Freckles Comes Home (Monogram) (1942)

a a x HERE’S THE ENTERTAINING STORY (Not for Publication) Freckles, on his way home from college via bus, becomes acquainted with Leach, bigiime gangster. who is looking for a hideout. Freckles tells him about his small home town of Fairfield, and Leach decides to go there. Danny, a young friend of Freckles, has gotten himself in a jam by using, for a wildcat real estate scheme, the money his uncle left to pay off the mortgage on the hotel. Danny and Freckles decide that if the highway can be run through Fairfield, there will their troubles will be over. be a real estate boom and Freckles’ childhood sweetheart, Jane, is the daughter of the town’s tightwad banker. When he tries to soften her up preparatory to asking her help in inducing her father to grant a loan, Jane misunderstands and thinks he is proposing. Freckles explains what he is really atter and Jane blows up. Meanwhile, Leach, figuring the town to be ripe for a cleean-up, gets Quigley, a promoter, to come to Fairfield and float a bond issue for building the road. The townspeople are completely taken in. On the day set for issuing the bond certificates Leach is missing. Freckles goes to his room and finds the gangster murdered. Two gangster pals of Leach speed avenge his death. Posing as into custody. to Fairfield to F.B.I. men, they take Quigley He denies killing Leach and offers to cut them in on a robbery of the bank. Freckles and Danny overheear the planning and manage to prevent the hold-up and capture the criminals. The reward for their feat is sufficient to finance the road and pay off the hotel mortgage. There’s enough left over, too, for Freckles to make a reai proposal to Jane. Johnny Downs Has Reached Stardom After Long Climb The woods around Hollywood are filled to capacity with the thousands upon thousands of disappointed and disgruntled would-be actors who tried to crash studio gates for motion picture careers and just couldn’t make the grade. According to all records the greatest number of these failures is among kids, children hard-4#—_—__——__—_ ly in their teens, who displayed local talent in neighborhood playhouses and were rushed to Hollywood in the white heat of parental enthusiasm. But one of the rare few who not only made the grade as a child performer but who has grown to maturity and is now an adult star in his own right is Johnny Downs, who appears in “Freckles Comes Home,” with Gale Storm NOW? SHOWING at TNs ieee, Theatre. Johnny Downs, although still young, is a veteran of the screen in spite of his youthful years. Born in Brooklyn, N. Y., his father, a naval lieutenant, was sent to the naval base at San Diego a _ short time after Johnny was born. While his father was on duty in that city Johnny made his first theatre appearance in an amateur show on the stage of the Colonial Theatre. He showed remarkable ability and an unusual stage presence for such a youngster, added to which was his retentive memory and ability to memorize roles. His mother, sensing that he might have a chance in pictures, brought him to Hollywood and after a series of tests by Producer Hal Roach he was signed to a contract as one of the members of the “Our Gang” troupe. He overcame that period in a young actor’s life known as “the awkward age,’ and has appeared in a series of significant roles, “Algiers,’ “The Plainsman,”’ “Pigskin Parade, and “Adam Had Four Sons” among them. His current assignment in ‘“Freckles Comes Home” is one that suits him well. He is seen as the resourceful young college boy who returns home to his native town to straighten out local matters to everyone’s satisfaction. Johnny Downs, aside irom his ability as an actor, is also quite an inventor with several patents to his credit. Even as a youngster he invented toy gadgets which were used to advantage in “Our Gang” comedies. GALE STORM Discovered through a radio talent hunt, Gale Storm proves her contest win was no mistake by scoring in “Freckles Comes Home” at the Theatre. One Col. Cut or Mat No. 1 Credits Produced by LINDSLEY PARSONS Directed by JEAN YARBROUGH Assistant Director WM. STROHBACK Screenplay EDMOND KELSO Photography MAX STENGLER Sound GLEN GLENN Film Editor JACK OGILVIE Suggested by the story of the same name by JEANNETTE STRATTON-PORTER | DELIGHTFUL ROMANTIC FILM A HIT | Patrons at the .. Theatre are finding Johnny Downs and Gale Storm an attractive love tez:m in “Freckles Comes Home,” suggested by the Jeanette Stratton-Porter novel. Two Column Cut or Mat No. 15 Johnny Downs, Gale Storm Score in Fast-Moving Film (Review) There’s a refreshing bit of entertainment for all in the current feature attraction at the Theatre, “Freckles Comes Home,” with Johnny Downs, Gale Storm and Mantan Moreland and a cast of seasoned players. It’s a homebody sort of picture about small-town folks who outwit a Pack Ol DigmCliy. WiSCACKCS NANOS sa there’s enough action to go with it to please everyone. “Freckles Comes Home” is the story of what happens when a college boy comes home to his sleepy hamlet to wake up the citizenry to make their town the leading one in the county. But before they can do that they have to outsmart a slick promoter and a couple of city triggermen who come to town to empty the local bank. All the smalltown types, excellently portrayed are there. There’s the prosperous banker in the person of John Ince, and a convincing performance given by Betty Blythe as his socially ambitiious wife. There’s the local constable played by Irving Bacon and the sharp promoter played by Bradley Page. Johnny Downs turns in one of his most convincing performances as the college kid, Freckles, and Marvin Stephens is good as his scatterbrained side-kick. Gale Storm, a newcomer to pictures and a recent winner on the nation-wide “Gateway to Hollywood” program, is a demure smalltown lass as the banker’s daughter, and registers with her most important screen assignment to date. There is a nostalgic quality about all the Stratton-Porter stories, and this one based on the novel of the same name by Jeannette Stratton Porter is no exception. Audiences always like small town stories, and this one has all the ingredients of successful yarns of the same type. Producer Lindsley Parsons has wisely peopled his cast with outstanding performers, not the least of which is comedy character Mantan Moreland who is a hilarious hotel porter. Director Jean Yarbrough has given his story smooth pacing. HOOSIER FILM Drama with that old friend, ‘“nostalgia’ comes: to” the. 22. Theatre in “Freckles Comes Home,” with Johnny Downs and Gale Storm. Millions of readers of the celebrated Freckles series, stories of Hoosier background, will enjoy this latest in that celebrated tradition. |. ITS THE LAW! | Much of the fun in “Freckles Comes Home,” starring Johnny Downs at the Theatre, comes from the hilarious misadventures of the small town constable played by Irving Bacon. The film is based on the famous Stratton-Porter story. One Col. Cut or Mat No. 2 AUTHENTIC TOWN Producer Lindsley Parsons had little difficulty in recreating the Hoosier background for the feature attraction now showing at the cs ie autegeaeeds Theatre, “Freckles Comes Home,” with Johnny Downs, Gale Storm, Mantan Moreland and a cast of veteran players.’ He merely turned to several of the celebrated Gene Stratton Porter stories for a detailed account of what Fairfield looked like, and after reading a chapter or two could even tell what kind of trees stood in the central park of the town. This Indiana background is familiar territory to Porter fans and those who see the picture will insist on complete authenticity. Producer Lindsley Parsons, who went into the subject of background thoroughly, | will not let them down. * Contest Winner Like Ginger Rogers and a few notatble others Gale Storm is one Hollywood actress who came to the film capital and clicked as a result of winning a contest. In this case, the romantic lead opposite Johnny Downs in “Freckles Comes Home,” now showing at the..........Theatre, won one of the celebrated “Gateway to Hollywood Contest’ trials. After winning in a local race she came on to Hollywood to win national renown and eventual stardom and motion picture fame. Hoosier Story To Screen Here Soon (Advance) Another of the great Stratton Porter stories comes to the screen Ofethe nore She Theatre when Johnny Downs reaches town in “Freckles Comes to Town.’ Alongside Mark Twain these Hoosier stories are perhaps the best loved and best remembered of all smalltown tales of America. Feeatured with Johnny Downs, the veteran star of a long series of successful motion pictures, is contest winner Gale Storm who appears in her most important role as Jane Potter, the banker’s daughter. Mantan Moreland, Monogram’s celebrated colored comic, has an engaging role as a hotel clerk and front-boy. Irving Bacon appears as the Hoosier constable who manages to get things rather’ generally messed up. The story is based on the novel of the same name by Jeanette Stratton Porter and is another in that celebrated series which began with Gene Stratton-Porter. COMEDIAN STAYED ON FEET AGAINST LOUIS! The name Mantan Moreland may not go down in posterity in any pugilistic Halls of Fame along with Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Gene Tunney, and Benny Leonard along with other famous prize fighters— but nevertheless that name is worth remembering. For Mr. Mantan Moreland, one of the comedians who appears on the screen in “Freckles Comes Home” with Johnny Downs and Gale Storm, did stay in the ring with Champion Joe Louis—and he remained on his feet. Of course, it must be pointed out that Mr. Moreland, who didn’t pull his punches, stayed in one entire round of sixty seconds, and fended off several sharp right and left jabs with all the acumen of a prize fighting champion. And it must be further pointed out that Joe Louis was told in advance that Mr. Moreland would be there for sixty sec ;onds and must remain standing up at the end of that time as the script of the motion picture, “Spirit of Youth” dictated. So perhaps that is why this famed colored comic of radio and screen is one of the few men who can boast that he stayed in the ring for an entire bout with Joe Louis, and the champ didn’t even land a blow. The Cast Freckles. JOHNNY DOWNS {ane 2 ee GALE STORM Jeff. MANTAN MORELAND Quigley... BRADLEY PAGE Mrs. Potter.. BETTY BLYTHE Danny. MARVIN STEPHENS Leach. 7; WALTER SANDE Hymie. MAX HOFFMAN, JR. RGOxbUry oun ites Cae LAWRENCE CRINER Potter ey ce JOHN INCE Winslow IRVING MITCHELL Monk... GENE O’DONNELL Constable. IRVING BACON