Harrison's Reports (1955)

190 HARRISON'S REPORTS November 26, 1955 "The Vanishing American" with Scott Brady, Audrey Totter and Forrest Tucker (Republic, 'Hov. 17; time, 90 min.) Adapted from Zane Grey's famed novel of the same title, this outdoor melodrama does not rise above the level of program fare, but it has enough movement, excitement, heroics and villainy to satisfy the undiscriminating action fans. It offers little, however, for those who appreciate story values, because its tale of a spirited young white woman who comes to the aid of Navajo Indians who are persecuted by land-grabbing whites and their Apache cohorts, is unrealistic and is hampered further by choppy editing. Audrey Totter is competent as the high-spirited heroine of the piece, but Scott Brady is unbelievable as the embittered Navajo hero who joins forces with her to combat the ruthless villains and at the same time wins her heart; his frequent use of modern-day expressions does not help matters. The photography is good, but it is in a low key:— Audrey, a pretty and self-reliant young woman, arrives in New Mexico to claim ranch land she had inherited from an uncle. Brady, a handsome but bitter young Navajo, who had been decorated for heroism in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War, guides Audrey to a trading post, where she meets Forrest Tucker, the owner, and Gene Lockhart, the Indian agent. Lockhart's mistreatment of Gloria Castillo, a young Navajo girl, whom he kept prisoner at the post for Tucker's "pleasure," coupled with the sly manner in which he attempts to persuade her to sell her property, convinces Audrey that both he and Tucker were seeking to steal her lands, and that there was justification to Brady's charge that both men, aided by Apache renegades, were persecuting the Navajos and robbing them of their grazing lands. She helps Gloria to escape from her captors and, after some difficulty, convinces the suspicious Brady that she was interested in aiding his people. Taking great risks, both set out on a plan to obtain incriminating evidence of the scope and ruthlessness of the illegal methods pursued by Tucker and Lockhart. This involves them in numerous intrigues, gunfights and double-crosses, which eventually culminate in a full-scale Navajo uprising. The fighting comes to an end when a U.S. Marshal, summoned by Audrey, rounds up the crooks and assures the Navajos of fair treatment in the future. Audrey and Brady, by this time deeply in love, look forward to a happy future together. The picture was directed by Joe Kane, from a screenplay by Alan LeMay. No producer credit is given. Family. "Hell's Horizon" with John Ireland, Maria English and Bill Williams (Columbia, December; time, 80 mm.) This war drama is given more to talk than to action, but it holds one's interest fairly well and should prove to be an acceptable supporting feature in double-billing situations. Except for several sequences that show a B-29 bomber fired upon by enemy planes and anti-aircraft guns as it seeks to destroy a bridge over the Yalu River in Korea, there is practically no battle action, but one is kept on edge throughout the closing reels because it is uncertain whether the bomber plane, damaged and leaking gas, will manage to get back to its home base on Okinawa. The skillful direction has squeezed the utmost suspense out of this situation. The characterizations are more or less stereotyped, but the acting is competent: — After six weeks of complete inactivity because of foul weather, the officers and crew of a B-29 squadron based on Okinawa find themselves bored, tense and edgy. Their lack of harmony is heightened by the fact that all dislike John Ireland, their captain, an opportunist who takes advantage of his rank. This is exemplified by his unwelcome advances to Maria English, a lovely Okinawa halfcaste, who was in love with Larry Pennell, one of his own enlisted crew members. Ireland's attitude gripes Bill Williams, his co-pilot, who resented his interference in Pennell's romance and who felt that his quest for advancement and glory would one day kill every one in the crew. Of the different crew members, Hugh Beaumont is a tragic problem, because he had taken to drink after receiving a "Dear John" letter from his wife. The boredom comes to an end when all are suddenly assigned to bomb a strategic bridge across the Yalu River, using the cover of bad weather to protect themselves. Just as they reach the target area, an opening in the clouds enables the enemy to sight and attack their plane. Ireland, disregarding the safety of the others, refuses to turn back before completing the mission. He manages to regain the protection of the clouds but not before the plane is damaged by enemy bullets, which rip open a gas tank. Beaumont, still brooding over the loss of his wife's love, fails to report the gas leakage in time for Ireland to seek an emergency landing field. As one engine after another quits, Ireland orders all loose equipment thrown out to lighten the load. Beaumont, remorseful, jumps from the plane. Ireland manages to reach Okinawa in a crash landing. The plane catches fire and Ireland risks his life to save one of the men. His heroism throughout the mission wins him the crew's respect, which turns to admiration when he makes it clear to Pennell that he will no longer interfere in his romance with Maria. It was produced by Wray Davis, and written and directed by Tom Gries. Family. "The Crooked Web" with Frank Lovejoy Mari Blanchard and Richard Denning (Columbia, December; time, 77 min.) A routine melodrama, the kind that may get by on the lower half of a double bill. The story is as complicated as the synopsis indicates, and the situations that unfold while the characters are supposed to be in Germany strike one as being "phony." As a man who is sought for a murder he had committed while in the Army, Frank Lovejoy must be assumed to be a stupid fellow to go through all the rigmarole without guessing that an attempt was afoot to trap him. All told, there is nothing about the story that would excite one, for it is artificial. There is no comedy relief, and not much can be said for either the direction or the acting. The photography is fairly good: — Mari Blanchard, who worked as a carhop in a drive-in operated by Lovejoy, who hoped to marry her, pretends annoyance when Richard Denning, supposedly her brother, visits her. She tells Lovejoy that Denning is always "mooching" around her for money to invest in "foolproof" deals, his latest requirement being $1,500 to finance a trip to Germany to recover a fortune in gold knicknacks, which he and a Chicago pal had buried there during the war. Lovejoy offers to advance the money for a one-half interest in the loot. Later, it is revealed that Mari and Denning are actually sweethearts, and that they were carrying out a plot to get Lovejoy to Germany, where they hoped to trap him into admitting a murder committed eight years previously. All three travel to Chicago to meet Steve Ritch, Denning's pal, who feigns anger because Denning had taken Lovejoy into the deal. Before embarking for Germany, Mari and Denning meet secretly with a f^roup of private investigators, to whom Denning explains that, back in 1945, during the occupation of Berlin, an officer who was investigating a tip concerning stolen supplies had been killed. The officer was the son of Roy Gordon, who had hired them. Denning further explains that the crime had been traced to Lovejoy, but, because he had returned to the States and had been honorably discharged, he could not be prosecuted unless caught in Germany. Once Lovejoy reaches Germany, he becomes involved in an intrigue by which Mari and Denning try to induce him to reenlist in the Army to enable them to get the supposed treasure out of the country. When Lovejoy refuses, Mari pretends hysteria, and Lovejoy, fearing that he will lose her, blurts out that he cannot re-enlist because he had killed the officer years previously. His confession is overheard by the authorities, who take him in tow. It ends with Mari and Denning marrying and leaving on their honeymoon with the blessing of Gordon, who had had the satisfaction of seeing his son's slayer brought to justice. It is a Clover production, directed by Nathan Hertz Juran from a story and screenplay by Lou Breslow. Unobjectionable morally.