Harrison's Reports (1950)

January 28, 1950 HARRISON'S REPORTS 15 "Dakota Lil" with George Montgomery, Marie Windsor and Rod Cameron (20th Century-Fox, February; time, 88 mm.) A fairly good Western, photographed by the Cinecolor process. It is an above-average picture of its type, with production values that are more lavish than is customary. Its story about a special government agent's efforts to track down a gang of thieves and to recover a fortune in unsigned currency is somewhat involved and illogical, but its allotment of brawls, chases and gunfights offers enough excitement to satisfy the action fans. At times, however, the action is marked by violence and brutality, making it too tense and harrowing for children and squeamish adults. The direction and acting are good, and the photography first-rate : — George Montgomery, a celebrated Indian fighter, is appointed by the Secret Service as a special agent for the express purpose of tracking down a gang of outlaws who had vanished into the mountains after stealing $100,000 in newly-printed but unsigned bank notes, which could be made passable by an expert forger. Posing as a hardened outlaw, Montgomery goes to Mexico to enlist the aid of Marie Windsor, an alluring cafe singer and shrewd forger, who was wanted by the American authorities. The promise of easy money for forging the needed signatures on the unsigned bank notes arouses Marie's interest. She tricks Montgomery into revealing that Rod Cameron, a Wyoming gambling house proprietor, was the leader of the outlaws, then steals his horse and leaves him stranded in the desert while she gallops off to Wyoming. Arriving there, Marie uses her allure to get a job as Cameron's featured singer, but Montgomery shows up within a few days and compels her to stick to their agreement. He masterminds a scheme whereby Marie makes known her forging talents to Cameron and concludes a deal with him to make the stolen money passable. Cameron takes her to the gang's stronghold in the mountains to show her the stolen bank notes. While they return to town to obtain the equipment needed to handle the forgery, Montgomery, who had followed them, makes a daring attempt to recover the money. He becomes involved in a furious battle with the guards, barely escaping with his life, but, in the complicated events that follow, his secret service status is discovered. Furious at his deception, Marie plans to get rid of him, but her love for him proves too strong; she turns to the side of law and order, helping him to bring Cameron to justice and to recover the loot. It was produced by Edward L. Alperson and directed by Lesley Selander from a screen play by Maurice Geraghty, based upon a story by Frank Gruber. Jack Jungmeyer, Jr. was associate producer. The cast includes John Emery, Wallace Ford and others. Unobjectionable morally. "Belle of Old Mexico" with Estelita Rodriguez and Robert Rockwell (Republic, January 3; time, 70 mm.) If it doesn't take much to make your audiences laugh, this Trucolor slapstick comedy, with some music, should get by with them as a supporting feature. Discriminating patrons, however, probably will find little to laugh at, for the story is thin and illogical, and the comedy, for the most part, forced. It does have some funny moments here and there, but, on the whole, what passes for comedy is just plain silliness. Worked into the proceedings are several catchy songs, sung pleasantly by Estelita Rodriguez, a LatinAmerican newcomer, who speaks and sings with a slight accent: — Robert Rockwell, scion of a socially-prominent California family and youthful president of a college founded by his grandfather, is constantly reminded by Thurston Hall, head of the board of trustees, that he must conduct himself with decorum. Having made a pledge to a dying wartime buddy to assume guardianship of his little sister, Rockwell makes plans to take the child into his home and to provide for her education. He goes to Lower California to fetch her and is shocked when she turns out to be Estelita Rodriguez, a beautiful young woman with a mind of her own. When Dorothy Patrick, Rockwell's fortune-hunting fiancee, discovers that Estelita is in love with him and that he is equally smitten with her, she plots to break up the romance by making Estelita appear to be a bad influence on him, thus annoying the board of trustees. Aware of Dorothy's trickery, Dave Willock and Gordon Jones, Rockwell's pals, expose Dorothy for what she is and prove to Rockwell that Estelita's love for him is sincere. Taking courage from Estelita's love, Rockwell tells off Hall, fully aware that he was endangering his job as president. Hall is shocked, but when Jones, a millionaire, hints that he might be prevailed upon to make a sizable endowment to the college, Estelita's and Rockwell's future happiness is assured. It was produced by Edward J. White and directed by R. G. Springsteen from a story by Bradford Ropes and Francis Swann. The cast includes Florence Bates, Fritz Feld, Carlos Molina and Orchestra and others. Harmless for children. "Key to the City" with Clark Gable and Loretta Young (MGM, February; time, 99 mm.) A gay romantic comedy-melodrama, with many hilarious moments. Movie-goers who will be drawn to the box-office by the magic of Clark Gable's name will not be disappointed, for, as a tough, dynamic and uninhibited small-city mayor who finds romance with a female mayor at a mayors' convention, Gable is cast in the type of role that is sure to please his fans. Equally good is Loretta Young, as the beautiful but business-like lady mayor who has no time for romance until she crosses paths with Gable. The action is fast and the audience is kept in suspense because of the many complications Gable and Miss Young find themselves in, including being jailed twice, as a result of the convention hi-jinks. Things happen throughout that keep one amused, and many of the situations will arouse hearty laughter. Frank Morgan, as Gable's careless fire chief; Lewis Stone, as Miss Young's uncle; James Gleason, as an embarrassed police lieutenant who tries to cover up the jams the principals get themselves into; and Marilyn Maxwell, as an "atom" dancer, contribute much to the general hilarity. A melodramatic angle involving crooked politicians is good for considerable excitement, with Gable given ample opportunity to use his fists: — Attending a mayors' convention in San Francisco, Gable, a former longshoreman now mayor of a small west coast city, mistakes Loretta, mayor of a small Maine city, for a "good-time" girl when she comes to his hotel suite to attend a committee meeting, which he, as chairman, had postponed without notifying her. Loretta, claiming that the postponement was contrary to parliamentary procedure, demands that the meeting be held that evening. Amused, Gable agrees and later sends her the address of the meeting hall, which turns out to be a honky-tonk cabaret. Loretta enters into the spirit of the gayety so as not to appear snobbish. A quarrel between two drunks sets off a brawl in which Loretta and Gable become involved. Both are arrested along with the other guests, but immediately released by police lieutenant James Gleason when he learns their identities. Gleason tries to keep the story from inquisitive reporters, but an enterprising photographer succeeds in snapping a picture of Loretta in the station house, causing her no end of embarrassment when it is published on the newspapers' front pages. On the following night Gable meets Loretta again when both seek a taxicab to take them to a costume party. Dressed as a child, she refuses to share a cab with him and complains to a policeman that he is annoying her. This leads to a second visit to the jail, but before the evening is over both fall in love and agree to marry on the following day. A misunderstanding ensues that same night when Loretta sees Marilyn Maxwell, a bubble dancer, leaving Gable's suite. Actually, Marilyn had visited him to return his coat, which he had given her on the night of the cabaret raid. To add to the complications, Loretta believes that Gable had run out on her when he is compelled to rush back to his city that night to foil a crooked political plot. After many humorous events. Gable eventually convinces Loretta of his love, and in the final sequence, while Gable administers a sound thrashing to one of the crooked politicians, Loretta takes on Marilyn, who had joined the crooks in a dirty scheme to blacken Gable's reputation. It was produced by Z. Wayne Griffin and directed by George Sidney from a screen play by Robert Riley Crutcher, based on a story by Albert Bcich. The cast includes Raymond Walburn, Pamela Britton and others. Some of the comedy is a bit risque, but it has been handled delicately. Young children will not understand it.