Harrison's Reports (1933)

March 25, 1933 HARRISON’S REPORTS 47 “Christopher Strong” with Katharine Hepburn, Colin Clive and Billie Burke (RKO, March 31 ; running time, 77 min.) Despite the lavish production and the good acting by the entire cast, particularly by Katharine Hepburn, this emerges as just fair entertainment. It may appeal to better class audiences, for the characters involved belong to English society. But it is not entertainment for the masses, tor one thing, the action is slow ; for another, both the hero and the heroine are unsympathetic characters. Their actions tend to hurt an innocent person, the hero’s wife, for whom one feels much sympathy. For that reason, the affair between the hero and the heroine cannot be followed with interest ; it cannot be excused, for up to the time of the meeting of the hero and the heroine, the hero and his wife had been devoted to each other. There is no emotional appeal at all : — At a party given by the hero’s sister, the hero meets the heroine, both of them belonging to English society. She is a world renowned aviatrix who had had no time for men or affairs, and he, married for twenty years, was faithful to his wife, whom he loves, and was affectionate to-, wards his grown daughter. But in time the attraction they had for each other turns into love. In order to escape from him the heroine flies off on a round-the-world trip. But they meet again in New York and as they realize they cannot live without each other, they enter into an affair. Back in England the affair continues, bringing much sorrow to the hero’s wife, who loves him dearly. The heroine realizes that she is going to have a baby. Knowing that the hero’s married daughter, too, is to become a mother, and not wanting to bring sorrow or shame to his family, she decides to kill herself. She goes up in an aeroplane and when she reaches a great height she removes the oxygen mask. She loses control, and the machine falls to the ground. A monument is erected to her for her courage and daring in aviation. The plot was adapted from the novel by Gilbert Frankau. It was directed by Dorothy Arzner. In the cast are Helen Chandler, Ralph Forbes, Jack LaRue, Irene Browne, and others. Not suitable for children, adolescents or for Sunday showing. “Love In Morocco” with Rex Ingram (Ganmottf Pictures; running time, 74 min.) Mediocre ! The best part of the picture is the scenic background, that of the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, for the story itself is trite, moves slowly, and does not hold the interest. In addition the dialogue is inane. The different scenes that show the French troops and the Arab bands on horseback, and the attack by the Arabs on the fortress, are fairly exciting. Not even the romance between the hero and the heroine arouses interest, because it does not seem realistic : — The heroine, daughter of a Caid, falls in love with her brother’s pal, a French officer. This is forbidden by her religion but she meets him secretly. When the brother hears of the affair his first thought is to kill the hero ; but when the hero tells him how he feels about the girl he changes his mind. The fortress at which they are staying is attacked by a rival tribe; things look bad for the hero until he receives help from his Commander with additional troops. The hero’s pal and his father, the Caid, forgive the hero and grant his wish to marry the heroine. Rex Ingram and Benno Vigney wrote the story, and Rex Ingram directed it. In the European cast are Felipe Montes, Rosita Garcia, Pierre Batchoff, Arabella Fields, and others. Suitable for children, adolescents and for Sunday showing. “King Kong” with Robert Armstrong, Fay Wray and Bruce Cabot (RKO., Rel. date not yet set; time, 98 min.) An exciting, fantastic horror-melodrama. The thrills one will feel will be derived more from the amazing photography than from the story itself. King Kong is supposed to be a prehistoric ape. fifty feet tall, and the scenes showing him breaking down trees and everything in his way will give one shudders, particularly when he grabs people and tosses them into the air, and either tramples on them when they fall, or throws them down a ravine. The situations that show this ape battling with other hugh prehistoric animals seem so realistic that one is excited as one would be if the animals were real. Suspense is sustained throughout because of the danger to the heroine who had attracted the ape. The closing scenes provide much excitement, parti-, cularly when the ape is seen dangling from the top of tha Empire State Building with the heroine in his hand : — A motion picture director sets out for a mysterious island to use it as the locale for his picture. While on his way there, the heroine, leading lady, and the hero, mate of the ship, fall in love with each other. When they arrive at the island the natives force them to go back to their ship since they were in the midst of a ceremony to honor their god, a beast. During the night they kidnap the heroine from the boat and tie her to a stake — as a gift to their god, a fifty foot ape. The ape takes her in his hand and sets off with her. The director, the hero, and other members of the crew set out to rescue her. They encounter huge animals, and most of them are killed. The hero goes on in his search and the director turns back for more help. Finally he comes upon the ape and the heroine, and while the ape is fighting with another animal, which wanted to take her, the hero escapes with her. The ape follows them but is captured and taken to New York. He is chained and exhibited to the public. Suddenly he recognizes the heroine and goes wild. He breaks his chains and, climbing up the wall of the hotel, where she had taken refuge, grabs her. He tears down an elevated structure, kills people and then climbs to the top of the Empire State Building with her. Government aeroplanes fly to the scene and kill him with machine guns. The heroine is united with the hero. The story is by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace. The direction by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper. In the cast are Frank Reicher, Sam Hardy, Noble Johnson, James Flavin and others. Children will be terrified ; suitable for adolescents and for Sundays. “Be Mine Tonight” (Universal-Gaumont, March 23; time, 77 min.) Excellent ! Although an English production with a foreign cast, it offers audiences a real treat, for many reasons : it has unusually good music, which is sung by a European tenor with a magnificent voice and a pleasing personality ; fine, clean comedy situations ; a good story ; the beautiful scenery of Switzerland as its background, and an air of wholesomeness that comes as a pleasant relief from the general run of pictures. The music does not interfere with the action ; it is woven clearly into the story, and for that reason the rendering of the operatic arias and the other songs by the tenor should appeal to all. The picture leaves one with a feeling of relaxation and of happiness : — The hero, a famous operatic tenor, is tired of his domineering woman manager and of her method of keeping him booked for engagements without any time for rest. On their way to fill engagements, he escapes from her and takes a train to Switzerland. On the train he meets a genial man and they become friends. They engage rooms at the same hotel. Word soon spreads that the famous tenor is at the hotel and soon photographers, newspaper men, and a delegation headed by the Mayor, arrive. But they mistake the companion for the hero and this gives the hero an idea : He induces his friend to impersonate him, and he goes off in his car for a jaunt. On the road he meets the heroine driving her car, and although he follows her she soon gets away from him. The companion, who is really a crook, when he hears that the chief of detectives is at the hotel, accepts the Mayor’s invitation to live at his home. The hero follows him there and to his surprise the door is opened by the heroine; she is Mayor’s adopted daughter. She knows that the hero is the tenor and not the secretary of the imposter, and she plays many tricks on him. The hero, who had been using his companion’s name, is arrested and when he tells them he is really the tenor they do not believe him. He insists and they, to test him, force him to sing. When he finishes all realize the mistake they had made and are apologetic. He sings for the town at a benefit performance of an opera. The heroine had arranged to disgrace him for having tried to fool her, by making her girl friends use a whistle at the end of the aria. But the music is so beautiful that they all forget about their little plot. The heroine is happy and she is united with the hero. The plot was adapted from a story by I. V. Cube and A. Joseph. It was directed by Anatol Litwak. In the all foreign cast are Kiepura, the tenor, Sonnie Hale, his companion, Magda Schneider, the heroine, and Edmund Gwenn, Athene Seyler, Betty Chester, Aubrey Mather. Good for children, adolescents and for Sunday showing.