Hollywood Motion Picture Review (1937-1940)

Page 8 HOLLYWOOD MOTION PICTURE REVIEW June 26, 1937 ADDITIONAL NEWS (Continued from page 2) Director George Marshall has started cameras grinding on the Ritz Brothers' starring comedy vehicle, "Life Begins In College," for 20th CenturyFox. Phyllis Brooks, Joan Davis, Joan Marsh and The Brewster Twins, will portray important supporting roles. The story Is a collegiate musical and will be filmed under the associate producership of Harold Wilson. Herbert Marshall will co-star with Barbara Stanwyck in "A Love Like That," which starts this month with Edward Kaufman producing. Al Santell will direct from a script prepared by Charles Kaufman. Marshall recently finished making "Angel," with Marlene Dietrich. An original story by David Garth, "A Love Like That" deals with the romantic adventures of a Texas girl in making her New York playboy sweetheart turn worker. Gene Austin, popular radio singer on the Joe Penner Cocomalt nationwide program, has been signed to a 5-year term contract by Maurice Conn, to star in a new series of musical western pictures to be produced by Conn. Lupe Velez, dynamic Mexican actress, has been signed by RKO-Radio, for the feminine lead in "Fall Guys," next starring vehicle for Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey. "Fall Guys," which Producer Lee Marcus will send before cameras late this month, will be directed by Eddie Cline. The story, based on a play by Victor Mapes and adapted to the screen by Benny Rubin and Bert Granet, deals with the hilarious adventures of two "cuckoo" aviators who make a forced landing on the estate of a wealthy woman, and are mistaken for detectives sent for earlier to solve a jewel robbery. Dick Grace, noted aviator, has been signed by Monogram to write the screenplay of the Dick Merrill feature, "Atlantic Flight", it is announced by Scott R. Dunlap, vice-president in charge of production. Dunlap also stated that William Berke will serve as associate producer. Merrill was recently signed by Monogram in New York. His most recent exploit was flying the Atlantic with coronation pictures of King George VI. He is expected to arrive in Hollywood within a week from Newark. New Jersey, where he is stationed. John Barrymore has been cast to portray the highly important role of Bull Dog Drummond in the current Paramount production ©f the same title. John Howard and Louise Campbell provide the romantic interest in the picture which is now being directed by Louis King, who recently directed Edward Everett Horton in "Wild Money," also a Paramount production. Hamilton MacFadden has been signed by Republic Pictures to direct his second picture following the completion of "Love Ahoy," a program musical. MacFadden recently directed several pictures for Columbia, 20th Century-Fox and other major concerns. — SUBSCRIBE TODAY — CLIP THIS AND MAIL AT ONCE To: Joe Blair, Editor-Publisher Hollywood Motion Picture Review, 1040 No. Martel Ave., Hollywood, Calif. Here is my $10.00 for one year's subscription to your new magazine. Name Address City Joe Penner By JOE PEARSON JOE PENNER, the erstwhile "Wanna Buy a Duck?" comedian, may be the "Black Sheep" to the "Park Avenue Penners" of radio fame, but he certainly isn't a black sheep to his countless screen and radio fans. For Joe is one of the most popular comedians of both screen and radio. And no one is more deserving and appreciative of fame and success than Joe. Also, few have had the hardships and struggles to contend with that Joe had. Starting with only an intense ambition to be some one and get some place, he has conquered seemingly insurmountable obstacles that would have floored a man with lesser courage, and today, at thirty-two, he has reached well-earned stardom, is happily married, has a host of friends, and is still intensely fired with ambition. And the road ahead seems glorious. Joe was born Joe Pintner in the picturesque village of Nagechkereck, not far from Budapest. When he was three years old, his father and mother decided to come to America to seek their fortunes. They didn't have money enough to bring Joe with them, so they left him with his grandfather, a rector of the Reformed Church, intending to send for him immediately upon their arrival in America. But fortune didn't come to Joe's parents very fast and it was six long years before they could accumulate enough to send for their boy and his grandfather. Therefore, Joe's American education didn't start until he was nine. He started in kindergarten, in Detroit at the age of nine, but he had a quick mind and an infinite capacity for studying and advanced so rapidly that he was soon ahead of American children his own age. While in grammar school he developed a fine soprano voice and sang during the various Liberty Loan Drives, and at the St. Paul Cathedral in Detroit, Michigan, but, sensitive and ashamed of his clothes, which did not equal those worn by well-to-do boys, he quit. Thus ended his first public performances. One day, shortly after that, a friend suggested he enter an amateur contest at a local theatre. At first, remembering his former humiliation, Joe refused, but finally agreed when he learned there was a cash award for the best imitation of Charlie Chaplin. He entered the contest, with a dozen other entrants, and, to his surprise, won. Thus encouraged there was no hold ing him back. He began entering every amateur show he could find. Sometimes he won, sometimes he didn't. But whether he won or not, Joe didn't care. The lure of the footlights was too strong for him to resist. To improve himself, he took up violin study. One day^ when a lesson Interfered with a baseball game, Joe balked. Enraged, his teacher slapped him and was promptly rewarded with a punch in the nose by Joe. So his violin career abruptly ended, for the time being. Finally, due to family misfortunes, Joe was forced to quit school and go to work. He secured a job as a messenger boy in the Ford factory, at $18.00 a week, and by going to night school and studying Accountancy, he eventually worked himself up to a clerical position which paid him $220.00 a month. But a clerk, even at a top salary of $220.00 a month, wasn't Joe's idea of a career. So when a new rule went into effect that but one person in a family be allowed to work in the factory, Joe dropped out in favor of his father. Upon leaving the factory, Joe got a job selling pianos in a music store and remained there until he got a job as a "Mind Reader's" assistant. One night a comedian in another act on the bill failed to show up. It was just the chance Joe had been waiting and hoping for. He begged for a chance to pinch hit. He got the chance and did so well he was given the comedian's place and stuck with the troupe until it stranded. Joe was by this time a full-fledged actor and no inducement in the world could have made him give it up. Often in the several seasons that followed, Joe went hungry and was practically always broke. He toured all over the country, playing in large cities one week and tank towns in the corn belt the next week. He worked in "tab", "carnival", "medicine shows" and did a little burlesque trouplng. During this period, Joe developed from a straight man to clown and comic. Finally he drifted to New York where he was eventually discovered by a Broadway talent scout and given a part in the "Greenwich Village Follies", where he was an instant success. He followed this with the original "Tattle Tales", the "Vanderbilt Revue", and "East Wind", scoring hits in all. In July, 1933, Joe made a guest appearance on the Rudy Vallee Broadcast, and clicked so well that by October of that year he got his own radio spot on the Baker's Broadcast. From then on his rise was nothing short of meteoric. In June, 1934, he was voted America's outstanding ether artist. Shortly after that he came to Hollywood under contract to Paramount to make one picture for a flat sum of $75,000. His first feature picture, "College Rhythm", was such a success that Paramount immediately exercised their option for a second picture, and "Collegiate", like "College Rhythm", registered over a million and attested to Joe's marked artistry and popular appeal. Recently Joe signed with RKO-Radio. His first picture under this banner was "New Faces of 1937" (reviewed in this issue.) His popularity on the radio is even greater than it was when he made his first two pictures for Paramount, so there isn't any reason why his current picture for RKO, "Life of the Party", shouldn't top the high mark set by his previous pictures. He is thoroughly sold on California as a place to both work and live. He took time out from his busy career to build a nice 'home in Beverly Hills, the first home Joe has ever owned. But now that he is firmly launched upon a career and the future ahead looks brighter than it ever has in the past, Joe says he is really going to settle down and enjoy some of the comforts that he has dreamed about and worked for so hard. Joe is quiet, good natured and easy going. Has brown hair and eyes, is five feet six and one-half inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He is fond of golf, tennis, swimming and riding, but isn't a fanatic about any of them. His principal hobby is reading and thinking up ways and means of improving his screen and radio work. The only thing about him that might be classified as eccentric is a weakness for loud sport coats. Outside of that he is a very conservative and neat dresser. And if life, at times, has dealt rather harshly with Joe, it has helped to show him the meaning, and how to enjoy real success and happiness. Editor's Note: Fictlonized biographies is a new feature for Hollywood Review. Exhibitor-subscribers are granted permission to use these articles in house organs and in their local newspapers in connection with picture showings.