Down the Stretch (Warner Bros.) (1936)

Publicity Beats Film Supervisor At Tennis And Gets Big Job Dennis Moore Now Playing One of Leading Roles in “Down the Stretch” A bronzed young man minus a shirt played tennis with a supervisor and beat him. Two weeks later, the bronzed young man, Dennis Moore by name, was under contract to Warner Bros. studio and playing a leading role in his first picture, ‘‘Down the Streteh,’’ This was the start of another chapter in the checkered career of an ex-transport pilot, physical director, stock promoter, and stock company juvenile. It’s the most important chapter, he says. He is anxious to make good for many reasons. One important one is to spite his scoffing friends in Texas who said he couldn’t do it. He was born on his father’s — ranch outside of Ft. Worth, Texas, January 26, 1908. He attended grammar school in Ft. Worth, high school in El Paso and ecollege at Vanderbilt University. Although he excelled in all athletics, his ambition was alway to be an actor. Dennis Moore Handsome young Texan athlete who makes his screen bow in “Down the Stretch,” the First National race-track romance which comes to the___._.__... TRC Ce i next Mat No. 102—10c Pat Ellis Collects “Sleepy-Bye’”’ Records Patricia Ellis, who has the feminine lead in the First National picture, “Down the Stretch,” now showing at the Theatre, has an unusual hobby. It is collecting “sleepy-bye” records. Because she suffers from insomnia, sometimes, she has amassed several hundred of the soft and sweet recordings, both classical and popular, as sleep-inducers. Run Derby with Few Persons Watching They were off at Santa Anita again but there were no crowds of tens of thousands to watch this derby, although millions will see it eventually on the screen. Horse-race scenes for the First National film, “Down the Stretch,” now showing at the ............ Theatre, were taken at the deserted track. Mickey Rooney plays the part of a jockey. Patricia Ellis and Dennis Moore are also featured. now showing at the ee. ee Theatre. He got his first opportunity when nineteen, when he was physical instructor for an oil company in Dallas. The juvenile of the Howard Johnston stock company took ill and Johnston, a friend of his, asked him to substitute. He did and subsequently acted in stock companies throughout Texas. When acting jobs were scarce, he alternated with anything else he could find. When he finally decided to crash Hollywood, his friends advised against it, saying that he needed “pull” to get anywhere. ; He started by playing a role in the stage play “Louder, Please” at the Belasco Theatre in Log Angeles, but the oe see setbacks he suffered after tha almost convinced him that they were right. His chance tennis match with Robert Lord, a Warner Bros. producer paved the way for a test which brough him a contract and a leading role the day after he took it, another of the true life suecess stories which abound in Hollywood. He is unmarried, six feet tall and 185 pounds in weight. He keeps in condition by swimming, playing tennis and polo. He cooks well, especially roast beef and steaks, his favorite foods. His hobby is woodearving. He saves money methodically but allows for his favorite extravagance —buying new automobiles. His best friends in Hollywood are Patricia Ellis, Bill Henty, Bob Hoover, and Gertrude and Grace Durkin. His present ambition is simple and direct. It is suecess—in ecapital letters and underlined. “Down the Stretch” is a thrilling racing drama by William Jacobs. Beside Moore the cast included Mickey Rooney, Patricia Ellis, William Best, Gordon Hart, Gordon Elliott, Virginia Brissae and Charles Wilson. William Clemens directed. Film Cast Flees To Horse Stalls The stalls of the stable in Encino where many of the scenes from the First National picture, “Down the Stretch,” which comes to. thoy sxepetes Se weet: Theatre ODA s.ntet dete este next, were being filmed, had other occupants one day beside horses. While Patricia Ellis, Mickey Rooney and Dennis Moore were doing a sequence in the forecourt, a wind storm started. Choking and blinded with the dust, the whole company ceased activities and ran for the stalls while stable boys hastily brought in all horses in the open. Dennis Moore Has Liking for Ladies It isn’t Pat Ellis who is oceupying all of Dennis Moore’s spare time while the two were playing together in the First National picture, “Down the Stretch,” which comes to the ............ NER EVOMON aeriuh . 5. ach acea next. Moore also escorted Paula Stone, another Warner actress around in the evenings. Patricia Ellis and Mickey Rooney—as the lady bountiful of the race tracks and the heroic jockey in the sensational First National horse-racing romance, “Down the Stretch,” which comes to the Bene We ae Theatre Mat No. 201—20c Pat Ellis Likes Fun But Says Work Comes First Feminine Lead in “Down the Stretch”? Also Leader of Hollywood’s Younger Set Instead of sitting about the country club’s swimming pool, they swim in their own. Instead of thinking about examinations and junior proms, they worry about casting assignments and tomorrow’s dialogue. Instead of having only the neighbors gossip about their youthful romances, the whole world is let in on their secrets through columns syn dicated everywhere. That’s the difference between Hollywood’s younger set and all others. But Patricia Ellis, ecurrently playing in the First National picture “Down the Stretch,” now showing at the ............ Theatre, is one of the original members of this set and is a leader in all their social plans. She says she wouldn’t trade her place in it for a place in the so-called upper crust anywhere. Others who work and play together are Dennis Moore, who has the lead opposite her in “Down the Stretch,” Paula Stone, Henry Wilson, Bob Hoover, Grace and, Gertrude Durkin, Anita Louise, Tom Brown, Dick Cromwell and Carlyle Moore, Jr. “Of course, we have a lot of fun together,” Pat explained, “put our group means more than mere fun. We’re all bent on success in motion pictures, and although we seldom say anything about it, everyone does his best to help the others reach the top. During the day, we are scattered among the different studios. We hear of roles to be cast, and spread the word to give the others & chance at them. “Little informal discussions we have about pictures we are working in help us to analyze and play our own parts better. “We usually take in a preview of a new picture on the evenings when we go out together to watch the work of the biggest stars and see how we can improve our own. Romances and pleasure are all right too, but work comes first with us.” The social activities of these young actors and actresses should refute the stories told about them. Sports play a bigger part SRE RRERRRSIISEEEERnEEemeinenemeeeneeeee in their scheme of things than night clubs. Parties they attend are usually informal gatherings at someone’s home or at some place like the roller-skating rink and the fun house on the amusement pier at the beach. They are a contradictory group, this different younger set. More mature and worldly-wise in some ways, in others they seem much gayer and more unsophisticated than their brothers and sisters outside the studios. Many of them have had no real childhood but got their schooling between scenes on studio sound stages. Now they make up for the play they missed while working for glory and salary checks by simple amusements. “Down the Stretch” is a thrilling racing drama by William Jacobs. Beside Miss Ellis and Dennis Moore the east includes Mickey Rooney, William Best, Gordon Hart, Gordon Elliott, Virginia Brissac and Charles Wilson William Clemens directed. Mickey Rooney Is A Real “Joiner” Mickey Rooney hasn’t joined the Rotarians yet but he probably will some day, for the young actor, now playing in the First National horse-racing drama, “Down the Stretch,” which comes tothe tit, 298 bas, poeta ht Theatre Ci ge Oe Me CS next, can’t resist joining clubs. He has a collection of buttons, cards, and pins denoting membership in various organizations, which is unrivalled among the Hollywood younger set. Stable Boys Ask Mickey Makes The Mare Go| Pat Ellis to Pick Winning Horses Patricia Ellis may pick her horses with a hat-pin but seasoned stable-boys and trainers, who avidly follow the races and get tips “straight from the feedbag” think her judgment is better than that of any handicapper. Although she never bets herself, she has a hobby of following the races and making mental wagers. At the conclusion of the Santa Anita racing season, she had a record equalled by none of the professional pickers. Her current First National picture, “Down the Stretch,” which COMES? tOwbNes y cic, hha ee ete Thesdtre: OMe o.oo ae next, has a horse-racing background. It was filmed at a private stable and race-track in Encino. News of her uncanny luck cireulated among the stable boys and trainers who took care of both the horses used in the film and those belonging to the stable. They besieged her for tips. she picked on the first day all finished in the money. Since then Pat was afraid to take the responsibility of picking their bets, and refused to continue. She confessed that her success was just luck. If she doesn’t have a hunch on a certain race, she uses that old. standby of women race followers, punching the entry chart with a pin. “Down the Stretch” is a thundering drama of the race tracks by William Jacobs. Beside Miss Ellis the cast includes Mickey Rooney, Dennis Moore, William Best, Gordon Hart, Gordon Elliott, Virginia Brissac, Charles Wilson and Joseph Crehan. William Clemens directed. Dennis Moore Makes His Film Bow Dennis Moore, Warner Bros. new contract player, now appearing at the Theatre, with Mickey Rooney and Patricia Ellis in “Down the Stretch,” has not always been an actor. He spent some years punching cattle on his father’s ranch in Texas. Later he became a transport pilot, which job he held down for two years before deciding to try his hand at acting. He got a small part in a stock company which eventually played in Los Angeles. Then the films. Patricia Ellis ON Patricia Ellis featured with Mickey Rooney and _ Dennis Moore in the First National ro mance of the race tracks, “Down the Stretch,” which is now show wy dt the Pears. Mat No. 101—10c Page Seven