A Successful Calamity (Warner Bros.) (1932)

\ ae George Arliss Treasures Privacy He Can’t Find Price of Screen Fame and Picture Popularity Is Increasing Inability to Escape Public Adulation By CARLISLE JONES A man with a monocle striding along tlie lonely trails of the San Bernardino mountains in California. A man in rough tweeds and with a slouch hat low over one eye watching a sunset from the win dows of a small resort hotel. A little man, with expressive hands, pointing to this and that dish among a wide assortment of food on a cafeteria counter. man, paying eighty-nine cents for and not being penurious about it, either. It is George Arliss, star of “A Successful Calamity,” which comes to the...... Theatre next. . =. ;/on a holiday from Hollywood. “Disraeli,” “Old English,’ “The Millionaire,” “Alexander Hamilton,’ “The Man Who Played God,” and Henry Wilton, the business magnate playing now at being simple and happy and unrecognized. Not really unrecognized, of course, for nowhere in the world can that monocle and that face and those hands go entirely free of recognition. The price of screen fame and picture popularity is an increasing inability to escape from the public. The more his renown grows the more impossible it becomes for a celebrity to find a spot where he can be left to his own devices for amusement and rest. A rich a dinner for himself and wife— Shuns Popular Resorts A stay at a big resort becomes a Roman holiday for the public, arranged by the management with the famous personage the unwilling victim. With each succeeding short vacation in California, George Arliss and his wife have gone deeper into the mountain or desert hinterland to escape as much as possible from such unsought attentions. Their most recent sojourn, preceding the filming of “A Successful Calamity,” found the actor and his wife at a small, secluded resort called “Gilman Hot Springs,” fifty miles from the more popular and populous “Riverside,” California. As usual, they had said only that they were going for a short trip into the mountains with only the faithful Jenner, the actor’s valet, actually ad ‘GEORGE ARLISS as Henry Wilton, financial wizard who is neglected by his family, in “A Successful Calam ity,’ the latest Warner Bros. hit to be seen at the.... Mary Astor and Evalyn Knapp are featured in the film. Cut No. 1 Cut 15c Mat 5c vised as to their probable location. Their bags were packed with rough clothes and the inevitable stack of manuscripts, plays and_ scenarios which Mr. Arliss hoped to read during his leisure hours. And with this equipment they dropped from sight, so far as Hollywood was concerned, for a week. But for an accidental visitor to the Gilman resort, the Arliss hideout would probably not have been discovered, even yet. This man knew his Hollywood and when he wanted a complete rest he went to the “Gilman Hot Springs.” The simple life is emphasized there. There are secluded cottages and there is only one eating place, a cafeteria. Arliss Eats in Cafeteria The Hollywood man was amazed, when he joined the line of tray holders for his first meal, to find himself next to a familiar figure, a lean monocled man immersed in the business of selecting the items for a hearty dinner from the counters of inexpensive but apparently wholesome food. He knew it was George Arliss and he knew that the lady with him, dressed in her English walking clothes, was Mrs. Arliss. He started to say as much to the actor. But he didn’t. The Arlisses were obviously having such a good time. He watched them carry their trays away to a table and was glad he had left them alone. It is only in recent years, in fact since the advent of talking pictures and his immediate and unprecedented success in them, that Arliss has found it difficult to get away from his public. As a stage actor he was known to a comparatively few thousands of people. Outside of New York and _ the larger American cities he was usually safe from recognition. In his native England, where he had made only one stage appearance of consequence in a quarter of a century, he was free of all danger of being mobbed by an interested but sometimes thoughtless public. But even in England things have changed. “I found that in London I could not go about the streets as I have always done,” he said ruefully, upon his last return from England. “I ran into crowds. I couldn’t shop peacefully. I’ve always been free from such demonstrations in England before. This was something altogether new.” The public attention aroused by Arliss in the great city of London became so great that the Arliss home there became picketed by interested fans, much like a Hollywood theatre with a promised premier showing is picketed. In dismay the Arlisses moved to their summer cottage at “St. Margaret’s at Cliffe.” For similar reasons the Arlisses never live twice in the same location in Hollywood. Their New York home is seldom occupied, except by renters. High Price for Fame But trains, ships and large hotels are fast becoming unpleasant associations for Mr. and Mrs. Arliss. They find it increasingly difficult to enjoy any privacy and independence of action. More and more they pick new and small resorts when vacationing. They seldom return to any place a second time. This is the high price they pay for fame and fortune in pictures. It explains why any one may, at any time, find a man with a monocle striding along on any lonesome road; a man in rough tweeds, with slouch hat low over one eye watching a sunrise from a small hotel room; a small man, with expressive hands, paying eighty-nine cents for a dinner for himself and wife and chuckling over it. It is George Arliss, alias Henry Wilton, alias “Disraeli,’? “Old English,’ “The Millionaire”? and “The Man Who Played God,” playing at being simple and happy—and unrecognized. _ Particular George Arliss Screen’s Greatest Actor George Arliss, who comes to the . od ae ek ee Ee ie as ee armer Bros. picture, A care oe precise and exacting. husband. He is particular about clothes. Most of them are made in England—some by a theatrical tailor in New York. He still has almost every costume he has ever worn in pictures or on the stage. He never hangs a coat over the back of a chair. His wardrobe is brushed regularly. His trousers are always correctly creased. His suits are never quite the “latest style.” The materials are the best and he wears them a long time. Arliss is particular about hats. He owns many but hasn’t, according to his own admission, had a new one for ten years. He never packs one hat on top another because he considers that it damages them. He prefers a cloth hat which he wears low over his monocled eye. SE : cessili Vala", 18 the most particular man in his particular business. He is meticulous, painstaking, Add other synonyms at random and stir thoroughly. That’s George Arliss, actor, author, humanitarian and ... Theatre .... in his latest — Se oe those who are equally good, or better, at the game than he is. Arliss is fastidious about his diet. He eats no meat—likes fish and he seldom eats lunch of any kind. He believes that more illness is caused by overeating than any other one thing. He “starves a cold” when he gets one. He Careful With Monocle He is particular about his monocles. In all his careful life he has never broken one. The black cords on which they hang wear out and are replaced, but the glass is discarded only when a different lens is needed. The actor is particular about his shoes. He wears high lace shoes, called boots in England where they are made. They are expensive shoes to begin with and they last a long time. They are out of fashion, but Arliss doesn’t care. He is particular about his bridge. He plays a good game of contract and he bids daringly and _ plays smartly. He likes to play only with € wants I xh afternoon. Arliss is exacting about his working hours. He stops work daily at 4:30 and returns to the studio in time to start work at 10 the next morning. He is never late. He is impatient with those who are. He is particular about exercise and when possible walks a considerable number of miles each day. He is precise in money matters. He carries his small change in his vest pocket. His home he considers his private domain. He will not allow the address to be made public. He likes company, but is choosey in picking his friends. Writes Out All Speeches Arliss takes speech-making seriously. He will never speak unless he has something worth while to say. He writes his speeches out in longhand and memorizes them. He has made so many that he is not noticeably nervous before the delivery of another one. He is particular about interviews. He talks freely, but wants to be quoted exactly. He does not want his domestic life publicized. He refuses to let Mrs. Arliss be interviewed in his behalf. He is a stickler for good diction, but he likes to experiment with modern slang. He sees to it that no ani likes it exactly so strong and so hot.| mals take part in his picture. He is fur trapping interviewed on these subjects. Arliss owns two houses in England and an apartment in New York. He rents his Hollywood home. He does not own an automobile, but he is particular about the one the studio furnishes him in Hollywood. He insists upon the same driver on each visit to the film capital—also furnished by the studio, and the driver likes the arrangement. It is considered the snap job of the colony. He isparticular about his correspondence and sees to it that every letter received is answered. He is particularly particular about Arliss. He has worked long and hard to reach the eminence he has obtained. He refuses to do anything not in keeping with the dignity his years and reputation give him. He permits no ballyhooing of his life, his career or his product. He has already written his autobiography. It was particularly good, too. Modish Styles Seen in “A Successful Calamity” Feminine fashions that bear a masculine stamp of approval will be an interesting feature of one of the most important pictures of the year, when “A Successful Calamity,’ George Arliss’ next Warner Bros. picture, reaches the screen at the . ... Theatre re er er Mr. Arliss, long noted as a connoisseur of impeccable taste in the realms of art, literature and the drama, has always made it his custom to pass on each costume in his pictures, including those of his leading ladies as well as his own, before it is permitted to appear before the camera. In “A Successful Calamity,” Evalyn Knapp and Mary Astor have the two leading feminine roles, and the .two lovely young actresses, both famed for their smartness, wear a collection of frocks that are modish and beautiful without being extreme. In complete accord with Mr. Arliss, both have an eye for beauty, while always remaining conservative in their tastes. Not Too Theatrical The result has been a gown parade that will be the more interesting to the average woman because it is not too theatrical for her own use. Page Ten SORE Ae ees, 2 eae Miss Knapp, a blonde, and Miss Astor, a red-head, both have a pronounced leaning toward the darker colors. A particularly lovely creafion of the former’s is an evening gown of pleated chiffon, of midnight blué flowers on a light background, with a lei of dark blue silk flowers centered with pearls extending over one shoulder as the strap and on around the bodice, while the other shoulder strap is a double one of wide midnight blue velvet. The frock is high waisted, in the old Empire fashion. Another of Miss Knapp’s evening gowns is of black, hi-lustre satin, covering her shoulders with tiny caps, and a double flounce, narrow in front, becomes two long tails at each side of the back. Three large rhine stone clips on the neckline in front, and one at the end of the back decolletage, highlight the gown, which as usual is bias cut and consequently close-fitting almost to the knees. Wool Crepe Street Ensemble A street ensemble, of fine black wool crepe, boasts a pointed yoke of gray crepe with metallic stripes of blue and gold, while the short jacket has short sleeves, and ties in front at a high waistline. It is worn by Miss Knapp with a black straw hat trimmed only with a satin bow. For a change, the blonde actress wears another street frock, of twotone brown satin with brown caracul trimming, the accessories including brown kid shoes, and a matching felt hat with brown buttons. The lighter tone of the satin, of course, is in the bodice. A most unusual evening frock, worn by Mary Astor, is of shell pink chiffon, with a wide girdle of black taffeta sewed down tightly in the front, and tied in the back. The neckline, draped criss-cross fashion, is revealed from the decolletage of a brief black taffeta jacket, with enormous puffed _ sleeves. Accessories and jewelry also are black. Other important items in Miss Astor’s wardrobe include a dinner or afternoon frock of raspberry shaded crepe, with short sleeves and entire back of lace dyed to match; a long, heavy black velvet negligee, belted simply with a wide green silk braid which has no ends; and a chartreuse crepe evening gown, for which a rippling shoulder cape edged with sable may be snapped on or detached at will. Brown Wool Sports Dress The final costume note, and one that will be mentally annexed by every sports follower, is a spectator sports dress of transparent brown wool with yellow dots, matched by a high yoke of yellow crepe. Miss Astor’s polo coat is yellow, her hat is a wide-brimmed brown felt, and her pumps are of two-toned brown kid. There, she assures her feminine fans, is a costume that can go travelling in the smartest luggage. With Mr. Arliss in the stellar role, “A Successful Calamity” also lists in its cast such noted players as Hardie Albright, William Janney, David Torrence, Donald Dilloway, Randolph Scott and Murray Kinnell. John Adolfi again directed George Arliss. Herbert Hoover Double in “A Successful Calamity’ A toupee for President Hoover is the most unique product of the Warner Bros. make-up department for the current year. It was made for and appears in the new picture, “A Successful Calamity,’ in which George Arliss will be seen at the Theatre ne ee ot ——e “_ “Mr. “Fits “doesn’t wear it. ¢ Sg far as is known Mr. Hoover doesmt wear any toupee at all. But Oscar Apfel, who plays the role of “Mr. President” in one sequence of the picture, wore it with considerable success. From the back, which is all of Mr. Apfel that ever shows in the scene, Mr. Apfel and the toupee make an excellent likeness of the President. From a collection of photographs, Perc Westmore, head of the studio’s wig and make-up department, constructed a hair-piece in shape and coloring exactly like the back of Herbert Hoover’s head. Although “Mr. President” is never named in the scene, there can be no doubt but that audiences will recognize the impressive back as being that of President Hoover. The studio had available a “double” for President Hoover who would have needed no assistance from Westmore to look the part. George Jenner, valet for Mr. Arliss for more than twenty-five years, is famous in Hollywood, New York and elsewhere for his amazing likeness to America’s Chief Executive. But though Jenner could look the part he wasn’t allowed to play it—a circumstance which left him in no little huff for several hours. Jenner, stout Britisher that he is, loses an occasional “h” and sometimes picks up an unnecessary one, a practice not in keeping with the careful diction and exacting English of President Hoover. So Westmore made a toupee for Herbert Hoover and put it on Apfel’s head, while Jenner grumbled good naturedly on the sidelines about losing his “one big chance” in pictures. Mary Astor plays the feminine lead opposite Mr. Arliss and John Adolfi directed. In addition to Mr. Arliss and Miss ‘Astor, the large cast of “A Success ful Calamity” features a number of players who have achieved fame on both stage and screen. Among them is Evalyn Knapp, the only ingenue to play in two pictures with Mr. Arliss, the first having been “The Millionaire,” which, although an extremely successful picture, is being surpassed by “A Successful Calamity” in all cities where the star’s latest picture is being released. In addition to Miss Knapp, the roster of players includes Grant Mitchell, David Torrence, William Janney, Randolph Scott, Fortunio Bonanova, Barbara Leonard, Hardie Albright, Hale Hamilton, Murray Kinnell, an _ Arliss standby, Richard Tucker, Harold Minjur and Leon Waycoff.