Cain and Mabel (Warner Bros.) (1936)

‘CAIN and MABEL PY UT Bb h.G 4 Ee ae Libraries Have Uses Ponderous tomes are put to a new use by Marion Davies and Clark Gable, co-stars of the Cosmopolitan production, ‘‘Cain and Mabel,’’ which is now making a hit at the Roe De naeeta Seat pte eee Theatre. Mat No. 203—20¢ Marion Davies Tumbles From Merry-Go-Round Star Refuses Danke. In in 6 aeriaeulie Coney Island Scene Of “Cain And Mabel” ‘‘This shot,’? said Dance Director Bobby Connolly, ‘‘is going to be pretty tough. Maybe we’d better get a double for you.’’ Marion Davies tossed her wavy blonde hair in a disdain ful manner. “Tt won’t be the first time I’ve fallen off a merry-go round,’’ she chuckled. Strange talk from a movie star and her director, but one which actually took place during the filming of the first of two lavish numbers for the Cosmopolitan production “Cain and Mabel,” NOw ab. thes ite G ons Theatre, as a Warner Bros. release with Miss Davies and Clark Gable in the stellar roles. Miss Davies and the dance director left the former’s dressing room and started across the stage, which had been transformed into an idealistic representation of Manhattan’s famed fun resort, Coney Island. In the very center of the huge stage stood a merry-go-round, at the moment without passengers. At a word from Connolly electricians threw a series of switches and the entire stage broke into sparkling brilliance. Thousands of lights glowed on the merry-go-round and other thousands sparkled in the hackground, outlining the Ferris wheel, the shooting gallery, novelty stands, the fun house and other concessions. “All right, boys and girls,” he directed. “In this shot you all trun from the wax museum entrance in a body. You spy the merry-go-round. You crowd on it in such a manner that you prevent Miss Davies and Mr. White (Sammy White, the celebrated Broadway eccentric dancing comedian and Miss Davies’ partner in this number) from boarding it. I’ve already told you the rest. Now go to it. Look and act hap py. This is Coney Island and youw’re having a swell time.” An orchestra burst into the strains of the melody of the number, “Coney Island,” written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. The merry-go-round started to whirl and simultaneously the mob burst from the wax museum, Miss Davies, in her girlish costume, and Sammy White in the lead. Across the stage, followed by cameras on wheeled carts and on huge, towering cranes, the mob ran. Singly and in groups they began piling onto tha r-mb'ing Page Sixteen ‘“*Never mind the double.’’ merry-go-round. Miss Davies and White sought frantically to board the apparatus. The star and her partner took forlorn perches on the edge of the merry-go-round, sitting on the floor, their legs extended over the stationary platform. From behind them came a weaving sailor, a grin of happy anticipation on his face. As Miss Davies and White whirled into camera focus he gave them a shove and they bounced nonetoo-gently off the merry-go-round. Miss Davies rolled over two or three times. She came up finally, hat askew, clothes rumbled and dusty. But she was still laughing. “Cut!” yelled Connolly through the loud speakers. He conferred for a moment with his cameramen while the merry-go-round slowed to a stop. “We'll have to do it again, Marion,” he said at length. “You rolled right out of the picture.” “Tess roll and more bump, eh?” the comedienne chuckled. “Something like that,” Connolly agreed. This time Miss Davies rolled over only once, but she came up with her back to the cameras. “No good,” said Connolly. You'll have to end up facing the cameras.” “Say,” remonstrated the comedienne with mock resentment, “Did you ever try falling off a merry-go-round?” “No,” Connolly had to admit. “Try it sometime,” Miss Davies suggested. The third take was successful. “And to think,’ Miss. Davies commented ruefully as the technical crew began setting up their apparatus in the wax museum for another sequence. of the novelty number, “that I spent three hours with a crowd last weekend getting myself jarred half to death on the roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, shoot-the-chutes, whips and other instruments of torture at Ocean Park.” Marion Davies Has Same Male Star But Twice During her long and successful screen career Marion Davies has had the same male star as her leading man only twice. Clark Gable is the second actor to fall into this category. Dick Powell was the first. Gable first played opposite Miss Davies when his star was just beginning its climb toward the zenith of the cinematic heavens. That was in ‘‘Polly of the Cireus,’’ the picture that started him toward stardom. Gable now is co-starring with Miss Davies in her new Cosmopolitan production, ‘‘Cain and Mabel,’’? which comes to the .......... ... TMHGGETOL ON 7 2tie thse ee »,as a Warner Bros. release. He portrays the role of heavyweight boxing champion of the world and is thrown into a psuedo-romance with an actress, played by Miss Davies, for publicity purposes. Powell played opposite Miss Davies first in the comedy, ‘‘ Page Miss Glory.’’ He was her leading man again in ‘‘Hearts Divided,’’ an historical romance. ‘‘Cain and Mabel’’ combines hilarious comedy with music, dancing, romance and drama. Others in the cast include Allen Jenkins, Roscoe Karns, Walter Catlett, David Carlyle, Hobart Cavanaugh and Ruth Donnelly. Scores of beautiful dancing girls also appear in production numbers staged by Bobby Connolly, with music and lyrics by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. Lloyd Bacon directed. Marion Davies Wears Heavy Headdress For one of the lavish production numbers for the Cosmopolitan production, ‘‘Cain and Mabel,’’ costarring Marion Davies and Clark Gable, and now showing at the i eavasmeie nad’ gos des iepsbiivcsteees oo) ME ALTOSASeS Warner Bros. release, Miss Davies wears probably the most elaborate costumes ever designed by the studio wardrobe department. The entire costume weighs in the neighborhood of eighty pounds, the headdress itself tipping the scales at slightly more than thirty pounds. The costume was designed by Orry-Kelly, Warner Bros. stylist, who provided the thirteen other changes Miss Davies wears in the production. But when a gal like Marion Davies meets a press agent like Roscoe Karns, something has to happen—and it does in the Cosmopolitan production, ‘‘Cain and Mabel,’’ starring Miss Davies and Clark Gable which ODENSE. TNE 6.2.6. caassscisestaaes> Mabel Says It’s Awful With Marion Davies and Clark Gable starred, and a host of Hollywood fun makers in the cast as well as hundreds of pretty dancing girls, ‘‘Cain and Mabel,’’ the Cosmopolitan production released by Warner Bros., will open at the CS oes nt Meer ee ae TheawexONsascad sie oe Shown above are (left to right) Roscoe Karns, Marion Davies, Walter Catlett, Ruth Donnelly and Hobart ‘Cavanaugh. Mat No. 211—20c Roses Representing 160 Dancers Given to Star A ceremony unique in motion pictures was enacted at Warner Bros.’ studio, just as the final scene was “shot” for the Cosmopolitan production, “Cain and Mabel,” which comes to the Theatre on i Marion Davies and Clark Gable in the stellar roles. The scene completed the “Thousand Love Songs” number in which one hundred and sixty chorus beauties take part with Miss Davies. As the star moved toward her dressing room she was presented with a gigantic bouquet. It contained one hundred and sixty roses, one for each girl in the chorus. Miss Davies seized the microphone of the public address system and thanked the dancers. A surprise also awaited the chorines, for as they left the stage each was presented with a beautiful scarf, the gift of Miss Davies. ey ae TROGWOS ON sii G ae east Mat No. 214—200 Gable Was Seventeen Before He Saw City Clark Gable was seventeen years old the first time he saw a big city. The sereen’s biggest male star, who is co-starred with Marion Davies in the Cosmopolitan production, ‘‘Cain and Mabel,’’ now SHOWIMOTAL 100. wreen.s ons acesestessnccisansTheatre as a Warner Bros. release, was born in Cadiz, a small Ohio town. He spent all of his childhood and most of his youth in similar villages. When he graduated from high school he went to Akron, Ohio, which was the first city he’d ever seen. Miss Davies In Scene Like Real Life One of the most natural scenes they ever played was that enacted by Marion Davies and Clark Gable, who are co-starred in the Cosmopolitan production, ‘‘Cain and Mabel,’’ which comes to the Repise er Peery. Theatre on ............. as a Warner Bros. release. The scene required them to leave the stage door of a theatre and press through a mob of extras portraying spectators waiting for the heavyweight champion of the world and the nation’s most famous actress. Flashlight bulbs flared and dozens of autograph albums were pushed into the two players’ hands. “<Tt seemed quite a natural situation,’’ Miss Davies and Gable commented after the scene was completed. Gable Spends 3 Days In Fight Sequence While the longest championship boxing match seldom goes one hour, Clark Gable spent six hours and twenty minutes in the ring during the filming of the spectacular fight sequence for the Cosmopolitan production, ‘‘ Cain and Mabel,’’ co-starring Marion Davies, which comes to the .............. eee Theatre: On os owes as a Warner Bros. release. Three days were required to film the sequence, which depicts Gable defending his world’s heavyweight championship crown. Between scene intervals, during which cameramen and electricians readjust their equipment, accounted for the difference in time Gable spent in the ring and the total time required to photograph the battle.