The Luck of Roaring Camp (Monogram) (1937)

Gather Publicity with Bret Harte’s Great Story Owen Davis, Jr., Succeeded (Not for Publication) This famous story by Bret Harte takes place at the time of the California goid rush of 1801. Kaithfully transterred to the screen, it contains all the thrills, pathos and romance of that picturesque era of Americana. VUakhurst, accompanied by his wite who 1S about 10 have a chiia, is on his way 10 be hanged wneu he escapes. She evades wie posse and linus ner way to the desolate mining settlement ot koaring Camp. No women are in the camp. With the aid of such hardeneu characters as Judge brandt, Yuba bill, Kentuck, Kankxa Joe and singie 100th, and young Vavy, a stuqaiouS and aspiring iawyer, a boy is born. the mouier dies im chuabirun. Davy 1s appointed to take charge or the chiuu, whomas Lueck, and made a partner in the camp. Goid 1s discovered and with it tne town grows overnight. Soon the baby and Davy are forgotten. juisie, a dance-hall girl, gets a job in town. Unabie to und a note. room, she rents part of Davy’s shacx. Uakhurst comes to Roaring Camp and becomes a_ notorious gambler. He takes a fancy to EIsie. Oakhurst goes to see Davy one night and discovers his dead wife’s cape and realizes the baby is his. He decides to go away and take Elsie with him. Davy, to get money to care for the baby, stages a series of coach robberies. However, Oakhurst protects Davy by taking the responsibility of the hold-ups himself. Oakhurst is brought to trial, convicted and killed in his attempt to escape. Davy, Luck and Elsie go away and begin a new life. | WINS STARDOM | Owen Davis, Jr.. son of the noted playwright, wins new laurels for his sensitive acting and interpretation of the role of Davy in the picturization of Bret Harte’s “Luck of Roaring Comp. ecurrent: abediec a sy witoean Theatre. Joan Woodbury and Charles Brokaw support Davis in the Mono gram picture. One Col. Cut or Mat No. 1 “FIND ME AN ACTOR TO FILL THIS ROLE!” That Was The Casting Problem for Bret Harte’s “Luck of Bal Moaring, Bd “Find me an actor to play the role of Oakhurst, the gampier! He must be new with piency of ability. He must look as thougn he stepped out of Bret Harte’s * “the Luck of kKoaring Camp.” ‘tail, devil-may| care, with reckless appeal. = ‘That was an order trom Scott R. | Duniap, vice-president in charge | of production at Monogram, to [. V. Willat, who was assigned to direct the immortal story, “the Luck of Roaring Camp,” by Bret Harte 70 LUC pepe te arts BE ETM OT sete actseesctedcnccashonents tor those familiar with the character made famous by Harte, this was not an easy task. True, Hollywood was popular with such types but their acting ability was questionable. So, Willat turned to the New York stage to find his leading man. One night when Willat was attending “Jubilee,” starring Mary boland in New York, he was attracted to a young actor named Charles Brokaw. An _ interview proved profitable for Willat as Brokaw opined that he was willing to go to Hollywood to appear in motion pictures but before his trip, he was contracted to play a leading role in “The Great Waltz” at the Center theatre. Immediately following the engagement, Brokaw came to Hollywood and began rehearsing for his role as Oakhurst in “The Luck of Roaring Camp.” It was a _ wise choice made by Willat after Dunlap saw the first day’s rushes. For Brokaw looked exactly like Bret larte’s Oakhurst. Others in the cast of “The Luck of Roaring Camp” include Owen Davis, Jr., son of the famous playwright, Joan Woodbury, Ferris Taylor, Bob Kortman, Charles King, Jr., Byron Foulger and Robert McKenzie. Screenplay was written by Harvey Gates. CREDITS SCOTT R. DUNLAP Vice-President, In Charge of Production Directed by.....I. V. WILLAT From the story by... BRET HARTE Screenplay and Dialogue by HARVEY GATES Photography by PAUL TVANO, Aneto: Sound Recording . GLENN ROMINGER ON IO EP EP PE ~~ B | Despite Famous Father Talented Star of Mono gram’s “Luck of Roaring Camp” Received Helpfu Advice from Playwright Pere Being born with a silver spoon in your mouth isn’t what it’s cut out 10 be, according to Uwen Vaylis, v¥., SOW Of We TauiOus playwrigne. it 1S generally belueved thav mu ones’ pareuts are quite well our, the son Oc daugnter nas notning to worry abouc. However, young Vavis, Wno 1S a popular stage anu screen acior in his own right, chinks otherwise. “lL have been told that it was quive togical tnat 1 shouid turn to wie Stage tor a livelinood because iy tavuer was a recognized author aud would be able to give me anyung 1 wanted. However, tather’s velug an established piaywrign. yusc made it that much more duiulcult tor me,’ claims Davis, who nas the maie lead in Monogram’s “she Luck of Koaring Camp” due Thea “I turned to the stage because 1 jked ic. 1 Was warned by Vad ana old that if 1 developed into a baa ac.or 1t would certainiy make me 100K ten times as bad as a would: oe thespian without a tamous theatrical father,’ he continued. Davis was born in New York City and received his early educa tion at the Choate School in Wal: tungford, Connecticut. He later attended Yale, majoring in dramatic arts. He made his stage debut in one of his father’s plays, “'l'onighi at Twelve” with Walter Huston. After playing in stock in Denver Cleveland and St. Louis, Davis came to Hollywood and made his screen debut in “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Bre Beloved Authov’s “Luck o f Roarin g Cam p’ Brou ght to Screen by Mono gram (This is a brief story of the life of one of America’s greatest authors, Bret Harie, author of Monogram’ Ss “The Luck of Roaring Camp.” ) It was ironic that Bret Harte would be recognized as an authority on California’s gold discovery era of 1850. Kor Harte lived but three years in the _ pine-shaggy Sierra Madre mountains. Harte’s own career in the literary field is just as colorful as the stories he wrote of the Mother Lode country. In 1860, Harte was setting type | for The Golden Era in San Francisco. Physically, he was slight of build with a flashy Dundreary mustache and a flair for handsome clothes. Ten years later after his apprenticeship on the newspaper in San Francisco he was acclaimed as a genius for his thrilling redblooded outdoor’ stories. Seven years later he, like Poe, was poverty stricken, unknown and _ un | wanted. He was born August 25, 1836 in Albany, New York, the third child in a family too poor to give their children the proper care. Even as a youngster young Harte ignored his chums and instead of engaging in outdoor sports read many books. 3ret’s father died when he was |quite a young man and his mother |remarried and went to California to live. Bret soon followed. | A small magazine, The Californian, nity to see his works published. As a matter of fact, the magazine was short on contributors and Harte practically had a monopoly first gave Harte his ovportu| |erary giants as Agassiz, Longfel on the digest. Other previous works | had already established the young | Then he returned to New York for “poud Sou’ with Kicnara wennew. atter piaying more wall auU Valie€d partS av uie SrOwneyau playhouse 1.1 Jmame, ne waS give 4 CusliracCl DY Wary UYst appearily un “ine Gase of the wvangiiny i Carin: utner_ productions included ‘Graud vUry,’ “ais IuajeSty, butcer wean,’ “Lhe WoO 1 wove,’ wpeual ANvesugator’ and “ivturver Ol the brime rath. At une present he is starring in v-he Yroau Collpany Of “1eS, Ivy varlng VDauguer,’ tne broadway svagye comedy. besides vavis, others in the cast of bret Marves “ane Luck of aoaring Camp’ inciude Cunarles prokaw and voan Woodbury 1n tfeacured roles. 1. V. Willat directed. SHORTS! The California gold rush of the i85u's is dramatized in Bret Hartes samous siory, “the Lueck of Koarang Camp’ now playmg at the prasesteer ett cies meee ‘Lheatre. ‘nis famous oret Harte story has Owen Davis, ur., Joan Woodbury and Charles orokaw in the leading roles. I. V. Willat directed. A complete California mining camp was. reestablished for Monogram’s “The Luck of . Roaring 2 CUCZ eae Ganesh ican at the ys tbnilearan Spee weer mes Theatre with Owen Vavis, Jr., Joan Woodbury and Charles Brokaw in the _ leading roles. J. V. Willat directed this noted Bred Harte story. Joan Woodbury, featured player in “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” a Monogram picture based on the famous Bret Harte story, now playing at the Theatre, as a young girl rode bareback in the Barnum & Bailey circus. t Hic Captied Color Of America’s Most Picturesque Era | PLAY LEADS IN “LUCK OF ROARING CAMP” | ih he characters Davy, Elsie and Luck in Bret Harte’s Camp” bring nostalgic memories as they appear on the screen Of the ocrnsumoon Theatre, enacted by Owen Davis, Jr., thespian. “Luck of Roaring Joan Woodbury and a young unknown Two Col. Cut or Mat No. 2 man as an author of some regards. His noted “The Luck of Roaring Camp” which Monogram made and Which is Scheduled to OPeMcecccssssseseseee Theatre, appeared in 1868 in a new magazine, “The Overland Monthlv.” Soon afterwards appeared, “The Outcast of Poker Flats,” “Miggles,” “Society Upon the Stanislaus” and “The Heathen Chinese.” Then he left California. Such lit iow, Dana, Emerson, Lowell and Holmes demanded his writings. But in some instances, fame is as sudden as obscurity. Critics soon be gan to lash his works. But friends | bury. managed to obtain him a job as United States Commercial Agent in Crefeld, Germany, and later as a consul in Glasgow. Harte’s last days were spent in "ondon as a hack writer. He died May 5, 1902, a poor man, forgotten except for a few loyal friends who remembered the indelible way the great writer put on paper the gold era in California. In Monogram’s “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” Charles Brokaw is seen as Oakhurst, the gambler, Owen Davis, Jr., plays young Davy ond Elsie is enacted by Joan WoodI. V. Willat directed. CAST DAVY... OWEN DAVIS, JR. ELSIE... JOAN WOODBURY OAKHURST... Charles Brokaw JUDGE BRANDT... Ferris Taylor YUBA BIL. Bob Kortman SANDY... Charles King, Jr. KENTUCK . Byron Foulger Perla Robert McKenzie SO OL EP I APP | LOVE FINDS A WAY | Owen Davis, Jr., and Joan Wood bury are seen in the lead:ng role in “Luck of Roaring Camp” opening Seen ee AE TC rccscmemerinneel heatre. This film version of Bret Harte’s immortal story of love and adventure has captured the glamour and gayety of the fabulous era of the 1850’s One Col. Cut or Mat No. 3 Bret Hart’s Epic Of Gold Rush On... Screen Early pages of California history as written by the tamous author, oret tiarte, are brought to life in -he Monogram production, ‘fhe uuck of Koaring Camp” due: AL then uea gene ea es Theatre. Depicting the discovery of gold on the west coast, this story wnich contains educational value as well as entertainment assets, tells the story of how a young baby whose mother dies at childbirth brings luck to.an old deserted mining camp. Monogram actually used three large ranches to fulfill the demand for space for the picture. A pure coincidence, the exteriors were made in Newhall, California, where gold first established this town. The immortal characters which have grown famous in -Harte’s noted stories including Kentuck, Oakhurst, the gambler, Yuba Bill, Davy and many others are seen in Monogram’ s “The Luck of Roaring Camp.” Containing all the thrills, pathos and drama that the noted Californian is famous for, the story takes place in the Mother Lode district in 1851. The cast is headed by Owen Davis, Jr., Joan Woodbury and Charles Brokaw. Others playing prominent parts include Ferris Taylor, Bob Kortman, Charles King. Jr., Byron Foulger and Robert McKenzie. I. V. Willat directed from the screenplay by Harvey Gates.