Taming of the Shrew (United Artists) (1929)

MARY PICKFORD and DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS Advance Stories and Shorts CO-STARRING IN THE GREATEST OF ALL-TALKING COMEDIES Wives Learn Technique From“Taming of Shrew 99 Advice to wives: If you want to know how to handle your husbands, see “Taming of the Shrew.” Advice to husbands: If you want t° know how to handle your wives, see “Taming of the Shrew.” For crammed to the brim with good or not so good—matrimonial panaceas is the glorious comedy of William Shakespeare’s which is to open at the . Theatre next . for a run of •. days. And, also, it is the vehicle which brings Mary Pick- ford and Douglas Fairbanks to the screen for the first time as co-stars. "Taming of the Shrew” is the story of Katherine (Miss Pickford), the most spiteful girl in Padua, and with a temper that would make Vesuvius seem docile as a lamb. Petruchio (Douglas Fairbanks) un¬ dertakes to tame her, the first step in his contemplated plan being mar¬ riage, followed by a routine identical in method to the one utilized by the storming Kate. All of which gives rise to ^ a series of situations which make Taming of the Shrew” one grand laugh from beginning to end. Included are many bits of ad¬ vice which may—or may not—be adopted by husbands and wives on their erring spouses. As the beautiful but tempera¬ mental Katherine, Miss Pickford ap¬ pears before motion picture audi¬ ences in an entirely new and strik- ing ^role. She startled her followers in “Coquette” by a transformation from the "little-girl,” “golden-curl,” type of role to that of a sophisti¬ cated* grown up but as The Shrew she reaches the heights in a de¬ cidedly different characterization, establishing herself beyond doubt as the screen’s greatest comedienne. Fairbanks, of course, is outstanding in his favorite type of role—that of the swaggering, conceited, lovable Petruchio. Plant These Shorts in Your Newspapers and Programs; They Help Sell Your Show MARY PICKFORD s-DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS in'TAMING OF THE SHREW" 5 —Two Col. Scene (Mat 10c; Cut 50c) MARY AND DOUG IN TAMING OF SHREW‘ With his adaptation, in which not one bit of the glorious Shakespear¬ ean dialogue has been sacrificed when in keeping with the fast- moving comedy, Director Sam Tay¬ lor has re-told the story with the deftness so characteristic of his work with Miss Pickford in the never-to-be-forgotten “Coquette.” Those of the featured supporting cast who assist Miss Pickford and Mr. Fairbanks in “Taming of the Shrew” are Joseph Cawthorn, as Gremio; Edwin Maxwell as Baptista; Geoffrey Wardwell as Hortensio; Dorothy Jordan, as Bianca, and Clyde Cook as the comical servant, Grumio. MARYPICKFORD s-DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS in'TAMING OF THE SHREW" 8—One Col. Scene (Mat 05c; Cut 30c) Side-Splitting Comedy Mary and Doug’s Newest Mary Pickford and Douglas Fair¬ banks are together on the screen for the first time in “Taming of the Shrew,” the uproarious talking pic¬ ture version of Shakespeare’s comedy sensation which comes to the. Theatre on.Every line of dialogue used in the picture stands as written by the Bard him¬ self. As directed by Sam Taylor, maker of Harold Lloyd’s greatest comedies including "Girl Shy” and "Safety Last,” this tale of a lovely young spitfire tamed by a daredevilish young love-maker, is a deluge of laughs from start to finish. Doug storming through high society in a tramp outfit on his wedding day and with his bride bolting from the mar¬ riage feast in a driving rain are but two of a host of side-splitting situa¬ tions. A cast of stage notables appear in support of the stars. He broke a woman’s will with a crack of his whip. He wooed and won in a single day. He munched an apple at his wed¬ ding. His honeymoon was a journey ii the rain. He called the sun the moon, and— He got away with it. They called him mad Petruchio, this arrogant, swaggering, handsome gentleman of Verona whose repartee flashed like sunlight on a sword blade; whose boisterous laughter drowned the venomous onslaughts of a woman’s tongue and whose methods in love were merciless as a bludgeon. They shook with terror and stood aghast when he dared face the spitfire Katherine, the vixen of Padua, whose tempestuousness had forced the hasty withdrawal and complete routing of many a brave comrade. They were dazed when he forced the wedding ceremony to wait his bidding, and stood amazed when he carried off his bride on a pack horse while she, the one who had never been conquered, fumed and ranted, helpless in his grasp. To her-sharp retorts, he had one sharper. Her whip, which had lashed the back of many a suitor, looked small and puny when compared to his blacksnake, and if she hurled a kettle he hurled a pot. Thus, Petruchio, mad Petruchio, tamed the beautiful shrew, Katherine, and turned her from a hurricane into a gentle zephyr. But DID he? Just how smart was this irresistible demon whose cock¬ sure method put the she-devil in her place? Just how many times did the new, demure Katherine smile shyly to herself when obeying her hus¬ band’s bellowed commands? Was the she-devil tamed or did she with coy diplomacy turn the tables on her bel¬ ligerent spouse? These are the questions answered by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fai: banks in “Taming of the Shrew,” which comes to the screen of the .Theatre next week as the first co-starring vehicle fo: “America’s Sweetheart” and hei famous husband. These are the ques¬ tions propounded by William Shake¬ speare when he wrote the glorious comedy which has come finally to motion pictures after four centuries of success on the legitimate stage. The first co-starring production for the players finds Miss Pickford in an entirely new role while Petruchio is the same Fairbanks as of old. In her first costume play since the never-to-be forgotten “Dorothy Ver¬ non of Haddon Hall,” Miss Pickford, as Katherine, adds a characterization to her long list of successes which differs radically from the new Mary Pickford, born with the release of “Coquette.” But here again she dem¬ onstrates that she is without question the greatest emotional actress on the screen today. “Taming of the Shrew” is an all- talking picture, brought to the screen as a Sam Taylor Production. Every bit of the dialogue spoken in the film was taken from the original Shakespeare and every bit of atmos¬ phere, from the characters to the sets, is in keeping with the customs of the fifteenth century. Among the players who support the stars in "Taming of the Shrew” are Dorothy Jordan, as Bianca; Joseph Cawthorn, as Gremio; Edwin Maxwell, as Baptista; Clyde Cook, as Grumio, and Geoffrey Wardwell as Hortensio. MARY AND DOUG AT ODDS IN NEW FILM She put the boy friends on the lam with her tongue. She ruled the roost through a good aim with a stool. She slugged her old man. She socked her sister on the chin. She had the servants punch-drunk. She was catch-as-catch-can cham¬ pion— Until a mere man gave her the count. As Kate in “Taming of the Shrew,” Shakespeare’s little yarn about making the home a madhouse, Mary Pickford simply has a swell time raising the devil. The skirt has looks, in fact she’s a darb, but her disposition went sour about the time she was born. Her old gent’s got dough, too, a lot of it, but Kate pulls every trick in the deck trying to keep the boys from dragging her off to be spliced. Then Douglas Fairbanks, as Petru¬ chio, comes along. What that guy doesn t do isn’t worth worrying about. Before Kate can let go with a left hook she’s groggy. Petruchio’s too much for her and she wakes up to find this fast-working bird her husband. She’s so sore she lets fly with everything in the bag. And Petruchio only laughs. What are you going to do with a guy like that? Finally he gets fed up on her tan¬ trums and shoots a few himself. In the last round he thinks he’s got her licked and takes down his guard. Well, the decision’s up to you. Shakespeare had a great idea when he wrote “Taming of the Shrew.” He wanted to clutter up the aisles of theatres with guys rolling out of their seats. Giggles don’t count. And Sam Taylor, a bozo who is usually pic¬ tured in puttees and horn-rims for the comic sheets, had the same idea when they told him he was to direct the screen version of this big yell. Sam smirked at the artists. He didn’t put on puttees, nor did he put on the plate gladd. But, anyway, he sets out to work with a great, big feather. That’s to tickle your funny bone. If you don’t laugh at Miss Pickford and Mr. Fairbanks in “Tam¬ ing of the Shrew,” which comes to the. Theatre next. Taylor’ll leave Hollywood for good. Then just in case the stars weren’t going to give you a barrel of chuckles themselves, they roamed out around Hollywood Boulevard and persuaded some other acting ladies and gents to play with ’em. They got some slick playmates. There’s Joseph Cawthorn. Ask Mother and Dad how he used to panic ’em in musical comedy. And Edwin Maxwell, who takes plenty on the chin as Kate’s father. Geoffrey Wardwell tries some funny stuff and is cracked over the dome with a lute. Clyde Cook doesn't know what to make of the whole affair but he’s game. And then there’s little Doro¬ thy Jordan. Well, she takes a beat¬ ing too. And she’s so pretty you’ll want to eat her. One habit c<$uld not be broken by Douglas Fairbanks during the filming of “Taming of the Shrew,” which brings the athletic star and his famous wife Mary Pickford to the screen for the first time as co- stars. This was the inevitable apology offered by Doug to the mic¬ rophones whenever a mistaked oc¬ curred during the action. “Pardon,” would be the word of the star as he doffed his hat to the silent but sen¬ sitive mechanism. “Taming of the Shrew” is the attraction at the .Theatre this week. Three applications of light powder were used on Douglas Fairbanks’ (? ce obtain the correct lightening ‘‘tone’’ during the filming of Taming of the Shrew” which comes to the .. Theatre next week as the first co-starring vehicle for Mary Pickford and her famous husband. Fairbanks was forced to lighten up his face because of the mahogany brown taken on by the star through sun baths be¬ fore work on the production was started under the direction of Di¬ rector Sam Taylor. Spending most of their time wrapped in blankets over a period of three days was the experience of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fair¬ banks while filming “Taming of the Shrew” which is to bring the popu¬ lar stars to the screen together for the first time. The taking of one of the scenes in the Shakespearean comedy made it necessary for Mary and Doug to wallow in mud and rain. While the cameras were be¬ ing lined up for the new scenes, both remained under blankets sip¬ ping hot coffee. “Taming of the Shrew, directed by Sam Taylor, comes to the . Theatre The entire gauntlet of fifteenth century costumes was run by Doug¬ las Fairbanks in “Taming of the Shrew,” Shakespeare’s comedy which brings the athletic star and his wife, Mary Pickford, to the screen for the first time as co-stars. From the rags of a beggar to the ermine-trimmed robes of a lord was the sartorial feat of Fairbanks in the glorious farce which is coming to the.Theatre next week. Sam Taylor, who directed the screen version of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew,” coming to the.Theatre next week as the first co-starring production for Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, broke into the movies as a scenarist. He spent six years in this division of motion picture work before being offered a directorial position. One of the most important prop¬ erties used by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks during the film¬ ing of “Taming of the Shrew,” Shakespeare’s glorious comedy which comes to the . Theatre . will never be seen on the screen. It was a captive balloon, suspended high in the air above the studio in Hollywood, which served as a warning to aviators while the exteriors were being photographed. All fliers were asked to remain at least one mile from the studio so that the roar of their motors would not be picked up by the mic phones. Every costume worn by the play- 3 in “Taming of the Shrew,” Mary Pickford’s and Douglas Fair¬ banks’ first co-starring vehicle which comes to the screen of the . Theatre next week was designed, cut and individually fitted by members at the wardrobe department of the Pickford-Fair- banks studio in Hollywood. Eighty- four costumes were turned out in one day by a special staff of work¬ ers. What is thought to be a world’s record in the standing broad jump was established by Joseph Cawthorn, who plays the role of Gremio in Taming of the Shrew,” which comes to the . Theatre soon and co-stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. During the filming of the Sam Taylor produc¬ tion, Cawthorn made a leap of 10 feet, six inches. But the reason the record was not allowed was because Cawthorn had been given the im¬ petus of an electric shock through wiring placed in his portable set chair by the playful Douglas. A corps of three attendants work¬ ing as wardrobe mistresses were at the side of Mary Pickford every minute during the filming of Wil¬ liam Shakespeare’s comedy, "Taming of the Shrew,” which brings “America’s Sweetheart” and her husband Douglas Fairbanks to the . Theatre as co-stars next.Miss Pickford, as the stormy Katherine, was forced to utilize the services of the attendants in repairing gowns torn and ripped in tussels with the energetic Fair¬ banks. — Clyde Cook, who is Douglas Fair¬ banks’ faithful and comical servant Grumio, in “Taming of the Shrew,” coming to the.Theatre on.began his stage career at the age of six. He toured the world three times before enter¬ ing motion pictures. Douglas Fairbanks is perhaps the only man in the world who could eat an apple at his own wedding ceremony and get away with it. But that is exactly what happens in “Taming of the Shrew” which brings Fairbanks and Mary Pickford to the screen of the . Theatre next. How Miss Pickford, as the stormy Kath¬ erine, accepts this action is one of the highlights of the glorious Shakespearean comedy. Certainly they had barber shops in the fifteenth century I And an ex¬ act reproduction of a tonsorial par¬ lor was built for a street scene in “Taming of the Shrew,” Shakes¬ peare’s glorious comedy, which comes to the . Theatre next . as the first co- starring vehicle for Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. The athletic star, however, passed up the antique equipment for the more modern conveniences afforded by the barber shop in his dressing room. You will see the same Douglas Fairbanks as of old in “Taming of the Shrew,” Shakespeare’s comedy which brings the athletic star and his famous wife, Mary Pickford, to the screen at the.The¬ atre next.He makes a leap of thirty feet in the opening scene and never slows down until the final fade out. The sensitive microphones picked up everything but a thought on the motion picture sound stages during the filming of “Taming of the Shrew,” causing considerable an¬ noyance to the technical staff of the Pickford-Fairbanks company. Dur¬ ing the earlier scenes of the William Shakespeare comedy, the energetic Doug, accustomed to clattering through silent versions, nearly wrecked the recording apparatus. Because of this an entire stairway was boxed in and filled with sawdust to deaden Fairbanks’ foot falls. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fair¬ banks will be seen as co-stars in “Taming of the Shrew” which opens at the.Theatre. Three veterans of the legitimate stage make their screen debut in support of Mary Pickford and Doug¬ las Fairbanks in “Taming of the Shrew,” which is the next attrac¬ tion of the.Theatre. The featured players are Edwin Maxwell, playing Baptista; Dorothy Jordan, playing Bianca, and Geoffrey Wardwell in the role of Hortensio. MARY PICKFORDs- DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS in*TAMI NG OF THE SHREW" 4—Two Col. Scene (Mat 10c.; Cut 50c)