A Child Is Born (Warner Bros.) (1939)

SEE EOE OE WOMAN'S PAGE PUBLICITY —'A CHILD IS BORN’ Author of "A Child Is Born” Based Story on Personal Diary Seven weeks is a long time to be confined in a hospital but Mary McDougal Axelson found a day by day diary she kept during that time a most valuable document. Using this journal of facts as a basis, she wrote a _ brilliant Mat 115—15c Mary McDougal Axelson, on whose novel the film "A Child Is Born'' was based. It is now at the Strand. play, which was filmed by the Warner Bros. Studio as “A Child is Born” with Geraldine Fitzgerald, Gladys George, Jeffrey Lynn, Gale Page and many others in the principal roles. The picture is currently showing at the Strand Theatre. Mrs. Axelson started the diary when she entered the hospital for the birth of her daughter, Mary Ivonne. The characters are taken from life and the incidents in the story are actual events which took place during her stay in the hospital. The leading character, that of a murderess transferred from prison to the county hospital to have her baby played by Geraldine Fitzgerald, is the only digression from fact in the story. A native of Tennessee, Mrs. Axelson is the wife of Ivar Axelson, noted economist. She is widely known as a poet, and as a lecturer Following the birth of her daughter, she spent two years working on and polishing stage play. It was produced first by the Morningside players at Columbia University and later produced at the Selwyn Theatre in New York City by Joseph Santley. Since then she has written, among other plays, “Last Day” and “Dump Heap.” She has novelized her play, ‘A Child is Born,’ and it was recently published by Caxton. Woman's Greatest Adventure Theme of "A Child Is Born" What is woman’s greatest adventure? Without question, it is motherhood. For the average woman, it is her one chance in life to be a heroine. And it is a subject that fascinates all women, and men, too. Even the woman who professes to dislike maternity and its responsibilities is interested secretly, if not openly. That’s why Mary McDougal Axelson wrote ‘A Child Is Born.” During the seven weeks that Mrs. Axelson was in a hospital, following the birth of her daughter, she kept a diary, and it is on this diary that her story is based. “Nearly every woman,” says Mrs. Axelson, ‘‘wants some day to experience the adventure of motherhood. In writing my play and relating the maternal experiences of a varied assortment of women, I planned to bring to women some reflection of the brightness and exaltation that all of them, save those whose lives are frustrated, can enjoy. “Motherhood truly is the average woman’s one chance to become a heroine. Boys grow up looking forward to a life of adventure and peril in far off lands —but not many, of course, see these dreams come true. The prospect of marriage and motherhood holds the same sort of allure for a young girl. “The young unmarried woman feels as great an interest in this story of women experiencing the great adventure as does the woman to whom motherhood is no novelty. Sympathy and understanding rules the interest of both, with the mother adding to this a reliving of her own experience. “The expectant father, I think, has been the butt of too many jibes and jokes. In his way he suffers as much as the mother and for this reason the story appeals to men as much as to women.” Warner Bros.’ “A Child Is Born” has been filmed with startling attention to detail and vivid realism. A change in public taste has made possible its filming with a frankness that would not have been permitted a few years ago. In bringing “A Child Is Born” to -the screen, Warner Bros. have used the utmost delicacy in handling its sensitive theme, yet have given it vivid realism. All the drama, pathos and humor that is attendant upon the beginning of life are incorported into the unusual photoplay, which is brilliantly enacted by a cast headed by Geraldine Fitzgerald, Gladys George, Jeffrey Lynn, and Gale Page. Lloyd Bacon directed, from a screen play by Robert Rossen, based on the novel by Mrs. Axelson. Blue in Many Hues Predicted for Fall Milo Anderson, who created the simple “character” clothes worn by the mothers in “A Child Is Born,” predicts much blue for fall and declares that every woman in the world is flattered by some shade of blue. The designer’s contention was strengthened when on the first day of shooting four of the leads in the film appeared on the set in blue. Yet the girls — Gladys George, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Gloria Holden, and Gale Page —are of completely different coloring. Golden blonde Gladys George wore a Russian peasant dress of baby blue sheer wool with sleeves and neckline embroidered in other delicate hues. Geraldine Fitzgerald, who has fair skin, green eyes, and auburn hair, wore a two-piece suit of turquoise boucle. For her type of coloring, Anderson considers the greenish blues the most becoming. Gloria Holden, with her pale skin and dark brown hair, was striking in a tailleur of smoky blue. Brunettes often shy at blue, but Gale Page, who appeared in a rough crepe dress of Swedish blue, set off by deep red accessories, proved there is a blue compounded for every girl. Spring Byington Gives Recipe for Ginger Cake Favorite recipe of Spring Byington, who is currently featured in “‘A Child Is Born” at the Strand, is for sour cream ginger cake, a confection that brings cheers from her two children. A perfect dessert for tangy autumn days, she makes it like this: Mix one cup black molasses with one cup sour cream, add two cups sifted cake flour, one teaspoon baking soda, and a pinch of salt, and beat until well blended. Pour into buttered cake tin, and bake slowly for one hour. Serve hot and top servings with dabs of whipped cream. Mirror Is Important Beauty Aid, Says Film Cosmetician Pere Westmore, Warner Bros. Studio expert on feminine pulchritude, boldly declares that improperly lighted make-up mirrors are responsible for more unattractive women than work, worry and wind combined. All the mirrors in the studio make-up department were designed by Mr. Westmore and are surrounded by three types of indirect lighting, reproducing various camera lighting effects. He believes every woman _ should have one as suitable to her needs. Geraldine Fitzgerald, he said, has the right idea when she Mat 101—15c Geraldine Fitzgerald, currently starred in "A Child Is Born,’ which is now showing at the Strand Theatre. puts on a make-up to be scrutinized by daylight. She hangs a large portable mirror from her window lock, throws up _ the shades, pulls back the curtains, and has the perfect outdoor light. Knowing that it is necessary to illumine the face as well as reflection, Geraldine not only has a light attached to her dressing table, but arranges a standing lamp with strong, indirect light behind her, before beginning an evening make-up. No woman can have too many mirrors in her boudoir in Westmore’s opinion. He recommends a large hand-mirror to make sure that coiffure and make-up are perfect from every angle, a very frank mirror which magnifies the face and frankly calls attention to lipstick out of bounds, an uneven rouge application, or powder in crevices; and a full-length mirror to tell if she is putting on weight. Miss Fitzgerald, by the way, who made an auspicious screen debut in “Dark Victory,” has the leading feminine role in “A Child Is Born,” the Warner Bros. picture which is now showing at the Strand Theatre. In the film, she plays the role of an expectant young mother who is a convicted murderess. [18] Mat 202—30c BUNDLES FROM HEAVEN —The twenty babies employed by Warner Bros. for scenes in "A Child Is Born," were in the charge of registered nurses all ‘ during the time they were at the studio. Gale Page Keeps Eyes Lovely With Special Care & Make-Up Whenever a composite picture is made of the ideal movie or radio star, Gale Page furnishes the eyes. They are large, lustrous, dark, alert, and will next be seen in the Warner Bros. film, “A Child Is Born,” which is now showing at the Strand Theatre. Because acting under brilliant lights is not easy on the eyes, screen stars must give their eyes special care, and because beauty is part of their fortune they must also give them. special make-up. Gale Page has suggestions on both counts. She always gets at least eight hours of sleep and wears black velvet “blinkers” if any sort of bright light shines into her room. Frequently during the day she closes her eyes to the count of 100, then opens them and focuses them on some dis tant object for another count. It’s the best of optic exercises. Before going out at night she relaxes first with warm compresses over her eyes, and then with cold astringent-soaked pads. On dusty days she washes her eyes with a weak, warm boric acid solution. In making up eyes Gale’s first thought is to surrounding territory. Before applying powder base or powder below the eyes, she pulls the skin taut to assure its going on smoothly. Her brows retain their natural lines, which follow the boney structure above the eyes. She uses mascara on both lashes and brows, putting it on the brows with short, quick strokes. After removing mascara with cream at night, Gale brushes her brows and lashes with warm white vaseline to keep them glossy. Fashion Flashes A scapular necklace is a bright new accessory idea sponsored by Geraldine Fitzgerald, now that back detail is definitely as important as front. Swinging from each end of a looped chain are identical topaz pendants. The necklace is worn with one pendant in front, the other in back, and the chain fastened to each shoulder of her frock by a tiny topaz pin tokeep it from slipping. Nanette Fabares, nineteen year old screen starlet who makes her debut in “A Child Is Born,” now showing at the Strand Theatre, offers several interesting ideas for variation on the perennial sweater-andskirt wardrobe beloved by collegeage girls. A necklace of wooden tags painted plaid is a gay fashion note when worn, as Nanette wears hers, on a black sweater that is teamed with a plaid skirt. The hood sweater is another favorite, particularly with hat-haters. Nanette’s powder blue sweater has a hood-collar lined with embroidered wool flowers. Gale Page lists gloves as her chief extravagance, for she can never resist buying a pair that have some new and tricky feature. However, she explains that this turns out to be an economy, for she often transforms a “basic” dress by wearing it with different gloves. For instance, a black crepe dress that is a formal frock when worn with white doeskin gloves and rhinestone jewelry, becomes an “all-day standby” when worn with scarlet suede gauntlets and a matching scarlet belt. The scarlet gloves have a tiny key pocket sewn into the wrist part. With evening gloves having such a renewed vogue this season, she wears with a striped lame dress, gauntlets of the identical material. With black velvet, she chooses silver “‘shorties.” Between Shampoo Care Saves Waves For Busy Film Star Those nine out of ten women who list sitting under a hair dryer as their pet abomination have a_co-lister in Gladys George, who reduces such sittings by care of her wave between shampoos. The Broadway star who returned to the screen for a leading role in “A Child Is Born,” the Warner Bros. picture opening currently, showing at the Strand Theatre, is one of the few blondes who escapes with a single shampoo a week. Miss George’s wave-preserving hints are to sleep with a net hood on the head each night (caps slide off); to put wave clips on the ridges and curlers on the ends of the hair before taking either shower or tub bath; to steam head while these clips and curlers are on; to wear two rubber caps while in swimming; to brush the hair frequently, but never when it is damp; to use a fine-toothed baby comb on _ it frequently during the day to catch lint and dust and to train wave in place; and always to wear some sort of hair covering outdoors as a_ protection from wind and sun. Bandannas tied under the chin and loose collar hoods are sports suggestions because they protect back hair as well as the top. Cutting down the number of minutes in each session under the dryer is also a fine art with the busy Gladys. She has her hair thinned out as much as possible; has the operator absorb all excess lotion with a towel after putting in a wave; has the dryer turned on at top heat for the first few minutes; and wears a net with large, open mesh for quicker drying.