Harrison's Reports (1934)

HARRISON’S REPORTS 203 December 22, 1934 “Behold My Wife” with Sylvia Sidney ( Paramount , Dec. 7; running time, 78 min. ) A fairly good program comedy-drama. It is slow in getting started but gradually picks up speed. The only sympathetic character is Sylvia Sidney. The others arouse one's antagonism, particularly Gene Raymond, because of their callous treatment of people. For instance, Raymond marries Sylvia, an Indian girl, just to disgrace his wealthy and socially-prominent family without taking into consideration the fact that he might hurt her. He conducts himself in an objectionable manner until the very end when he suddenly becomes noble; but in some way this nobility does not strike one as being genuine. A situation that is extremely farfetched is where Raymond’s family gives a party for Sylvia; the guests act like boors. There is a suicide and a murder; they are unpleasant: — When Raymond’s father finds out that his son was determined to marry a poor girl, he sends Raymond’s sister to buy the girl off. The girl refuses the money and kills herself. Raymond finds out what his family had done and, leaving home, swears to disgrace them. Driving west, he is drunk most of the time, and finally lands in a small town in New Mexico. In a drunken brawl with an Indian, he is shot, and Sylvia, an Indian girl, in order to quiet the affair, nurses Raymond back to health. She falls deeply in love with him. Raymond decides to marry Sylvia just to disgrace his family. But just the opposite happens — Sylvia wins over all their friends. When Raymond tells her why he had married her, she is heartbroken and asks Monroe Owsley, a society friend, to take her away. He takes her to his apartment and he is followed there by Raymond's married sister, who had been having an affair with Owsley. In a jealous rage she shoots and kills Owsley. Sylvia sends the sister home and decides to take the blame. She feels that she will be paying Raymond back; he will feel guilty. Raymond arrives at the apartment and, realizing that he really loves Sylvia, shoulders the blame. But the police eventually find out that neither of them was guilty and release them; they become reconciled. The plot was adapted from a novel by Sir Gilbert Parker. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen. Laura Hope Crews, H. B. Warner, Kenneth Thomson, and Ann Sheridan are in the cast. Not suitable for children, adolescents, or Sundays. Suitability, Class B. “Grand Old Girl” with May Robson ( RKO , Jan. 18; running time, 71 min.) A deeply appealing, human-interest drama, with good comedy touches. It lauds the teaching profession by showing the sacrifices that are demanded of a teacher who has ideals. Some of the situations are heart-rending, particularly in the closing scenes where May Robson is shown sittin ' in the empty schoolroom, crying because she had been dismissed from the school by the influence of crooked politicians. The scenes that follow, which show the President of the United States, a former pupil of May’s, paying her a visit, are equally moving. May Robson is excellent as the principal of the school, winning the sympathy and respect of the audience by her tactful and kind treatment of the pupils, whom she loves. The regeneration of Alan Hale, the saloon keeper who corrupted the pupils, is appealing : — May, principal of a small-town high school, is unhappy because of the influence Alan Hale is exerting over the school children. He runs an ice cream parlor with a back room in which the youngsters gamble. May is warned by the Superintendent of Schools to leave Hale alone but she refuses. She secures evidence as to Hale’s gambling activities and brings charges against him. But these are dismissed. With money that she had won from Hale by using his own crooked dice, she opens a store in opposition to Hale’s and is successful in luring the children to her place. Mary Carlisle, the spoiled daughter of the town’s wealthiest man, goes to May’s place intent on making trouble. And she does, starting a fight amongst the boys just as her father, with the school board, enter. The place is closed and the board, at a meeting, vote to dismiss May in spite of the fact that she had just two more years to go to be entitled to a pension. Hale is so sorry for her that he sends a telegram to the President of the United States. May’s former pupil, telling him of May’s plight. The President arrives at the school house just as May is tearfully departing. He pays tribute to May in front of the people who had collected at the school when they learned of his presence. The story is by Wanda Tuchock; the direction, by John Robertson. In the cast are Fred MacMurray, Etienne Girardot, William Burress, Hale Hamilton, and others. Good for children, adolescents, and Sundays. Suitability, Class A. Note: Though “Grand Old Girl” is an excellent production and should draw by its own merit, an exhibitor can make it draw much more if he were to do exploitation work on it, such as, for example, showing it to the teachers of his town or territory prior to the date of exhibition. RKO has provided its exchanges with extra prints for the purpose. All an exhibitor has to do is to write to his exchange and ask for a print. “The Secret Bride” with Barbara Stanwyck and Warren William ( Warner Bros., Dec. 22 running time, 63 Id min.) A fairly interesting mystery-drama of political intrigue. The action is fast, and the solving of the mystery is done in a logical fashion. The spectator’s attention is held throughout since it is not until the closing scenes that the identity of the man at the head of the gang is made known. Barbara Stanwyck, Warren William, and Arthur Byron are all sympathetic characters, because of their efforts to do the right thing and uncover the plot against Barbara’s father. The romantic interest is incidental: — Barbara and William keep their marriage a secret because of a scandal that Barbara’s father (Arthur Byron), Governor of the State, was involved in. William was district attorney and if people knew that he was married to Barbara they would accuse him of being prejudiced. Byron was accused of having accepted a bribe from a man he had pardoned, and although he swears he is innocent he is forced to appear at a legislative investigation. Barbara and William work unceasingly in an effort to unravel the mystery, and are finally successful; they prove that Grant Mitchell, an employee of the pardoned man, had killed his employer, deposited the money in the Governor's account, which was given to him by Henry O’Neill, supposedly Byron’s best friend, who wanted to have Byron ousted because he was too honest. O’Neill kills himself when these disclosures are made and Byron is cleared of charges. Barbara and William are happy that they can now spend a peaceful honeymoon. The plot was adapted from a story by Leonard Ide. It ’-as directed by William Dieterle. Glenda Farrell and others are in the cast. Not suitable for children, adolescents, or Sundays. Harmless for adults. Suitability, Class B. “West of the Pecos” with Richard Dix {RKO, Jan. 4; running time, 68 min.) Good entertainment. Although the story is not greatly different from the usual story used in westerns, the presence of Mr. Dix, and the good direction, have raised it to a high level. The action is fast, the romantic interest pleasant, the comedy touches good, and the photography in the outdoor shots superb. The spectator is held in suspense throughout because of the danger to Dix, who was hated by a band of cattle rustlers. The performances of Richard Dix and Martha Sleeper add to the general excellence of the picture : — Martha and her father, leaving their home in the South, travel out West to start life over again. Knowing that she would encounter rough people, Martha decides to pose as a young boy. Dix, escaping from a gang of cattle rustlers who were attempting to put the blame on him, joins Martha and her father, and treats Martha in a brotherly fashion ; she falls in love with him. He eventually finds out that she is a girl, but does not let her know that he knew this. Martha and her father settle down, and Dix stays near them. After many complications during which Fred Kohler, leader of the rustlers tries to kill Dix, Dix finally proves his innocence to the satisfaction of the authorities. He then tells Martha he knows she is a girl and they are united, since he, too, loves her. The plot was adapted from a story by Zane Grey ; Phil Rosen is the director. Samuel Hinds, Louise Beavers, Maria Alba, and others are in the cast. Suitable for children, adolescents, and Sundays. Suitability, Class A.