Daredevil Drivers (Warner Bros.) (1938)

oc td Sto a ‘ T he Pinedo l Drivers 2 ---NO danger can BEVERLY ROBERTS DICK pupceL)' L GLORIA BLONDEL, Directed by B. RE From an Orj Coming to Strand Friday Boasting of no less than fifteen automobile crack-ups in its various scenes, “Ihe Daredevil Drivers,”’ a Warner Bros. melodrama, will open next Friday at the Strand Theatre. It is the story of a bitter rivalry existing between two bus companies, one of them headed by a girl, Beverly Roberts, the other by Gordon Oliver. According to advance notices and from the producers, eleven passenger cars and four buses were smashed in the war of the roadThe picture was directed by “Breezy’’ Eason—pastmaster ways. of rapid-fire movie scenes—from a screen play by Sherman Lowe made from a story by Charles R. Condon. It has all the speed which marks was he, for example, who made the “charge’’ of the Gallant 600 in the “Charge of the Light Brigade.’ Likewise, it was he who made the scenes for the famous silent picture, “Ben Hur,”’ a few years ago. Leading man for Miss Roberts in “The Dick Purcell, an automobile racer who comes to her rescue when he finds that her own employees, being paid by the opposition bus line, are double-crossing her. Other well-known players in the cast include Gloria Blondell, Charley Foy, Willard Parker and Donald Briggs. Eason’s work. It great chariot race Daredevil Drivers’’ is Purcell Wins Cigars Dick Purcell has been handing out cigars to all his friends lately since he started visiting Pacific Ocean amusement parks. The star of “‘The Daredevil Drivers,’’ the Warner Bros. melodrama due at Strand Friday, is a crack shot, adept at the ““Test-Your-Strength”’ machines, a crack pitcher of baseballs — and just the kind of guy amusement proprietors don’t like to play with. The picture co-stars Purcell with lovely Beverly Roberts. Beverly Roberts to Sing for Pictures Beverly Roberts sang for her supper for seven years. She entertained bored Londoners with sob ballads. At the “‘Noctam Bules’’ in Paris she delighted audiences with her husky, dramatic songs. She scored a tremendous hit as the featured song stress at the ‘“‘House Of Lor dis 9 New York. A film scout saw her, she was tested as a vocalist anda new _ singing star came to Warner Bros. Before she realized it, she was cast asa dramatic actress, a light comedian Mat 103—15c Beverly Roberts but never a singer. A few weeks ago, Breezy Eason, director of her latest film “The Daredevil Drivers’’ happened to see her vocal test. All excited, he immediately ordered that a song be written into the picture for her. Production on “‘The Daredevil Drivers’ was almost completed, so Miss Roberts did not get her chance to sing in that one. But interest has been reborn in her as a singer, and it probably won't be long before Beverly Roberts is singing again. “The Daredevil Drivers” comes to the Strand Theatre next Friday, featuring Miss Roberts, Dick Purcell, Gloria Blondell, Gordon Oliver and many others. Thrills come at you like devil driver Steps Catch -him Stop him! * GORDON OLIVER ginal Stor HUSKY SOCKS Dick Purcell had to sock Gordon Oliver for a scene in Warner Bros.’ “The Daredevil Drivers,” due Friday at the Strand Theatre. “Take that!” he said as he cracked him on the chin and Oliver fell to the floor. “Cut!”? Director Breezy Eason shouted. “Now do it again and let’s see some action in that punch. Make it look real.” They did it again. This time Purcell really socked Oliver and he crumpled to the floor. Oliver sat up feeling his chin. ‘*You wanted it real,” he said “‘and that was stark realism.” Breezy Eason Tops As Action Director There was no question about who would direct ‘“The Daredevil Drivers” for Warner Bros., the melodrama that comes to the Strand Theatre next Friday. The film involves the automobile insurance racket and necessitated many action shots of cars careening around corners, smashups, men flying off motorcycles and racing car sequences. Breezy Eason is “‘tops’’ as an action director. Starting thirty years ago as director of cowboy pictures, he is responsible for many of the thrilling rides your cowboy heroes took. When William S. Hart galloped down a mountain at break-neck speed—Breezy Eason was behind the camera, seeing that a shot would be taken that would thrill movie fans. He made Tom Mix’s exciting adventures more exciting. He drilled the charioteers in “Ben Hur” and finally produced one of the most thrilling actionspectacles of all time in the chariot race, still remembered after all these years. “The Daredevil Drivers’ costars Dick Purcell and Beverly Roberts for the first time. EVES EASON y by Charles R..c * Screen Pla Ondon « A First Natj af by Sherman Lowe onal Picture 3 Ghiar Mo 3 Column Mat No. 301— 26) Lines 45 a Advance Feature) ‘Dick Purcell Considered — \ Hollywood’s Best Athlete Hollywood usually doesn’t do right by its athletes. Rich food, easy living and late hours all combine to make muscles flabby and breath come in short pants. Dick Purcell Finds Toughness an Asset In spite of everything you hear to the contrary, there are some people in this world who spend a good part of their waking hours trying to be as tough as possible and the tougher they manage to be, the better everyone likes them. Toughness is the secret of their success and having it makes them a very nice iving. Dick Purcell is one of these people. With him being hard boiled is definitely an acquired habit. It wasn’t until he started his theatrical career as. ‘a quiet, unassuming young man that he discovered that he could appear about as tough as they Mat 102—15c Dick Purcell come. In talking about it the other day during the filming of “The Daredevil Drivers,” the picture which comes to the Strand next Friday, he said. ““Acting’s a funny racket. You'd think that everyone would want to be an Errol Flynn or a Clark Gable, but it’s not so. There are plenty of actors like myself here in Hollywood who would much rather be tough than handsome. Not only is our work just as interesting, but there is also more of it. Fellows like Barton MacLane can hardly keep up with their frequent: assignments.” Dick Purcell, appearing in Warner Bros.’ “‘The Daredevil Drivers,’ which opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre, is an exception to the rule. A fine athlete when he hopped a train, California bound, he can still swim ten laps in a pool, play a hard game of tennis and not resemble a panting porpoise. college days at hung up many team mates to As a member of the team, he broke the intercollegiate record for the 50yard dash, sprinting it in twentyfour and two-fifth seconds, only one-fifth of a second short of the world’s record turned in by Johnny Weismuller. He also regularly did the 100yard dash in 10 seconds as a member of the track team. He played short-stop on semi-pro baseball teams in the east. He was star forward in the All-Hol During his Fordham, he records for his shoot at. swimming lows championship _ basketball team while at prep school. He was a Class A_ squash player. He found time to develop a powerful tennis game and ride and jump horses skillfully. Now that he is in Hollywood, he hasn’t looked for the easiest way out, which seems to be a soft tennis set every Sunday and a dip in a pool afterwards. Although he can afford to live in a big home with gardens and such, he prefers to remain in the Hollywood Athletic Club, where he can be close to a tennis court, squash court and swimming pool. Dick Purcell may be missing a lot of fun at parties and night clubs——but he’s not going to be a Hollywood softie if he can help it and it looks like he could.