Harrison's Reports (1946)

46 HARRISON'S REPORTS March 23, 1946 "The Kid from Brooklyn" with Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo (RKO, no release date set; time, 114 min.) Based on the old Harold Lloyd picture, "The Milky Way," this comedy should go over very well with the rank and file, for, in addition to the story being fast-moving and comical, it abounds with tuneful musical numbers, and it has been given a lavish production, photographed in Technicolor. The story remains substantially the same, with the comedy, which often reaches hilarious heights, provoked by the naivctte of Danny Kaye, a mild-mannered milkman, who is led to believe that he is a great prizefighter. Kaye's interpretation of the character is extremely amusing; his antics keep the audience laughing heartily throughout. The situation in which he teaches Fay Bainter, an aristocratic society matron, the art of self-defense is but one of the many outstanding comical sequences. Walter Abel, as a crooked fight manager, and Lionel Stander, as a dumb sparring partner, which role he enacted in the Harold Lloyd version, add much to the entertainment values. Musically, the picture is satisfying, with well-staged dance numbers executed by Vera-Ellen and the Goldwyn Girls, and with songs sung by Virginia Mayo. A highlight is Danny Kaye's singing of "Pavlova," a musical satire on modern ballet, done in his inimitable style: — While defending his sister (Vera-Ellen) from being molested by Steve Cochran, a champion prizefighter, and by Lionel Stander, his sparring mate, both drunk, Danny Kaye is forced into a brawl with them. In the confusion, Cochran is knocked out by Stander, but the newspapers credit the blow to Kaye, much to the chagrin of Walter Abel, Cochran's manager. Kaye goes to Cochran's apartment to explain what happened, only to knock him out again — accidentally — just as the reporters burst into the room. Frantic lest the publicity cost him a fortune, Abel hits upon an idea — he decides to build Kaye up as a fighter, then to match him with Cochran in a championship bout. Kaye declines, but, when Abel convinces him that he will earn enough money to marry Virginia Mayo, his girlfriend, he soon consents. Kaye unwittingly wins several "fixed" fights and gains fame. Success goes to his head, and he becomes insufferable, much to the disgust of Vera, who by this time had fallen in love with Cochran. Meanwhile Clarence Kolb, Kaye's former employer and millionaire milk dealer, buys his contract from Abel. On the night of the big fight, Vera and Virginia urge Cochran to knock out Kaye to teach him a lesson. But through the stupidity of Stander, who gives Cochran a sleeping potion to drink, making him drowsy, Kaye is enabled to win the fight. He wins also Virginia and a partnership in Kolb's milk firm. Cochran and Vera marry, while Abel and Stander, broke, secure jobs as milkmen. Grover Jones, Frank Butler, and Richard Connell wrote the screen play based on the play by Lynn Root and Harry Clork, Samuel Goldwyn produced it, and Norman Z. McLeod directed it. The cast includes Eve Arden and others. Unobjectionable morally. "Blonde Alibi" with Martha O'Driscoll and Tom Neal (Universal, April 12; time, 62 min.) An ordinary, slow-moving program murder-mystery melodrama; it barely holds one's interest. The story is thin and familiar, and it unfolds with a minimum of excitement. Moreover, one guesses the identity of the murderer long before it is. disclosed. The only bright spot in the picture is John Berke's amusing portrayal of a sneak thief, who drives the police mad with his fantastic alibis. There is the usual comedy revolving around a police inspector and his dumb assistant, but most of this falls flat: — Following the mysterious murder of Dick Crockett, a wealthy physician, the police apprehend Martha O'Driscoll, the dead man's fiancee, who had broken her engagement to him that night to return to Tom Ncal, her former sweetheart. The murder gun is traced to Neal, who is charged with the killing despite protests that he had sold the gun two months previously. The case against Neal is strengthened by the testimony of two witnesses, Samuel S. Hinds, a half-blind scientist, and Oliver Blake, a doorman, who claim that they had seen Neal leave the dead man's office on the night of the crime. Although the evidence against Neal seemed conclusive, Inspector Donald MacBride willingly cooperates with Martha, who, convinced of Neal's innocence, was determined to clear him. Together they track down numerous clues until a search of the dead man's office files reveals that he had been guilty of malpractice, and that he had threatened to expose a man who had been blackmailing his patients. This evidence leads to the trail of the real murderer, the doorman, who is trapped with Neal's cooperation. His innocence proved, Neal reunites with Martha, who vows to keep him out of future mischief. George Bricker wrote and produced the screen play, and Will Jason directed it. The cast includes Robert Armstrong, Elisha Cook, Jr , Peter Whitney, Matt Willis and others Unobjectionable morally. "The Bride Wore Boots" with Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Cummings (Paramount, no release date set; time, 82 min.) A moderately amusing farce-comedy about marital difficulties, of a grade that barely rises above program; its boxoffice chances will depend chiefly on the drawing power of Barbara Stanwyck. As in most pictures of this type, the comedy stems from farcical situations that lead to misunderstandings between the hero and his wife, but in this case the story is so silly and the comedy so forced that one finds the proceedings quite wearisome. The players try hard, but the inept story material does not give them a chance to rise to any heights. The most amusing part of the picture takes place in the final reel, where the hero, to win back his wife's affections, rides a hazardous steeplechase race, despite his dislike for horses. But even this entertaining sequence is not enough to redeem the picture as a whole: — Although they loved each other deeply, Barbara Stanwyck, an ardent horsewoman, and Robert Cummings, her husband, a writer of historical novels, quarrel constantly over his dislike for horses, and over her dislike of the fact that his work brought him feminine attention. Numerous petty arguments, particularly over the attentions paid Barbara by Patrick Knowles, a noted horseman, and the ardent advances made to Cummings by Diana Lynn, an admirer of his work, result in the young couple being divorced after seven years of married life. Barbara is given custody of their two children, and she moves into Knowles' adjoining estate. Diana, quick to take advantage of the situation, becomes Cumming's secretary, but Barbara, still in love with Cummings, breaks up her romantic campaign by sending the children over to Cummings' home. Meanwhile Willie Best, Cummings' groom, discovers that "Albert," an aged horse Cummings had given to Barbara before the divorce, was a sensational jumper; he induces him to enter the horse in the Virginia Cup steeplechase. Knowles, who had his heart set on winning the cup, chides Cummings about "Albert's" age and dares him to ride the horse himself. Cummings accepts the challenge. On the day of the race, "Albert" outjumps and outruns the other horses, in spite of the fact that he has to stop every time Cummings falls out of the saddle, finally winning the race empty-saddled. Barbara, aware that Cummings had risked his neck to win the cup for her, reunites with him. Dwight Mitchell Wiley wrote the screen play, Seton I. Miller produced it, and Irving Pichel directed it. The cast includes Peggy Wood, Robert Benchley and others. Unobjectionable morally.