Shadow over Elveron (1968)

Despite his battle with lung cancer, Franchot continued to work in 1968. His final performances are in the made-for-television movie Shadow over Elveron and the feature film Nobody Runs Forever. Although he looks older than his years and physically weak (in SOE, he uses a cane and in NRF, he is in a hospital bed), Franchot's performances are still stirring. I wrote about Nobody Runs Forever before. You can read that post here.

In remembrance of the anniversary of his death on September 18, 1968, I wanted to watch a performance of Franchot's that I'd never seen. Happily, I can say that I've managed to view all but 1 of Franchot's films (his first, The Wiser Sex.) Sadly, it is harder to find his television work, so I'm running out of new Franchot viewing experiences. Shadow over Elveron is an engaging movie with great performances all around, but knowing that it was Franchot's last television performance made it an emotional watch for me.

 Dr. Matthew Tregaskis (James Franciscus) moves to the small town of Elveron to be close to his new wife's father and family home. His father-in-law Justin Pettit (a seemingly ageless and handsome Don Ameche) has bought the son-in-law he's never met a medical practice and furnished home. Dr. Tregaskis and his wife Joanne (Shirley Knight) meet young teen Tino (Vic Dana) who helps them unpack equipment in the doctor's office. When Tino is arrested for the murder of a retired doctor, Dr. Tregaskis knows a mistake has been made and feels compelled to defend the boy. When he realizes that Tino is being abused in his cell, Dr. Tregaskis enlists the help of lawyer Barney Conners (Franchot Tone) in his pursuit of justice. By the time they've reached the courthouse, Tino has been hanged (either by his own hand to stop the abuse or murdered by abuser.) The menacing Sheriff Drover (Leslie Nielsen) and Dr. Tregaskis seem startled by the hanging, but it is Franchot's Barney Conners who is the most unsettled by it. Conners screams in panic, "Cut him down! Cut him down!"

James Franciscus and Franchot Tone

Leslie Nielsen

Once they are away from the sheriff, Conners and Tregaskis discuss how they will uncover the town's corruption. Franchot gives a very moving speech. He is frustrated with the injustice in the town and furious that an innocent boy is dead. This is a random and rambling observation, but I've noticed that Franchot holds his mouth differently in his performances of the mid-late 1960s. I think this is due to false teeth. If you watch Tone in the 1962 Ben Casey episode, "A Memory of Candy Stripes," you'll notice that his natural teeth look damaged. In years following that performance, Franchot's teeth are all white, smooth, and straight. Anyway, my point is that in this close-up speech (and others like it from this time), you may notice that his mouth seems to move a little differently than it once did.

Barney uncovers a bombshell about Sheriff Drover and plans to meet the new doctor to hatch a plan. But Sheriff Drover gets to Barney first and reveals a secret that strips Barney of all his self-confidence and brings him down to his knees.

The screen captures below occur when Barney is excitedly building his case and I see so much of young 1930's Franchot in these expressions.

 

 

In addition to Don Ameche, Shadow over Elveron includes performances from more of Franchot's contemporaries. Veteran actors Stuart Erwin and James Dunn are both townsmen who are intimidated by Sheriff Drover. It's interesting to watch Leslie Nielsen in the part of the villain, but his performance is so good that it's almost too real to watch. He's completely believable as the powerful, corrupt sheriff and it's hard to see him cut down the sweet, hardworking townspeople.

 
Although his screen time is brief,  it is good to see Franchot in two entertaining, quality films in 1968. I have so much respect for the fact that he continued to do what he loved right up until the end of his life. I was delighted to find the full-length Shadow over Elveron on Youtube. If you'd like to see Franchot's scene in Nobody Runs Forever, I uploaded that clip some time ago and it can be viewed here.

Exclusive Story (1936)

Exclusive Story is a 1936 drama directed by George B. Seitz (who directed the Andy Hardy series as well as another Franchot film, Between Two Women). The film stars Franchot Tone, Madge Evans, Stuart Erwin, J. Farrell MacDonald, Joseph Calleia, and Robert Barrat. This is a film that I always forget about when I'm in the mood for a Franchot movie night until I stumble on it again and am impressed by the plot and the work of the extremely gifted actors. It's just a "little program picture", but has a powerful story and a nail-biting ship rescue scene.
(Side Note: I recently read Edward J. Funk's book Eavesdropping: Loretta Young Talks About Her Movie Years and Loretta referred to one of my favorite films The Unguarded Hour as "just a little program picture" and now I seem to be working that phrase into all of my personal film reviews. I tend to love "little program pictures" and I also highly recommend the book if you're a LY fan!)

The film revolves around racketeering and a newspaperman's efforts to expose it. Gangsters first take over Harlem and then move on to small-time grocers and other shop owners. With threats of violence, the gangsters intimidate these local businessmen into selling tickets for a big lottery scam. Of course, the merchants are never able to sell enough to please the racketeers, so their businesses, families, and own lives are constantly placed in more danger.

Reporter Timothy Higgins (played wittily by Stuart Erwin) knows that there is something fishy going on, but cannot expose the scam without more cooperation. Dick Barton (Franchot Tone) is a wealthy society lawyer who would rather keep his nose out of scandal and his focus on his equally wealthy fiancee and a carefree lifestyle. His disinterest is clearly visible in this photo:

Franchot is unimpressed.

Franchot is slightly more impressed.

One day, Ann Devlin (Madge Evans) provides Higgins with the scoop he's been after. Ann shares the story of how the gangsters took control of her father Michael Devlin's store. J. Farrell MacDonald, an effective character actor who has over 300 acting credits listed in his IMDb filmography, gives my favorite performance in the film as the kind, hard-working merchant up against the tough, powerful mob of racketeers.

J. Farrell MacDonald as Michael Devlin

Shortly after Ann teams up with reporter Higgins (Erwin) and slowly wins over attorney Barton (Tone, whose character has been appointed special prosecutor on the case), a man is murdered on her doorstep after her father Michael attempts to sell the store. Michael then escapes to an ocean liner where he will be allowed to do honest work.

When a disastrous fire breaks out on the ship, Higgins and Barton volunteer to capture photos and the story from the air. Barton transforms from a bystander to a hero when he ends up parachuting from the plane to the water. Quick to react, he gets on the burning ship to help the victims escape. Michael Devlin is one of the survivors thanks to Barton risking his own life to pull him out of the wreckage. It is exciting to watch Franchot's character (someone who did not want to get involved in any way at the start of the film) jump into action and take on this heroic role.



Realizing that the ship fire is no accident but an involved criminal plot, Barton dedicates himself to exposing the local crime ring. A love affair and heartbreaking death involving some of the characters occur before the film ends. The bad guys in the film are played brilliantly by Joseph Calleia and Robert Barrat.

Thankfully, this film that flies under the radar but packs a lot of punch is available on DVD through Warner Archive.