Harrison's Reports (1949)

178 November 5, 1949 "Adam's Rib" with Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Judy Holliday (MGM, November; time, 101 min.) Excellent! It is an hilarious sophisticated marital comedy, the sort that should go over with the masses as well as class audiences. The stars alone are enough to draw patrons to the theatre, but favorable word-of-mouth advertising defi' nitely assures its box-office success. The unusual story, the clever treatment and the uproariously funny situations should provoke such howls of laughter that many a line of very witty dialogue will be drowned out, as was the case at a New York preview of the picture. Briefly, the story re volves around Spencer Tracy, as an assistant district attorney, and Katharine Hepburn, as a lawyer, a happily married couple who find cause for friendly disagreement in the news' paper report of a young mother of three children, who had shot and wounded her philandering husband after finding him in the arms of another woman. Tracy maintains that no woman may break the law, regardless of the circumstances, while Katharine contends that women should have the right to invoke the unwritten law the same as men. Complications set in when Tracy is assigned to prosecute the case and Katharine takes up the defense. They wage a bitter battle in court but manage to forget their rivalry at home. As the trial gains momentum, however, and the papers give it wide publicity, they begin to quarrel, breaking completely after Katharine wins the case by using every feminine trick in the book, and making a laughing stock of Tracy. But true love will out, and the finish finds them embracing. A brief synopsis of the story cannot do justice to the many hilarious touches in the action; the expert direction has squeezed the last ounce of fun from every situation and witty line. Miss Hepburn and Tracy are completely natural and enter into the spirit of their roles with gusto. The surprise of the film, however, is Judy Holliday, as the addlebrained wife whom Miss Hepburn defends; she steals every scene in which she appears. David Wayne, as a songwriter with a yen for Miss Hepburn; Tom Ewell, as the philandering husband; and Jean Hagen, as other woman, contribute much to the hilarity. Some of the situations are risque, but they do not exceed the bounds of good taste. It was produced by Lawrence Weingarten and directed by George Cukor from a screen play by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. Adult fare. "The File on Thelma Jordan" with Barbara Stanwyck and Wendell Corey (Paramount, no rel. date set; time, 100 min.) Centering around the mad infatuation of a misguided assistant district attorney, married and a father, for a beautiful but wicked woman, this melodrama shapes up as a spottily suspenseful film of limited appeal. The story is a highly involved, complex affair that is made even more difficult to follow by the fact that it is given more to talk than to action. Moreover, the theme is distasteful and the actions of the characters are completely unsympathetic. The production values are good and the acting impressive, but some of the sequences are so long-drawn-out and talky that they will cause the audience to squirm in their seats: — Although devoted to his wife (Joan Tetzel) and two children, Wendell Corey cannot tolerate her meddling father. While getting drunk in his office on his fifth wedding anniversary, he meets Barbara Stanwyck, who asks for Paul Kelly, his chief, to report an attempted burglary at the home she shared with her rich aunt. Barbara accepts Corey's invitation to have a drink and, before the night is over, he finds himself madly infatuated with her. In the weeks that follow she returns his love but admits that she is married to Richard Rober, a slick character, whom she planned to divorce. One night she telephones Corey and tells him that her aunt had been murdered and a valuable necklace stolen. Corey suspects Rober and, to protect Barbara, removes all traces of evidence that may implicate her in the crime. But she is arrested anyway when the police learn that she had a shady past, and that the aunt's will left everything to her. Assigned to prosecute Barbara, Corey secretly engages a lawyer to defend her, then maneuvers the trial in a way that brings about her acquittal. He plans to run away with her after the verdict, only to find her with Rober, who proves not to be her husband but who demands that she go away with him lest he reveal that she is the killer. By this time in love with Corey, Barbara, seeing no hope of escape, deliberately crashes her car, killing Rober and herself. Corey admits having fixed the trial and is disbarred for life. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and directed by Robert Siodmak from a screen play by Ketti Frings, based on a story by Marty Holland. Adult fare. "Dancing in the Dark" with William Powell, Mark Stevens and Betsy Drake (20th Century-Fox, no rel. date set; time, 92 min.) A highly entertaining comedy-drama, with some music and dancing, lavishly produced and photographed in Technicolor. It should please all types of audiences, for it has unusually good comedy situations, witty dialogue, a novel though implausible plot, and fine performances. Most of the laughs are supplied by William Powell in his superb portrayal of a once famous middle-aged film star, penniless but proud, who retains an arrogant attitude towards every one in spite of the fact that his arrogance, at the height of his career, had brought about his downfall and had left him without a friend. His regeneration through his interest in a newcomer who, to his surprise, turns out to be his daughter, gives the story considerable human interest, as well as many comical moments because of the methods he employs to win stardom for the girl. The Hollywood background and the intimate studio shots should be of interest to everyone: — Faced with a problem because Randy Stuart, a Broadway star, would not sign for the lead in his picture because her father, Walter Catlett, despised films, producer Adolphe Menjou learns that Powell, who had been Catlett's old vaudeville partner, might win his consent. He reluctantly arranges for Powell to go to New York to negotiate the deal, and sends along Mark Stevens to act as his public relations man. With a fat weekly pay check, a new wardrobe, and all expenses paid, Powell resumes his arrogant ways and makes himself thoroughly obnoxious to Stevens, who had enough troubles because Betsy Drake, his New York sweetheart, whom the studio had dropped two years previously, would not return to Hollywood with him until she proved her ability as an actress. Having been called self-centered by Stevens during a quarrel, Powell realizes the truth of the statement and decides to do something about it secretly. He takes Betsy in hand and, through a series of slick maneuvers, introduces her to the New York press as the forthcoming star of Menjou's picture. Stevens is delighted, but worried over what Menjou would do. Powell's clever handling, however, compels Menjour to not only accept her but also engages him to direct her screen test. Complications arise on the day set for the test when both Menjou and Betsy learn that he is her father. She refuses to work with him because he had abandoned her mother years previously. The mix-up enrages Menjou, who fires them both, including Stevens. Stevens takes Betsy in hand and, through friends, makes a screen test of her under Powell's secret instructions, then tricks a projectionist to throw it on the screen just before the premiere of a big picture attended by Menjou. The audience reaction is so good that Menjou offers Betsy the lead and asks Powell to direct the picture. He refuses until Betsy insists that she'd be no good without him. It was produced by George Jessel and directed by Irving Reis from a screen play by Mary C. McCall, Jr., based on the play, "The Bandwagon," by George S. Kaufman, Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz. Suitable for the entire family. "Free for All" with Robert Cummings, Ann Blyth and Percy Kilbride (Univ.-Int'l, "November; time, 83 min.) A fairly entertaining comedy-farce, centering around the Washington adventures of a young small-town scientist when he seeks to patent a pill that turns water into gasoline. Some of the gags and comedy situations are really funny, but on occasion it becomes labored and contrived, with the result that the proceedings wax tedious at times. The characterizations, however, are amusing, and there is considerable humor in the fun poked at different Government agencies, such as the Army and Navy. All in all, it is a harmless and diverting film, with the action fast and silly enough to provoke giggles from the general run of audiences:— Arriving in Washington to patent a tablet that changed water into gasoline, Robert Cummings is befriended by Percy Kilbride, a patent office employee, who offers him a room in his house. There he meets Ann Blyth, Kilbride's daughter, whom he takes out on a date. When he tells her of his invention she thinks that he is spoofing her, but when he gives her a demonrtration she is flabbergasted. Her father clashes off to reveal the startling invention to the Army and Navy, but the officials think him a nit-wit and rebuff him. Meanwhile Ann breaks the news to her employer, Ray Collins, owner of a huge oil company. Collins prevails on Cummings to demonstrate his invention, and during the demonstration his chief scientist, Mikhail Rasumny, steals