Harrison's Reports (1937)

HARRISON'S REPORTS 195 "Submarine D-l" with Pat O'Brien, George Brent, Wayne Morris and Doris Weston (First Nat'l, November 27 ; running time, 98 mitt.) This melodrama, centering around the Submarine Division of the United States Navy, is interesting and educational, for it goes into details as to the work involved and the system followed for rescue work. But it is entertainment primarily for men, who may be fascinated by the mechanical intricacies depicted. It lacks the human interest necessary for appeal to women, since the story centers mostly on the activities of the submarine division; the accompanying plot is ordinary. The real thrills come in the closing scenes, where the submarine, commanded by George Brent, having been rammed during torpedo practice, sinks. These scenes are extremely realistic and hold the spectator in tense suspense, until the last man is rescued. Frank McHugh, as a sailor with aspirations to win a fortune on a horse race, provides the comedy relief. The sound is poor in most of the film. And so is the photography. The story deals with the rivalry, in service as well as in love, between Wayne Morris, a sailor, and Pat O'Brien, a chief petty officer. Each thinks he is the man best suited to marry Doris Weston in whom they had taken an interest ever since the death of her sailor sweetheart in service. Brent, Captain of a new submarine, transfers O'Brien from his ship to another, for two reasons ; first, because the men disliked O'Brien's rough treatment of them, and secondly, because he wanted O'Brien to perfect his invention for rescuing men trapped in a submarine. Brent puts Morris in O'Brien's place. While out on target practice, Brent's submarine is rammed and sunk. O'Brien is ordered to the rescue with his new equipment ; it works, and all the men are rescued. This brings praise and promotion both to O'Brien and Brent. Miss Weston confesses that she loved Morris. Frank Wead wrote the story, and he, together with Warren Duff and Lawrence Kimble, the screen play ; Lloyd Bacon directed it, and Hal B. Wallis produced it. In the cast are Ronald Reagan, Henry O'Neill, and others. Suitable for all. Suitability, Class A. "Blossoms on Broadway" with Edward Arnold, Shirley Ross and John Trent (Paramount, December 4; running time, 87 min.) It is shameful that the talents of Edward Arnold should have been wasted in anything so trite as this picture. It was probably the producer's intention to make this a high comedy, but the result is a hodge-podge of foolishness ; it annoys one by its stupidity. There's actually no plot to speak of, and for the most part the spectator is completely bewildered as to what is going on. None of the players is adept at light comedy ; but then it is doubtful if any one could have done more with the material at hand. Neither the musical interpolations nor Rufe Davis' imitations are sufficiently novel to overcome the picture's boresomeness : — Arnold befriends Shirley Ross, a somewhat silly country girl, who had come to the big city to make her way in the theatre. She had tried to atttract the attention of a theatrical producer by stealing his watch, and only Arnold's quickthinking had saved her from being arrested. Arnold decides to use her in his scheme to make some easy money. When he reads that Kitty Kelly, owner of a gold mine, was expected in town to consult an ear specialist, Arnold poses as the doctor, and sends her a telegram to leave the train at the station before Grand Central. She does this ; and his assistant, dressed as a nurse, takes Miss Kelly to what was supposed to be his office, where she keeps her a prisoner. This leaves Arnold free to introduce Miss Ross as the noted Westerner. They contrive to meet millionaire Frank Craven, and Arnold gives Craven advice on how to fool the government about his gold hoardings. He suggests that they use his companion's gold mines to carry out their plans. Everything goes wrong, and the police step in and stop Arnold and Craven from carrying out their scheme. In the meantime, Miss Ross had met John Trent, a young man given to silly impulses as she was given to, and they fall in love. Theodore Reeves wrote the screen play, Richard Wallace directed it, and B. P. Schulberg produced it. In the cast are William Frawley, Weber and Fields, and others. Too silly to be taken seriously ; therefore, morally suitable for all. Suitability. Class A. "A Damsel in Distress" with Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen and Joan Fontaine (RKO, 1936-37, November 19; running time, 100 min.) Good entertainment. Fred Astaire's dancing, Burns' and Allen's clowning, and the tuneful musical numbers should entertain well most audiences. Comparing it, however, with other Astaire pictures in which Ginger Rogers appeared opposite him, it falls somewhat short ; for one thing, he does not have the excellent dancing support Miss Rogers gave him, and, for another, Joan Fontaine, although charming, is not equal to the requirements of her part. There is plentiful comedy, provoked not only by Burns and Allen, but also by Reginald Gardner and Harry Watson, as two servants who interfere in Astaire's romance with Miss Fontaine. A novel dance routine is that in which Astaire, Burns, and Miss Allen dance in front of mirrors that distort them. And Astaire ends the picture with a peppy drum tap number. The background is London : — Astaire, a well known dancer, objects to the publicity Burns, his agent, had been giving out about his many love affairs, for the stories were all untrue. In an effort to escape from his feminine admirers, Astaire jumps into a cab. Miss Fontaine, a stranger to him, joins him in the cab. At first he thinks she is just one of his many admirers, but he soon finds out that she did not even know him, and had jumped into his cab in order to escape from some one who had been following her. She leaves before he had a chance to find out who she was. It develops that she was the daughter of an English lord (Montagu Love) and niece to titled Constance Collier, who was determined to have her marry her step-son (Ray Noble). But Miss Fontaine imagined herself in love with some one else. Knowing of Miss Fontaine's many suitors, the servants form a sweepstakes as to the final outcome ; each one picks the name of a suitor, the winner to get the prize money. Harry Watson, the page boy, picks "Mr. X," which meant that, if an unknown person married Miss Fontaine, Watson would win. Having heard about Astaire, he lures him to the castle, hoping to bring about a romance between him and Miss Fontaine, so that he might win the money. And things happen as he had planned, except that many complications set in at first. Everything is adjusted, with Miss Fontaine admitting, after many quarrels, that she loved Astaire. P. G. Wodehouse wrote the story, and P. G. Wodehouse, Ernest Pagano, and S. K. Lauren, the screen play ; George Stevens directed it, and Pandro S. Berman produced it. In the cast are Jan Duggan, and others. Suitable for all. Class A. "Danger Patrol" with John Beal, Sally Eilers and Harry Carey (RKO, December 3 ; running time, 59 min.) This melodrama, centering around the danger to men handling and transporting nitro-glycerin, a powerful explosive, is only moderately entertaining. The trouble lies in the fact that the hazardous work is only spoken about instead of being enacted. For the most part the action is slow, and the excessive dialogue tiresome. The excitement occurs in the closing scenes, where Harry Carey and a pilot, flying the explosives to an oil well fire, crash into a mountain and are blown to bits. One is in sympathy with Sally Eilers, Carey's daughter, who is heartbroken at her fathers death ; also with Harry Carey. Miss Eilers' romance with John Beal is mildly appealing: — Beal, a medical student, harrassed by financial worries, decides to give up his studies to earn enough money with which to eventually finish his medical course. He chooses the hazardous work of handling nitro-glycerin because the job paid well. In time he meets and falls in love with Miss Eilers, whose father (Carey) was engaged in the same work as Beal. She pleads with Beal, as she had been pleading with her father for years, to give up the work : but he refuses, causing a break in their romance. When Beal offers to fly the explosive to a burning oil field to earn a $1,000 bonus, Carey fears for his safety; he knocks him out and takes his place. Carey and the pilot are both killed when the plane crashes. Beal, comforting Miss Filers, promises to give up the work. Helen Freeland and Hilda Vincent wrote the story, and Sy Bartlett, the screen play ; Lew Landers directed it, and Maury Cohen produced it. In the cast are Lee Patrick, Frank M. Thomas, Solly Ward, and others. Morally suitable for all. Suitability. Class A.