THRILLING CRIME DRAMA

Evening Star, Issue 23744, 27 November 1940, Page 9

THRILLING CRIME DRAMA

FATHER AGAINST SOI! One of tlie mod unusual dramas of the current season, Columbia's ’My Son (s Guilty,’ opened at the Grand to-day. Bruce Cabot, Jacqueline Wells, Harry Carey, and Wynne Gibson are I'cal lived in the story of a policeman’s sou turned killer who Irics to got to the top the " easy way.” Charles Barton directed the film, and others in the cast include Glenn ford, Don Beddue, Bruce Bennett, and Dick Curtis. Harold Shumate ami Joseph Carole wrote the screen play from an original slury by Karl Brown. This is a particularly powerful drama of father against son, and should prove to bo ouo of the most vivid liumauintcrosl films of Hie year. '1 ho story revolves round New York's notorious slum district. Hell's Kitchen, which is too small to hold Ritzy Kerry (Bruce Cabot). Sou of big Tim Kerry (Harry Carey), best loved and most feared patrolman in the neighbourhood, Ritzy’s two years in gaol have done nothing more than in iill in him the desire to get to the top in one jump. Tim, passionately eager for the boy to go straight, welcomes him home. Pretty Julia Alien (Jacqueline Wells) adds her greetings. Only Barney (Glenn Ford), who has gone with Julia during Ritzy's absence, suspects that the returned prodigal’s promise of reform is empty, Whitey Morris (John Tyrrell'. an underworld character, inects Ritzy and suggests that lie drop' in at a certain apartment. That night at the dance to which Rizy takes Julia, Duke Mason (Don Bcddoe), another gangster, repeats Hie suggestion. Ritzy learns that the invitation comes from his former mob, now presided over by the chief gangster’s widow, Claire Morelli (Wynne Gibsonl. Ritzy sends Julia home with Barney and goes to the apartment. He sees the police are surrounding the place and warns the gang. They escape to a country hideout, and Ritzy learns of Claire’s plans. Ritzy has his father get him a job at the police broadcasting station. The clever plan bears fruit when the transmitting apparatus goes dead during a spectacular pay roll robbery, at the very moment when police cars should be summoned to the scene. The elder Kerry, on whose boat the robbery occurred, is wounded. Ritzy is immediately suspected. He is trailed by two detectives to the country hideout where he was supposed to meet the gang. They do not turn up. and Ritzy is forced to shoot it out with the killing one and escaping. Tim Kerry is heartbroken. He resolves to bring his boy to justice and almost succeeds, when Ritzy slips through a police cordon to beg Julia to flee with him. Ritzy l.earns of the gang’s whereabouts from Whitey. While committing a holdup, _ Ritzy kills Barney’s mother. Also working through Whitey, Tim, closely followed by the vengeful Barney surprises the gang in their hideout. Ritzy pretends to surrender, then, as he attempts to slay his father, is himself' killed. ‘ Cafe Hostess ’ is the supporting feature. As the title implies, the film deals with girls who work, as entertainers in modern night clubs. Ann Dvorak and Preston Foster head the cast, which also includes Wynne' Gibson, Peggy Shannon, and Bradley Page.