Her First Romance (Columbia Pictures) (1951)

Mat 1-A; Still No. 76 MARGARET O'BRIEN, starring in Columbia Pictures’ ''Her First Romance’ at theses .. Theatre, goes from a pigtail kid to a camp queen in a laughcrazy story of that boy-crazy age. O'Brien ‘Dreamboat’ Has His Own Ideas “T’m going to give myself a few years in Hollywood, and if I find out I’m not any good at it, I'll go back to the New York stage.” Sounds like a statement from a seasoned veteran, doesn’t it? Instead, it comes from 14-year-old Allen Martin, Jr., who plays Margaret O’Brien’s boy friend in Columbia Pictures’ “Her First Romance,” now at the.......... Theatre, which gives Miss O’Brien her first teen-age romantic role as a junior miss with senior ideas about love. Young Allen played with the Lunts on Broadway for a year and a half in “I Know My Love” beyore going to Hollywood. His seven year's of experience in show business have given him no illusions about himself or his professional career. “A lot of stage actors come to Hollywood like lions and leave like lambs,” he says. “‘They make one big picture and suddenly the phone stops ringing. Instead of going home they hang around like a pair of earrings, hoping their agent will call with a big deal. But more times than not, rigor mortis sets in. That’s certainly not for me.” In “Her First Romance,” Allen shares featured player billing with Jimmy Hunt and Sharyn Moffett, who plays Margaret O’Brien’s kid brother and girl friend, respectively. Albert Mannheimer wrote the screen play, which was directed by Seymour Friedman. Kid Brother Kidded About His Stand-In There’s a startling difference between Jimmy Hunt, who plays Margaret O’Brien’s kid brother in her new starring vehicle for Columbia Pictures, “Her First Romance,” at the.............. Theatre, and Jimmy’s stand-in, Johnny Bambury, and Jimmy came in for plenty of “kidding”’ on the subject. For that matter, so did Johnny! Jimmy doesn’t smoke—Johnny smokes 20 long, black cigars a day. Jimmy doesn’t shave—Johnny shaves twice a day. Jimmy doesn’t drink—Johnny doesn’t mind a short snort before a meal. Jimmy’s hair is a reddish-blond —Johnny’s hair is iron gray. Johnny, you see, is a 50-yearold midget who has been in show business 40 years. Jimmy Hunt is ten years old. Margaret O’Brien New Junior Miss In ‘First Romance’ Eight years ago, an intense, freckle-faced five-year-old girl with pigtails, surrounded by a room full of beautiful children, sat in the office of famed commercial artist Paul Hesse waiting to be interviewed as a child model. Hesse’ passed up the masses of fluffy curls and the classic features to select the little girl with the pigtails and the freckles. The wisdom of his choice has been proved many times, for the little girl he selected was Margaret O’Brien. Today, at the age of thirteen, Margaret is starred in Columbia Pictures’ “Her First Romance,” at the.............. Theatre. Fame and fortune have smiled on little Maggie with a grin from ear to ear. In addition to her film contracts, she makes ten fairy tale record albums a year. She heads Hollywood Enterprises, a manufacturing firm which uses her name as a trademark for dresses, hats, shoes, purses, toys and jewelry. Margaret’s coffers were further swelled by substantial sums from a column, “Growing Up,” which she wrote for the Philadelphia Ledger for two years, and one for Family Circle Magazine. The actress averages an astronomical 50,000 fan letters a month. She has met more dignitaries than any child in the world. She was a guest of Prime Minister Attlee, and sat in his box in the House of Commons. She had an audience with the Pope, met the President of Ireland and introduced Eleanor Roosevelt at the Empire Theatre in London. She visited Harry Lauder in Scotland, where he put on a special performance for her just before he passed away. One of Harry Truman’s favorites, Margaret has been a guest at the White House on four occasions. During World War II, she entertained Marshall, Eisenhower and other generals who were attending a conference on the West Coast. Maggie perched on General Marshall’s knee, discussing various subjects with him. Love comes to Margaret O’Brien in “Her First Romance,” which gives her the role of a junior miss with senior ideas about love. Allen Martin, Jr., Jimmy Hunt and Sharyn Moffett are featured in the new film. Albert Mannheimer wrote the screen play, which was directed by Seymour Friedman. Mother Knows Best! Margaret O’Brien received expert advice on doing a fast Charleston for a scene in her new starring vehicle, Columbia Pictures’ “Her First Romance,” now at the ree fos Theatre. Margaret’s coach was her mother, former professional dancer Gladys O’Brien. When the Charleston sequence was filmed, to make sure Maggie did the tricky dance to perfection, Mrs. O’Brien did the same steps out of camera range that her daughter was doing for’ the photographers. Allen Martin, Jr., Jimmy Hunt and Sharyn Moffett, are featured in the film. Spinach Sated There was a time when Margaret O’Brien loved — spinach. Maybe she’ll like it again one day. Right now she can’t look a plate of spinach in the eye, as a result of a sequence in Columbia Pictures’ “Her First Romance,” atthe stkete Theatre, which stars Margaret in a laugh-crazy story of that boy-crazy age. A spinacheating contest in a summer camp is one of the funniest scenes in the film. During rehearsals and the actual ‘‘shooting,” Maggie had to consume half a dozen huge plates of the vegetable. Margaret O'Brien Young, Yearny With Yen for Her First Romance (Review) A story of teen-agers that never could happen when mother was a girl (at least she won’t admit it) comes to the screen in Columbia Pictures’ “Her First Romance,” starring Margaret O’Brien, which opened at the............ Theatre yesterday. It is a side-splitting and a heart-warming film—a comedy of youth for the young in heart of all ages. Moviegoers accustomed to enjoying Margaret O’Brien as a child actress will get the surprise of their lives when they see the teen-age star in “Her First Romance,” which is, literally, just that. Maggie’s a big girl now, with a glamorous hair-do, off-theshoulder gowns, and the ability to dance a hot Charleston, and she is, moreover, as delightful and as appealing as ever. “Her First Romance” shows Margaret in the first surge of that old urge. She has a hopeless crush on a popular boy. When she learns that he is to spend the summer at Camp Chippewa, she enlists the support of her kid brother in getting their parents to send them to the camp. At camp, Margaret’s dreamboat pays her no attention. However, she gets her chance to make up to him when the camp runs a competition in which the title, “King of Camp Chippewa,” is conferred on the boy who builds the most successful money-earning project. Margaret’s ideal wants to build a novel boat-slide, but he doesn’t have enough money for lumber. Margaret and her kid brother help him, and get themselves into plenty of trouble as a result. Reality and romance come to grips in an hilarious climax. Miss O’Brien is great in “Her First Romance.” Excellent performances by Allen Martin, Jr. as her crush, by Jimmy Hunt as her kid brother, and by Sharyn Moffet as her best girl friend, help to make every moment of the film enjoyable. Albert Mannheimer wrote the screen play, which was directed by Seymour Friedman. ‘First Romance’ Columbia Pictures’ “Her First Romance,” starring Margaret O’Brien, will open........ at the........ Theatre. The new film, described as a comedy of youth for the young in heart, features Allen Martin, Jr., Jimmy Hunt and Sharyn Moffett. Albert Mannheimer wrote the screen play of “Her First Romance,” which was directed by Seymour Friedman. ou Her First Romance Mat 2-B; Still No. 83 A JUNIOR MISS WITH SENIOR IDEAS about love, Margaret O'Brien stars in Columbia Pictures’ ''Her First Romance" at the ... _ Theatre. Allen Martin, Jr. is the young "dreamboat" with eyes only for Margaret, who plays her first "grown-up" role in the new comedy. Learns About Love In ‘Her First Romance Margaret O’Brien is a teen-age “woman” on the warpath for her “dream-boat” boy in her newest starring vehicle, Columbia Pic tures’ “Her First Romance,” which opens......at the........ Theatre. “Her First Romance” gives Margaret, for her first grown-up role, a laugh-crazy story of that boy-crazy age. Miss O’Brien plays a 13-year-old miss who has a hopeless crush on a popular boy. When she learns that he is going to spend the summer at Camp Chippewa, she enlists the support of her kid brother in getting their parents to send them to the summer camp. At camp, Margaret’s dreamboat pays her no attention until, towards the end of the summer, the camp runs an annual competition in which the title, “King of Camp Chippewa,” is conferred on the boy who builds the most successful money-earning project. Her First Romance Mat 2-A; Still No. 65 TEEN-AGE "WOMEN." Margaret O'Brien and Sharyn Moffett compete for the affections of Allen Martin, Jr. in this scene from Columbia Pictures’ new comedy hit, "Her First Romance," starring Margaret at the Hunt is also featured in the film. Theatre. Jimmy Margaret’s ideal wants to build a novel boat-slide, but he has no money for lumber. Margaret and her kid brother get the money for him by hitching into town and robbing their father’s safe. During the theft, they misplace an important record, the loss of which may cost their father his business. Reality and romance come to grips in what is said to be a_ side-splitting, heart-warming climax. According to Hollywood, “Her First Romance” presents an adolescent Miss O’Brien as appealing and as delightful as the child star of yesterday. Allen Martin, Jr., plays Miss O’Brien’s crush, with whose help she grows from pigtails into camp queen in ten tiny kisses. Jimmy Hunt plays the long-suffering kid brother and Sharyn Moffett is seen as Margaret’s best girl friend, who helps her battle for her “man.” Albert Mannheimer wrote the screen play of “Her First Romance,” which was directed by Seymour Friedman for Columbia Pictures. Margaret O’Brien In ‘First Romance’ Loves comes to Margaret O’Brien, as the star of Columbia Pictures’ “Her First Romance,” which opens......at the........ Theatre. Allen Martin, Jr., Jimmy Hunt and Sharyn Moffett are featured in the new film, which shows Margaret as a junior miss with senior ideas about love. Hollywood predicts that moviegoers accustomed to seeing Miss O’Brien in gingham with her hair done in pigtails, will get the surprise of their lives when they see the teen-age star in “Her First Romance.” Quite the grown little lady now, Maggie wears an offthe-shoulder white eyelet formal dress for a party sequence in the film. Her hair is done in a glamorous upswept style, and she performs a “hot” Charleston. The screen play of “Her First Romance” was written by Albert Mannheimer. Seymour Friedman directed. Page 7