Earthworm Tractors (Warner Bros.) (1930)

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EARTHWORM TRACTORS PUBLICITY Joe E. BrownCan Eat Raw Potato And Like It Too Deviating just a little from the time old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, Joe KE. Brown, First National comedian, eats a potato a day—a raw potato. On the set of “Earthworm Tractors”, now showing at the.............. Theatre, Director Raymond Enright was trying to get a difficult shot. It was long past the luncheon hour and the crew and cast had not yet had their lunch. Sitting in a chair on the side lines, Joe noticed a burlap sack of potatoes propped against a truck. In a flash he was at the sack and returned with a large potato. Joe E. took a big bite. “Just a habit I’ve kept up from my boyhood trouping days when I was glad to get almost anything to eat,” smiles Joe. “And besides, the raw ‘spud’ contains calcium and that’s good for you.” June ‘Travis, popular Warner Bros. contract player, playing the feminine lead in the picture, asked for a bite. Joe gave her one. “If we never break for lunch,” exclaimed June, “I’ll never try another raw potato.” “Karthworm Tractors” is a screamingly funny comedy based on the stories by William Hazlett Upson. Besides Joe E. Brown and Miss Travis, the cast includes Guy Kibbee, Dick Foran, Carol Hughes, Gene Lockhart and Olin Howland. Raymond Enright directed the picture from the screen play by Richard Macauley, Joe Traub and Hugh Cummings. Dick Foran Takes Off 17 Pounds In Week Skimmed milk as a_ reducing diet is recommended by Dick Foran, First National player, as a result of his having lost a total of 17 pounds in a single week. Foran, who admits that an increasing belt measurement caused him to take sudden stock of his weight, is currently playing a major role in “Karthworm Tractors”, Joe E. Brown’s latest First National comedy, which comes to RNG cisiinitonativss PR TUERCEE. MOT sesivicksospssnniGed “When I’m playing riding parts in Westerns, even though I eat heartily, I never gain weight,” said Foran. “But, between pictures, or when I’m in a non-western role, I have to watch my calories.” June Travis, Guy Kibbee, Carol Hughes, Gene Lockhart are in supporting roles. Joe And June Joe EH. Brown and June Travis are the new comedy team to be seen in First National’s roaring story, “Harthworm Tractors”? at thé... Theatre. Mat No. 103-—10ec Joe E. Brown Adds To English Language Something new in American nomenclature may be credited to Joe E. Brown, star of “RKarthworm Tractors”, now showing at the........ Theatre. This is a First National comedy in which caterpillar tractors are featured. The new word is: “A guy that rides a mule is known as a muleskinner,” said Joe EK. “I guess as long as I wrangle caterpillars I must be a “catskinner.” Ever Drive A Tractor? You, probably didwt, and neither did Joe E. Brown as Alexander Botts in First National’s “Earthworm Tractors’, until he had to demonstrate one for a client in the hilarious movie version of the celebrated Saturday Evening Post story series. June Travis appears as Joe’s leading lady. Mat No, 209—20c Joe E. Brown Beats Munchausen Now they’re calling him “Believe-it-or-not” Brown. Joe E. earned the new title by telling about chickens with fifteenfoot tails, or red, white and blue feathers, which he saw during his travels in the Orient. These, Joe said he saw on his trip to China. No one on the set of Joe’s latest First National picture, “Earthworm Tractors”, which comes to LN Gaireccgisccenteeetys Theatre ON..........0000 ; would believe him. “What are you grinning for?” Joe demanded. “I’m not kidding. It’s not a gag!” “But you tell a gag just as well,’ said Guy Kibbee gently. “How are we to know .. .” “I can prove it!” cried Joe, “believe it or not.” Tiredest Phone Girl In Joe Brown Film The tiredest telephone operator ever seen in a film, and that’s saying something, is in Joe KE. Brown’s latest First National picture, “EKarthworm Tractors’, now showing ‘at: thie.tc.iocscssecsseviece Theatre. Her name is Rosalind Marquis, and her all-night session helping Joe telephone, has won the new featured player acclaim in the studio. June Travis and Carol Hughes play opposite Brown in the film, and Guy Kibbee shares comedy honors. Joe Brown's Leading Ladies Look Alike June Travis and Carol Hughes, comely brunettes who play opposite Joe E. Brown in “Earthworm Tractors”, the First National comedy now at the... Theatre, are often mistaken for one another. They’re blue-eyed, dark-haired athletic girls, both five feet, four inches tall and weight 116 and 114 respectively ! Joe E. Brown Is Offered Job To Sell Tractors _ Joe E. Brown has earned a standing offer of a job outside the movie realm. He took a test and filled out an application. The application was approved, and First National star, under the name of J. E. Brown was offered a job. It was to be salesman for the tractor company of Peoria, III. The okay on Brown’s application was authentic, and was made by the home office without knowledge that the “J. E. Brown” was the comedy star. It happened in this manner: Brown, while filming his latest First National starring vehicle, “Karthworm Tractors”, which Comes TtOsthEns.;.....0cteenseckes Theatre ODESiRiilicactas Siicias » wanted to know two things. As demonstrator of tractors in scenes of the pictures, he had to know how to drive one. And as Alexander Botts, blundering but indomitable salesman in the famous stories by William Hazlett Upson, on which “Earthworm Tractors” is based, he had to know how to sell tractors. Director Raymond Enright arranged with a local tractor distributor to give Brown a demonstration and driving lessons. Joe himself contacted a salesman, got some lessons on tractor selling, and then took a test which included filling out the application. No one concerned thought it would be found by a clerk and sent through to the home office. “Earthworm Tractors” was nearly completed when an amused local agent brought Brown his okayed application, along with a note from a firm official. Besides Joe E. Brown, the cast includes June Travis, Guy Kibbee, Dick Foran, Carol Hughes, Gene Lockhart, Olin Howland and Joseph Crehan. Joe E. Brown Scrambles 200 Dozen Eggs In Film Also Spills 200 Gallons of Milk and Knocks Over Depot In ‘Earthworm Tractors” More than 500 dozen fresh eggs were violently scrambled and nearly 200 gallons of milk spilled in an exciting and laughable ‘sequence of the new First National Joe E. Brown picture, “Earth worm Tractors’, which comes to the.............00 Theatre ‘On ...000\.000 When all the shooting was over, Joe E. Brown scrambled down from what had been his precarious perch at the control of a 17-ton “Earthworm Tractor’, calmly dusted his trousers, grinned at the interblended mess of eggs and milk, and remarked: “The world’s biggest omelet !” Guy Kibbee, who had sat none too calmly beside the irrepressible Brown during the dangerous stunt of riding an apparent loco tractor on a motorized stampede, got down with far less celerity. “Gosh!” said Kibbee, and wiped his perspiring brow. “I’ll bet I lost ten pounds on that scene!” “Swell acting, Guy,” complimented Director Raymond Enright. “You certainly played the part of a frightened old gent to perfection.” “Acting nothing!’ snapped Kibbee. “I was a _ frightened old gent!” The scene took place on a railroad station platform of what, in the script, is supposed to be a small town. The situation calls for a huge caterpillar tractor to stand on a high spot platform. First National’s back lot open set, known as Midvale Street, was the locale. A rickety old “prop” depot has stood there for many years and has figured in many pictures. But when Joe E. Brown got through maneuvering that egg-smashing and _ milk-spilling tractor, the old station was a changed affair. Alongside the rickety platform as the tractor action was started, as though ready for shipment, was a total of 18 large cases of eggs. Nearby were many large cans of milk, The script called for the smashing of these eggs and the milk by the huge tractor. Joe drove the tractor, with Kibbee registering fright, right squarely into one of the supporting posts of the depot. Even a first-class depot, with one of its main supports ripped away, would do a certain amount of sagging. This one, being only a flimsy affair, began to collapse. Joe threw the big caterpillar in reverse. Then, looking around to spot his real objective—the eggs and milk—he steered the track laying monster straight for the breakables and the edge of the platform. June Travis, leading woman of “Karthworm Tractors”, was ‘seated some fifteen feet away, next to the camera. When the motored monster came roaring in her direction June leaped up. She knocked over her chair in the getaway. Her scream was lost in the roar of the mighty motor. The assistant cameraman stuck to his post as blase photographers generally will. But others of the staff were not so hardy. The “still” cameraman broke a tripod joining June in her sudden flight. The script girl got up speed as she retreated. But the danger was immediately over. Joe E. Brown swung the gigantic machine about and ground up enough eggs to feed.a small town. With another twist of the crunching wheels he turned milk cans into bits of crumpled tin. Then Director Enright waved his arms for the cut. Joe stopped his motor. The sudden silence was broken only by the sound of dripping milk. The eggs, of course, had nothing to say. “A smashing success!” came the stentorian tones of Brown. Juicers went back to their lights. Other staff men came out from behind telegraph poles. Several newspaper writers and a couple of action cameramen climbed down from the safety of a prop boxcar. One—just one—of the many dramatic caterpillar tractor sequences of “Earthworm Tractors” had been completed with no casualties—except to all that milk and all those eggs. The picture is a riotous comedy based on a series of Saturday Evening Post stories by William Hazlett Upson. Besides Joe E. Brown, Kibbee and Miss Travis, the cast includes Dick Foran, Carol Hughes, Gene Lockhart, Olin Howland and Joseph Crehan. In “Earthworm Tractors’”’ Joe E. Brown hits the high spots as Alexander Botts, super-salesman hero of the famous Saturday Evening Post stories, who is to be seen at GED scisiea canisters seh vasstesbsbervintegs Theatre this week with Carol Hughes, pictured above, in a featured role. Mat No. 207—20c Page Twenty Five