Harrison's Reports (1950)

May 13, 1950 HARRISON'S REPORTS 75 inheriting the dukedom. Meanwhile he had made Charlotte Greenwood, a former sweetheart now married to John Penrose, his mistress, and had proposed marriage to Valerie Hobson, the beautiful widow of one of his victims. Penrose, facing bankruptcy, comes to Price for aid and commits suicide when he is refused. Charlotte, seeing her way clear to become the duchess, demands that Price marry her. When he declines, she frames him for the murder of her husband by hiding the suicide note and admitting that she had been Price's mistress. Sentenced to hang, he spends his time before the execution writing his autobiography, in which he outlines all the lurid details of the eight murders he had committed. On the day before the execution, Charlotte relents and "finds" the suicide note that proves his innocence. Taken to the prison gates to be freed, Price suddenly realizes that he had left his autobiography behind, but before he can recover it the prison authorities read his admissions. He is returned to the cell to await the hangman. It was produced by Michael Balcon and directed by Rob' ert Hamer from a screen play by John Dighton and the director. Adult entertainment. "The Skipper Surprised His Wife" with Robert Walker and Joan Leslie (MGM, no rel. date set; time, 85 min.) This domestic comedy never quite hits a high note of hilarity, and there are moments when the proceedings become a bit dull, but despite its shortcomings it should prove fairly amusing to most movie-goers. Revolving around the misadventures of a young Navy officer who attempts to install Navy efficiency methods in the running of a household, the lightweight story has its share of laugh-provoking situations, but it falters in that much of the humor is forced and strained. Women, however, should find Robert Walker's travails, as he tries to cope with household duties, amusing. The direction and acting are adequate: — Robert Walker, a Navy commander, is ordered back to his home base and assigned to study at the radar school under Edward Arnold, an admiral. Having been away from home for more than a year, Walker is greeted joyously by Joan Leslie, his wife, and their two young sons (Tommy Myers and Rudy Lee). But their joy is marred when Joan steps on one of the youngster's roller skates and breaks her ankle. Walker finds it necessary to take care of the housework and the children between classes. To have sufficient time for all his chores, he works out an efficiency system after much research work among the women in the neighborhood, and organizes it in accordance with Navy standards. He finds his system for doing housework so successful that he starts giving lectures to the women to induce them to use it in their homes. Meanwhile Spring Byington, the admiral's wife, and Joan, get together and hatch a plot to get their husbands to leave the Navy. In due time Walker's efficiency methods prove too much for Joan, who felt that their abode was no longer a home; she leaves him after a quarrel. Leon Ames, the family doctor, steps into the breach and, after showing Walker that he had lost sight of his obligations as a father and husband, patches up their differences. By this time both Walker and Arnold are given an opportunity to resign from Navy life, but they decide to go to sea rather than remain home all the time. It was produced by William H. Wright and directed by Elliott Nugent from a story and screen play by Dorothy Kingsley, based on an article by Commander W. J. Lederer, U.S.N. Suitable for the family. "The Admiral Was a Lady" with Edmond O'Brien, Wanda Hendrix and Rudy Vallee (United Artists, August; time, 87 min.) A frothy bit of nonsense. The fairly fast pace, the flip dialogue, and the lighthearted manner in which the incidental scenes arc worked out are in the picture's favor, but these, unfortunately, are not enough to lift the picture above the level of moderately entertaining program fare. As a matter of fact, there is a question of good taste in the comic depiction of four healthy veterans existing on unemployment benefits because of an aversion to work, and of their efforts to avoid offers of jobs lest they be taken off the unemployment rolls. All this, of course, is played for laughs, but, in these days of rising unemployment, persons who must accept unemployment benefits for their very existence are too filled with heartbreak and frustration to see anything humorous in the situation. The story, which is one of those "screwball" affairs with numerous complications, opens with the four veterans (Ed mond O'Brien, Johnny Sands, Steve Broidy and Richard Erdman) making the acquaintance of Wanda Hendrix, an ex-WAVE, when all go to the unemployment offices to collect their weekly checks. Learning that Wanda was preparing to go back to her home town because her boy-friend, a man she had met overseas, had failed to arrive and marry her, the four men offer to entertain her until the time of her departure that evening. Their fun is disturbed when they are contaced by the unemployment service to report to the office of Rudy Vallee, a juke box king, for jobs. O'Brien, who guided the destinies of the group, goes to Vallee to talk him out of hiring them. It turns out that Vallee, through detectives, had been keeping an eye on Wanda's whereabouts, because her missing boy-friend had taken up with Hillary Brooke, Vallee's divorced wife. Vallee wanted his wife back, but the only way for him to accomplish this was to make Wanda pressure her boy-friend into coming back to her. Vallee threatens to put O'Brien and his pals to work unless they keep Wanda from leaving town and see to it that she breaks up the affair between her boy-friend and Hillary. From then on, the story goes completely haywire, with numerous complications brought about by the efforts of the four veterans to keep Wanda in town. In the end, Vallee gets his wife, while Wanda winds up in a clinch with O'Brien instead of with the boy-friend who had jilted her. Here and there a situation is genuinely funny, but much of the comedy is strained. The action in the last few reels drags because of excessive talk. It was produced and directed by Albert S. Rogell, from an original story and screen play by Sidney Salkow and John O'Dea. Edward Lewis was co-producer. There are no objectionable sex situations. "Father of the Bride" with Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor (MGM, June; time, 92 min.) Very good! Crammed with laughs, it is a mirthful, warmly appealing entertainment that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, for most people in the audience will understand and appreciate the subject matter, which deals with the financial and emotional trials of a father when he marries off his daughter. The first meeting between the parents of the bride and groom; the concern of the father over the type of man who is about to marry his daughter; the important decisions and minor squabbles incident to the wedding arrangements — these and other recognizable problems are depicted in a way that keep the chuckles sympathetic as well as frequent. Spencer Tracy, as the harassed but well meaning father, is just perfect in the part, as is Joan Bennett, as his wife. Elizabeth Taylor is charming and impressive as the bride, and the fact that she has just become one in real life gives the picture a timely angle. The direction, production values, and photography are first rate : — Tracy, a lawyer of moderate means, lives together with his wile, Joan, their daughter, Elizabeth, and their sons, Rusty Tamblyn and Tom Irish. Tracy suddenly realizes that his daughter had grown up when she casually announces at dinner one evening that she is going to marry Don Taylor. Tracy has misgivings about the young man and about his parents (Billie Burke and Moroni Olson), but he becomes better acquainted with them in due time and finds them to be "regular." A family conference results in a decision that the wedding be small and intimate, much to Tracy's satisfaction, but he soon begins to fume and sputter as new items of expense are added day by day. Before long the original intentions get out of hand and the arrangements shape up as a big church wedding, with more than five hundred guests on the invitation list, and half as many invited to a reception at home. Tracy puts his foot down and demands that the invitation list be cut drastically, but he soon gives up when one or the other decides that certain persons must not be slighted. Numerous problems arise as the wedding day approaches, the most serious one being a break between the bride and groom over the honeymoon site, but all obstacles arc eventually overcome, with Tracy the one most concerned about everything turning out according to plan. Despite the chaotic atmosphere, the wedding ceremony and the reception turn out to be a huge success. When the last guest departs, Tracy and Joan arc weary but serenely happy. It was produced by Pandro S. Berman and directed by Vinccnte Minnelli from a screen play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based on the novel by Edward Strccter. The cast includes Leo G. Carroll, Melville Cooper and others. Fine for the entire family.