Harrison's Reports (1945)

196 HARRISON'S REPORTS December 8, 1945 British producers cannot make as good pictures for the American market, as can the American producers, and they have not attempted to exploit their stars in the United States so that the American public may know them and may go to see them regardless of the quality of the pictures in which they appear. As a rule, the American picture-goers prefer their favorite stars to the best pictures made. They go to see them even if the pictures in which they appear are not so good. The theory is that, when they go to see a picture in which their favorite star appears, it is just like visiting a friend. How can the British critics, then, expect the American picture-goers to patronize British pictures when they are not screen-acquainted with the players that take the principal parts in them? We, in the United States, feel that British cloth is far superior to American cloth and, whenever we can obtain it, we have our clothes made of British matterial. Has any member of Congress demanded that a quota be set on the importation of British cloth unless the British people make one-half their clothes with cloth made in the United States? If any member of Congress should make such a recommendation, he would be laughed out of the Capitol building. And yet a member of the British Parliament has made such a recommendation ! PRODUCING MOVING PICTURES IS NOT LIKE PLAYING BALL "Convinced that more efficient methods could be used in production of pictures to eliminate much of the current waste," says a news item in the November 17 issue of Motion Picture Herald, "Dell Webb, principal stockholder of the New York Yankees baseball club, has become associated with Bing Crosby, Anne Nichols and Eddie Sutherland in the coming screen version of Miss Nichols' 'Abie's Irish Rose.' Mr. Webb is not a picture man, his entire experience with films being limited to investments in 'Knickerbocker Holiday' and 'The Great John L.' However, recent discussions with Mr. Crosby have caused him to study production methods and as a result he will be consulted on financial angles in the filming of 'Abie's Irish Rose' He is reported to have first met Bing on a golf course and to have conducted many of the subsequent business talks with him in that informal atmosphere." If Mr. Webb is to be consulted on how to raise money for Mr. Crosby for production purposes, perhaps his deserting baseball for picture production is a wise move, not only for himself, but also for Mr. Crosby, but if he is to tell the producer, the writer, or the director, how to cut down costs, this paper fears that Mr. Webb will find that retrenchment in picture making is far different from retrenchment in baseball. Is he going to advise the writer how to finish his script much more quickly than heretofore? If so, he will have his hands full for, to begin with, either writ' ing a story, or putting a story in script form, is not like putting one brick on top of another to form a wall. It is creative work, and requires inspiration, provided the writer has a creative imagination. To attempt to force the writer to create and thus finish his work sooner will avail nothing. If ideas do not come, they will not come by urging the writer to exert greater efforts. As a matter of fact, the writer is more likely to tell Mr. Webb, when he is urged too much, to get some other writer to do his work. Is he going to tell the producer how to get more work from his director, his cameraman, his grips, his actors? If that is his intention, he had better modify his views, for all these craftsmen are independent, and if pressure should be put upon them, they will no doubt lodge a complaint against Mr. Webb with their business agent. The matter is then taken up at the meeting of the union and, if the complaint is found justified, Mr. Webb will be told, either to desist, or the men will be pulled out. The reduction of costs in production is a worthy objective, and has been dealt with in these columns frequently. However, before Mr. Webb can attain that objective, he will have to make a close study of the business so that his ideas of cost-cutting may not clash with the temperament of the creative artists. "Life with Blondie" with Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton (Columbia, Dec. 13; time, 70 min.) This is another one in the "Blondie" series, and is on about the same level as the other pictures; that is, a fair program domestic comedy, the sort that may amuse picture-goers who like plots that do not require them to think too hard. High class audiences will probably find the proceeding too inane. As in the previous pictures, Arthur Lake's troubles with his employer and with his budget form the basis for most of the comedy. In spite of the fact that the action is at times pretty silly, it is fast-moving and occasionally diverting. The closing scenes are exciting in a slapstick sort of way. One sequence contains a conspicuous advertisement for Gruen watches: — Complications pile up in the "Bumstead" family when Daisy, their dog, is elected "Pin-up Pooch" of the Navy, and becomes famous overnight as a dog model. Conscience stricken because the dog's earnings were higher than his, Arthur Lake is unable to do his work properly and, as a result, Jonathan Hale, his employer, keeps harranguing him for a set of blue prints that had to be finished on a certain date in order that Francis Pierlot, a banker, grant the company a sizeable loan. The dog receives so much publicity that she finally comes to the attention of Veda Ann Borg, sweetheart of Douglas Fowley, a notorious gangster. Veda decides that she must have Daisy for her own. When Fowley 's attempts to buy Daisy from Lake are unsuccessful, his henchmen kidnap the dog. Discovering that Daisy was missing, Penny Singleton, Lake's wife, telephones him at the office, just as he prepares to show the finished blue prints to the banker. Lake, excited, rushes out of the office, taking with him (not only the blue prints, but also the banker's brief case containing the check for the loan. His boss and the banker dash after him. A hectic chase ensues until the gangsters are finally located in a night-club, where Lake, assisted by his wife, his boss, the banker, and a group of sailors, subdue the crooks and bring Daisy home to her puppies. Connie Lee wrote the screen play, and Abby Berlin directed it. The cast includes Larry Simms, Marjorie Kent, Ernest Truex, Marc Lawrence and others. Unobjectionable morally.