Harrison's Reports (1937)

HARRISON'S REPORTS "Second Honeymoon" with Loretta Young and Tyrone Power (20th Century-Fox, November 19; time, 79 min.) This romantic comedy is a good box-office attraction because of the drawing power of the stars, and of the lavish production. The story is, however, weak, particularly in its characterizations of both the hero and the heroine, neither of whom win one's sympathy. This is owing to the fact that they are placed in compromising situations, which are not in the best of taste : — Loretta Young, married to her second husband (Lyle Talbot), a practical, prosperous business man, is happy with him until, while on a vacation at Miami, she meets Tyrone Power, her first husband, whom she had divorced because of his irresponsibility. The meeting makes ihem both realize that they were still madly in love with each other. When Talbot is called back to his business, Miss Young stays on, as does Power. He makes love to her, and she cannot resist. Talbot telephones to Miss Young to return, but she refuses ; he rushes down, therefore, to get her. A quarrel ensues between Talbot and Power, which lands them both in jail ; they are finally released. In a quarrel with Talbot, Miss Young tells him what she thought of him and that she would get a divorce. She then runs away with Power, in his chartered plane, happy in the thought of remarrying him. Philip Wylie wrote the story, and Kathryn Scola and Darrell Ware, the screen play ; Walter Lang directed it and Raymond Griffith produced it. In the cast are Claire Trevor, J. Edward Bromberg, Paul Hurst, and others. Not particularly suitable for children. Adult fare. Class B. "The Last Gangster" with Edward G. Robinson (MGM, November 12; running time, 81 min.) A powerful gangster melodrama; it should thrill patrons who go in for this type of entertainment. It is, however, pretty strong fare, with little comedy relief. There are scenes of torture, perpetrated by gangsters on Robinson, their former leader, that send shudders through one. Equally disturbing are the scenes at Alcatraz Prison, where Robinson, a prisoner, is tortured by Carradine, another prisoner, who had taken a fiendish delight in hurting him. The demoralizing effect of the gangsters' actions is toned down by the fact that they finally pay for their misdeeds. Despite Robinson's egotistical and brutal manner, one feels pity for him in the end when, alone and forsaken, he goes to his death, unrecognized by his own child. The heroine wins one's sympathy by her efforts to rear her child as a decent citizen. The love interest is subdued: — Robinson, a powerful gangster leader, marries a girl (Rose Stradner) from his own country, that he might have a son to carry on his work and to take over his wealth. Miss Stradner, unaware of Robinson's activities, is happy when at last she is able to tell him that she was going to have a baby. The federal authorities, unable to pin anything on Robinson, whose gang had committed murder and robbery, finally arrest him on a charge of evading income tax payments. He is sent to Alcatraz Prison for ten years. When Miss Stradner first calls to see him, she takes the baby with her; but once she learns who Robinson really was she stays away. Eventually she gets a divorce and marries James Stewart, a newspaper editor. The boy grows up knowing nothing of his past and loving Stewart as his own father. Robinson swears to get even. When at the end of ten years he is released, he is met by one of his old henchmen (Lionel Stander). Stander and his gang, in order to make Robinson tell them where he had hidden his fortune, kidnap his son and take him to the hideout. By torturing the boy, they force Robinson to talk, after which they set them free. Robinson tries to tell the boy that he was his father, but the boy thinks he is mentally ill. He takes him back home, determined to confront Miss Stradner and to demand his son. But when he sees how the boy loved Stewart and his mother he leaves. In a fight with a gangster, who had threatened to expose the boy's parentage, Robinson is shot, hut he kills the gangster before dying. William A. Wellman and Robert Carson wrote the story, and John L. Mahin, the screen play; Edward Ludwig directed it. In the cast are Douglas Scott, Sidney Blackmer, Edward Brophy, Alan Baxter. Unsuitable for children and adolescents. Adult fare. Class P.. "Manhattan Merry-Go-Round" with Phil Regan, Leo Carrillo and Ann Dvorak (Republic, November 13 ; time, 83 min.) Fair entertainment, with fairly good box-office possibilities because of the well-known performers. It is, however, not as entertaining as "Hit Parade," for it lacks the human appeal of the other story ; in addition, some of the situations are pretty far-fetched. Otherwise, the manner of presentation of the musical numbers is similar to that in the other picture, except that the background has been changed from a radio station to a recording studio, where records were made. There is plentiful comedy, most of which is provoked by Leo Carrillo. The love interest is pleasant : — Carrillo, a racketeer, takes over a recording studio that had been unable to meet the debt it owed him. On the advice of Ann Dvorak, the manager, he re-engages Phil Regan, a singer, who had been discharged by the first owner. Carrillo gets all the stars he needed for his recordings simply by sending his henchmen out to bring them to the studio. When his mother upbraids him for recording jazz instead of operatic music, he decides to get the most famous opera singer (Tamara Geva) to make records for him. He learns that she was temperamental and hard to handle, and so, having heard that Regan attracted the ladies, insists that he go out to get her. He warns Regan that unless he followed his bidding harm would come to Miss Dvorak, whom he loved. Regan is unable to tell Miss Dvorak what it was all about, and so a misunderstanding arises when she sees him with Miss Geva. Eventually everything is cleared up; Miss Geva makes the record and then explains the situation to Miss Dvorak. The lovers are reunited. Frank Hummert wrote the story, and Harry Sauber, the screen play ; Charles F. Reisner directed it, and Harry Sauber produced it. Some of the specialty performers are Gene Autry, Cab Calloway and his orchestra, Ted Lewis and his orchestra, Kay Thompson and her radio choir, Joe DiMaggio; others are Luis Alberni, James Gleason, Henry Armetta, and Max Terhune. Suitability, Class A. "County Fair" with John Arledge, Mary Lou Lender, Jimmy Butler, Fuzzy Knight and J. Farrell MacDonald (Monogram-E. B. Derr, Nov. 24; running time, 72 min.) Fine entertainment. It is moving, thrilling, and laugh provoking. The human interest is awakened by the illtreatment two youngsters, brother and sister, receive at the hands of their father, who had turned "crabby" because of the loss of his wife. The loyalty between brother and sister, their love for a young horse that had shown traits of becoming a good racing horse; their wish that their father were regular, just like any other good father; the hero's standing by them, eventually helping them enter their horse in the race and winning it; the father's regeneration in the end — all these and other occurrences move one. The thrills are caused by the two horse races, particularly by the one towards the closing scenes, where the young boy's horse wins. The comedy is provoked by Fuzzy Knight, especially in the scenes where he and his pal, John Arledge (hero), a jockey, owners of a delapidated car without an engine, induce passing motorists to tow them by making them believe that they had run out of gasoline. The acting of John Arledge is excellent, particularly in the scenes where he is supposed to be suffering from a gun shot wound, inflicted on him by J. Farrell MacDonald, who takes the part of the father of the heroine; his suffering is so realistic that it makes one pity him. Fuzzy Knight is very good as the hero's pal; his loyalty toward the hero is inspiring. Jimmy Butler is likeable as the heroine's brother, Mary Lou Lender is charming; she is a newcomer and, with good stories, she should become fairly popular. The love affair is charming. There is considerable singing, too, of the popular variety. The story deals with the efforts of the hero, a jockey, to help two youngsters, brother and sister, run their horse in a race, against the opposition of their father. He succeeds despite the machinations of the villains. The father becomes regenerated when he, in the closing scenes, sees his own boy win the horse race. Hero and heroine marry. The story idea has been furnished by E. B. Derr, and was developed and put into scenario form by John T. Neville. Howard Bretherton directed it, and E. B. Derr produced it. Others in the cast are Harry Worth, William Hunter, Henry Hall, Edwin Mordant, and others. Good for the entire family. Class A.