Broadway Gondolier (Warner Bros.) (1935)

FEATURES Dick Powell Is Ducked In Movie Lake From Gondola Star Of ‘Broadway Gondolier’ Keeps On Singing Despite Icy Bath By Carlisle Jones ‘‘Come on over to the set tonight,’’ suggested Dick Powell, from the deep end of his brand new swimming pool. ‘‘We’re making night shots of Venice. I’ll show you how to gondolier.”’ Splashing about in the shallow end of the same pool, your observer admitted that he would be interested in accepting that suggestion. ‘“All right,’’ added Dick, just a bit too wholeheartedly, “and be sure you wear long underwear.” “ong underwear? In Venice “In Hollywood’s version of Venice, yes,’ declared Dick. “Make it wool, too, if you have ’em. Even in that cold water wool feels kinda warm.” “In the water? I thought you were offering lessons on gondoling. You don’t gondol in the water, do you?” “T do,’ admitted Dick cheerfully, too cheerfully, your observer realized later. “Sometimes, you know—I’m in and out. Anyway, take my advice and wear the long red flannels.” Fails To Take Warning Your observer should have been guided by this conversation. He should have declined then and there, firmly and politely, and gone on about his business, which is not gondoling by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, however, he hunted up the long woolens he hadn’t worn since Barrymore whamed that whale one dark night during the making of “Moby Dick,” and drove to the set of the “Broadway Gondolier,” which will open BUREN i re: ccc Theatre on ............ Venice was there in all its dark and slightly smelly glory. The canal water was just as black and, in places, just as scummy, as that which washes the steps of the Doge’s palace. And there was Dick Powell, as well, looking slightly fatter than usual, due no doubt, to the long underwear; Joan Blondell, wrapped securely in a fur coat; Director Lloyd Bacon and a hundred extra players, all looking very Italian and ready to burst into song. “Oh here you are,” said Dick brightly. “I had almost given you up.” He started off toward the water’s edge. “I’ve got an hour to practice and no one else would gondol with me. Glad you came along.” 99) He’s Broadway Gondolier Even then your observer failed to read the warning signs. We were off, your correspondent seated under the tiny awning in the center of the gondola, Dick astride of the rear deck, handling the one long oar. When It’s All Wet “This is duck soup,” confided Dick, in a low voice, “until you have to sing. That takes timing,” he explained. “Unison of arms and throat. That’s what I’m out here rehearsing. I fell in twice last night.” “Sing,” shouted Bacon from his safe warm perch on the platform before us. But there was no song forthcoming from Dick. He was having a heavy time of it out there on the rear deck, clinging to the handle of the big oar as it whipped about. The gondola shot straight toward Bacon and its sharp brow bit squarely into the set. A second later there was a soft splash beside the gondola. That was Dick Powell, going overboard. Another second and there was a louder splash. That was your observer, who had foolishly stood up in the gondola, intending to jump ashore just before the boat struck, going overboard after him—but not to the rescue. We waded toward Bacon’s platform. Dick hadn’t lost his grin but his velvet beret was hanging, full of water, over his right ear and his long underwear showed through a gap in his purple gondoling breeches. “Try it again,’ ordered Director Bacon testily, “and don’t forget to sing. And don’t take along so much excess baggage this time, either.” After which your indignant correspondent went home and took off his long underwear. “Broadway Gondolier” is a musical comedy that reunites the He drove a taxi and was thrown out of radio stations. But when he paddled a gondola, radio begged for his favor. He’s Dick Powell, singing new song hits in Warner Bros.’ ‘‘ Broadway Gondolier’’ the highly amusing film opening at the ............. eee TEREGUVOXON So Se Mat No. 203—20c Page Siz =EhOS a Joan’s Beau Dick Powell goes roamin’ with Joan Blondell, his screen sweetheart of ‘‘Gold Diggers of 1933,’’ in their latest tuneful revelry ‘‘Broadway Gondolier,’’ at the igs eee aE Theatre. Mat No. 101—10c popular stars of “Gold Diggers of Dick Powell and Joan Blondell. The all star cast also includes Adolphe Menjou, Louise Fazenda, William Gargan, George Barbier, Grant Mitchell and Hobart Cavanaugh. Al Dubin and Harry Warren wrote the songs. The screen play is by Warren Duff and Sig Herzig. Ted FioRito and his band, the Four Mills Bros. and the Canova Family also appear in the picture. Menjou Again Plays Part Of Italian Adolphe Menjou, for the third time in his screen career portrays the part of an Italian. His latest portrayal is in the Warner Bros. musical, “Broadway Gondolier,” which comes to the ........................ PRCAtG OW. ce . He is the Italian opera teacher of Dick Powell. Menjouw’s appearance as an Italian in “Great Lover” and in “A Farewell To Arms” won him much praise, and he hopes to win even greater approval for his work in the current film. Joan Blondell Wants To Play With Muni Joan Blondell, starring with Dick Powell in the Warner Bros. musical, “Broadway Gondolier,” which comes to the .................... "TReStTO. ON. tase , has been smitten with a new ambition— to play with Paul Muni. “T consider him one of the greatest actors in the world today,’ the blonde Warner Bros. star declared. “If I could only play opposite him in a picture I’m sure I would reach new dramatie heights.” Dick Powell Has to Stoop For Microphone Six-foot singers, broadecasting in a radio station, find it necessary to stoop in order to reach the standard-height microphones. ‘‘Mikes,’’ for broadcasting, are not moveable as are those used in the movies. Such a fixed microphone, adjusted for girls and short men, is the one used in ‘‘ Hollywood Hotel’’ each Friday night by Dick Powell, six-foot-tall Warner Bros. star. Thus it became a real tribute to the verity of a movie set builder’s art when Dick Powell, working before a ‘‘prop’’ microphone in a radio station scene of the new musical ‘‘Broadway Gondolier,’’ which comes to thes... inci TheaUES) Gon ae ae » kept stooping to sing into it. Lloyd Bacon, the director, spoke to Dick about it. Powell grinned and explained: **T thought I was in a real broadeasting station, and stooped unconsciously.’’ Dick Powell Has To Kiss Wife Of His Best Friend Star Of “Broadway Gondolier” Embarrassed When Joan Blondell Giggles Consider the sad plight of Dick Powell, who, in his latest Warner Bros. picture ‘‘Broadway Gondolier,’’ which comes to hig ee Theatre on .... oe ee , had to make ardent sereen love to the wife of his best friend, while the husband looked on, grinned and whispered ‘‘rotten’’ during the clinches. Dick, being human, is not adverse to love making, screen or otherwise. If a script calls for him to kiss a pretty stranger, he never protests. If he works in a picture opposite an actress who is merely a casual acquaintance, he is always on time the days there are romantic sequences. Sometimes it has been necessary to film a single kiss over and over again as many as eighteen or twenty times, just so Dick would be letter perfect in his role. “‘Tt’s just a part of this business of picture making,’’ declares Dick. ‘‘But a nice part.’’ Dick has made sereen love to Ruby Keeler more times than he can remember. She was almost, but not quite, the first girl Dick ever kissed in a picture. The very first screen kiss that Dick registered on celluloid was with Mary Brian, in a_ short ‘“trailer’? scene made, just after the completion of the picture, ‘“<Blessed Event,’’ especially for Dick’s audiences in Pittsburgh. Only Pittsburgh people saw that kiss but it took more potently than all of Dick’s subsequent sereen osculations. Dick and Mary might be married almost any time now. He has kissed Ruby Keeler more times than either can remember in the many pictures in which they have been teamed. That has never embarrased either of them particularly because they are only casual friends off the screen and neither sees the other often except at the studio. With Ginger Rogers or Gloria Stuart and Dick, the situation is similar. But with Joan Blondell, it is very different. Dick and Joan and Bill Gargan Achieves Boyhood Ambition William Gargan has finally achieved his boyhood ambition to lead an orchestra. During the filming of “Broadway Gondolier,” the Warner Bros. musical which COMES: TOStNO oi siete. sane Theatre Os a , Bill climbed on the orchestra stand and put Ted Fio Rito’s orchestra through its paces. Bill didn’t know that Fio Rito was standing behind him waving the baton in accepted fashion. Joan Blondell Going In For Paintings Two large watercolors, painted by Ray Sebastian, make-up man at Warner Bros., were hung in the modernistic bedroom of Joan Blondell, the movie star. A still life painter before entering the studio department, Sebastian was make-up man for “Broadway Gondolier,” the Warner Bros. picture which comes to tes site: TheStTe ON (eae isce is Miss Blondell, starring in “Broadway Gondolier” with Dick Powell, ordered the two framed paintings after seeing several of the Sebastian creations. Powell Knocked Out In Film Battle Dick Powell suffered a sore jaw as a result of a right hook delivered by one of his best friends Don Turner. He woke up in a few seconds. Both portray taxicab drivers in the Warner Bros. picture, “Broadway Gondolier,’ which comes to thence Sess Theatre: on o:..2%, : Before the filming of a street fight between them, Director Lloyd Bacon asked them _ to “make it real.” There were a few false steps and a few mistakes in timing and Dick Powell got a hot one on the button. Joan’s husband, George Barnes, form a threesome on many o0c¢asions when Mary Brian is out of town. When Miss Brian is in Hollywood, the four of them are frequently found together at parties, shows and dances. When Dick whispered sweet nothings into Joan’s ear in ‘¢Broadway Gondolier’’ it made him feel decidedly foolish, even though this particular picture was filmed in the most romantic surroundings possible. To add to the difficulties that beset the young actor, who is more or less bashful anyway, George Barnes was chief cinematographer on the picture and he had a professional — and friendly — eye on the love making all the time. Barnes wasn’t very helpful, either. He grinned at Dick’s protestations and at Joan’s responses. He likes Joan tremendously as a friend and he found it really difficult to make imitation love to her. But Director Lloyd Bacon, with Cameraman Barnes’ smiling approval, kept him at it until the scenes were satisfactory to everybody — except perhaps to Dick. ‘‘This igs the time a feller needs a friend,’’ he says ruefully, ‘‘ but not in his arms. Joan doesn’t believe me when I say ‘I love you.’ She just giggles.’’ ‘<Broadway Gondolier’’ Warner Bros.’ latest and most sensational musical comedy, reunites Powell and Miss Blondell who made a big hit as a team in ‘‘Gold Diggers of 1933.’? Fainting Doesn’t Stop Blondell Working Proving that she was a good trouper, Joan Blondell, Warner Bros. star, didn’t let such a “little” thing as fainting keep her from working. During the filming of a scene in “Broadway Gondolier, which comes to the .....,.......... Theatee On ...igaemes she fell over in a faint. Although Director Lloyd Bacon urged her to go home for the day, Miss Blondell insisted on appearing in several more scenes. Socialite Is Check Girl In Film Strange twists of fate are commonplace in Hollywood. During the filming of “Broadway Gondolier,” now showing at there Theatre, with Dick Powell and Joan Blondell heading an all-star cast the young lady doing the “bit” of the check-room attendant handled her dialogue and acting creditably. Someone asked if she had ever held such a position in real life. She shook her head. The girl was June Travis, the former June Grabiner, Chicago socialite. Lloyd Bacon Tries Musical Direction Lloyd Bacon, who directed the Warner Bros. picture, “Broadway Gondolier,” now showing at the arse aa eae Theatre, became a musical director in a scene which reveals an orchestra at rehearsal in a large radio station. Bacon has long maintained a custom of appearing in a bit role in some scene of every picture he directs. In order to gain some first hand information on the technique of orchestra directing, he took a hurried course in the subject from Ted Fio Rito, who appears in this production.