Accidents Will Happen (Warner Bros.) (1938)

(Lead ) ‘Accidents Will Happen, ’ Racket Expose, Coming A thrilling exposure of the fake injury racket, whereby instirance associations have been robbed of hundreds of thousands of dollars, is promised in ‘‘ Accidents Will Happen,’’ a Warner Bros. melodrama scheduled to open next Friday at the Strand Theatre. In quite a few cities throughout the. United States recently -— among them Los Angeles, the home of the movies — investigators have cracked down upon bands of men and women who have been defrauding the big companies by self-inflicted injuries magnified by crooked physicians. There have been several convictions and jail terms for the racketeers. Thus this is another Warner picture ‘‘taken right from the headlines,’’ a procedure which this studio has followed very successfully. Ronald Reagan, the youthful new star who until a few months ago was a radio news commentator in Des Moines, Iowa, is featured in ‘* Accidents Will Happen’’ as an insurance adjuster who exposes just such gangs as have been appearing in the news recently. bf Another newcomer in the picture is Gloria Blondell, younger sister of the famous Joan. She’s the leading woman. Gloria has had stage experience (she played the leading part in ‘‘Three Men On a Horse’? at the same time Joan was doing the screen version of the comedy); but this is her very first picture and she is said to acquit herself splendidly. William Clemens directed ‘‘ Accidents Will Happen’’ from a screenplay by George Bricker and Anthony Coldeway. Other notables in the cast include Dick Purcell, Sheila Bromley, Addison Richards, Hugh O’Connell, Spee O’ Donnell and Kenneth Harlan. Played Stage Roles Gloria Blondell, sister of Joan and recently signed to a term contract by Warner Bros. is at present playing the leading role in ‘Accidents Will Happen,’’ which comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday. She appeared in portant play on Broadway, as Mabel in ‘‘Three Men on a Horse,’’ but has played the lead on the road in ‘‘ Tron Men,’’ ‘‘ Personal Appearance’’ ‘‘She Loves Me Not,’’ ‘*It’s a Wise Child.’’ only one im Mat 101—15c RONALD REAGAN — who is making fast strides to screen fame, is featured in Warner Bros. sensational expose of the fake accident racket —‘Accidents Will Happen,” coming to the Strand Theatre soon. ZA (Au os Directed by wittl | with RONALD REAGAN Glor Dick Purcel \ ip) icker ® rge Bric From a Story by Mat No. 301—225 lines—45c ADDITIONAL ADS ON PAGES FOUR AND FIVE Beauty Winner At 18 Months of Age Janet Shaw of the movies didn’t want to be known as *““a contest winner who broke into the movies and made good.”” But Ronald Reagan star of the Warner Bros. film “Accidents Will Happen,” in which Janet has a supporting part, is a former news hawk. He ferreted out the fact that Janet won a “Best Baby” contest in Nebraska when she was 18 months old. ‘Accidents Will Happen” opens at. the Strand Theatre next week. (Opening Day) RACKET DRAMA NOW AT STRAND There’s going to be some excitement at the Strand Theatre today, when ‘‘ Accidents Will Happen’’ opens there. It’s a brand new Warner Bros. melodrama, and taking its cue from recent headLines, it deals with the fake injury racket, and exposes the racket which has cheated the insurance companies out of huge sums. Heading the cast are Ronald Reagan, a handsome ex radio commentator, who made his movie debut recently and has been greeted warmly both by eritics and the public as one of the likeliest bets for 1938 stardom; and Gloria Blondell, younger sister of the famous Joan, who makes her movie bow in ‘‘ Accidents Will Happen,’’ though she has had quite a bit of stage experience. William Clemens directed ‘‘ Accidents Will Happen’’ from a screenplay by George Bricker and Anthony Coldeway. Well-known players in the cast include Dick Pureell, Sheila Bromley, Addison Richards, Hugh O’Connell, Ellen Claney, Spee O’Donnell and Kenneth Harlan. Cc d Anthony A WARNER BROS. ia Blondell | Sheila Bromley AM CLEMENS oldeway “picture (Advance ) Gloria Follows Footsteps of Sister Joan Blondell Joan and Gloria Blondell, cinema sisters under contract to Warner Bros., each found it difficult to consider giving up the name of Blondell, which comes from at least five well-known generations of stage players in America and England. But both offered to do so, each for the sake of the other. Neither sister would let the other make the sacrifice. Gloria, now leading woman in ‘“ Accidents Will Happen,’’ opposite the new star, Ronald. Reagan, first suggested that she change her name. Already some confusion had Mat 104—15c GLORIA BLONDELL — Aittractive young sister of the famed Joan who has the featured role opposite Ronald Reagan in “ Accidents Will Happen,” expose of the fake injury racket, coming to the Strand Theatre. occured, caused chiefly because Gloria had made a hit in the stage version of ‘*Three Men on a Horse,’’? and Joan starred in the screen version of the same piece. Gloria suggested that she take the name of Gloria Cain, her mother, Katheryn Cain, had given footlight prominence. Joan was going to be ‘‘Joan Powell,’’ being Mrs. Dick Powell in private life. Neither sister being willing to let the other make the change of name, that famous stage handle, ‘“Blondell,’’ has two representa which tives instead of one to write it into cinema history. The all-theatrical trend of the Blondell family was launched by David Blondell as ‘‘Richard the Lion Hearted,’’ in England. Beyond that — back so far that history and family tradition fails but certainly to a certain famed minstrel and troubadour of the Middle Ages named simply ‘‘ Blondell,’’ (sometimes spelled in old court chronicles ‘‘Blondyl,’’) — goes a long line of show folk. And it’s a matter of record that most of them, as did the father of Joan and Gloria, (Edward Blondell) married well-known theatrical people. According to William Clemens, who directed the Reagan Blondell film, Gloria is taking to the movies as readily as did Joan. For Reagan, ex newspaper man and sports commentator on the ether waves, “« Accidents Will Happen’’ is only a third film but Clemens declares veterans of the cast such as Dick Purcell, Addison Richards and Sheila Bromley seem no more at home facing the cameras. The picture opens at the Strand Theatre next Friday. vehicle,