The New Movie Magazine (Jan-Sep 1935)

On-the-Set Reviews Hazard and Ray Harris got together on this story of the trials and tribulations of a fair-haired boy whose success with college musicals has led him to believe that Broadway is panting for his services (or will be, when they get a peek at what he can do!). Out of money, Gene persuades Thurston Hall (Ann's papa) to marry a nice old dame, called the "Duchess," who will back the show for a husband. Hall gets as far as the "Will you?" stage, but with the coveted check in Gene's jeans, and the "I do!" business just around the corner, papa gets cold tootsies and scrams. And, on the opening night, "Duchess" stops payment on the check unless papa comes back and follows through. Which he finally does, out of desperation. So, the show goes on to the usual bang-up success and everybody lives happy ever after — except papa! Sitting on the arm of the davenport, Gene looks down at Ann, tenderly. "You're great stuff, Pat," he says. "I think so, too," she agrees. "Tell me — " he goes on, "were you ever born in a big white house, surrounded by a high green hedge?" "With an orchard and a patch of woods and a natural spring?" "Yeh . . . and little taxes growing all over the place? Nothing like walking out in the garden and picking yourself a nice bunch of taxes! Boy! am I glad I got rid of that place. Just think, I might have had to get married in that old shack." "Not to me, you wouldn't!" Ann declares. "Let's see," Gene meditates, "... lost my house, lost my show, have no prospects — say, don't I get anything out of this?" Ann looks up at him. "All you have to do is take it," she says. "Let's have it then!" So they kiss (like they — meant it, too!) and we stagger out into the rain, wondering how they make it look so real . . . mad, like that, and everything? After finishing this STRANDED one, Kay Francis « dashed cross-country, WARNERS hopped a big boat and landed in Paris, where, the gossips say, she will put her head into the marital noose with Maurice Chevalier, who beat her to Gay Paree by about seventeen knots. But, don't look at us, my friends. We don't know how true it is. Anyway, we'll still have this to remember her by, and if this story, by Frank Wead and Ferdie Reyher, is as good as it sounds, Kay can put another notch in her gun. Kay works for the Travelers' Aid Society, and, from behind her counter at the Union Station, she looks after children traveling alone; helps distracted mothers find their wandering daughters; locates living quarters for timid strangers; and generally, behaves like a "good deed in a naughty world." To her counter comes George Brent who is supervising the construction of a steel bridge nearby. And, before Kay can open her mouth, George shouts: "Whenever Januschek gets drunk, he wants to go back and see his wife! If you people didn't butt in on other people's business, he couldn't get there! He's the best steel worker on the Coast and you've got to get him back for me!" And that, kiddies, is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. They argue a lot, and Patricia Ellis, who has moved in on Kay, tries to get Brent for herself, but George knows his own mind. And just as he's about to get down on one knee to propose, trouble breaks out at the bridge. Fearing for him, Kay follows along to the scene of action and, sure enough, there's her boy friend knocked cold for trying to make a dozen mugs listen to reason ! Taking him home, she puts him up on her davenport for the night. And Patricia, getting in in time for breakfast, is tickled to death to put her own construction on the situation. That day Kay is kicked out of the Travelers' Bureau for having a man in her apartment all night. Next day there's another fight at the bridge. And if you don't mind seeing a man take off into empty space from the tip end of a steel girder, come along . . . I'll look, too! The way Kay fixes things up is something Director Frank Borzage would rather I'd not tell. Suffice it to say, it's . a breath-taking finale, with all's-well-that-ends-well-but-keep away f rom-that-edge-there ! for Kay and George. Captain of a ship CHINA SEAS that is suspected of • running fire-arms M-G-M from Hong Kong to Singapore, Clark Gable is annoyed to find Jean Harlow, the gal he intended to leave behind him, on board. A five-year-old romance, Rosalind Russell, whom Clark has loved and left because she happened to be a married woman, is also aboard, and, when she tells him that her husband is now skeet shooting in the Happy Hunting Ground, Gable is more afraid than ever that Harlow will gum up the works. Truly loving the man, Jean determines to fight for her rights and, donning an irresistible (to everybody but Gable) evening gown of ashes-of-roses satin, she goes to his stateroom. He isn't a bit glad to see her but, belonging to the Hollywood Northwest Mounted, Jean turns from the door and languidly selects a book from the table. "I was just looking for a book, lambie," she says casually. "I've decided to improve my mind. . . ." "Hm-mm," Clark says indifferently, "pick out two books. Give yourself an even break!" Looking in the book, Jean says: "It says here 'his very words caressed her' ... I bet you get hot and cold flashes when you read that — " "Yeh? Maybe you don't know it, but I'm the guy they're writing about — now go on, scram out of here, little one." Jean sits down and looks up at him. "That's right . . . you don't have time to fool around with the passengers." "It's your fault," Clark' grins and buttons his collar, "you wanted to be one!" Heartbroken when Gable announces his engagement to Miss Russell, Jean consoles herself by playing "Put and Take" with Wallace Beery, a rascally China Seas trader. Winning most of his money, Jean proceeds to drink the big fella under the table and when Beery wakes up to discover that she has taken him for a hundred-pound note with some Chinese characters written on it, well ... to put it mildly, heck breaks loose! A pirate junk comes alongside and there is a battle to the finish, with (Please turn to page 60) H Funny-tasting stuff . . . this knitting! Can't say the brown kind is particularly good. Not much flavor. How's that ivhite stuff you've got, Brother — lemme try a mouthful of that! " dSay, this is swell — a nice long, hard bone in it! Feels great on that place where there's going to be a new tooth next week. No — you can't have it! I found it! G 'wan off — it's mine!*? H Oh, take it, cry-baby! This woolly stuff's making you cross . . . you need Johnson's Baby Powder to soothe away the prickles. It's so soft, it makes any baby good-natured — even you!" iil'm Johnson's Baby Powder . . . when Pm on guard, skin irritations don't have a chance to get started! I 'slip' like satin for Pm made of finest Italian talc. No zinc stearate — and no orris-root. And does your baby have Johnson's Baby Soap and Baby Cream? He should! " (Krivvwow '*-ytvrvn4uvv The New Movie Magazine, July, 1035 59