Harrison's Reports (1945)

"The Big Bonanza" with Richard Arien, Jane Frazee and Robert Livingston 6 HARRISON'S REPORTS January 13, 1945 "The Great Bonanza" with Richard Arlen, Jane Frazee and Robert Livingston (Republic, Dec. 30; time, 69 min.) Routine program fare. It is a western-like melodrama, which, despite its slow start, builds up enough excitement in the final reels to satisfy the ardent followers of this type of entertainment. The chief fault with the picture is the loosely written screenplay, but the action fans will probably overlook that fact, for the action has many of the ingredients they enjoy — fist fights, fast riding, and a shooting duel between the outlaws and the law-abidng citizens. In addition, it has comedy, some music, and a romance. The action takes place during the Civil War era: — Unfairly court-martialed for cowardice in battle, Richard Arlen, Cavalry Captain in the Union Army, escapes from custody. Accompanied by George "Gabby" Hayes, his grizzled friend, Arlen goes to Nevada Springs, where Bobby Driscoll, his eight-year-old brother, lived with Robert Livingston, his boyhood friend, owner of a dance palace. Arlen, to take the child out of an improper environment, arranges for Bobby to live at the home of Lynne Roberts, his Sunday School teacher, much to the disappointment of Jane Frazee, singing star of the dance hall, who was sincerely fond of the boy. Through Russell Simpson, Lynne's father, Arlen learns that Livingston, greedy for wealth, was exploiting the local miners, and that he (Simpson) could not operate his Big Bonanza mine because of Livingston's threats to the miners. Arlen, disillusioned by his friend's change of character, joins forces with the miners to combat him. Livingston, to rid himself of Arlen's opposition, reveals that he was a fugitive from justice and has him jailed. Bobby, grief-stricken because Arlen had been branded a coward, runs away from home. Hayes helps Arlen to escape from jail to join in the search for Bobby. During the hunt, one of Livingston's henchmen kills Simpson. Bobby, the only witness to the slayer's identity, is found and brought home. Overhearing Livingston's plan to do away with Bobby to prevent him from testifying against his henchman, Jane warns Arlen. The miners, led by Arlen, meet Livingston's gang in a showdown fight and wipe them out. Arlen and Livingston get into a fight to the finish in which Livingston is killed by a falling beam. With law and order restored, Arlen returns to the Army, which clears him of the cowardice charge and gives him a furlough long enough to marry Lynne. Dorrell and Stuart McGowan and Paul Gangelin wrote the screen play, Eddy White produced it, and George Archainbaud directed it. Unobjectionable morally. "Let's Go Steady" with Pat Parrish, Jackie Moran and June Preisser (Columbia, Jan. 4; time, 60 min.) A mediocre program comedy with music, produced on a very modest budget. It will probably find its best reception among the "jitterbug" set because of the "jive" music and the "hepcat" dialogue, as well as of the fact that the action revolves around 'teen-aged youngsters. The story, which revolves around the youngsters' aspirations to become popular songwriters, is a thin affair, serving merely as an excuse to introduce the musical numbers. The comedy is pretty weak. Those who are not particularly keen about the antics of "jitterbugs" wil probably find the proceedings pretty dull. Skinnay Ennis and his orchestra furnish the music: — Jackie Moran and Arnold Stang, aspiring songwriters, come to New York to visit the Saxon Publishing Company, a music firm to which they had paid fifty dollars to publish their song. Arriving at the music firms's office, they find it in an uproar; the owner had died, and his niece, Pat Parrish, who had inherited the business, was trying to explain to a group of irate youngsters that her dead uncle had spent their money but had done nothing about their songs. Sorry for Pat, Moran suggests to the others that they take over the firm on a cooperaive basis and publish and plug their songs themselves. All agree. They try to induce Skinnay Ennis, a well-known orchestra leader, to play their songs, but Ennis refuses to deal with them when he learns the name of their firm. Not to be thwarted, the youngsters hit upon the idea of having their songs played by army camp bands throughout the country, hoping that the tunes will become popular with the soldiers. The scheme proves successful and the youngsters' songs soar to popularity. A nation-wide contest for the most popular song by a new composer is instituted, with Skinnay Ennis scheduled to play the winning song on his radio program. Moran's song wins the prize, and he and Pat decide to get married. Erna Lazurus wrote the scren play, Ted Richmond produced it, and Del Lord directed it. The cast includes Mel Torme and the Meltones, Jimmy Lloyd and others. Unobjectionable morally. "Grissley's Millions" with Paul Kelly and Virginia Grey (Republic, no release date set; time, 72 min.) A fairly good program murder-mustery melodrama. It should go over pretty well with the arm-chair detectives, for it keeps one guessing as to the murderer's identity, which is not disclosed until towards the end. Even though the story is far-fetched, and it has a number of implausible situations, it holds one intrigued and keeps one in suspense. It is a serious type of story, with none of the usual stupid detective comedy, which generally detracts from most mystery pictures. The direction and the performances are good : — Learning that his relations eagerly awaited his death so that that they could share his fortune, Robert H. Barrat instructs Don Douglas, his attorney, to revise his will, leaving the money to Virginia Grey, his loyal granddaughter. Virginia, who had left her husband, Paul Fix, a criminal, tended to the old man's needs. She had informed her relatives that Fix was dead. Fix, having learned that Barrat was on his death bed, returns to blackmail Virginia. He is shot dead by Barrat, who then dies himself. Douglas, looking for an opportunity to share Virginia's inheritance, tells her that she will be suspected of killing both men, and suggests that they conceal Fix's body in Barrat's coffin and bury the bodies in a hasty funeral. Meanwhile Paul Kelly, a private detective trailing Fix, had seen him enter Barrat's home but had not seen him leave. He questions Virginia in the belief that she was shielding Fix. When Douglas asks her to marry him under threat of exposure, Virginia confesses the truth to