Confession (Warner Bros.) (1937)

(LEAD STORY) ‘Contession Drama Ot First Rank Kay Francis Has Greatest Role In New Film In what is described as the most elaborately staged, and most highly emotional picture of her brilliant career, Kay Francis comes to the Strand Theatre next week. It is the Warner Bros. drama “Confession,” adapted from the famed European play “Mazurka,” which had sensational runs in the Continental capitals. The story concerns a famous opera singer who kills her betrayer in order to save from ruination her young daughter whom he is leading toward the fate of the mother. Basil Rathbone—suavest of all villains — plays the scoundrel whose life the bullet ends. Jane Bryan is the daughter. Ian Hunter is her husband, a war hero, who Basil Rathbone Mat No. 106—t10¢ really loves the opera singer, but had been separated from her beeause of her brief affair with the betrayer. Other notables in the cast inciude Donald Crisp, Robert Barrat, Ben Welden, Dorothy Peterson, Mary Maguire, Helen Valkis and Veda Ann Borg. Continental in theme and treatment, “Confession,” is described as a most impelling emotional expose of a woman’s reaction to life’s ecruelties. The settings by Anton Grot vary from a stately Conservatory of music to squalid slums of a Polish city. The director, Joe May, was brought from Europe for this picture. He was a noted stage direetor before entering pictures and is credited with the discovery of Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings, Annabelle, Lya de Putti and Francis Lederer. Rathbone Prefers To Free-Lance Basil Rathbone, leading man in Warner Bros.’ Confession,” which stars Kay Francis, prefers free-lancing to being contractbound, as it leaves him unfettered when he feels the urge to travel. He has move offers of work than he has time to accept, so he picks only the choicest. Rathbone is to be seen in “Confession” at the Strand Theatre next week. Kay Francis Most Traveled Actress Kay Francis, Warner Bros. star, and Hollywood’s most traveled actress, has never been in the film capital for a longer continuous period than eight months, since entering pictures. Miss Francis will be seen in “Confession,” at the Strand Theatre, next week. New Star Learns Complete Script Jane Bryan, Warner Bros.’ newest starlet, knows every line of every part in “Confession,” in which she has an important role. The. picture, starring Kay Francis, comes to the Strand Theatre. Publicity—‘‘Confession”—Page 4 (REVIEW) (OPENING DAY STORY) KAY FRANCIS EXCELLENT IN Kay Francis CONE oSON: Powerful Melodrama Gives Star Best Role Of Her Entire Career, Rathbone and Hunter Support Her Mat No. 109—10¢ Kay Francis has starred in many great pictures during her eight years on the screen, but in the Warner Bros. emotional drama ‘‘Confession,’’ which opened yesterday at the Strand Theatre, she tops any performance she has ever given. She herself has declared that her role of Vera—a once-famous opera-singer who has descended to cabaret singing because of a momentary affair with a musician—is the strongest dramatic stuff she has ever been permitted to play. In the judgment of this reviewer her work excelled that which she did as Florence Nightingale in ‘‘The White Angel,’’ and was even better than her unforgettable ‘‘One Way Passage.”’ ‘“Confession’’ was adapted from the tremendously successful European stage-play ‘‘Mazurka,’’ and the Warners imported Joe May, famed Continental director, to guide the making of it. The story is that of a talented girl who gives up an operatic career to marry. Jan Hunter plays her husband. He goes off to war, and in an hour following a gay party in Vienna, Basil Rathbone, the musician, takes advantage of her. She is stricken with remorse and terror at what she has done. Although she knows that it was not her own fault—for in the manner of villians, he had plied her with liquor—she eannot face the thought of having her husband find out about it, because she loves him so dearly. The musician, not content with what he has already done, starts a little clever blackmail, writing her notes which terrify her. At last, she goes to his apartment to beg him to leave her alone if only for the sake of her child. Mat No. Kay Francis, Official Billing Warner Bros. 40% Pictures, Inc. present 5% KAY FRANCIS 100% in CONFESSION 100% with Ian Hunter — Basil Rathbone 50% Jane Bryan — Donald Crisp 25% Mary Maguire 25% Directed by Joe May 25% Original Screen Play by Hans Rameau 5% Adaptation by Julius J. Epstein and Margaret LeVino 5% A First National Picture 5% ELO——2o0¢ starred in sion” at the Strand Theatre. NEW no? FP lely Her husband, returning, learns of this, divorees the singer and gets custody of their baby daughter. Years pass, and Miss Francis goes down and down. Then she sees Rathbone, in a cheap cabaret, exercising his wiles on the daughter, played by Jane Bryan. She shoots and kills him. After a thrilling court trial—which oeceupies most of the time of the picture—it is decided that she was justified in her slaying of Rathbone to save her daughter, and she is set free. Miss Francis gives a magnificent performance throughout, but especially in the court scenes. Rathbone and Hunter are both excellent, and so, too, is little Miss Bryan. This is her third featured role—the first was in ‘Marked Woman’’, the second in ‘‘ Kid Galahad’’, in which she played Edward G. Robinson’s little sister. She was so well-received by the eritics in these two pictures that she immediately put into the role of Miss Francis’ daughter for ‘‘Confession’’. She’s one of the younger Hollywood set who seems destined to attain stardom in her own right before many more years have elapsed. Donald Crisp at the presiding judge, Robert Barrat as the prosecuting attorney, Mary Maguire, Laura Hope Crews, Ben Welden and Helen Valkis. Director Joe May brings a Continental suavity and sophistication to his handling of the story, and the sets depicting old Warsaw and Vienna are pictorially beautiful. The adaptation of the continental stage _ hit, ‘‘Mazurka’’ to ‘‘Confession’’ was done splendidly by the two scenarists, Julius J. Epstein and Mar Confes: garet LeVino. This is a First National Picture. The Story When Lisa (Jane Bryan) tells her mother (Dorothy Peterson) goodbye at the railway station, her friend Hildegard (Mary Maguire) notices a man who has apparently been following them. He hands her an envelope in which she finds two tickets for the Michael Michailow (Basil Rathbone) concert. They go to the concert and find the great artist is the man who followed them in the morning. Michael, a man of the world, has little difficulty persuading Lisa to accept his attentions. That night, he takes her to an eating place of doubtful character. Finally a singer appears. During the song, Vera’s (Kay Francis) eyes light upon Lisa and Michael. Michael tries to hurry Lisa away, but near the stairs Vera is waiting. There is a shot! Vera has killed him. The courtroom in which she is tried is crowded as the prosecuting attorney (Robert Barrat) demands vengeance for the state. The years are turned back as Vera speaks: she is a great star who gives up her career to marry the handsome Leonide Kirow (Ian Hunter). When he is called to war, Vera waits loyally for his return, taking care of her baby. She goes to a War Relief ball, for diversion, and meets Michael, who pays her assiduous attentions. Everybody drinks too much, including Vera, who becomes unconscious. When she wakes, it is morning. She is at Michael’s apartment. Leonide follows and misunderstands. He divorces her and is given custody of the child. The baby is Lisa. When Vera saw her little daughter at the cafe with the man who had ruined her own life, she was determined that her daughter would be saved. Sarsan Contession Basil Rathbone And lan Hunter Also Featured Kay Francis’ gifts as a_portrayer of highly emotional scenes will be displayed to audiences at the Strand Theatre today when she appears in her newest star ring vehicle, the Warner Bros. drama, “Confession.” This is said to be the most powerful story in which the dark beauty has played during her nine-year career as a picture actress, outranking even her unforgettable “One Way Passage,” and her recent triumph in “White Angel.” ; “Confession” was adapted from the famous Continental stage play “Mazurka.” It has to do with a onee-great opera singer, now reduced to cabaret jobs, who learns Ian Hunter Mat No. 105—10¢ that the man who had betrayed her, years previously, now has the same sort of designs upon her young daughter. When she sees the two of them together in the cabaret, she kills him and, at the end of a vivid and suspenseful trial, is acquiited on the grounds of justification. All the action is laid in Warsaw and in the picturesque settings reproducing that ancient Polish city. Miss Francis, of course, plays the opera singer. Jane Bryan, an up-and-coming young starlet, is her daughter. Basil Rathbone is the suave betrayer, and Ian Hunter is a war-hero from whose arms Kay was lured by the wiles of Rathbone. Other well-known players in the east include Donald Crisp, Dorothy Peterson, Robert Barrat, Laura Hope Crews, Ben Welden, Mary Maguire, Helen Valkis and Veda Ann Borg. He Banged Shells In His First Play Tan Hunter, the film star, began his stage career as a set of galloping hoofs. The Warner Bros. player, now appearing with Kay Francis in “Confession,” at the Strand Theatre, started his professional career in London at the age of 19. His first work consisted of dexterously manipulating a pair of cocoanut shells off-stage. Director Joe May Knows His Talent Joe May, Austrian director, who made “Confession” for Warner Bros. is credited with discovering nearly every European star who made good in America. Among them are Dietrich, Annabelle, Jannings and Lya de Putti. “Confession,” with Kay Francis in the starring role, will open at the Strand Theatre next week. Veda Has To Send Her Deep Regrets Veda Ann Borg received a proposal of marriage from a South American fan in her fan mail on the set of “Confession,” in which she is playing a featured role with Kay Francis, at the Strand Theatre. The writer, with deep Latin fervor, confided that he had a fortune of $30,000.