Adventures of Kitty O'Day (Monogram) (1945)

‘Adventures of Kitty O’Day’ Rollicking Screen Comedy (Review) It has been a long time since a more hilariously funny picture than ‘‘Adventures of Kitty O’Day”’ has reached the motion picture screen. This new Monogram comedy opened an engagement at the theatre last night, and caused a delighted audience to rock with laughter. Jean Parker, Peter Tim Ryan are seen in the featured | roles, and head a cast which seems | to enjoy the film as much as the spectators, though they play their parts completely ‘straight-faced.” This capable trio are the center of a fast-moving story which constantly becomes more hilarious and more murderous, with fun and fatalities distributed in about equal proportions. In the story Miss Parker, a hotel telephone girl, hears revolver shots over the phone, and _ instantly senses a chance to demonstrate (once again) her peculiar flair for amateur detection. Enlisting the aid of her devoted boy-friend, Cookson, the excitable girl plunges feverishly into the romantic business of sleuthing, and without delay the pair unearth a corpse which is only the first of many. They get in the hair, so to speak, of obtuse detective Ryan, and their “help”? becomes increasingly funny even when it is fatal. Others in the cast who do good work are Jan Wiley, Byron Foulger, Ralph Sanford, William Ruhl, Shelton Brooks, William Forrest, Lorna Grey, Hugh Prosser and Dick Elliott. Direction by the veteran William Beaudine is nicely paced for comedy, and maintains a rollicking atmosphere even in the midst of homicidal situations. Lindsley Parsons has given the film a substantial production, Stengler has contributed sparkling photography. The original story by Victor Hammond was adapted by Hammond, Tim Ryan and George Callahan. ROMANTICISTS Peter Cookson and Jean Parker are the romantic pair in Monogram’s “Adventures of Kitty O’Day,” coming to the theatre next But mystery and murder surround them. One Col. Scene Mat No. 1 DEBUT Jean Parker is a Los Angeles high school graduate, and at the age of 14 stepped from her classes to a long-term contract at the MetroGoldwyn-Mayer studios. Miss Parker is now appearing on the screen Oty The = see ee omens theatre in the title role of “Adventures of Kitty O'Day,” Monogram’s amusing comedy of an amateur girl detective in which she is featured with Peter Cookson and Tim Ryan. and Mack | Cookson and* z Amateur Sleuths Spark Comedy When a policeman looks askance at you—that ain’t good. Jean Parker and her boy-friend, Peter Cookson, find the body of a man who has apparently been murdered, and hasten off for the police. But when they breathlessly escort officer Tim Ryan back to the scene, the dead man has. disappeared. However, the outraged cop isn’t surprised; he is just tremendously irked This isn’t the first time he has had trouble with the amateur detecting of the excitable Jean and her beau. Thus begins “Adventures of Kitty O’Day,’ the hilarious Monogram comedy which opens an engagement atthe oe as. theatre on with these three players in the featured roles. And the plot eventually encompasses more plain and fancy murders than the flabbergasted flatfoot can shake his nightstick at. Jewel robberies from a hotel safe are at the bottom of the hectic proceedings, and the original slight case of murder eventually develops into a veritable carnival of crime. But the higher the death rate, the more edy. The picture was directed by Wil| and produced by | liam Beaudine, Lindsley Parsons. The cast supporting the featured players includes Jan Wiley, Byron Foulger, Ralph Sanford and William Forrest. PLUGGER’S PROGRESS Tim Ryan started his career in the entertainment world as a song plugger in New York, and after a year as soloist with a brass band graduated successively into musical stock, vaudeville, radio and eventually into motion pictures. Ryan is now appearing on the screen of the theatre, featured with Jean Parker and Peter Cookson in the hilarious Monogram comedy, “Adventures of Kitty O’Day.” BROADCASTER Tim Ryan is the former male half of-the famous radio team of Tim & Irene, who were sponsored for many years aS a comedy duo by such leading commercial firms as Texaco, Goodrich and Royal Crown. Fey.ans GOMES=lO=tNE sek fia) or acn eas theatre on in ‘“Adventures of Kitty O’Day,” the hilarious Monogram comedy in which he is featured with Jean Parker and Peter Cookson. SLEUTH Jean Parker is an amateur detective in “Adventures of Kitty © Day, Now: -8b AUN cs seers ie se theatre. DESIGNING GIRL Jean Parker displayed artistic talent in her early years, and at the age of 14 designed a prize-winning floral float for the annual Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California, always held in prewar years on the morning of the New Year’s Day football game in the Rose Bowl Miss Parker, featured with Peter Cookson and Tim EUVall, “COMES: FO UNE snake ss woes theatre on in the title role of Monogram’s hilarious screen comedy, “Adventures of Kitty O'Day.” hilarious becomes the com-| | |talent for the films. if | GIRL DETECTIVE THREATENS PROFESSIONAL | Tim Ryan and Ralph Sanford find Jean Parker’s theories on solving crimes hard to take in Monogram’s “Adventures of Kitty O’Day,’ com ing to the theatre next Her boy friend, played by Peter Cookson, stands by quizzically. It’s a drama in which romance gets mixed up with murder. JTiwo Column Scene Mat No. 20 Stage Work Led Actor to Instant Success in Films Peter Cookson put in several years of unremitting hard work in establishing himself as a stage actor. But when he finally entered motion pictures, he found that everything was plain sailing in the new medium. His experience paid off handsomely. Cookson comes to the .......... * A theatre on ...... bese eeteee ees in| westboro. Massachusetts, finally “Adventures of Kitty O’Day,”’ the rollicking Monogram comedy in which he is featured with Jean Parker and Tim Ryan. As his first step in preparing himself for a career as an actor, Cookson took a two-year course at the famous Community Playhouse in Pasadena, California, only a few miles irom Hollywood and_ the country’s greatest single source of Then, after two years in amateur plays in Cor onado, he secured his first profes| sional engagement as a member of | the Shakespearean Repertory Company at the San Diego World’s Fair, in a theatre which was a duplicate of the ancient Globe Theatre in London. With the closing of the exposition, Cookson went on tour with the Globe company, completing two years’ association when it closed in Chicago. There followed stock work at Peoria, Illinois; Houston, Texas, and Mendon, Massachusetts, and then Cookson returned to his native California, where for nine months he appeared in “White Cargo” in Los Angeles. Two seasons of summer stock at HELP Jean Arthur had the beneft of John SBarrymore’s interest and coaching in one of her first motion pictures, when she appeared with John, Ethel and Lionel in their only joint appearance, in “Rasputin and the Empress.” Miss Parker, playing the part of an excitable young amateur detective, is now to be seen on the screen of the........ theatre in “Adventures of Kitty O'Day,” Monogram’s rollicking comedy in which she is featured with Peter Cookson and Tim Ryan. ODD JOBBER While he appeared for two years in amateur plays in his home town of Coronado, California, Peter Cookson maintained himself with a variety of odd jobs, including life guard at the local swimming pool, | ticket taker at the movie theatre, grocery clerk, night guard and gas station attendant. Cookson is now appearing on the screen of the theatre in ‘Adventures of Kitty O’Day,” the hilarious Monogram comedy in which he is featured with Jean Parker and Tim Ryan. | are led him to New York’s Broadway, from where he went on road tours | with companies presenting “The Student Prince’ and “The Merry Widow.” Making his screen debut, Cookson played a small part in “The Imposter,” and in his next, “Swingtime Johnny,” he enacted a leading role. And he has played “leads” in every picture since, including “Detective Kitty O’Day” and “Shadow of Suspicion.” Others appearing with ‘Cookson in “Adventures of Kitty O’Day,” in addition to Miss Parker and Ryan, Jan Wiley, Byron Foulger, Ralph Sanford, Lorna Grey and Dick Elliott. William Beaudine directed for producer Lindsley Parsons, and the original story by Victor Hammond was adapted for the screen by Hammond, Tim Ryan and George Callahan. BOY FRIEND Peter Cookson plays the patient boy friend who rescues Jean Parker from the results of her own detecting in Monogram’s “Adventures of Kitty O’Day,” coming to the theatre next ........... One Col. Scene Mat No. 2