Dr. Monica (Warner Bros.) (1934)

Short Cast Bits. Personality S ketch Fashion Notes Intimate Notes Produce , tion Story As suggested in The Film Daily’s poll of motion picture editors Miss Teasdale Designs Her Own Costumes Verree Teasdale, one of the smartest dressed women on the screen, designs her own clothes. She even designs some that she wears in pictures, as she did for ‘“Doctor Monica,’’ the Warner Bros. production which comes to AG satu ana oe Theatre= ONieicncesus Miss Teasdale is a pupil of Celeste, fashionable New York designer, who has been helping the blonde star for nearly two years with written sketches and suggestions. Nearly all of Miss Teasdale’s original ideas are submitted to her tutor before being made up. Her costumes in ‘‘ Doctor Monica’’ are quite elaborate as she plays the role of a wealthy society woman. Jean Muir star who New Warner Bros. earns new laurels in “Doctor Monica,” the Warner Bros. drama, featuring Kay Francis, and coming to the Strand soon. Mat No. 21—10c Ability To Ride Wins Film Role Phillip Reed, the six-foot-two youngster who plays the part of a society youth in ‘‘Doctor Monica,’?’ the Warner Bros. picture which comes to the ..................66 EDINGER GLO = OM = csc oe0ecsnagsacis seer e sec ine » won the role through his ability to ride. While he is associated with romantic parts, he is also an expert horseman and perhaps the best athlete among the Warner Bros. featured players. His role in the picture calls for taking part in a gruelling steeplechase. Kay Francis, Warren William and Jean Muir have the featured roles. Biggest Name In Films It’s the biggest name in pictures—Maria Morozowicz Szczepkowska—the Polish author of the play from which was adapted the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘ Doctor Monica,’’ now showing at the Sin eek te ee Theatre. Kay Francis, Warren William, Jean Muir and Verree Teasdale head the cast. Page Sia Miss Teasdale Wins Long Term WarnerBros. Contract Actress Now Has Important Role With Kay Francis In ‘‘Doctor Monica” HE signing of Veree Teasdale to a long term contract by Warner Bros. just before she went to work in ‘‘ Doctor Monica,’’ now showing at the .................... .... Theatre, is another nod of recognition to Erasmus Hall High School of Brooklyn, as the school that has furnished an unlimited supply of creditable material to the entertainment world. Miss Teasdale joins the ranks of Katharine Cornell, Jane Cowl, Phillip Reed, Barbara Stanwyck, Ricardo Cortez, Eleanor Holmes, Aline MacMahon, the Talmadges and Clara Bow— all former students at Erasmus Hall, who have very definitely “made the grade” in the theatrical field. Verree was born in Spokane, Washington. When she was very young her family removed to Brooklyn and her education in the schools there was extended at Sargeant’s School of Dramatic Art and the New York School of Expression. J Educated for Stage Career From the first her ambitions have been directed at the theatre and all her education was toward that end. Verree’s first professional engagement was in the Philip Barry play, “The Youngest,” and a fellow-worker in the cast was Genevieve Tobin, now a studio-mate on the Warner Bros. lot. Following that play the actress scored heavily in “The Master of the Inn”; the Ethel Barrymore play, “The Constant Wife”; “The Greeks Had a Word For It” and “Experience Unnecessary.” Her successes on Broadway were in rapid order and resulted in drawing the attention of motion picture producers. Winning audience approval in the pictures, “Skyscraper Souls,” “Payment Deferred,’ “Love, Honor and Oh, Baby,’ and “Roman Scandals” earned her an important assignment in the Warner Bros. picture, “Fashions of 1934.” Interest In Her Progress So impressive was Miss Teasdale’s work in the latter, a William Powell-Bette Davis picture, that executives of the studio immediately cast her for a featured role in the forthcoming Richard Barthelmess picture, “A Modern Hero.” She has the flair for dramatic acting combined with an extremely keen finesse in satire, the two qualities making her a very extraordinary artist. Unless a great many people are mistaken, it’s not going to take long for the talented young actress to be listed among the screen great. Her current picture is a throbbing drama of a woman’s love and a woman’s sacrifice based on the Polish play by Marja Morozowicz Szezepkowska and adapted into English by Laura Walker Mayer. Kay Francis heads the cast which also ineludes Warren William, Jean Muir, Phillip Reed, Emma Dunn, Hale Hamilton and Virginia Hammond. William Keighley directed from the screen play by Charles Kenyon. Women Get Break In ‘Doctor Monica” Women get most of the breaks in ‘‘Doctor Monica,’’ a Warner Bros. picture which comes to the Seep ERR Sa TheatrecOM.<.3y.0dkestss me There is but one man in the picture who has any bearing on the plot of the story. This a Warren William, who in the role of Doctor Monica’s husband, has an affair with another woman which creates the dramatic love triangle. Kay Francis, Jean Muir and Verree Teasdale have the three important feminine roles, although there are several other actresses who have far more to do with the real story than any of the male characters. The play was also written by a woman, Marja Morozowicz Szezepkowska and adapted by a woman, Laura Walker Mayer. Star’s Hair Changes Like Chameleon Jean Muir, who has the role of the other woman in the triangular love story of ‘‘ Doctor Monica,’’? which comes to the................ Theatre: Ons... smeaece , has an unusual shade of coloring in her hair which has been made the matter of close study by photographie and lighting experts at the Warner Bros. studios. Naturally blonde, her hair has a distinct golden red tinge that by certain changes of light placement can be made to photograph almost a platinum blonde or several shades darker. In ‘Doctor Monica’’ several new uses of back-lighting resulted in giving her hair the shimmering effect of sunlight on gilt. Jean Muir Injured In Steeplechase Run A spectacular cross country gallop taken during the production of “Doctor Monica,” the Warner Bros. drama of love and sacrifice now showing at the.......... Theatre, almost ended the promising career of Jean Muir, who enacts the role of the “other woman” in the picture. The scenes were shot at the Warner Bros. raneh and called for a steeplechase. Jean refused the services of a double and successfully negotiated a high fence and a water jump, but at a sharp turn was swept from her horse by a low hanging branch. The shock kept her in bed for two days. Kay Francis has the title role, with Warren William taking the masculine lead. Cagney Gave Reed First Stage Job Phillip Reed, who appears with Kay Francis and Warren William in the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘ Doctor Monica,’’? now showing at the hr peer Ae Theatre, was given his first chance for a theatrical career by James Cagney, frecklefaced star at the same studios. It was back in New York in 1928. Cagney was directing the dances and appearing in the production of the ‘‘Grand Street Follies,’’? when young Reed applied for a job. Cagney watched Reed’s dancing performance and, although he declared the beginner was no good with the dance routine, decided to give him a job in the hope that he would get across all right in a straight role. Reed’s rise on the Broadway stage justified the Cagney choice. As Friend To Friend Kay Francis gives Jean Muir a talking to, in this scene from “Doc tor Monica,” the Warner film at the Strand. Others in the cast are Warren William, Verree Teasdale and Philip Reed. The picture was adapted from the well known stage play of the same name. Mat No, 11—20c Film Property Men Must Be 100 Percent Efficient “Pinkie” On “‘Doctor Monica” Set Always Had Just What Was Needed 66 EY Pinkie—bring us a shoe stretcher, a bottle of anodyne and an Argentine reata.’’ ‘Comin’ up,’’ says Pinkie, the prop man. For fourteen years, directors and assistant directors have been calling for things with which Pinkie is ‘‘comin’ up.’’ His 139th picture was ‘‘ Doctor Monica, ese Re an sav eeattns Theatre on ....... ?? which comes to the (pee sie cc , with Kay Francis, Warren William, Jean Muir and Verree Teasdale in the lead ing roles. The motion picture property man must supply, without delay, the most extraordinary demands. The thousands of little things that might hold up a company are all important because it costs about $250 an hour or about $4.00 a minute to wait. What are known as “routine” props present no difficulty. These are all arranged in advance from a prop plot that is prepared from the script. The furnishings of a room, vases, flowers, books, papers and oddments are ready before a wheel is turned. But what of the innumerable things that cannot be anticipated? On location, someone needs a hook and eye; the leading man has lost a button from his vest; an actor has misplaced the legal documents he carried in a previous scene; the director thinks of a new piece of busin’ ss with a Russian cigarette. These are easy for Pinkie. An ordinary drug store of the modern type carries about 3,000 items, which number takes account of various sizes of the same item. A hardware store, Warren William Likes Dominating Roles Warren William, who is the central figure in a triangular love affair in the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘ Doctor Monica,’’ now showING HO p NO coset otc. cscadanter anes Theatre, prefers dominating, rough, he-man parts to romantic roles. In appearance, however, he is the typical screen hero, being a handsome six footer with all the qualities of a matinee idol. Kay Francis has the featured lead in ‘‘Doctor Monica’’ with Jean Muir playing the part of the ‘¢other woman’’, counting each different size nail or screw as a different item carries about 2,000; a department store (counting different models but not different sizes of the same model) about 8,000 different items. Pinkie, the prop man carries over 10,000 different items. The most incredible variety of objects is merely Pinkie’s normal stock trade. An aviator’s report form, a deck of Russian playing cards, a hot water bottle and an English wafer box are a natural enough combination of sudden demands. Recently when Jean Muir in a scene of “Doctor Monica” failed to duck when her horse ran under a low hanging bough, she received a nasty blow that almost unseated her. First aid was applied, but as the skin on her forehead was not broken, it was decided that a cold application would do the most good. If they only had an ice bag! Pinkie had one—two in fact. Probably nobody in pictures needs as lively an imagination as a property man. He must not only be able to anticipate needs, but must be able to imagine unusual sets of conditions that might create unthought-of emergencies. He must be 100% efficient; 9914% will not do. When he hears the call, he is only allowed one answer—“Coming up.” “Doctor Monica” is one of the pictures that caused “Pinkie” unusual difficulties. It is a throbbing drama of a woman’s love and a woman’s sacrifice based on the Polish play by Marja Morozowiez Szezepkowska and adapted into English by Laura Walker Mayer. William Keighley directed the picture from the screen play by Charles Kenyon.