Harrison's Reports (1948)

186 HARRISON'S REPORTS November 20, 1948 "The Boy with Green Hair" with Dean Stockwell Pat O'Brien and Robert Ryan (RKO, no release date set; time, 82 min.) A fine human-interest drama, photographed in Techni' color. It is a story with a message — that of children being the real suiFerers of warfare — told in terms that are most unusual but nevertheless fascinating and profoundly moving. Briefly, it centers around an appealing yuongster who, unaware that his parents had been killed in a London bombing raid, is taken into the home of his kindly old grandfather. While participating in a clothing drive his school was putting on for the benefit of European war orphans, the youngster accidentally learns that he, too, was a war orphan. His understanding grandfather and schoolteacher help him to bear the shock. At this point the story, which is part fantasy, takes an unusual twist in that the boy awakens one morning and finds that his hair had turned green. The local doctor is unable to explain the phenomenon, and he becomes the object of everyone's stares, with some people believing that either the water or milk supply was contaminated, while others keep their children away from him out of fear that he had a contagious disease. Depressed, and seeking to escape the jeers and taunts of his playmates, the boy runs into the woods. There, in a dream sequence, he is visited by war orphans depicted on posters in the school who inform him that they had turned his hair green so that he would attract attention as a war orphan and tell people that war is bad for children and that it must cease. Deeply impressed, the youngster returns to town to spread his message, but everyone ignores what he has to say and all insist that he have his head shaved. Unable to resist the pressure, he unwillingly consents, then runs away from home because of a feeling that he had betrayed the war orphans. He is picked up by the police and returned to his grandfather, who tells him that his parents had died to protect others and that the living must be continually reminded of why they had died. The youngster accompanies his grandfather home, determined to carry on his crusade against war. While the film is primarily a preachment against war, it makes a poignant plea for more tolerance and child understanding. The story, of course, has its tragic implications, but it is by no means depressing, for the brilliant treatment makes the most of its lighter moments without detracting anything from its heart-stirring dramatic content. Young Dean Stockwell, one of the most appealing youngsters on the screen, gives a faultless performance as the sensitive war orphan, as does Pat O'Brien, as his kindly grandfather. Skillful characterizations are turned in by Robert Ryan, as a police psychiatrist, and Barbara Hale, as the understanding school teacher. Although the story seems best suited for class audiences, its human appeal should put it over also with the masses. Stephen Ames produced it and Joseph Losey directed it from a screen play by Ben Barzman and Alfred Lewis Levitt, based on a story by Betsy Beaton. The cast includes Walter Catlett, Regis Toomey, Samuel S. Hinds and others. Suitable for the entire family. "Bungalow 13" with Tom Conway (20th Century-Fox, November; time, 66 min.) Mediocre. It is a low-budget program murder-mystery melodrama, the sort one forgets immediately after leaving the theatre, for there is nothing outstanding or interesting in the entire picture. The confusing and, for the most part, illogical story has several murders and countless suspicious characters who do nothing but gab in an effort to explain the mysterious doings. The excessive talk, coupled with much ineffectual comedy, so wearies the spectator that he loses interest in the outcome long before the final reel. Tom Conway, a capable performer, tries hard to make something of his private detective role, but the weak script doesn't give him half a chance: — The story revolves around Conway's search for a stolen antique called the Jade Lion, and opens with his following a man suspected of stealing it. This man is killed by the police when he attempts to shoot Conway. Through a matchbook found in the dead man's pocket, Conway finds reason to believe that he may learn something by going to a bungalow colony on the outskirts of Los Angeles. There he becomes friendly with Marjorie Hoshelle, a sleek divorcee, who gives him reason to suspect that she knew of the Jade Lion's whereabouts. He soon finds himself caught up in a scries of sinister events, in which several murders are committed. The police suspect Conway along with others, but he manages to gain their unwilling cooperation in an effort to solve the crimes. He eventually discovers the Jade Lion concealed in a brick, and decides to use it to lure the killer to his bungalow. The trap works, but almost at the cost of Conway's life when the killer turns out to be Marjorie's divorced husband, a jealousy-crazed bartender working at the bungalow resort. Sam Baerwitz produced it from a story and screen play written by himself and Richard G. Hublcr. Edward L. Cahn directed it. The cast includes Margaret Hamilton, James Flavin, Richard Cromwell and others. Adult fare. "Fighter Squadron" with Edmond O'Brien, Robert Stack and John Rodney (Warner Bros., >(ov. 27; time, 96 min.) A good Technicolor war picture, not so much because of the story, but because of the exceptionally impressive air battle sequences, into which the producer has expertly in' corporated Army footage of actual combat scenes. The zooming of the fast fighter planes as they engage in battles, some being downed and falling to the earth in flames; the bombardment of enemy airfields and munition dumps; the blowing up of a speeding munitions train; the devastating air cover furnished the Allied forces on D-Day — all these scenes make one gasp for breath. Not so impressive, however, is the rather routine story about disagreements between officers of the same air squadron, and about their opposition to regulations that hamper rather than aid the efforts of flyers. Even the heroics of the different characters are not too impressive, for the reason that the story lacks the quality of real drama. There is some comedy but no romantic interest. The cast is all-male: — Revolving around the exploits of the 17th Fighter Squadron of the 3rd Fighter Group based in England, the story casts Edmond O'Brien as a daring pilot who disregards regulations and risks his life in successful attacks on enemy planes. When John Rodney, O'Brien's Squadron Commander, is put in charge of a new fighter Group, O'Brien is moved up as commander of the squadron, despite his efforts to avoid the responsibility. Complications ensue when Robert Stack, O'Brien's buddy, decides to return to the United States to be married before signing up for another tour; the squadron had a no-marriage rule and pilots who wed were asked to resign so that they would not endanger un' married pilots by being too cautious in combat, but Stack expected that O'Brien would rescind the rule in his case. O'Brien, however, insists that the rule remain in effect, and Stack resigns rather than forego his marriage. Through his close friendship with Henry Hull, the commanding general, O'Brien obtains a revision of regulations that hampered his pilots, thus enabling him to lead them to greater victories. Meanwhile Stack returns and asks to rejoin the squadron. O'Brien rules that he must transfer to another group because of his married status but grants him permission to fly on one more mission before departing. This mission costs Stack his life. Shortly thereafter, Hull promotes O'Brien to an important staff post and orders him to discontinue combat flying, but he grants O'Brien's plea that he be permitted to complete his current tour of duty. He flies his last mission on D-Day, dying when a burst of flack hits his plane and sends it spiraling down to earth. Seton I. Miller wrote the original screen play and produced it, and Raoul Walsh directed it. The cast includes Tom D' Andrea and others. Unobjectionable morally.