Harrison's Reports (1943)

184 HARRISON'S REPORTS November 13, 1943 "Deerslayer" with Bruce Kellogg and Jean Parker (Republic. J^ovember 22, time, 67 mm.) Reviewed by Abram F. Myers* Di^erent. It was a discerning genius who detected in the quaint old-fashioned writing ot James Fenimore Cooper certain of the basic elements of motion picture entertainment — action, suspense, romance, scenery. The adaptation of these writings to the screen presents, first of all, a difficult re-write job because the stories are long drawn out and little of the original dialog can be used. Cooper devotees will be gratified that so much of Deerslayer has been retained und will recognize the obvious need for emphasizing fast-moving action at the expen.sc of the turgid dialogs of the original. If the picture has a weakness it is that so many scenes and incidents of the story have been crowded into it that there was little time for the development of back' ground and characterizations. This affects the smoothness and continuity at times and the lack of characterization may disappoint the bookish element who are attracted to the picture by its title. However, this may be all to the good so far as the more numenjus addicts of action pictures are concerned, for the picture offers all the features of a standardized western — Indians on the warpath, fast riding on calico ponies, villainy, heroism and lots of hard fighting. Story. The story involves the adventures, perils and loves of early settlers in Northern New York who are attacked by savages. Decrslayer (Bruce Kellogg), "born white" and orphaned when a child, was rai.sed by Chief Uncus (Robert Warwick), of the Mohicans, as a companion of his own son, Jingo-Good (Larry Parks). As the story opens, the Huron Tribe has taken to the warpath and invaded the land of the Mohicans. Briarthorn (Phil Van Zandt), a renegade Mohican, has gone over to the side of the Hurons. By "bad Injun" treachery he kills Chief Brave Eagle (Many Treaties) and kidnaps his daughter. Princess Wah-Tah (Yvonne de Carlo), who is bethrothcd to Jingo-Good. Deerslayer joins his Indian friends in the battle against the Hurons but when he discovers that Hetty Hutter (Wanda McKay) and her little brother Bobby (Johnny Michaels) have been attacked, he seeks to rescue them. The Huttcrs live on a shoal in the middle of the lake and use the Ark, a crude ferry, to travel back and forth to shore. Deerslayer gets Hetty and Bobby to the Ark and eventually to the Hutter home, but not until Bobby has been badly wounded. Deerslayer then decides to go to the stockade to get a doctor for Bobby. At the stockade he is informed that a doctor will be sent to the Hutter home, with an escort, provided Deerslayer will set out in another direction to head off his old friend Harry March (Warren Ashe), who is moving towards the stockade with a large company of prospective brides for the womenless frontiersmen. The bargain is struck and Deerslayer sets forth to find Harry and warn him of the Huron uprising. He finds Harry after the latter has fallen into a rapids while attempting to string a rope over the stream so t"hat his charges could cross in safety. Deerslayer saves Harry from drowning. They signal the women to remain behind and Harry and Deerslayer repair to the Hutter home to inquire after Bobby and to renew old acquaintances. They find that Bobby has died of his wounds. Hetty seeks solace from Harry. Both adventurers, however, fall in love with Judith (Jean Parker), the older sister. Meantime, the war between the Indians goes on and Chief Uncas is killed by the Hurons and the Mohican vil' lage is put to the torch. Jingo-Good vows to avenge his father and to rescue the Princess Wah-Tah. He joins forces with Deerslayer and the Hutters. Mr. Hutter (Addison Richards) and Harry March make a foray on the shore and are captured by the Hurons. Learning from Jingo-Good of the Huron's superstition concerning persons of unsound mind, Hetty feigns insanity and goes directly to Chief Rivenoak (Trevor Burdette) of the Hurons and by means of messages translated by Wah-Tah arranges to ransom both her father and Harry. Deerslayer and Harry make a spectacular attempt to rescue Wah-Tah and are themselves captured. Just as they are about to be tomahawked their bonds are cut and in the ensuing struggle they escape, carrying Wah-Tah with them. Enraged by this turn of events, the Indians storm and occupy the Hutter home before Deerslayer and Harry can return. After much bitter fighting in which Deerslayer and Harry are aided by the Hutter girls, who man the Ark, and in the course of which Mr. Hutter and Hetty are killed, they are finally rescued by the men from the stockade who have at last decided to drive out the warring Indians. Judith confesses her love for Harry and Deerslayer magnanimously proclaims that he lost to a better man. Exploitation. The picture calls for double-barreled exploitation, one aimed at the western fans and the other at the bookish element. The appeal to lovers of action pictures is obvious. But properly handled the picture should attract a wider audience, including many who do not regularly attend the movies. Leather-Stocl{inn Tales stand high in American literature and of these Deerslayer and Last of the Mohicans are most beloved. There is scarcely an adult American whose youthful imagination was not stirred by these great adventure stories, whether he encountered them "on his own" or as acquired reading in school. It is only reasonable to expect that out of this vast potential audience there will be many who arc eager to see on the screen such familiar heroes as Deerslayer, Hurry-Harry, Jingo-Good and Floating Tim, as well as pictures of Glimmerglass and the Ark and other scenes so graphically described by Cooper. Even those who are too young to master the author's anti' quutcd style, nevertheless possess that innate love of adventure and Indian lore that is characteristic of American youth. The bookish angle can be overdone with some classes of patrons, but it may be stressed in circularizing school children. Boy Scouts, Parent-Teachers, etc. It is understood that the producers of Deerslayer arc considering a series of pictures based on the writings of James Fenimore Cooper. It is to be hoped that these will materiahze. As experience is gained, technique will improve and a valuable series should result. While Deerslayer was the last of the Leather -Stocking Tales to be written, it is first in point of chronology and the producers have chosen the proper story to initiate the series. With the major companies cur' tailing their output and withholding completed pictures from the market, exhibitors should make a point of encouraging independent productions. While Deerslayer involves a great deal of shooting the picture never becomes morbid or gruesome and it is morally suitable for all classes of patrons. */n a spirit of banter I once told my friend Pete Harrison that if he tfould mal^e a picture, I would review it. Pete in the same spirit holds me to my promise. I hasten to disarm all critics in advance by admitting — even asserting tfwt I am in no way qualified by experience or otherwise to review a picture. Also, that I have had to lean backwards throughout the effort m order not to ma\e my partiality to Pete too obvious. "Son of Dracula" with Lon Chaney, Robert Paige and Louise Allbritton (Universal, J^ovember 5; time, 79 min.) Where supernatural horror melodramas are liked, "Son of Dracula" should prove acceptable program fare. Like its predecessor, "Dracula," which Universal produced in 1931, this, too, is extremely wierd, fantastic, and morbid, but, because the theme has been done many times, it fails to attain the terrifying impact of the original. Generally, it is a col' lection of familiar spine-chilling activities that take place amid the usual eerie surroundings. The action deals with "undead" people, who, although dead, continue to live on by drinking the blood of human beings. They remain in their coffins during the day and emerge only during the night, at which time they assume the forms of vampire bats and carry on their gruesome activities. Trick photography has been employed to good advantage. The story revolves around Lon Chaney, as the son of Dracula, who leaves his native Hungary to visit the Southern plantation of Colonel George Irving, whom he had met in Budapest. Upon his arrival, Chaney assumes the form of a vampire bat and murders the Colonel. Louise Allbritton, the Colonel's daughter, a morbid woman who sought immortality through vampirism, forsakes Robert Paige, her fiance, to marry Chaney. In a gun fight between Chaney and Paige, Louise is killed. After Chaney transforms her into one of the "undead," Louise visits Paige and offers him immortality if he will help her dispose of Chaney. She informs him that this could be done by burning Chaney's coffin, thus preventing him from returning to it before dawn. After a series of horrendous events, Paige succeeds in destroying both Chaney and Louise. Eric Taylor wrote the screen play. Ford Beebe produced it, and Robert Siodmak directed it. The cast includes Evelyn Ankers, Frank Craven, J. Edward Bromberg, Samuel S. Hinds and others. Not for children.