Harrison's Reports (1934)

138 HARRISON S REPORTS September 1, 1934 “Crime Without Passion” with Claude Rains {Paramount, Aug., 17; running time, 68)4 min.) A powerful psychological drama ; it is strictly adult fare, the kind that will appeal to sophisticated men; also to many men from among the masses, because it is thrilling enough to hold the attention throughout. Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur have taken a thin plot and made an absorbing drama of it mainly by their intelligent direction. They are helped by a fine group of actors and actresses, who, although unknown to picture-goers, perform with great skill. Claude Rains, in the role of an egotistical lawyer, is an unsympathetic but fascinating character. All one’s sympathy is directed towards the girl who loves him but who receives shabby treatment from him. The ending provides a twist that is entirely unexpected and dramatic ; for the first time it makes one feel pity for Rains. In the development of the plot Rains, having fallen in love with a beautiful girl, Whitney Bourne, seeks means of ridding himself of his mistress, Margo, a dancer. Being an extremely clever lawyer he thinks of many tricks, makes believe he is jealous, that she is unfaithful, until he drives the girl to distraction. She threatens to kill herself. He rushes to her apartment to prevent her from doing so, and insults her. She grabs her gun and in a struggle that follows she is accidentally shot. Thinking he had killed her, his legal mind begins to work and he destroys all evidence of his having been there. He prepares an alibi for himself as he had prepared many times for his guilty clients, and feels secure. And then the woman for whom he was doing everything deserts him. At first he is frantic but later realizes it is the best thing that could have happened to him, because then the police could not accuse him of wanting to rid himself of Margo. He goes to the cabaret where Margo performed to further his alibi and there he meets a young girl who had seen him earlier in the day. He tries to buy her off with diamonds and money in order to make her change her story. Her escort, who had returned to the table, is none other than the man from whom he had stolen Margo. A fight ensues and Rains shoots the man and kills him. The police rush in and arrest him and he suddenly looks up and finds Margo before him ; she had been wounded slightly. He is taken to headquarters where the prosecutor, whom Rains had fought against often, taunts him with the fact that he will be given the death sentence. Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur wrote and directed it. Others in the cast are Stanley Ridges, Paula Trueman. Leslie Adams, Greta Granstedt, and others. Unsuitable for children, adolescents, or Sundays. Not a picture for women ; too unpleasant. Not for small towns. Class B. “Among the Missing” with Richard Cromwell and Henrietta Crosman {Columbia. Aug.. 15; running time, 65 min.) A demoralizing melodrama. For three-quarters of the picture Richard Cromwell, the hero, is shown stealing. He also behaves in a boorish manner towards Henrietta Crosman, an elderly woman, who tries to set him on the right path, insulting her on different occasions. The fact that he reforms in the end is ineffective because throughout he had been established as an unpleasant character. There is nothing edifying in the story ; it deals with crooks and the way they go about their business of stealing and covering up their tracks. There is some suspense in the closing scenes where Henrietta Crosman becomes involved in a robbery, and tries to protect Cromwell, who she felt was undamentallv a good boy. but who had been led astray. The plot was adapted from the story by Florence Wagner. It was directed by Albert Rogell. In the cast are Ivan Simpson, Paul Hurst, and others. (Coast review.) Unsuitable for children, adolescents, or Sundays. Class C. “Along Came Sally” (Gaumont-British : running time, 70 min.) An amusing comedy with music ; it is suitable for American audiences because the accents are not too pronounced and the atmosphere is not typically English. As a matter nf fact the action takes place mostly in a night club, which is not different from American clubs. The dancing numbers are lavish, the music is fairly good, and the action fast. It relies for all its comedy on Cicely Courtneidge, a popular British performer, who at times is very comical. She ;s p?rtieulaly so in the scenes where she impersonates a French music hall performer. The last scene is the funniest of all — she does an apache dance with a man who she soon discovers is a gunman, seeking to kill Hardy. She throws him around the place, as he does with her, until they are both exhausted ; the gunman is caught. In the development of the plot Cicely is told by Hardy that she is not appealing enough to be employed in his night club. She puts on a wig, acquires a French accent, and ap pears before him again. He is charmed and falls in love with her ; he engages her for the show. Hardy had been threatened by American gunmen with ruin unless he paid them protection money. On the opening night they kidnap Cicely and demand a ransom for her return. But she escapes from them and returns to the club in time to appear and make a great success. Hardy realizes that Cicely had made a fool of him and feels she does not love him. But she shows her bravery by saving him from one of the gunmen who, threatened his life. Hardy acknowledges her ability and asks her to be his wife, to which she agrees. Guy Bolton wrote the story. In the cast are Phyllis. Clare, Billy Hilton, and others. There are a few suggestive remarks, making it unsuitable for children, adolescents, or Sundays. Class B. “The Fountain” with Ann Harding, Paul Lukas and Brian Aherne (RKO, August 31; running time, 83 min.) This picture can boast of excellent performances by the entire cast, and a fine production, but it is not entertainment insofar as the masses are concerned. It may be a treat for intellectuals who enjoy intelligent conversation about the soul, but the dialogue will be over the heads of most of the picture-goers, and since there is no action but all talk, most spectators will become fidgety. One feels sympathy with the characters, but this is not enough to sustain the interest, since the action is slow. The most sympathetic character is Paul Lukas. One almost resents the fact that his wife, Ann Harding, loves another man when her owa husband worships her. The producers have taken out most of the sex situations of the novel, and the affair between Ann and Brian Aherne is handled delicately. But the atmosphere is heavy and there is little comedy relief. The action takes place during the world war. In the development of the plot Brian Aherne and other captured English officers are interned in Holland. Granted leave to travel around on condition that they do not leave Holland, Brian, in company with Ralph Forbes, acr—ts the invitation of Ann Harding, an old friend, to visit her at her home. Ann was married to Paul Lukas, a German officer, but her sympathies were all with England ; she did not love her husband and told Aherne so. Aherne and Ann soon realize that they had always loved each other, and in order to avoid trouble Ann asks him to leave. Unable to bear the separation, she sends for him to return, and they become lovers. Lukas, with one arm amputated and in complete collapse from gas poisoning, comes home to recuperate. Ann devotes her entire time to him and he is hanmjust to be with her. But soon realizes that she is in love with Aherne and suffers a relapse. Just before he dies Ann confesses all to him. He forgives her. However, after his death, Ann feels that she cannot marry Aherne just yet, but promises to meet him in England. The plot was adapted from the novel by Charles Morgan. It was directed by John Cromwell. In the cast are Jean Hersholt, Violet Kemble-Cooper, Sara Haden, Richard Abbott, and others. Unsuitable for children, adolescents, or Sundays. Class B. “Young and Beautiful” with William Haines and Judith Allen {Mascot Pictures; running time, 67 min.) A fairly good entertainment. It has a good cast, a fair story, although not new, and has been given a good production. There is comedy and music, some human interest, and the action is fast. The laughs are provoked by the publicity tactics used by Haines to put over Judith Allen as a motion picture star, even though these tactics are farfetched. One feels some sympathy for Judith when she becomes a star because this brings about a rift between her and Haines, with whom she was in love. Joseph Cawthorn. as a motion picture producer, provokes comedy by his eccentricities and outbursts of temper. The young girls who were chosen as the Wampas Baby Stars of 1934, appear in this picture. Film fans may be interested in the backstage scenes showing how motion pictures are taken. The plot was adapted from a story by Jos. SantUv and Milton Krims. It was directed by Joseph Santley. In the cast are Ted Fio-Rito and his orchestra. Shaw and Lee, Vince Barnett. Warren Hymer. and others. Suitable tor children, adolescents, and Sundays. Class \.