Harrison's Reports (1948)

90 HARRISON'S REPORTS June 5, 1948 "The Gay Intruders" with John Emery and Tamara Geva (20th CenturyFox, no release date set, time, 68 min.) A fine domestic program comedy, with the action pretty fast all the way through. It is a finished production — direction, acting, sets, and photography are of a high standard. There are numerous laugh-provoking situations throughout, and almost each one of them offers an unexpected surprise. For instance, the situation where two psychiatrists, unknown to each other, meet in the quarreling couple's house and suspect one another of being one of the persons they had come to observe, is novel and causes much laughter, particularly when each tries on the other all the stock in trade of the psychiatrist. Another situation that is highly amusing is where the two psychiatrists begin a quarrel of their own and are calmed down by the couple they were trying to help. The dialogue is sparkling, and there is not a single "ham" in the cast — every one does fine work: — No sooner does the curtain fall on a stage success than the two principals, husband and wife (John Emery and Tamara Geva) begin quarreling. The quarrel reaches such a height that each decides to act in a separate play until Roy Roberts, their manager, reminds them that their contract required that they act together. Warning them that they had better get along as nicely off-stage as on-stage, Roberts suggests that they see a psychiatrist. Both rebel at the suggestion but each visits a psychiatrist secretly. Emery visits Lief Erickson, and they agree that Erickson should pretend to be Emery's college pal so that he could spend a few days at Emery's home to observe Tamara. Meanwhile Tamara makes a similar arrangement with Virginia Gregg, who agrees to pose as her sorority sister. When they first meet, Virginia and Erickson mistake each other as one of the quarreling couple, but they eventually discover their mistake and agree to hide their identities so that they may do their best to bring tranquility to the household. The temporary calm, however, is shattered when Tamara suspects Virginia of developing a non-professional interest in her husband, and when Emery accuses Erickson of showing too intimate an interest in Tamara. The nerves of the staid psychiatrists give way and, strangely enough, Emery and Tamara are called upon to calm their ruffled tempers. All this results in the restoration of peace and love between Emery and Tamara until Roberts arrives all excited over a new play for them. But when he explains that it is about a temperamental wife with a vile temper, and a husband who lies and cheats, they reject the play, for, in their new-found love, they could not think of doing such "cheap, unbelievable drivel." In the argument that ensues, the fact that Virginia and Erickson are psychiatrists is brought to light. Emery and Tamara begin to denounce each other and, to make the picture complete, the psychiatrists start a quarrel. Tamara picks up the new script in a fit of temperament and delivers her lines with blazing fury. Emery, in turn, reads back his lines with equal fury. But at the end of the script, which called for a violent embrace, they find themselves kissing each other and meaning it. Frank N. Seltzer produced it and Ray McCarey directed it from a screen play by Francis Swann, who wrote the original story in collaboration with Mr. McCarey. Suitable for the entire family. "Jinx Money" with the Bowery Boys (Monogram, June 27; time, 68 min.) A fair program comedy-melodrama. The novelty of the story this time consists of the trials and tribulations undergone by Leo Gorcey and his gang when they find fifty thousand dollars laying in the street. One's interest is held pretty well all the way through. Some of the comedy is contributed by Donald MacBride, as a quick-tempered police inspector, who is made to appear moronic. A humorous tone prevails throughout, due to William Beaudine's subtle direction. The photography is clear: — After winning fifty thousand dollars in a poker game, Benny Baker, a tough character, is followed into an alley by Lucien Littlefield, who knifes him in the back and kills him. Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall find the money in the gutter. Gabriel Dell, a newspaper reporter, publicizes the find, and the boys are soon visited by Ralph Dunn, a gangster, who comes to Bernard Gorcey's soda 6hop to take the money away from them. But before he can do so the unseen Littlefield poisons him by dropping a tablet into his soft drink. MacBride questions the boys but learns nothing that would lead him to the murderer. Several other gangsters attempt to recover the money, and several more murders are committed. John Eldredge, another gangster, uses Betty Caldwell to lure Gorcey to her apartment in a scheme to get the money, but in a series of odd events Eldredge is killed by Sheldon Leonard, who in turn is murdered by Littlefield. Finally, Littlefield himself is caught when he unsuccessfully tries to steal the money, and he reveals himself as the mysterious murderer, explaining that he had been mistreated by the murdered men. Since no claimant had appeared for the money, the police permit Gorcey and his gang to keep it, but by this time Gorcey had donated most of it to charitable organizations, and the balance is picked up by a tax collector who takes it away from them for taxes. Jan Grippo produced it and William Beaudine directed it from a screen play by Edmond Seward, Tim Ryan, and Gerald Schnitzer, based on a story suggested by Jerome T. Gollard. Unobjectionable morally. "Stage Struck" with Conrad Nagel, Kane Richmond and Audrey Long (Monogram, June 13; time, 71 min.) A pretty interesting program picture. It is a murdermelodrama, in which detectives, helped by the Bureau of Missing Persons, try to solve the murder of a young girl, whose body had been found in an alleyway. The scenes that show Conrad Nagel interrogating the parents of the dead girl are fairly pathetic. Mr. Nagel does fine work as the police lieutenant, and Ralph Byrd, as a police sergeant, contributes some comedy with his naiveness. Incidentally, the picture should impress deeply young girls who may be thinking of leaving home to seek their future in big cities. The photography is sharp and the settings fairly rich: — John Gallaudet, owner of the Blue Jay night-club, quarrels with Wanda McKay, a stage-struck girl from a small town, who is killed when a gun is discharged accidentally. Gallaudet operated also a theatrical agency, and girl applicants worked as hostesses in his night-club to pay their tuition fees. Kane Richmond, a racketeer who had witnessed Wanda's death, blackmails Gallaudet and compels him to accept him as a partner. When Wanda's body is found, Nagel and Byrd are assigned to the case. They learn of her identity and, through her parents, obtain enough information to set them on the murderer's trail. Impatient at the slowness of the police, Audrey Long, Wanda's sister, leaves her hometown and goes to the city. There she succeeds in interesting Richmond, makes a deal to be taught acting, and agrees to work as a hostess in the Blue Jay to pay her tuition fee. Nagel sees her in the club and advises her to go home, but she refuses to heed his advice. Eventually her identity becomes known to Gallaudet and Richmond, and the two plan to take her for a "ride." But she is saved by the timely interference of Anthony Warde, a police officer posing as a Mexican night-club owner, who together with Nagel and other police arrest both Richmond and Gallaudet. By means of a recording Warde had made on Gallaudet's recording machine, evidence for their conviction is furnished. Jeffrey Bernerd produced it and William Nigh directed it from a screen play by George Wallace Sayre and Agnes Christine Johnston, based on Mr. Sayre's original story. The cast includes Pamela Blake, Charles Trowbridge, Nana Bryant, Selmer Jackson and others. No sex angles are stressed.