Harrison's Reports (1950)

HARRISON'S REPORTS August 19, 1950 "Right Cross" with June Allyson, Dick Powell, Ricardo Montalban and Lionel Barrymore (MGM, October; time, 90 min.) A good prizefight story, capably directed and acted. Revolving around the problems of a champion boxer who mistakenly believes that he must retain his title and become wealthy lest he lose his girl, the story holds one's attention well because of the interesting plot developments, which include a romantic triangle. Although the story is quite dramatic in spots, it is not a heavy entertainment by reason of the glib dialogue. The principal characters — Ricardo Montalban, as the fighter, June Allyson, as his sweetheart, and Dick Powell, as his best friend, an easygoing sportswriter who, too, loved June — are appealing. The fight scenes at the finish are exceptionally good, ranking with the best ever seen on the screen : — Montalban, a middleweight champion, is managed by June, whose invalided father, Lionel Barrymore, a one-time top promoter, had him under contract. Through Montalban, Barrymore hoped to regain his lost prestige. While training for an approaching bout, Montalban injures his right hand. The doctor assures June and Powell that the hand will heal in time for the fight, but to Montalban the doctor confided that the bones in his hand had become brittle, and that an' other injury would end his career. Montalban broods over the doctor's warning; retirement, he felt, would mean losing June, and would reduce him to struggling for a living at one of the menial jobs he is convinced are reserved for those with his Mexican blood. Hoping to find security, Montalban makes a tentative deal with Barry Kelley, a rival promoter and virtual czar of the boxing game, who offers him a sound future in his vast organization even after his fighting days are over. Montalban's desire to end their contract is a blow to Barrymore, who suffers a stroke and dies. June blames Montalban for his death, and turns to Powell, but none of the three is happy. Powell becomes disturbed when he learns that Montalban's opponent in the forthcoming fight has discovered a weakness in Montalban's defense. He tries to warn Montalban, only to be rebuffed, then predicts in his column that Montalban will lose the championship. Powell's prediction comes true on the night of the fight. Angered when Powell comes to his dressing room to offer condolences, Montalban hits him with his bare knuckles, and smashes his weakened hand. He retires from the ring to face a blank future, but June, having learned the reason for his past attitude, goes to him and convinces him that the loss of his title was no bar to their future happiness. It was produced by Armand Deutsch and directed by John Sturges from an original screen play by Charles Schnee. Acceptable family fare. "Tea for Two" with Doris Day, Gordon MacRae and S. Z. Sakall (Warner Bros., Sept. 2; time, 98 min.) A gay Technicolor musical that should leave audiences well satisfied, for it is peppy, has good musical interpolations, and enjoyable comedy situations. The story itself is not very substantial, but it has been given a good treatment and serves nicely as a framework for the effective singing of Doris Day and Gordon MacRae, the spectacular dancing of Gene Nelson, the clowning of Billy De Wolfe and S. Z. Sakall, and the smart dialogue with which Eve Arden has a way. Most of the melodious songs were hit tunes in the early thirties and they are just as enjoyable today. In addition to her pleasant way of putting over a song, Doris Day is surprisingly good in several dance sequences. Told in flashback, the story takes place during the early days of the 1929 depression. Doris, a wealthy singer, is not told by Sakall, her guardian, that most of her money had been lost in the stock market crash, and she proceeds with plans to finance a show produced by De Wolfe, a fast-talking promoter, featuring the music of Gordon MacRae, a struggling composer and singer. De Wolfe had already promised the lead to Patrice Wymore, but he had given it to Doris instead in order to secure her backing. Still unwilling to tell Doris the truth about her financial situation, Sakall makes a deal with her whereby he will give her the funds she needs provided she says "no" to every proposal made to her for a period of forty-eight hours. Doris' strict adherence to the terms of the deal soon results in no end of confusion during rehearsals and leads to a number of romantic misunderstandings between MacRae and herself. At the end of fortyeight hour period Doris explains to everyone's satisfaction the reason for her negative attitude, then asks Sakall for the money. Just then Bill Goodwin, Doris' attorney, arrives on the scene and informs her that she has no money. Rising to the emergency, Eve Arden, Doris' secretary, uses her charms on Goodwin, who had not been hurt by the market crash, and persuades him to put up the money for the show. It was produced by William Jacobs and directed by David Butler from a screen play by Harry Clark, suggested by the play, "No, No, Nanette." Fine for the family. "The Petty Girl" with Robert Cummings and Joan Caulfield (Columbia, September; time, 87 min.) Although this Technicolor offering shapes up as no more than a fairly entertaining romantic comedy with music, it should do pretty good business at the boxoffice because of the fame of the Petty Girl drawings. There is not much to the story, and some of the attempts at comedy fall flat, yet on the whole the picture manages to be pleasantly diverting. Physically, Joan Caulfield more than meets the demands of the ieading role as she cavorts about in the scantiest of costumes. A highlight of the picture is the huge production number at the finish, where a dozen beautiful girls become living illustrations of the Petty calendar girls, with each, dressed in revealing and appropriate costumes, representing a different month of the year. The music is undistinguished: — Robert Cummings (as George Petty), artistcreator of the Petty Girl, unsuccessfully tries to sell his illustrations to an auto firm for exploitation. But Cummings, himself, arouses the interest of Audrey Long, the predatory married daughter of the firm's owner, who decides to sponsor his career as a highbrow portrait painter. While visiting a New York art museum, Cummings encounters Joan, in whom he sees all the attributes required for a perfect Petty Girl model. He contrives to meet her through Elsa Lanchester, her elderly companion, and learns that both are professors in a staid New England college, and that they had come to New York to attend an educational conference. He inveigles Joan into a round of night-life gaiety, and the gay whirl ends up in court when they are caught in a raid and Joan is mistaken