Harrison's Reports (1932)

July 23, 1932 119 HARRISON’S REPORTS “Tom Brown at Culver” with Tom Brown, H. B. Warner and Slim Summerville {Universal, July 14; running time, 77 min.) This is pleasant entertainment ; it should appeal both to children, and to adults; in fact to the entire family. Although there is no love affair in the story there is so much human interest in it that one’s attention is held to the end. Most of the action takes place in the military training school, Culver Military Academy. There is a good amount of comedy caused by the bickering amongst the boys and the pranks they play on each other. The hero is an appealing character; he arouses respect, because of his conduct towards his father. The situation in which the boy finds his father, and again the situation in which they are finally united, are filled with pathos : — The hero is penniless. All he has is a Congressional Medal of Honor which had been sent by the government to his mother when his father had been reported killed on the war front. But the boy is bitter and does not derive much pleasure from just a medal. He enters in a boxing contest at the American Legion stadium for the few dollars it will give him. One of the officers takes an interest in him and insists that the owner of a coffee stand give the boy a job. The owner is only too overjoyed to give the boy a job when he discovers who his father was; he and the boy’s father had been buddies. The officer, wanting to do something for the boy, has the Legion send him to Culver Military Academy. At first the boy does not like the life but later learns to enjoy it. The owner of the coffee shop is shocked one day to find the hero’s father in his store. The father tells the truth, that he had been shell-shocked and had deserted. His friend gets him to a hospital under an assumed name and when the hero arrives for the holiday he takes him to the hospital for the father to see him. The father pays the hero a visit while on his way west and confesses the truth to him. The boy cheers him and tells him they will always be together. He is overjoyed when his father receives an honorable discharge from the army. He finishes his training and graduates with honors. Father and son are united. The plot was adapted from a story by George Green and Dale Van Every, and directed by William Wyler. In the cast are Richard Cromwell, Ben Alexander, Sidney Toler, and others. Suitable for children and for Sunday showing. Substitution Facts: This picture is replacing 4021, listed on the contract as “Man Hunt,’’ based on story “Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte. It is a story substitution and you are not obligated to accept it. But you should accept it. “Condemned to Death” {Gainsbor 0-First Div., Sept 15; time, 70 min.) A fairly interesting murder mystery melodrama ; it holds one in fair suspense all the way through. One of its faults, however, is the fact that it is “wordy” and long drawn out. When the identity of the murderer becomes known much pity is felt for him for he had not committed the murders of ins own free will. The closing scene is powerful; it shows the murderer awakening from his hypnotic state. The action takes place in England. A judge sentences a prisoner to hang after a jury had found him guilty. .'Ml during the trial the prisoner stared intently at the judge. After the prisoner’s death the judge resigns from the bench. Three years later a series of murders are committed the victims being the men who were responsible for sending the prisoner to his death. The judge had not been feeling well and his niece calls on a German psychiatrist to diagnose his case. It is through this doctor that it is finally discovered that the judge himself was the murderer and that he was driven on by the hypnotic spell the prisoner had cast over him. The judge kills himself. The plot was adapted from a play by George Goodchild, and directed by Walter Forde. In the all English cast are Arthur Wontoncr, Gillian Lind, Jane Welsh, Norah Howard. Gordon Harker, and others. It is a little too terrifying for children ; otherwise, it is suitable for children and for Sunday showing. INTERPRETATION OF CONTRACTS POSTPONED Because of the changes that are being made in some of the contracts, this paper is postponing the continuation of the interpretation of the contracts for one week. “Lady and Gent” with George Bancroft and Wynne Gibson {Paramount, July 15 ; running titne, 85 min.) An entertaining picture, with human interest and comedy. The human interest is aroused by the affection the hero and the heroine feel for a young orphan boy, and by their sacrifies for him. There is deep pathos in one of the situations : it is where the hero is forced to tell the boy that his father had died. Most of the comedy is aroused by the simpleness of the hero, who thinks he is always having the upper hand in an argument with the heroine, but who eventually does as she says. The hero and the heroine live together without being married, but the situations in which this is brought to the attention of the audience are not vulgar : — The hero, a prize-fighter, has an eye for women and a taste for drink. His trainer and manager had bet everything both owned on his winning the next fight. Against the advice of the heroine, who was living with him, the hero drinks a little too much and is badly beaten in the fight. His manager is desperate for money and attempts to rob a safe. He is shot and dies. The heroine had always suspected the manager of playing the hero for a sucker. When a telegram comes for the manager signed by the. name of Ted, telling him to meet him at a ceitain place, the heroine goes there with the hero. And to their surprise they find Ted is a young boy, son of the dead manager. The heroine agrees to stay on for a short time in the country to raise the boy. But the short time turns into years; they send the boy to high school and then through college. The hero works in a steel mill and fights on the side for the extra money. The boy turns out to be a great football star. But he had been urged by a fight promoter to leave college to become a prize-fighter. This brings about a fight between him and the hero, and when the heroine tells the boy all they had sacrificed for him he comes to his senses. He begs them to adopt him legally. But first they marry, so that they might do so. The plot was adapted from a story by Grover Jones and William S. McNutt. It was directed by Stephen Roberts. In the cast are Charles Starrett, James Gleason, John Wayne, Morgan Wallace, and others. Because of the fact that the hero and the heroine are living together without being married, it is hardly suitable for children or for Sunday showing. THE REACTION OF THE PUBLIC IN THE “RED HEADED WOMAN” I have been told by reliable persons that some Atlantic City patrons expressed themselves in unmistakable terms against “Red Headed Woman” when they saw it at a theatre there. They all felt that the filth in it was too much, and that the producers have gone too far to be allowed to continue the production of such pictures. Similar complaints were heard in other parts of the country where this picture has played. Up to this day the producers have not produced a picture in which the heroine behaved in as shameless a manner. She is about the lowest thing imaginable. It is my opinion that more pictures of this kind will be produced the coming season. The producers are losing money and, in order to increase their intake and thus decrease or even stop their losses, they are going to resort to sex as they have not done at any time before. Sex is, to them, the last resort. But pictures of this kind, instead of attracting customers to the theatres, will drive them away. Thus they will defeat their own purpose. It is a shame that you should be made to book pictures that will ruin your business. But there is no way out for you. The only thing that will change the situation is a bill such as Senator Brookhart has introduced in the Senate. LET US HOPE THAT THE CONNECTICUT EXHIBITORS MEAN WHAT THEY SAY! A statement issued by the Connecticut M. P. T. O. states that they are going to retain counsel immediately to take the matter of “Exclusive Runs” to the courts, and that they will also appeal to the American public. If they go through with this resolution they will get somewhere. The example of the Iowa and the Nebraska exhibitors should prove an inspiration to them.