Harrison's Reports (1950)

April 8, 1950 HARRISON'S REPORTS 55 "Wagonmaster" with Ben Johnson, Joanne Dru and Ward Bond (RKO, no rel. date set; time, 86 min.) From the standpoint of awe-inspiring outdoor scenery and fine photography, this western, directed by John Ford, is impressive. As entertainment, however, it is only mildly interesting, mainly because it lacks sufficient rousing action and suspense, such as one expects to find in pictures of this type. There is not much to the story, which concerns itself with the trek of a Mormon wagon train from Illinois to Utah, but the characterizations are colorful, and there is some tension because of the fact that a group of vicious outlaws attach themselves to the train to evade capture by a posse. There is some comedy, romance and square dancing: — Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr., two young horse traders, are hired by Ward Bond, a fiery-tempered Mormon elder, to guide his wagon train across the desert to the San Juan region. With Johnson as wagonmaster, they start out across the parched desert and eventually come upon a stranded medicine show caravan, whose members included Alan Mowbray, his companion, Ruth Clifford, and Joanne Dru, a dancer, all obviously drunk because they had run out of water and drank liquor. Despite the objections of some of the Mormons, Bond agrees to let them join the wagon train. Johnson becomes interested in Joanne, while Carey is attracted to Kathleen O'Malley, a Mormon girl. Complications arise when five sinister outlaws, fleeing from a posse, get the drop on the Mormons, take away their guns, and decide to stay with the wagon train until it is safe to leave. Later, when the posse catches up with the wagon train, Bond misleads the Marshal to avert a massacre and sends the posse away. Next the wagon train encounters a tribe of suspicious Navajos, and the Mormons make friends with them at an Indian dance. During the celebration, one of the outlaws attacks a Navajo girl, and Bond, to appease the Indians, has the offender whipped savagely while tied to a wagon wheel. The outlaws resent the whipping, and later, when the wagon train gets under way, they attempt to kill Bond. Carey, who had concealed a gun for just such an emergency, opens fire and kills Charles Kemper, the outlaw leader. Johnson manages to get his hands on the dead man's gun and, in a swift battle, helps Carey to slay the other outlaws. The wagon train then proceeds to its destination safely, with Johnson and Carey thinking about wedding bells. It is an Argosy Pictures production, directed by John Ford from a screen play by Frank Nugent and Patrick Ford. Suitable for the family. "Cargo to Capetown" with Broderick Crawford, Ellen Drew and John Ireland (Columbia, April; time, 80 min.) A fair enough sea adventure melodrama that does not rise above the level of program fare. The story itself is loosely written and is frequently illogical, but since it has plentiful action and excitement it should please the undiscriminating movie-goers. Added value is given the picture by the fact that it stars Broderick Crawford, this year's Academy Award winner, as well as John Ireland, who had a principal role in "All the King's Men," winner of the best picture award. Neither one, however, is given much of a chance by the ordinary script: — Ireland, a sea captain without a ship and without promise of one, is offered a steady job provided he takes a battered old oil tanker out to sea in the teeth of a hurricane and get it to Capetown on" schedule. With the aid of Crawford, a chief engineer and his pal, Ireland shanghais a crew at a local saloon. He then gets Crawford drunk and shanghais him also, not only because he needed a chief engineer, but also because he wanted to stop Crawford from marrying Ellen Drew, his (Ireland's) former girl-friend, who had jilted him. Ellen, learning that Crawford had been shanghaied, manages to get aboard the ship and, at gunpoint. demands that Crawford be put ashore. Ireland disarms her, carefully preserving the fingerprints on the gun, and threatens to jail her if she tells Crawford that he had been shanghaied. With Ellen on board, Crawford is satisfied with his lot, and helps Ireland to run the ship and control the unruly crew. Meanwhile Ellen's love for Ireland is re awakened by the kindness he shows for an unfortunate cabin boy. Matters become complicated when one of the crew informs Crawford that Ellen used to be Ireland's girl. Crawford, angered, engages Ireland in a bitter fist fight. He then compels Ireland, as captain, to marry him and Ellen. Just as the ceremony is over, one of the oil tanks explodes. The two men forget their differences to fight the blaze with live steam from the boilers. In the course of events, Crawford is overcome by the fumes and falls halfunconscious on the floor of the engine room. Ireland, at the risk of his own life, drags him to safety. Lying there, however, Crawford overhears Ellen fretting for Ireland's safety, and comes to the realization that she and Ireland were still in love. He agrees to divorce her when they land in Capetown so that Ireland may marry her. The story was written and produced by Lionel Houser, and directed by Earl McEvoy. Unobjectionable morally. "Comanche Territory" with Macdonald Carey and Maureen O'Hara (Univ.'Int'l, May; time, 76 min.) Very fine. No exhibitor need have any misgivings about exploiting it to the limit, for it is the best Indian thriller released in years. The action is fast and the impressive Technicolor photography adds realism to it. Of the many thrilling situations, a novel one is the duel between Macdonald Carey, using a knife, and the Indian Chief s son, using a tomahawk; it should keep many a spectator on the edge of his seat. The fight in the end, where the Indians battle against the lawless whites, is likewise thrilling, and is further enhanced by the sight of Maureen O'Hara driving at top speed, with the whites in pursuit, a wagon containing rifles for the Indians. The direction and acting are excellent: Macdonald Carey, wealthy designer of the Bowie hunting knife, is sent to the Comanche territory by President Jackson to renew a treaty with the Indians to allow whites to mine silver on their land. After several encounters with the Comanches, headed by Pedro de Cordoba, who claims that the whites had violated the existing treaty, Carey learns that the new treaty had been stolen from Will Geer, a former Congressman and ex-Indian fighter, who had brought it from Washington. Carey sets out to learn who had robbed Geer, and in due time discovers that it was Maureen O'Hara, owner of the local bank and town saloon, who, together with her brother, Charles Drake, headed a group of white renegades who planned to move in on the territory and grab the silver by means of a forged treaty. A feud develops between Maureen and Carey, but both soon find themselves falling in love. He convinces her that, if the treaty were renewed, the territory would prosper and the Comanches would not go on the war path. But when Maureen asks her brother to deliver the treaty to Carey, he claims falsely to have torn it up, planning to keep it for his own purposes. Through Geer, Carey learns that Drake and his cutthroats were set to launch an attack against the Comanches immediately, and he believes that Maureen had double-crossed him. He rushes to the Comanche camp, informs the chief of the impending attack, and lays down the strategy for the defense. Maureen, shocked that Carey had mistrusted her, rushes to her brother's camp and denounces him, then steals a wagon full of rifles, which she drives wildly to the Comanches, enabling them to arm themselves and repel the lawless element. Carey leaves for Washington to report to the President, promising Maureen that he will return to her. It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by George Sherman from an original story and screen play by Lewis Mcltzer. Good for the entire family.