Kiki (United Artists) (1931)

GENERAL ADVANCE STORIES BARNSTORMING TO WORLD WIDE FAME MARY PICKFORD'S CAREER IN REVIEW How America’s Sweetheart Won Her Way to Phenomenal Success and a Place in the Hearts of All People It has gradually dawned upon the motion picture public that "America’s Sweetheart” is really a great dramatic artist. From curls to coiffure Mary Pickford has always been the screen symbol of romantic girlhood. Her naturalness caused some people to take her for granted, with no consideration for the magnificent spark of talent back of her difficult characterizations. PICKFORD IN "KIKI” PLAYS MADCAP ROLE Mary Pickford has returned to the madcap, spitfire type of characterization that made her famous. The millions who have loved her in harum-scarum roles will next see her as the hoyden, "Kiki,” in her new United Artists picture, a Sam Taylor production, which comes to the ... Theatre . Taylor, who adapted and directed his production, engaged Earle Browne as his assistant dramauc director. Walter Mayo was his regular production assistant: Both Browne and Mayo have acted in similar capacities for Taylor in a number of pictures. Karl Struss headed the camera battery. Reginald Denny is Miss Pickford’s leading man. His latest appearances were in "Madam Satan” and "Three French Girls.” Lavish sets of modern New York were created by William Cameron Menzies, supervising art director for "Kiki.” MARY PICKFORD COMING IN "KIKI” FAMOUS STAR. ENJOYS MADCAP ROLE Play Concerns Glamorous Adventures of Lovable, Harum-Scarum Girl Who "Gets Her Man” To "America’s Sweetheart” herself is due the choice of the international stage success "Kiki” as her latest United Artists screen offering which comes to the...Theatre... It has been said "that from curls to coiffure,” in other words, in any of her many roles, "Mary Pickford has always been the screen symbol of romantic girlhood.” Tiring of the stiff formalities of society conventions as represented by so many screen stories, the famous star searched the whole world of plays for a central figure that would enable her to play On the screen she can be as demure as a maiden at prayer ... or as delightfully rowdy as an alley madcap. She is capable of great intensity or restraint, of rollick¬ ing humor or drawing room poise. In her new picture, "Kiki,” which | comes to the.Theatre on ...., she becomes the hoyden with a primitive determination to get the man she loves. The characterization calls for bizarre apparel, outlandish man¬ ners, and an astonishing impulsiveness in every action. This portrayal, in a Sam Taylor pro¬ duction for United Artists, is in contrast to her recent vehicles which included "My Best Girl,” "Coquette,” and "Tam¬ ing of the Shrew.” It goes back to the harum-scarum roles that brought her early fame. Miss Pickford was born in Toronto, Canada, and began her stage career in that city at the age of five with the Val¬ entine Stock Company. At eight she was a featured player and had toured in the play "In Convict’s Stripes.” A year later she was starred in "The. Fatal Wedding.” When she was thirteen she played with Chauncey Olcott. Her real name was Gladys Smith and every member of her small family was a «== 2 ££puper, including her mother, her sister, Lottie, and her brother, Jack. It was David Belasco who christened her Mary Pickford. This was after she had played a season in melodrama in the old Thalia Theatre on the Bowery, and, in despera¬ tion to get on Broadway had braved her way in to see the distinguished producer. Belasco, charmed by her beauty and impressed by her determination, gave her a chance in "The Warrens of Virginia.” She originated the role of Betty Warren. Her first screen work resulted from a visit to the old Biograph Studios, where she happened to meet D. W. Griffith. He hired her on sight and her first film ap¬ pearance was in a 500-foot picture called "Her First Biscuits,” in which Florence Lawrence and William Courtwright ap¬ peared. Three days later she was given the leading role in "The Violin Maker of Cremona,” a one-reeler. After two years on the screen Belasco persuaded her to return to the stage in "A Good Little Devil.” In the spring of 1913 she filmed the play for Famous Players. Following this she became phenomenally popular in pictures. In 1915 she was vice-president of the Mary Pickford-Famous Players Company, earning an amazing salary and sharing in the profits of the company. A year later her own organization was formed. Two years later she became an independent producer, making pictures for release through First National. Early in 1919 she became one of the organizers of United Artists Corporation, the other members being Charles Chaplin, Doug¬ las Fairbanks and David Wark Griffith. This organization, headed by Joseph M. Schenck, still releases her pictures. Her first talking picture was "Co¬ quette,” which brought into play her years of stage experience and proved a tremendous success. Her second was "The Taming of the Shrew,” the only film in which she has co-starred with her husband, Douglas Fairbanks. Miss Pickford and Fairbanks were mar¬ ried March 28, 1920, and together they have done much to heighten the respect of the public for the film industry. Extraordinary tributes have been paid to Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in their travels around the world. The greatest tribute, however, has come from the people of the United States. Some years ago Sidney Grauman, father of the famous Pacific Coast showman, called her “America’s Sweetheart.” The title has become her national nickname. PICKFORD’S STAGE RETURN DENIED Screen Demands Will Keep Star Engaged in Talkers Mary Pickford has definitely aban¬ doned plans to return to the stage. This was announced recently follow¬ ing a conference with Joseph M. Schenck, head of United Artists. "There is an unprecedented demand for pictures starring Miss Pickford,” said Mr. Schenck. "I have strongly urged her to continue making films. The bookings for her new picture, ’Kiki,’ are of record proportions, even surpassing ’Coquette’.” Miss Pickford stated that following “Kiki,” a Sam Taylor production which comes to the.... Theatre ....., she will return to her status as a producer-star for United Art¬ ists, heading her own production unit and making two pictures annually. The only possibility of stage activity on her part will be in connection with the Motion Picture Relief Fund. Reginald Denny plays opposite the star in "Kiki.” "KIKI” PLAYER IS A WORLD ROVER Fred Walton, who used to be known to his friends as "the globe-trotting actor,” plays a character role in Mary Pickford’s new United Artists picture, "Kiki,” which comes to the... Theatre. Having remained in Hollywood for six years, Walton figures that his roam¬ ing days are over. Prior to adopting a film career Walton appeared in the leading theatres of En¬ gland, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the United States. APPLAUSE WELCOME TO ALL ACTORS Screen artists, as well as those of the stage, like to be applauded for their ef¬ forts, according to Mary Pickford, whose latest vehicle, "Kiki,” a Sam Taylor pro¬ duction, comes to the . Theatre on . "We who pursue the art that seeks to represent life,” she says, "long to be ap¬ preciated and admired for our talents and I claim no sham modesty in this respect. "One occasion was on a trip to Russia with my husband, Douglas Fairbanks. We were given a magnificent reception and after three teas and five luncheons I was ready to faint with exhaustion. The crowds massed in front of our hotel and clamored for Doug. He performed ath¬ letic stunts on the balcony. It was seven o’clock in the morning. Police on horse¬ back charged the crowds and failed to disperse them. They began to shout for me. Douglas, with the aid of an interpre¬ ter, explained to them that I was ill. Those thousands of Russians became in¬ stantly quiet. They went through the mo¬ tions of applauding—without touching the palms of their hands! "The ovation given us in England was also tremendously thrilling, but a really spectacular thing happened in Berlin. When we appeared in a theatre where they were showing "Annie Rooney,” the audience stood and the orchestra played "The Star Spangled Banner,” the first time a German orchestra had sounded the American anthem since the war. Tears came to my eyes. I realized then, as I have many times in foreign places, that the applause was a tribute to the Ameri¬ can motion picture industry, of which I was, at the moment, a symbol.” PICKFORD’S "KIKI” HER GREATEST ROLE Mary Pickford’s new picture for United Artists, based on the successful stage play, "Kiki,” was adapted for the screen by Sam Taylor, director-producer. Taylor wrote the screen version, aided in the comedy construction by John Gray. Taylor adapted and directed Norma Tal- madge’s latest starring vehicle, "Du Barry,” Miss Pickford’s two recent favor¬ ites, "My Best Girl” and "Coquette,” and also "The Taming of the Shrew,” co- starring Miss Pickford and Douglas Fair¬ banks. "Kiki,” which comes to the... Theatre on........... was an inter¬ national stage success. As a dialogue ve¬ hicle for Miss Pickford, it has been given an elaborate presentation by the Joseph M. Schenck organization. The cast was chosen carefully from the ranks of the premiere players of screen and stage with Reginald Denny in the masculine lead. Certain changes calculated to fit the star’s individual personality were made in the story. The title role played by Miss Pickford is that of the street gamin who aspires to be an actress and a "great lady.” A section of a city, complete with buildings and streets, was duplicated by art directors and artisans on the huge acreage at United Artists’ studios in Hollywood for the Sam Taylor produc¬ tion. Novel Sets in "Kiki” New ideas in furniture, including many novel pieces, have been created for Mary Pickford’s latest picture, "Kiki,” which comes to the. Theatre. A circular divan upholstered in ma¬ roon leather is one of the striking ar¬ ticles used by Miss Pickford. It makes an ideal lovers’ seat. One of the props used in the production is a gigantic head of Napoleon. It was sculptured by Wil¬ liam Cameron Menzies, supervising art director, and stands nearly six feet high. Reginald Denny, leading man, has a bachelor suite in the picture that would delight a millionaire clubman. her earliest type of role, that of a lovable, mischievous madcap, hoydenish, roguish, brimming over with energy, love and de¬ termined to "get her man.” That Kiki represents a harum-scarum, gamin-like imp, who aspires to be a great lady, a great actress, and to win the heart of the manager of the company in which she has a small part, is but the barest indication, a slight sketch, of the full- length portrait of Kiki that Miss Pick¬ ford has added to her gallery of charming heroines. The famous play, as adapted by Sam Taylor, celebrated as a screen writer and director of the star in "My Best Girl," "Coquette” and "Taming of the Shrew,” in which "Doug” and Mary co-starred, is great fun, and swift and sparkling enter¬ tainment. "Kiki” is a vehicle for laugh¬ ter. No matter how serious the situation may be for the characters involved, the complications, and the dialogue as well, are always screamingly funny to the audience. The play stands the true test of light comedy in that the situations and comic relief are sustained by a solid ground¬ work of dramatic incident, through which the heart interest runs as a gleaming thread. The settings, comprising among others, a theatre stage and a magnificent private apartment, are luxuriously and lavishly produced from original designs by Wil¬ liam Cameron Menzies, the supervising art director. A perfectly balanced cast of distin¬ guished players has been assembled by Miss Pickford and Director Taylor. It is headed by the popular Reginald Denny, chosen from among a score of Holly¬ wood’s leading men, as the ideal type of romantic and engaging personality to portray Kiki’s hero. He plays the com¬ pany. manager upon whom the madcap’s heart is set. Margaret Livingston, Titian - haired beauty of "Innocents of Paris,” is cast as Kiki’s rival. Joseph Cawthorn, celebrated musical comedy star, has a mad wag character role, and other important parts are taken by Fred Walton, Phil Tead and Edwin Maxwell. An unusual ensemble, in ability, experience and previous ac¬ complishments. Kiki’s bizarre ideas of costume and correct behavior contribute much hilarity, and the feminine members of the ' play within a play are gorgeously gowned un¬ der Miss Pickford’s personal supervision. From all advance notices, America’s Sweetheart may well look forward to an¬ other glorious screen triumph. 13 —Two Col. Scene (Mat .10c; Cut .50c)