Alibi Ike (Warner Bros.) (1935)

at TB I Adversity Makes Marriages Last, Says Joe Brown Adversity is more than just the mother if invention. It is the father and mother and big brother of happy marriages in Hollywood. The happy married couples among the film great and near great — and there are many of them — are, more often than not, those who began their married life by sharing bad times, empty larders and worry over rent. Joe E. Brown who does both baseball and blondes up ‘‘ Brown’’ i SS Ali bia lke Sat thes ar Theatre is an example. He and Mrs. Brown have been married for more than eighteen years and have four children. They were married on a Christmas eve in New York when Joe’s total capital consisted of $140. There were many other times during the first ten years of their life together when $140 would have seemed like a fortune. Onee Joe went dinnerless in New York while his family got along on $12 a week in a camp in the Adirondacks. ‘*Nothing welds people together like the sharing of difficult times,’’ declares» Joe. ‘‘We are happier now for the troubles we have been through.’’ ‘Alibi Ike’? is based on the story by Ring Lardner and adapt ed to the screen by William Wister Haines. Others in the cast include Olivia de Havilland, Ruth Donnelly, Roscoe Karns, William Fraw ley and Eddie Shubert. Raymond Enright directed. New Mevie Star Prefers Modern Play To Classic Olivia de Havilland believes that Shakespearean roles are the finest training in the world for young players but since she was given the feminine lead in the new Warner OLIVIA de HAVILLAND appearing in ‘Alibi Ike’ Warner Bros. film at the Mee theatre. Mat No. 103 10e Bros. picture, ‘‘ Alibi Ike,’’ which eomes—tothe |... sae Theatre, with Joe E. Brown in the stellar role, she prefers to remain in pictures written by more modern writers than the celebrated Bard of Avon. “Not that I wouldn’t welcome another opportunity to play a Shakespearean role,’’ she says, ‘“but I much prefer the type of character in ‘Alibi Ike.’ ‘While I owe my screen contract to the part of ‘Hermia’ in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ I have been more or less overShakespeared. ‘*My mother, you see, was a professional reader, specializing in Shakespearean plays so I got ‘Hamlet,’ ‘King Lear,’ ‘Merchant of Venice’ and the rest of these notable plays as a steady diet and now that I think about it, a little too steady.’’ In ‘‘ Alibi Ike,’’ Miss de Havilland plays a_ straight romantic role, in a pennant winning picture of baseball and blondes. It is based on the famous baseball comedy by Ring’ Lardner, which was made into a screenplay by William Wister Haines and directed by Raymond Enright. Others in the cast besides Brown and Miss de Havilland inelude Ruth Donnelly, Roscoe Karns, William Frawley and Eddie Shubert. Page Ten bau He’s Back at the Strand Joe E. Brown, mouth and all, sketched by the artist as he appears in “Alibi Ike,” now showing at the 2% Lardner wrote the story Mat No. New Film Star Is Made Ball Fan by “Alibi Ike” Role Olivia de Havilland says that ‘“Alibi Ike,’’ which comes to the arenes cae Theatre on .........0.......... and in which she plays opposite Joe KE. Brown, has made her a baseball fan. ‘‘Prior to my working in this picture, baseball was one of the sports that I knew nothing about,’’ said the lady who portrays the heart interest in the pieture. ‘“When the company went to Fullerton, Calif., the spring training camp of the Hollywood baseball team, I met several of the players who were referred to as ‘ex-big leaguers.’ ‘«They were all very nice to me, and tried to make me understand the game. After one week of watching games at Wrigley Field, I came to the conclusion that baseball was a great sport. I was a ‘‘fan.’’ Besides Joe E. Brown, the star, and Miss de Havilland, the east includes Ruth Donnelly, Roscoe Karns, William Frawley and Eddie Shubert. : Joe E. Brown Forced To Eat Peanuts Peanuts have played an important part in the life of Joe E. Brown. For years Joe traveled with a circus and everyone knows that a circus just couldn’t be without peanuts and pink lemonade. Later he played professional baseball. If the sweepers in baseball parks didn’t have peanut shells to clean up, they’d probably quit. In this new Warner Bros. picture, “Alibi Ike,” now showing ri Bad 1 cet ee Theatre, Joe had to eat several bags of peanuts. The first two bags he seemed to enjoy but from there on they became the equivalent to castor oil to a child. ee ee Theatre. Ring of baseball and blondes on which the Warner Bros, picture is based. © 204—20¢ National League Head _ Inspects Joe Brown Film Ford Frick, the president of the National League of Baseball Clubs, and youngest man ever to hold that important position, visited the Warner Bros. studios to watch Joe E. Brown make ‘‘ Alibi Ike’’ which comes to the Theatre OHSaree Joe is an old friend of Frick’s and the author of the picture Ring Lardner, was a fellow baseball reporter for years with the new league chieftain. ‘A movie like this will do a lot of good for the baseball game in general,’’ Frick said, ‘‘especially when its hero is a popular chap like Joe E. Brown. Joe is the athletic idol of all the kids in the country, and from the ranks of the kids come our successive crop of diamond stars and fans to fill our ball parks. ‘Alibi Ike’’ is Joe E. Brown’s latest comedy. Others in the east inelude Olivia de Havilland, Ruth Donnelly, Roscoe Karns, William Frawley and Eddie Shubert. Raymond Enright directed. . Night Ball Scenes Are Dangerous To Joey The making of the night baseball scenes in the Warner Bros. picture, “Alibi Ike,” which comes to the Theatre OMe ey , was particularly hazardous to Joe E. Brown. With the standard lighting equipment for night baseball, line drives are dangerous for the pitcher. Joe’s life on the mound during these scenes was not a particularly enviable one. He also had to take a turn at bat in the night game and with the bank of lights trained on his face, Joe narrowly escaped being hit with “a fast one” several times. Jo é P U BL 1G Es .% ek. Brown Says His Legs Aided His Film Rise Star Of ‘Alibi Ike’? Denies His Face Deserves All Credit For Success Most people believe that Joe E. Brown’s ‘‘face is his fortune’’ but the star insists on splitting the honors with a pair of sturdy legs. The lower extremities of the likeable star are given twice as much eare as his face, for, as he explains, ‘*a little grease paint will do wonders with a face but won’t help the legs a bit.’’ Beginning his, professional career as an acrobatic tumbler at the age of nine, Joe, now playing the role of a _ baseball pitcher in the Warner Bros. home run comedy “Alibi Ike,” at the Theatre, learned the importance of taking care of his legs as a member of the Five Marvelous Ashtons. In “You Said a Mouthful” he was a swimmer; “Sit Tight” a wrestler; “Hold Everything” a fighter; and in “Fireman Save My Child,” “Elmer the Great” and his most recent picture, “Alibi Ike,” a ball player. In each one of these pictures a strong pair of legs were absolutely necessary. Just once did he depart from an athlete’s role in his sereen career and that was in “A Very Honorable Guy.” Jn that picture he played a straight comedy part. Don, the elder of his sons is a student at U. C. L. A., and a fine athlete, and Joe E. Jr., is student supervisor of athletics at the Beverly Hills High School. Mike Frankovitch, protege of the star, was one of the outstanding football players. with U. C. L. A., last season, and _ is now playing baseball with Gabby Street’s Mission Club in the Pacific Coast League. With so many athletes at home, Joey Brown couldn’t help but keep himself physically fit all the time. The boys insist on his working out with them. Of course baseball continues to He played Paul be his favorite sport. eight years with the St. JOE E, BROWN appearing in ‘Alibi Ike’ Warner Bros.’ baseball yarn, at the theatre. Mat No. 104 10¢ Club in the American Associaticn and now is part owner of the Kansas City Club. In “Alibi Ike,” the most popular of all the stories by the late Ring Lardner, Joe E. has to pitch, hit, run bases and also do some spectacular slides and if it weren’t for a pair of strong legs then probably his face would have to be his fortune. “Alibi Ike” was directed by Raymond Enright from the screen play by William Wister Haines. Others in the cast include Olivia de Havilland, Ruth Donnelly, Roseoe Karns, William Frawley and Eddie Shubert. PLANT THIS SERIES YET? This is the third of this series. We knew we were giving you something different with this new cartoon feature, but we really didn’t expect such an overwhelming success. Even papers which haven’t used publicity mats before are giving a neat spot on the movie page to this one. We’re planning one for each of our stars. How They Got to ( > Nt currently starring in “Alibi Ike’... once was a sub with the New York Yankees ...now has a team of his own...ran away from home at nine to follow a circus... became an acrobat and broke his leg doing a back flip . . . circus moved on and left him in hospital . . . tried burlesque and provedawow 9 & , ... then in musical com-¢€@ edy ... toured to Los, Angeles... discovery’... and the movies! @LIVIA DE HAVILLAND now eightcen . . . was born in Tokio, Japan, of English parents . . . schooled in California convent... chosen as second understudy for role of Hermia in movie version of “A Midsummer Night's Dream” .. . other two actresses called away... Olivia won the role... praise of the famous director, « Max Reinhardt... ‘B® and Warner Bros. contract! These stars are appearing in “Alibi Ike,”” new Warner Bros. comedy coming to the .....00.0.00....0......ceecee ee Wheatte On. oe oe ; Mat No. 206—20c