Harrison's Reports (1941)

2 HARRISON'S REPORTS January 4, 1941 "Flight Command" with Robert Taylor, Walter Pidgeon and Ruth Hussey (MGM i January 3 ; time, 114 min.) Very good entertainment 1 It is one of the most thrilling aviation pictures made, and realistic, too, since the United States Navy air force cooperated in the production. The subject matter is timely, for it shows the work and practice maneuvers done by the Navy in line with the defense program. One of the most exciting scenes is that in which four Navy planes, flying through a thick fog, are guided to the landing field by means of a mechanical device ; and there are several other scenes, equally as exciting. The story offers plentiful human appeal and good romantic interest : — The crack squadron at the San Diego Naval Air Station, known as the "Hell Cats," is headed by Walter Pidgeon ; both he and his wife (Ruth Hussey) are extremely popular with the men. Pidgeon and his men are surprised when they learn that a vacant place in their squadron would be filled by a reserve from Pensacola, for they felt that their outfit was too tough for a cadet. Robert Taylor, the selected cadet, is overjoyed at his appointment, thinking that the "Hell Cats," as was their custom, had selected him. Permitted to join the squadron in machine gun practice, he tries so hard to be good that he runs into the target and puts the squadron out of the running. It is then that he learns that the "Hell Cats," had not asked for him. Shepperd Strudwick, Miss Hussey's brother, feels sorry for him, and gradually the others warm up to him. He works with Strudwick on a fog-landing device; one foggy night Strudwick, without permission, takes out a plane to test the apparatus. He crashes and is killed. Miss Hussey is heartbroken. Pidgeon comforts her ; but he has to leave for Washington that night. She breaks down ; Taylor tries to help her by taking her out. By the time Pidgeon returns, Miss Hussey is not sure of her love for him; she leaves him, promising to return when she felt she loved him again. The men in the squadron, thinking that Taylor was the cause of it, are furious; he, in turn, is disgusted at their accusation and hands in his resignation. Before it comes through, he joins the squadron in maneuvers. A plane from another squadron is lost at sea and the "Hell Cats" are sent out to locate it. They find it and are ready to return, when Pidgeon's plane springs a gas leak; he is forced down and crashes on a rocky island. Taylor goes after him, and flies him back in his plane, followed by the others. A heavy fog sets in; but, by means of the device, which Taylor had perfected, the men on the field guide them down safely. Pidgeon is rushed to the hospital. Miss Hussey returns, happy to be back with Pidgeon, who had recovered. The men of the squadron, realizing their mistake, plead with Taylor to remain ; he agrees. John Sutherland and Commander Harvey Haislip wrote the story, and Commander Haislip and Wells Root, the screen play; Frank Borzage directed it, and J. Walter Ruben produced it. In the cast are Paul Kelly, Red Skelton, Nat Pendleton, Dick Purcell, William Tannen, Addison Richards, and others. Suitability, Class A. "Dr. Kildare's Crisis" with Lionel Barrymore, Lew Ayres, Laraine Day, and Robert Young (MGM, November 29; time, 74 wm.) If the pictures that are to follow in this series are as good as this one, there is no reason why the "Dr. Kildare" films should not continue for a long time. This time the subject matter deals with epilepsy ; and the story is even more interesting than the others in the series and has stronger human appeal because the patient involved is the heroine's brother, whose illness affects his sister's future happiness. There is plentiful comedy to relieve the tension ; most of the laughter is provoked by Lionel Barrymore, who terrorizes all the hospital workers by shouting at them. The romance is charming : — Lew Ayres (Dr. Kildare) and his nurse fiancee (Laraine Day), who had been thwarted in their attempts to elope by Lionel Barrymore, Ayres' superior, because he wanted them to have a regular wedding at which he could be best man, make new plans. They are pleasantly surprised when Miss Day's brother (Robert Young), arrives in town. Young was all excited about a project he had in mind, which would require financing. Ayres promises to introduce him to a millionaire. But Ayres notices something strange about Young. Without telling Miss Day anything, he induces Young to undergo a test ; at its conclusion he believes that Young was suffering from epilepsy. Ayres is determined to marry Miss Day, in spite of the fact that she, too, might be afflicted some day. But she finds out about the diagnosis and refuses to marry Ayres. Barrymore takes a hand in the case ; he discovers that the epilepsy had been brought on by a head injury and was not hereditary. Ayres operates on Young, who recovers. Ayres and Miss Day now look forward to their marriage with happiness. Max Brand and Willis Goldbeck wrote the story, and Mr. Goldbeck and Harry Ruskin, the' screen play ; Harold Bucquet directed it. In thecast are Nat Pendleton, Walter Kingsford, Alma Kruger, Bobs Watson and others. Suitability, Class A. "The Case of the Black Parrot" with William Lundigan, Maris Wrixon, and Paul Cavanagh (First National, January 11; time, 59 min.) A fair program murder-mystery melodrama. The followers of stories of this type should enjoy it, for the villain's identity is not disclosed until the end. Since several persons are suspected, one's interest is held fairly well. The story is somewhat involved ; but it moves at a pretty good pace and is worked out fairly well at the conclusion. The production values are good and the performances competent. There is a romance : — Maris Wrixon and her uncle (Charles D. Waldron) arrive back home with an antique cabinet Waldron had bought in Europe. William Lundigan, a reporter, who had been a passenger on the same boat and had fallen in love with Miss Wrixon, realizes that there was some mystery attached to the cabinet. Mysterious things start happening : first, a strange man who had been waiting to see Waldron dies suddenly, after having touched the cabinet. Then Waldron himself dies in the same mysterious way. Two strange women become involved in the case, as does Paul Cavanagh, supposedly the son of the art dealer from whom Waldron had bought the cabinet. Eventually Miss Wrixon and Lundigan trap Cavanagh, and prove that he was a dangerous criminal who knew that valuable diamonds were hidden in the cabinet and who had been responsible for the death of the two men. The plot was adapted from the play by Eleanor R. Belmont and Harriet Ford, and the novel by Burton E. Stevenson; Robert E. Kent wrote the screen play, Noel M. Smith was director, and William Jacobs, producer. Eddie Foy, Jr., Luli Deste, Joseph Crehan, and others are in the cast. Not for children. Class B. "She Couldn't Say No" with Roger Pryor, Eve Arden and Cliff Edwards (First National, December 7; time, 62 min.) Although Warner Bros, produced a picture in 1930 called "She Couldn't Say No," supposedly written by the same author who wrote the story for this picture, there is absolutely no similarity in the stories. This is just a program farce of minor importance, lacking in star names. It may fit a double-bill, where something light is needed as a second feature, for occasionally there are situations that provoke laughter. Theatres that cater to audiences who are not too exacting in their demands as long as a picture offers comedy may fare better with it than high class theatres : — Roger Pryor, an unsuccessful young lawyer, and his sweetheart-secretary (Eve Arden), who, too, was a lawyer but who did not practice because of Pryor's objections to her having a career, are overjoyed when they finally get a case. Pryor is assigned to the job of inducing a wealthy eccentric farmer (Clem Bevans) to sell him his farm, which an aeroplane company wanted as a landing field. But Pryor is unable to see Bevans, who suspected everybody of being connected with a breach-of-promise suit that had been brought against him by his elderly fiancee. Cliff Edwards, Pryor's process server, finally obtains an interview with Bevans by pretending that he had once been sued for breach of promise and had won the case. He makes an appointment for Bevans to meet him at Pryor's office. The understanding was that if Pryor handled the case, he would receive as his fee the farm. But as luck would have it, Pryor was out of town, and so Miss Arden handles the case and leaves for the small town. When Pryor hears about it, he is enraged, for he thought Miss Arden was seeking a career for herself. Just to spite her, he decides to represent the plaintiff. The case is finally dismissed when the elderly couple decide to marry. Miss Arden receives the deed to the property, which she in turn hands over to Pryor. They are reconciled and decide to marry. Benjamin M. Kaye wrote the story, and Earl Baldwin and Charles Grayson, the screen play ; William Clemens directed it, and William Jacobs produced it. In the cast are Vera Lewis, Irving Bacon, Spencer Charters, and others. Suitability, Class A.