Harrison's Reports (1939)

58 HARRISON'S REPORTS April 15, 1939 "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell" with Don Ameche, Loretta Young and Henry Fonda (20th Century-Fox, April 14; time,961/2 mm.) A pretty good box-office attraction. It is a fairly interesting drama revolving around the struggles of Alexander Graham Bell to perfect his telephone invention; but the story does not concentrate entirely on the technical end, for the romance, enacted delightfully by Ameche and Miss Young, plays an important part in the development of Bell's career. The character of Bell, as portrayed by Ameche, is a fine one; he wins one's sympathy by his idealistic approach to his work. One of the most touching situations is that in which he is able to train a young boy, who was a deaf-mute, to utter the word "father" to his grieving parent. Henry Fonda, as an assistant, supplies the lighter mood by his constant grumbling because of the lack of food: — Bell, assisted by Thomas Watson (Henry Fonda), works under trying conditions to perfect a new telegraphic invention. Through the aid of Thomas Sanders (Gene Lockhart), who appreciated the work Bell was doing in training his young son, a deaf-mute. Bell meets Gardner Hubbard (Charles Coburn), who shows willingness to finance Bell in his work. Bell falls in love with Hubbard's eldest daughter (Loretta Young), who was deaf. She did not consider it a handicap, however, for she was an expert lip-reader, and could thus hold regular conversations. Bell provokes Hubbard's criticism when he drops his work on the telegraph to devote his talents to a new invention, the telephone. Hubbard withdraws his financial aid, and forbids Bell to see his daughter. Discouraged by his inability to make progress, and disheartened by being separated from the girl he loved, Bell is about ready to give up. But Miss Hubbard visits him and insists that he go on with his work. Finally, at a public demonstration of the telephone, Hubbard is convinced of its practicability, and shows willingness to invest more money in it: at the same time he gives his consent to the marriage. Just when things begin to look bright, a rival company puts out a similar instrument. Bell and his partners bring a suit against them, and finally come out victorious. Bell is doubly happy, for not only was his business good, but he had become a father. Ray Harris wrote the story, and Lamar Trotti, the screen play; Irving Cummings directed it. and Kenneth Macgowan produced it. In the cast are Spring Byington, Sally Blane, Polly Ann Young, Georgiana Young, Bobs Watson, and others. Suitability. Class A. "Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police" with John Howard and Heather Angel (Paramount, April 14; time, 54 min.) A fair program melodrama. The story is a little weaker than some of the others in this series; as a matter of fact, it is so thin, that in one situation, where the hero is supposed to be having a dream, exciting scenes from previous pictures have been inserted. The photography in some spots is so dark that it is difficult for one to see what is happening. It does, however, end in a thrilling way, — with an exciting chase through an eerie underground passage. One is held in suspense during these situations, because of the danger to the heroine, who was held as hostage by the villain. There is plentiful comedy, which is provoked by the blundering efforts of the hero's friend. And again the marriage plans of the hero and the heroine are thwarted: — On the eve of his marriage. John Howard (Bulldog Drummond) receives a visit from a professor (Forrester Harvey). He is surprised when Harvey tells him that he had discovered, through research work, the fact that a treasure was hidden in an underground pas sage under Howard's home; it had been hidden there by an ancestor. Crged by his fiancee (Heather Angel) not to look for trouble, Howard decides to let the matter go. But that night, he is attacked; and the book containing the secret code to the hiding place that he had been reading is stolen. And the professor is killed. It develops that the new butler (Leo Carroll), who had been engaged to assist at the wedding, was in reality an escaped criminal who knew about the professor's discovery. He kidnaps Miss Angel and forces her to go with him through the secret tunnel. By following instructions, he finds the treasure. But Howard and his friends had found the secret entrance and had followed him. Carroll tries to trap the men; but Miss Angel, by throwing the treasure into the whirlpool beneath them, gets Carroll away from the lever controlling the iron door. She pulls the lever up, freeing the men. In a gun fight, Carroll is shot, falling to his death. Again the wedding is postponed; this time by an explosion. The plot was adapted from the story by H. C. McNeile; Garnett Weston wrote the screen play; James Hogan directed it, and Edmund T. Lowe produced it. In the cast are H. B. Warner, Elizabeth Patterson, Reginald Denny, E. E. Give, and others. Suitability, because of the murder, Class B. "On Trial" with John Litel, Margaret L'ndsay and Janet Chapman {Warner Bros., April 1 ; time, (A min.) Just a moderately entertaining courtroom melodrama, of program grade. Produced twice before (once in 1917 and again in 1928). the story, judging by present times, is rather old-fashioned. One feels sympathy for both the hero and the heroine, but this does not suffice to hold one's attention. A bad feature is the fact that murder is condoned; the hero is finally set free even though it was he who had committed the murder. In the picture produced in 1928, it was shown that the hero had been accused of the murder unjustly, the dead man's secretary being shown as the guilt}' person. The situation where little Janet Chapman testifies in court on behalf of her father is powerful; she speaks her lines so well, and acts with such emotional understanding, that the spectator is held spellbound. There is very little else to recommend it. The action takes place in a courtroom with flashbacks to tell the story: — John Litel suspects that his wife (Margaret Lindsay), whom he loved, had had an affair with James Stephenson, a friend of his. Litel goes to Stephenson's home and kills him. He is arrested. Since he refused to testify at the trial, the District Attorney sets up a case whereby he tries to prove that Litel had gone there with the intention of robbing Stephenson's safe of $20,000, and that, when Stephenson surprised him, he had killed him. Miss Lindsay who, shocked by the course of events, had been taken to a hospital, recovers sufficiently to go to court to testify for her husband. She tells the Court that, before she had met Litel, she had known Stephenson, who, unknown to her, had been married. She had arranged to elope with him. but had been saved by the timely arrival of Stephenson's wife (Nedda Harrigan). She had then married Litel, and had found happiness with him and their child. She had accidentally met Stephenson, who threatened to tell her husband lies about her unless she visited him at his summer home; she had gone there to plead with him to leave her alone. Litel had misunderstood and killed him. Litel's attorney then proves that the robbery had been committed by Stephenson's secretary. The jury finds Litel not guilty. The plot was adapted from the play by Elmer Rice; Don Ryan wrote the screen play, Terry Morse directed it. and Bryan Foy produced it. In the cast are Edward Norris, Larry Williams, William Davidson, and others. Unsuitable for children. Class B.