The Devil to Pay (United Artists) (1930)

Feature Stories Editors Welcome Goldwyn Persuades Noted Dramatist to Write Screen Drama Especially for Ronald Colman Frederick Lonsdale Disturbs Producer’s Calm by Leisurely Method of Evolving Story, But Wins Enthusiastic Commendation When Script is Completed; Noted Cast Supports Star One night, a young man walked aimlessly into a London supper club. He was lonesome. There he found a companion, — a man who rebel- liously, belligerently, told him of his family entanglements. The tale was not very enheartening to hear, but to Frederick Lonsdale, listening, it was a play. Out of his night club companion’s confession. Lonsdale wrote “Spring Cleaning,” the play which, he says, gave him “a position in life.” Ever after, meals and food have had an importance to Lonsdale that goes beyond mere sustenance. Only a few months ago, Mr. Lons¬ dale was in Hollywood, sitting in on the transcription of that play to the talking screen. A cosmopolitan fel¬ low who boasts that he has crossed the Atlantic some forty times, he has friends everywhere. In Hollywood, as in London, Paris, Venice or Mu¬ nich, he is dined and feted, agreeably to him. During dinner at the home of Samuel Goldwyn, he discussed with that picture producer the idea of his next play,—a prodigal younger son, beset with the problems of an advan¬ tageous marriage. The idea excited Goldwyn. “Why not write a picture for us? That would be a fine story for ‘Ronald Colman!” Lonsdale demurred. For one thing, he didn’t want to write “a pic¬ ture.” Yes, some day, he might write a “screen play,”—something that in audible pictures would try to combine the movement and the pace of the cinema with the wit and grace and Piquant Lead in Colman’s Newest Lays Bare Style Trends Women are going to have a treat when Ronald Colman’s new talking picture, “The Devil to Pay” comes to the .theatre on. They’re going to get some first hand information about what Dame Fash¬ ion is planning for the new season and no more charming a person than Loretta Young is going to give them the tip-off. Yes, it’s true. Loretta went to the smartest shops in New York and Los Angeles for the advanced creations she wears in this sophisticated comedy- drama of modern society. As the discriminating daughter of an indul¬ gent millionaire father, the young act¬ ress is required to dress in the height of fashion throughout the picture. Among many others, striking effects are achieved with the following three creations which Miss Young wears throughout the important sequences in the picture.* The dresses or ensembles are illustrated at the right. For a simple creation that is both beautiful and effective. Miss Young chooses a sheer material and sets it off to advantage with a form-fitting smartness that is both reserved and feminine. An intricate brocade is used for the purpose of enhancing the general effect of the creation. The dress is of a flower printed de¬ sign and its many soft colors blend harmoniously with its pattern. Its very short sleeves tie in a knotted bow in the manner of the hip girdle, wide at one side, tightly draped and knotted on the left side. The skirt has godets and a thirteen inch hem in the after¬ noon fashion. Three-quarter beige suede gloves are worn with this frock, and the bag the young lady carries is conceived of harmonizing brocade. Miss Young’s beige felt hat has a graceful brim that widens at the sides to permit of a flat feather applique. This outfit appears on the left hand side of the illustration. For the formal sequences of “The Devil to Pay” Aliss Young makes her lyric charm of the theatre. But he persisted, — the “prodigal son story” would be much more profitable for him as a play than as a picture. Once produced on the stage on a royalty basis, it could still be converted to pictures at a handsome sales price. “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney” and “The High Road” had been, for him, eminently satisfactory experiences. The gray and gold damask of the Goldwyn table linen was disfigured by cryptic rows of pencilled figures before the discussion subsided. Tang¬ ibly, all that came of it was a meet¬ ing with Colman to whom the play¬ wright told the story of which not one word had been written. The tete a tete over Colman tore into Goldwyn’s office, bursting with enthusiasm. Here was an opportun¬ ity for gay, romantic nonsense—for polite improprieties, for everything he wanted to do. The discussion between Goldwyn and Lonsdale began all over again. Finally the producer made a radical proposal. The picture made from the story would be produced and pre¬ sented on a royalty basis. Lonsdale having no further reason for holding out, promised to see what he could do. He would write a play, but he would not work on a weekly basis, nor would he accept any payment .until his efforts took definite form. Then he hied himself off to England to whip the script into shape. In April of this past summer, Eve¬ lyn Laye arrived to make her first talking picture, “One Heavenly appearance in a dinner gown of grace and brilliance which commands at¬ tention by the clever fashioning of its fine black net. and the fascinating sparkle of a metallic-striped net. Of course it is very long, and very full from the line of the knee to the hem. And of course it is form-fitting from its bateau neckline to the knee. Lined with black taffeta, its blackness is relieved only at the top of the bod¬ ice in its unusual sleeve. The loose Russian sleeve narrows to a becoming tightness at the elbow Night,” for Samuel Goldwyn. She brought the much sought Lonsdale script with her. A meeting of the Goldwyn staff was called and the playwright’s brain child was brought out into the light of day. All the Lonsdale crispness of dia¬ logue and brilliant inventiveness of situation were evident as the dramatic interest of the story mounted and mounted until . . . “What’s this?” the reader asked. “‘To be continued’ look, that’s what it says!” They gathered around. Lonsdale had written his play up to the tottering brink of his climax— and then sent it on unfinished. There was a cryptic note reading “If you like this much, you’ll like the rest.” The Goldwyn offices were agog with excitement. Cables, more cables, then phone calls began crossing the Atlan¬ tic. Goldwyn liked the first eighty- three pages so well that he found no way of controlling his anxiety for the remaining seventeen. Here was what promised to be the grandest story he had ever seen. Yet he couldn’t get it finished, nor, more im¬ portant still, could he sign the con¬ tracts and buy the play. For Lons¬ dale had refused to accept Goldwyn’s money. Colman himself was in London. Goldwyn had him call on the play¬ wright to get the unfinished portion of the script. Lonsdale laughed. “Tell Goldwyn I’ll bring it along my¬ self directly.” Directly—and not before, Lonsdale appeared in Hollywood and out of a mass of income tax receipts, telephone bills and real estate announcements, produced the remainder of the script. Then came the explanation, Lons¬ dale had held back the end of the play, and had refused payment because he didn’t want Goldwyn to buy an unsatisfactory story. If the story was to be done at all it was to be done as written. He didn’t attempt anv makeshift adjustment on a par¬ tially satisfactory story and he didn’t want to hold Goldwyn to his agree¬ ment if the script was unacceptable as it stood. Were changes necessary? and again flows into a graceful bell¬ shaped or circular cuff. Shiny gold cloth bands lend brilliance to the fine net. The dress is shown in the center. Then there is a charming afternoon ensemble of black transparent velvet. The skirt is tight fitting from the waistline to a point just below the knee, and then flares into soft folds. The blouse is a three-quarter tunic style, of white satin, buttoned at the cuffs with ebony. The suit jacket is simply fashioned. Goldwyn threatened to shoot any¬ one who so much as changed a com¬ ma. The play was set. A brilliant, sensitive director was engaged. A lovely and gracious lady was signed to play opposite Colman. “The find of the year” they called her. A capable cast was assembled, rehearsals were begun with Lonsdale sitting in on the shooting. Two weeks of rehearsal passed. The first batch of “rushes” were screened. It represented an invest¬ ment of about $175,000. “It’s no good, gentlemen,” Gold¬ wyn announced through the darkness of the projection room. Following what has become some¬ thing of a tradition at the Goldwyn studios, the entire footage was scrapped and a new picture begun. “Raffles” and “Bulldog Drummond” both had had similar false starts. A new cast was engaged,—Loretta Young was borrowed, David Torrence and Fred Kerr, (Colman’s fellow play¬ ers in “Raffles,”) Myrna Loy and a newcomer, Florence Britton. George Fitzmaurice, a Goldwyn standby since the days of “The Dark Angel” hav¬ ing just completed the Evelyn Laye picture, “One Heavenly Night,” was recruited to wield the megaphone for Colman on the second start of the Lonsdale story. This new combination worked mir¬ acles. A fresh, vigorous spirit took hold of the company. Situations that before had seemed flat now held breathless excitement. Lines sparkled and people breathed. And all was well and merry again,—as it had been in “Raffles” and “Bulldog Drum¬ mond.” So well and merry, in fact, that a few hours before he boarded the Bremen for Europe, Goldwyn decided that anything less than a Broadway presentation of the picture, newly named “The Devil to Pay” would be an injustice. This newest of Ronald Colman pic¬ tures, which is said to start a new trend in the field of talking pictures is to be shown at the. theatre on. buttoning once at the waist but owing its effectiveness to cuffs and entire edge trimming of leopard fur. And just to tell you that the chic black velvet hat belongs to no other cos¬ tume, it carries a touch of matching leopard. These are but three of many stun¬ ning creations the captivating player wears in “The Devil to Pay,” to aid her in winning the heart of the care¬ free society gallant portrayed by Ron¬ ald Colman, star of the picture. Ronald Colman Enjoys Role of Rich Idler Finds Character Lovable, and Not Altogether At Fault—Says Parents Also to Blame In as fine a bit of character drawing as his genius has ever portrayed, Ronald Colman came to the. Theatre on. in “The Devil to Pay,” a modern comedy- drama specially written for him by the famous English playwright, Fred¬ erick Lonsdale. As Willie, wayward son of Lord Leeland, Colman never crosses that thin border line which differentiates the happy-go-lucky, devil-may-care prodigal son from the vicious, self- indulgent waster, or the blase, cyn¬ ical, wise-cracking smart-aleck, that idle sons of the rich are so often rep¬ resented to be. Reproaching Willie for his contin¬ ued succession of failures his father says, “It would serve you right if I kicked you into the street. What would you do then?” Willie explores his pockets. “Sir,” he replies, “any man with a watch, a gold cigarette case, and—three and ninepence—could, if he chose, conquer the world.’ “Why don’t you?” asks his lord- ship. “It would mean having to stay in one place too long,” Willie explains as if to a dull child. And that is the key to the central character, which as played by Colman supplies constant action, surprise and laughter to the sprightly comedy. At the end of the interview Willie has the best of the argument, getting a hundred pounds from his father. To show his grati¬ tude, he gives the old gentleman an inside tip on a long shot Derby entry—which proves to be a winner. His fascinating nonchalance, his au¬ dacity in making love to an heiress, to whom he will not propose until her father says he'll cut her off without a penny if she marries him, represent the lad’s spirit and his code of honor. When he reproaches the girl for in¬ sulting him by sending him a check, she retorts that if he refers to it again, she will smash him over the head with a bottle, he exclaims eag¬ erly “Do you mean it? I’ve been ten years looking for a girl like you!” Idle sons present to wealthy parents the same problem the world over. If the young man goes wholly to the bad, it is all too often the fault of the elders, in the opinion of Ronald Col¬ man. “The character of Willie Hale is typical of modern youth,” he says, “there is nothing vicious in his make¬ up ; nothing mean, or low. In fact he is the soul of honor.” Colman smiled as he continued, “I was not an idle son of wealthy people, and unlike Willie, I had neither the means nor the leisure to become a ‘waster.’ So, like every one who has made his own way, I feel that with his advantages I would have done better. But would I or would you? “A son of a wealthy nobleman, es¬ pecially in England, has no great choice in the matter of a career. Un¬ less he shows special talent for a defin¬ ite vocation, his training for the fu¬ ture is quite likely to consist of the customary years at Oxford or Cam¬ bridge, and inculcation into the tradi¬ tions and practices of his caste. Which, you must admit, is not the best equip¬ ment for an individual start in life. Getting rid of money is their supreme accomplishment, yet as a class they are absolutely trustworthy on points of honor, and in decency, courage, and in human relations, they are admir¬ able. Willie happens to be lovable as well. Life, they say is too serious for a chap to take seriously. “When his father tells him he can do so-and-so, or ‘go to the devil,’ Willie replies ‘I’m tired of going to the devil.’ Why his innocently in¬ tended escapades should be looked upon as crime, is beyond his imagination. Though he wants to be independent, he has no means of getting a penny from any but parental sources, except the race track, so why blame him for playing the ponies?” In that he is a stoic in adversity, as pleased as a child with a new toy when fortune smiles, generous to a fault; kindly in judgment, placing per¬ sonal honor above all else; in that he is a devil with women, and old people and dogs; Willie Hale repre¬ sents what every man would like to be, what every woman would choose if she could. It is a character that Ronald Colman is proud to add to his growing gallery of screen portraits which he has made both loved and famous. 17—Three Col. Fashion Feature (Mat 20c; Cut 75c) LORETTA YOUNG A HOLLYWOOD FASHION ORACLE Page Five ■