Harrison's Reports (1942)

December 12, 1942 HARRISON'S REPORTS 199 "American Empire" with Richard Dix, Preston Foster and Leo Carrillo (United Artists, December 13; time, 81 min.) An ambitiously produced westerri'drama, which should satisfy not only the western picture fans, but general patronage as well. The action takes place in Texas, immediately after the Civil War, when herds of stray ownerless cattle roamed the plains, and could be had for the roping. The story is interesting; it deals with a young adventurer who builds a Texas empire for his wife and son, only to find his happiness shattered by his greed and callousness. The rough and tumble action is interspersed with moments of domestic tenderness, comedy, and pathos. The closing scenes in which the cattlemen have a pitched battle with a band of rustlers are highly exciting: — Richard Dix and Preston Foster, co-owners of a river boat, agree to transport cattle owned by Leo Carrillo, a notorious French Creole, who explains that he had obtained the herd by rounding up ownerless steers. When Carrillo refuses to pay them for the transportation, the partners toss him and his men overboard, keeping the cattle. They sell their boat and go into the cattle business. Buying acres of land, they lay claim to all the stray cattle found in their areas. Foster marries Frances Gifford, Dix's sister, who had come to live with them. As the years pass the partners increase their holdings. Foster has visions of leaving an empire to Merrill Guy Rodin, his young son. Despite the pleas of Frances and Dix, Foster becomes overly aggressive. He does not permit the neighboring ranchers to drive their herds across his land to water and market. Faced with huge losses, the ranchers decide to buck him. This leads to a skirmish and stampede in which Foster's son is trampled to death. Embittered, Foster seeks to invoke further hardships on the ranchers. Frances and Dix leave him. At the railroad station Dix overhears the ranchers plotting to lynch Foster. He rushes back to warn him. Meanwhile in town, Frances receives word that Carrillo and a gang of outlaws were headed for the town with intent to pillage, seeking revenge for Foster's having jailed him. Realizing that the women and children in town were defenseless, because the ranchers had left to lynch Foster, Frances sends an emissary after the ranchers, and rushes back to Foster, pleading with him to head off Carrillo. Foster and his men ambush Carrillo's gang, and a fierce fight ensues. The ranchers arrive in time to help win the battle. Wounded, Foster realizes his stubbornness, and the ranchers forgive him. J. Robert Bren, Gladys Atwater, and Ben Grauman Kohn wrote the screen play. Harry Sherman and Dick Dickson produced it, and William McGann directed it. Morally suitable for all. "Behind the Eight Ball" with the Ritz Brothers, Carol Bruce and Dick Foran (Universal, December 4; time, 59 min.) Although the story is a hodge-podge of nonsense, this comedy with dancing and music is more than satisfactory program fare. Instead of concerning himself too much with the nonsensical murder mystery story, the director has wisely given most of the footage over to the musical numbers, which are of the popular variety, and the hilarious routines and slapstick clowning of the Ritz Brothers, whose antics are mainly responsible for the film's entertainment value. The music is tuneful, and Miss Bruce should please with her rendition of a few popular songs. There is some romantic interest, but it is unimportant: — The murder of two guest stars by shooting, at the Shady Ridge Summer Theatre operated by Carol Bruce, threatens to close the musical show, "Fun For All." Carol, its singing star and producer, hoped to stage the production to impress a few Broadway producers who had promised to attend the performance. Together with Dick Foran, her fiance, who shared ownership of the theatre with her, Carol goes to New York in search of new guest stars. She finds the Ritz Brothers, entertainers in a cafe, who are reluctant to accept the engagement because of the murders. When they are told that it might lead to a Broadway appearance, they change their minds quickly. While rehearsals are in progress, Sheriff William Demarest and his deputies track down clues to solve the double killing. On opening night the Ritz Brothers prove sensational, and the show has all the ear-marks of a huge success. During the final act, Harry Ritz does an imitation of Ted Lewis, using the clarinet of Richard Davies, a member of the orchestra. Davies becomes panicky and attempts to leave. Demarest and his deputies, however, nab the musician who confesses that a gun is concealed in the clarinet Harry was tooting, and that it would go off with a high "C" note. Despite everyone's signals, Harry, carried away by his performance, continues with his song. Fortunately, the gun is fired into the ceiling. It is disclosed that Davies was a new member of the orchestra, and that he was a secret operator of a Nazi spy ring with radio transmitting apparatus hidden in the barn. Stanley Roberts and Mel Ronson wrote the screen play, Howard Benedict produced it, and Edward F. Cline directed it. Included in the cast are Grace McDonald, Johnny Downs, and others. Morally suitable for all. "Mountain Rhythm" with the Weaver Brothers and Elviry (Republic, January 8; time, 70 min.) Aided by a timely subject, this latest of the Weaver program comedies is one of their best efforts to date; it is good wholesome entertainment, and should please in other than its normal playing zones. This time the Weavers aid the war effort by forsaking their personal pleasures to harvest badly heeded crops and to sell war bonds, and in the process convert a group of class-conscious snobbish students into youngsters eager to do their bit. In addition to its being amusing and having plentiful human appeal, the story is inspiring in its own modest way. They sing a few songs in their customary style, but their hill-billy antics are minimized: — Answering a government appeal for agricultural workers to come to the west coast to harvest crops on farms formerly owned by Japanese families, Leon Weaver and June, his wife, together with Lynn Merrick and Sally Payne, their daughters, and Frank Weaver, Leon's brother, go to California and buy a farm situated next to an exclusive preparatory school headed by Frank M. Thomas, a smug headmaster. Thomas and the students make no effort to conceal their contempt for the Weavers. A climax comes when a group of the students headed by Dickie Jones and Billy Boy try to use a melon patch as a polo field, claiming they had obtained permission from the previous tenants. To settle the dispute, the Weavers wager the students that they will sell more war bonds than the school's band at a bond-selling contest in town on the following day. If the students win, they get the use of the melon patch; but if the Weavers win, the students must help with the harvest. The Weavers are victorious, but none of the students, except Billy, comes to the farm. Leon, however, threatens to give the story to the newspapers and, to avoid unpleasant publicity, the boys pay off the debt. When the students meet to plan revenge on the Weavers, Joseph Allen, Jr., a young professor, interrupts the meeting and gives the boys many telegrams congratulating them for aiding the war effort. Ashamed, the boys undergo a change and offer to help save the Weavers' crops from frost. To stop the students, the headmaster calls in some of the students' fathers. Much to his surprise, they side with their sons, and pitch in to help. The crops arc saved, and the headmaster is revealed to be a subversive agent. Dorrel and Stuart McGowan wrote the screen play, Armand Schacfcr produced it, and Frank McDonald directed it. Morally suitable for all.