Harrison's Reports (1939)

32 HARRISON'S REPORTS February 25, 1939 National, with Norma Talmadge. The story deals with a heroine who is railroaded into the penitentiary. When she comes out she decides to get even with the man who had framed her by striking at him through his son. She eventually falls in love with the son. A powerful subject, but somewhat outmoded. "Our Modern Daughters," released in 1929 under the title "Our Modern Maidens," witli Joan Crawford and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. "Penthouse." released in 1933, with Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy. It is a strong melodrama, dealing with gangsters and a hero who defends them. Not worth remaking. "Love Came Back to Me," released in 1931 as "New Moon," with Grace Moore and Lawrence Tibbett. It is the story of a Russian Princess who falls in love with a Cossack hero, a great singer. It is not great enough for remaking. Paramount "Beau Geste," produced in 1926, with Ronald Colman and Alice Joyce. The story deals with a self-sacrificing Englishman who had left England and gone to Algiers and joined the French Foreign Legion, drawing upon himself the blame for a wrong committed by some one else in the family. It made a great hit at that time. "The Cat and the Canary," produced by Universal in 1927 as a silent picture. It is a haunted-house melodrama. Since it was produced more than twelve years ago, it might go over if Paramount should produce as good a picture as Universal produced at that time. "Casey Jones," released by Ravart in 1928. RKO "A Bill of Divorcement," produced by this company in 1932. This is the picture that ushered Katharine Hepburn to the screen. It is a powerful subject, but since it deals with insanity it should not be remade. RKO announced Anne Shirley for the part of Miss Hepburn. If so, it is a poor selection, because Miss Shirley, a fine actress in unsophisticated parts, may be lost in so powerfully dramatic a part. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," produced by Universal in 1923, with the late Lon Chancy in the leading part. It is a powerful story, and since it was produced sixteen years ago it might be worth repeating. The outcome, however, will depend on whether RKO makes it as big as Universal made it. Twentieth Century-Fox "The Gorilla." This picture was produced by First National first in 1927, at which time it proved successful, and then in 1930, at which time it proved a box-office "flop." It is a sort of creepy melodrama, having as a central figure a gorilla, who endangers peoples' lives. Warner Bros. This company has announced the greatest number of remakes : nine, so far. "Disraeli." This picture has already been produced twice, once in 1921, by United Artists, and once by Warner Bros., in 1929 ; both times with George Arliss in the leading part. This time Warner Bros, plans to put Claude Rains in the leading part. In the opinion of Harrison's Reports, the subject will not bear a third repetition, regardless of the considerations that may have prompted Warner Bros, to remake it. "The Changeling," produced bv this companv (First National ) in 1929, with Dorothy Mackaill, under the title "His Captive Woman." It was first produced as a silent picture, and then rearranged with a few sound sequences. The story does not, in this paper's opinion, bear repetition. "The Drug King," released by this comnanv December 3, 1932, under the title "The Match King." The story dealt with Kreuger, the Swedish match Baron. "Unpleasant and demoralizing," is what the review in Harrison's Reports said. Unless altered radically, the story will not bear repetition. "One Way Passage," produced in 1932 with Kav Francis and William Powell. Warner Bros, has announced that, if it will produce it, it will give the Kay Francis role to Marlene Dietrich. The review in Harrison's Reports said : "A fairly interesting though depressing drama." Both hero and heroine were presented as believing that they should soon die. It is not a subject that bears repetition. "The Millionaire." produced in 1931 with George Arliss. This picture was first produced in 1922, by United Artists with the same star. The United Artists version turned out excellent, although it did not make any money for the exhibitors. The Warner Bros, version turned out a fair en tertainment, but did not set anybody's box office afire. The subject hardly bears a third repetition. "Outward Bound," produced in 1930, with Leslie Howard. The picture turned out excellent, but because it dealt with dead people, acting in after life as if they were alive, it did not make any money. It is a subject that should be left alone. "The Roaring Crowd," produced in 1932, with James Cagney, and released April 16, under the title, "The Crowd Roars." It is an automobile racing subject, with a horrible scene ; it shows one of the racing cars catching fire and burning the driver to death. It is so gruesome a story that it should not be touched, even though it is extremely thrilling. There is too much resentment among the picture-going public against nerve-shattering pictures; parents are complaining because of the effect on the nervous system of their children. "The Sea Hawk," produced in 1924 with Milton Sills and Wallace Beery. The picture turned out to be so fascinating that it might bear repetition, particularly since it was so long ago that it was first produced. "Three Cheers for the Irish," produced in 1932 by Paramount, with George Cohan, and Claudette Colbert, and released as "The Phantom President." The Paramount picture flopped "terribly." The story is not extraordinary, and unless the Warners plan to alter it radically it will not bear repetition. Your fight for the elimination of block-booking and blind-selling should be strengthened considerably if you should call the attention of your Congressmen to these remakes ; you should be able to convince them that you have no power to prevent the production of pictures that may prove either demoralizing to children, or destructive to your box office. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE REPEAL OF THE NORTH DAKOTA THEATRE DIVORCEMENT LAW Have you ever watched what happens when some one throws a rock into a nest of wasps? That is exactly what is going to happen as a result of the "peculiar circumstances" under which the North Dakota Theatre Divorcement Law was repealed; similar bills will be introduced in the legislatures of so many states that those responsible for the North Dakota repeal measure will have time for nothing else but to work for their repeal. There is no question that the repeal of the North. Dakota Law has incensed the exhibitors, if we are to judge by the statements of some of their leaders. According to Motion Picture Daily, Mr. Abram F. Myers, speaking for himself, stated the following: "That and other activities behind our backs, while we have been engaged in the trade practice negotiations, make us wonder whether we had better not cage the dove of peace and renew the fight. We are not well enough manned to cover both fronts and it will have to be one or the other." And Col. H. A. Cole, as quoted in the Film Daily, 3aid the following : "f can speak for myself only and not for the committee. Only the committee of Allied's board of directors has the right or power to withdraw from such negotiations. However, as an individual and as president of Allied, I should like to state that I deeply resent, not an open attempt of distributor interests to repeal the North Dakota statute, but the political trickery used to bring that about at this critical time. Such a maneuver can leave the independent exhibitors nothing but a feeling of complete distrust and a fear that similar tactics may prevail in all their future relations." In commenting upon this incident in last week's issue, I said that the last word in this drama has not yet been spoken. It seems as if I was fully justified in that prediction if we are to judge by what the February 15 issue of the Film Daily, in a dispatch from Bismark, N. D., said partly : "Federal investigation of circumstances involving a vote to repeal the North Dakota theatre divorcement act was indicated when Speaker Oscar Hagen of the House yesterday said he was withholding his signature on House Bill 245 after being informed the Department of Justice agents were on the sround," and by "It looks very funny to us and we don't like it at all," as the February 16 issue of Motion Picture Daily quotes a Department of Justice representative as having said. If the Department of Justice should undertake to investigate the different moves that were made in the repeal of that law, there may be interesting developments.