Harrison's Reports (1945)

November 24, 1945 HARRISON'S REPORTS 187 "Cornered" with Dick Powell (RKO, no release date set; time, 102 min.) It is evident that RKO, employing the same producerdirector-star combination, meant to make this melodrama as thrilling as "Murder, My Sweet," but it has made just a fairly good entertainment. The chief fault with the picture is that its makers, apparently striving to inject a maximum amount of intrigue and suspense, have allowed the story to wander all over the lot, with the result that, on the whole, it becomes long drawn out and tiresome, in spite of the fact that it achieves many high moments of suspense. Dick Powell, as the tough RAF flier seeking to avenge the murder of his French wife by a mysterious collaborationist, delivers a forceful performance, as does Walter Slezak, as a crooked Argentine guide. Most of the excitement occurs at the finish, where Powell tracks down the elusive murderer and beats him to death. It is not a pleasant entertainment, for the action throughout is lurid: — Honorably discharged from the RAF, Powell goes to France and learns that his patriotic French bride had been murdered by collaborationists during the German occupation. Determined to track down and kill the traitor responsible, Powell learns that a man named "Jarnac" was the one he sought. He is told by French officials that "Jarnac" had been slain, but, suspecting a hoax to conceal "Jarnac's" fascist activities, he sets out on his trail. The pursuit leads him to Argentina, where he is met by Walter Slezak, a professional guide, who, seemingly acquainted with "Jarnac's" activities, takes him to a party at the fashioiable home of a wealthy Argentine couple, where he meets Morris Carnovsky, an attorney, and Micheline Cheirel, who is introduced as "Jarnac's" wife. Powell bluntly tells her that he was after her husband, and doggedly settles down to watch her movements. Carnovsky, however, reveals to him that he and Micheline headed a group of Argentine patriots, and that they, too, were seeking "Jarnac" to stop his fascist activities in South America. Powell, still determined to have his revenge, soon finds himself in trouble with the collaborationists, who sought to keep him from "Jarnac," and with the anti-collaborationists, who wanted him out of the way because he interfered with their plans. After a series of many incidents, in which Slezak, posing as his friend but actually a collaborationist, tries to betray him, Powell eventually meets up with "Jarnac" (Luther Adler) and murders him. Carnovsky, grateful that Powell had helped smash the fascist ring, promises to defend him against the murder charge. John Paxton wrote the screen play, Adrian Scott produced it, and Edward Dmytryk directed it. The cast includes Edgar Barrier, Jack LaRue, Steven Geray, Nina Vale and others. Unobjectionable morally. "Getting Gertie's Garter" with Dennis O'Keef e and Marie McDonald (United Artists, J^ov. 30; time, 73 min.) A pretty good farce-comedy. Based on the stage play of the same title, which was produced on Broadway about twentyfive years ago, and which was made into a silent picture by P.D.C. in 1927, the story revolves around the efforts of a young scientist to retrieve from his former sweetheart an expensive garter he had given her. The idea being that if either the scientist's wife or the former sweetheart's fiance learned of the garter there would be trouble. The pursuit of the garter results in the usual farcical complications, such as bedroom mixups and other situations in which some of the characters try to hide from other characters so that their presence together would not be misconstrued. The situations keep one laughing and giggling all the way through, and they are helped greatly by the zestful acting of the players: — Dennis O'Keefe, a brilliant young scientist, is served with a subpoena to testify against a store clerk charged with embezzlement. The charge was based on the fact that the clerk had absconded with money given to him by O'Keefe for the purchase of an inscribed garter, which he had given to Marie McDonald, his former sweetheart, who was to be married to Barry Sullivan, his best friend. Visualizing the ruin of his career and of his marriage to Sheila Ryan, should the garter incident get into the newspapers, O'Keefe sets out to retrieve the garter. His pursuit leads him to the home of Binnie Barnes and Jerome Cowan, where Marie's wedding was to take place on the following day. Meanwhile Sheila, suspicious of his worrisome actions, follows him. Marie, thinking of her own happiness, refuses to give up the garter until O'Keefe makes a clean breast of it to his wife. She hides the garter in a wastebasket only to have it disappear when the maid cleans her room. In the meantime O'Keefe had started a search that leads him in and out of Marie's bedroom under circumstances that cause both his wife and Sullivan to become suspicious. Sheila, aided by Cowan, tries to check on his movements, but their actions, too, lead them into a number of compromising situations. To make matters even more complicated, the garter falls into the hands of J. Carroll Naish, a blackmailing butler. Matters become so confused that Marie, tired of it all, finally tells the true story, and all become reconciled. Allan Dwan and Karen DeWolf wrote the scTeen play from the stage play by Wilson Collison and Avery Hopwood. Edward Small produced it, and Mr. Dwan directed it. The cast includes Vera Marshe, Frank Fenton and others. Unobjectionable morally. "Saratoga Trunk" with Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman (Warner Bros., no release date set; time, 135 min.) Very good! With two box-office names such as Ingrid Bergman and Gary Cooper, its success at the box-office is practically guaranteed. The production is extremely lavish, and the story, based on Edna Ferber's widely-read novel, offers a mixture of romance, comedy, chicanery, and melodrama that is sure to please the majority of movie-goers, in spite of the fact that, under close scrutiny, it adds up to no more than a melange of Hollywood hokum, artificial but colorful. As such, it is exciting and engrossing entertainment, mainly because of the excelent work of the stars. Ingrid Bergman, as the vengeful, fiery-tempered heroine, is both fascinating and beautiful; her magnificent interpretation of the role marks her as one of the most versatile actresses on the screen. Gary Cooper, as the tough, lanky Texas gambler, with whom she falls in love, is exceptionally good. Although nothing offensive is shown, the story's theme and the acts of the different characters make it unsuitable for children. The action takes place in New Orleans and Saratoga in the 1875's. The clothes worn by Miss Bergman should delight women patrons: — Accompanied by Flora Robson, a mulatto, and Jerry Austin, a dwarf, both her servants, Ingrid, a frank adventuress and illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat of New Orleans, returns to that city from Paris, determined to take revenge on her father's family, who had treated her mother shabbily, and also to find a wealthy husband. In the course of succeeding in her revenge, Ingrid meets and falls in love with Cooper, who, objecting to her methods, leaves her. He writes to her several weeks later from Saratoga, and informs her that the place was crawling with millionaires, and that it was made to order for her talents. Posing as a widowed French Countess, Ingrid goes to Saratoga Springs, where she cleverly becomes a sensation and wins the heart of John Warburton, a young railroad millionaire. While Ingrid schemes to marry Warburton, Cooper works a plan of his own to gain control of a railroad from a group of financiers who had once cheated his father. He becomes involved in a fight with the financiers' gangsters and is wounded seriously. Seeing him injured and bloody, Ingrid hurls herself at him with endearing cries. She declares her love for him and gives up all thoughts and schemes to marry a millionaire. Casey Robinson wrote the screen play, Hal B. Wallis produced it, and Sam Wood directed it. The cast includes Florence Bates, John Abbott and others.