Harrison's Reports (1939)

46 HARRISON'S REPORTS March 25, 1939 "The Little Princess" with Shirley Temple, Richard Greene and Anita Louise (20//» Century-Fax, March 17; time, 91 mm.) Very goud. Lavishly produced, with technicolor photography, this is the type of story that suits Shirley's talents excellently. Although the story is sentimental, it has human interest and delightlul comedy ; and the few musical interludes round it out as entertainment that should thrill children and please adults. Shirley has been surrounded by capable players; particularly appealing is Sybil Jason, as a cockney slavey who worships Shirley. One of the most delightful scenes is that in which Shirley, who had gone to bed cold and hungry, and had dreamed that she was a princess, awakes to rind her garret room filled with beautiful things and a table set with hot food. The closing scenes are somewhat drawn out, in an effort to keep the spectator excited, but they end in a way to please one : — Ian Hunter, a British Army Captain, leaves his motherless daughter (Shirley) at an expensive boarding school to London, for he had to go to the Boer War. Being extremely wealthy, he instructs the schoolmistress (Mary Nash) to give Shirley the best of care, regardless of expense. Shirley i« nicknamed "The Princess." When word reaches Miss Nash that Hunter had been killed and that no funds were available, she takes away Shirley's clothes and forces her to leave her comfortable room for a garret room, which was cold and dismal, compelling her to work. Refusing to believe that her father was dead, Shirley pays daily visits to the veterans' hospital, looking for him. Arthur Treacher, Miss Nash's brother, who was an orderly at the hospital, helps her in her search. Her only friend was Anita Louise, a former teacher at the school, who had been dismissed when Miss Nash misjudged her friendship with Richard Greene, grandson of wealthy Miles Mander, the nextdoor neighbor; Miss Nash did not know that the young couple were married. Mander, who had heard from his Hindu servant (Cesar Romero) of Shirley's plight, fills her garret room with beautiful things while she was asleep. Miss Nash, thinking that Shirley had stolen the things, sends for the police. But Shirley escapes and rushes to the hospital. There, after a hectic time, she finds her father, who had lost his memory. The sight of Shirley and the sound of her voice restores his memory ; and there is a joyful reunion. Frances H. Burnett wrote the story, and Ethel Hill and Walter Ferris, the screen play ; Walter Lang directed it, and Gene Markey produced it. In the cast are Marcia Mae Jones, Beryl Mercer, E. E. Give, and others. Suitability, Class A. "Risky Business" with George Murphy and Dorothea Kent {Universal, March 3; time, 67 win.) A pretty good program melodrama. Produced in 1932 under the title "Okay America," it is now, as it was then, a fairly engrossing story, holding one's interest well. It is more dramatic than the usual columnist-gangster plot, for it does not go in for flippant wisecracks; instead, it centers around the hero's courage in endangering his life in order to protect an innocent girl who had been kidnapped by gangsters. The fact that in the end he meets with death at the hands of the gangsters touches one deeply, since he is so likeable a character. The romance is minimized : — George Murphy, a newspaper columnist and radio commentator, visits a prominent gangster (Leon Ames), supposedly retired, in an effort to obtain from him information as to the whereabouts of the kidnapped daughter of a prominent motion picture producer. From what Ames says. Murphy realizes that he had the girl. He makes a deal whereby he would turn over to him $50,000 for the girl's release. Murphy convinces the girl's father of his reliability. The money is delivered as arranged, hut the gangsters double-cross Murphy ; they do not release the girl. Upon visiting them, he learns that money was not the object; the real purpose was to protect Eduardo Ciannelli, the gangster leader, who was to be tried by the State. Ciannelli tells Murphy that, if he would intercede with the Governor to go easy with him. he would release the girl. The Governor refuses to do so; hut Murphy leads Ciannelli to believe that he had so agreed. Ciannelli releases the rnrl ; when Murphy knows that she was safe, he tells Ciannelli the truth, and then is forced to kill him in self defense; he escapes. While broadcasting the facts of the case, Murphy is killed by the gangster's henchmen, who were in the audience. William A. McGuire wrote the story, and Charles Grayson, the screen play ; Arthur Luhin directed it, and Burt Kelly produced it. In the cast are El Brendel, John Wray, Aruthur Loft, Frances Robinson, and others. Not suitable for children. Adult fare. Class B. "Mr. Moto in Danger Island" with Peter Lorre, Jean Hersholt and Warren Hymer (20//i Century-Fox, April 7; time, 69 min.) . One of the better pictures in the Moto series. The action is pretty exciting, holding one in suspense throughout. Peter Lorre plays the part of the detective in his usual competent way, thrilling one by his daring and cleverness in outwitting criminals ; and he has been given a good supporting cast. Although the plot is far-fetched, it is never dull ; the fact that the leader's identity is not revealed until the end keeps the spectator interested. Warren Hymer provides some good comedy. A mildly pleasant romance is worked into the plot : — Lorre arrives at Porto Rico as special investigator for American diamond dealers, who wanted him to get at the source of the diamond-smuggling racket that was emanating from Porto Rico. No sooner does Lorre arrive than an attempt is made to kill him in a manner similar to that in which his predecessor had been killed. But Lorre, with the help of Hymer, a rather stupid wrestler who had attached himself to him, outwits the gangsters and escapes. Other attempts are made to kiil him, but he escapes. Feeling sorry for the police chief (Charles D. Brown), whose health had broken down because of his inability to cope with the smugglers, Lorre assures Brown's daughter (Amanda Duff) that he would help her father. In order to get in with the gang, Lorre sends a false report to the Commissioner, in which he stated that he (Lorre) was a criminal posing as the famous detective. He manages to get to the smugglers' hideout, where he finds Brown and h:s daughter, who had been kidnapped. But the smugglers learn that he was really the detective, and they arrange to kill him. Again he escapes, but this time with the information he needed. He discloses that the leader was Jean Hersholt, a respected business man of the community. Brown is happy that the case had been solved. And his daughter turns her attentions to Robert Lowery, who loved her. John W. Vandercook wrote the novel from which the story ideas by John Reinhardt and George Bricker were adapted; Peter Milne wrote the screen play, Herbert I. Leeds directed it, and John Stone produced it. In the cast are Richard Lane, Leon Ames, Douglas Dumbrille, Paul Harvey, and others. Suitability, Class A. "King of Chinatown" with Akim Tamiroff, Anna May Wong and J. Carrol Naish (Paramount, March 17; time, 56 min.) Just a moderately entertaining program melodrama. The performances are superior to the story values, and are the main reason for one's interest in the picture. Otherwise, it is just another gangster melodrama, lacking the excitement one expects in pictures of this type. It starts out pretty well, but as it develops it loses its fast pace, for it turns to romance. An effort is made to arouse sympathy for the leading character, a gangster, by showing that his love for a woman had regenerated him. But, remembering his actions at the beginning of the picture, one cannot feel much sympathy for him ; moreover, the romance is unbelievable : Akim. Tamiroff. head of a gang of racketeers who were terrorizing the Chinatown district merchants by forcing them to.doin a protective association, refuses to listen to the schemes of his bookkeeper (J. Carrol Naish) to go into other .fields in order to make more money. When he gives orders to Naish to have Anthony Quinn, a racketeer who had double-crossed him, killed, Naish decides to do otherwise. Instead of killing Quinn, he plots with him to kill Tamiroff so that they could take over the business. They shoot Tamiroff, but do not kill him ; he is rushed to the hospital, where Anna May Wong, a surgeon, operates on him and saves his life. Knowing how her father had hated Tamiroff, she feared lest he had committed the shooting; she later learns that he was innocent. Tamiroff insists that she personally take care of him. During his illness, Naish and Quinn run the business along gangster lines, causing many deaths. When Tamiroff is ready to go home, he induces Miss Wong to accompany him there. Under her influence, he changes for the better. He asks her to marry him, offering to live a decent life; but she refuses, for she was set on going to China to do relief work. He gives her a check for $5,000 to continue with her work. When Naish confronts him with a gun one night, Tamiroff becomes excited and suffers a heart attack ; he dies. Herbert Hibernian wrote the story, and Lillie Hayward and Irving Reis, the screen play; Nicke Grinde directed it. In the cast are Roscoe Karns, Bernadene Hayes, Sidney Toler, Philip Ahn, and others. Unsuitable for children. Class B.