Harrison's Reports (1946)

March 30, 1946 HARRISON'S REPORTS 51 tecture, is so entranced by Jean that he allows her to convince him that acting was his forte. Despite his dislike for screen tests, makeup applications, and elocution lessons, Lane submits to them because of his infatuation for her. In doing so, however, he sacrifices the friendship of his teammates, who malign him as a "softie." A tenseness come between Jean and Lane because of her contempt for his ice-hockey associates. Matters come to a climax when, in a decisive game, Lane accidentally injures Frank Albertson, his close friend and teammate. The accident serves to add to the bitterness his other teammates felt for him. Attempting to drown his sorrows in drink, Lane becomes involved in a street brawl and is arrested. The disparaging publicity about his potential star throws Harvey into a rage, causing him to cancel Lane's contract. Jean, realizing her love for Lane, gives up her job to be with him. This turnabout of Jean's builds up Lane's morale; he rejoins the team and wins the championship for them in a crucial game. It all ends with Albertson's recovery, and with Jean and Lane making plans for their future together. Albert Beich wrote the screen play, and George Blair produced and directed it. The cast includes Anne Gillis, Robert Armstrong, Edward Ashley and others. Unobjectionable morally. "Just Before Dawn" with Warner Baxter (Columbia, March 7; time, 65 min.) An ordinary program murder mystery melodrama, which at times is quite tedious. It is another in the "Crime Doctor" series, but it is not as exciting as its predecessors. In a few situations it is suspensive, but on the whole the story is illogical and somewhat confusing. The chief trouble with it is that there is too much talk and very little action. As a matter of fact, the plot is developed mostly by dialogue, and unless one hangs on to every word spoken one has no idea of what the story is all about. There is no romantic interest, nor is there any comedy:— Called to the home of a neighbor (Mona Barrie) to administer aid to George Meeker, a diabetic, who had suddenly collapsed during a party, Warner Baxter, a noted psychiatrist, uses the stricken man's own case to give him an injection of insulin. Meeker dies within fifteen minutes, and Baxter discovers that the hypodermic needle had contained poison instead of insulin. Investigating the case, Baxter receives information from Meeker's sister (Adelle Roberts) that leads him to Peggy Converse, a girl from whom Meeker had extorted money. But, before he can question the girls fully, both disappear. Later, Marvin Miller, posing as the dead man's brother, visits Baxter and makes an attempt on his life, leaving the psychiatrist temporarily blinded. Different clues lead Baxter to believe that Miller was the underworld agent of a mysterious plastic surgeon, who transformed the faces of criminals to cheat the law. Disguising himself as a well known criminal, Baxter visits Miller under the pretense of wanting a "face-lifting." Miller takes him to a mortuary owned by Martin Kosleck, where the operation was to be performed. There he discovers the bodies of the missing girls. After arranging for the quiet arrest of Miller and Kosleck, Baxter lays plans to catch the mysterious plastic surgeon. Wearing dark glasses and carrying a cane to simulate blind ness, Baxter brings together the group that had been present at the time of Meeker's death. He talks to each privately, and while closeted with Wilton Graff, the family doctor, the latter, believing Baxter to be blind, pours a vial of poison into his drink, thus revealing himself as the guilty person, who had committed the murders to silence those who had learned of his identity. Eric Taylor and Aubrey Wisberg wrote the screen play, Rudolph C. Flothow produced it, and William Castle directed it. Unobjectionable morally. "Perilous Holiday" with Pat O'Brien and Ruth Warrick (Columbia, March 21; time, 89 min.) "Perilous Holiday," a romantic comedy-melodrama set in Mexico City and dealing with international crooks, suffers from a thin, confusing script, yet there is such a gay spirit about most of the action that it manages to be entertaining throughout. Pat O'Brien, as an American secret agent on the trail of international counterfeiters, but with enough time on his hands to seek romance with two glamorous women, is chiefly responsible for the film's engaging quality; he is properly hard-boiled or roguishly merry, according to the demands of the situation. In several sequences he sings rollicking Irish melodies in a most enjoyable way. The melodramatic part of the picture is strictly hokum, but it has enough thrills and excitement to satisfy the average theatre-goer. There are a few LatinAmerican musical sequences featuring Eddie LeBaron's Continental Orchestra : — While in Mexico City on a secret mission, O'Brien starts a flirtation with Audrey Long, an American vacationist. Later, acting on orders, he switches his attentions to Ruth Warrick, a Boston newspaperwoman, to learn her reason for coming to Mexico. Audrey, to be near O'Brien, contrives to have Edgar Buchanan, a wealthy tourist, take her to a local nightclub, where they join him and Ruth. There, O'Brien learns that Alan Hale, owner of the club, had been responsible for the death of Ruth's father, and that she had come to Mexico to expose his secret "racket." In the course of events, both Buchanan and Hale offer O'Brien a huge sum of money to leave the country. Meanwhile Audrey, to break up the blossoming romance between Ruth and O'Brien, informs her that she had become engaged to him. O'Brien, suspecting Hale and Buchanan because of their offers, joins forces with Ruth to investigate them. They steal into Hale's home and discover conclusive evidence that he and Buchanan intended to flood Europe with counterfeit United States currency. Both are caught by Hale, who makes preparations to dispose of them. O'Brien, however, having anticipated their capture, had made arrangements with the local police to stand by. He and Ruth are rescued when the police break in and round up Hale and his confederates. Audrey, arriving on the scene, confesses to Ruth that she had lied about her engagement to O'Brien, paving the way for a reconciliation between them. Roy Chanslor wrote the screen play, Phil L. Ryan produced it, and Edward H. Griffith directed it. The cast includes Eduardo Ciannelli, Minna Gombell and others. Unobjectionable morally.