A Soldiers Plaything (Warner Bros.) (1930)

By FLORENCE ROSS HE Viennese are different. Their pilgrimages to Rome are characterized not by any willingness to do as the Romans do, but by the institution of such sweeping reforms that the Romans, when in Rome do as the Viennese do. Which paradox may be explained by the statement, “Lotti Loder Hollywood.” after Miss Loder’s land of the white fox she discovered, with something akin to deep chagrin, that her American friends spoke a strange tongue. The vehicle they employed for the expression of their was foreign to her. Obviously, something would have to be done if she was to make pictures in this strange language. simple came to Now shortly arrival in the ideas Lotti Balks at Plan Something was done. Directors, into hurried conclave, decided that Miss Loder was to spend six hours every day studying with instructors in English, until every trace of her charming Viennese ac cent was gone and she could boast a large and practical vocabulary. The plan was outlined to the vivacious Lotti, a teacher selected, and a course of study mapped out. And then Lotti balked. Iconoclast that she was, she made use of the only negative lying around loose in Hollywood. No, she would not study English with a teacher. She hated school, she she hated the whole called . hated rules, profession of pedants. No, no, no. Indignation, consternation, furore, were the order of the day. It was plain that Lotti would have to learn English. What to do? Lotti had an idea. She would learn English by way of the talking screen. In her little bungalow just’ outside Hollywood she had a projection room. In the Projection room were a number of talking films. Why couldn't she Tun off film after film, listen intently to the strange sounds these Americans made when they opened their mouths, and imitate these sounds? Successful “Preposterous,” Said the direc “Utterly absurd,” spluttered ‘W language instructors. “Let WARNER BROTHERS SILVER JUBILEE es The Most Important Film Event of the Year! the next few months, method be adopted by other Warner stars “A SOLDIER’S PLAYTHING” — A Warner Bros. Production Special Newspaper Feature VIENNESE STAR, EAGER TO l LEARN ENGLISH QUICKLY, INVENTS" NEW METHOD) Lotti Loder Has Own Way and Her Method of Self-Instruction Is Adopted by Warner Stars ae: me try,’ pleaded Lotti. So reluctantly, they let her try. For two weeks Lotti sat in her little projection room listening to the voices of John Barrymore and George Arliss, repeating aloud the same words, jotting down every | new addition to her vocabulary, and gloating over the results. At the end of her period of proba tion she returned to the Warner studio. “IT have learned,” she said in good English with just a trace 0! a delightful accent, “a few sen| tences. I will speak. You shall listen. .You shall tell me, please, whether I can speak. Yes? No?” Method Adopted The verdict was unanimous and word was sent out that not only was Lotti to be given free rein for but that her of self-instruction was t Trapped! “Ben Lyon in ‘A Soldiers Paaything A.Wwarner Bros Production Georgie, easy-going gambler, is ‘VINA DELMAR WEAVES STORY FROM BITS OF LIFE STORED IN HER MENTAL WAREHOU and talk plots and climaxes. a ‘| Hollywood Had No meant, however, that Vina Deli Material For Her— abandoned her original idea @ wove her story from the bits Town Ploi Conscious life she had known through clo contact. HEN Vina Delmar, young aune story, just released in pi thor of “Bad Girl” and other|tyre form sand now showing at tl stories of similar character, went Theatre, is an amusif to Hollywood several months ago post-war episode called “A Sé to write an original screen play | qjer’s Plaything.” The action for Warner Bros., she had formu-| ynfolded in two locales, Euroy lated a plan to study the film Cap | just after the world war and Ne ital and its folk and write a true} york City at the beginning of tB story of picture people. She soon] great conflict. Mrs. Delmar ce) liscovered that it would be impostainly knows New York and in he sible unless she lived there fo: European chapters she ventures f€ the first time out of her own vironment. The material for of the story was gr gathered by this observing youn, woman during a leisurely Europea) trip she made last summer, Lotti Loder, the Viennese sta mported by Warner Bros, severa months ago, has a featured role ind the outlines of the Delmay years. “People in the film capital,” de claied Mrs. Delmar at that time, “think in talk in dialogue | and live for climaxes and closé-up and consequently they would not * work into a realistic novel. They are too plot conscious. _ “I must write about things | know and it would take me years portion plots, al SOLDIERS J Why does every ex-service man have that far-away look in his eyes when he hears “Hinkey Dinkey, Parley Vous”? Get the low-down on what kept the Army of Occupation occupied. An explosion of joy and a bombshell of laughs! with LOTTI LODER BEN LYON HARRY LANGDON JEAN HERSHOLT NOAH BEERY From the sensational story by Vina Delmar. Adapted by Perry Vekroff. Dialogue by Arthur Caesar. Directed by Michael Curtiz. ws UTAH Two Column Ad—Style H—Cut or Mat | whose English needed grooming. . . to really know Los Angeles a1. | story have been moulded to fit hen Lotti left the studio wreathed in planning his escape from the its inhabitants because of this plo | personality. In fact, it was just re ig A a gh san gee Sia Sag gangsters who are out to get him, | consciousness.” after meeting Miss Loder that the role in “A Soldier’s Plaything,” the | This statement was not a conauthor mentally fixed the locale Vitaphone production now showing Production No. 8—Cut or Mat | (emnation of Hollywood. The] and plot of her first original screen at the Theatre. | Writer admits that it is perfectly play. cen tenn natural for men and women continOther featured members of the ADVERTISEMENT | ually engaged in making pictures| cast of “A Soldier's Plaything” 7 — —_|to submerge their real selves in| Ben Lyon, Harry Langdon, N their absorption of the work at] Beery, Jean Hersholt and hand They think, live, breathe] Kohler. Lotti Loder Forced On Stage ; By Famine And Poverty In Paiste After World War abd LODER was born in Vi-; Berlin, Dresden, Stettin, Marenbad enna, four years before the out| ated a — cities, F, tray oe at | &#!ning popularity and fame among break of the World War when that | the patrons of the high grade cab. capital was one of the gayest and | arets of the continent. She event. WV ho Won most prosperous cities in thejually went to eee . Budapest, the The Soldiers: —— = nlace of She was the only daughter of tees z all nations. Laurence and Anna Loder, conservwhere she beative folk who did not enter into| came immedithe gay life of their city. Had the ately and imwar not come along with its hard-| mensely popuships and privations the little girl hess ont hanes who had been born to this couple |“ . : . would never have tried out her| Darryl Zanuck, ialents as an entertainer for the| executive for we 3 blic y a public, Warner’ BrothLott; Looger Makes Stage Debut ers studios, then J-14 v ih Cut or Mat rTacé io on vacation, Gites Separately , heard of her and determined to Her father died and the girl and her mother were faced with the 4 the necessity of making their own way, visit cabare where she entertained. Austria was not yet stabilized fiRecognizing in Miss Loder that ~ nancially and famine and poverty indefinable quality that goes far in }; were always just around the COor| the making of successful screen ner. The petite, vivacious beauty stars, Mr. Zanuck eventually ofof Lotti Loder, and her gay little | fered the girl a contract with his mannerisms, attracted the atten-| studio and a chance in pictures. tion of a small theatre manager It was an opportunity which Lotti and in 1927 Lotti made her stage had not expected but which she debut, singing and dancing in an was quick to accept and four weeks act. : later she was in Hollywood. Her personal success was imSuccess in Pictures ; | mediate, Throughout middle EuLotti Loder is five feet tall and | rope leading cabarets have an enweighs a scant ninety pounds. She tertainment circuit much ke 13, on expert swimmer and adept American vaudeville circuits and | at outdoor sports. She has ambi| before long Lotti was offered a ' tions to be a great artist and seems on a fair way to realize her desire. In just a short time she has mas. | place on one of the leading ones. | Her favorite act was singing snap| py little German songs in an Amer hs epee tine tered the English language and eae Pee mt zie “ : a played leading roles in several xedo S with her short dark | warner productions. In “A ‘ " | “ Ss. é Olhair slicked to her head like ; Sol “ape dier’s Plaything,” now showing at | the Theatre, she is featured | Popular in Budapest with Ben Lyon and Harry Langdon. It is an amusing romance of From Vienna Miss Loder went to post-war days in Germany.