Harrison's Reports (1944)

206 HARRISON'S REPORTS "Practically Yours" with Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray (Paramount, no release date set; time, 90 min.) Good entertainment for the masses. It 6tarts off in highly dramatic fashion and, by a clever twist, turns into a breezy romantic comedy-farce, deftly combining amusing situations with several dramatic moments. The story is thin but unique, and the romantic complications are so amusing that audiences will chuckle with delight at some of the situations. Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray give engaging performances, both winning the spectator's sympathy. Considering their popularity, the picture should prove to be a strong box-office attraction : — Disappearing in a burst of smoke as he dives his plane into a Jap carrier, Lieutenant Fred MacMurray's last words are about his love for "Peggy." His remarks, recorded by naval monitor, are broadcast to the station during memorial services honoring him as a hero. "Peggy" (Claudette Colbert), a girl with whom MacMurray formerly worked in the same office, is stunned to learn that he died with her name on his lips. The nation's sympathy goes out to her, and she is besieged by requests to appear at war bond rallies. When word suddenly comes that MacMurray had been found alive, and that he was returning home on furlough. Claudette rushes to greet him. MacMurray, whose last words had been in reference to his dog, "Piggy," is ill at ease, but wishing to spare Claudette's feelings, he does not reveal the truth. Both are invited to be the house guests of Cecil Kellaway, their wealthy employer, who makes elaborate plans for their marriage before the end of MacMurray's furlough. Alone with Claudette, MacMurray tells her the truth, but both agree to pretend that they were in love so as not to disillusion their many well-meaning friends. Claudette, to salve her hurt pride, informs MacMurray that she was in love with Gil Lamb, a pompous fellow worker. For most of MacMurray's furlough, the young couple find themselves projected into many difficulties as they try to keep up appearances and to delay Kellaway's plans for their marriage. Meanwhile MacMurray really falls in love with Claudette and asks her to marry him — after the war. Claudette, determined not to wait, announces their wedding plans over the radio during the launching of a ship named after MacMurray, and she asks Robert Bentley, a Supreme Court judge, to marry them on the spot. MacMurray, finding no way out, goes through with the ceremony. Norman Krasna wrote the screen play, and Mitchell Leisen produced and directed it. The cast includes Tom Powers, Jane Frazee, Rosemary De Camp, Isabel Randolph, Mikhail Rasumny and others. Unobjectionable morally. "Can't Help Singing" with Deanna Durbin and Robert Paige (Universal, Dec. 29; time, 89 min.) A good entertainment, produced lavishly; its gay quality should put it over with all types of audiences. Musically, it is fine; Deanna Durbin, in better voice than ever before, handles the singing expertly, doing justice to the excellent musical score composed by Jerome Kern. A few of the songs are already fast becoming national favorites. The story, a typical musical comedy plot, is featherweight, but it is pleasant and has romantic appeal. The comedy is not of the boisterous sort, but it keeps one chuckling throughout. Akim Tamiroff and Leonid Kinskey, as two fake Russian noblemen, are fairly amusing. Deanna Durbin is as charming as ever as the headstrong daughter of a Senator, and she appears to better advantage here than she has appeared for some time. The action takes place during the California gold rush days, and the settings, costumes, and Technicolor photography are a creditable part of the production : — To keep his daughter (Deanna) from seeing Lieutenant David Bruce, Senator Ray Collins uses his influence to have him transferred to California. Deanna, without informing her father, sets out from Washington to follow Bruce. At Independence, Mo., Deanna, failing to obtain accommodations on a wagon train, buys a horse and wagon from Andrew Tombes, a swindler, only to learn that it was not his to sell. She locates Tombes in a gambling hall just as he loses the money to Robert Paige in a poker game. When Deanna insists that he return the money to her, Paige recognizes her as the missing daughter of Senator Collins, for whom a $5,000 reward had been offered. Lest Paige report her, Deanna offers him $10,000 if he will take her to California, promising him that the money will be paid to him by Thomas Gomez, a wealthy miner, whom she misrepresents as her fiance. Paige, believing her false story, agrees. En route, both become attracted to each other despite their outward an tagonism and, by the time they reach California, each promises never to leave the other. Complications arise, however, when Gomez arrives in town and Paige insists that Deanna tell him of her new love. Before Deanna can explain the hoax, Bruce dashes up and embraces her and, in the midst of this confusion, her father arrives, leading Paige to believe that he was a third suitor. Deanna finally explains matters to Paige's satisfaction, and both receive the blessing of her father, who was delighted at her rejection of Bruce. Lewis R. Foster and Frank Ryan wrote the screen play, Felix Jackson produced it, and Mr. Ryan directed it. "Here Come the Waves" with Bing Crosby, Betty Hutton and Sonny Tufts (Paramount, no release date set; time, 99 min.) With Bing Crosby and Betty Hutton heading the cast, this romantic comedy with music should have no trouble attracting customers, but they will find it no more than just fair entertainment. The story, though timely, is thin, and it unfolds in a manner one expects. The musical part of the picture, which consists of a few production numbers and some songs sung by Crosby and Miss Hutton, is fairly good. As a matter of fact, a little more music and a little less story would have helped matters considerably. Betty Hutton does good work in her dual role of twin sisters, each of different temperaments, and Bing Crosby is his usual pleasing self, but both are handicapped by the inadequate script: — Visiting a night-club with Sonny Tufts, his sailor-pal, Crosby, a famous crooner, meets the Adams twins, redheaded Rosemary (Betty Hutton), a quiet girl, and Susie (also Miss Hutton), a boisterous sort. Both were WAVES. Susie, an inveterate admirer of Crosby's, is thrilled, but Rosemary remains aloof, arousing Crosby's interest. Tufts, too, had eyes for Rosemary. When Crosby joins the Navy and is shipped to San Diego together with Tufts, Susie requests and is granted a transfer to the same city. Rosemary goes along under the same orders. The girls meet up again with Crosby and Tufts, who continuously doublecross each other as they vie for Rosemary's attentions. Susie, however, is too madly in love with Crosby to notice his affection for her sister. Worried lest Crosby be assigned to combat duty, Susie signs her name to a letter suggesting that he put on a big show to recruit WAVES. Crosby, chagrined, accepts the assignment but blames Tufts for writing the letter. Rosemary, not in on the plot, believes Crosby had deliberately tried to avoid combat duty. The night before the opening of the show, Crosby tries to propose to Rosemary. Tufts, desperate, attempts to prevent the proposal; he induces Susie to don a red wig and to impersonate Rosemary, and then makes love to her to disillusion Crosby. A comedy of errors results when Rosemary arrives on the scene and, after a series of misunderstandings, Susie and Tufts confess the hoax. It all ends with the show a huge success, Rosemary in Crosby's arms, and Susie and Tufts in love. Allan Scott, Ken Englund, and Zion Myers wrote the screen play, and Mark Sandrich produced and directed it. Unobjectionable morally. "Double Exposure" with Chester Morris (Paramount, no release date set; time, 64 min.) An entertaining program murder-mystery melodrama with amusing comedy situations. Because the comedy is stressed, it is difficult for the spectator to take the melodramatic angle seriously, nevertheless, the story offers several new twists and, since the mystery is not solved until the end, it holds one's attention well. Nancy Kelly, as the small-town, quickwitted photographer, is particularly good. As a matter of fact, the direction and the performances are superior to the story values: — Impressed with a photo in a small-town newspaper, Chester Morris, editor of a national picture magazine, wires an offer of a job to the paper's photographer. He is delightfully surprised when the photographer turns out to be an attractive girl (Nancy Kelly), and he loses no time promoting a romance with her. When Philip Terry, Nancy's fiance, arrives in town, Nancy, to protect her job, leads Morris to believe that Terry was her brother. Terry, though jealous, agrees to the hoax. One evening at a night club, Charles Arnt, a drunken playboy, tells Nancy that he and his sixth wife (Jane Farrar) had separated, and he asks her to marry him. He gives Nancy the key to his apartment, telling her to use it during his stay in Reno. The incident provokes Jane, who quarrels publicly with Nancy. Shortly after, Morris gives Terry a job on the magazine and assigns him with Nancy to make "Photomystery of the Week," a weekly feature. Nancy goes to Arnt's vacant apartment, where she poses in one of Jane's negligees for a series of murder pic