Harrison's Reports (1938)

September 24, 1938 HARRISON'S REPORTS 155 "Sons of the Legion" with Lynne Overman and Donald O'Connor (Paramount [1938-39], Sept. 23; time, 61 mm.) A fair program entertainment, with human appeal. It presents its patriotic theme in a way to appeal to the masses; and, if properly exploited, it should do well, particularly in small towns where the American Legion is active. There are a few situations that touch one's emotions, and others that provoke laughter. And in the closing scenes there is plentiful excitement, due to the efforts of the club members to help a young boy, whose gangster father was trying to force him to run away with him. The performances are good particularly that of Donald O'Connor, as a tough youngster who becomes regenerated; Lynne Overman plays his part with understanding and wins one's sympathy. The mild romance is unimportant: — • Tim Holt, an American, organizes the young sons of American Legion members, in an effort to teach them the blessings of democracy and the meajiing of Americanism. The two young sons of Overman are the leaders, and are heartbroken when their father informs them that they could not join; they do not know that Overman had been dishonorably discharged from the Army and that, therefore, they would not be eligible for membership. O'Connor, a tough youngster whose father was supposedly dead, joins, thinking he could use the boys; but in time it means something to him. His father (Edward Pawley), an escaped convict, returns and insists that O'Connor run away with him; the members of the club rush after Pawley and save O'Connor; they turn Pawley over to the police. Since he had been responsible for Overman's disgrace, his confession clears Overman, who obtains honorable discharge papers. His sons are happy when fhey are finally able to join the patriotic organization. Lillie Hayward, Lewis Foster, and Robert F. McGowan wrote the original story and screen play; James Hogan directed it, and Stuart Walknr produced it. In the cast are Evelyn Keyes, Elizabeth Patterson, Wm. Frawley, and others. Suitability, Class A. "Mr. Doodle Kicks Off" with Joe Penner and June Travis (RKO [1938-39], Oct. 7; time, 11 min.) An amusing program college football picture. Although the story is routine, it is more entertaining than most program pictures of this type because of the comedy angle. The football end of the story is not treated too seriously; as a matter of fact it is burlesqued, for each time Joe Penner, one of the college players, gets on the field the audience forgets about the game due to Penner's antics, which provoke laughter. A few songs are well interpolated, without interfering with the action. The romance is developed according to formula: — Penner, leader of a swing band, is annoyed when his millionaire lather (William B. Davidson) insists that he go back to college. Davidson offers a $200,000 endowment to the college if Penner could be turned into a good football player; but Penner hates the game and refuses to join the team. Knowing that Penner was in love with his daughter (June Travis), the Dean suggests that, for the sake of the college, she induce him to join the team; the scheme works. Because of Penner's helplessness on the field, the other players are compelled to work out plays in which they could protect him and help him make touchdowns. Penner, believing he alone was responsible for the touchdowns, becomes conceited. Miss Travis tries to tell him what was actually happening, but he refuses to listen. He finds out about it in the last game and, during the first half, walks off the field. Miss Travis gets word to him that she loved him; this inspires him and he goes into the game again and this time helps his team win. The college gets the endowment and Penner wins Miss Travis. Mark Kelly wrote the story, and Bert Granet, the screen play; Leslie Goodwins directed it, and Robert Sisk produced it. In the cast are Richard Lane, Ben Alexander, Billy Gilbert, and others. Suitability, Class A. "Hold That Co-Ed" with George Murphy, Marjorie Weaver and John Barrymore (20//! Century-Fox [1938-39], Sept. 16; time, 80 mm.) A good college comedy. It satirizes politics and football in a good-natured and novel way, at times arousing hearty laughter; and for those who are not interested in either subject there is music and romance. John Barrymore is excellent as the politically ambitious Governor; he caricatures the part, but so cleverly, that one is in sympathy with him. Most of the comedy is provoked by Joan Davis, who brings fame to her college by joining the football team and helping them win with her remarkable kicking ability. The closing scenes, in which she fights against a windstorm to make a touchdown, are the most comical. The romance is pleasant: — • George Murphy, a football coach, arrives at the state college from which he had received a contract, only to find a broken-down school building with no facilities or equipment for sports. He urges the students to rebel and to demand that the Governor make an appropriation for the school. Led by Murphy, the students storm the Governor's office, where Marjorie Weaver, the Governor's secretary, meets them and asks them to leave; but Barrymore, the Governor who wanted to become a Senator, realizing that he could get a great deal of publicity by building up the school, appropriates a large sum of money to them, demanding that they get the finest of everything, including a stadium for football games. The team wins many games. But Barrymore's political opponent (George Barbier) makes a bet with Barrymore that the college he was sponsoring could beat the state college, the loser to withdraw from the Senatorial race. Up until the very end, it looks as if the state college would lose, but by a freak play Miss Davis makes the winning touchdown. Murphy and Miss Weaver, who had fallen in love with each other, are overjoyed. Karl Tunberg and Don Ettlinger wrote the story, and they and Jack Yellen, the screen play; George Marshall directed it, and David Hempstead produced it. In the cast are Jack Haley, Ruth Terry, Donald Meek, Johnny Downs, and others. Suitability, Class A. 4 "Strange Boarders" with Tom Walls and Renee Saint-Cyr (Gaumont-Britisli [1938-39], Aug. 1 ; time, 71 win.) A pretty good espionage melodrama. In spite of the fact that the settings and accents are typically British and that the players are unknown here, it should find favor with American audiences because of the interesting story and fairly exciting action; it holds one in suspense throughout. The romantic interludes occasionally slow up the action but they help to relieve the tension. As is usual in stories of this type, the plot is at times far-fetched. Most of the excitement is concentrated in the closing scenes where the hero, a member of the British Secret Service, rounds up the gang of spies: — ■ Tom Walls is annoyed when, on his wedding night, he is compelled to leave his wife (Renee Saint-Cyr) in order to investigate an important case involving spies; he is forbidden to tell her about his mission, and, since she did not know that he was in the Secret Service, she thinks he was running after another woman. His investigations lead him to a boarding house, where he registers under an assumed name; he is shocked when his wife follows him there. The first person he gets proof against is the servant girl; he kidnaps her and locks her in his apartment. But one of her agents helps her escape and she returns to the boarding house, to Wall's surprise. There he is surrounded by the members of the gang, all boarders, who plan to kill him and his wife. Quick thinking on Wrall's part brings help to them. He rounds up the gang, and then proceeds on his belated honeymoon with his wife. The plot was adapted from the novel by E. Phillips Oppenheim. Sidney Gilliatt and A. R. Rawlinson wrote the screen play, and Herbert Mason directed it. In the cast are George Curzon, C. V. France, Leon M. Lion, and others. Suitability, Class A.