Harrison's Reports (1949)

July 30, 1949 HARRISON'S REPORTS 123 "Mr. Soft Touch" with Glenn Ford, Evelyn Keyes and John Ireland (Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 92 min.) Fairly interesting, but it is overlong and does not rise above the level of program fare. It is a melodrama, revolving around what happens to a hunted gambler in the way of romance and reformation when he seeks sanctuary in an East Side settlement house. The social welfare background is interesting, and the gambler's efforts to help the underprivileged gives the picture some appealing human interest touches, but on the whole the story is dramatically ineffective and not always believable. There is considerable suspense and excitement in the scenes where the gambler tries to elude his gangland pursuers, but the pace for the most part is leisurely. The acting is adequate, but the direction (two directors are credited) is spotty: — Glenn Ford, co-owner of a gambling club, returns from the war and learns that Roman Bohnen, a gangster, had murdered his partner and had taken over the club. Ford rifles the club's safe of $100,000, which he felt was rightfully his, and eludes Bohnen's gunmen by taking refuge in the apartment of Ray Mayer, his dead partner's brother. Evelyn Keyes, a social worker, mistakes Ford for Mayer, who had been mistreating his wife (Angela Clarke), and offers to take him into the settlement house for a few days to teach him more humane behavior. Ford gladly goes along, seeing an ideal hideout in the settlement house. There, he takes notice of the importance of Evelyn's social work, and in his own lawless way, which embarrasses Evelyn, he tries to bring happiness to the underprivileged. John Ireland, a columnist, discovers Ford's whereabouts and reveals his identity to Evelyn. Having fallen in love with Ford, Evelyn is happy to learn that he is not married, but she begins to fear for his safety. Also through Ireland, Bohnen learns where Ford is hiding. His henchmen, to smoke Ford out, set fire to the settlement house and recover the money in the ensuing excitement. On Christmas Eve, while the settlement house gives a party for contributions to rebuild the gutted building, Ford returns to the gambling club and steals the money all over again. Disguised as a Santa Claus, he returns to the settlement house and deposits the money in the contribution box to be used for a new building. Bohnen's thugs, searching for Ford, recognize him as he emerges from the building and shoot him down. Hope is held out for his recovery, and Evelyn, believing fully in his regeneration, promises to marry him. It was produced by Milton Holmes from his own story, and directed by Henry Levin and Gordon Douglas. The screen play was written by Orin Jannings. The cast includes, Beulah Bondi, Percy Kilbride, Harry Shannon and others. Suitable for the family. "The Devil's Henchmen" with Warner Baxter and Mary Beth Hughes (Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 68 min.) An acceptable "Crime Doctor" picture, suitable for the lower half of a double bill. Revolving around the activities of a gang of fur smugglers in Los Angeles Harbor, the plot follows a well-worn pattern in that the hero worms his way into the gang and becomes a member in order to trap them; nevertheless, it has a fair share of excitement and suspense, for the hero's life is in danger at all times. The direction and acting arc adequate, and the photography dark: — Warner Baxter, an insurance agent, is sent on the trail of a gang of thieves and smugglers, who had been stealing ship cargoes of different kinds. Posing as a derelict, Baxter enters a waterfront dive owned by Peggy Converse, ostensibly to make connections to sell property he supposedly pilfered from ships in the harbor. He is directed to a ship supply shop owned by Regis Toomey, who buys everything that he brings to him. Suspecting that the supply ship was the gang's headquarters. Baxter enters it at night and stumbles across the body of a ship's mate, who had been dealing with Toomey. Believing that Baxter is really a derelict, Toomey makes a deal with him and takes him into the gang. Mike Mazurki, a powerful but moronic gang member, is ordered to watch Baxter's movements. While in a rowboat, Baxter discovers the body of the dead mate floating in the water. The police question him, but he assumes a dumb attitude, for he did not want them to know of his role. Thus he wins Toomey's confidence. Upon learning the location of the gang's warehouse, Baxter sends a message to his boss, William Forrest, through Julian Rivero, a colleague posing as an organ grinder; by petting Rivero's monkey, Baxter was able to conceal his messages in the monkey's cap. The "break" comes when Baxter and Mazurki are instructed to meet the top man and help him make a big haul from a ship. When Harry Shannon, who had posed as a talkative and idle captain in the dive, proves to be the top man, Baxter pretends to sneer at him and refuses to work with him. But he is made to stay on the job. Later on, Baxter induces Mazurki to buy Rivero's monkey and, after concealing a message in the animal's cap, Baxter innocently lets the monkey loose. Miss Converse intercepts the message and delivers it to Forrest herself. The police arrive just in time to arrest the whole gang. A romance develops between Baxter and Miss Converse. Eric Taylor wrote the story, Rudolph C. Flothow produced it, and Seymour Friedman directed it. Harmless for children. "It's a Great Feeling" with Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson and Doris Day (Warner Bros., Aug. 20; time, 85 min.) An impressive cast, excellent production values, Technicolor photography, tuneful song-and-dance numbers, and a light but highly amusing story combine to make this a very good mass entertainment. The story, which pokes fun at Hollywood and picture-making, has witty dialogue and many comical situations, and is further enhanced by the clever introduction of practically every star on the Warner lot, all of whom are fit into the action to good effect. These guest stars include Gary Cooper, Edward G. Robinson, Danny Kaye, Joan Crawford, Eleanor Parker, Errol Flynn, Patricia Neal, Ronald Reagan, Jane Wyman, and several well known producers and directors. The principal roles are played by Dennis Morgan, as a top star, Jack Carson, as an actor-director, and Doris Day, as a screen-struck studio waitress. The zestful way in which all three enact their roles gives the film a considerable boost. The comedy, much of which is very good satire, stems from the complications that arise when Carson and Morgan resort to artifice to help Doris become a star. All in all, it is a bright, fast-moving comedy, the sort that relaxes the spectator and leaves him in a joyful mood : — When Morgan and Carson are co-starred in a picture slated for immediate production, every top director on the lot turns down the assignment because of their refusal to work with Carson. In desperation, Bill Goodwin, the producer, assigns Carson to direct, thus causing Morgan to withdraw from the picture. To get Morgan into line, Carson promises Doris a part in the picture if she will pose as his (Carson's) wife and inform Morgan that she was about to become a mother, and that Carson needed the work to raise money for her needs. Morgan, touched by her story, signs a contract. Carson fails to keep his promise to Doris who, after telling Morgan the truth, determines to return to her small-town Wisconsin home to marry her childhood sweetheart. When word comes that the studio's top feminine stars refused to play in a picture directed by Carson, Morgan, feeling sorry for Doris, suggests to Carson that they try to get her in the leading role. Thereafter the two men resort to all sorts of tricks and phoney stunts in an effort to sell her to Goodwin, but everything fails and Goodwin ends up a nervous wreck. Doris, fed up with her experiences, decides to return home. En route on the train, she is noticed by Goodwin who, struck with her beauty and singing voice, offers her a film job. But Doris, her experiences still fresh in her mind, rejects the offer. Goodwin appeals to Morgan and Carson to get her for the picture, and they leave posthaste for Wisconsin to stop her marriage to a small-town "hick." The arrive too late, and the "hick" turns out to be Errol Flynn. It as produced by Alex Gottlieb and directed by David Boiler from a screen play by Jack Rose and Mel Shavclson, based on a story by I. A. L. Diamond. Fine for the entire family.