Harrison's Reports (1949)

186 "The Inspector Genera!" with Danny Kaye, Walter Slezak and Barbara Bates (Warner Bros., no rel. date set; time, 102 min.) In spite of the fact that it has some dull spots, which judicious cutting could remedy, this lavish Technicolor comedy-farce is a good entertainment. It should go over in a big way with the Danny Kaye followers, for his inimitable clowning and singing are the outstanding features of the picture. The story, which takes place in the early 1800's in a corrupt-ridden Hungarian town, is not very substantial, but it does have some extremely comical situations, which should cause even the most hardened spectators to laugh, particularly since Kaye dominates the proceedings with his antics as a hungry vagabond, whom the corrupt officials mistake as an Inspector General in disguise. One of the funniest sequences, aided by trick photography, is where Kaye, as three different personalities, debates in song whether he should assume an arrogant, elegant or smart attitude to meet a certain problem. The novelty in this sequence lies also in the fact that the voices of the three personalities assumed by Kaye are blended in perfect harmony. Walter Slezak, as a domineering gypsy who keeps Kaye under his thumb, is very good, as are the others in the fine supporting cast: — Kaye, an illiterate stooge employed by Slezak in his gypsy medicine show, provokes a riot when he reveals to a poor old woman that Slezak's cure-all medicine is worthless. Forced to flee for his life, Kaye makes his way to the graft-ridden town of Bordny, where Gene Lockhart, the Mayor, and a host of his conniving relatives, were fretting over the impending visit of an Inspector General, armed with authority to depose all grafting public servants. Mistaken as the Inspector General in disguise, Kaye is feted and honored by Lockhart. Slezak, arriving in town, decides to capitalize on the error; he presents himself as Kaye's aide, and intimidates Kaye into doing his bidding. Slezak, in Kaye's behalf, demands 100,000 crowns as a bribe for a good report about conditions in town. The crooked officials, unwilling to pay, plan to have Kaye murdered. Barbara Bates, a kitchen maid whom Kaye had befriended, overhears the plot and sends him a note. Unable to read, Kaye asks Slezak to read it to him. Slezak, hoping to get all the loot for himself, tells Kaye that Barbara wanted to meet him at the place selected for his murder. When the murder plot fails, Slezak knocks Kaye unconscious and, through an old gypsy trick, displays Kaye's head on a platter and frightens the officials into giving him their ill-gotten gains as the price for his silence. Kaye, however, revives in time to knock out Slezak and recover the money. Meanwhile Rhys Williams, the real Inspector General, arrives in town, and brings about the arrest of both Kaye and Slezak. The wily Slezak, however, picks Williams' pockets of his credentials and then proves Kaye is the Inspector General. Williams' is then arrested as the imposter. But Kaye, basically honest, refuses to sign his death warrant and reveals the masquerade. Impressed with Kaye's honesty, Williams appoints him as the new Mayor while the old one and his corrupt relatives are ousted from office. It was produced by Jerry Wald and directed by Henry Koster from a screen play by Philip Rapp and Harry Kurnitz, based on a play by Nikolai Gogol. The cast includes Elsa Lanchester, Alan Hale, Walter Catlett and others. Unobjectionable morally. "Without Honor" with Laraine Day, Dane Clark and Franchot Tone (United Artists, Oct. 10; time, 69 min.) Except for the acting, there is little to recommend in this sordid melodrama. Built up on a theme of marital deception, infidelity, and jealous psychopathic hatred, the story is not only unpleasant but it is also weakly motivated, poorly developed and unconvincing. Moreover, it is all talk and no action. As a matter of fact, it has the quality of a photographed stage play since the action is confined to a threeroom bungalow. The story does have its moments of suspense and dramatic interest, but there are not enough to overcome the fact that the picture leaves one with a feeling of unreality. Although billed as one of the stars, Franchot Tone appears in only a few scenes at the beginning: — Franchot Tone, married to Agnes Moorehead, visits Laraine Day, married to Bruce Bennett, and informs her that their love affair must come to an end. Already numbed by his shallow dismissal of her, Laraine is horrified when he accidentally stabs himself with a kitchen knife and falls to the floor apparently dead. With his body lying in the laundry room, Laraine plans to notify the police. Just then Dane Clark, her brother-in-law, enters the house and, after some idle talk, reveals that he had hired a detective to trail her and Tone, and that he had arranged for Tone and his wife to come to her home that evening at which time he intended to expose the affair both to Bennett and Miss Moorehead. In the course of conversation it comes out that Clark has hated Laraine ever since she publicly repulsed his advances before her marriage to his brother. In due time both Bennett and Miss Moorehead arrive. Clark reveals Laraine's infidelity to Bennett. Laraine, driven frantic by Clark's goading, hysterically reveals that Tone's body is lying in the laundry room. All investigate and find that the body had disappeared. A further check-up discloses that Tone had made his way out of the house and had managed to reach a hospital. This is followed by an unsuccessful attempt at suicide by Laraine, who, too, is rushed to the hospital. At the finish, Miss Moorehead forgives Tone, while Bennett denounces his brother and rejoins Laraine. It was produced by Robert and Raymond Hakim and directed by Irving Pichel from an original screen play by James Poe. Adult fare. "Tension" with Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Cyd Charisse and Barry Sullivan (MGM, "Nfivember; time, 90 min.) Good melodramatic entertainment, well written, directed and acted. There is an undercurrent of excitement from the very beginning, and it grips one's attention throughout because of the interesting plot developments, which have the hero's perfect plan to murder his unfaithful wife's lover backfiring when some one else commits the murder and he is charged with the crime. It is a little too strong for the family trade; but adult audiences that enjoy pictures of this type should find it very much to their liking. The manner in which the break down of the murderess is brought about holds one in tense suspense: — Madly in love with Audrey Totter, his beautiful but unfaithful wife, Richard Basehart, a mild-mannered pharmacist, lives in constant fear that she will leave him. Audrey eventually runs away with Lloyd Gough, a shady character with a big bankroll. Embittered, Basehart conceives an elaborate plan to murder Gough and to escape punishment for the crime. He establishes another identity for himself by exchanging his spectacles for contact lenses, and by renting another apartment and identifying himself as a traveling salesman. After leading a double life for months and firmly establishing his new identity, Basehart prepares to commit the murder, quit the drug store ,and take up his new identity permanently. But, just as he is about to kill Gough, he sees no point in killing him over a worthless woman and decided to let him live. He makes up his mind to forget Audrey and seek a new life with Cyd Charisse, his new next-door neighbor, with whom he had fallen in love. Matters take an ironical twist, however, when Audrey murders Gough, returns home to Basehart, and maneuvers him into protecting her when Barry Sullivan, a detective, questions them about their connections with Gough. This turn of events compels Basehart to remain at the drug store. Cyd, concerned over his disappearance, notifies the police and furnishes them with a photograph of Basehart. Sullivan recognizes the photo and uncovers Basehart's double life. Aided by Audrey, with whom he fakes a love affair, Sullivan builds up a strong case against Basehart and arrests him for the murder. But, believing the innocent man's protestations, Sullivan cleverly tricks Audrey into trapping herself while she tries to establish Basehart's guilt. It was produced by Robert Sisk and directed by John Berry from a screen play by Allen Rivkin, based on a story by John Klorer. The cast includes Tom D'Andrea, William Conrad, Tito Renaldo and others. Adult fare.