Harrison's Reports (1939)

January 28, 1939 HARRISON'S REPORTS 15 "They Made Me a Criminal" with John Garfield {Warner Bros., January 28; time, 92 mm.) A strong melodrama, with very good box-office possibilities. The title is misleading — one would imagine this to be a gangster melodrama ; it is rather a story of regeneration. The strength of this picture lies, not so much in the story, as in the excellent performances. Were it not for the effective way in which John Garfield portrays the hero, he would be an extremely unsympathetic character, for his actions arc unpleasant almost to the end ; one cannot, however, help feeling pity and respect for him. Some situations touch one's emotions ; others, provoke hearty laughter. One situation, although of slight importance to the story, is so thrilling that audiences will not soon forget it ; it shows Garfield and the five "Dead End" boys swimming in an irrigation tank in which they had been caught when the water started to drain out. As an added attraction for men there are two bouts that are thrillers. The romance is handled effectively : — In order to prevent a newspaper reporter from printing a story about Garfield, a champion fighter, telling the public that Garfield, who was thought to be a home boy, was, in reality, a drinker and carouser, Robert Gleckler, Garficld's manager, hits the reporter over the head with a bottle ; the reporter dies. Gleckler and Garfield's girlfriend (Ann Sheridan) take Garfield, who had passed out in a drunken stupor, to a farmhouse. They take his money, even his wrist watch, and run away ; but they are both killed when their automobile is wrecked. Garfield reads the story in the papers the next morning; also that the police believed him to be derid, a victim of the car crash. He leaves town, travelling as a hobo. Hungry and worn out, he stops at the date farm run by Gloria Dickson and May Robson, and by five young tough boys, who had been paroled in their care. Garfield, who had believed that a man was a "sucker" to do a kind deed, gradually changes. When he learns that with $2,000 the boys could open a gas station and help Miss Dickson along, he signs up to fight a travelling boxer, who offered $500 a round to any one who could stay in the ring with him. Claude Rains, a New York detective, who had always felt that the dead man in the car had not been Garfield, sees a picture of a fighter in a magazine ; this had been snapped by one of the boys and sent to a magazine. From the pose, Rains recognizes Garfield ; he sets out for the small town. Garfield, who had seen Rains and had decided not to fight, decides to risk his freedom so as not to disappoint the boys and Miss Dickson, who loved him. He goes into the ring and tries to fight a different way, so that Rains would not recognize him ; but he has to revert to his own style in order to stay in long enough to win $2,000. Rains visits him in the dressing room and Garfield admits his identity. They prepare to leave ; but when the train pulls in, Rains, who felt that Garfield might he innocent, decides to let him go ; he cautions him to keep his picture out of papers. Bertram Millhauser and Beulah M. Dix wrote the story, and Sig Herzig, the screen play ; Busby Berkeley directed it, and Benjamin Glazer produced it. In the cast are John Ridgely, Barbara Pepper, William Davidson, and others. One situation at the beginning is pretty sexy ; also a murder is committed. Therefore, suitability, Class B. "The Arizona Wildcat" with Jane Withers and Leo Carrillo (20th Century-Fox, February 3 ; time, 69 min.) Good entertainment. It should appeal, not only to the Jane Withers fans, but also to the followers of western melodramas. Without sacrificing any of the exciting action that is usually a part of outdoor pictures of this type, the author succeeded in injecting comedy, human interest, and a pleasant romance. There is plentiful horseba k riding, shooting, and fighting — enough to satisfy the m ist ardent western fans. Jrne and Leo Carrillo are a good comedy team ; their antics provoke hearty laughter each time they appear. The action takes place in the year 1870: — Orphan Jane, whose father had been killed by bandits, lived with Carrillo, his wife and five sons. She had her suspicions about Henry Wilcoxon, the Sheriff, for he had never made any real effort to apprehend the gang of outlaws who had been terrorizing the district and stealing gold shipments. She accidentally finds out that Carrillo, in his youth, had been known as a bandit leader ; by clever questioning, she finds out that he had robbed the rich to help the poor. When an innocent young man (William Henry), who knew too much about Wilcoxon, is imprisoned, Jane, unknown to Carrillo. rounds up his former followers again to follow their lender so as to save Henry. At first Carrillo is frightened at the idea, but the excitement soon gets the best of him and he goes forth with his mi n. Hut they are all captured and brought to trial. Jane saves them by proving Wilcoxon's guilt — she had found several gold shipments hidden in his room. Wilcoxon and his men are rounded up; Henry is freed when he proves his innocence and shows the judge evidence of Wilcoxon's murderous activities. Carrillo is made Sheriff, which pleases his family and Jane very much. Henry marries the village school teacher. Frances Hyland and Albert Ray wrote the story, and Barry Trivers and Jerry Cady, the screen play ; Herbert I. Leeds directed it, and John Stone produced it. In the cast are Pauline Moore, Douglas Fowley, and Etienne Girardot. Suitability, Class A. "Burn 'Em Up O'Connor" with Dennis O'Keefe, Cecilia Parker and Nat Pendleton (MGM, January 13; time, 69'/2 min.) A fairly good program murder-mystery melodrama. Since most of the action takes place at an automobile racetrack, where the deaths occur, several races are worked into the plot; these tend to heighten the excitement. The murders are committed in so clever a way that it is likely that most spectators will be surprised at the solution and at the murderer's identity. There is occasional comedy to relieve the tension, and a pleasant, though routine, romance : — Dennis O'Keefe, who wanted to become an automobile racer, finally realizes his ambition when Harry Carey, automobile manufacturer and manager of several voun'g men who raced his cars, signs him up. The men in Carey's outfit are depressed, since a few of their drivers had met with death on the track; they felt they were jinxed. O'Keefe's breezy manner annoys them ; he is particularly annoying to Carey's daughter (Cecilia Parker), with whom he had fallen in love. Everyone's nerves are on edge when two more racers meet with death on the track. O'Keefe, with the assistance of his seemingly stupid mechanic (Nat Pendleton), finally proves that the guilty person was Charley Grapewin, the company doctor ; he would inject drops into the drivers' eyes, saying it would give them clear vision; instead the drops would blind them during the race and they would go to their deaths, not being able to see where to drive. Grapewin did this because his own son died while racing for Carey, whom he hated. Miss Parker forgives O'Keefe, promising to marry him. Sir Malcolm Campbell wrote the story, and Milton Merlin and Byron Morgan, the screen plav ; Edward Sedgwick directed it, and Harry Rapf produced it. In the cast are Addison Richards, Alan Curtis, Tom Neal, and others. Suitability, Class A. "Mr. Moto's Last Warning" with Peter Lorre, Ricardo Cortez and Virginia Field (20th Century-Fox, January 20; time, 71 min.) Action fans will find this melodrama to their liking, for it moves at a fast pace, holding one's interest throughout. As is the case in most of the pictures in this series, the story is highly far-fetched; but this is not objectionable, since it offers opportunities for exciting action. Some of the situations, particularly those in which Peter Lorre himself has a hand, are thrilling. The thrills are provoked as a result of the clever means Lorre, whose life is often endangered, employs to outwit the conspirators. Laughter is provoked on a few occasions by the actions of a silly Englishman. The action takes place at Port Said : — Lorre, an international seceret service agent, learns of a plot to disrupt the friendly relations between England and France. His suspicions center on Ricardo Cortez^ an actor at a local playhouse. For a time he is able to work with a free hand, for the conspirators believed that they had killed him when, in reality, they had killed his assistant who, according to instructions, had posed as his chief. Lorre learns that the conspirators were planning to destroy ships of both nations when they would arrive at Port Said for war maneuvers. He is captured by the conspirators, who tie him in a sack, and throw him into the water: but Lorre is able to cut his way out and return to the scene of flie crime in time to prevent the explosion. Cortez is killed by Virginia Field, a young cafe owner, who had believed he loved her but had learned differently. She thereby saves Lorre's life. The other conspirators are captured. Philip MacDonald and Norman Foster wrote the original screen play; Norman Foster directed it, and S*>1 M. Wurtzel produced it. In the cast are John Carradine, George Sanders, Joan Carol, Margaret [rving, and others. The murders make it unsuitable for children. Good for adults. Class B.