Cabin in the Cotton (Warner Bros.) (1932)

your a. story “Poor White” Colony of the South Erected for “Cabin in the Cotton” Hollywood recently ‘“pnoor white’’ colony. It’s nothing like a penthouse colony, or a reducing colony or a nudist colony or any artists’ colony; or, for the matter of that, like any of the colonies Hollywood ever heard of before. The ‘‘poor white,’’ as certain classes of white people are known in some places in the South, is seen in Richard Barthelmess’ latest First National starring picture, ‘‘The Cabin in the Cotton,’’ which comes to the acquired a The picture deals with the eeoblons of these particular people in their relations with a south fast industrializing and modernizing itself. The ‘‘poor white’’ may be the cotton worker who works and lives much as does the negro. His life is barren of any adornment or luxury—even the luxury of learning usually—and although ostensibly working his own land, he finds small profit for himself. The ‘‘colony’’ itself was built on the First National Ranch, near the main plant of the company’s studio in Burbank, and consisted of seven or eight tumbledown shacks, a long, dusty winding road in which the barefooted children played, and some eight or ten acress of transplanted cotton for the closeup work in the story’s dramatic unwinding. Background and atmospheric scenes for the picture were all made in the south in the actual locale of the story. For perhaps the first time on the sereen, actual sounds and sights of the cotton fields and the cotton mills of this awakening civilization will be seen and heard. The little colony was described as ‘Camazing’’ by Paul Green, Southern playwright, who pronounces himself more than ever impressed with the technical excellence of the great Hollywood studios, many of whose workers in the preparing of the set had never seen the South. ~‘;-was at once one of the most ela Worcs . rY a ean set making ever preé,‘ared in Hollywood. The crazy rocfs, the mixture of tin and wood and scrapiron which made up the shacks, ramshackle fences and barns, wells with idiotic fixtures, all bespoke a social strata hit perhaps in equal measure by poverty and slovenliness. The cast supporting Barthelmess contains plenty of feminine beauty with Bette Davis and Dorothy Jordan in the leads. Others are Henry B. Walthall, Tully Marshall, Edmund Breese, David Landau, William LeMaire, Clarence Muse. All are in character roles as types native to the cotton country. The original novel is by Harry Harrison Kroll and was adapted to the screen by Paul Green, famous Southern playwright and Pulitzer prize winner. Michael Curtiz directed. your 4b th story Dorothy Jordan’s Beauty More Than Skin Deep She has been called the prettiest girl in Hollywood. But it is isn’t looks alone that have contributed to this title for Dorothy Jordan, youthful southern actress who will be seen opposite Richard Barthelmess in his lastest First National production, ‘¢The Cabin in the Cotton,’’ at the Everything about her aids you in that decision; her prettiness is not merely facial. There’s her voice, soft and mellifiuously southern. Honeyed, a southerner would say. There are her eyes, sparkling and mischievous. There’s the dash of utter gaiety she puts into everything she does. There is, above all, the tenderness that wells from her in rarer moments. They’ve all contrived to win for her that title of prettiest, and, incidentally, to make her an outstanding screen personality enhanced by real acting ability. In ‘‘The Cabin in the Cotton,’’ she plays the daughter of a poor ‘‘sharecropper,’’ the poor whites of the Mississippi section with which the story deals. Barthelmess, too, plays a sharecropper’s son—and their scenes are said to be among the tenderest and most beautiful made on the screen Page Four Theres. © ay cr mgs since ‘‘Tol’able David’’ of the silent films. Miss Jordan confesses to no first hand knowledge of the share-cropper. Born and raised in Clarkesville, Tennessee, servants in her own family were always negroes. The share-cropper lived far across the town, and seldom mingled with the upper stratus of southern society. The cast supporting Barthelmess was selected with extreme care. Bette Davis and Dorothy Jordan have the feminine leads. Others are Henry B. Walthall, Tully Marshall, Edmund Breese, Berton Churchill, David Landau, William LeMaire and Clarence Muse. All are in character roles as types native to the cotton country. Harry Harrison Kroll’s novel was adapted to the screen by Paul Green, famous Southern playwright. Michael Curtiz directed. your Q th story Spirit of Cotton-Fields Caught by Camera for “Cabin in the Cotton” Authentic southern cottonfield locations were used in the filming of Richard Barthelmess’ latest epic of the South, ‘‘The Cabin in the Cotton,’’ a First National picture coming to: the: Vucscak® Theatres ki The cries of the cotton-pickers, their haunting songs, bird sounds, the noise of the cotton gin, the creeking and rattle of the wagons carrying the cotton to the market, the enraged protests of the little negro babies left lying in the shade of an old cotton shack while. their mothers pick—all these and many more were taken on actual location in the ‘‘land of Old Black Joe.’’ This is in line with the modern motion picture policy to travel even to the ends of the earth, if necessary, to get actual scenes and sounds. Before the picture’s filming started, Michael Curtiz, director of the picture, spent several weeks wandering through southern countrysides, studying the p ople and the customs. Net the old south of former roi lerzean TOV a 2, eo eee “hes but the new south of the present day —a south struggling for education, diversification and other modern industrial advantages long utilized by a more easily adaptable north. The cast supporting Dick Barthelmess has Bette Davis and Dorothy Jordan in the feminine leads, Henry B. Walthall, Tully Marshall, Edmund Breese, Berton Churchill, David Landau, William LeMaire and Clarence Muse. The original story was written by Harry Harrison Kroll and was adapted to the screen by Paul Green, famous Southern playwright, whose ‘‘In Abraham’s Bosom’’ was a Pulitzer prize play. Michael Curtiz directed. Their Sereen Hits RICHARD BARTHELMESS: — ‘¢Tol’able David,’’ ‘‘The Dawn Patrol,’’ ‘‘The Finger Points,’’ ‘‘The Last Flight,’’ ‘‘Alias The Doctor.’’ DOROTHY JORDAN :—‘‘ Devil May Care,’’ ‘‘Min and Bill,’’ ‘‘Shipmates,’’ ‘‘The Wet Parade.’’ BETTE DAVIS:—‘The Man Who Played God,’’ ‘‘The Rich Are Always With Us,’’ ‘‘So Big,’’ ‘‘ The Dark Horse.’’ HARDIE ALBRIGHT:—‘‘A Successful Calamity,’’ ‘‘So Big,’’ ‘‘The Purchase Price,’’ ‘‘ Jewel Robbery. ’? DAVID LANDAU: — ‘‘Street Scene,’’ ‘‘Taxi,’’ ‘‘It’s Tough To Be Famous,’’ ‘‘The Purchase Price.’’ BERTON CHURCHILL: ‘‘The Rich Are Always With Us,’’ ‘‘It’s Tough To Be Famous,’’ ‘‘ The Dark Horse.’’ HENRY B. WALTHALL:—‘‘Birth of a Nation,’’ ‘‘Police Court,’’ ‘‘Strange Interlude.’’ MICHAEL CURTIZ (director)— ‘¢The Mad Genius,’’ ‘‘Alias The Doctor,’’ ‘‘The Strange Love of Molly Louvain’’ and ‘‘Doctor X.’’ | mee ‘ SPECIAL BIOGRAPHICAL STORIES Use these interesting short biographies as advance or current plugs for stars and picture. Then file them for use on the next pictures in which stars appear. Cut15¢e Mat &e Cut No.2 TWO LEADING LADIES IN NEW BARTHELMESS FILM Pretty Dorothy Jordan is one-half of the new fashion in leading ladies, Bette Davis being the other half. The new fashion is two leading ladies for the hero of the story, if Richard Barthelmess’ latest starring feature for First National, ‘‘The Cabin In The Cotton,’’ which comes to the .............. Theatre Next ...........e eee , is to be a criterion. And it evidently is, because another double feminine lead is to be seen in ‘‘Scarlet Dawn,’’ another Warner Bros. hit which will be seen a bit later in the season, in which Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., has Nancy Carroll and Lilyan Tashman as his leading ladies. In ‘‘Cabin In The Cotton,’’ Miss Jordan appears as one of the two sweethearts between whom Barthelmess finds difficulty im choosing. a ceeerameme i iene ae ee ee ee Awendes Shorts Barthelmess and Walthall in ‘Cabin in the Cotton” Two screen players who were boost ed to stardom by David Wark Grif fith in his pioneer days, recently met for the first time in years when they were cast for the same picture at the First National Studios. They are Richard Barthelmess and Henry B. Walthall, the Little Colonel of ‘‘ The Birth of a Nation.’’ They play in Barthelmess’ latest starring vehicle, ‘<The Cabin in the Cotton,’’ a First National production which comes to They ac! "PREAtTO cae iaeteas access ‘The Cabin in the Cotton” Boasts Two Girl Leads Bette Davis and Dorothy Jordan will be seen the two principal feminine roles in ‘‘The Cabin in the Cotton,’’ First National production which comes to the .............ccecceeeeeee Theatre cen teas » with Richard Barthelmess as star. Bette Davis has played outstanding roles in several recent First National films, including ‘‘The Rich Are Always With Us’’ and ‘‘The Dark Horse,’’ while Dorothy Jordan was borrowed from another studio for this one assignment, Dick Barthelmess Spent 3 Weeks on Walking Tour Richard Barthelmess, star of ‘‘ The Cabin in the Cotton,’’ a First National picture which comes to the........ Fee tape Sen Theatre ......:..........., finally was able to fulfill a long denied wish, which immediately followed completion of this picture. He took time out to do a thing he always has wanted to do, and that is, take his two children for a walking tour of the Black Forest region of the Rhine River in Germany. He spent three weeks on the hike. Richard Barthelmess He was born Richard Semler Barthelmess in New York City, May 9, 1895. When he was two years of age his father died, and his mother, known as Caroline Harris, returned to her career upon the stage. He was educated in the public schools of New York, Hudson Military Acamedy and Trinity College, Hartford, Conn. At college, he was president of the dramatic club, and in his senior year played opposite Nazimova on the New York stage. He became Marguerite Clark’s leading man, and on a hunch wrote to Griffith asking him for work while he was locating with Miss Clark somewhere in the Alleghanies. Griffith wired for him to come to the coast, and he subsequently made history for this famous director with ‘<Broken Blossoms’’ and ‘‘Way Down East.’’ Griffith today remains his idol. For Inspiration Pictures, which was formed to star him, he made ‘¢Tol’able David,’’ which won the Photoplay Gold Medal for 1921. First National Pictures signed him, and for them he has made, among others, ‘‘The Patent Leather Kid,’’ ‘‘The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come,’’ ‘‘The Dawn Patrol,’’ ‘‘Alias The Doctor,’? and ‘‘Cabin in the Cotton,’’ the eurrent attraction at the BRR Seay Uae | aa autem aa IS Theatre. Bette Davis She was born and christened Ruth Elizabeth Davis in Boston, Mass., the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Davis. Her father is a prominent Boston corporation lawyer. Educated at Newton High School and Cushing Academy, she early drifted into dramatic efforts and fin} ished ” Bing at vox ; Murray Ander48on’s school of he Provinceown Players in New York, with the Cape Cod BETTE DAVIS Players, Cape BETTE DAVIS, whoQ od, with has the leading femi3 nine role together with Blanche Yurka Dorothy Jordan in Richin a revival of ard Barthelmess’ new hit, “The Cabin In The 1bsen’s ‘‘The Cotton.” Tt will begin Wild Duck’? ee nee end with BichOut 15c Mat 5c ard Bennett in Cut No. 5 ‘€Solid South.?’ She was brought to Hollywood to appear in ‘‘Seed,’’ and then engaged by Warner Bros. to play opposite George Arliss in ‘*‘The Man Who Played God.’’ Subsequently she has played for that company important roles in ‘‘The Rich Are Always With Us,’’ ‘So Big,’’ ‘‘The Dark Horse,’’ and ‘‘Cabin in the Cotton,’’ her most recent picture, which stars Richard Barthelmess at the ................ Theatre. Dorothy Jordan Born in Clarkesville, Tenn., the daughter of Edward and Theresa Harrison Jordan. She attended Clarkesville High School, Southwestern University and the famous old American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She tried to enter pictures, but was turned down as looking ‘‘too young.’’ She got a place in the chorus of the Chester Hale girls, at the Capito] Theatre, New York, where she remained, working her way into prominence in various musical comedies, until she was sent to Hollywood to play in ‘‘ Black Magic.’’ She played with Fairbanks and Pickford in ‘‘Taming of the Shrew,’’ and opposite Ramon Novarro in three pictures, ‘‘Devil May Care,’’ ‘‘Gay Madrid’’ and ‘‘The Wet Parade’’ brought her further fame. She plays opposite Richard Barthelmess for the first time in ‘‘Cabin in the Cotton,’’ a First National epic of the South, now playing Bt the ee Theatre.