Harrison's Reports (1949)

18 HARRISON'S REPORTS January 29, 1949 "Blondie's Secret" with Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton (Columbia, December 23; time, 68 min.) No better and no worse than the other pictures in the "Blondie" series. The story is rather silly, but it has enough laugh-provoking situations to get by wherever the series is popular. Arthur Lake again takes the part of the rather simple-minded but true husband, despite the studio's in' effective efforts to introduce sex in his dream sequence. The picture should serve its purpose as light supporting fare to round out a double-bill: — As Arthur Lake, an architectural draftsman, prepares to take his wife (Penny Singleton) and two children (Larry Sims and Marjorie Kent) on a vacation, he is compelled to postpone it at the insistence of Thurston Hall, a furniture manufacturer, who demands that certain changes be made in the blueprints of his new factory, which was to be built by Jerome Cowan, Lake's boss. Lake completes the alterations but again the irate Hall bursts into the office and demands more changes. Aware that he could not persuade Lake again to postpone his vacation, Cowan conspires with Jack Rice, Lake's office rival, to steal Lake's luggage, thus preventing his departure. The two felt that, while compelled to remain in town, Lake would complete the blueprint changes. Rice succeeds in stealing the luggage but not before Daisy, Lake's faithful dog, tears off part of the seat of his trousers. Lake advertises that the dog had rabies, hoping that the thief would rush to a doctor and give himself away. Lake and Penny go to the butcher for dog meat and, in their haste, Penny's purse is accidentally taken by a strange woman who leaves her own purse in its place. The purse is found to be full of counterfeit money. Meanwhile Daisy is taken to the dog pound, from which only the owner of the trousers could have her released. By this time Lake completes the changes on the blueprints and Rice decides to return the luggage. He enters Lake's home just as two counterfeiters steal in to retrieve the purse. A fight ensues between the three, drawing the police to the house. The counterfeiters are arrested, and Penny, noticing a patch on Rice's trousers, realizes that it was he who had "stolen" the luggage. She promises not to give him away provided he went to the dog pound and brought back Daisy. With Daisy back in the fold, the family starts out on its vacation. The screen play was written by Jack Henley, based on the comic strip created by Chic Young. Edward Bernds directed it. Suitable for the family. "John Loves Mary" with Ronald Reagan, Jack Carson and Patricia Neal {Warner Bros., Feb. 19; time, 96 min.) A highly amusing romantic comedy-farce, based on the successful Broadway stage play of the same name. It is the type of picture that should entertain sophisticated audiences as well as the masses. The story itself is thin and improbable, but these weaknesses are more than overcome by the many comical farcical situations that will keep audiences laughing throughout. The comedy stems from the fact that a returning GI, who had married his buddy's English sweetheart in order to bring her to this country, finds that his friend had married someone else, and that he, stuck with an unwanted bride, is unable to marry his own sweetheart. How he manages to keep the truth from his girl-friend and postpone their wedding makes for some of the merriest mix-ups that have been seen on the screen in a long time. The bright dialogue, the lively pace, and the engaging performances keep the gayety at a high pitch all the way through: — Returning to the United States from overseas, Ronald Reagan, a sergeant, finds insurmountable complications in the way of his impending marriage to Patricia Neal, daughter of Edward Arnold, a Senator. It develops that, during the war, Reagan had been saved from certain death by Jack Carson, his buddy. Knowing that Carson had left England heartbroken because of his belief that his English sweetheart, Virginia Field, had died in the blitz, Reagan, to repay Carson for having saved his life, had found Virginia and had married her in order to bring her to the United States. His plan was for Virginia to divorce him and marry Carson so that he (Reagan) could marry Patricia. To Reagan'6 dismay, however, he learns that Carson already had a wife, and that he was expecting an heir. With Patricia and her parents determinedly planning a quick wedding, Reagan, unwilling to tell her the truth, conspires with Carson to delay the nuptials by cooking up a scheme whereby Wayne Morris, their former lieutenant, whom both despised, dons his old army uniform for a fee of $50 and informs Patricia and her parents that Reagan had been ordered back to duty for six weeks, and that he had to depart within twelve hours, leaving no time for the wedding. Complications ensue, however, when Patricia enlists the aid of a general (Paul Harvey) to rescind the order. The general's efforts to cancel the non-existing order gives rise to another series of mixups, with matters becoming even more confused when Virginia arrives on the scene. Eventually, Reagan is compelled to confess his marriage to Virginia, but it all turn6 out for the best at the finish when Morris is spotted by Virginia and recognized as her first husband, who had led her to believe that he was dead. With his marriage to Virginia illegal, Reagan prepares to enjoy his belated happiness with Patricia. It was produced by Jerry Wald and directed by David Butler from a screen play by Phoebe and Henry Ephron, based on the stage play by Norman Krasna. The cast includes Katherine Alexander, Irving Bacon, Ernest Cossart and others. Adult entertainment. "Waterloo Road" with Stewart Granger, John Mills and Alastair Sim (Eagle-Lion, no rel. date set; time, 77 min.) This British-made melodrama, produced in 1945, is a good dramatic entertainment, one that will be understood and appreciated by many persons who have experienced similar problems — that of family upsets due to the conditions under which young married couples were compelled to live during the war years. The story, however, is somewhat depressing, for the main characters depicted suffer in one way or another from thwarted desires and loneliness. But it holds one's attention well, for it has been directed with skill and acted by a capable cast. The expert documentary treatment, the realistic wartime London backgrounds, and the fact that the characters are drawn true-to-life, add considerable power to its dramatic theme. Considerable suspense has been worked into the plot and, towards the finish, there is a highly exciting fist fight between the hero and the villain, who had tried to take advantage of his wife. The story depicts John Mills and Joy Shelton as a couple married during the war but unable to afford a home of their own. With Mills away in the army, Joy lives with his family. Although deeply devoted to Mills, Joy, lonely, finds herself attracted to Stewart Granger, a handsome but shady character, with whom she reluctantly accepts dates from time to time. Mills, through his sister, learns that his wife had been seen about with Granger; he breaks camp without leave and returns home to investigate. Meanwhile Joy, who had met Granger to tell him that she would no longer see him, is charmed by the wily fellow into accompanying him on a tour of pubs and dance-halls. Mills spends the entire day trying to catch up with them while he himself dodges the military police who were after him. He eventually catches up with them in Granger's apartment, where he finds Joy trying to ward off Granger's advances. He gives Granger a sound thrashing, after which he takes Joy home. The two young people discuss their problems and Mills admits that his failure to set up a home had been responsible for Joy's behavior. He arranges to find an apartment for themselves, away from the bickering of the family, and several years later, as the story ends, Joy is shown happier and more mature in her own home with her baby. It is a J. Arthur Rank presentation, produced by Edward Black and written and directed by Sidney Gilliat, from a story by Val Valentine. Adult fare.