Harrison's Reports (1949)

20 HARRISON'S REPORTS January 29, 1949 whereas the producers who own their distributing organizations have one thing in mind — how to serve the entertainment-hungry public with a steady diet of pictures designed to suit the different tastes, Mr. Goldwyn shows no such regard for the public's entertainment needs in that he confines himself to the production of one or two pictures a year, depending on whether or not he is in the mood to make them. Another mistake made was that the reply to Goldwyn should have come, not from Mr. Johnston, but from one of his subordinates. Nothing pleases Goldwyn more than to have the top man reply to him, for he knows that in such a case his own retort will receive wide newspaper coverage. But if some unknown subordinate had made the reply, Goldwyn's vanity would have been injured and, in all probability, he would not have taken the chance of having his feelings hurt a second time by taking issue with the subordinate. The best attitude that Mr. Johnston could have assumed and can assume is to ignore Goldwyn's blasts. As I have already stated, Sam Goldwyn is a master strategist. Like the spider and the fly, he knows how to set a trap. Mr. Johnston does not seem to realize that, in a war of words between Goldwyn and himself, Goldwyn has nothing to lose and much to gain, while he, Johnston, has much to lose and nothing to gain. And the reason for it is simple: Such a war leads the public to believe that there is dissension within the industry and does not help our public relations, but whereas Mr. Johnston is concerned about the industry's good public relations, Mr. Goldwyn, whose public statements have rarely shown regard for the industry's general welfare, is concerned only about Goldwyn. "Shockproof" with Cornel Wilde, Patricia Knight and John Baragrey (Columbia, January; time, 79 min.) This melodrama should appeal to the action fans, for it keeps moving all the time and turns into a "hunted" action in the last few reels. But the story is not pleasant, for it deals with a woman who had murdered another man for the man she loved. Moreover, the motivation for her crime remains obscure — it is not explained. The story has several weaknesses, one being the fact that the hero, a parole officer, violates his oath of office by marrying the heroine who, under parole, was forbidden to marry. Still another weakness is that the hero, believing that his wife had committed another murder, determines to escape into Mexico with her to escape the law. Despite the picture's shortcomings, however, it should satisfy those who do not stop to analyze a story as long as the action keeps them interested. There is no comedy relief. The direction and acting are good, and so is the photography: — After serving five years of a life sentence for murder, Patricia Knight is released on parole. Cornel Wilde, her parole officer, informs her that any infraction of the parole regulations would send her back to prison, and he warns her to stay away from her former associates, particularly John Baragrey, a notorious gambler, whom she loved. She protests that Baragrey was the only person who showed her kindness while in prison, but Wilde insists that she obey the rules. When she is caught with Baragrey in a police raid of a gambling joint, Wilde's superior favors sending her back to prison, but Wilde pleads her cause and wins another chance for her. To help rehabilitate her, Wilde persuades Patricia to accept employment as a companion to his widowed blind mother (Esther Minciotti). In time Wilde falls in love with her. Baragrey, whom she continued to see secretly, suggests that she marry Wilde so that he would become a party to the breaking of the parole regulations and would, therefore, be compelled to keep silent if the pair continued to see each other. But Patricia, by this time in love with Wilde, refuses to go through with the scheme. Wilde, now madly in love with her, induces her to marry him and to keep the marriage a secret. When Baragrey learns of the marriage, he attempts to continue his relation ship with Patricia by threatening to reveal her secret to the authorities. Patricia, visiting his apartment, pleads with him to leave her alone and threatens him with a gun. He struggles with her and is shot when the gun is accidentally discharged. Wilde, believing that she had been unfaithful to him, decides to deliver her to the authorities, but she convinces him that she had been trying to protect him. Wilde decides to flee to Mexico with her in the belief that Baragrey was dead. But they find themselves unable to leave the country and, as fugitives, live in such constant fear of arrest that Patricia eventually persuades Wilde to give themselves up. Upon their return to Los Angeles, they find that Baragrey had survived his injury and that he had refused to say who had shot him. It ends with Patricia escaping punishment because she had been with her parole officer during her absence. The picture was directed by Douglas Sirk from a screen play by Helen Deutsch and Samuel Fuller. An adult picture. "The Feathered Serpent" with Roland Winters and Keye Luke (Monogram, Dec. 19; time, 60 min.) A routine "Charlie Chan" program melodrama. Those who have been following the pictures of this murder-mystery series may find it satisfactory; others may be bored, for there is nothing unusual about either the story or the treatment. But Roland Winters continues to do good work as the Chinese detective, making a far better Charlie Chan than was the late Sidney Toler. His sage sayings, however, should be given a little more polish. As is usual in pictures of this type, suspicion is directed at several of the characters before the guilty one is exposed. There is some comedy, provoked by the antics of the detective's colored chauffeur, and by the well-meaning interference of his sons. The photography is sharp : — While on a vacation drive to Mexico, Roland Winters, accompanied by his sons, Keye Luke and Victor Sen Young, and his chauffeur, Manton Moreland, comes upon Erville Anderson, whom he finds in the wastelands in a semiconscious condition. They take the delirious man to San Pablo, where Police Captain George J. Lewis recognizes him as an archaeologist who had disappeared with Leslie Dennison, another archaeologist. Just as Anderson is about to reveal what happened to Dennison, he is killed by a knife thrown by an unknown person. An investigation by Winters discloses that Dennison was being held prisoner in a lost Temple. Winters joins archaeologists Robert Livingston and Nils Asther in a search for the temple. Beverly Jons, the missing man's sister, and Carol Forman, his fiancee, accompany them. When the expedition camps for the night, Livingston eludes Winters and goes to the Temple, where he demands of Dennison, his prisoner, that he decipher certain hieroglyphics revealing the hiding place of a fabulous treasure, threatening to harm Beverly and Carol unless he complies. At the camp, Carol is found murdered, and the murder knife is identified as that of Asther's. Asther is arrested and sent to San Pablo. Meanwhile Livingston's henchmen capture Winters' chauffeur, Moreland, while Livingston makes Beverly his prisoner when they become separated from Winters. The Chinese detective and his sons locate the Temple and go to Moreland's aid just as Livingston is about to remove the vast treasure. A fight ensues, followed by a wild chase. Winters and his party are almost captured, but Lewis arrives in time to save them and to arrest Livingston and his henchmen. It comes to light that Livingston had ordered Carol to kill Anderson, after which he murdered her to keep her from talking. With Asther freed and reunited with Beverly, Winters and his party resume their vacation. It was produced by James S. Burkett and directed by William Beaudine from an original screen play by Oliver Drake. Not objectionable for children.