Harrison's Reports (1950)

January 14, 1950 HARRISON'S REPORTS 7 "Never Fear" with Sally Forrest and Keith Brasselle (Eagle-Lion, January; time,. 81 min.) A sombre but appealing drama, revolving around a pretty young dancer who is stricken with polio. Given a semi' documentary treatment, the sensitively written story deals with the girl's bitter reaction to her plight, her giving up her romance with her dance partner after resigning herself to life as a cripple, and her successful fight to overcome her affliction when the examples set by other polio victims give her new courage. Some of the situations are deeply touching. The direction of Ida Lupino, her first such undertaking, is understanding, drawing from the unknown but capable cast sincere and effective portrayals. Of considerable interest are the scenes depicting the therapeutic measures employed to combat the disease. A fascinating sequence is the one in which the patients, in wheelchairs, participate in a square dance. The backgrounds and setting are appropriate and realistic: — Sally Forrest and Keefe Brasselle, very much in love, bubble with happiness after their successful debut as a dance team in a swank Los Angeles night'dub. They plan to marry, but tragedy strikes when Sally collapses — a victim of polio. Taken to a sanitarium, she becomes resentful and bitter over her plight. She becomes convinced that she will never recover and shows little enthusiasm for the corrective exercises and treatment that could help her. Keefe encourages her and, despite her condition, asks her to marry him, but she urges him to forget her and continue his dancing career. He remonstrates with her, but this only leads to harsh words between them and a parting of the ways. In his loneliness, Keefe turns his attentions to another girl, but he cannot forget Sally. Meanwhile Sally becomes friendly with Hugh O'Brian, another patient who, understanding her emotional collapse, urges her not to give up the fight to walk. O'Brian's words of encouragement, coupled with the fact that she learns that another woman patient is happily married, even though wed after stricken with polio, gives Sally new hope and strengthens her resolve to be cured. She pursues her therapy with determination, and in slow but sure stages discards her wheel chair and then her braces as she learns to walk with canes. On the day she is discharged from the hospital to start a new life, her happiness is complete when she finds Keefe waiting for her. Ida Lupino and Collier Young wrote the original screen play. Mr. Young produced it. Its subect matter is best suited for adults. "Davy Crockett, Indian Scout" with George Montgomery and Ellen Drew (United Artists, January; time, 71 min.) A good Indians-versus'U. S. Cavalry pioneer melodrama, suitable for the top half of a double bill wherever action pictures are favored. The story, which has an Indian princess and a renegade white spying on the movements of wagon trains, is not exceptional, but this should not concern the dyed-in-the-wool action fans, for the proceedings are packed with excitement from start to finish, where the Indians launch a vicious attack against a wagon train after trapping its military escort. The manner in which the hero rescues the soldiers and turns the tide against the redskins is imaginative fancy, but it makes for a smash finale that will keep the youngsters on the edge of their seats. The story, which unfolds through a series of flashbacks during a military court inquiry, has as its principal characters Ceorge Montgomery, as an Indian scout, a cousin of the famous Davy Crockett; Philip Reed, as his Indian friend and assistant; and Ellen Drew, as an Indian princess who looked like a white woman. With the court investigating charges that Reed is in realiLy an Indian spy responsible for the ambush of a wagon train, the following story comes out: Montgomery had been engaged to guide a west-bound wagon train, which had come under the protection of the U. S. Cavalry as it passed through hostile Indian country. Ellen, posing as a St. Louis schoolteacher, and Paul Guilfoyle, posing as her deaf mute driver, had joined the wagon train after barely escaping an Indian attack. An unsuccessful redskin ambush had convinced Montgomery and Reed that spies were in their midst, and they had turned out to be Ellen and Guilfoyle. Montgomery had apprehended Guilfoyle, but Ellen has escaped to the camp of her father (Robert Barrat), a warring chief, and had given him information about the wagon train's proposed route. Reed had followed her to the camp, and had been captured and tortured. Having fallen in love with Reed, Ellen had come to the realization that her father was a ruthless man, and she had set Reed free, accompanying him back to the wagon train to warn Montgomery to change his course. Montgomery had taken her advice, but Ellen's father had out-maneuvered him, giving him the impression that both Ellen and Reed had tricked him. He knew different, however, when both risked their lives to help him put the Indians to rout. Impressed by what they had heard, the court acquits Ellen and Reed. As Montgomery sets out for new adventures, Ellen and Reed plan to start an Indian school, dedicating themselves to fostering a better understanding between Indians and whites. It is an Edward Small production, directed by Lew Landers from a screen play by Richard Schayer, based on a story by Fred Beebe. Grant Wytook and Bernard Small were associate producers. Suitable for the family. "The Nevadan" with Randolph Scott, Dorothy Malone and Forrest Tucker (Columbia, February; time, 81 min.) Although not extraordinary, this Western is a cut above the average melodrama of this type by reason of its Cinecolor photography and the marquee value of Randolph Scott. The story is the routine one about a U. S. Marshal posing as an outlaw to recover stolen gold from a bandit, with his plans complicated by the fact that other crooks, too, are after the loot. The action tends to drag in the early reels, despite several spurts of excitement, but there is a rousing gun battle and fist fight at the finish, during which the hero brings the culprits to justice. There is some romantic interest, but it is mild. All in all, the Western fans should find it satisfying: — Randolph Scott, a U. S. Marshal, is assigned to recover $250,000 in gold stolen and hidden by Forrest Tucker, an outlaw. He joins up with Tucker by convincing him that he, too, was wanted by the law. Arriving in the town of Twin Rocks, Scott learns that George Macready, a scheming rancher and politician, was plotting to get Tucker's map showing the location of the hidden gold. Dorothy Malone, Macready's daughter, whom Scott meets and likes, is unaware of her father's crooked activities. Macready kills one of his own henchmen and frames Tucker for the murder. His plan was to help Tucker escape from jail, get the map, then do away with him. Scott, sensing Macready's intentions, manages to set Tucker free before Macready and his henchmen arrive at the jail. Dorothy, now aware that Scott is a Marshal, supplies him with horses and mules to take him and Tucker to the gold's hiding place high in the mountains. Later, when she reveals to her father that Scott is a Marshal and that she had helped him, Macready slaps her and sets off in pursuit with two of his henchmen (Frank Faylen and Jeff Corey), cornering Scott and Tucker as they remove the gold. Scott then reveals his identity to Tucker and convinces him that their only hope for survival was to remain united. The two henchmen arc killed in a furious exchange of shots, leaving only Macready to be overcome. He is killed when Dorothy makes an appearance and he unwittingly exposes himself to remonstrate with her. A fist fight then takes place between Scott and Tucker, with Scott emerging the victor. His assignment completed, Scott turns his attentions to Dorothy. It was produced by Harry Joe Brown and directed by Gordon Douglas from a story and screen play by George W. George and George F. Slavin. The cast includes Charles Kemper, Tom Powers and others. Unobjectionable morally. "The Flying Saucer," a Film Classics release, is a weak program adventure melodrama with fair exploitation possibilities. Full review next week.