Deep Valley (Warner Bros.) (1947)

PUBLICITY (Morris Reader) WAYNE MORRIS SHEDS BLUES FOR CIWIES “T don’t want to be a dramatic star,” declares Wayne Morris, who co-stars with Ida Lupino and Dane Clark in Warner Bros.’ “Deep Valley,” currently at the Strand Theatre. That stamps him as_ being unique in Hollywood. “T like to play big happy clunks,” he says. “I haven’t the slightest desire to be a great actor.” “It’s easier,” he asserts. “If I take parts like this one of an easy-going highway engineer in ‘Deep Valley’ I don’t have to act at all. I just play myself.” Morris, who emerged from the war as Hollywood’s top ace with seven Jap planes to his Naval aviation record, has learned that life can be beautiful if you don’t get all steamed up constantly. “Out of 40 pilots in my Navy squadron 26 didn’t return,” Wayne explains. “After watching that happen I decided that I wasn’t ever going to worry again if I got home.” Wayne isn’t worrying either. Now that he’s back in films, has a beautiful new home in the valley, his future looks promising. “But even if I lost out tomor row as an actor I think I could . get along,” he says. ‘Experience has shown me that life is best when you take it in stride.” Highway Outfit Used In Filming For scenes showing the spectacular construction of a new highway which figures prominently in Warner Bros.’ newest action-packed film, “Deep Valley” coming to the Strand on Friday, the company traveled to the Palisades, a rugged section of coastal bluffs below Hermosa Beach and took along a construction unit in its entirety. This included bulldozers, pneumatic hammers and dump trucks. A heat wave which occurred during filming spared makeup men the job of applying artificial perspiration to the working ‘convicts’ in the film. Ida Lupino, Dane Clark and Wayne Morris share stellar honors in the stirring drama. Fay Bainter and Henry Hull are featured. Studio Concerned Warner Bros. studio executives were startled by the news that actor Wayne Morris, star of “Deep Valley,” now at the Strand Theatre, volunteered to test the new seat-ejector in a Navy jet plane. Morris, who holds the rank of lieutenant-commander in the Naval Reserve and commands a squadron of reserve fighters at Los Alamitos, was eager to try the device that automatically expels a pilot from the airplane when he wants to jump. His studio convinced Morris that, although it had the greatest faith in the Navy gadget, it did want him to finish his first post-war picture role, in “Deep Valley,” in which he co-stars with Ida Lupino and Dane Clark. No Sale Wayne Morris was explaining to Ida Lupino on the set of Warner Bros.’ “Deep Valley” which is now at the Strand, why he keeps his yellow 1935 jalopy instead of getting a newer shinier model. “I sank all my money in that car when I was trying to be an actor at the Pasadena Playhouse, and a reminder of leaner days is good for me.” ‘DEEP VALLEY’ COLUMN Henry Hull who plays the surly father role in Warner Bros. stirring action-packed drama, “Deep Valley” coming to the Strand on Friday, has lectured at Northwestern, Yale, Harvard and Columbia universities. He is popularly remembered for his creation of Jeeter Lester in “Tobacco Road” which he played for an extended time on Broadway and the road. His film career is studded with hits like “Life Boat.” and “Objective Burma.” In “Deep Valley,” which stars Ida Lupino, Dane Clark and Wayne Morris, he shares supporting honors with Fay Bainter. Jean Negulesco directed. Ida Lupino who had to cultivate a stammer for her role of the inhibited Libby Saul in “Deep Valley” found her off-stage speech was affected for weeks afterwards. This is one of her most difficult roles and displays her wide range of versatility as a top-flight dramatic actress. Rain sequences in Warner Bros.’ “Deep Valley” drama required more than 7,000 gallons of water, which was piped on both the stage and outdoor sets. Huge fans were set up to whirl the falling water in front of the camera to duplicate a torrential California downpour. Special lightning ares were constructed to add ferocity to the storm. Although a variety of wardrobe was at a minimum during the making of “Deep Valley” which stars Ida Lupino, Dane Clark and Wayne Morris, a special watch was put on Clark’s garb. His prison shirt and trousers, worn continuously for more than three months, acquired such distinctive rips and smudges that they would have been very difficult to replace. Any loss of the garments—market value $3.50—would have costs thousands in delay. Jean Negulesco who directed Warner Bros.’ “Deep Valley” has directed more than 40 films for the same studio. First an outstanding shorts director, he has been responsible for such dramatic features as “Nobody Lives Forever” and “Humoresque.” Henry Blanke, producer of “Deep Valley’ has guided to the screen such hits as “Juarez,’”? ““The Sea Hawk,” “My Reputation,” “Roughly Speaking” and “Deception,” all under the Warner Bros.’ banner. Fay Bainter, who appears as the bedraggled Elly in Warner Bros.’ stirring action-packed drama, ‘‘Deep Valley” opening Friday at the Strand, began her theatrical career at the age of 4. At 20 she went to Broadway and stayed for two decades as a top-star. She won an Academy Award for her supporting role in Warner Bros.’ “Jezebel”? and has remained active in films ever since. In “Deep Valley,” Miss Bainter shares supporting honors with Henry Hull. Ida Lupino, Dane Clark and Wayne Morris top the cast of this rugged drama. The fight between Dane Clark and Wayne Morris in “Deep Valley”? was supervised by Mushy Callahan, former world middleweight champ. Callahan also trained Morris for his famous “Kid Galahad” role, and is slated for similar assignments for other Warner stars. “Both boys were too realistic,”’ Mushy said, ““Dane was once a pro boxer himself and Wayne’s had plenty of training.” Dane Clark does a complete turnaround in “Deep Valley” playing the role of a convict, which is quite different from the comedy part he essayed in “That Way With Women”, and the dramatic characters he played in “A Stolen Life” and “Pride of the Marines.” HALF-COLUMN WHO'S WHO MAT 1A MAT 1B. MAT 1C Ida Lupino Dane Clark Wayne Morris MAT IE MAT 1D Fay Bainter Henry Hull (Clark Reader) DANE CLARK NOT SO HARD AS IN FILMS Dane Clark is a young man who might easily fool you with his behavior. For Dane often speaks in a way that belies his background. He does it for the effect, because Dane has been a screen tough guy since he began his-rapid rise to stardom at Warner Bros. I never have been noted,” Clark says, “for my delicate tactics on the screen.” In “Deep Valley,” which opens at the Strand Theatre Friday, Dane remains in character by playing the role of an embittered convict who escapes from a road gang, finds love and dies rather than give it up. But away from the camera, the same Clark who co-stars with Ida Lupino and Wayne Morris in “Deep Valley,” is a different guy. He reads voraciously, attends the symphony and is an enthusiastically balletomane. “As a dilettante I am, to turn a phrase, very couth,” he says. Dane’s background has been an unusual mixture of mind and muscle. After graduation from high school, he played professional baseball for two years, fought as a middleweght boxer for another year then turned his talents to college. Dane graduated from St. John’s with a law degree. However, he became associated with a group of artists who worked by day and argued ethics and philosophy at night. After a stretch as a sculptor’s model he became interested in the stage, which eventually led to Hollywood. ‘Deep Valley’ Set Age Realistically Max Parker, art director for Warner Bros.’ “Deep Valley’ currently on view at the Strand, was faced with the problem of creating sets to look as though they had been standing for 50 years. The Saul ranch house was duplicated in every detail at the Warner ranch at Calabasas and on the sound stages at Burbank. All woodwork was designed to indicate both age and disrepair. Paint was left flaking away and the ground was planted with weeds. Ida Lupino, Dane Clark and Wayne Morris share stellar honors in this stirring actionpacked drama of the Big Sur country in California. (Bainter Reader) Her 22nd Role Fay Bainter has given a new twist to type casting. Having played something like 21 screen mother roles, Miss Bainter’s 22nd — in Warner Bros.’ “Deep Valley,” currently at the Strand Theatre—is different. “T’ve been either the sweet, Whistler-type mother or the elegant, society type mother for most of my screen career,” she says. “Now I’m neither. I’m a complaining old harridan —a hateful hag,” she explains, referring to her role of Ida Lupino’s mother in “Deep Valley,” starring Miss Lupino, Dane Clark and Wayne Morris. It may come as something of a shock to the film audiences, she guesses to find this change in Mother Bainter. “But to me,” she says “it was refreshing as though I were playing an ingenue.” Miss Bainter declares that it gives an actress new life to step into a completely different type of character and keeps one out of the proverbial rut.