Harrison's Reports (1933)

December 23, 1933 203 HARRISON’S REPORTS “Roman Scandals” with Eddie Cantor {United Artists, December 29; running time, 90 min.) A good comedy, colorful, and lavish. Elddie Cantor again predominates, and despite certain dull lapses it is good mass entertainment, able to keep an audience amused throughout. Following the style of the other Cantor pictures, it contains one situation where girls are shown in a bathing and dance ensemble almost nude. It is, however, comical because Eddie becomes involved when he enters their private baths to give a message to Gloria Stuart. One hilarious situation is where Eddie, cautioned that the king was to be poisoned, is told his life (he was the food taster for the king) would be spared. He is told to taste the chicken without the parsley dressing ; the one with the parsley was poisoned. However, by the time it reaches the king the two chickens have parsley dressing and Eddie frantically tries to get out of the task of tasting the chickens. The closing scenes are exciting ; they show a wild chariot race in which David Manners and Gloria Stuart are escaping from the king’s palace, with Eddie following them in a chariot to warn them, and the king’s soldiers following in other chariots : — Eiddie, the town simpleton, is ordered to leave West Rome, a small American town, because he dared oppose the wealthiest and most influential man in town when this man attempted to evict poor tenants from their homes so as to build a large jail. He falls asleep and dreams he is in ancient Rome. With the use of magic gas fumes that induced laughter in those who breathed it, the king is made to laugh. The king is so pleased that he brings Cantor to the palace and makes him food taster. The queen tries in many ways to poison the king, so that she might rule. In the meantime, Gloria Stuart, a princess captured from another land, is held prisoner in the palace because the king desired her. David Manners, champion of the poor, is in love with Gloria. With Eddie’s help they are able to escape and during a wild chariot race in which Eddie falls from a cliff, Eddie awakens. He finds a check made out by the rich banker to the chief of police which proves that bribes had been paid. With this evidence he has the banker indicted and he again becomes assistant in the grocery store. The plot was adapted from a story by George S. Kaufman and Robert Sherwood. It was directed by Frank Tuttle. In the cast are Ruth Etting, Verree Teasdale, Edward Arnold, .^lan Mowbray, Grace Poggi, and others. Except for the scene in which the girls are shown half dressed, it is suitable for children, adolescents, Sundays. “Should Ladies Behave” with Alice Brady and Lionel Barrymore (MGM, December i ; running time, 86 min.) “Should Ladies Behave” is one of those smart comedies that is primarily entertainment for sophisticated audiences. But because of the character Alice Brady portrays, that of a feather-brained woman who dreams of a long lost love, it may amuse the masses fairly well. Some of the situations arouse hearty laughter, particularly those in the closing scene, in which Alice Brady realizes she had mistaken Conway Tearle for her former lover because of a similarity in names. The behavior of Mary Carlisle, the daughter, is rather ridiculous at times ; she is silly and childish in her attitude about life. None of the characters arouse much sympathy, and there is little suspense because the outcome is quite obvious ; — Alice Brady is married to Lionel Barrymore, a man much older than she is. Their daughter, Mary Carlisle, is in love with William Janney and he with her but he feels she is not sophisticated enough. Katherine Alexander, Alice’s sister, plans to spend a week-end at Alice’s country home with her lover, Conway Tearle. Since Alice knew Tearle she suggests that Tearle send a telegram saying he would like to visit .Alice, and Katherine would arrange to be there, too. When the telegram arrives Alice thinks it is from her first love, a musician with whom she had had an affair before she married. She is all excited, thinking he was coming to claim her and when he arrives she hints at many things which he does not understand. But Barrymore sees through it all and realizes that Tearle and Katherine are lovers, and orders Tearle to leave. Alice insists that he stay. Mary comes home from school and is fascinated by Tearle’s worldliness. He is charmed by her innocence and they plan to leave together and be married. But Janney arrives on the scene and makes believe he is hurt so as to prevent Mary from leaving. It works. In the meantime Alice asks Tearle whether he remembers the night they spent together many years ago. He says he does not but that is enough for him ; he leaves with Katherine. Later Alice in a conversation with Barrymore, realizes she had mistaken Tearle for another man. The plot was adapted from the play “Vinegar Tree,” by Paul Osborn. It was directed by Harry Beaumont. In the cast are Halliwell Hobbes and others. Not suitable for children, adolescents, or Sundays. “Flying Down to Rio” wth Dolores Del Rio, Ginger Rogers and Gene Raymond (RKO, December 29; running time, 87H min.) “Flying Down to Rio” has the distinction of being more novel than the general run of musicals because it is not of the backstage variety. It is excellent entertainment, has been produced lavishly, and contains two musical sequences that should thrill every spectator. The music and dancing in several numbers are charming. The closing scenes, which show girls dancing on top of aeroplanes flying above the land, will afford many laughs in addition to thrills, because of their novelty ; very few people will know that the scenes were not actually taken in the air. Fred Astaire, internationally known as a dancer, seems to have the makings of a new screen personality ; he dances extremely well, has a good comedy sense, and is likeable. Together with Ginger Rogers, he does one excellent dance, and again he shows his skill in a solo number. The romantic part of the picture is pleasant : — Gene Raymond, a band leader, falls in love with Dolores Del Rio, a South American belle. He and his band are discharged because he danced with Dolores at the hotel where he played. He procures an engagement at a hotel down in Rio and is happy when he hears that is where Dolores is going. He induces her to fly down there in his plane and when he is forced to make a landing because of engine trouble, he purposely refrains from fixing the engine so as to be alone with Dolores. She loves him but tells him that she is promised to Raul Roulien and Raymond must forget his love for her. The band finally gets to Rio. The boys are stopped from giving their entertainment at the hotel because of a scheme of the town banker to take the hotel from Dolores’ father on a foreclosure. But the boys fool the banker by providing entertainment in the air and this is successful in bringing many people to the hotel. Roulien knows that Dolores loves Raymond and so he releases her from her promise to marry him so that she might marry Raymond. The plot was adapted from a story by Anne Caldwell. It was directed by Thornton Freeland. Blanche Frederic! and Paul Porcasi are in the cast. There are legs shown aplenty, but not in a vulgar fashion. Yet it will be up to you to decide whether it is or is not suitable for children, adolescents and Sundays. A QUESTION AND ANSWER COLUMN ON CODE MATTERS The appearance in these pages of the series of articles interpreting the Code has prompted many exhibitors to write me asking my opinion of certain of their problems. Since the answers to these questions are of importance to every exhibitor, I have decided to answer such questions in these columns, after the interpretation is completed. So if you are in doubt as to certain provisions of the Code and you want them clarified, or if you desire to know what your action should be under given conditions when the Code begins to operate, you are at liberty to write me about them. Put your questions on a separate letterhead. The Code Column will also report decisions of the Grievance Boards and of the Code Authority that will establish precedents, and all rulings by the Code Administrator. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CANCELLATION PROVISION IN THE CODE Under Part Six, Division “F,” of Article 5, of the Code, an exhibitor may cancel ten per cent of the feature pictures he has purchased from a distributor. In my opinion, this provision of the Code is retroactive, and since the Code went into effect and Thursday, December 7, you are entitled, beginning with the December 7 release, to cancel ten per cent of any group of pictures you have bought from a distributor in the 1933-34 season. This matter will be dealth with in greater detail in next week’s issue.