Harrison's Reports (1950)

204 HARRISON'S REPORTS December 23, 1950 "Prehistoric Women" with Laurette Luez and Allan Nixon (Eagle Lion Classics, T^ov.; time, 73 min.) Although 'Prehistoric Women," photographed by the Cinecolor process, was conceived primarily as an exploitation picture, it has turned out a very good entertainment because of the skillful direction, of the fact that the story is different, and of the lack of gabbing. The dialogue consists of single words, and even though these words are strange no one will fail to grasp what the characters mean. For instance, when Laurette Luez, an attractive, spirited young woman, beats up another female who had tried to take away her man, she faces the other women who were watching the fight and asks: "Alios?" No one will fail to understand that she means, "Anybody else?" There are many comedy situations. The one where the men try to free themselves from the women's bondage and the women hit them on the head with a club will provoke the audience into uproarious laughter. There are also many thrilling situations. These occur where the prehistoric animals threaten the lives of the humans, and where Yohan Peterson, a giant, attacks the camp and threatens to exterminate all. The women are attractive in their sarongs. The color is beautiful and the photography fine: — During the Stone Age, about twenty thousand years ago, a Wise Old Woman rebels at the enslavement of her sex by the males and, assisted by several other women, breaks loose. Peterson, a giant of a man living alone in the forest, captures and kills all the tribe except six little girls and the old woman. In time the six girls (Laurette Luez, Mara Lynn, Kerry Vaughan, Joan Shawlee, Judy Landon and Jo Carroll Dennison) reach the marriageable age, and the old woman sends them out on a hunt for men. Having been brought up to hate males, they go on the hunt without kindly feelings. They come across a party of cave dwellers (Allan Nixon, Tony Devlin, Jim Somers and Dennis Dengate) and overpower the amazed men by use of sling shots and clubs. Nixon, however, manages to escape into the forest and, when his wounds heal, he sets out for the mountain lair of the women. On his way, he accidentally discovers how to make fire with flint and rotted wood, and by making a torch he is able to beat off huge animals. Nixon finally comes upon the women as they bathe in a pool, and they capture him by a sudden flanking movement. In camp the men serve as slaves while the women wait for the full moon to marry them. But led by Dixon, the men turn the tables on the women when the camp is attacked by a huge dragon and the girls seek their protection. Nixon chases the dragon by using his mystic torch. He is also able to cower the girls' pet panther, and thus they become the slaves of the men. All is serene until the giant attacks the camp, but Nixon and his tribe-mates battle him to death by means of the torch. Love springs up between Nixon and Laurette, and both are united in a primitive wedding ceremony. It was produced by Albert J. Cohen and directed by Gregory G. Tallas, who collaborated on the story with Sam X. Abarbanel. Harmless for the family. "Pagan Love Song" with Esther Williams and Howard Keel (MGM, December, time, 76 min.) What will please the majority of those who will see "Pagan Love Song" is the fascinatingly beautiful scenery, which supposedly represents real Tahiti, the Technicolor photography, and the few songs. The story itself is thin and unoriginal, but it serves well enough as a vehicle for the Polynesian scenery, the beauty of the color photography, and the several production numbers, which center around Esther Williams' ability as a swimmer. Howard Keel, who played the leading male role in "Annie Get Your Gun," does well enough in this picture in a part that does not demand too much from him. The scenes where Keel adopts three native children possess human interest: — Arriving in Tahiti to take over a coconut plantation inherited from his uncle, Keel, an American schoolteacher, meets Esther Williams, a half-Tahitian beauty, and tries to hire her as his housekeper, unaware of the fact that she speaks English and is one of the island's wealthiest residents. Esther plays along with the novel situation but turns down the job. But Charles Mauu and Rita Moreno, twd of her friends, "adopt" Keel as their employer and guide him to his plantation. Expecting a luxurious place, Keel is disappointed to find the plantation run down and badly in need of repairs. The happy-go-lucky natives, led by Mauu, soon put the place in order and Keel begins to see his dream of a lazy life come true. Meeting Esther near her luxurious home, Keel believes that she works there as a servant and accepts her invitation to attend a party there that evening. He comes to the party in native dress, all set to enjoy a real Polynesian celebration, but is embarrased to find himself surrounded by a finely dressed continental crowd, the most fashionable among them being Esther. He leaves in a huff, but when Esther runs after him to apologize he see6 the ludicrousness of the situation and is able to laugh at it. In the events that follow, Keel learns that it is the custom of natives with many children to share some of them with persons who do not have any. Before long, he finds himself with three adopted children. Esther and Keel fall in love and she accepts his proposal of marriage. But a misunderstanding breaks out between them when Keel unjustly reprimands Mauu for neglecting a new crop of copra. Keel realizes his mistake, but the breach between him and Esther remains. In the end, however, Mauu and Rita put into execution a plan that brings the lovers together again. Arthur Freed produced it, and Robert Alton directed it, from a scren play by Robert Nathan and Jerry Davis, who based the material on the book "Tahiti Landfall," by William S. Stone. Fine for the family. "Rogue River" with Rory Calhoun, Peter Graves and Frank Fenton (Eagle Lion Classics, T^ov.; time, 82 min.) A good program melodrama, founded on a story that is considerably different from the ordinary run of melodramas. It was photographed by the Cinecolor process in and around Rogue River, in Oregon, and the outdoor scenery is most beautiful. The action holds one's interest fairly tense throughout. A most interesting and at times thrilling sight is the riding of the rapids. Rory Calhoun is natural in his part, and Peter Graves, a newcomer, may go places if given good story material. But the best work by far is done by Frank Fenton, as the Chief of Police; it is said that he has been around Hollywood for a long time but has gone unnoticed. He should now have no trouble getting strong parts: — Peter Graves, a state policeman, returns to Rivers Pass for a month's vacation with Fenton, his father, the local police chief, and Rory Calhoun, his happy-go-lucky cousin, whose latest love is Ellye Marshall, a voluptuous blonde recently arrived from San Francisco. When the local bank is robbed of $50,000 in gold dust and a small bag of gold is found in the shack of a wizened old prospector, Fenton arrests him despite his protests of innocence. Despondent, the old prospector commits suicide, but he leaves a will revealing the location of some buried gold dust, and the will stipulates that, if the gold is linked to the robbery, all except that portion stolen from the bank is to go to Calhoun; but if no such evidence is found, all the gold is to to Fenton, provided he erects and publicly dedicates a monument to him. The gold dust, worth $73,000, is found, and the theory that part of it was stolen from the bank falls to pieces. As a result, Fenton keeps the gold, but he is dismissed as police chief for refusing to admit that it is part of the bank loot. In the events that follow, Calhoun discovers that Ellye, his girl-friend, had been connected with the holdup, and forces her to admit that the gold found in the shack is part of the loot. Calhoun confronts Fenton with this information and demands the return of the gold as provided by the will. Fenton refuses to believe him. Calhoun, angered, taunts Fenton so viciously that Fenton shoots him down. Before he does, Calhoun succeds in informing Graves. Fenton take? to the woods, and Graves goes after him to persuade him to give himself up. Just as he finds his father, a stranger appears on the scene and, at gunpoint, demands the gold. Fenton overpowers the man and gains from him a confession that he is Ellye's husband and that the gold inherited by Fenton is part of the bank loot. Infuriated, Fenton kills the stranger. By this time a posse arrives. Fenton, feeling that life is now not worth living, refuses to surrender and is shot to death. It was produced by Frank Melford and directed by John Rawlins from a screen play by Louis Lantz. Suitable for the family.