Harrison's Reports (1943)

26 "A Stranger in Town" with Frank Morgan, Richard Carlson and Jean Rogers (MGM, no release date set; time, 67 mm.) Very good program entertainment. It is a picture that any type of audience should enjoy for it combines comedy with deep human interest. Frank Morgan is excellent as the Supreme Court Justice, who, on a hunting trip incognito, guides a young attorney in his efforts to break up a small-town political ring. The court room scenes are extremely interesting and humorous; Richard Carlson, aided by Morgan's pointers on law, compels the corrupt local judge to decide cases in his favor. The closing scenes where Morgan discloses his identity and exposes the ring is stirring; in an inspiring speech, he urges the townspeople to preserve freedom and justice. The action is fast, and one's interest never lags: — While on a duck-hunting vacation in the small town of Greenport, Frank Morgan, a U. S. Supreme Court Justice, traveling incognito, is haled to court by a crooked game warden for a minor infraction of the game rules. In Court, Morgan observes the travesties of justice practiced by Porter Hall, the local Judge, one of a political ring dominated by Robert Barrat, the Mayor. Morgan makes the acquaintance of Richard Carlson, a young attorney, who was running against the Mayor in the elections. Carlson seemed unable to get ahead either in court or in politics. Without revealing his identity, Morgan takes an interest in Carlson, giving him pointers on how to beat the "fixed" court. Jean Rogers, Morgan's secretary, arrives in town with some important papers, and she is met at the station by Carlson. He takes her to the local hotel where one of Barrat's henchmen insult her. A fight ensues, and both Jean and Carlson land in jail. Aided by Morgan's advice, Carlson gains a dismissal of the charges. To counter Carlson's rising popularity, Barrat arranges for his henchmen to evict Carlson from his office so that he would become an object of ridicule. This precipitates a street fight, in which Morgan is injured slightly. His ire roused, Morgan corners the local judge and discloses his identity. He compels the judge to issue warrants for the arrest of the Mayor and his hoodlums and, at a public hearing, exposes and breaks up the political ring. Carlson wins the election and marries Jean. Isobel Lennert and William Kozlenko wrote the screen play, Robert Sisk produced it, and Roy Rowland directed it. Morally suitable for all. "Secrets of the Underworld" with John Hubbard, Virginia Grey and Lloyd Corrigan (Republic, December 18; time, 70 min.) The good direction and the engaging performances of the leading players lifts this melodrama above the level of average program entertainment; it should make a satisfactory supporting feature in most situations. The story, which deals with the tracking down of an Axis spy ring dealing in counterfeit War Stamps, follows a formula, but the romantic angle involving the district attorney and a girl reporter provides the film with its lighter moments, at which time it is at its best. The closing scenes where a contingent of WAACS help to capture the spies are both hu' morous and exciting : — Miles Mander, a French refugee artist, is compelled by Axis agents to engrave plates for counterfeiting war stamps, lest harm come to Robin Raymond, his daughter, who was held prisoner in Paris. When Mander learns that Robin had escaped and sailed for New York, he manages to elude the spies, taking with him a trunk full of stamps. He telephones the district attorney and arranges protection for Robin. Assistant District Attorney John Hubbard meets Robin at the boat, and finds her to be impulsively romantic. Virginia Grey, a girl reporter and Hubbard's fiancee, resents Robin. At the dock, Robin receives a baggage check and a note from her father, only to have it snatched from her hand by a stranger, who escapes into the crowd. Through Olin Howlin, a baggage clerk, Hubbard learns that the trunk had been sent to a charity auction to be held on the following day under the supervision of Lloyd Corrigan, a French stylist. Hubbard attends the auction, as does Virginia and Neil Hamilton, Hubbard's rival. Hamilton outbids Maria Shelton, a WAACS commander, for the trunk. When it is opened, Mander's body is found inside. While Hubbard attempts to solve the crime, Howlin is murdered, and Robin disappears. Virginia decides to do some investigating on her own. She learns that Robin had last been seen in Corrigan's salon, and that she had been taken to a dairy farm. Through Miss Shelton, Virginia arranges for the WAACS to take over the dairy farm for drill work, while she searches for Robin. Virginia is captured by the spies, and she learns that Corrigan was their leader. Meanwhile Hubbard had uncovered evidence that brings him to the farm and, with the aid of the WAACS, he rounds up the spies and frees the girls. Robert Tasker and Geofi^rey Homes wrote the screen play, Leonard Fields produced it, and William Morgan directed it. Morally suitable for all. "Hi'Ya Chum" with the Ritz Brothers, Jane Frazee and Robert Paige (Universal, March 15; time, 61 min.) An enjoyable program comedy with music. What there is in the way of a story is nonsensical, but it should more than satisfy the followers of the Ritz Brothers whose comedy routines, most of which are of the slapstick variety, dominate the scene. A highly amusing situation is where a group of gangsters, bent on starting a riot in a night club, go into hysterics when the chorus girls administer laughing gas to them. In addition to furnishing the romantic interest, Robert Paige and Jane Frazee sing a few numbers. It is a fastmoving film designed for laughs, and it succeeds in getting them : — With little money in their pockets and their show closed down, the Ritz Brothers start out for Hollywood in their broken-down car, accompanied by Jane Frazee and June Clyde, a sister act. They get as far as Mercury, a boom town, where their funds run out. After a series of mishaps in which they cause the chef of the only restaurant in town to quit his job, the Ritz Brothers are compelled to do the cooking. Displeased with their cooking, the war workers, headed by Robert Paige, decide to run them out of town. But Jane and June save the day by taking over the kitchen. Paige is so pleased with their cooking that he gives them the restaurant. Edmund MacDonald, a gambler, approaches the girls and offers to turn the restaurant into a gambling joint. Jane refuses, despite the objections of June. MacDonald opens up his own estab' lishment, and June joins him. But when June sees that MacDonald was fleecing the workers, she leaves him and returns to Jane. In order to stop the workers from