Harrison's Reports (1945)

64 < HARRISON'S REPORTS April 21, 1945 "Patrick the Great" with Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan (Universal, May 4; time, 88 min.) An entertaining comedy with music. In spite of the fact that it offers little in the way of novelty, it has a simple but pleasing story, and the breezy comedy mood that is sustained throughout makes it enjoyable. Donald O'Connor i6 as versatile as ever and, though he dominates the proceedings, one never tires of him. Peggy Ryan, his youthful partner, is typically exuberant, and together they make a very engaging team, particularly when they sing and dance. The music is pleasant: — Gavin Muir, a London producer, attends a backstage party in honor of Donald Cook, a musical comedy star, at the insistence of Thomas Gomez, Cook's manager. Gomez wanted Muir to give Cook the leading role in his new show. At the party, Muir meets Donald O'Connor, Cook's son, an irrepressible youngster with his father's flair for acting. Muir surprises the boy by accepting his invitation to visit a summer theatre, where he and Peggy Ryan, his girl-friend, were training for theatrical careers. Impressed with O'Connor's talents, Muir offers him the lead in his new show. O'Connor, unaware that his father expected to play the lead, rushes to a mountain resort, where Cook was vacationing, to tell him of the good news. There, he learns from Andrew Tombes, Cook's valet, that his father expected to play the part. Although bitterly disappointed, O'Connor notifies Muir that he could not accept the part. Later, O'Connor makes the acquaintance of Frances Dee, a glamorous food expert vacationing at the resort, and mistakes her interest in him for love, much to the annoyance of Peggy. The situation becomes complicated when O'Connor introduces his father to Frances and both fall in love; neither one wanted to hurt O'Connor's feelings. It all turns out for the best, however, when Cook, learning that his son had given up the leading role in Muir's show, announces his engagement to Frances and informs Muir that his honeymoon would not leave him time to accept the lead in his show. He urges Muir to give the role to O'Connor. On opening night, Cook and Frances watch O'Connor score a huge success on Broadway. Bertram Millhauser and Dorothy Bennett wrote the screen play, Howard Benedict produced it, and Frank Ryan directed it. The cast includes Eve Arden, Irving Bacon and others. Unobjectionable morally. "The Vampire's Ghost" with John Abbott and Charles Gordon (Republic, no release date set; time, 59 min.) Mediocre program fare. As indicated by the title, this is another one of those fantastic tales that deal with medieval superstitions and the supernatural. This time the story is set in an African jungle, and the usual eerie effects are employed to give the proceedings a wierd touch, but what transpires has been done so many times that the general effect is weak. As a matter of fact, one is inclined to laugh at situations that are not meant to be funny. Juvenile audiences and the really undiscriminating horror-picture fans may find it acceptable, but others will probably find it conducive to sleep : — A series of murders in a small African town stirs considerable unrest among the superstitious natives, who attribute them to a vampire. Charles Gordon, official of a large rubber plantation and fiance of Peggy Stewart, daughter of the town's leading citizen, decides to travel into the jungle to pacify the natives. He is accompanied by John Abbott, mysterious owner of a waterfront saloon, who had arrived in the town in recent months. Abbott, a suave personality, had ingratiated himself with Gordon and Peggy. During the journey, hostile natives shoot at Gordon's party, and a bullet passes through Abbott's body without drawing blood or harming him. Revealed as a vampire, Abbott confesses to Gordon that he had roamed the world for over four hundred years, living on the blood of others. Lest Gordon reveal his secret, Abbott hypnotizes him into silence. They return to town, where Peggy attributes Gordon's hypnotic condition to jungle fever. Helpless to fight back, Gordon watches Abbott fall in love with Peggy, knowing that his interest in her will eventually end in her death. The village priest (Grant Withers) takes Gordon in hand, and through prayers helps him to free himself from Abbott's power. Meanwhile Abbott had fled into the jungle, taking with him Peggy, who was completely hypnotized. Gordon and a party of searchers pursue him. Abbott leads Peggy to a pagan temple in a deserted village, where he planned to sacrifice her life so that she could live with him through eternity. His plan is foiled by the timely arrival of Gordon, who rescues Peggy and sets fire to the temple. Abbott perishes in the flames. John K. Butler and Leigh Brackett wrote the screen play, Rudolph E. Abel produced it, and Lesley Selander directed it. The cast includes Emmett Vogan, Adcle Mara and others. Unobjectionable morally. "The Phantom Speaks" with Richard Arlen and Stanley Ridges (Republic, no release date set; time, 68 min.) Like "The Vampire's Ghost," reviewed elsewhere on this page, this, too, deals with the supernatural, but it is more interesting than that picture, and it should make a fairly good supporting feature. Revolving around a scientist who proves to himself that the dead can communicate with the living, the story is, of course, fantastic. Yet it holds one's interest throughout, because the scientist, influenced by the spirit of a vindictive murderer, is compelled to kill the dead criminal's enemies. One is held in considerable suspense because of the unwilling scientist's inability to resist the spirit's will power, and of the mystification the murders cause the police: — On the eve of his execution, Tom Powers, a surly, vindictive murderer, is visited in his cell by Stanley Ridges, a kindly scientist, whose life studies had been devoted to the theory that the dead can communicate with the living. He asks Powers to aid him by exercising his unusually strong will power in an effort to return after death. Soon after the execution, Ridges is secretly thrilled when Powers' spirit contacts him, proving his theory correct. His satisfaction, how■ ever, soon turns to horror when Powers informs him that he intends to use him as a tool to gain revenge on those responsible for his conviction. The scientist revolts against the plan, but the spirit proves his ability to take possession of Ridges' body and mind at will. In the grasp of Powers' sinister spirit, the helpless scientist is forced to kill three persons. In each murder, clues point so conclusively to the seemingly impossible fact that the electrocuted criminal was the killer that the police are completely mystified. Richard Arlen, a reporter, who was in love with Ridges' daughter (Lynne Roberts), and who knew of Ridges' theory, stumbles across evidence pointing to the scientist as the killer. He reluctantly trails Ridges and, after a series of strange events in which he himself is almost murdered, confirms his suspicions. Arlen turns his information over to the authorities, who apprehend the half-crazed scientist and make him pay with his life for the murders Powers' spirit had instigated. John K. Butler wrote the screen play, Donald H. Brown produced it, and John English directed it. The cast includes Charlotte Wynters, Jonathan Hale, Pierre Watkin, Marian Martin and others. Unobjectionable morally.