Harrison's Reports (1949)

6 HARRISON'S REPORTS January 8, 1949 "Last of the Wild Horses" with Jane Frazee, James Ellison and Mary Beth Hughes (Screen Guild, November 12; time, 82 min.) Very good for a double bill. Although the title leads one to believe that the wild horses play a prominent part, they play only a secondary part. But it holds one's interest well, for the action is fast and the plot has many ramifications. As a matter of fact, the story is more substantial than either of the other two wild horse stories that Robert L. Lippert has produced. In the characterization of James Ellison, the hero, however, there is in the beginning a fault that is hard to explain; he is shown putting on a black mask while watch' ing a stage coach from afar. This leads the spectator to be lieve that he was about to hold up the stage, but he does nothing of the kind. The photography is good and the sepia tone makes the picture easy on the eyes: — Watching from afar, Ellison sees three riders pursuing a lone rider. He halts the pursuit by threatening to shoot. Looking for a place to have his horse shod, Ellison comes upon Mary Beth Hughes, the lone rider who was pursued, and learns from her that the Double C Ranch was not far away. At the Double C, Ellison makes himself known to Douglas Dumbrille, the owner, and Jane Frazee, his daughter. Reed Hadley, the Double C's foreman, arrives and informs Dumbrille that Ellison had threatened to shoot two ranch hands and him while carrying out their wild horse activities. Thus Ellison learns that there was a war on between the other ranchers and Dumbrille, engineered by Rory Mallinson and Hadley, his stooge, who were stealing most of the wild horses and selling them to their own advantage. At that moment Sheriff James Millican arrives and places Ellison under arrest because he fitted the description of the masked rider reported spying on stage coach movements. He leads him to town, where Mary and Olin Howlin, her guardian, alibi that Ellison is their new ranch-hand and obtain his release. Meanwhile Jane objects to her father's persistence in raiding mares from a herd of wild horses against the wishes of the other ranchers, who had agreed to let them alone for a year so that they might multiply. Ellison persuades the Sheriff to induce Dumbrille to stop the raids, but foreman Hadley continues the raids and throws suspicion on the Double C Ranch. Ellison quiets the infuriated ranchers by promising to handle Dumbrille himself. The two men quarrel and, after Ellison leaves, Mallinson and Hadley kill Dumbrille under circumstances that bring about Ellison's arrest. He is tried and convicted to hang, but he escapes with the aid of Mary and Howlin. Eventually, through a letter sent to Hadley by Mallinson, Ellison learns of their guilt and brings about their arrest. By this time Jane and Ellison are in love. Robert L. Lippert directed it and acted as executive producer. Carl K. Hittleman produced it. Jack Harvey wrote the original screen play. Good entertainment for the masses. "Trouble Preferred" with Peggy Knudsen, Lynn Roberts and Charles Russell (20th Century-Fox, December; time, 63 min.) More entertainment value is packed into this program comedy-melodrama than in many a super-production that has been released in the past year. There is laughter in almost every foot of the film. The story revolves around two beautiful girls, Peggy Knudsen and Lynn Roberts, students at a Los Angeles school for policewomen, and the laughter is provoked by them through their awkwardness and inability to absorb the instructions readily, at first, and later by the manner in which they apply the tricks they learned to subdue recalcitrant persons under arrest. One laugh-provoking situation is where two persons accuse each other of trying to pick his pockets, and the two rookie policewomen release the pickpocket and arrest the peaceful citizen, who turns out to be a dear friend of their lieutenant. Other comedy U provoked by June Storey, a "flame," through her belicose manner and smart dialogue. The scene where Lynn twists Miss Storey's arm and leads her out of the gymnasium should cause hearty laughter. The work of the two female stars and of all the others in the cast is fine. The photography is crystal clear: — Peggy and Lynn enroll in the Los Angeles policewomen's school, of which Charles Russell, a lieutenant, is head instructor, and Mary Bear, a sergeant, his assistant. After graduation, the girls are assigned to the case of Marcia May Jones, a young mother who had attempted suicide. At the hospital, Marcia insists that she had not attempted suicide, but the girls and Russell, through kind treatment and patience, learn that she had been abandoned by her husband, James Cardwell, a promising prizefighter with a chip on his shoulder. Through Paul Langton, former employer of Marcia and Cardwell, Russell learns that Cardwell was jealous of him (Langton). Langton felt that Cardwell needed a thrashing to put some sense in his head, and he persuades Russell to let him try to administer the thrashing himself. Peggy joins the conspiracy by flirting with Cardwell at the gymnasium, defying June Storey, his "flame." Cardwell visits Peggy at her apartment and, while he is there, Russell, as prearranged, telephones June and informs her of the visit. June hurries to the apartment and tries to create a scene. At that moment Langton, accompanied by Russell, enters the apartment, pretends to resent Cardwell's presence in his "girl's" apartment, and challenges him to a fight. During the first three rounds of the fight, held in the gymnasium ring, Langton pretends that he is losing. In the fourth round, Marcia arrives just in time to see her husband knocked down by Langton. For the first time Cardwell learns that he is a father, and a reconciliation is effected between him and his wife. The story and screenplay was written by Arnold Belgard, It was produced by Sol Wurtzel and directed by James Tinling. Good entertainment for everybody. "The Fighting O'Flynn" with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Helena Carter and Richard Greene (UnivAnt'l, February; time, 94 min.) Revolving around the fabulous exploits of a dashing Irish soldier of fortune in the year 1797, this swashbuckling melodrama has little resemblance to reality, but it is good action "hokum" and should go over very well with those who enjoy "superman" heroics. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., as the fearless hero who practically single-handedly prevents Napoleon's troops from landing on Irish soil, plays the role with a swagger and agility that is highly reminiscent of his father. The manner in which he leaps about, his fancy swordplay, and his ability to take on and overcome dozens of enemies at a time, are out of this world, but his daring deeds keep the excitement at a high pitch all the way through. There is plentiful comedy and a pleasant romance: — En route to an Irish castle he had inherited from an uncle, Fairbanks rescues Helena Carter, daughter of the Irish Viceroy, from an attack by highwaymen in the employ of Ludwig Donath, a Napoleon spy, who sought to take from her a letter advising the Viceroy of Napoleon's plans to invade England by gaining a foothold on Irish soil. Fairbanks shelters her in his castle, and later, when Donath discovers her presence there, helps her to deliver the letter to her father with the aid of J. M. Kerrigan, his man-servant, and Arthur Shields, the county bailiff. In order to be near Helena, Fairbanks enlists in the service of the Viceroy to help combat Napoleon's machinations. Richard Greene, the Viceroy's chief aide and Helena's fiance, resents Fairbanks' intervention, for, unknown to all, he was secretly in league with Donath to bring about Ireland's downfall. Fairbanks uncovers Greene's treason, but in doing so is himself accused of treason by the tricky Greene and sentenced to die. But he manages to escape the firing squad with the aid of Kerrigan and Shields and, after a series of fabulous escapades, exposes the traitor Greene, foils the invasion, and wins Helena's hand after proving his own innocence. It is a Fairbanks Company production, directed by Arthur Pierson from a screen play written by Mr. Fairbanks and Robert Thoeren, based on the novel by Justin Huntly McCarthy. The cast includes Patricia Medina, Otto Waldis, Lumsden Hare and others. Unobjectionable morally.