Dames (Warner Bros.) (1934)

‘Dames,’ Mammoth Musical Comedy At .... Theatre Today “Dames,” Warner Bros.’ newest and most spectacular musical comedy romance, comes to the roe Ee Theatre today, with an all star cast headed by Joan Blondell, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. Three hundred beautiful, girls dance and frolic in beaufiful and complicated ensembles that are said to be the most novel and most sensational yet created by that master of special numbers, Busby Berkeley. The picture is said to contain a number of the catchiest songs of the year, written by three teams of ace songsters, Warren and Dubin, Fain and Kahal and Dixon and Wrubel. These are sung by Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Joan Blondell and Phil Regan, radio’s “Singing Cop.” The story, by Robert Lord and Delmer Daves, carries a definite plot which is said to be one of the most hilarious on record. Joan Blondell heads the cast in the role of a chorus girl mad cap who delights in embarrassing dignified gentlemen, and who eventually weds a _ millionaire moralist. Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler furnish most of the romance as a pair of lovers whose match is anathema to their families, Three famous comedians, ZaSu Pitts, Guy s<ibbee and Hugh Herbert, provide a large share of the comedy. “Others in the cast include Arthur Vinton, Sammy Fain and Arthur Aylesworth. ZaSu Pitts One of the 14 notables in War ner Bros. “Dames,’? the new musical featuring Busby Berkeley’s reknowned beauty chorus. Mat No. 1—10c Prepared Review e@ Breezy Items e Personal Notes As suggested in The Film Daily’s poll of motion picture editors (Review) ‘Dames,’ Greatest Musical, Delights Strand Audience Six Screen Stars And 300 Beautiful Girls Seen In Gorgeous Spectacle ARNER BROS. created the motion picture musical. It is natural, therefore, that these same producers should have created ‘‘Dames,’’ the most spectacular and certainly the most gorgeous entertainment of its kind ever screened. It overtops even their own ‘‘42nd Street,’’ ‘‘Wonder Bar’’ and ‘‘20 Million Sweethearts.’’ “Dames” is more than a musical; it is the most lavishly staged spectacle imaginable. It is more than a musical spectacle; it is a miracle of camera mechanics and stage mechanism. It has a real plot; more beautiful girls and highly trained dancers tian have ever been gathered in any one motion picture; it has six song hits; it has six of the screen’s leading stars. It is, undoubtedly, one of the finest pieces of entertainment that ever came to the ee Theatre, where it opened yesterday. Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, and Ruby Keeler head the allstar cast, which includes ZaSu Pitts, Guy Kibbee and Hugh Herbert, the three leading comedians of the screen. Busby Berkeley was _ respon sible for spectacular dance numbers which really baffle description. Three hundred dancing girls, cavorting to catchy music, on mechanical contrivances that move in many directions, with remarkable innovations in camera angles, make the numbers as unique and sensational as they are intriguing and beautiful. Never has Joan Blondell appeared more beautiful nor more fascinating than as the wise cracking, gold-digging chorus girl who makes trouble for everyone with whom she comes in contact and who finally wins an eccentric millionaire, played by Hugh Herbert, whose mission in life was to correct the morals of everyone but himself. Guy Kibbee, as the cousin and When Three’s No Crowd With three like Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler and Joan Blondell, motion picture and movie fans will never holler ‘enough.’ And say, there are eleven other Hollywood favorites in Warner Bros.’ “Dames,” called by the critics, “greater than ‘Golddiggers.’”’ Busby Berkeley’s world-famous chorus perform in spectacular dance moods. Mat No. 7—20ce Kibhee Too Hoarse To Cheer For Film After His Lesson Guy Kibbee turned cheer-leader in the Warner Bros. special musical “Dames,” now showing Bt the ieee Theatre. One sequence requires Guy to lead a cheer in approved collegiate fashion at a meeting of about fifty people. The rotund comedian is a stickler for realism and rather than get before the cameras and not make a good job of it, Guy had one of the cheer-leaders from University of. California come out to the studio and give him some pointers on the job. Guy practiced for hours and by the time he finished practicing, he was thoroughly hoarse and he was unable to make the scene which was postponed until the next day. “Dames” carries an all star cast headed by Joan Blondell, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. The picture is a rollicking musical comedy romance with spectacular numbers created and staged by Busby Berkeley, in which 300 beautiful girls appear. The music and lyrics were written by three ace song teams, Warren and Dubin, Fain and Kahal, and Dixon and Wrubel. would be beneficiary of the mil lionaire, gives a hilarious performance, and ZaSu Pitts, as the strait-laced wife of Kibbee, is a real scream. The love interest is furnished by Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell, who can act as well as they can sing, which is superlative praise. The other parts are excellently played by Arthur Vinton, Phil Regan, radio’s “Singing Cop,” Sammy Fain, Arthur Aylesworth, Johnny Arthur, Leila Bennett and Berton Churchill. The “Kaleidoscope Number” in which the theme song “Dames” is sung, and the “Ruby Keeler Mirage” in which comes the song “Eyes for You” completely awed the audience. Warren and Dubin, Fain and Kahal, and Dixon and Wrubel are the three leading teams of songwriters of today. They are responsible for the original songs written especially for “Dames.” The audience left the theatre whistling them. In all, “Dames” is one of the finest, cleverest, cleanest comedies screened in many a day; it is the greatest of all screen spectacles to date, and makes good its producers claim to be the master of all mammoth musicals. Ray Enright has done an excellent piece of directing. The play was written by Robert Lord and Delmer Daves, and is recommended as containing every element of delightful entertainment. ZaSu Pitts Can’t See Why People Think Her Funny The ZaSu Pitts who sends screen audiences into gales of laughter with her comedy antics, is no more funny than the ZaSu of real life, but she doesn’t believe it. During the filming of the Warner Bros. latest big musical special, “Dames,” which comes to KS eer Tieatreson—..,.....f the popular comedienne had the production crew in hysterics most of the time. Guy Kibbee and Hugh Herbert, two of the funniest men on the screen, were equally susceptible. It isn’t what ZaSu says so much as it is the way she says it. The famous fluttering hands, the mournful, quavering voice, are both part of her real life personality. She has always talked that way—and the expressive hands have been praised by highbrow critics ever since ZaSu first started as a cinema actress, years ago. “T really don’t think I’m so funny,” said ZaSu, nervously wringing her hands. “But people laugh, anyway. I wouldn’t laugh at myself, I know, because I have a peculiar idea of comedy.” Somebody promptly laughed. “You see?” she said, indicating the offender. “I didn’t say anything funny then, and he laughga, Oh, degre...” ZaSu isn’t part of the movie social scene. She doesn’t live in Beverly Hills and she doesn’t ever appear at the popular night spots of the celluloid village. At the time of Barbara LaMarr’s death, ZaSu adopted the famous beauty’s three year old Eyes For You The girl with the glorious eyes, Joan Blondell, appearing in Warner Bros.’ newest and, according to the critics, greatest musical production, ‘Dames,’ now playing at the Strand. Mat No. 2—10c son as a companion for her own little daughter. Both children are now of school age and Miss Pitts is determined to keep them untheatrical and unspoiled. She doesn’t like stagey children. Erie von Stroheim frequently declares that ZaSu is one of the greatest actresses in the world. In the cast with ZaSu in “Dames,” in which Joan Blondell, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler head the list, are Hugh Herbert, Guy Kibbee, Leila Bennett, Arthur Vinton, besides 300 beautiful chorus girls. Busby Berkeley created and staged the beautiful dance ensembles for this latest musical hit, the music and lyrics for which were written by three teams of ace song writers, Warren and Dubin, Fain and Kahal, and Dixon and Wrubel. Page Five