Harrison's Reports (1937)

January 23, 1937 HARRISON'S REPORTS 15 "She's Dangerous" with Walter Pidgeon, Tala Birell and Cesar Romero {Universal, Jan. 24; time, 6/^4 min.) A fair crook program melodrama. It starts off in a way that is similar to "Fifteen Maiden Lane" ; but the story, as it develops, is given a new twist and becomes somewhat interesting. The closing scenes are dramatic and hold one in suspense, in spite of the fact that they are extremely tar-fetched. One is in sympathy with the heroine, who risks her life to run down a gang of jewel thieves. The excitement is caused by the gang leader's discovery of the heroine's identity. The love interest is pleasant: — Miss Birell, by pretending to be a crook, forms an alliance with Romero, a clever thief. He falls in love with her and plans to take her on an important job. But he becomes suspicious and follows her to the office of a private detective. He overhears the conversation between them, during which she cautions the detective to be careful of her identification papers because, if she were to be arrested with Romero, the papers would be the only means of proving her innocence. When she leaves the office, Romero sneaks in, kills the detective, and takes the papers. He forces Miss Birell to leave on the trip with him and tells her what he had done. They are forced down, meeting with injuries. They are rescued and cared for by Walter Pidgeon, a doctor, who was spending his vacation in the mountains. Pidgeon falls in love with Miss Birell and, when she tells him of her plight, he calls in the Sheriff to arrest Romero; but he insists on taking Miss Birell, too. Being unable to prove her innocence, since Romero had disposed of the papers, she is convicted along with Romero and sentenced to die in the electric chair. By a ruse, Pidgeon compels Romero to confess and to clear Miss Birell's name. Romero goes to the chair, screaming. Pidgeon takes Miss Birell away. Murry Roth and Ben Ryan wrote the story, and Lionel Hauser and Albert R. Perkins the screen play. Lewis R. Foster and Milton Carruth directed it, and E. M. Asher produced it. In the cast are Walter Brennan, Jonathan Hale, Warren Hymer, and others. Unsuitable for children. Adult entertainment. Class B. "Once a Doctor" with Jean Muir and Donald Woods (First National, Jan. 23; time, 57 min.) If it weren't for the good acting of the competent cast, this would be mediocre entertainment, for the plot is familiar and is developed without one novel twist Every move is so obvious that the spectator knows in advance just what is going to happen and how it will end. The most sympathetic character is Donald Woods, whose altruistic actions get him into trouble. Many of the situations are far-fetched ; particularly so is the manner in which Woods is turned out of the medical profession, for it is ridiculous to assume that the word of an incompetent doctor would be taken against that of a serious and competent one. The love interest is mildly pleasant : — Joseph King, an eminent surgeon, does not know that George Oliver, his doctor son, did not pay much attention to his duties at the hospital and that he drank ; Woods, King's foster son, also a doctor at the same hospital, takes the blame for Oliver so as not to hurt King. Oliver goes for an automobile ride with a nurse when he is supposed to be on duty, and gets drunk ; he meets with an accident and returns to the hospital so shaken and frightened that he begs Woods to go to the girl's home to take care of her, promising to assume his duties at the hospital. Woods finds the girl dead, and returns to find Oliver drunk and a patient dead because of lack of treatment. Woods is turned out of the medical profession when Oliver puts the blame on him. Henry Kolker, Jean Muir's father, a famous surgeon, believes in Woods and puts him in charge of a clinic as a male nurse. Woods performs an operation against the wishes of King, who had been called to the clinic, and the patient dies. King brings charges against him and he is sentenced to a year imprisonment for practicing without a license. When he is freed, he leaves for Havana, there to start anew. He is called upon to perform a serious operation on King, who had been injured in a quarrel with his son, and saves King's life. Oliver confesses and Woods is cleared. King begs for his forgiveness. Woods, reinstated in the profession, is now able to ask Miss Muir to marry him. Frank Daugherty and Paul Perez wrote the story, and Robertson White and Ben Grauman Kohn the screen play. William Clemens directed it and Brian Foy produced it. Morally suitable for all. Class A. "Criminal Lawyer" with Lee Tracy and Margot Grahame (RKO, Jan. 29; time, 71 min.) As the title suggests, this picture revolves around the activities of a lawyer engaged in defending criminal cases ; it is a fair melodrama, with a good sprinkling of comedy. Lee Tracy enacts the role of the lawyer convincingly and is particularly good in the court room scenes. His actions as District Attorney in prosecuting Eduardo Ciannelli, a criminal whom he had once represented, wins one's admiration, for he sacrifices his own career rather than misuse the powers granted to him as District Attorney. Margot Grahame wins one's sympathy ; her unhappiness when Tracy marries another woman touches one. The closing scenes, in which Miss Grahame, in order to save Tracy's career, perjures herseh by testifying falsely, hold one in suspense : — Tracy, a noted criminal lawyer, does not hesitate to bribe jurors and use other tricks to win acquittals for his infamous clients. While at a night court on a case for his client, he notices the plight of Miss Grahame, who was being framed on a charge of street-walking. He defends her and wins her freedom. When she tells him she is without funds, he gives her a position as his secretaryhousekeeper, and they become good friends. Ciannelli, Tracy's most powerful racketeer client, uses his influence to get Tracy elected District Attorney ; he thinks that Tracy will not take his job seriously. But he does, much to Ciannelli's disgust. Betty Lawford, a designing friend of Tracy's, tricks him into marrying her, much to Miss Grahame's sorrow, for she loved Tracy. Ciannelli is arrested on a murder charge and Tracy prosecutes him. Ciannelli compels Miss Grahame, who had been a witness to the murder, to testify falsely, threatening to expose Tracy's past if she did otherwise. But Tracy senses what is wrong and pleads with Miss Grahame to tell the truth ; she does. Before Ciannelli can carry out his threats to expose Tracy, he himself confesses in open court about his past perfidies, and throws himself upon the mercy of the court. He leaves the court with Miss Grahame ; he tells her that his marriage to Miss Lawford, with whom he had never lived, was being annulled, and that nothing could now keep them apart. Louis Stevens wrote the story, and C. V. Atwater and Thomas Lennon the screen play. Christy Cabanne directed it and Cliff Reid produced it. In the cast are Erik Rhodes, Frank M. Thomas, and others. Not suitable for children or adolescents. Class B. "WomanWise" with Michael Whalen and Rochelle Hudson (20th Centtvry-Fox, Jan. 22; time, 70 min.) This will do as fair program entertainment, but neither the story nor the background is particularly novel; it is a combination newspaper-racketeer-sports melodrama. It lacks real entertainment, except for the fight in the closing scenes. The flashes of sports events have been seen too often to attract the spectators. Even the romance is routine, with the unsuspecting hero trying to marry off the girl he loves to some one else without realizing that it is he whom she loves. Michael Whalen wins one's sympathy by his efforts to lend a helping hand to others, even to the point of involving himself. For instance, he exacts cash payments from different sports promoters letting them believe that he was taking graft in return for publicity which he would give them in his column when, in reality, he was using the money to help down-and-out men who at one time had been famous in the sports world. His actions in assuming the blame for Thomas Beck, the publisher's son, who had taken a five thousand dollar bribe to pay his gambling debts when faced with a threat of exposure, should appeal to audiences. His reason for doing this was two-fold ; first, his loyalty to his employer, and secondly, his belief that Miss Hudson, his assistant, whom he loved, was in love with Beck. But Beck breaks down and confesses, thereby clearing Whalen. And Miss Hudon's father, a former boxer who was helping Whalen distribute the "graft" money, tells about Whalen's good deeds. Whalen is reinstated on the newspaper from which he had been discharged. He is overjoyed when Miss Hudson tells him she loves him and not Beck. Mark Kelly wrote the story and Ben Markson the screen play. Allan Dwan directed it and Sol M. Wurtzel produced it. In the cast are Alan Dinehart, Douglas Fowley, Chic Chandler, Astrid Allvvyn, and others. Suitable for all. Class A.