Undercover Agent (Monogram) (1939)

EN 3 ' t ' ' t t t t Sle Neg 8 & Bill Trent. RUSSELL GLEASON Betty Madison . SHIRLEY DEANE Tom Madison (Pop) J. M. Kerrigan Mrs. Minnow....Maude Eburne Pat Murphy........ Oscar O’Shea Graham. ............. Selmer Jackson Bartepy te eena Ralf Harolde Pussyioot...004 5. Ray Bennett Joe Blake... Ralph Sanford <~Se <e e << ~B=e OE Se <P SO -—<—P -— : i —S << -> — -—».— 2s -— | IN LOCAL MOVIE fe The sweet couple who carry the romantic interest in the ............... theatre’s “Undercover Agent,” are Russell Gleason and Shirley Deane, two of Hollywood’s most promising youngsters. One Col. Cut or Mat No. 1 Martin Mooney Jailed For Racket Expose Stories Author of ‘“‘Undercover Agent’’ at Theatre Once Imprisoned For Refusing To Divulge Source of Information em If there is any author in Hollywood qualified to write of the inner workings of rackets, its Martin Mooney, ex-newspaperman. Mooney’s latest motion picture expose is that of the sweepstakes ticket racket. This forms the basis of a thrilling plot in Monogram’s “Undercover Agent” due atethe <222 2 theatre with Russell Gleason and _ Shirley Deane in the leading roles. Mooney has been a reporter for more than 20 years, winning his fame as an expert on crime stories with the Hearst papers. While with the New York American, he was indirectly responsible for the appointment of Thomas E. Dewey as special prosecutor of racketeers. Mooney wrote a series of 16 stories on rackets and so roused public indignation that William Dodge was ousted and Dewey appointed. Mooney was once jailed in New York for contempt of court because he would not reveal the sources of startling information he published in a series of articles on graft. Mooney is an authority on prisons, having visited, voluntarily, most of the larger ones in the country. He still maintains a large correspondence with ex-convicts and is one of the very few men who has ever been able to keep on good terms with both cops and cons at the same time. Mooney is also the only civilian who has ever gone through the G-man school in Washington as a student; he wrote a series of syndicated articles on the courses for the Hearst papers. One of his closest friends is Edgar Hoover. Others in the cast of “Undercover Agent,” besides Gleason and Miss Deane, are J. M. Kerrigan, Maude Eburne, Oscar O’Shea, Selmer Jackson, Ralf Harolde and Ray Bennett. Howard Bretherton directed from the screenplay by Milton Raison. E. B. Derr produced with Frank Melford associate producer. UNDERCOVER AGENTS ON SPOT Gangdom puts the ‘heat” on Russell Gleason and Shirley Deane in “Under cover Agent” at the theatre when the two youngsters uncover a phoney sweepstakes racket, robbing the public of millions yearly. Two Col. Cut or Mat No. 3 Famous Married Couple Seen In “Undercover Agent te The world’s most famous young married couple were unmarried by Monogram for the film “Undercover Agent,” which is now showing at the <a oases theatre. These two are Shirley Deane and Russell Gleason, the newlyweds in the famous “Jones Family” series. Shirley and Russ were married in about the third Jones Family picture, and have since had a child and their share of domestic troubles. But the leads in “Undercover Agent,” which is the thrilling story of the Post Office’s pursuit of a gang of counterfeiters, are not yet married, although they are engaged, so Monogram, when Shirley Deane and Russ Gleason were cast in these roles, had to “divorce” them. Shirley says that it seems funny to be merely engaged to Russ, for they have made over ten pictures together as Bonnie Jones Thompson and Herbert Thompson, daughter and son-inlaw of Father Jones in America’s much loved family series. In “Undercover Agent” Russell Gleason plays the part of a young postal inspector, suspended from the service for illegally using his service gun, and who spends this free time tracking down) a gang of counterfeiters who are using the mails to defraud. Shirley is seen as the girl who loves him, innocently working for the head of the gang her fiance intends to put behind bars. Others in the cast include Maude Eburne, Oscar O’Shea, J. M. Kerrigan, Ralf Harolde, and Selmer Jackson. Howard Bretherton directed from the screenplay by Milton Raison. “Undercover Agent” is an E. Derr production. EN” Tre Tg IP eo a Favorite sport of Russell Gleason, who plays the male lead in Monogram’s “Undercover Agent’ at the theatre, is tennis. Shirley Deane has the feminine role in this E. B. Derr production. B. Russell Gleason, seen in Monogram’s “Undercover Agent” at the .......... theatre, is the son of the noted stage and screen stars, Jimmy and Lucille Gleason. Before coming to Hollywood several years ago, Ralf Harolde was one of Broadway's top stage stars. Harolde is currently seen in Monogram’s ‘Undercover Agent” at the Pretty Shirley Deane, who plays the feminine lead in Monogram’s ‘'Undercover: Agent at the 000.5... theatre, was born in San Francisco. Russell Gleason has the male lead in this story of the sweepstake ticket racket. Howard Bretherton directed. According to various Hollywood sound engineers, Ralf Harolde has one of the best recording voices in the cinema capitol. Harolde is currently seen in Monogram’s ‘Undercover Agent’ ‘at the io ces theatre. Producer Fetes Film Cast At Nightly Dinners oe Dinner on the set every night for the cast, crew, and their friends is the policy of E. B. Derr, producer of Monogram’s “Undercover Agent,” now abet we ae as theatre. One amusing hour and a half resulted when Russell Gleason, star of ihe film, brought his mother and father, James Gleason and Lucille Gleason, over for dinner, and the three Gleasons entertained with impromptu songs and a dance routine. In fact, the evening threatened to turn into a party instead of a work night, for other members of the cast also contributed their services, with Shirley Deane, who has the feminine lead, demonstrating a new dance step she originated, and Maude Eburne, the old trouper who plays the comical landlady in “Undercover Agent,” singing a few old favorites she introduced on the stage. “Undercover Agent” is the story of the Post Office’s war against using the mails to defraud. It was directed by Howard Bretherton, from the screenplay by Milton Raison. | movie clique is presumed to possess, WHE §& TO IR VY B" Trent (Russell Gleason) mail clerk, is engaged to Betty Madison (Shirley Deane), who works as hat check girl in the bookie joint belonging to Bartel (Ralf Harolde). Bill and Betty are very much in love, but haven’t enough money to marry, as Pop Madison (J. M. Kerrigan) drinks up most of Betty’s salary. Bill takes the examination for postal inspector, passes, and is put on the preferred list. But he loses his appointment when he prevents a holdup with his service gun, which he is not supposed to be carrying after hours. Bartel decides to print counterfeit sweepstakes tickets and sell them, with receipts coming from France. The postal authorities suspect a fraud but have no proof. When Pop Madison gets some to sell, making easy commissions, Bill suspects Bartel, and asks Postal Inspector Graham (Selmer Jackson) if he can’t help. Bill and Betty quarrel over Bestty’s working for Bartel, and over Bill's presence in the bookie joint, where he made a scene to collect necessary evidence. When Pop finds out that his sweepstakes tickets are fakes, and that all his friends have been victimized, he goes to have a showdown with Bartel. Bill gets wind of it and notifies Graham that he has positive proof as to the identity of the man using the mails to defraud. He and Betty go to rescue Pop, who has been kidnapped by Bartel’s gang. When Bill arrives, he and Pop corner the gang, and the postal authorities and police arrive to round them up. Bill gets his coveted appointment as postal inspector, and he and Betty are free to marry, cs Pep is also given a job. FILM EXTRAS DISCLOSE PET PEEVES & LIKES In a questionaire distributed amongst more than 100 extras working in Monogram’s “Undercover Agent,” now playing at the.......... theatre, it was revealed that, despite the alleged sophistication the Hollywood IN AOVE —a the answers proved quite normal. Clark Gable and Shirley Temple were voted the two favorite movie stars; most popular politician proved to be Thomas E. Dewey, fiery New York prosecutor; practically every extra confessed that he, if unmarried, would rather have connubial bliss and children; the feminine extras decided married life was better than being single. The extras were unanimous in their preference of a vocation or, in other words, they were satisfied in doing what they were doing, all hoping for the big break. Favorite playwrights were George Bernard Shaw and Eugene O'Neill, and top novelists were Louis Bromfield and Damon Runyon. More than 70 per-cent liked California with the remaining 30 per-cent showing a preference to New York or the New England states. “Undercover Agent” is the thrilling story of the sweepstakes ticket racket. Russell Gleason and Shirley Deane, the romantic team of the “Jones Family” series, have the leading roles in this Monogram feature produced by E. B. Derr with Frank Melford associate producer. Others in the cast include J. M. Kerrigan, Maude Eburne, Oscar O’Shea, Selmer Jackson, Ralf Harolde and Ray Bennett. Howard Bretherton directed from the screenplay by Milton Raison. Original story was written by Martin Mooney. OLD HOME WEEK ON MOVIE SET ae Cupid seems to have scored with both Russell Gleason and Shirley Deane in “Undercover Agent” at the........... theatre. The Monogram film is an expose of the sweepstakes racket. One Col. Cut or Mat No. 2 — ~~ i> <> <> —_—> — > CREDITS Produced by E. B. DERR Producer FRANK MELFORD Associate It was old home week on the Monogram lot during the making of “Undercover Agent,” now at the ........... theatre. In the first place, Shirley Deane and Russell Gleason, stars of the picture, have worked together many times before, as they are the young newlyweds in the “Jones Family” series. Then Maude Eburne, who is the comical landlady in “Undercover Agent,” discovered that she and J. M. Kerrigan, who plays Shirley Deane’s father, used to play on the same bill in vaudeville days. Then another old timer, Oscar O’Shea, presented himself to producer E. B. Derr, stating that his first picture, way back in 1929, was made under the Derr banner. “Undercover Agent” is the story of a young postal inspector who tracks Directed by HOWARD BRETHERTON Original story by MARTIN MOONEY Screenplay by MILTON RAISON Photographed by ARTHUR MARTINELLI (io > <> — -»—> — —> »— ws ws ws ws ws] 4 en i ee ee i: own a gang of counterfeiters singleSound by handed. Martin Mooney wrote the original L. JOHN MYERS story, with screenplay by Milton Raison. > — ©. <— <— —