Harrison's Reports (1934)

170 7-^.a-W HARRISON’S REPORTS ___ October 27, 1934 “Great Expectations” with Henry Hull, Phillips Holmes and Jane Wyatt ( Universal , Oct. 22; running time, 101 min.) “Great Expectations” is good entertainment for class audiences, particularly those who are familiar with the works of Charles Dickens ; the old fashioned English background is charming. But in the first half, the masses may find it a little too slow, because it is mostly a character study; it introduces the different characters. But it has a sufficient amount of human appeal to hold the interest fairly well ; it shows the unkind treatment of the young hero by his nagging sister, his unhappiness because of the snobbish behavior of the young heroine, and the misery he suffers because he is told he is uncouth. One feels sympathy also for the heroine’s foster mother, who lived in the memories and disappointments of her youth. The second half is more exciting and will hold the spectator in tense suspense because of the sympathy one feels for the hero when he discovers that his benefactor is none other than a notorious escaped convict. Henry Hull, in the role of the convict, is magnificent; he makes himself repulsive to the spectator; at the same time he arouses a spark of sympathy because of his devotion to the hero. When he is on the screen he makes the story seem real. The love affair between the hero and the heroine is pleasantly romantic : — The hero, an orphan living with a cruel sister, is forced to become the playmate of the heroine, the adopted daughter of the wealthiest woman in town. As the years go by he falls deeply in love with her but realizes he is far beneath her station ever to marry her. He becomes apprenticed to his brother-in-law, a blacksmith, and one day receives a visit from a lawyer who tells him he had fallen into a fortune. His benefactor, whose name is not to be revealed, had ordered that he go to London, study and become a gentleman. He follows the orders, thinking all the time that his benefactor was the heroine’s foster mother. He becomes established as a gentleman. One night he receives a call from a strange man, and it develops that he is none other than an escaped convict whom the hero had helped when a young boy. This man had never forgotten the kindness, had escaped again, made his fortune, and lavished it all on the hero. Knowing that it meant death for the convict if he were found in London, the hero plans to take him away. But they are caught. The hero hears the convict’s life story and realizes that the heroine is the convict’s daughter ; but he does not reveal this to her. The convict dies, first having killed the man who had stolen his wife. The heroine, who had been taught by her foster mother to be heartless and cruel to men, tells the hero she is marrying a wealthy young man although she loves the hero. But after her foster mother’s death she changes her mind and, instead, marries the hero. The plot was adapted from the Charles Dickens novel ; it was directed by Stuart Walker. In the cast are Francis L. Sullivan, Alan Hale, Florence Reed, Rafaela Ottiano, George Breakston, Jackie Searle, and others. Because it is founded on a classic, it should prove suitable for children, adolescents, and for Sunday showing. Class A. “The Man of Aran” with Colman (Tiger) King, Maggie Dirrane, and Michael Dillane (Gaumont-British ; Nov. 15; running time, 75 min.) “The Man of Aran” is not a drama, constructed for picture purposes ; but to most of those who will see it, it will prove to be more dramatic than many a powerful drama that had been written as the basis of a talking picture. It is a “slice” out of life of people living on one of the Aran Islands, situated west of Ireland, where no tree grows, for there is no soil, and where grim, determined hardy people make their living out of the sea. They have some potatoes, too, which they grow on beds consisting of whatever handful of soil they can find here and there among the crags, and of kelp gathered from the sandless shores. There are some genuine thrills, caused by the sights of these inhabitants, in frail boats, trying to capture ferocious sharks, which appear to be as large as whales. The sharks put up as stiff a fight as the whales, but they eventually succumb — the steel hooks of man are beyond their power to defeat. But the most dramatic part of the film is, in my belief, the storm at sea. One sees huge waves rushing at railroad speed and crashing against the perpendicular high cliffs, nature’s own creations, breaking into spray, rising into the air, and borne away by the howling wind. It is a sight awesome but majestic, and the kind few persons, outside of mariners, have seen. The scenes where the fishermen are seen caught in the storm and trying to land, while a woman and a boy are praying for their lives, is more thrilling than the best thrilling scenes that have been seen in pictures for some time ; they hold one breathless, and give one joy when the fishermen are at last able to land, their boat smashed to pieces immediately after they leave it. Robert Flaherty, the man who produced “Nanook of the North,” has produced this picture. There is very little talk in it ; and this is a relief. The music that is being reproduced from the sound track has been founded on songs sung by the people of the Aran Islands : it has been composed by John Greenwood. The picture is, in my opinion, worth showing anywhere ; those who possess some education, in particular, should enjoy it very well, and some even immensely. Good for children, adolescents, and to be shown on Sundays. Class A. “I Sell Anything” with Pat O’Brien, Ann Dvorak and Claire Dodd ( First National, Oct. 20; running time, 69 min.) Just a fair comedy. It uncovers the antique furniture and auction racket, but in doing so Pat O’Brien is presented as an unsympathetic character because he is nothing more than a faker. It is somewhat demoralizing, in that it glorifies a “gyp” artist. At one time he connives with Claire Dodd, a society girl, to rent the empty but beautiful home of an impoverished society man, fill it with processed fake furniture, and then auction it off at high prices for antiques. The manner in which he puts over his auction tricks are amusing at first, but later the audience tires of listening to his fast speech. The only real excitement occurs in the closing scenes, where O’Brien is shown unknowingly auctioning off a chest containing all the cash proceeds of the sale. His frantic efforts to regain this money hold one in suspense. The love interest is mildly pleasant. In the development of the plot O’Brien, an auctioneer in a cheap neighborhood, makes his living by cheating people. Fie sells a buckle to Claire Dodd, a society girl passing by, for fifty dollars and is enraged when he reads in the papers a few days later that it was a genuine Cellini, which she had in turn sold to the museum for $5,000. He calls on her and demands part of the profit, but she refuses him. Instead she induces him to move uptown, open fashionable auction rooms, and become a gentleman. It all goes to his head, and he refuses to take the advice of Ann Dvorak, his secretary, who loved him, not to associate with Claire. Claire gives him the idea of running an auction of fake antiques, and he agrees. As the articles are sold his assistant puts the cash in a chest. Not knowing it, O’Brien auctions off the chest. When Claire hears of this she rushes to the trucking company and demands the chest as her own. She then sails for Europe with all the money, leaving O’Brien broke. This teaches O’Brien a lesson. He decides to go back to his cheap neighborhood, and realizes the worth of Ann’s love for him. The plot was adapted from a story by Albert J. Cohen and Robert T. Shannon. It was directed by Robert Florey. In the cast are Roscoe Karns, Hobart Cavanaugh. Russell Hopton, Robert Barrat, and others. (Coast Review.) Unsuitable for children, adolescents, or Sundays. Class B. “She Had To Choose” with Buster Crabbe, Isabel Jewell and Sally Blane {Majestic Pictures; running time, 63 min.) An offensive and trite drama with a familiar plot. Although the hero and the heroine are sympathetic characters, the human appeal is lost in a maze of vulgar situations and suggestive remarks. For instance, in one situation a strange man puts a hotel key in Isabel Jewel’s hand, which meant that he wanted her to visit him that night in his room. She in turn gives the key to Regis Toomey pretending that she will meet him there. When Toomey goes to the hotel, expectantly, he finds in the bed a man — the man who had given Isabel the key. The man’s behavior before he had found out that the visitor was not Isabel is insulting. A remark made by Buster Crabbe while in a swimming pool is extremely vulgar, and although children will not know what he means adolescents will. Regis Toomey makes one remark while in a hotel room with Isabel Jewell which can be given a double meaning — it is putrid. The comedy relief is mild. The plot has been adapted from the story by Mann Page and Izola Forrester, ft was directed by Ralph Ceder. In the cast are Fuzzy Knight and Maidel Turner. Unsuitable for anybody, at any time. Class C.