Don't Bet on Blondes (Warner Bros.) (1935)

PUBLICITY Strand Books New Warner Hit “Don’t Bet On Blondes” Laughter and drama, combined with a real love story, characterize the new Warner Bros. comedy “Don’t Bet on Blondes” which will be the feature production at the ne ER Re theatre beginning Warren William, for the first time cast in a light comedy role, and Guy Kibbee, have the principal parts. They are supported by a big cast of film favorites which includes Clare Dodd, William Gargan, Vince Barnett and Hobart Cavanaugh. “Don’t Bet on Blondes” is the story of a big time gambler, Warren William, who discovers that the insurance business not only offers all the thrills of his old profession, but is entirely respectable. So he opens a miniature “Lloyd’s,” and undertakes to write insurance on or against anything presented to him. One of his customers is Guy Kibbee, portraying a lovable, but worthless, old scamp who is supported by his daughter, Claire Dodd. Guy insures her against marriage for $50,000, and William, to protect his investment, adopts racketeer methods to scare off her suitors. How he failed to frighten -one of them away, and how he was compelled to pay $50,000 te his father-in-law, form but a few of the many strange and laughable situations which feature the plot of the story. Claire Dodd, heretofore a screen menace, is said to reveal new and delightful talents in a sympathetic “sood woman” role. Others in the cast are Mary Treen, Spencer Charters, Herman Bing, Clay Clement, Errol Flynn, Maude Eburne, Walter Byron, Jack Norton and Eddie Shubert: Robert Florey directed. Declares Actors Should All Have Outside Interests Warren William says an actor’s outside interests should be as far removed as possible from his work. “It is impossible to get a true perspective on one’s work unless one stands off at a distance and looks at it,” said the star of the Warner Bros. picture, “Don’t Bet on Blondes,”. which comes to the ae asaguisag setane<cse POUL" OM sta. guns. castes “The picture colony is comparatively small, and in a large measure we all have approximately the same viewpoints on pictures. “IT get away from it entirely when I go to my workshop and start building something — anything. There I am detached from studio influences. “It is the same old story of the man in the middle of a milling crowd knowing less of what is go ing on than the fellow who watches. from a tree.” “Don’t Bet on Blondes” is a hilarious: comedy by Isabel Dawn and Boyce DeGaw. Robert Florey directed. In New Role attained Warren film fame through his portrayals of criminal attorneys and detec William, who tive heroes, is seen in a light comedy role in “Don’t Bet on Blondes,” the Warner Bros. comedy hit now showing At thé..ccccecseeees Mat No. 103—10c. Page Eight Stars In Strand Comedy It cost Warren William $50,000 to win the hand of beautiful Claire Dodd in the Warner Bros. comedy hit “Don’t Bet on Blondes,’ which comes to ULL ERS SB Spa ae Sa ean a te SR LRG GULUCZON SE ees k orcs cos ek ec ss Guy Kibbee shares stellar honors with them. Mat No. 202—20e. Warren William Mourns Passing Of Cane Carriers “Carrying a cane is rapidly becoming a lost art.” This from Warren William, the nonchalant hero of “Don’t Bet on Biondes,” which comes to the Se ean Te PEGE © O15 cis.2sec0: ccsceeesces The Warner Bros. star still regards the walking stick as part of his character make-up. “For many years, the kind of cane and the manner in which a man carried it were unfailing marks of character and position,” he said. “The man of affairs would stride along, striking the walk with a heavy malacca. The dandy swung a split bamboo. The dignified old gentlemen tucked gold headed teak under their arms.” In “Don’t Bet on Blondes,” the Warner Bros. comedy, Warren William plays a gambler who becomes a business man. His devil may care manner of flicking a showy malacca is definitely an index to his character. Also in the big cast directed by Robert Florey are Guy Kibbee, Claire Dodd, William Gargan, Hobart Cavanaugh, Vince Barnett and others. Early Success No Guide To Choice Of Life Career Claire Dodd, beautiful Warner Bros. leading lady in “Don’t Bet on Blondes,” which comes to the meaaii fis sapesiss heatre next. ccssn--nsces has an interesting theory that what a person is “good at” in school is no indication of what he will become later in life. She cites her own Case. Claire was an algebra ‘shark.’ Any form of mathematics came so easy that she didn’t have to do any studying at home. On the other hand, English, especially oral English, was her bugaboo. “YT could parse the sentences all right,” says Claire, “but when it came to English composition, I was simply terrible. And when I had to get up and recite, I was scared. Claire, and all her _ family, thought she -would probably turn out to be a great mathematician. So, she became an actress! “T still have the old stage fright though,” Claire confesses. Having gained success in a long series of siren and “other women” roles, Claire Dodd now has a straight romantic lead in the new Warner Bros. picture, “Don’t Bet on Blondes.” The cast includes Warren William, Guy Kibbee, Hobart Cavanaugh, William Gargan and Vince Barnett. Robert Florey directed. Warren William Invents Strange Home Gadgets There are many strange le tes around Hollywood. But one of the strangest and most interesting of all is to be found on the estate of Warren William near the Warner. Bros. d WARREN WILLIAM, Appearing in “Don't Bet on Blondes” at CNG zc ; Theatre. Mat No. 105 10¢ studio where he recently completed “Don’t Bet on Blondes,” a conedy ROW: OF EC canis secasas Theatre. It is a telephone that opens the gates of his estate. The telephone is concea'ed in a lantern which hangs in front of the big gates. You drive up, pull the lantern down, open it, take out the telephone and announce yourself. The telephone connects with the house and if your presence is desired, the gates swing open, you drive in and they swing shut behind you. Willian has other self invented devices around his estate. One of them is a revolving kennel, made fron oil druns, for his prize wire haired fox terriers. There is also a dog fountain. “Don’t Bet on Blondes” is a hilarious comedy directed by Robert Florey. Others in the cast include Claire Dodd, Guy Kibbee, William Gargan, Vince Barnett, Hobart Cavanaugh and Clay Cle nent. Kibbee’s Southern Accent Flop with Cop When Guy Kibbee was making ‘‘Don’t Bet on Blondes’’, the Warner Bros. comedy film which comes to the........ Theatre on, ........ he employed his “Southern Colonel’ make-up to escape a_ traffic tag. In a hurry to get home from Warner Bros. studio, Kibbee exceeded the speed limit a trifle. A man on a white motorcycle stopped him. “Was ah goin’ too fast, suh?” asked Kibbee, stroking his white mustache and goatee. ‘You see suh, ah’m a stranger here suh and ah don’ know the rules of youah taown.”’ “Well Mr. Kibbee,”’ said the officer. “I just stopped you to borrow a cigarette. But since you’re from Virginia, suh, Pll take a seegar.”’ Actor Finds Weather Greatest of All Hobbies Guy Kibbee Claims Infallible Method of Forecasting Weather Conditions By DAN MAINWARING Mark Twain once said that everybody talked about the weather but no one ever seemed to do anything about it. He didn’t know about Guy Kibbee, who is now playing in Warner Bros.’ comedy, ‘ ‘Don’t Bet on Blondes,” St thes ast. Theatre. Mr. Kibbee has come forward with a plan to save the taxpayers millions of dollars a year. He would abolish the United States weather bureau and replace the present method of weather fore casting with the Kibbee systein, developed after long years of research and study. Mr. Kibbee’s plan was revealed at the Warner Bros.’ studio where he works, to a group of visitors who became alarmed when they saw him crawling around on the lawn in front of the studio staring at the grass. “T was looking for cob-webs,” he said. “I’m finding out what the weather is going to be,” Mr. Kibbee went on. “Spider webs scattered thickly over a lawn covered with dew indicate rain. It’s going to rain before the week is out.” “But the weather man says it’s going to be clear,’ put in one of the visitors. Kibbee’s Squirrel Forecast “Weather man! Pooh!” said Mr. Kibbee, contemptuously. “The weather bureau should be abolished, like boondoggling. I have a way of forecasting weather that is perfect. Last fall I predicted that it would be a hard winter. I watched the squirrels.” One of the visitors couldn’t repress a smile. “Laugh,” said Mr. Kibbee, a little bitterly. “People laughed at Einstein when the orange fell on him.” “That was Newton and it wasn’t an orange, it was an apple,” someone said. Mr. Kibbee paid no attention to the interruption. “T was fishing last fall. Up in the mountains. I saw the squirrels hurrying hither and yon with nuts,” he continued. “They paid no attention to me. Just kept running up trees with big loads of nuts and acorns, storing them in their homes and returning for new loads. I said to Hugh Herbert, who was with me, ‘Hugh,’ I said, ‘mark my word, this is going A Good Guy! SR Rm a EN et aCe ea aA CC a Guy Kibbee, who has one of his most amusing roles in “Don’t Bet on Blondes,’ the Warner Bros. comedy in which he stars with Warren William and Claire Dodd CUI a Roope oe: dove re epee SE Theatre. Mat No. 101—10e. Warren William’s Puma Cub Warren William, Warner Bros. star who will appear in “Don’t Bet oneBlondes;”at tHe |<. <.c.s.sc0.s s0taczesncse UDNGALKES ONE siren ces s hassa puma cub, with which he hoped to write a new page of Natural History. When his cats were unable to cope with the enormous rats around his chicken houses and kennels, he bought the puma. His theory was that bigger rats necessitated a bigger cat. The puma seemed to be the answer, but alas for the experiment he made playmates of the rats. Originally called “Yaqui,” the puma has been re-christened, “Useless, the First.” to be a hard winter. squirrels.’ Look at the “Hugh made some irrelevant remark that I better look out with all the squirrels around, but I paid no mind to him. “Then I pointed out that there weren't any woodpeckers in the dead trees. You see, when the woodpecker leaves, that is also a sure sign that it is going to be a hard winter.” Lessons In Texas Mr. Kibbee explained that he learned his wealth of weather lore as a boy in El Paso, Texas, where he was born. GUY KIBBEE in “Dowt Bet on Blondes” coming to Theatre. Mat No. 106 10¢ Mr. Kibbee said he had hundreds of ways of telling the weather. The moon, the stars, the winds, the clouds, frogs, cows, cats, mice, bats, gulls, sheep, hollow teeth, corns, stomachs, soap, soot, string instruments and porpoises all tell him what the elements are going to do. A porpoise, if you happen to have one as a pet, can tell you in a minute if there is going to be a hurricane at sea.” One of his best ways of telling whether it is going to rain or not, Mr. Kibbee explained, is summed up thus: “If rats and mice be restless, rain.” “Last night our mice were very restless. They didn’t sleep at all,” he said. “That means rain.” In “Don’t Bet on _ Blondes,’ which was directed by Robert Florey, Guy appears with Warren William, Claire Dodd, William Gargan and a big cast. Champion Joker Given Taste Of Own Medicine After playing practical jokes on everybody in the cast of the Warner Bros. picture, “Don’t Bet on Blondes,” which is now playing at (C0 ee ere n eee Theatre, Vince Barnett came a cropper. Vince’s father, Luke Barnett had attained national fame as a_ professional ‘ribber’ at banquets. Vince has sinilar ideas. Told by Director Robert Florey to be on the set at nine in the morning dressed for a race track sequence, Vince was on time, but the director had changed his mind. He asked Barnett to change into the clothes he wore in the church sequence. When Vince returned to the set, Florey found fault with his coat and Barnett went back to the’ wardrobe to try another. By noon, he had dressed to suit the director but after lunch, Barnett was told to change to office clothes. This time, his trousers were wrong. Vince was getting angry and muttering things about directors. After two more trips to the wardrobe, he blew up. “Never mind,” said Florey, “I forgot to tell you, we wouldn’t need you today.” The ribber had been ribbed. Barnett is now appearing at the err eee Theatre in “Don’t Bet on Blondes.” The cast, headed by Warren William, Claire Dodd and Guy Kibbee includes William Gargan, Hobart Cavanaugh, Herman Bing and Maude Eburne.