Back in Circulation (Warner Bros.) (1937)

PUBLICITY — BACK IN CIRCULATION — PAGE 9 (REVIEW) Blondell-O Brien Great Star Team ‘‘Back In Circulation,’’ an engrossing newspaper comedy-d politan magazine story, ‘‘Angle Shooter,’’ by Adela Rogers St. rama, made from the Cosmo Johns, had its local premiere yesterday at the Strand Theatre, and thrilled and delighted several large audiences. Pat O’Brien and Joan Blondel exciting story of the power of the press. The plot of the story revolves around the death of a millionaire, discovered by a tabloid newspaper editor (Pat) to have occurred under mysterious circumstances. The editor, aided by his keen woman reporter (Joan), amasses a damning amount of circumstantial evidence against the widow, and through his printed stories she is brought to trial. Tried and convicted of murder, her silence and demeanor convinees the girl reporter that the widow is innocent, but ready to go to her doom, shielding someone else. With the aid of a physician (John Litel) who is in love with the condemned woman, the reporter is enabled to gain an explanation, breaking through the widow’s screen of silence to prove the solution of the mystery. The narrative is swift and suspenseful, with a remarkable performance by Joan Blondell as the girl reporter. Humorous twists and breezy comedy is interwoven between Pat O’Brien as the newspaper editor and his star re porter, with O’Brien in a lusty and spirited characterization. Margaret Lindsay as the widow enacts her role with complete sineerity and John Litel as her lover is very effective. The direction of Ray Enright injected speed and action to the story. The production background presents an authentic news room of (OPENING DAY STORY) ‘SOB SISTER’ ROLE PLAYED BY BLONDELL Nobody plays a fast-talking, wise-cracking newspaper man like Pat O’Brien, it has been conceded ever since he did Hildy Johnson in the elassie ‘Front Page,’ But he has a feminine rival for those honors in “Back In Circulation,” the Warner Bros. comedydrama which opens at the Strand Theatre today. And the rival is none other than Joan Blondell, who is co-starred with him. “Back In Circulation,” which was written by the eminent author, Adela Rogers St. Johns and directed by Ray Enright, sees Pat as managing editor of a sensation newspaper which will halt at nothing to increase its circulation, and Joan as his star reporter. The story has to do with the mysterious death of a millionaire, which Pat and Joan solve—as well as rescue from death or life imprisonment the man’s widow, who has refused to save herself from conviction for murder. Miss Blondell is said to give one of her most realistic performances as a sob sister who stops at nothing to get her story. A high-class. cast. supports the team of stars, including Margaret Lindsay, John Litel, Regis Toomey, Craig Reynolds, and George E. Stone. l—a great pair—are starred in this highly dramatic and a metropolitan newspaper; a brilliant night club; a conservative yet elegant millionaire’s home; a swanky bachelor’s apartment; a court room, jail and prison scenes. From small town and suburban atmosphere to the hustle and bustle of city streets, with a thrilling train wreck, the production covers a@ wide range. The complete cast embraces over twenty-five players in addition to the four principals. “Back In Cireulation” was highly rated by all metropolitan reviewers who saw it at previews. Especially was it praised by those experts for the realism of its newspaper settings and characterizations. It seems to be one of those “all family’ movies that should please everyone. WHITE CAP IS RAY ENRIGHT’S ‘START’ SIGNAL Everybody around the studio could tell that Director Ray Enright was all set to start shooting on a new picture. For he was wearing a white cap. And it was virginal. Tf it had been an old white cap, crumpled and soiled, they’d have known he was nearing the end of his directorial efforts on a production. But since his cap was immaculate, that meant a new production was ready to go into the works. It’s the way everybody at Warner Bros. studio knew when Ray Enright began shooting on “Back In Circulation,” the newspaper drama starring Pat O’Brien and Joan Blondell and opening next Friday at the Strand Theatre. For each new picture he makes, Ray buys a new white cap. Thereafter he keeps it on until the picture is completed. Friends swear he sleeps in those caps. And if the picture takes a long time to turn out, it’s just too bad—for the cap. When it’s all over, Ray writes on the cap the name of the picture for which he wore it. Then he gets the stars and east to autograph it for him. Finally he hangs it in his trophy room. For every picture he has directed under the Warner Bros. banner there is a cap. The first was for “Fireman, Save My Child.” Then in succession are caps which covered the directorial dome during the filming of “Dancing Sweeties,” “Scarlet Pages,” “Play-Girl,” “The Tenderfoot,” “Silk Express,’ ‘“Havana Widows,” “I’ve Got Your Number,” “Twenty Million Sweethearts,” “The Circus Clown,” “Dames,” “The St. Louis Kid,” “While the Patient Slept,” “Traveling Saleslady,” “Alibi Ike,” ‘“We’re in the Money,” “Snowed Under,” “Harthworm Tractor,” “China Clipper,” “Sing Me a Love Song,” “Ready, Willing and Able,” “Slim,” “The Singing Marine” and “Back In Circulation,” his latest. “Back In Circulation,’ a Warner Bros. picturization of the Cosmopolitan magazine story, “Angle Shooter” by Adela Rogers St. Johns and_ starring Pat O’Brien and Joan Blondell, is an engrossing newspaper drama, pre Mat No. 203—20¢ CROONING FAMILY—Joan Blondell, her son Norman, and hubby Dick Powell, gather round the piano for a family “sing’’. Joan is currently starring in ‘Back In Circulation” at the Strand. NEARLY CARRIED AWAY TO HAWAII A trip to Honolulu for Margaret Lindsay: and John Litel, Warner Bros. film players, started recently at San Pedro, but was abruptly ended in the outer harbor. The voyage, however, had not been planned. It just happened that while filming a scene for a comedy-drama of newspaper life called “Back In Circulation” the two players found themselves accidental stowaways. The scene showing Miss Lind say and Litel leaving on their _ picture honeymoon, had been taken many times, on schedule, the ship sailed. It was quite an exciting experience for Miss Lindsay to shin down the Jacobs’ ladder, onto the Pilot boat. “Back In Circulation” is due to open next week at the Strand theatre. Mat No. 101—10¢ SMILING ‘‘SOB SISTER’? — Joan Blondell; charming comedienne, plays an ace gal reporter who gets her story as well as her man in “Back In Circulation,’ coming next week to the Strand Theatre. PRESS STORIES CREATE STARS A review of past screen proof . newspaper brings to light some noteworthy ductions stories and interesting facts concerning players who rose to stardom from opportune roles and first appearances in stories of the press. Back in 1929 a young lady named Katherine Francis ap peared in one of the earliest newspaper stories, “Gentlemen of the Press.” It was the first appearance on the screen of the now glamourous Warner Bros. ‘stat, Kay Francis, who advanced rapidly from this beginning. Others in this same cast who have risen to fame are Walter Huston, Charles Ruggles, Norman Foster. From “The Front Page,” Pat O’Brien dates his climb to screen success. In the role of Wildy Johnson, the greatest fictional newspaperman of all times, Pat O’Brien created an unforgettable characterization as did Adolphe Menjou as the double crossing editor. Notable names also in “The Front Page,” were Mary Brian, Edward Everett Horton, George E. Stone, Walter Catlett, Slim Summerville, Frank McHugh. While not his first role in pictures, Edward G. Robinson rose to great heights in “Five Star Final,” which included such well known names as: H. B. Warner, Marian Marsh, George E. Stone, Director Mervyn LeRoy. Warner Bros.’ latest contribution to the popular cycle of newspaper stories is “Back In Circulation” Adela Rogers St. John’s thrilling murder mystery, with Pat O’Brien and Joan Blondell in the leading roles. Margaret Lindsay, John Litel, Regis Toomey, Craig Reynolds, George E. Stone and other noted players complete the fine cast of players. (LEAD STORY) Newspaper Story Coming To Strand senting a behind-the-scenes view of the ethics of news gathering and the power of the press over lives and reputations. “Back In Cireulation” is scheduled to have its first local showing next week at the Strand Theatre. A spectacular train wreck provides a thrilling introduction to the murder mystery elements of the swiftly paced narrative that follows. The photoplay presents a new and exciting characterization by Joan Blondell, as a smart girl reporter who takes keen professional pride in her job. The story revolves around the death, under mysterious circumstances, of a millionaire. This becomes known, through an anonymous letter, to Pat O’Brien, editor of a metropolitan tabloid newspaper. Sensing sensational news, he assigns his star reporter to investigate. Amassing a damaging amount of circumstantial evidence, the widow of the seemingly murdered man, portrayed by Margaret Lindsay, is brought to trial. Refusing to enter any defense to the charge, she is found guilty, chiefly on the strength of the stories unearthed by the news sleuths. Amidst the melodramatic involvements of the murder trial, Joan Blondell, although her activities have been the moving influence in the persecution, becomes convinced of the _ condemned woman’s innocence. Facing the woman _ she has practically sent to her doom, she contrives to make her confess that her silence is shielding someone. In the clash between the two women, the underlying play for life and death is one of the dramatic highlights of the picture, and provides the solution to the mystery. “Back In Circulation” is pronounced one of the surprise pictures of the new fall season. 50 TOWNS WANT JOAN BLONDELL Joan Blondell has half a hundred “home towns.” The pretty Warner Bros. star is claimed by many cities as their “local girl who made good in the movies.” She is at present co-starring with Pat O’Brien in “Back In Cireulation,” which comes to the Strand next week. When a child, Joan’s father, Ed Blondell, took his family through the country, around the world in fact, on his vaudeville tours. Appearing in cities usually for not more than a week at a time, a letter from the New York Board of Education was the open sesame for Joan to enter school for the period of the local en : gagement. In this way, she attended many schools in many eities, gained an education and at the same time a host of friends. Now Joan receives hundreds of letters and is visited at the Warner studio by scores of former schoolgirl classmates, claiming her as a home town girl, recalling how they went to school together. Joan’s travelling school education only hesitated twice, once for eight months when she attended Junior College at Denton, Texas, and again for a year and a half in Santa Monica, California, where she graduated from high school before college.