Harrison's Reports (1949)

162 HARRISON'S REPORTS October 8, 1949 "Abandoned" with Dennis O'Keefe and Gale Storm (Univ.-lnt'l, ~N.ovember; time, 79 min.) Good as an entertainment, and very good from the boxoffice angle, for it offers great possibilities for exploitation. The theme is the baby-adoption racket, with the action revolving around the breaking up of a syndicate, the members of which would not hesitate to commit even murder to conceal their crimes. The action grips one's attention throughout. Some of the situations are touching, and many of them are thrilling. There is considerable excitement at the finish, where Dennis O'Keefe, the hero, traps the criminals with the aid of the law enforcement authorities. Mr. O'Keefe does very good work, and he wins the spectator's sympathy by his clean conduct and willingness to face danger to help a girl in distress. Gale Storm looks beautiful and makes an adequate heroine. The settings are realistic and impressive, and the photography clear: — Searching for her missing sister, Gale Storm is unable to trace her when she inquires at the Los Angeles missing persons bureau. Dennis O'Keefe, an enterprising newspaperman, overhears her inquiry and suggests that she check with the morgue. They go there together and learn that her sister had died of gas asphyxiation. Convinced that her sister had not committed suicide, Gale persuades O'Keefe to help her get the facts about the death. They soon establish that the sister had given birth to an illegitimate child, and this information leads them to a babyadoption racket conducted by Marjorie Rambeau and Will Kulava, her lieutenant. O'Keefe's suspicions are aroused when he notices that he and Gale were being followed by Raymond Burr, a shady character. He collars Burr and learns that he had been hired by Gale's father to find his missing daughter. Certain clues lead O'Keefe to suspect that Gale's sister had been murdered by Miss Rambeau's syndicate, and that her baby had been sold to a family. He obtains the aid of the district attorney and, in a move to obtain definite evidence, they arrange with Meg Randall, an unwed mother under the care of the Salvation Army, to become a decoy. Meg is soon approached by Miss Rambeau who, posing as a social worker, offers her financial aid and promises to turn her child over to a responsible family. Meg pretends to be taken in by her glib talk, and goes with her, thus enabling O'Keefe and the police to find the syndicate's hideout. Realizing that the police were closing in, Burr, who was in league with the syndicate, telephones Gale and, for a sizeable fee, leads her to her sister's baby. Miss Rambeau and Kulava, learning of the doublecross, murder Burr and make Gale their prisoner. The police move in at this point and smash the syndicate. Gale and O'Keefe decide to marry and adopt her sister's child. Jerry Bressler produced it, and Joe Newman directed it, from a story and screen play by Irwin Gielgud. The cast includes Jeff Chandler, Mike Mazurki and others. Not offensive morally. "Love Happy" with The Marx Brothers, Uona Massey and Vera-Ellen (United Artists, no rcl. date set; time, 84 min.) Although it is not as funny as the previous Marx Brothers comedies, "Love Happy" is filled with enough entertaining nonsense to please those who enjoy the mad antics of these comedians. The story, which has the trio becoming involved with a seductive adventuress who heads an international gang of diamond smugglers, is extremely thin, but it serves well enough as a framework for the Marx hijinks, most of which are amusing. A chase among the roof-top advertising signs of Broadway provides many laughs, but it was obviously designed for the purpose of inserting advertisements for Baby Ruth candy, General Electric lamps, Fisk Tires, Bulova watches, Kool cigarettes, Wheaties, Mobilgas and Mobiloil. Details of the extent of this advertising appear on the editorial pages of this issue. Worked into the proceedings are several song and dance numbers featuring Vcra-Ellcn and Marion Hutton, as well as a harp solo by Harpo Marx, and a piano solo by Chico Marx. A "Sadie Thompson" dance number executed by Vera Ellen is daringly suggestive. This dance, coupled with the fact that some of the dialogue and situations, too, are suggestive, makes the picture unsuitable for youngsters. What there is in the way of a story opens with Groucho Marx, as a private detective, recounting his experiences in a diamond smuggling case. In flashback, it is shown that Harpo, a mute little clown, spent his time stealing food from the rich in order to feed a poverty-stricken theatrical troupe, headed by Paul Valentine, which was in rehearsal for a new musical show but lacked a wealthy backer. During one of his raids, Harpo pockets a can of sardines that had been used by Ilona Massey, sultry leader of the smuggling gang, to smuggle a priceless diamond necklace into the States. Ilona and her henchmen trace the sardine can to the theatre where the troupe was rehearsing and, in the hope of retrieving the can, she arranges to finance the show. On opening night, Harpo and Chico, a member of the troupe, learn what Ilona was after when they find the diamonds in the sardine can. The gang, learning of their find, attempt to recover the diamonds. This gives rise to a wild chase among the electric signs on Broadway. Groucho, on the trail of the gems, joins the chase and. after many mad antics, it ends with Harpo waltzing off with the diamonds, and with Groucho walking off in the loving embrace of Ilona. It was produced by Lester Cowan and directed by David Miller from a screen play by Frank Tashlin and Mac Benoff, based on a story by Harpo Marx. The cast includes Raymond Burr, Melville Cooper, Leon Bclasco, Eric Blore and others. Adult fare. "Passport to Pimlico" with an all-British cast (Eagle-Lion, no rel. date set; time, 84 min.) An unpretentious but delightfully amusing satirical comedy, produced in Britain. Revolving around the complications that ensue when the people of a London suburb declare themselves to be outside the law after discovering an ancient document that establishes their area as an independent state, the story, though fanciful, is original, and it makes the most of poking sly fun at present-day restrictions in Great Britain and at its diplomatic officials. There is considerable comedy in the manner in which the British officials treat the area as foreign territory, setting up customs barriers and declaring the people to be aliens. Much of the humor is of the sort that is best appreciated by Britishers, but American audiences should get the drift of most of it. Against the picture, however, is the thick Cockney accents employed by the players, making a good part of the dialogue undistinguishable : When an unexploded bomb is set off accidentally in Pimlico, a London suburb, the explosion unearths a hidden vault crammed with treasure and with a 15th Century Royal Charter decreeing that the area shall be recognized in perpetuity as the sovereign state of Burgundia. It dawns on the residents that they are no longer Londoners, but Burgundians, and that they now had a chance to get away from austerity and restrictions. Consequently, the inhabitants tear up their ration books; the local pub remains open as long as it likes; and the different shops, by putting themselves on the export lists of British firms, buy all the goods they need. The Government, recognizing the legality of the Charter, is powerless to keep the area under control, and the residents, taking advantage of their unique position, cash in on their freedom from restrictions. To bring them to their senses, the Government sets up customs barriers and declares all the residents to be aliens. The Burgundians retaliate by stopping subway trains that pass through their territory and demanding passports from the passengers. In a final counter-move, the Government seals off the territory and cuts off the water and electric supply. Children are evacuated, and the beleaguered Burgundians, though foodless and waterless, refuse to bow to the Government's demands. Their fight for independence wins many sympathizers, who smuggle food and other essentials to them. After a long deadlock, the Government officials, harassed by adverse public opinion, meet with a Burgundian Committee and come to a settlement that is satisfactory to both sides, with the Burgundians declared British subjects and Pimlico English soil. It was produced by Michael Balcon and directed by Henry Cornelius from an original screen play by T. E. B. Clarke. The cast includes Stanley Holloway, Margaret Rutherford, Hermione Baddeley, Paul Dupuis and other British players. Suitable for the family.