Harrison's Reports (1950)

158 HARRISON'S REPORTS October 7, 1950 "The Jackpot" with James Stewart and Barbara Hale (20th Century -Fox, J^ovember; time, 85> min.) Hilarious is the word for this rollicking comedy, which satirizes the problems that beset an easygoing, moderately successful family man when he becomes the winner of a huge jackpot prize on a radio giveaway show. It is an uproarious romp from start to finish, with rapid-fire laugh situations that are sure to hit the mass audience right smack in its composite funnybone. The comedy stems from the fact that, having won $24,000 in assorted merchandise, the hero discovers that the prizes are taxable to the tune of $7,000, a debt he is unable to meet. His frenzied efforts to raise the tax money by selling some of the prizes get him into jams that will leave the spectator weak from laughter. James Stewart is ideal as the bewildered hero; his performance is one of his best light-comedy jobs. Barbara Hale is just right as his wife, and there is competent support from James Gleason, Alan Mowbray and Patricia Medina in lesser roles. Credit is due Walter Lang, the director, for his expert handling of the story material and of the players, for in less competent hands the whole farce might have collapsed into silly nonsense. As it is, he has fashioned a comedy that is fresh, wholesome and good fun: — Stewart, a minor executive in a small-town department store, lives in a modest home with his wife and two children. When he receives a call from a radio network informing him that he will be called that night as a contestant in a quiz program, he thinks at first that it is a gag, but he learns that the call was genuine and, after much fretting and the help of several friends, comes up with the correct answer. Within a few days he starts to receive a vast assortment of merchandise from home freezers to diamond rings, all of which clutters up his home and his lawn. In addition, Alan Mowbray, a famous interior decorator, arrives to redecorate his home, and Patricia Medina, a comely French artist, comes to paint his portrait in oil. Stewart's elation subsides considerably when he learns that the prizes are subject to an income tax of $7,000. He decides to sell some of the merchandise and, on the advice of James Gleason, a newspaperman pal, goes to Chicago to sell a diamond ring to a big-time gambler. He meets the gambler in a bookie joint just as it is raided and is taken into custody. The police try unsuccessfully to make him admit that the gambler is his "fence" before they free him. Returning home, Stewart finds that he had been fired for selling his prizes to customers in the store, and that his wife suspected him of having an affair with Patricia, whom he had been visiting secretly; Barbara did not know that Stewart, as a surprise, had arranged with Patricia to paint her portrait from a photograph. With Stewart and Barbara on the verge of parting, it all comes to a happy ending when Patricia delivers the painting, and when the gambler, appreciating the way Stewart had protected him, sends him enough money for the ring to meet the income tax problem. It was produced by Samuel G. Engel from a screen play by Phoebe and Henry Ephron, based on an article in The T^ew Tor\er by John McNulty. Excellent for the family. "Rocky Mountain" with Errol Flynn and Patrice Wymore (Warner Bros., 7<iov. 11; time, 83 min.) A fairly interesting western-type melodrama. The story, which is a mixture of moods and tension, is well written and differs from the usual plot formulas employed in pictures of this kind, but it may not be relished by the western picture addicts, for it is given more to talk than to action, with almost the entire proceedings taking place within the confines of a rocky peak in the middle of the California desert. But the lack of excitement in the early reels is more than made up for at the finish, where the hero and his men, though hopelessly outnumbered, make a wild charge against attacking Indians and are killed to a man by the shrieking savages. It is one of the most exciting Indian battles ever staged. The direction and acting are competent, and the photography exceptionally fine: — Under orders of Gen. Robert E. Lee, Errol Flynn leads a small band of Confederate soldiers to California to keep a rendezvous with a band of outlaws in a daring scheme to gain control of the West for the Confederacy. While waiting for the outlaws on a rocky plateau in the desert, Flynn and his men drive off a band of Indians attacking a stagecoach and rescue Patrice Wymore. Flynn gives her sanctuary and learns that she was on her way to the coast to meet Scott Forbes, her fiance, an officer in the Union army. When Forbes and a scouting party of three soldiers and three Indians come looking for Patrice, Flynn captures them. One of the Indians escape and before long smoke spires rise from the surrounding hills indicating an impending Indian attack. Forbes asks Flynn to allow him to escort Patrice to the safety of a garrison 60 miles distant, promising to re turn, but Flynn refuses. Later, Forbes escapes alone. Meanwhile Flynn and Patrice are mutually attracted. The Indians eventually break out of the hills for the attack, and Flynn, to save Patrice, decides to lead his patrol away in full sight of the Indians so as to lure them away and give Patrice a chance to escape. Finding themselves boxed in a canyon, Flynn and his men wheel about and make a wild but hopeless charge against the redskins. All are killed. Forbes, re turning with a patrol, discovers the massacre. He directs his men to raise the Confederate flag on the spot as a tribute to the rebels' gallantry. It was produced by William Jacobs and directed by William Keighley from a story by Alan LeMay, who wrote the screen play with Winston Miller. Suitable for the family. "To Please a Lady" with Clark Gable, Barbara Stanwyck and Adolphe Menjou (MGM, October; time, 91 min.) This auto racing melodrama should go over well with the rank and file. The story is thin and contrived, but it is fast-moving, exciting and romantic, providing the kind of entertainment the masses have always enjoyed. Moreover, Clark Gable, as a tough but dashing devil-may-care racing driver, and Barbara Stanwyck, as a powerful syndicated columnist who almost ruins him before they fall in love, are cast in the type of roles that should delight their fans. A good part of the footage is given over to auto racing, and its depiction of the dangers and hazards of the sport, with its smash-ups and suddent death, make for many thrills. One sequence, which is devoted to death-defying auto stunts, is highly exciting. The big event, of course, is the Memorial Day 500-mile race at Indianapolis Speedway: — Gable, an expert but reckless driver in midget races, is decidedly unpopular with the racing crowd because of his ruthless tactics on the track. He is rude to Barbara when she interviews him, and later, when he causes the death of another driver, she brands him as a murderer in her column. The resultant publicity bans him from every midget race track. Risking his neck, he goes in for stunt driving and soon earns enough money to buy a big racing car. Barbara keeps in touch with his activities and, though she resents him, soon realizes that she is in love with him, a fact she unsuccessfully tries to hide from Adolphe Menjou, her confidante and aide. Gable, too, is attracted to her, but their budding romance travels a rocky road because of their failure to understand each other. Meanwhile Gable wins fame and fortune as a big-car driver and qualifies for the Indianapolis classic. Shortly thereafter, when a shady business man commits suicide because of the publicity given to his dealings in Barbara's column, Barbara realizes that she is as much a killer as Gable even though neither meant to kill. She rushes to Indianapolis to reconcile with him. During the race, Gable, though in the lead, sacrifices victory and endangers his own life to save another driver from a collision, thus convincing Barbara that he had changed his ways. It was produced and directed by Clarence Brown from a story and screen play by Barre Lyndon and Marge Decker. Adult fare.