Harrison's Reports (1933)

202 HARRISON’S REPORTS December 23, 1933 “Advice to the Lovelorn” with Lee Tracy {United Artists, December i ; running tune, 6oj4 min.) In adapting “Advice to the Lovelorn” to the screen from the novel “Miss Lonelyhearts,” by Nathanael West, the producers have cleansed it of all the filth the book contained. But the book offered little material for an interesting picture, and “Advice to the Lovelorn” has made just a pretty good program comedy-melodrama, with a mixture of the gangster element. It moves fast, and the closing scenes, although implausible, hold the spectator in suspense because of the danger to the lives of both Tracy and Sally Blane. But one part of the picture is unpleasant; that is where Tracy, a newspaper man, accepts a bribe to print advertising matter in his column. Because of this one loses sympathy for him. The situation in which Tracy’s mother dies of heart trouble, by taking an inferior grade of medicine Tracy had bought at the cut-rate store he advertised in his column, is pitiful. In the development of the plot Tracy, who had a contract with his newspaper, is ordered to edit the love column of the paper. He tries to break his contract in order to go into the garage business with Sally Blane’s father, but the editor refuses to release him. He is bold in the advice he gives in his column and this wins new readers and new advertising contracts for the paper. He is given an increase in salary. One day he receives a visit from C. Henry Gordon, who owned a cut-rate drug store, and Gordon offers to give Tracy one thousand dollars a week to advertise his drug store in his column; Tracy accepts the bribe. He realizes the wrong he had done when his own mother dies because of an inferior grade of medicine he had bought at Gordon’s drug store. He exposes him in his columns as a criminal. Sally agrees to marry Tracy and goes to his apartment to pack his bags. Gordon and two of his gang arrive there and hide and when Tracy arrives Sally warns him. He throws messages out of the window about his danger, but before his clerk, who was waiting downstairs, gets them, he receives a call from federal agents who wanted Gordon’s address. Thankfully he tells them that Gordon is hiding in his apartment and Gordon and the two men are taken into custody, to be charged with the crime of neglecting to pay income tax. Sally and Tracy leave to be married. Alfred Werker directed it. Others in the cast are Sterling Holloway, Jean Adair, Paul Harvey, Isable Jewel, Matt Briggs, and others. Not suitable for children, adolescents, or Sundays. “Jimmy and Sally” with James Dunn and Claire Trevor {Fox, November 24; running time, 68 min.) Just moderately entertaining program grade fare; it becomes boresome after a while. The story is trite, the action slow, and the dialogue ordinary. What is supposed to be comedy is just plain silliness; probably the only halfway comical situation is the one in which Dunn pulls a publicity stunt for an actress by passing a rumor that she loved a gangster ; this brings all the gangsters in town to the cafe where she performed. Dunn is not the type that arouses much sympathy for he spends most of his time bragging about himself and making himself obnoxious. Qaire Trevor, his sweetheart, arouses sympathy by her attempts to change his manners. But there is little in the picture to hold the interest : — Claire Trevor and James Dunn, sweethearts, work together in the same meat concern. He is publicity director and she is his secretary. He does not take his work seriously, but is always thinking of wild ideas by which to put things over. One idea costs his firm several law suits and so he is discharged and then re-engaged by his employer to act as press agent for his actress-sweetheart. There, too, he fails and is discharged for good. Claire refuses to see him and since he finds it impossible to get a position he goes out of town and works in a meat packing concern. He saves most of his money and then goes back to his old employer. He finds Claire head of the publicity department, and when he hears that she is engaged to Harvey Stephens, he is ready to throw up all his plans. But Claire convinces him she still loves him and there is a happy reconciliation. The plot was adapted from a story by Paul Schofield and Marguerite Roberts. It was directed by James Tinling. In the cast are Harvey Stephens, Lya Lys, Jed Prouty, Gloria Ray, and others. Suitable for children, adolescents and Sundays, Substitution Facts: In the worksheet the stars for “Jimmy and Sally” are listed as James Dunn and Sally Filers. Since Sally Filers does not appear in the finished product it is a star substitution. “Fury of the Jungle” with Donald Cook, P^SSy Shannon and Alan Dinehart {Columbia, October 30; running time, 67 min.) Just another jungle picture, slow-moving, and with a rather unpleasant story. Most of the picture centers around the desire of two drunken and loathsome characters to possess Peggy Shannon, who was stranded on the island, due to the death of her brother, an explorer, who had been forced off a boat with her because of a fever he had contracted, and this island was the first landing place. Suspense is fairly well sustained due to the fact that Peggy Shannon was in constant danger. One feels sympathy for her ; likewise for Donald Cook and Dudley Digges, who endanger their lives to protect Peggy, Digges eventually even accepting death in order to protect Cook so that he might marry Peggy. Alan Dinehart, the self-appointed and cruel ruler of the island, which was inhabited by criminals, desires Peggy as does his henchman Harold Huber, a character just as evil as Dinehart. Peggy and Cook had fallen in love with each other and were waiting for an opportunity to leave the island. The rule of the island was that stealing was punishable by death — being thrown to the crocodiles. Dinehart first kills Huber, and then attempts to frame Cook. But Digges “confesses” to the theft, which had been planted by Dinehart, and he is thrown to the crocodiles. Toshia Mori, a Japanese girl who had been thrown over by Dinehart, tells the islanders what Dinehart had done and they throw Dinehart to the crocodiles. Peggy and Pionald leave the island on the next boat that arrives there. The plot was adapted from a story by Horace McCoy. It was directed by Roy William Neill. In the cast are Oarence Muse, Fredrick Vogeding and Charlie Stevens. (Outof-town review.) Not for children, adolescents, or Sundays. “The Sin of Nora Moran” with Zita Johann, Paul Cavanaugh and Alan Dinehart {Majestic Pictures; running time, 64 min.) This is ordinary material produced in the “narratage” style, somewhat similar to that of “The Power and the Glory” ; that is, it is done in flashbacks, at times the characters speaking their lines, and at other times the action being explained by one of the characters. It is draggy, and all quite confusing ; the average audience will find it difficult to follow the story, particularly during situations in which Zita Johann, while in a delirious state, relives some tense moments in her life. There is a spiritualistic touch when one sees Paul Cavanaugh guided by the spirit of Zita Johann. Added to all this is a story that is unpleasant, the characters winning little sympathy. For instance, Paul Cavanaugh, a married man, has an affair with Zita Johann, who knows he is married. The worst touch, however, is the situation in which Zita Johann is assaulted by John Miljan. This scene is somewhat similar to the revolting situation in “Sanctuary” — one secs Miljan approach her and the ne.xt thing a piercing shriek is heard. The following story is told by Alan Dinehart to his sister because she is enraged when she learns that Cavanaugh, her husband who had killed himself, had had an affair with Zita Johann : Zita, unable to find work in a chorus, had taken a position in a circus as assistant to John Miljan, an animal trainer. One night he assaulted her and she soon left him. At a night club where she became an entertainer, she met Paul Cavanaugh and they fell in love. They lived together. One night the circus came to town and her former lover called on her and when he found Cavanaugh there he thought it would be a good thing to blackmail him. In a quarrel that followed Cavanaugh killed the man. Zita sent Cavanaugh away and then telephoned Dinehart to come to see her. She told him that she had killed the man and in order to avoid any scandal for Ca\-anaugh, who was running for Governor, they took the body out of the house and decided to put it some place on the road. Just as Zita was leaving the body she was recognized by some of her old circus friends and eventually when Miljan was found murdered she confessed to the murder. She was sentenced to the electric chair. Cavanaugh, unable to face life without her, killed himself just as she was electrocuted. Alter Dinehart finishes telling the story his sister forgets the animosity she had felt. The plot was adapted from a story by Willis W. Goodhue. It was directed by Phil Goldstone. In the cast are Cora Sue Collins. Qaire DuBrey, Henry B. Walthall, Sarali Padden, and others. Not .suitable for chidren, adolescents, or Sundays.