The Count of Monte Cristo (United Artists) (1934)

site Cristo” as Your But-L ine CONTESTANTS FIND TITLE 0 Three-Col. Mat l\o. 15 — .15; Cut .60 Here’s a mat for the puzzle-bugs, either as a special insert or imprint sheet from the theatre, or better, published by the newspaper, with the theatre putting up rewards for the most intelligent of movie patrons who contest. One or all of the requirements here may be utilized for testing the fans. The most nearly correct and neatest, signed replies should win recog¬ nition, rather than the first ones sent in, although that, too, may be a re¬ quirement. This contest mat may be planted as an advance bit of ballyhoo, or just as well, current with the picture’s run. Start with one lettered square, move only one square to the right, left, up or down (never diagonally), in one continuous line, and spell the title of a photoplay, so that the four encircled portraits serve as spaces between the words in the picture title. Use no square more than once, and do not retrace path of your line anywhere. Name the four players in the circles. Tell briefly in one line each, what part each of the four locations named lightly on the map, play in the story. Name the author of the original book on which the picture is based. Answers: Start line with T in upper left hand corner; to right one, down one, down one, left one, down one, down one, right one, up one, Rl, Rl, Ul, Ul, Ul, Rl, Rl, Dl, LI, Dl, Rl, Dl, Dl, LI, LI, LI—and you get THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, with star heads for spacers. The four players, starting at top, and then down from left to right, are: Robert Donat, Elissa Landi, Louis Calhern and Sidney Blackmer. Chateau d’lf was the name of the prison to which Edmond Dantes, later the Count of Monte Cristo, was sent. Paris is where he re-meets his sweetheart, and stages his plan of revenge. Isle of Monte Cristo is where he discovers the hidden treasure. Rome is the place where he plots ven¬ geance and meets the son of his former sweetheart. The author of the book is Alexandre Dumas. %e Count of MONT€ CRISTO allows ROBERT DONAT to /make American Debut under most propitious/and auspicious sign . . Popular continental star falls heir to histrionic mantle of James O’Neill Tu,o-Col. Mat No. 17—.10; Cut .40 Robert Donat, sensational young star of England and all Europe, makes his American debut in a talkie that augurs well for a lusty American future. The fortunate star that watches over the Destiny of Donat twinkled over¬ time when it brought him the starring part in the new Reliance feature, “The Count of Monte Cristo,” soon to be released by United Artists, and in which Elissa Landi enacts the feminine lead. That “The Count of Monte Cristo” is entertainment for all, young and old, with undimmed appeal for urban and rural peoples alike, can be unequivocally proven by recalling the universal success of the stage version of this fascinating Alexandre Dumas fiction piece. With all the crude props of a day when the American Theatre was undergoing growing pains, “The Count of Monte Cristo” was a play looked forward to like kids anticipate Christmas; and when an actor like James O’Neill arrived in town for his role of the man who found a fortune, and later turned it to fabulous re¬ venge on his persecutors, he got as much attention as the nation’s President. Tyler’s Advance Days George C. Tyler, press-agent and producer in the days when Cincinnati and Louisville were the sole major league ball teams, when Eugene O’Neill was just a gurgling babe who used to watch his daddy-James’ performance in the arms of his mother from the wings, and when George Bernard Shaw was viewed as a newcomer with possibilities, used to spend his days and nights on the road as an advance man, ogling editors and bill posters into giving plays the space he felt they deserved. SPECIAL ART AVAILABLE IN MAT FORM OR AS 11 x 14 DISPLAY CARD But “The Count of Monte Cristo” was a happy exception. According to Tyler in a recent Saturday Evening Post article, James O’Neill’s “Monte Cristo” was eagerly awaited, and embraced with all the cordial warmth accorded a husky son back to the farm at thresh¬ ing time. Things just naturally came to “Monte Cristo” because everybody wanted it. Joe Jefferson in “Rip Van Winkle,” Denman Thompson in “The Old Homestead,” and Frank Mayo in “Davy Crockett” were the few other plays assured of such response. As a sure draw, “Monte Cristo” came into the classi¬ fication of Buffalo Bill in person with his wild west show. Exceptional Creation Perhaps there is no tangible reason, or set of reasons, for the unprecedented popularity of this great Dumas work. But it does have priceless lines, imaginative ro¬ mance, strong characters, beauty of setting, sustained suspense of plot, elements of surprise and fabulous pro¬ portions, justice triumphs in the climax after undoubt¬ edly being kicked about in the plus-fours for several breathless sequences, and it ends happily. Then, too, it had O’Neill. So the stage that is set for Donat by O’Neill, be¬ comes an alluring and inviting vehicle for the popular young Englishman. It means one thing, that Donat will progress naturally and easily into bigger prominence with American audiences, or that he will fade completely from the American talkie scene; for the story leaves nothing to be desired; Donat as “The Count of Monte Cristo,” in an auspicious vehicle on which production value and time have been spent lavishly, should be tre¬ mendous. Advance reports would indicate that far from being over-touted, Donat embraces his opportunity in full measure, and that his name, as well as the picture, takes rank along with those productions labeled “ex¬ ceptional.” S'