Harrison's Reports (1941)

March 1, 1941 HARRISON'S REPORTS 35 "Blonde Inspiration" with John Shelton and Virginia Grey (MGM, February 7 ; time, 71 min.) ' Jus.t a program comedy. In spite of the fact that the action is fast-moving, it is difficult for one to remain interested in the proceedings, for the story is silly and tiresome. Another weak point, as far as its box-office value is concerned, is the fact that the players are not strong attractions. There are a few amusing scenes in which laughter is provoked due mainly to the antics of Donald Meek, as an intoxicated author. The romance is routine : — Tired of being ordered around by his wealthy, domineering aunt (Alma Kruger), John Shelton leaves her home and his position in her firm, in order to write a novel. His uncle (Reginald Owen), who sympathized with him, gives him two thousand dollars ($2,000; that Miss Kruger had entrusted to him. Shelton becomes involved with Albert Dekker and Charles Butterworth, penniless and crooked publishers of a cheap magazine featuring western stories ; they promise to print his stories on condition that he invest two thousand dollars with them. They needed the money to pay the printer so that they could publish three more issues, after which they would be able to sell the magazine to a large printing outfit. Virginia Grey, who worked in the office, helps Shelton with the work; she hasn't the courage to tell him that Dekker had no intention of using Shelton's name as the author, but that he would use the stories under the name of a well-known author (Donald Meek) who had been writing for them but had been too drunk to continue with the work. Shelton is shocked when he sees the magazine without his name. Learning that his aunt had demanded the money from Owen, Shelton realizes he would have to continue working so as to get his share of the sale of the magazine and thus repay Owen. Miss Grey outwits Dekker by changing the copy in the next issue so that Shelton's name would appear. Shelton goes wild when he finds out they had stolen the script of his novel for release in their cheap magazine. But he finally comes to the conclusion that he was no great writer, and so accepts a lucrative offer with a large publishing firm to write routine stories. He and Miss Grey fall in love with each other. John C. Holm wrote the story, and Marion Parsonnet, the screen play ; Busby Berkeley directed it, and B. P. Fineman produced it. In the cast are Rita Quigley, Marion Martin, and others. Suitability, Class A. "The Devil Commands" with Boris Karloff {Columbia, February 3 ; /i»tf, 65 min.) This is certainly a poor example of horror melodrama. Seldom has a picture of that classification proved to be so boresome as is "The Devil Commands." The fact that the story is ridiculous is not the picture's main fault, for often one overlooks that fact when the action is thrilling. But in this case, the action is slow-moving, there is too much dialogue, and the proceedings are tedious : — Boris Karloff, a respected scientist, spends most of his time working on a machine that registered people's brain waves, and recorded them on a chart. Karloff is overcome with grief when his wife is killed in an automobile accident. He refuses to go home with his daughter (Amanda Duff) ; he preferred to stay at his laboratory working on his invention, by means of which he hoped to communicate with his dead wife. He decides to work with Anne Revere, a spiritualist, in an effort to contact his wife. They use Ralph Penney, the office janitor, in one of the experiments. The electrical shock is too much for him, and he becomes demented. They rent a house in a remote section in New England, and take Penney with them. There they continue their work; the Sheriff accuses them of robbing graves for their experiments, but since he could find no evidence against them he could not prosecute them. Trouble begins when their housekeeper is accidentally electrocuted in the laboratory ; they lead the Sheriff to believe that she had fallen over a cliff to her death. But the folks refuse to believe their story, and set out in a group to break up the laboratory. Miss Duff arrives, hoping to get her father to leave with her. But he prefers to remain and insists that she help him with the experiment since Miss Revere had died during one of the tests. Suddenly the apparatus explodes, and Karloff is killed. Miss Duff is saved by Fiske. William Sloanc wrote the story, and Robert D. Andrews and Milton Gunzberg, the screen play; Edward Dmytryk directed it, and Wallace MacDonald produced it. In the cast are Dorothy Adams, Walter Baldwin, Kenneth MacDonald, and others. Not for children. Class B. "Adam Had Four Sons" with Warner Baxter and Ingrid Bergman {Columbia, February 18; time, 80 win.) This, is a fairly strong drama that should appeal, to women. Both the direction and acting are very good. Although the sex angle involving two brothers ana the wife of one is unpleasant, it is not the main theme ; it is the sacrifice made by the heroine in order to spare the hero unhappiness that is the outstanding feature. The story has considerable human interest ; and the characters, with the exception of the unfaithful wife, are sympathetic : — Warner Baxter and his wife (Fay Wray) are extremely happy with their four sons ; moreover, his stock brokerage business was flourishing. They welcome to their home the new governess (Ingrid Bergman), who had recently arrived from Europe ; the children grow to love her. Baxter is heartbroken when his wife dies; then the crash of 1907 wipes him out. A well-to-do relative (Helen Westley) sends the three older boys to school, and Baxter gives up his home to live in a cheap apartment with his youngest son. He sends Miss Bergman back to Europe, promising to call for her when things picked up. When the war breaks out, all four boys enter the service. By this time Baxter had rebuilt his fortune and had brought Miss Bergman back to his home. The family is surprised when one of the sons (Johnny Downs) arrives home on leave with a wife (Susan Hay ward). Miss Bergman instinctively dislikes Miss Hayward, but does not let Baxter or the others know it. Downs and two of his brothers receive orders to leave for France ; the oldest son (Richard Denning) is not sent abroad. On one of his visits home, Miss Hayward lures him into an affair with her. In order to spare Baxter unhappiness, Miss Bergman, who loved Baxter, permits him to believe that she was the woman involved. After the armistice, the family is reunited. Miss Hayward betrays herself to Downs, who, in desperation, tries to kill himself. Baxter finally learns the facts. He compels Miss Hayward to leave. It is then that he realizes he loved Miss Bergman; they marry. The plot was adapted from the novel "Legacy" by Charles Bonner; William Hurlbut and Michael Blankfort wrote the screen play, Gregory Ratoff directed it, and Robert Sherwood produced it. In the cast are Robert Shaw, Charles Lind, June Lockhart, and others. Not for children. Class B. "Andy Hardy's Private Secretary" with Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney and Ian Hunter {MGM, February 21 ; time, 100 min.) This is a very good addition to the "Hardy" series. Not only is Mickey Rooney in top form, but the story is amusing and has plentiful human appeal. Moreover the picture serves to introduce Kathryn Grayson, a young newcomer with an excellent singing voice. But, as is usually the case with the pictures in this series, it is Mickey who dominates the scene, providing most of the entertainment. His actions, as the harassed high-school student who gets into trouble, are familiar to the followers of this series ; yet they are still amusing. Despite the length of the film, one's interest is held well to the end : — Mickey, president of the high-school senior class, works very hard with other students, preparing for their graduation exercises. He is overjoyed when his father (Lewis Stone) tells him that he was going to replace Mickey's old car with a new one. Stone takes an interest in Ian Hunter, whose two children (Miss Grayson and Todd Karns) were in the graduating class. First he suggests that Mickey make Kathryn his private secretary; this idea pleases Mickey. Then Stone telephones to a friend in Washington, who obtains a government appointment for Hunter on a South American mission ; but it meant that Hunter and his children would have to leave before graduation. Mickey, without realizing the harm he might do, changes the date in the acceptance telegram so that they could remain until after graduation. Because of the change, Hunter loses the job. Mickey tearfully confesses to his father and to Kathryn what he had done. Then to add to Mickey's woes, he learns that he had failed his English examination, which meant he could not graduate. He is humiliated and tries to run away. But the students induce the principal to give Mickey, who had always been a good student, another test, which he passes. He graduates with the others, and is overjoyed when his car finally arrives. Stone obtains another position for Hunter. Katharine Brush wrote the story, and Jane Murfin and Harry Ruskin, the screen play ; George B. Scitz directed it. In the cast are Fay Holden. Ann Rutherford, Sara Hadcn, Gene Reynolds, and others. (Class A.)