It's in the Bag! (United Artists) (1945)

The Inside Story —The Trials And Tribulations of a Comedian “It’s In The Bag” the Jack Skirball production now playing at the.Theatre through United Artists release is Fred Allen’s fourth starring picture. His first film, “Thanks A Million,” was made in 1935. In 1938 he was seen in “Sally, Irene and Mary,” and in 1940 he was co-starred with Jack Benny in “Love Thy Neighbor.” Despite the outstanding suc¬ cess of “It’s In The Bag,” the humorist still contends he prefers radio and writing to making movies. And he prefers living in New York where he and his wife Portland spend about nine months of the year. They spend their summers at their home in Maine, and also maintain a residence near Boston. This artful chap is none other than that master of wit, Fred Allen, whose latest picture “It’s In The Bag” is causing assorted hysteria at the . Theatre through United Artists release. Mr. Allen, missing from the screen for the past four years, has gathered together one of the greatest comedy casts ever assembled for his new picture. Jack Benny, Don Ameche, William Bendix, Victor Moore, Rudy Vallee, Robert Bench- ley, Binnie Barnes and Jerry Colonna make a mirthful crew for a mirth-filled picture. SR—2 Col. Scene (.30) Allen, born John F. Sullivan in 1894, is regarded as one of the best-informed and best-read men in public life, and the country’s fastest “on-the-foot” wit. He has a lai'ge library, which includes a priceless collection of books on humor. He likes to stay at home, reading and writing, prefers sim¬ ple foods, and detests parties. He is rarely seen in a night-club, and attends a theatre or movie about once weekly. He works out regu¬ larly in a gymnasium, at handball and a rowing machine. He does his writing on a type¬ writer, and stylizes his mail by never using capital letters. At the top of his letterheads is Mark Twain’s quip, “I have no respect for a man who can spell a word only one way.” He chews gum constantly, but now complains it is difficult to get. “I had one of my friends drafted so he could keep me supplied,” he said. And again, during production of “It’s In The Bag,” Fred handed his gum to his stand-in before mak¬ ing a scene, and quipped, “Have the still man take a picture of it so I don’t get the M'rong cud back.” He smokes cigars, and claims he broke the Hollywood record for a “fast take” when he made a scene for “It’s In The Bag,” re¬ turned to his set-chair, and his ci¬ gar was still smoking. Allen is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 165 pounds, has blue eyes and blond hair. He is proud of his natural hair, and in ribbing Jack Benny about his toupee while they were filming the Benny sequence of “It’s In The Bag,” Fred said: “I’m about the only actor left in pictures who doesn’t use a hair¬ piece—Caesar Romero better look out.” And then Fred pulled a top¬ per when he reported for the “Gay Nineties Nightclub” sequence. made up for the period, in handle¬ bar moustache and old-fashioned hair-comb. “Look at my hair,” he said to the director, “The make¬ up man had to sit on it to get the part in the middle!” Besides funnymen Allen and Benny, “It’s In The Bag” has the largest comedy cast ever assem¬ bled for a picture. Don Ameche, William Bendix, Victor Moore, Rudy Vallee, Robert Benchley, Bin¬ nie Barnes and Jerry Colonna aid and abet Allen in the general mer¬ riment. Terry Tops Key Scenes When a comparative newcomer on the screen can attract attention in a picture which has such stars as Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Don Ameche, William Bendix, Victor Moore, Rudy Vallee and Robert Benchley, that certain newcomer must have something more than just plain personality. The young newcomer appearing with this stellar aggregation is William Ter¬ ry, a tall, light-haired, smiling chap whose personality-plus domi¬ nates several important scenes of “It’s In The Bag,” the Fred Allen comedy production now at the . Theatre. Teamed romantically with an-- other movie newcomer, the lovely Gloria Pope, Terry delivers one of the most sincere and ingratiating performances witnessed in many seasons. Previously he had scored in “Stage Door Canteen” and “3 Is A Family,” but his role in “It’s In The Bag” will probably be re¬ membered as the springboard to his career in pictures. Binnie Barnes, Jerry Colonna, John Carradine and other favorites are in “It’s In The Bag,” which was produced for United Artists by Jack H. Skirball. The new film, considered an outstanding comedy innovation, was directed by Rich¬ ard Wallace. "Man Who Directed Fred Allen The motion picture director who made “A Night To Remember,” “Bombardier,” “Fallen Sparrow” and “My Kingdom For a Cook,” is currently known in Hollywood as “the man who directed Fred Allen.” The director is Richard Wallace and the Fred Allen picture is “It’s In The Bag” now playing at the . Theatre, through United Artists release. Nearly every top-ranking comedy director in the film capital wanted to direct “It’s In The Bag.” Wallace got the job. In his record of picture successes were comedies, thrillers, action dramas and chillers. The script of “It’s In the Bag” contained all of these elements.’ Wallace, who has been actively identified with picture making ever since the Mack Sennett comedy days, is regarded as one of the most versatile executives in his profes¬ sion. Among his personal ac¬ quaintances were all the stars of ‘Tt’s In The Bag.” He knew Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Don Ameche, William Bendix, Victor Moore, Rudy Vallee and all the others. It is doubtful if any other director could have interpreted the original Fred Allen material more faith¬ fully than Wallace, who always has been one of the radio star’s most ardent admirers. Modestly, Wallace credits much of the success of the picture ito Lewis R. Foster and Allen who did the screen treatment and to Jay Dratler and Alma Reville who wrote the screenplay. Morrie Rys- kind’s contributions, says Wallace, substituted laughs for smiles in many sequences. The famous Wallace technique was unquestionably responsible for the picture’s flawless continuity on the screen. The swift tempo never falters although its comical situa¬ tions range from tragic moments at a flea circus to Allen’s triumph over an underworld killer. And in the cast, talent ranged from such veteran performers as Allen and Jack Benny to Dickie Tyler and Gloria Pope, both youthful new¬ comers. “The man who directed Fred Allen in ‘It’s In The Bag’ ” may well be honored by his Holly¬ wood contemporaries. Produced by Jack H. Skirball for United Artists, the Wallace achievement also has Binnie Barnes, Robert Benchley, Jerry Colonna and a dozen other favorites in its cast. Rudy Vallee Turns Out Full Fledged Comedian Rudy Vallee, who never as¬ pired to be a comedian, turns out to be a full-fledged screen comic in “It’s In The Bag,” the Fred Al¬ len laugh production now playing at the. Theatre through United Artists release. Rudy ap¬ pears as a singing waiter in a quartette which includes Allen, Don Ameche, and Victor Moore. Rudy wears a “gay nineties” han¬ dlebar mustache in the role. The disguise shocked certain of his ad¬ mirers who idolize him as a “croon¬ er.” A majority of his followers, however, will probably say, “we knew he could do it.” Vallee’s appearance as a waiter in the new film reminded him of those early days when he “jerked sodas” at his father’s drug store back in Westbrook, Maine. He still thinks of Maine as his home state although he was born at Island Point, Vermont. Rudy’s career seems to date from his drug store days. It was dur¬ ing that time he decided to study saxaphone playing and joined the local dramatic club. He even or¬ ganized his own orchestra. He has been an orchestra man ever since. Profits from the Vallee or¬ chestras paid his way through col¬ lege at Maine University and Yale. After graduation, Rudy took his orchestra to New York and scored in a leading nightclub. He named his group “The Connecticut Yan¬ kees.” Radio and vaudeville en¬ gagements followed. It was not long until Rudy Vallee stood at the head of his profession and was one of the great figures in the en¬ tertainment world. In Hollywood he scored in sever- Most Unusual OffUe Introduced In Film Most unusual lawyer’s office ever designed for a movie is introduced in Fred Allen’s new comedy hit, “It’s In The Bag,” now playing at the . Theatre. Of circular proportions, and so- called ultra-modernistic Hollywood, its chief features are an ornate desk, flamboyant tapestries and trims, book-filled shelves from floor to ceiling, and a massive pipe-or¬ gan. As bizarre as the setting is the character who holds forth in it— John Carradine, the famous Shake¬ spearean authority and character artist. In the most picturesque imper¬ sonations of his brilliant career, Carradine enacts the role of an unscrupulous attorney and Allen’s nemesis throughout the film. “It’s In The Bag” was produced by Jack H. Skirball for United Art¬ ists, and the all-star cast in addi¬ tion to Allen and Carradine in¬ cludes Jack Benny, Don Ameche, William Bendix, Victor Moore, Rudy Vallee, Binnie Barnes, Rob¬ ert Benchley, Jerry Colonna and Sidney Toler. al pictures, finally moving to the film capital where his radio broad¬ casts now originate. The star’s popularity has never waned. He was one of the first “big names” signed by producer Jack H. Skir¬ ball for a role in the Fred Allen comedy. Other notables in the picture in¬ clude Jack Benny, William Bendix, Binnie Barnes and Jerry Colonna. Allen, who in private life is one of Vallee’s closest friends, created many of the comical situations in the production. Richard Wallace directed. “It’s In The Bag” is a United Artists release. Poke Fun At Movie Woes An amusing satire on wartime moviegoing is one of many hilari¬ ous highlights of Fred Allen’s new starring film, “It’s In The Bag.” The laugh-provoking sequence, which is convulsing audiences at the . Theatre, through United Artists release, occurs when Allen and Binnie Barnes are enticed into an overcrowded movie palace by a curbstone barker whose cry is “immediate seating inside.” The runaround they get from the ushers and attendants inside, and their eventual brush-off by the theatre manager himself, provide accumulative laughter especially titillating to present-day movie¬ goers. Minerva Pious, better known as the famous “Mrs. Nussbaum” oi the Fred Allen radio show makes her first movie appearance in “It’s In The Bag,” the Fred Allen star- rer now showing at the . Theatre through United Artists release. 17A—1 Col. Scene (.15) Mrs. Nussbaum In The Movies The famous “Mrs. Nussbaum,” often heard but never seen, is un¬ veiled for all to see and hear in the new film comedy sensation, “It’s In The Bag.” “Mrs. Nussbaum,” familiar to all radio listeners, has been fea¬ tured for the past decade on the Fred Allen radio programs. And now, for the first time, she brings her effervescent self to the screen—and with Fred Allen. “Mrs. Nussbaum,” playing her¬ self, is the same ebullient personal¬ ity in “It’s In The Bag” as she is on the air, and again is the perfect foil for Allen. Her real name is Minerva Pious, and she made a special trip from New York to Hollywood for her camera debut. Eighteen