Big Hearted Herbert (Warner Bros.) (1934)

FREAK FACTS. . _.ss007 PATRICIA IS AS SKILCFUL AT PAINTING HE 1S AT * Mg1G HEARTED HERBERT PROUD oF BEING me pLAIN SELEMADE M AN es MOST sites b picture WAS ONCE A Rao AL Be Be" cus P10 R HANDSOME MATINEE IDOL WITH CURLY BROWN HAIR. FILM FAVORITES The above Warner Bros. stars are to be seen currently in “Big Hearted Herbert,” their latest lauzh hit rew et the Strend. Mat No. 30—20c (Review) *‘Big Hearted Herbert’’ Is Noveland Riotous Comedy Stellar Team Of MacMahon And Kibbee Brings Gales Of Laughter To Strand Audience NEW stellar team of gay comedians in Aline MacMahon and Guy Kibbee swept audiences with gales of laughter We ING: ok ee See Theatre yesterday when Warner Bros.’ novel and hilarious fun film was shown on the screen for the first time locally. Warner Bros. have the knack of finding the most unusual themes for comedy material. Certainly the play by Sophie Kerr and Anna Steese Richardson, upon which this picture is based, provides a plot so different from the ordinary as to be outstanding, as well as being one of the most mirth provoking sereen vehicles of the year. No happier choice of players could have been selected than Aline MacMahon and Guy Kibbee for the principal comedy roles, heading an all star cast. As a team they are invincible while individually they are excruciatingly funny. In the picture they are middle aged married persons, warm and human, who have battled life together and are still very much in love even though their children are nearly grown up. The wife keeps abreast of the times, but the husband, while a man of warm nature, loving his family, is a bit chesty about having risen to affluence from poverty and loves to boast about the family being plain people who never put on airs. He carries this idiosyneracy to such an extreme that it leads to many highly humorous situations and family rows. When it appears that the man’s peculiarities will estrange his children, the wife decides on a scheme to bring her husband to a realization of his absurd fancies, knowing that underneath he loves the children as much as she. When her husband telephones he is bringing his best customer and his wife home to dinner, she appears in her kitchen clothes, serves a cheap stew and has her once-a-week maid sit. down to the meal with her arms covered with Page Ten suds. She boasts of poverty and derides “stuck-up” people until the uncomfortable guests leave in dismay. But she makes her crotchety spouse see the error of his ways, and having gained the whip hand she proceeds to rub it in on her obstreperous lord and master until he gives in to every demand. While the picture is a lively comedy for the most part, there also is a delightful romance in which the fascinating Patricia Ellis and the handsome Phillip Reed are the lovers, who, after a stormy courtship beset by paternal wrath, are made happy by the ingenious plot of the mother. Miss Ellis is especially delightful as the girl sweetheart. She shows considerable comedy talent, her role ealling for both romance and humor. Reed is excellent as the young college boy lover, while others in the important roles do splendid work. These include Helen Lowell, Robert Barrat, Marjorie Gateson, Nella Walker, Hale Hamilton, Trent Durkin and Jay Ward. Lillie Hayward and Ben Markson have succeeded in catching all the fun of Miss Kerr’s original story and dramatizing it for the screen. William Keighley’s direction was both skillful and comprehending. Here is a picture that will de light the hearts of married women and lovers, and give a big -laugh to all husbands with the slightest sense of humor. Hilarious Screen Comedy Coming To ....» Theatre Today “Big Hearted MHerbert,” a Warner Bros. comedy romance, comes to the sereen of the cahintiaseheseitg eee Theatre today as the feature attraction. There is an all star cast headed by the inimitable comedy team, Aline MacMahon and Guy Kibbee, whom audiences will remember for their hilarious team work in “The Merry Frinks” and “Gold Diggers of 1933.” The picture, based on an uproariously funny story by the famous author, Sophie Kerr, while largely comedy, is spiced with a delightful romance with the charming Patricia Ellis and Phillip Reed in the roles of the lovers. Their affair runs the gauntlet of exceedingly rough paths, however, in the shape of paternal wrath on the part of a ecrabbed and crotchety parent. Aline MaeMahon, as_ the mother, takes a hand in smoothing the way for the lovers by taming her nagging and ill natured husband by giving him a dose of his own medicine, which provides some highly amusing and novel situations. Guy Kibbee, in the title role, provokes the family discord by his stubborn insistence that his children be brought up in poverty and ignorance just as he himself had been, although he has attained to affluence. Others in important roles include Helen Lowell as a comical once-a-week maid, Robert Barrat, Henry O’Neill, Marjorie Gateson, Nella Walker, Trent Durkin, Jay Ward and Hale Hamilton. Handsomest Man Beats Handicap By Extra Hard Work It is a terrible handicap for a young actor to be known as “the handsomest man in Hollywood.” Phillip Reed, who has the juvenile role in “Big Hearted Herbert,’ which comes to the aS ede Teds oo PROGLTO (OM, cesneg izing Loar are , has tried to live it down. When he first arrived from the New York stage, the doubters all predicted that he would try to get by on his looks, alone. This made it necessary for him to work twice as hard. He was determined to prove that he knew acting was more important than being tall and handsome. In ten of his twelve first pictures for Warners, he had difficult roles and he played them so well, that for months, no critic has made any reference to his face and figure. He has made them notice his acting and forget his looks. Among his stecessful pictures were “College Coach,” “Female,” “Gambling Lady,” British Agent’ and “Lost Lady.” In his latest role in “Big Hearted Herbert,’ he plays a young college man in love with Patricia Ellis. According to the crities, this romantic pair of youngsters are excellent foils for the two fine troupers, who have the starring roles, Guy Kibbee and Aline MacMahon. The picture is a_ rollicking comedy romance based on a play adapted by Sophie Kerr and Anna Steese Richardson from Miss Kerr’s _ story. Film Fame Eludes Guy Kibbee Until He is Over Forty The “never-say-die” spirit about which success stories are written has its example in Guy Kibbee, who comes to. the PR TS CRESS Me atre* ON es in “Big Hearted Herbert.” Kibbee, the Warner Bros. star, after a long career with stock companies, vaudeville and minor companies, won his first major success on Broadway in his middle forties. He continued to strive for greater successes and attained them. The announcement that he would be starred in “Big Hearted Herbert” might be an inspiration to younger actors, likely to be discouraged by early setbacks. Guy Kibbee is still a hard worker. Every scene he plays is important. He never © lets down. He says he wants every picture he makes to “be better than the one preceding it. On his dressing room wall is a placard bearing John Paul Jones’ famous words, “I have just begun to fight.” In “Big Hearted Herbert?’ Kibbee has the role of a self made man who can’t forget the fact until his wife puts the skids under him. The picture is a hif arious comedy romance based on! the story by Sophie Kerr. Others in the cast include Aline MaeMahon, Patricia Ellis, Helen Lowell, Phillip Reed, Robert Barrat and Henry O’Neill. William Keighley directed the picture from the screen play by Lillie Hayward and Ben Markson. Right Out Of The Album (@e ae eR Kibbee Gets Stuck In Tiny Bathtub Making Film Play Guy Kibbie has no use whatever for modern plumbing insofar as it applies to the tiny bathtubs designed for small city apartments. Nature fashioned Guy in generous proportions, his anatomy being patterned along the broad lines of the old Mississippi River stern wheelers. Consequently it is something of a task for Guy to sit in one of the diminutive tubs, as he discovered in the production of the Warner Bros. picture, “Big Hearted Herbert,” which comes to the ..........0..c504: VROAGEC OM cere te tee As an old fashioned manufacturer of bathroom supplies, Guy has little use for the new fangled tubs which leave no room to wallow about. Demonstrating his point in the picture, he sits in one of the tubs. He proved his point even better than he had anticipated, for his hips became wedged tightl: between the narrow sides. Struggle as he might, Guy was unable to extricate himself. To add to his discomfiture, Director William Keighley saw a chance for a laugh and signalled one of the prop men to turn on the water. Guy splashed about like a young hippopotamus while the camera man ground out a scene which was not in the script. After the delighted director had all the footage he wanted four prop men pried Guy loose. He climbed onto the studio floor dripping wet and bellowing with rage like a walrus. The only thing missing is a photo of Phillip Reed at the age of 11 months, lying on a flowered rug, sans clothing. If you haven’t recognized them yet, the happy looking trio above consists of Patricia Ellis, Guy Kibbee and Aline MacMahon. The reason for all this is the funniest film to hit Syracuse in years, “Big Hearted Herbert,” the Warner Bros. comedy that kept Broadway howling for a full year. Don’t miss seeing it at the Strand Theatre, where it’s showing all this week. Mat No. 25—20ce.