THE THIN MAN GOES HOME

Harry Davenport and Myrna Loy

THE THIN MAN GOES HOME (1945). Director: Richard Thorpe.

Nick Charles (William Powell), his wife Nora (Myrna Loy), and their little dog Asta (Nick Jr. is away at school) travel to Nick's hometown of Sycamore Springs for his unspecified birthday (Powell was 53 at the time). Nick has always had a difficult relationship with his father, Bertram (Harry Davenport), because he didn't become a doctor like his father did, and Nick aches for his approval. But his mother (Lucile Watson) is a peach. Nick gets to prove his skill at detecting when a dead man practically shows up on the Charles' doorstep. Bertram can't believe that one of his old friends might be the killer ... Powell and Loy are excellent, as usual -- Loy is especially notable in this entry -- and the supporting cast, including Davenport [Son of Fury] and Watson (cast against type, like Fay Holden in the Andy Hardy films, as a small-town housewife), could not be bettered. Special mention must go to Anne Revere [Body and Soul], who plays "Crazy Mary," the town's pathetic loony; Anita Sharp-Bolster as  the hilariously weird maid, Hilda; and Donald Meek as Willie Crump, who sells paintings for a living -- the plot revolves around a painting of a windmill that Nora buys for her husband's birthday. Other suspects and persons of interest are well played by Leon Ames, Donald MacBride, Irving Bacon, Morris Ankrum, Helen Vinson, Minor Watson, Lloyd Corrigan, and Gloria DeHaven as a breathlessly pretentious heiress. One very cute bit has Nick and Nora leaving Asta with the coat check girl as if he were a hat, but the funniest scene has Nora unexpectedly doing a wild, zippy dance with a sailor. This was the next to last Thin Man movie -- this was followed by the disappointing Song of the Thin Man.

Verdict: Very satisfying and amusing Thin Man movie. ***.

YOUNG FUGITIVES

Wilcox, Davenport and Kent at the parade

YOUNG FUGITIVES (1938). Director: John  Rawlins.

"You got enough money there to get so educated you won't have a brain in your head."

After the death of his old buddy, Tom (Tom Ricketts), Joel Bentham (Harry Davenport of Son of Fury) is the last surviving Civil War veteran in his southern town. He is given a check for $50,000 and moves into Tom's farm with his buddy, Benjie (Clem Bevans of Gold Raiders).  The two men sort of adopt a young female "bum" named Meg (Dorothea Kent), and then Tom's grandson Ray (Robert Wilcox) comes along and also moves in. But Meg, who is attracted to him, wonders if he really wants the simple life, or is he chiefly interested in old Joel's $50,000? The performances are good -- the always reliable Davenport has a good scene when he thinks of the war, the past, and all the dead young men -- but the movie is contrived and a bit on the dull side. Wilcox and Kent make an appealing couple. Mira McKinney scores as the landlady, Letty, as does Mary Treen as Joel's friend, Kathy. John Rawlins directed everything from cliffhanger serials to Sherlock Holmes movies to Dick Tracy features such as Dick Tracy's Dilemma.

Verdict: Some nice moments, but nothing special here. **.

RADIO PATROL

Rentschler, Hughes, and Withers

RADIO PATROL (12 chapter Universal serial/1937). Directors: Ford Beebe; Clifford Smith.

"He acts like he knows something." -- Policeman Pat, referring to the dog. 

Scientist John Adams (Harry Davenport of Pardon My Past) has invented a formula for flexible steel which could make planes impervious to bullets and have other amazing uses. When Adams is murdered, the chase is on to not only find out who killed him, but keep the formula out of the hands of the bad guys. Cops Pat O'Hara (Grant Withers) and his partner Sam Maloney (Adrian Morris) join up with Adams' young son, Pinky (Mickey Rentschler); Molly Selkirk (Kay or Catherine Hughes), whose brother is at first accused of the Adams' murder; and Pinky's smart-as-a whip and spirited doggie, Irish (Silver Wolf). Bad guys include the sinister Egyptian, Tahata (Frank Lankteen), and slimy entrepreneur W. H. Harrison (Gordon Hart). Early on in the serial there are a couple of good cliffhangers -- Pat nearly winds up in a smelter furnace; and is almost smashed by a crushing door on a hydraulic hinge --  but other than that there's not much to recommend in this comparatively dull cliffhanger. Withers was in The Secret of Treasure Island, Jungle Jim, and other serials. Adrian Morris, sort of a Charles Laughton-lookalike, was the brother of Chester Morris. Beautiful Silver Wolf had only three film appearances. This serial was based on the comic strip of the same name; "Pinky," a youthful protagonist, came from "Pinkerton, Jr.," the original name of the strip. [In the the opening sequence a crime wave occurs and it is noted that the cops need radios in their cars to keep up with the bad guys; otherwise there is no real "radio patrol" in the storyline.] Withers and Morris also appeared together in the terrible serial Fighting Marines.

Verdict: When the dog is the most interesting character -- and actor -- and it isn't a Rin Tin Tin movie, you know you're in trouble. **.

PARDON MY PAST

PARDON MY PAST (1945). Director: Leslie Fenton.

Just out of the Army, Eddie York (Fred MacMurray, pictured) just wants to open a mink farm with his pal Chuck (William Demarest), but he's mistaken for the wealthy Francis Pemberton, whom he resembles, by a bookie (Akim Tamiroff), whom the latter owes $12,000. This leads to Eddie winding up at Pemberton's estate, where he's mistaken for his lookalike and learns that the real man is pretty much a stinker. In the meantime, Joan (Marguerite Chapman), who looks after Pemberton's little girl, finds herself drawn to a man who seems strangely different -- and much improved -- from the way he was before (Eddie also falls for Joan). Rita Johnson shows up as Pemberton's ex-wife Mary, and Harry Davenport is fun as always as wily Grandpa Pemberton. MacMurray is as amiable and adept as ever in this picture but while there's some fun in wondering what will happen when Eddie and Francis finally meet, the sad truth is that Pardon My Past isn't especially funny, and the sentimental moments don't make up for it. NOTE: The film takes place in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, MacMurray's beloved hometown (although he was actually born in Illinois).

Verdict: Not bad, just blah. **.

SON OF FURY

SON OF FURY (1942) Director: John Cronwell.

Tyrone Power gives a highly effective "star" performance as Benjamin Blake who is born in England during the reign of George III. His evil Uncle Arthur (George Sanders) takes him away from his poor but loving grandfather (Harry Davenport) only to turn him into a servant on the huge estate that by rights should belong to him! Wanted by the authorities for the attempted slaying of Arthur, Benjamin sails to the south seas and swims to an island which a buddy Caleb (John Carradine) has told him is full of a fortune in pearls. There he meets an island beauty he christens Eve (Gene Tierney) while back home his cousin Isabel (Frances Farmer), whom he loves, wonders if he's alive or dead. Back in England the now-rich Benjamin still finds he has to fight duplicity and betrayal to finally claim his birthright. This is a rousing, handsomely produced, entertaining adventure story with fine performances, solid direction from Cromwell, and an evocative, excellent score from Alfred Newman. Elsa Lanchester has a nice bit as a prostitute who hides Ben out while he's on the run. George Sanders is at his oily, sinister best. But Tyrone Power's presence and authority add immeasurably to the picture's dramatic veracity.

Verdict: Great fun! ***.