Beloved Brat (Warner Bros.) (1938)

(Opening Day) “BELOVED BRAT” IS NEW FILM AT STRAND TODAY A name that once shone brilliantly in front of thousands of moviehouses — Dolores Costello — makes its reappearance today when that lovely and capable young actress will be seen at the Strand Theatre in “Beloved Brat,” a Warner Bros. drama opening today in which she is featured with the talented little Bonita Granville. Miss Costello is resuming the ¢areer to which she thought she had said farewell some seven years ago, when she retired to marry John Barrymore. The Warners have placed her under a long-term contract and are confident she will win her way to the top again. “Beloved Brat” is the story of a wilful, spoiled, pestiferous little brat — played by Bonita, of course — who is regenerated by a strict but kindly teacher in a probationary school, this being Miss Costello. The youthful Miss Granville, whose performances in ‘‘These Three,” “Maid of Salem,” and most recently, in “It’s Love I’m After” have won her world-wide acclaim as one of the outstanding child actresses on the screen today is said to top her previous work with her portrayal of Roberta Morgan, the girl who had too much of everything except parental understanding and guidance. Another one-time star is starting on the comeback trail in this picture—Natalie Moorhead. Other notables in the cast include Donald Crisp, Donald Briggs, Emmett Vogan and Lucille Gleason. Arthur Lubin directed “Beloved Brat” from a screenplay by Lawrence Kimble, adapted from an original story by Jean Negulesco. Knits Between Takes Dolores Costello claims the knitting championship of Hollywood, a title unofficially held by Kay Francis. Between scenes of “Beloved Brat,” the Warner Bros. drama now at the Strand Theatre, Miss Costello completed a blue slipover for her son and pair of socks and gloves to match for her daughter. That’s Hollywood Emmett Vogan was a tap dancer for fifteen years and a headliner in vaudeville, yet in his motion picture career he has never hoofed. He is playing a butler in Warner Bros.’ ‘*Beloved Brat,’’ now playing at the Strand Theatre. Cast of Characters Bonita Granville Donald Crisp Donald Briggs Mr. Morgan Williams Mrs. Morgan....Natalie Moorhead Miss Brewster..... Lucille Gleason Emmett Vogan Loia Cheaney Ellen Lowe Miss Mitchell Mary Doyle Judge Harris Mrs. White Pinkie Stymie Beard Arabella Meredith White Estella Carmencita Johnson Paul Everton Bernice Pilot Sylvia Saas Priscilla Lyon Gloria Fischer Jackie Doris Brenn Betty Mae . Patsy Mitchell Mat 201 — 30c MOTHER AND DAUGHTER — Talented young Bonita Granville plays her latest ‘‘bad girl’’ role in ‘‘ Beloved Brat,’’ which is now showing at the Strand Theatre. Natalie Moorhead plays the role of her mother. (Review ) °*Beloved Brat”’’ Is The New Strand Picture Warner Bros. again demonstrates its talent for combining real entertainment with social problems of significance in the picture, ‘‘ Beloved Brat,’’ which opened yesterday at the Strand Theatre. Woven around the Liche, rots young girl, Roberta Morgan (Bonita Granville), the picture tells a dramatic story of parental misunderstanding and disinterest which drive the girl into the path of life which few ever retrace — the path which usually ends in stark tragedy. Mat 102 — 15e Bonita Granville Roberta, the only child in a wealthy home, has been brought up by a governess and the household servants. She is bad-mannered, tempestuous, and thoroughly hateful to everyone but her father’s lawyer who is wise enough to realize that she is not to blame. ; Circumstances involve her in a fatal automobile accident for which the butler is sentenced to prison. Finally Roberta confesses that she is really to blame and the judge places her on probation in a school run by Dolores Costello who is bringing her talent and beauty back to the screen Length .............. 5600 ft. after an absence of several years. The events which follow are highly intensive and dramatic, bringing the picture to a smashing close. Donald Crisp and Natalie Moorhead play Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, the girl’s parents, aan.di: Dsoinca Ted: Briggs is Mr. Morgan’s lawyer who, with Dolores Costello, provides the romantic interest of the picture. The casting is excellent. Bonita Granville gives her best performance since ‘‘It’s Love I’m After’’ while Donald Crisp is his usual competent self. Dolores Costello’s return will be warmly welcomed by all movie-goers who will remember her as one of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars of a few years back. The film deals straightforwardly with a problem that is close to the hearts and minds of all of us. And without flinching, it places the blame for youthful misdemeanors squarely at the feet of the parents. Poignantly, it presents a plea for better understanding between two generations. It’s a picture that no one in the family ean afford to miss. Mat 101 — 15¢ Dolores Costello Running Time................ 62 mins. Is Famous ‘Brat? Bonita Granville is a darling child. She listens to her mother, eats her spinach and doesn’t hit little boys and girls. But unfortunately, or fortunately, she has a peculiar knack of portraying nasty little girls so vividly on the screen, producers have continued to cast her in brat roles every time one turns up. In “Beloved Brat” which comes to the Strand Theatre next Friday, she goes to town as a bad girl. She sasses her mother, and is partially responsible for killing a man. She’s really bad! And that’s the way film audiences will think of her—no matter how hard she tries to be a good girl. From the Bottom Up Arthur Lubin, who directed ‘‘Beloved Brat’’ for Warner Bros., believes in learning things ‘‘the hard way’’ in order to be able to do them ‘*the easy way.’’ From earliest youth, he was interested in things theatrical, and began to learn the business from the ground up. He took every job he could get, first as prop boy and general handy man, then as an actor. Later, he studied drama at Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, and to continue his studies after graduation, joined the International Alliance of Stage Employees’ Union and completely learned stagecraft. [3] (Current) LOVELY DOLORES FEATURED IN “BELOVED BRAT” No doubt about it, this is the year of Comebacks. Not a major studio hasn’t its examples. The minors don’t count, because it is from them that some of the stars of old are emerging, to compete again in the major leagues of flickery. Others again are returning from England. Significant is the return of Dolores Costello, this year. Miss Costello started her comeback at Warner Bros. Studio (where she won her greatest fame in other years) in a picture called “Beloved Brat.” The picture is the current attraction at the Strand Theatre. Miss Costello, as everyone knows, retired from the screen when she married John Barrymore. Now, back at work, she is delighted at meeting old friends again, and getting back into the exciting whirl of movie-making. But the nicest part of it, to her, are the hundreds of fan letters that have been coming in since the announcement of her return. That’s what she calls a real welcome! In “Beloved Brat,” Miss Costello plays a teacher who regenerates a wilful little rich girl (Bonita Granville) and transforms her into a sweet lovable child. The picture was directed by Arthur Lubin. Starlet Is Generous Bonita Granville, child film star, with the consent of her mother, has been giving her old clothes to needy young girls. But her charitable impulse has run away with her and she can’t wait to buy new clothes so that she can hand them out. This is all causing her mother untold worry, since she can’t afford to buy new clothes for the poor children of Hollywood and yet doesn’t want to interfere with Bonita’s sense of charity. Her latest Warner Bros. picture is “Beloved Brat,” which is now showing at the Strand Theatre. Dolores’ Memory Dolores Costello, who has returned to the Warner Bros. lot after an absence of years, in ‘‘Beloved Brat,’’ now showing at the Strand Theatre, surprised all the prop men, electricians and carpenters who worked with her in the old days by remembering all their first names. Plays Many Scenes One of the longest and most difficult roles ever attempted by a child is Bonita Granville’s in ‘‘ Beloved Brat,’’ the Warner Bros. drama now showing at the Strand Theatre. She appears in 263 of the 274 scenes. The young actress took it all in her stride, however, and went through her 263 scenes without a single hitch. Her reward was the sincere congratulations of Director Arthur Lubin, who considers her the outstanding child star on the screen today. Production Staff Director Arthur Lubin Screen Play by Lawrence Kimble Jean Negulesco Photography by George Barnes, A.S.C. Film Editor Dialogue Director Frank Beckwith Stanley Fleischer Francis J. Scheid Howard Shoup Fred Richards Sound by Gowns by