Harrison's Reports (1946)

December 21, 1946 HARRISON'S REPORTS 203 "The Fabulous Suzanne" with Barbara Britton and Rudy Vallee (Republic, December 15; time, 71 win.) An entertaining program farce. Like most farcical come dies, this one has a far-fetched story, as well as its share of foolishness, but one is kept amused because of the spirited performances by the players. It centers around the romantic involvements of a small-town girl who strikes it rich, and it keeps one chuckling throughout because of the comical situations and wisecracks; in addition, the action is fast and the heroine is appealing. The misunderstandings in the closing scenes, where the heroine, after a reconciliation with her childhood sweetheart, takes him to her apartment only to find it invaded by several former suitors, results in exciting and comical action: — Barbara Britton, a waitress in Bill Henry's luncheonette, loves Henry, but he refuses to marry her because of his inability to support her properly. When one of her customers dies and leaves her $7,000, Barbara asks Bill to marry her immediately, but he stubbornly refuses, insisting that he must first be able to support her with his own money. Discouraged, she goes to New York to try her luck in the stock market. She visits a brokerage firm owned by Otto Kruger and his sons (Rudy Vallee and Richard Denning), and by sticking a pin into a list of stocks selects one that makes her a fortune. Vallee, a reserved fellow, and Denning, a woman-chaser, fall in love with Barbara, and their rivalry for her favor waxes so hot that their father, a dapper man, visits her to learn what the excitement was about. He, too, is attracted to her, and the rivalry for her hand becomes a family affair. Meanwhile Barbara had arranged secretly for Bill to "inherit" some money from a dead relative, enabling him to open a large restaurant and encouraging him to propose to her. Both return to Barbara's apartment after an evening of romancing and find her three suitors waiting for her. They reveal to Bill the secret of his "inheritance," causing him to leave her. Furious, Barbara agrees to marry Vallee. But Kruger, aware that she was not in love with his son, prevents the marriage and brings her together with Bill. Tedwell Chapman and Randall Faye wrote the screen play from a story by William Bowers and Mr. Chapman. Steve Sekely produced and directed it. The cast includes Veda Ann Borg, Grady Sutton and others. Unobjectionable morally. "Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" with Elyse Knox, Phil Regan and Ross Hunter (Monogram, December 21; time, 76 min.) A fairly good program musical, with a particular appeal for the younger set. The story, which has a collegiate background and which was produced once before by Monogram in 1933, is the usual one about misunderstandings between campus sweethearts, with their difficulties being resolved in the final reel when the hero leads the varsity crew to victory. The story is thin; but it serves well enough as a means of putting the peppy musical numbers across. As a matter of fact, several of the songs are current popular hits. Elyse Knox and Ross Hunter are engaging in the romantic leads, and Phil Regan, Phil Brito, and Frankie Carle's orchestra handle the musical burden in pleasant style. Two specialty numbers by the Slim Gaillard Trio should have the "hepcats" stomping their feet: — Elyse Knox, a pretty co-ed, unsuccessfully tries to attract Ross Hunter, who is protected from involvement with her by Fred Colby, whose brother, Phil Regan, owned a roadhouse near the campus. After many good-natured hi-jinks, Elyse and Ross fall in love. Ross, as key man on the varsity crew, hoped to lead his men to victory over a rival college. On the eve of the big race, two professional gamblers (Paul Guilfoyle and Edward Brophy) approach Regan and, threatening to bare his past involvement in a criminal case, try to force him to blackmail Elyse into using her influence to make Ross throw the race. Regan, worried lest his past become known and hurt his student brother, humors the gamblers and tells Elyse of their scheme. Ross gets wind of the plot and, through a series of misunderstandings, mistakenly believes that Regan and Elyse planned to carry it through; he and Elyse become estranged. On the day of the race, the gamblers, failing with Regan, attempt to sabotage the racing shell. The culprits are caught, the crew wins, and Ross, realizing that he had misjudged Elyse, reconciles with her. Frank L. Moss wrote the screen play from a story by George Waggner. Jeffrey Bernerd produced it, and Jack Bernhard directed it. Unobjectionable morally. "It's a Wonderful Life" with James Stewart and Donna Reed (RKO-Liberty, no release date set; time, 129 min.) Excellent mass entertainment! It is a powerful, deeply appealing human-interest drama, with many situations that will stir the emotions deeply. Every one who will see the picture will love it, for its story about a young man who sacrifices his personal ambitions in order to protect the people of his community from a greedy old banker, whose vast holdings enabled him to virtually control the town, is filled with humanity, as well as with much comedy, of the wholesome, penetrating kind. Produced and directed by Frank Capra, the picture is indeed a tribute to his reputation as one of Hollywood's finest picture-makers. Under Capra's sensitive direction, James Stewart, as the hero comes through with a superb performance, undoubtedly his best. His acting in both the dramatic and comedy scenes is so good that one's heart goes out to him. Briefly, the story depicts how Stewart, whose father was head of a small-town building and loan association, grows up with a burning desire to get away and see the world, but each time he prepares to leave home something turns up to thwart him. The first time is when his father dies just as he was about to enter college. The crochety town banker tries to bring about a liquidation of the company, which was hurting his real estate interests, but Stewart, rather than see the townspeople lose the only means by which they could build a home on reasonable terms, assumes charge of the business and relinquishes his chance of going to college to his younger brother, with the understanding that the young man will take over as company head upon his graduation. His brother, however, finds a greater opportunity elsewhere ,and Stewart refuses to stand in his way. He resigns himself to a smalltown life and marries Donna Reed, a childhood sweetheart. On his wedding day, the 1932 depression causes a run on the company s funds, but Stewart saves the situation by placating the jittery investors with his honeymoon funds. He devotes himself to the betterment of the community, constantly fighting the banker's efforts to break his company, and in due time he and Donna are blessed with four children. Disaster strikes when the banker, through thievery, causes an $8,000 shortage in the loan company's funds and accuses Stewart of embezzlement. At his wits end, Stewart thinks of committing suicide, but the people of the community come to his aid, bringing him to the realization that a man's wealth is measured, not by his bank account, but by the people he can call his friends. The second half of the picture is highly dramatic, and part of it is fantasy, which occurs when Stewart, snapping under the strain of his difficulties, wishes that he had never been born. Thereupon he is visited by a messenger from Heaven, who grants his wish and takes him on a tour of the town to show him how his friends and family would have suffered if he hadn't been born and had not made the sacrifices that enabled them to lead a better way of life. The only displeasing note in the picture is that the banker is not made to suffer for his crime. Donna Reed, as Stewart's wife is winsome and sympathetic, and there is great appeal in their romance and family life. Lionel Barrymore, as the banker; Thomas Mitchell, as Stewart's absent-minded uncle; Henry Travers, as the Heavenly messenger; and all the others in the huge supporting cast, contribute memorable performances. Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett and Mr. Capra wrote the excellent screen play. The cast includes Beulah Bondi, Ward Bond, Frank Faylen, Gloria Grahamc, H. B. Warner. Samuel S. Hinds, Frank Albertson, Virginia Patton, Todd Karns and many others.