Harrison's Reports (1938)

March 26, 1938 HARRISON'S REPORTS 51 "The Gaiety Girls" with Jack Hulbert and Patricia Ellis (London Film-United Art., March 18; time, 73 min.) A fairly entertaining musical comedy. The story of mistaken identity, with its backstage atmosphere, lacks novelty ; but, since the action unfolds at a fast pace, one's attention is held. The chief trouble with it is the fact that American audiences have seen bigger and better musicals than this one. There is nothing outstanding in this production, for the music and dance routines are only fair, and the leading players have little drawing power at the box-office. Where patrons are not, however, too exacting in their demands, it should satisfy, for in addition to the music, there is comedy and romance : — Patricia Ellis, late for rehearsal, accepts a lift from a chauffeur driving an expensive car owned by millionaire Jack Hulbert. On the way to the theatre, they meet with an accident. The chauffeur, having been summoned to court, calls at the theatre to ask Miss Ellis to testify on his behalf. Seeing the car, and learning to whom it belonged, the chorus girls believe that Miss Ellis was engaged to Hulbert. The rumor spreads and soon Miss Ellis is besieged by tradespeople who send her all kinds of expensive things. And the producer, being badly in need of cash, makes her the star, hoping she would use her influence with Hulbert to finance the show. Hulbert, shocked at receiving bills for a chorus girl's clothes, goes to the theatre to see her. Miss Ellis, mistaking him for a newspaper reporter, tells him some silly story of how she had met Hulbert. Hulbert, charmed by her beauty, falls in love with her and decides to continue the hoax. When the producer demands that she arrange a meeting between him and her millionaire suitor, she asks Hulbert to pretend to be the millionaire. He gives the producer a check for a million francs ; but Miss Ellis tells the producer to tear it up because, as she thought, he was just a poor newspaper reporter. Eventually everything is cleared up. The play is successful, the producer becomes rich, and Miss Ellis wins a millionaire-husband. Arthur Macrae wrote the scenario, Thornton Freeland directed it, and Gunther Stapenhorst produced it. In the cast are Arthur Riscoe, Googie Withers, Sydney Fairbrother, and others. Suitability, Class A. "Accidents Will Happen" with Ronald Reagan and Gloria Blondell (Warner Bros., April 9; time, 62 min.) A fair program melodrama, centering around the fake accident racket. Although the idea is somewhat novel, it is developed along familiar lines, lacking freshness, in dialogue as well as in action. For instance, Ronald Reagan (hero), in order to uncover the workings of the fake accident ring, joins their gang so as to get the evidence he needed against them. To Sheila Bromley falls the lot of playing a most obnoxious character — a wife who betrays her own husband, choosing to involve him in a fake accident claim, so as to make money for herself thereby, knowing well that it would mean the end of his job as an insurance adjuster. She does this by joining up with Addison Richards, a lawyer, and Dick Purcell, heads of a loan company, the brains behind the fake accident racket. Being indebted to them for a $500 loan she had made on her car, she tells them she could be of assistance to them in their racket, because, if she were to testify, her husband would believe in the validity of the claim. And that is just what happens. But it is discovered that the claim had been a fraudulent one and so Reagan is discharged from the insurance company. Down and out he takes the suggestion of Gloria Blondell, owner of a cigar stand in the building where he worked, to fight the crooks. By pretending to run a fake accident racket himself, he becomes acquainted with them, and eventually agrees to become partners with them ; he takes Miss Blondell in as his assistant. In the meantime, Miss Bromley obtains a divorce, her intention being to marry Richards. A fake accident is perpetrated, with Miss Blondell as the "victim." At the trial, she is brought into the courtroom on a stretcher. To the surprise of all, she jumps off the stretcher. Reagan, their attorney, and she then give all the facts to the Judge with reference to the ring. The crooks, including Miss Bromley, are rounded up and arrested. Reagan receives his old job back, at an increase, and he and Miss Blondell look forward to marriage. George Bricker wrote the story, and he, Anthony Coldeway, and Morton Grant, the screen play ; William Clemens directed it, and Bryan Foy produced it. In the cast are Hugh O'Connell, Kenneth Harlan, and others. Not suitable for children. Class B. "The Crime of Dr. Hallet" with Ralph Bellamy, Josephine Hutchinson and William Gargan (Universal, March 11 ; time, 68 min.) Somewhat depressing entertainment. Practically all the action takes place in the jungle where Ralph Bellamy, a doctor, and his assistants, do research work in connection with a serum for the cure of red fever. It may appeal to those who find scientific talk and procedure interesting; but the masses will probably be bored. For one thing, the jungle background and the crude living and working quarters are not particularly appealing ; for another, the sight of sick monkeys, in which had been injected the fever germ, and of persons in the throes of the disease, is not exactly conducive to enjoyment. The love interest is mildly pleasant : — Bellamy and his assistant (William Gargan), overworked and despondent because of their failure to discover a serum for the cure of red fever, are delighted when they receive word that another doctor was to be sent to assist them. But when the doctor (John King) arrives, they are disappointed, for he was a young man. They give him menial work to do and refuse to discuss with him their research work. King, working on his own, discovers the cure, which he writes up in his diary. Just as he was going to disclose his findings to Bellamy, Bellamy himself hits on what he thought was a cure. King injects himself with the fever germ to permit Bellamy to test his cure. But it does not work, and King dies. Bellamy finds King's notes. Feeling miserable because he had not shown confidence in King, he decides to do something to bring King's name to the public. He posts a notice of his own death and, assuming King's name, continues the work on his discovery, using King's money. Josephine Hutchinson, a competent doctor, arrives as the new assistant. Just when things were going along well, King's wife (Barbara Read) arrives and discovers the deception. She accuses Bellamy of having killed her husband, and informs him she would prosecute him. But she is taken ill with the fever. Bellamy saves her life with her husband's serum discovery. Gargan, by appealing to her vanity, convinces her that if she were to take Bellamy back for trial she would only be giving him publicity, whereas, if she went home alone, with the record of her husband's discovery, she would become famous. Every one is happy when she finally sails. Bellamy and Miss Hutchinson, who had fallen in love with each other, look forward to a useful life together. Carl Dreher wrote the story, and Lester Cole and Brown Holmes, the screenplay; Sylvan Simon directed it, and Edmund Grainger produced it. Charles Stevens and Nella Walker are in the cast. Morally suitable. Class A. "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" with Shirley Temple (20th Century-Fox, March 18; time, 81 min.) Delightful entertainment. As a matter of fact, many picture-goers may feel it is the best picture Shirley Temple has yet appeared in. The young star, not only touches one's heartstrings by her acting, but also gives one great joy by her expert tap dancing. With Bill Robinson, the famous colored dancer, as her mate in the closing scenes, she acts like a regular trouper. The friendship between Shirley and Randolph Scott is heart-warming. There is a romance, too, between Gloria Stuart and Scott. Very little has been left of the original Kate Douglas Wiggin story, only the title, and the fact that the young heroine lives for a time at her aunt's farm. In this instance, she had been left with her aunt by her step-father, a loafer who had vainly tried to induce Scott to recognize her singing talents so as to give her a job, to enable him to live on her earnings. But in vain. When Shirley eventually becomes famous as a radio star, the step-father again appears on the scene, and with the aid of a crooked lawyer he is able to take her away from her aunt. But Shirley, who had learned to love her aunt (Helen Westley), as well as her cousin (Miss Stuart) and the talent scout (Scott), and wanted to be with them and not witli her step-father, pretends that she had lost her voice when she was brought before the microphone. In this manner she causes her stepfather to lose his contract for her. Eventually she is restored to those she loved. Karl Timbers; and Don Fttlinger wrote the screen play. Allan Dwan directed it, and Raymond Griffith produced it. Phyllis Brooks, Slim Summerville, The Raymond Scott Quintet, Alan Dinchart and others are in the cast. Good for the entire family — Class A.