Back Pay (Warner Bros.) (1930)

SECTION You can use any illustration and almost every story in this entire press sheet for your silent showing with slight changes. First National Pictures, Inc., presents {ws of the Screen in her Greatest Vitaphone Achievement Produced by WALTER Cut No.7 Cut 4oc Mat roc Varied Locales In New Corinne Griffith Picture Scenes in “Back Pay’? Move From Small Virginia Town To Fashionable Park Avenue (ADVANCE READER) Many varied and interesting locales form the background of “Back Pay,” by Fannie Hurst, Corinne Griffith’s second all-talking production for First a nal, which follows her recent of eabaret night life, “Lilies of _«dield,” which was entirely laid in New York City. In Miss Hurst’s famous play founded on a short story by the same distinguished author, which has been translated into seven languages, there are scenes in the sleepy little town of Demopolis, Virginia, where the star jis shown as a working girl in a small department store; settings in a luxurious Park Avenue apartment house and crowded street scenes in New York City, when the heroine leaves Demopolis for a life of easy virtue in a big metropolis; snow mountain scenes at Lake Placid depicting winter sports and a jolly week-end in a hunting lodge; festive bits of fast life at Hot Springs and wide wastelands with trenches, barricades, dugouts and miles of barbed wire en _ tanglements, “somewhere in France,” during a thrilling war sequence. “Back Pay” is the coming attrac; tion at the Theatre. It _was directed by William A. Seiter and the surrounding cast includes such well known names as Grant Withers, Montague Love, and “Vivian Oakland. SEITER’S FIFTEENTH “Back Pay,” Corinne Griffith’s latest screen production founded on the world-celebrated story and _ stage drama by Fannie Hurst, which has been announced by the Theatre as one of their forthcoming big attractions, is the fifteenth feature film to be directed by William A. Seiter in the two years he has been under contract to the First National Studio. This achievement marks a record unequalled by any other megaphone wielder in Hollywood, for the same length of time. One of the chief reasons Seiter has been assigned so many more pictures than the average director is because he is equally at home in guiding his players through light farce or heavy drama. Southern Girl Corinne Griffith will have the role of a department store worker in the little town of Demopolis, Virginia, in First National’s “Back Pay” soon to be shown at the Theatre. As Miss Griffith is a native daughter of Texas, her soft, wellmodulated voice is particularly well suited to this southern role. Grant Withers plays Miss Griffith’s leading man and Montagu Love has an equally important role. William A. Seiter directed. Corinne Griffith Sings For the first time in her long and varied screen career, Corinne Griffith has joined the ranks of the screen stars who not only talk but sing, as well. She is said to have a charming mezzo soprano voice and will make her debut as a singer in “Back Pay,” a First National and Vitaphone production which opens at the Theatre next Pr er ee cr} Actor Braves Wet And Cold Making “Back Pay” Scenes Grant Withers Gets Soaked Seven Times In Course Of a Day’s Work (NEWS STORY) All in the interest of Art with a capital A, Grant Withers, leading man for Corinne Griffith in “Back Pay,” the star’s second all-talking picture for First National, was called upon to risk pneumonia and a few other ailments while on location during the making of this celebrated Fannie Hurst story which is announced for early showing at the i eee eee Theatre. One of the picturesque scenes in “Back Pay” represents a picnic ground where Miss Griffith, Mr. Withers and forty other players in the roles of employees of Finley’s Department Store in the small town of Demopolis, Virginia, are making merry. It is at this pienic that Withers in the role of Gerald Smith first declares his love for Miss Griffith as Hester Bevins. The action requires Grant, all dressed up in white trousers and a blue coat, to plunge into an icy cold stream, where Corinne is marooned on a rock, and carry her in his arms to shore. As the entire sequence was shot outdoors with difficult travelling microphone equipment to follow the dialogue. it was necessary to photograph each shot several times, which meant hat the hero must dash into the water in dry trousers for each “take.” In the course of half an hour seven pairs of wet, muddy white flannels were soaked to the waist and presented an amusing picture as they hung, flapping in the breeze, on the side-lines, at fashionable Bel-Air, California, where the Demopolis picnie scenes were made. William <A. Seiter directed “Back Pay” and Francis Edwards Faragoh wrote the screen adaptation and dialogue. Besides Grant Withers, Montagu Love and Hallam Cooley also play Miss Griffith’s lovers. Chic Sales’ Sister When “Back Pay,” starring Corinne Griffith, comes to the Theatre, , Virginia . Sale, younger sister of the celebrated stage and screen comedian, Chic Sale, will be seen in the role of an eccentric comedy characterization of a stenographer. Miss Sale, who was formerly on the legitimate stage, is rapidly making a name for herself on the talking screen as a character actress of considerable ability. COLLECTS LACES Corinne Griffith who plays Hester Bevins in-the Fannie Hurst drama, “Back Pay,” which First National is now .presenting at the Theatre as an all Vitaphone production, directed by William A. Seiter, has a collection of real laces valued at several thousand dollars. Many of these rare laces are museum pieces of -great historical value. Among the modern things in Corinne’s collection is a banquet tablecloth on which thirty girls worked for a whole year. Into the laces are woven various portraits of Miss Griffith as Lady Hamilton and heads of all the principal characters of “The Divine Lady.” In a bed room scene with Montagu Love in “Back Pay,” the star appears in a lace-trimmed fluted chiffon nightdress showing under a _ gorgeous French negligee. The lace medallions inserted in this nightie are rare examples of 15th Century needlework. French Accent For Geneva Geneva Mitchell will talk with a French accent in “Back Pay” starring Corinne Griffith, when this celebrated Fannie Hurst story is shown HG the she sces Theatre the week of Miss Mitchell speaks French fluently in private life and also has a knowledge of Italian and German, which she finds very useful since the advent of dialogue films. Her role in “Back Pay” is that of a lady of easy virtue. “BACK PAY” IS HEART INTEREST STORY BRILLIANTLY ENACTED BY ALL-STAR CAST Corinne Griffith Seen At Her Best in Splendid Adaptation of Sympathtic Drama By Fannie Hurst (PREPARED REVIEW) > \\ Grant Withers, Corinne Griffith and Montagu Love in “Back Pay.” Cut No. 16 Cut 30c Mat roc A crowded and distinguished audience welcomed the premiere of Corinne Griffith’s ““Back Pay,’’ at the ....-.2..... Theatre last night, and was rewarded with a brilliant union of beauty, drama, personality and intelligent direction in this celebrated Fannie Hurst story. ‘‘Back Pay’’ has been widely read-as a short-story and enjoyed a successful New York stage run some years ago with Helen MacKellar in the role of Hester Bevins. Her Hester is a flesh-and-blood heroine who chafes under the restraint of her narrow environment in a small Vir ginia town and longs for romance, pretty clothes and the animation of a big city. Though she loves Gerald Smith who works at the same department store, the ambitious Hester realizes that life with him would mean a continued humdrum existence. She finally settled down to a life of easy virtue in a Fifth Avenue apartment with Wheeler, a middle aged suitor. Then the war breaks out and while Gerald is fighting for his country at the front, Hester, Wheeler and the fast set in which they move are shown making merry with a round of gay parties at Hot Springs, Lake Placid and New York. But when Gerald is sent from France to a New York hospital wounded and blinded, Hester is brought to the realization of her wasted life and decides to marry her soldier lover though he has only a few days to live. The climax is particularly appealing. “Back Pay” offers Miss Griffith one of the finest roles of her career. She is ably supported by a fine cast under the direction of William A. Seiter. WS WARFIELD DIRECTION ISEST COAST THEATRES INC, You’ve Been Waiting For It! Here It Is! First National Pictures, Inc. Presents Withers is Aviator About two years ago, Grant Withers, handsome hero of Corinne Griffith’s “Back Pay,” the feature attraction this week at the Again she aims at your heart. And again she Theatre, fell 1500 feet in an airplane hits! in Arizona. Grant was thrown out IN head first when the ship hit the . ground, barely escaping death, But AC a the crash has not taken away his ss fondness for flying and he spends all his spare time between pictures in California soaring the clouds for amusement. Varied Locales Many interesting and varied locales form the background for Corinne Griffith’s ‘stellar vehicle, “Back. Pay,” which is to be the next feature attraction at the Theatre. There are scenes in Demopolis, Virginia, New ‘York City, Hot Springs, Lake Placid and No Man’s Land in France, where a thrilling war sequence takes place. with GRANT WITHERS Montagu Love, Hallam Cooley Based on story by Fannie Hurst A William A. Seiter Prod. Produced by Walter Morosco Cut No.6 Cut 20c Mat sc A FIRST NATIONAL & VITAPHONE PICTURE ary Page Five