Bright Lights (Warner Bros.) (1930)

‘TELLS A HIGHLY DRAMATIC STORY OF A “HULA DANCER’S PAST. IT’S HE-MAN DRAMA! SOUND FISHING IS NOW TALKIE JOB Fishing with a fishpole is the newest talkie job, but instead of fishing for actors, the expert who draws down $75 a week in the movies for the task, fishes for sound waves. The job originated in its present form during the filming of “Bright Lights,” now showing at the ...... ee Theatre, with Dorothy Mackaill and Frank Fay, at First National Studio. The duty of the “Izzy,” as they call him (short for Isaac Walton!) is to keep the “mike” over the head of the actor speaking by moving it with his fishpole as it hangs suspended from the roof of the stage by a rope. He also follows the actor around the room with the instrument, keeping it at the same distance from his head. Formerly many microphones were used, but much better recording is_secured, and a saving of “mikes” effected by the use of a capable fisher. He must learn the lines of the players’ dialogue so that when one is through speaking he can instantly push the “mike” over to the one who is to speak next. “BRIGHT LIGHTS” SHOWS ODD LOGALES (Advance News) The long-expected local advent of First National’s big human drama, “Bright Lights,” occurs ...-..++-Btthe nies ones ws Theatre. Dorothy Mackaill and Frank Fay are co-featured in the principal romantic roles, and it is their life story as revue queen sprung from a hooch dancer and master of cere monies evolved from a barker in low African dives that runs throughout the picture. Noah Beery as the villain of the piece also figures in the African sequence, and later in New York, where the heroine, famous as a Broadway star, is about to marry a young millionaire. Daphne Pollard and Tom Dugan top the comedy list as a pair of stage comics; James Murray as a young racketeer and Inez Courtney as a chorus girl have fine secondary love affair parts, and Frank McHugh is a “knockout” as a drunken reporter. The picture has some dancing, which like the exotic and colorful locales it takes you into, is rendered wonderfully effective by the Technicolor photography in which it was filmed. It is an all-color production. Plot punch, and human characterizations, however, are its greatest assets. They are ‘calculated to raise the spectator out of his seat. Michael Curtiz, famous Hungarian director, directed “Bright Lights,” which was written especially for the screen by Humphrey Pearson, and adapted by Pearson and Henry McCarty. Eddie Nugent, Philip Strange, Edmund Breese, Jean Bary, Virginia Sale and William Irving are a few other favorites in its main cast of fifteen people. PLENTY OF COMEDY IN VITAPHONE ALL COLOR MELODRAMA “Bright Lights” Serves Fun as Well as Thrills With Noted Cast of Stars. Cut No. 15. Cut 20c. Mat 10c DOROTHY MACKAILL SINGS THREE SONGS IN “BRIGHT LIGHTS" (Advance Reader) Three songs were written by First National composers as vehicles for the new screen singing voice of Dorothy Mackaill, who assumes her initial musical role as the hula dancer in “Bright Lights.” The numbers, which will be heard when the all-Technicolor and Vitaphone melodrama comes .....-..-to the Axa Theatre, are “I’m Crazy for Cannibal Love,” “Congo,” and “A Man About Town.” She will prove a distinct surprise to those who look for Dorothy, the comedienne, of former pictures. Nine songs in all were written for the lavish production, which contains some of the most magnificent footlight sequences ever seen in a screen drama. Frank Fay, the leading man, sings “I’m Sitting Pretty,” “Rubberneckin’ Around,” and “Nobody Cares If I’m Blue.” Inez Courtney, clever stage comedienne, sings one of the biggest hits, “Every Little Girl’ Other songs are “I’ve a Masculine Complex,” and “Wall Street.” A strong cast supports Miss Mackaill and Fay in the musical melodrama, including Noah Beery and James Murray. Michael Curtiz directed. BEEFY CHORINES PICKED FOUR SOUTH AFRICAN DANCERS (Current Reader—Vitaphone 3) Kewpie Love, a favorite in San Francisco variety theatres fifteen years ago, heads the fat women’s chorus in “Bright Lights,” First National’s all-technicolor musical melodrama at the ....... Theatre. Miss Love had been playing. character bits in pictures for many years, but this was the first time she was called on because of her singing and dancing ability. She heads a group of chorines, none of whom weigh under 175 pounds, and who are representative Sie ar of the early days when curves and Frank Fay-Plays Himself)* 2" so". “soe all SEES demanded of dancing beauties. Frank Fay shows us how masSee ae eos ee ee. ters of ceremonies get their start | drama. ee in “Bright Lights,’ in which he Do i : roth heads an all-star cast with Dorothy | Fay ee ce — at the 4 See a eee The-| Lights,” which was filmed from an : ay was imself a famous original screen story by Humphrey mae 3 oe ceremonies before turn-| Pearson. Noah Beery, Daphne Pol ing to the screen. The picture is|lard, James-M ; ; Murray, To a First National production entire| Inez Courtney, rank iccgh ntl ly in Technicolor. others are in the large cast. and Frank featured in “Bright First National Pictures, Inc. (Advance News) Although a melodrama of the vivid, romantic kind, “Bright Lights,” which comes ........+++: TOs. tliGe eae ee Theatre, is packed with comedy dialogue and action. A group of popular comic players support Dorothy Mackaill and Frank Fay, who are the leads in this First National and Vitaphone all-color musical film. They include the funny dancers and pantomimists, Daphne Pollard and Tom Dugan, and the inimitable comedienne Inez Courtney, who played in “Song of the Flame” and “Spring Is Here.” Frank McHugh, a drunken reporter in Ziegfeld’s “Show Girl,” brings his inebriated art to his first picture, “Bright Lights.” Hddie Nugent caricatures the press agents and Jean Bary and Virginia Sale are character comediennes. William Irving offers a comic portrayal of a “fly cop.” Noah Beery and James Murray are also well cast. “Bright Lights” has some of the most lavish and beautiful settings Pre Agents the screen has attempted to pho O. K. Portrayal tograph in color. They were creSa ee = ated by Anton Grot, responsible for} Hie Nugent’s portrayal of a The familiar director’s canvas those in “No, No, Nanette,” and | pre agent in “Bright Lights” was chair on every movie set did not “Song of the Flame.” They are unicially okayed as a realistic|@Ppear on the set of “Bright seen in the theatrical sequences of | permance by the publicity men | Lights,” First National’ the drama, which moves to many|afirst National Studio. It was | and Vitaphone mel ae Pea c corners of the world. : nthird press agent role. Doro-|...:..... Pentre. ‘Mich eee Michael Curtiz directed from|t/ Mackaill and Frank Fay are | tiz, the director, is a poe ne Humphrey Pearson’s story. This is gured in the all-color musical/ dle of energy hile VeAine: pus: -the initial musical film in which iodrama, now at the ........... picture, and does Rot: at Mi too Dorothy Mackaill appears. | eatre. place lone enoush te a pee one presents “Bright Lights” Thrillag drama, livened by startling musical sequen¢s. Dorothy Mackaill as a hula dancer reveals her stange past on the night of her wedding to a ParkAvenue social leader. ; with DOROTHY MACKAILL RANK FAY and NOAH BEERY Opens Tonight JLYMPIA sxx PINE STS. ee No Parking \ 2 EEE Os CONGO LOVE Dorothy Mackaill and Noah. Beery in “Bright Lights” Cut No. 15. Cut 30c. Mat 10c Noah Beery is again a heavy screen menace in First National’s all Technicolor film “Bright Lights, Theatre. Dorothy Mackaill is the object of his unwanted ” which: opens... 2c. e. at the affections, while Frank Fay plays the hero role. Cupid Kidded A deep romance that feeds on Powerful Drama, Exotic Locales in Film kidding and “wise cracks” is that : “Bright Lights,” First National’s portrayed by Dorothy Mackaill and | pig atl-Technicolor film offering at Frank Fay “Bright Lights,” EN Cooaroece sete senars Theatre, combines a First National’s all-Technicolor mu with DOROTHY MACKAILL CG Mat 10c sical melodrama coming .......- to the Theatre. wonderful variety of locales. ee ee LOEWS STATE ™::. OIRECTIONWEST COAST THEATRES INC. TWO ENTRANCES Begins Today EOE * TRANS Sy, SERN 7 z ears —— . ‘ A REX AK NoaH BEERY EppizE NUGENT INEZ CouRTNEY DAPHNE POLLARD Tom DuGAN JEAN BARRY powerfully dramatic story with Lik a : ys See Dorothy Mackaill in the low cafes of Africa, dancing to weird native tunes. Then see her as the toast of New York, living down memories of a shady past, to the tunes of modern jazz. Story by Humphrey Pearson Directed by Michael Curtiz Yowve Never Heard Such Startling Drama Page Nine