Draegerman Courage (Warner Bros.) (1937)

“DRAEGERMAN COURAGE” PUBLICA. F (Lead-Off Story) Drama Of Man’s Rarest Courage Coming To Bijou “Draegerman Courage”, a romance of the gold fields, will be shown on the screen of the............. Theatre beginning.................0+ next. Anthony Coldeway who wrote this thrilling story evidences his understanding of the way in which erring humanity can rise to the stature of the gods when confronted with the misery of his fellow man. “Draegerman Courage” is a melodrama of the mines—telling how the men entrapped in the bowels of the earth are brought back to the sunlight by the selfeffacing bravery of their fellows. Trapped in an abandoned mine shaft, standing in water that slowly seeped through the walls and roof until it reached to their chins— these men waited, fighting for life, through the long, dark hours for the rescue crew to reach them. Starving, alone in the silence, they kept up their hope as a tiny hole was drilled through to give them food and to establish communication with the outside world. Barton MacLane has the role of the Draegerman whose _ reckless daring and disregard of his own life, finally effected the rescue of those that death had left, while Jean Muir, his sweetheart aided him. Henry O’Neill plays the part of Miss Muir’s father, a country doctor who has dedicated his life to the service of the miners, who is one of the men caught in the catastrophe. Others in the cast are: Robert Barrat, Addison Richards, Helen MacKellar, Gordon Oliver, Joseph Crehan, Priscilla Lyon, Walter Miller, Herbert Heywood and Ben Hendricks. The production was directed by Louis King. Jean Muir Hurls Tough Luck Ring Into The Ocean Jean Muir, who has the feminine lead in the First National picture, “Draegerman Courage”, which HIN UOT TIN ooccssckscnsccpccadiceosote Theatre OPivatatechtidiecasiacieh sien , claims she is not superstitious, but simply couldn’t overlook the strange chain of happenings that followed the purchase of a ring at a downtown antique shop. The ring was quite ornate with two intertwining serpents holding an opal in their mouths, On every occasion on which she wore it, misadventure or near disaster came her way. On the way home, the day she purchased the ring, a truck sideswiped the taxi she was riding in, shaking her quite badly. When she arrived at her house, her Scottie, ordinarily quite affectionate, would have nothing to do with her. He also avoided her every other time she put it on her finger. Another time she turned her ankle just as she was leaving for the studio and her test for “Draegerman Courage” had to be postponed. A blowout on a mountain road swerved her car to the edge of the road and a drop of thousands of feet. Minor accidents dogged her every time. Jean still thinks that it was just a lot of coincidences, but she isn’t wearing the ring any more. She threw it as far as she could into the Pacific Ocean. Miss Muir is the love interest in “Draegerman Courage”, a thrilling romance of the gold fields, filled with dynamic drama. Others in the east include Barton MaclLane, Henry O’Neill, Robert Barrat, Addison Richards and Helen MacKellar. Louis King directed the picture from the story and screen play by Anthony Coldeway. Barton MacLane and Jean Muir in a breathtaking scene from “Draegerman Courage”’, the First National picture coming to the.................. Theatre on...... PO eee cow eerererseeesoses Mat No. 201—20c (Review) “Draegerman Courage” Is Thrilling Dramatic Film Barton MacLane and Jean Muir Score In Drama At The Strand The heights to which men may rise in moments of supreme danger are stirringly depicted in First National’s ‘“‘Draegerman Courage”, which was shown for the first time locally yesterday at NGL Fil GS heck. Aloe Sha Theatre. The breathtaking melodrama of human daring takes place in the depths of a mine where a number of men have been entombed. This is the harrowing part of the plot. The inspirational part of the picture is the heroic struggle of the men who are above in the sunlight—to save their comrades from sure death below. “Draegerman Courage” is one of the most thrilling pictures ever filmed. The final rescue was effected by the Draegermen, an organization of men picked for their bravery— and named for Draeger, the scientist who invented the life-saving tools of their perilous profession. Scenes of “Draegerman Courage” are laid in imaginary goldfields. The plot is woven about the everyday lives of the men who delve in the earth for the yellow ore. It reveals their hates and loves, their successes and failures —and their surpassing valor in those catastrophic times when the real man comes to the surface. Jean Muir has the leading feminine role, as the sweetheart of the leader of the Draegermen. She lives in hourly dread lest he be killed in pursuance of his duty, but fights valiantly by his side when the dreaded cave-in really comes. Miss Muir, whose dramatic ability grows with each picture, reaches a new high in this excellent part. Barton MacLane plays the part of the rough-and-ready lover, a young giant who laughs in the face of danger when it becomes necessary that he risk his own life to save his comrades. He gives a grand performance as the twofisted, toughened mine-boss and rescue-worker—ready at any moment to do battle with man or with the elements. Henry O’Neill is effective in the role of a country doctor who has dedicated his life to the alleviation of suffering, and is himself a victim of the disaster. Robert Barrat and Addison Richards do_ splendid work, the former the ruthless mine BARTON MacLANE In “Draegerman Courage”’ at the Strand Mat No. 103 10c¢ owner, the latter as his equally ruthless superintendent. Breath-taking scenes show the cave-in, and the desperate plight of the trapped men. Starkly dramatic, the film sticks to reality at all times. Others in the cast are Helen MacKellar, Gordon Oliver, Joseph Crehan, Priscilla Lyon and Walter Miller. Louis King, the director, sustains the breath-taking suspense to the final fade-out. (Opening Day Story) Watching Race With Death| Thrilling Drama Of Mine Rescue At Strand Today A thrilling drama of men’s courage in facing death to rescue illfated comrades is depicted in the First National production, “Draegerman Courage”, which opens at LW eR er Theatre today, with Jean Muir and Barton MacLane in the featured roles. “Draegerman Courage” takes the audience down into the bowels of the earth—and introduces them to plain men who show themselves great in their ability to meet disaster—and to other plain men, who toil with no thought of self when called upon to free their comrades from their living entombment in a mine cave-in. The picture is stirring in the extreme from the moment of the first fade-in to the last fade-out. In addition to its breath-taking action, the story carries a heartromance in which a young girl battles at the side of her sweetheart through long, dreary days and nights to rescue the victims, one of whom is her father, warming from the caved-in mine. The picture paints realistically the desperate courage of the Draegermen—a picked, organized rescue crew named for Draeger, the man who invented the tools of their merciful trade. Besides Miss Muir and MacLane, the cast includes Henry O’Neill, Robert Barrat, Addison Richards, Helen MacKellar, Gordon Oliver, Joseph Crehan and Priscilla Lyon. Louis King directed the picture from the story by Anthony Coldeway. MacLane Wants To Play Three Parts At Once Claiming that he has a triple personality, Barton MacLane is trying to convince Warner Bros. casting executives that he should be allowed to appear in a picture in which he could enact three separate parts during the course of the action. Having played a virtual game of cops and robbers as far as his roles are concerned during the past couple of years, MacLane wants to appear in a story which would allow him to play both the pursuer and the pursued. For an added character part, the actor would like to portray the part of a District Attorney who would appear in a scene with the other two characters. In “Draegerman Courage”, the First National picture in which MacLane is featured with Jean Muir and which comes to the.......... "FRRAUTC: Of. cists he plays the part of a rough-and-ready lover, a young giant who laughs in the face of danger when it becomes necessary to risk his life to save those of his imperiled comrades. Types. of vigorous roles in which he has excelled will be remembered from “Jailbreak”, “Bengal Tiger”, “Bullets or Ballots”, “Times Square Playboy”, “The Walking Dead”, “Ceiling Zero” and “Dr. Socrates”. Each characterization vivid and memorable—but he wants to play three-in-one—and it’s safe to say that when he does it will be a hit. Draegermen Get Name From Hero Who Aided Them Actors on the set of “Draegerman Courage”, the First National picture which comes to the.............+++ ST REAtTEVON scare ccicsien ce , wondered why the rescue crew in a mine disaster were called “Draegermen”, though it was evident that the name in some way signified selfeffacing bravery—the sort of courage which is totally divorced from all but the welfare of some comrade in distress. For of such dauntless action in time of extreme danger is this picture made. All possible ways of finding out the truth about the meaning of the word were tried except the obvious one. Barton MacLane, who portrays a Draegerman in the picture, became so curious that he went to the studio research department and thumbed through several encyclopedias. He found no reference to them but he did see a note on a certain Dr. Draeger, a German, who invented rescue equipment for mine disasters. He learned from the technical advisor of the picture, a mining engineer, that the Draegermen were organized in a group of great prestige among miners. They take severe tests from the Government semi-annually to qualify for this hazardous task of mercy. The picture is a dynamic romance of the gold fields. The cast includes Jean Muir, Barton MacLane, Henry O’Neill, Robert Barrat, Addison Richards, Helen MacKellar and others. Louis King directed from the original story and screen play by Anthony Coldeway. Jean Muir’s Kick Lands Youth Job In Juvenile Role Jean Muir kicked off her slippers and found a new leading man for her little Hollywood theatre called “The Work Shop”. Jean, who-has the feminine lead in the First National picture, “Draegerman Courage”, which GOS EO te LO acecssrssccsescaaseasaiaes Theatre | reer csoel , told her fellow players of the incident during the production of the film. It happened when Jean was on a leave of absence from Warner Bros. to direct stage productions. The Work Shop company was rehearsing a sword duel scene under Miss Muir’s direction. Suddenly the actress-director decided she would take a hand in the duel. She grabbed a foil and kicked off her high-heeled slippers. One of the slippers slid to a stop in the corner. The other sailed out of an open window, toward the busy Santa Monica boulevard in Los Angeles. Jean rushed to the rescue, certain that the shoe would be ruined by passing automobiles if she didn’t retrieve it at once. At the door she ran _ head-on into a pleasant-faced young man who was holding the slipper. It had just missed his head as he walked past the window. He was bringing it back, curious to see the Cinderella who had lost it. To make a long story short, the young man joined Jean’s_ stock company as. juvenile lead. His name is Henry Thompson and Miss Muir said she had discovered a very promising young actor. The shoe was undamaged. Miss Muir closed her Work Shop to play in “Draegerman Courage”, a tale of heroic rescue crews who risk their lives in the fight to save entombed miners. Beside Miss Muir the cast includes Barton MacLane, Henry O’Neill, Robert Barrat, Addison Richards and Helen MacKellar. Louis King directed the picture from the original story and screen play by Anthony Coldeway. Page Three