Harrison's Reports (1933)

November 25, 1933 HARRISON’S REPORTS 187 “The Right to Romance” with Ann Harding {RKO, Nov. 17; running time, 66j4 min.) Fair entertainment for adults, particularly women. Although the story does not present any exciting situations, the interest is held throughout because of the sympathy one feels for Ann Harding, who, by her sensitive acting, makes the character of the romance-seeking woman-doctor understandable. The situation in which she discovers that her young husband was unfaithful to her and that she could not hold him because she was older and too settled makes the spectator feel sorry for her : — Ann Harding, a famous surgeon, feels that life is passing her by without offering her any fun or romance. She decides to take a vacation and leaves her hospital work, bidding goodbye to her friend. Nils Asther, a chemist. While vacationing she meets Robert Young, and although he is much younger, she becomes very much attracted to him, as he becomes to her. He forgets all about his sweetheart, Sari Maritza, and when Ann Harding goes back to her hospital work he follows her and insists that she marry him. Nils, who loved her for many years, feels it is not the thing for her to do but gives her his blessings. Their marriage is happy until Young becomes restless. His old gang pay him a visit and he is fascinated anew by Sari. Ajin realizes that Robert had been indiscreet with Sari and is disgusted. All become drunk and go out automobiling. Robert and Sari are in an accident and Ann, by her surgical skill, saves Sari. She gives Robert up to the younger girl and realizes that Nils is the man for her. The plot has been adapted from a story by Myles Connolly. It was directed by Alfred Santell. Others in the cast are Irving Pichel, Helen Freeman and Alden Chase. The affair between Sari Maritza and Robert Young has been handled discreetly ; therefore, children and many adolescents will not understand it. Use your judgment about booking it for a Sunday. “Take a Chance” wth James Dunn and June Knight (Paramount, Oct. 27; riming time, 81 min.) Just a moderately entertaining comedy with music. It is more or less a faithful transcription of the stage play, but it lacks the spontanaiety of the play, and is without any real goo<l comedian, since James Dunn, in the role of the feature comedian, falls short of being comical. The story is thin, there is no human interest, and as far as the back-stage atmosphere is concerned it has been done much better in other pictures. Some of the old songs that were used in the play have been put into the picture, and some new songs have been added. It is a weak entertainment and becomes boresome after a while. In the story James Dunn and his pal. Cliff Edwards, are two gamblers with a habit of picking pockets. They are befriended by June Knight, a singer, who works in the same cafe. Buddy Rogers, a wealthy play producer, meets June and falls in love with her. He promises to star her in his sliow. Rut there are complications when Dunn and Edwards cheat Buddy of six hundred dollars in one of the games. June forces them to give the money to her which she returns to Buddy. Again they disgrace June at a charity bazaar given by Buddy’s father, but finally everything is adjusted, the play is a success, and June and Buddy are united. Dunn and Edwards, who had been forced into the play at the last minute, are a great success. The plot was adapted from the play by Laurence Schwab, Buddy DeSylva and Monte Brice. It was directed by Laurence Schwab and Monte Brice. In the cast are Lillian Roth. Lilian Bond, Dorothy Lee, and others. Because of some suggestive wise-cracks, it is up to you to determine whether it is suitable for children, adolescents, and Sundays, or not. “Blood Money” with George Bancroft ( United Artists, Nov. 17 ; running time, 65 min.) Poor, for the reason that the hero’s profession is despised : he is a bail bondsman, exerting great influence over the underworld and over police as well as judicial authorities. This, however, would not have been so bad if he had not employed his influence to benefit crooks. For instance, the brother of the woman he lived with had committed two robberies and, because of the hero’s influence, escaped punishment. The last crime he committed was holding up a bank and robbing it. The hero used all his influence to save him. One other pernicious thing done is the attempt to put a halo around the brother of the hero’s mistress — a crook. The producers seem to have held the belief that the picture would be put over by the situation where the under world characters, friends of the discarded mistress of the hero, substitute a pool ball loaded with TNT so that the hero would be blown to pieces while playing pool. It is true that this situation is suspensive, but it does not put the picture over, because the thought of blowing up a human being to pieces is not entertaining. The picture is not entertaining and it is so demoralizing that it should never have been produced, particularly because it will prove unprofitable, not only to the exhibitors, but also to the producer himself. I venture to say that it will die a horrible box-office death. Rowland Brown and Hal Long wrote the story, and Rowland Brown directed the picture. Frances Dee, Chick Chandler and Judith Anderson are in the cast. Unsuitable for any purpose. “Secret Sinners” (Mayfair Pictures; running time, 57 min.) Mediocre program fare. The story is thin, the action slow, and there is little in it to hold the interest of the spectator. There are some back-stage scenes but not even this helps much. The closing scenes are implausible and instead of being taken seriously by audiences, it probably will cause them to laugh. Sue Carol, sweetheart of Nick Stuart, befriends Cecilia Parker, stranded in the city, and obtains a position for her as a chorus girl in the show she was a dancer in. Sue tells Cecilia to wait for her at the stage door because they were to go out with Nick and another man. Cecilia notices Jack Mulhall standing around and thinking he was the friend talks to him. She later finds out her mistake but they become friends and go out together. The friendship grows into love. Mulhall proves himself decent by helping Nick in business. Cecilia finds out one night that Mulhall was married. Instead of waiting for an explanation she leaves him and the next night goes to a roadhouse with another man. Once there she is sorry and asks the man to drive her back. He drives recklessly and there is an accident. Mulhall, who had followed her, takes her back in his car ; he tells her that he was not living with his wife and that he was inducing her to obtain a divorce so that they might marry. There is a happy reconciliation. The plot was adapted from a story by F. McGrew Willis. It was directed by Wesley Ford. In the cast are Harry Barris, Natalie Moorhead, and others. There is nothing in it to make it unsuitable for children or adolescents, or Sundays. “From Headquarters” with George Brent and Margaret Lindsay (Warner Bros., Dec. 2; running time, 64 min.) This should please followers of murder mystery melodramas, for it is somewhat novel. Instead of dealing entirely with the murder and its motives, it deals mostly with the police work on the case. All clues are followed and examined both by a doctor and a chemist ; for instance, blood stains, finger-prints, and hair found on the dead man. The interesting part of it is the way this is done. In addition, one is held in suspense throughout because the identity of the murderer is not made known until the end ; it is all worked out logically. There is a sprinkling of comedy to relieve the tension, and one feels sympathy with the heroine, who is involved in the murder. The closing scenes are rather exciting, when a material witness is murdered right in the police building : — George Brent, a police lieutenant, is assigned to work on a murder case. Involved in the case are Margaret Lindsay and her brother, Theodore Newton. She confesses to Brent, who was in love with her, that the reason why she gave Brent up and took up with the murdered man was because he was blackmailing her mother and she felt that by accepting his attentions she would stop him. Her brother had arrived at the man’s house in time to save his sister from him, and a quarrel followed. But the mystery is eventually cleared up — the murder had been committed by the butler in self defense, when he attempted to get the written evidence that the murdered man was using to blackmail the heroine’s mother. Another murder occurs at the police station by the blackmailing partner of the dead man ; he murdered a man who had seen him at the partner’s apartment the night of the murder. Hero and heroine marry. The plot was adapted from a story by Robert N. Lee. It was directed by William Dieterle. In the cast are Eugene Pallette, Hugh Herbert, Dorothy Burgess, Hobart Cavanaugh, Robert Barrat, Ken Murray and others. Children may be frightened ; otherwise suitable for all audiences and Sundays.