. The director’s wife kills herself. A blackmailer had in his possession a letter written by the dead woman in which the heroine’s name was mentioned. Frightened, she appeals to the hero to get it. He goes with her to the blackmailer’s home and during a fight the blackmailer falls from the window to his death. The heroine confesses all to the police in order to save the hero. The scandal means the end of her career but she is happy in her love for the hero who proposes marria.ge to her. The plot was adapted from a story by Jo Swerling and Norman Krasna. It w'as directed by Eddie Buzzell. In the cast are Leni Stengel, Rita La Roy, Ralf Harolde, Lucien Prival, and others. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showing. (Not a substitution.) “Freaks” (MGM, Feh. 20; running time, 61 min.) This picture was reviewed from the press-sheet in the issue of February 27, on page 35. There was also an editorial comment about it in the issue of April 0, on page 60. From what some exhibitors wrote me about the picture, the press-sheet review and the editorial were so accurate in the appraisal that no review of the picture itself was necessary. But since the picture came to town this week I went to see it out of curiosity. Not even the most morbidly inclined could possiblv find this picture to their liking. Saying that it is horrible is putting it mildly : it is revolting to the extent of turning one’s stomach, and onlv an iron constitution could withstand its effects. To begin with, the story itself is demoralizing and ugly; it deals with a .sensual normal woman who July 16, 1932 marries a midget, and then attempts to poison him so as to get his fortune. And then the poor creatures that are displayed ; one feels such extreme pity for them that ever; if there were something to the story it could not possibly entertain any one, because of the revulsion one feels in watching them. Any one who considers this entertainment should be placed in the pathological ward in some hospital. The plot was adapted from a story by Tod Robbins. It was directed by Tod Browning. In the cast are Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova, Roscoe Ates, and others. Terrible for children or for Sunday showing. “Saddle Buster” with Tom Keene (KKO Fathe, Mar. 19; running time, 57 min.) A fair western with human interest and some suspense. There is good horseback riding especially during the situations in which a rodeo show takes place for men are shown breaking wild horses and bucking steers. There is some excitement in the closing scene where the hero is shown trying to break a wild horse that had once thrown him, injuring him severely. The hero arouses sympathy because he has a good character, holding no malice against a man who had wronged him once, and even risking his life to help the man when he needed help most : — 'I'he hero, a mountain boy, joins up with a rodeo outfit and because of his ability is considered the best rider in it. This angers the man who had formerly been considered the best rider. The heroine, daughter of the owner of the rodeo show, is in love with the hero, but he is at first attracted by one of the other girls in the show. The hero is dared by the other good rider to break a wild horse that had a reputation for throwing and crippling men. He takes the dare and is thrown. He is hurt and so frightened that he cannot ride again. He learns that the other man had tampered with his saddle. He realizes that it is the heroine he really loves. But he leaves the outfit until he can regain his courage. He comes back after a time in order to have it out with his enemy. He finds that he had himself been thrown by the horse and crippled and that money was needed to cure him. The hero enters the show, riding the same bad horse. He wins the prize money and gives it to the other man. Hero and heroine are united. The plot was adapted from a story by Cherry Wilson. It was directed by Fred Allen. In the cast are Helen Foster, Mary Quillan, Robert Frazer, and others. Suitable for children and for Sunday showing. “Million Dollar Legs” with Jack Oakie (Paramount, July 8; running time, 61 min.) An uproarious comedy that has absolutely no sense but many laughs. The story is fantastic, but so many of the situations are hilarious that the interest is held to the end. The story revolves around a mythical kingdom that finds itself impoverished. The king declares his cabinet must find money, but they are interested only in throwing him out. But this they cannot do until they develop more strength for the king can throw all of them. The hero, a brush salesman, bumps into and falls in love with the king’s daughter. He thinks up a clever scheme. All the men in the mythical country are excellent athletes, so he will enter them in the Olympic games. The king’s chief assistant can run faster than a train ; another man can jump across streams. But the cabinet is determined that the athletes will not enter, for if they win the country will have money and they will not be able to get rid of the king. So they engage the services of a woman who has the reputation of being the one woman no man can resist. She gets all the men in her power, and they all fight over her, injuring each other. But finally the hero gives them the proper pep talk and they go out and win every event. The final event is the one the king himself enters into. It is a weight-lifting contest. They get him angry because, when he is angry, he is stronger. He picks up a thousand pound weight and easily tosses it at the hero. And so the kingdom is saved, the king is saved, and the hero and the heroine are united. The Olympic games are not done seriously; they are burlesqued. The plot was adapted from a storj’ by Joseph L. Mankiev’icz. It was directed by Edward Cline. In the cast are W. C. Fields, Lyda Roberti, Hank Mann, George W. Barbier, Ben Turpin, Andy Clyde, Susan Fleming, and others. Suitable for children and for Sunday showing.