Always in My Heart (Warner Bros.) (1942)

; ’ | New Musical Film a a ED eee ae . ae | Karts Local Run At Strand Today “Always In My Heart,” which starts a local engagement today at the Strand Theatre, is, according to critics who have previewed it in Hollywood, just the prescription for chasing away your blues. And the young lady who will do it for you is Miss Gloria Warren; the -fifteen year old singing star who is Mat 102-15 the latest Gloria Warren = tar discovery of the Warner Bros. studios which has a consistent record for building up new star personalities. For her debut, Gloria has been cast in a heart-warming story of family life, comparable to another famous hit from Warner Bros., “Four Daughters.” Two of Hollywood’s most talented mature players, Kay Francis and Walter Huston, play the leading adult roles in the story, and the supporting cast is headed by Frankie Thomas, six year-old Patty Hale (another promising young screen newcomer), Una O’Connor, and Sidney Blackmer, with Borrah Minnevitch and His Rascals giving out with the harmonica harmony. “Always In My Heart” is the story of the Scotts. Miss Francis is the mother, Gloria Warren and Frankie Thomas are her two children, and Walter Huston is the father whom the children believe to be dead. In reality, he insisted on his wife divorcing him years before when he was sent to prison. Although she still loves him, she is about to be married to aman who can do a great deal for the children. She consults Huston and he tells her to go ahead, concealing the fact that he has received a pardon. He Visits their home town just to get a glimpse of the children, but once he has met his daughter and heard her amazingly beautiful singing voice, it is hard for him to 80 away. The dramatic situation which arises when the girl finds out who he really is, makes an exciting and highly unusual climax. Jo Graham directed the production, and Adele Comandini wrote the screenplay, sugested by a play by Dorothy Bennett and Irving White. &* (PREPARED REVIEW) ‘Always In My Heart’ Delightful Entertainment The Strand Theatre’s new attraction, “Always In My Heart,” which opened there last night bids fair to go down in screen history, not only as a_ thoroughly delightful picture of family life, but also as the picture which introduced Gloria Warren to the film public. For fifteen-year-old Miss Warren has a singing voice that is pure gold, and a completely captivating personality. “Always In My Heart” is a story of family loyalty, and a more heart gladdening evening of screen entertainment would be hard to find. Kay Francis, Walter Huston head the cast with Gloria Warren, and Frankie Thomas, Patty Hale, Una O’Connor, and Sidney Blackmer are featured. Borrah Minnevitch provides some tuneful interludes. Huston, as the father, is in jail, and at his insistence, his wife (played by Miss Francis) is divorced from him and his children believe him to be dead. A wealthy man is in love with her and anxious to marry her and take care of her and the children. She can’t make up her mind, and seeks Huston’s advice. He tells her to accept, and hides from her the fact that he has been pardoned. He works his way down the coast to the bay town where his family lives. It is his intention just to get a glimpse of his children, then go off. In the town, however, he finds out that his young daughter (Gloria Warren) is not happy over her mother’s remarriage. He also hears her sing, and finds that her wonderful natural talents need the guidance that he, with his musical education can give her. He takes a room in town and the two of them get acquainted. Meanwhile, the son of the family (Frankie Thomas) is completely won over to the idea of having a stepfather, particularly after he is presented with a new car. The daughter, who has discovered that the “Professor” is really her father, and that he is leaving town that night, taking a boat to San Diego, decides to go with him. Finding that she has missed the boat, she takes her brother’s speedboat to catch up with it. The father, however, is not on the boat, because he has gone to the rescue of his son, who is involved in a battle over the little Spanish girl he has taken out for the evening. Then the Pies Mat 203—30c FAMILY CRISIS—Gloria Warren gives some sisterly attention to ankie Th Heart," which opens today. te omas’ very young beard, while Patty Hale watches atentively. Scene is from the Strand's new movie, "Always In My father and son learn that Gloria is out in the speedboat alone. They follow her, and arrive just in time to save her from disaster. When the night is over, the little family is firmly reunited. The superb performances by Miss Francis and Walter Huston and the completely charming screen personality of Gloria Warren would be more than enough to put “Always In My Heart” way up in the hit class. However, you can add to that some expert acting on the part of Frankie Thomas, Una O’Connor, Sidney Blackmer, and six-year-old Patty Hale as the cook’s eavesdropping little grandchild, a _ well written script by Adele Comandini and the sensitive and understanding direction of Jo Graham, all of which have combined to make “Always In My Heart” the picture that will completely win your heart. Kay Francis Plays Glamorous Mother In Strand Movie Motherhood is a wonderful institution, but Kay Francis, who doesn’t even have an adopted child to call her “ma Mat 104—15¢ KAY FRANCIS ma,” says it’s also turned out to be a lucrative career. Right now Kay is playing mother to fifteen year old Gloria Warren in “Always In My Heart,” the new picture which serves to bring back Miss Francis to the Warner lot, scene of her former triumphs. Luckily for her, Gloria is still too young to think about boy friends, because she might soon notice that mother is one of the attractions that’s keeping the boys interested. Miss Francis regards the maternal turn her career has taken as nothing at all unusual. “I’m doing better than ever now as a mother,” she says in that husky, intriguing and definitely interesting voice of hers. “I’ve always been playing mothers. In one of my earliest pictures, ‘House on 56th Street,’ I was Margaret Lindsay’s mother. Margaret was supposed to be older than Gloria is now, so you see I’m doing all right.” Kay seems to be holding on to the glamour easily, motherhood or not. The still cameramen haven’t stopped bothering her. Studio executives are already talking about another picture to Miss Francis. IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR! Walter Huston, Mat 202—30c Gloria Warren, Kay Francis and Frankie Thomas are the delightful screen family who make "Always In My Heart" one of the screen's most delightfilled hits. It is currently showing at the Strand. Gloria Wiatied Has ilm Role Tailored for Her To 15-year-old Gloria Warren goes the unique distinction of being the youngest film player ever to have a story written especially for her in which to make her debut. “Always In My Heart” is the picture, and it will have its first local showing Friday at the Strand Theatre. It is rare indeed that a studio orders a story written around a new personality. And to have this done to a youngster of 15 is almost unthinkable. But that’s what Warner Bros. did for the pretty young singer. What’s more, they hired Walter Huston and Kay Francis to play the two other top roles in the picture. And they’re pretty well satisfied with the result, for after seeing a preview of “Always In My Heart,” they’re already scrambling around for another vehicle for the youngster. The brown-haired youngster thus joins a growing list of youthful singing stars that already includes Deanna Durbin, Judy Garland, Susanna Foster, Kathryn Grayson and one or two others. At the moment she is somewhat torn between an ambition to be an actress, and a burning desire to sing in opera. Success in either venture will confound a number of former schoolmates in Gloria’s home town of Wilmington, Del. They scoffed openly a scant year ago when she confided her ambitions. Credit for Gloria’s appearance in Hollywood must be about equally divided between her mother and Charles Martin, a radio producer. Mrs. Warren determined to get her daughter a hearing that would decide whether she should be encouraged in either her vocal or dramatic ambitions. Martin, a busy radio executive constantly beset by doting mothers, ambitious actors and scale-murdering singers, wasn’t inclined to pay much attention to a 14-year-old without much training. Mrs. Warren persevered and Martin eventually granted them five minutes. Two hours later he had heard Gloria sing, play the piano, read lines and had watched her dance. He was convinced. The Warrens moved to Hollywood, and Gloria went into intensive training, including singing lessons with Lucille Goodman, who is still her coach. When she was ready, she was tested at Warner Bros. and promptly handed a contract, although there wasn’t a single picture on the year’s program into which she fitted. All that was remedied, however, when a story was written for her, and Gloria went to work before the cameras. “For the first two weeks,” she confesses, “it was awful. I was so frightened I was a mess. But everybody was kind and patient. Particularly Mr. Walter Huston, who plays my father. He was just like a real father to me, with his help and advice and everything. I wish I could work with him in every picture I ever make.” Too Many Parents, Is Frankie Thomas’ Film Complaint Frankie Thomas, 20-yearold-actor, has probably received more parental advice than any other young man in Hollywood. And that includes Mickey Rooney, who for the most part has received advice from only one source, Judge Hardy, better known as Lewis Btone. Frankie has hadj/ so many fathers and motherg, that is, of course, on the stage“and screen, that he can’t remember the names of all of them. At the present time Kay Francis and Walter Huston are guiding him through his working days. They play his parents in Warner Bros.’ “Always In My Heart,” which is now showing at the Strand Theatre. He recently had to toe the mark for seven weeks when he was the son of Fredric March and Martha Scott in “One Foot in Heaven.” March portrayed a minister. Karen Morley and Edward Arnold saw to it that he got off to a right start when he made his screen debut in “Wednesday’s Child.” Frankie’s real parents are theatrical people. His mother, formerly Mona Bruns, retired from the stage when Frankie started his career. “Two actors in one family are enough,” she said. Frank M. Thomas has portrayed his son’s dad several times on the stage. “Concert Tour” was their most recent play together. When asked why they haven’t appeared as father and son on the screen, Frankie replies, “Directors always say dad isn’t the right type.”