Earthworm Tractors (Warner Bros.) (1930)

EARTHWORM TRACTORS Below is the official billing for “Earthworm Tractors”’. It is important that this be followed without change or variation. First National Pictures, Inc. and the Vitaphone Corp. 25% present JOE E. BROWN 100% as ALEXANDER BOTTS 80% in with June Travis Guy Kibbee 15% DICK FORAN—CAROL HUGHES— GENE LOCKHART—OLIN HOWLAND 60 % Joseph Crehan 40% * * Directed by Raymond Enright 20% % *% A FIRST NATIONAL 40% Productions Corporation 5% Picture 25% Alexander Botts (Joe E. Brown) fancies himself in love with Sally Blair (Carol Hughes) and his romantic competition is Emmett McManus (Dick Foran). Both Botts and McManus are salesmen, neither very successful. Botts, in fact, is peddling trivial little novelty gadgets. Goaded by Sally and by her father (Olin Howland) who urge him to sell something big and _ important, Botts decides to sell Earthworm tractors and then return to claim Sally’s hand. His monumental assurance enables him to get a job from the Earthworm officials as a mechanicassistant to George Healy (Gene Lockhart) whose assignment has been to sell tractors to Mr. Jackson (William Davidson), a lumber dealer. Botts, who often _ confuses names, gets mixed up and when Healy, through a comic mistake, drinks shoe polish and passes out, he starts out to sell a tractor. Through a mixup, he tackles Cyrus Johnson (Guy Kibbee) instead of Jackson. He meets Mabel Johnson (June Travis), charming daughter of the querulous and hard-of-hearing Johnson, a smalltime business man. Botts starts his “Happy Hooligan” mistakes and laugh-provoking blunders immediately, and his efforts to sell Johnson a tractor get him in more hot water. Bills, for his damage accidents, also pour into tractor headquarters DREGE I in pron shcn is cassis se asinasatnys SEPRCM FE LAG DG sixes. sovisegensgncscniens: From: the s80Fied OY .....csccccessnssess Photography by ........ Gsssaiexecehectis PRE NOP a ison wile acsecaacckte nce WAG EP TRC OLOT oe vices sce sak cna cieew ta coiaeas Musical. Director .....cccesssosaiseasteee Technical Adviser ......ccccccccscssceees Page Twenty Six Pewee cerereesrceessseseses eee ececeeececcece Cece eee rrecerecsesesseesecesscesees Sorcerer cccccccscecsceseses and Healy is fired by wire—also Botts. But Jackson, whom Botts was supposed to have sold tractors to at first, buys several machines and Botts is kept on the payroll. Botts has been attracted by Mabel Johnson and she has taken a liking to him. He figures it’s impossible to sell her father tractors. She encourages him to try again, however, and he agrees. Then follows’ Botts’ wildest blunder when he hooks a tractor to the Johnson home and moves it while Johnson is still in it, and before the lights, gas and water have been disconnected for a planned house-moving. Despite his blunders, Mabel has grown fond of Botts, but she’s piqued and hurt when he confesses he has promised to go back and marry Sally Blair. Botts, whose proudest assertion is that he always keeps his word, goes back to claim Sally, though it is plain he’s in love with Mabel. But he finds Sally already married to Emmett McManus. So he rushes back to marry Mabel and finds she has gone to Chicago. The climax comes when blundering Botts drives into a series of dynamite explosions with Johnson aboard the big “Earthworm”. The explosions cure Johnson’s deafness, and Botts heroically saves Mabel’s life. Botts and Mabel go into a clinch as Johnson announces he’s going to buy twenty-two tractors from his son-inlaw to be. Raymond Enright Richard Macauley, Joe Traub and Hugh Cummings William Hazlett Upson Arthur Todd, A. S. C. Doug Gould igatanugibaapeen gins exsansseesaeaiuaks Lee Katz He was born Joseph Evan Brown on July 28, 1892, in Holgate O., the seventh child in the family —He joined a circus when 9 years old as a member of the aerial acrobatic troupe billed as “The Five Marvelous Ashtons,” 3 : : star attraction of Ringlin Joe E. Brown Besa ok = 18 Mat No. 112—10e Jy 1909 a broken leg put him out of the circus and he became a professional baseball player—Went into burlesque, made good, was featured in Broadway musical comedies and in 1928 went to Hollywood— His pictures are among the most successful, financially, of any made—Is married, has five children, a prize sealingham dog and a racing stable—Has learned almost every sport for motion pictures— Does not diet, and is fond of fried chicken—Buys his clothes in New York—His favorite color is brown, but he sometimes wears checked suits—For premieres and first nights, he “dresses up” in top hat and “tails’—Chews gum, eats candy, drinks sodas—Likes to surprise people by turning backflips, walking on his hands or turning handsprings—Does not like to get up in the morning and dislikes telephone calls—Saves old razor blades—Is not in the least shy or backward—Knows his face is his fortune—Is five feet eight inches tall, weighs 150 pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes—His favorite book is the Bible—Likes to travel by air — His favorites on the screen are Bette Davis and Charlie Chaplin—Likes prize fights, hockey, football, horse races and baseball — Particularly baseball — Is a self appointed scout and is always looking for young players for the big leagues — Has. traveled extensively but still gets sea sick —Does not own a yacht but drives a Dusenberg motorcar, a present from Mrs. Brown—Is an inveterate “first nighter’—Is now star of the First National comedy “Earthworm Tractors”, which opens at HES istecccus Theatre O1......cc.ss.0sec+000 CAROL HUGHES Her name was Kay Hughes and she was born in Chicago 21 years ago — She retained the name of “Kay” until she signed a contract with Warner Bros. when her first name was changed to “Carol” in order not to cause confusion—She attended public school until she was 13 and then, with another girl her own age and who looked like her, she formed a “sister” dancing team that first made a hit on the Chicago night club circuit and then on big time vaudeville— In 1934 she reached Los Angeles where she got a small part in a musical show which led to a call for a picture test—She had a small role in “Ceiling Zero”, and this was followed by others in “Brides Are Like That”, “Snowed Under” “The Singing Kid” and “The Golden Arrow’—She is an Irish-American, vivacious brunette beauty—Her only hobby is sharpshooting and she has won medals for perfect scores—She is unmarried—She now has a featured role with Joe E. Brown in “Earthworm Tractors”, which is playing at the Season eres Theatre. Carol Hughes Mat No. 110—10e KIBBEE He’s rotund, bald, smiling and fifty, but none the less, Guy Kibbee was once a romantic stage hero and matinee : idol — He became a comedian when he began losing his hair and stage at an early are, barnstormed all over the United States— Has ridden the rods, and walked the ties with other members of stranded theatrical troupes—He was more than 40 years old before he won his first major success on Broadway —Is an ardent fisherman, and a very skillful one—Likes to drive a car and is fond of boating—Says his life has been too varied and too uncertain to permit pet aversions—Nevertheless he is gunshy and never hunts—Likes dogs and horses—Now playing with Joe E. Brown in “Earthworm Tractors” HIG Hist tx eons Creeerreceerr eer Theatre. Guy Kibbee Mat No. 108—10c LOCKHART If he couldn’t be an actor, Gene Lockhart would be a song writer metas) Es es oes couldn’t write songs, he’d be a newspaperman — He’s done all three — He conducted a humorous column for one of London’s greatest daily newspapers — A hi s oaee . a i : Gene Lockhart “The World Mat No. 1138—10c Is Waiting for the Sunrise” and “Moon Dream Shores”—He’s written nearly a hundred other songs and was co-author with Deems Taylor of the musical fantasy “Heigh-Ho”’—He wrote and directed the musical revue “Bunk of 1926”—He was born in Canada but has spent most of his working life in the United States—His hobby is collecting funny stories— He is married and is usually paired with his wife, Kathleen Lockhart, in married roles—He is now appearing in the First National comedy “Earthworm TracLOVS2 AL UG. sccscoccessasvessstsoess Theatre. Ale PANT CK TEOIES occ. ccocccscsacccednsccs Matiel J ohitaon 6.225. iccick hase AW) el DUMSOR: @...... cos sencseree Sallg. Blatt” ....j.crncaviewncauiaees George J) Gihey Sicctea cians Mi Blatt PRODUCTION DATA See eee e re eeeseeeseseesereeeees PO ooo ese eee sereeeereseeeseseseseees Cee e meee eee eeeeesseaeeeeresendesans eee eee eee eee eee ee ere reer rere re Ty Pee eee reece eee eseeeeeseeseneees Peewee wee eseseeserseceserees eee eee ee eee eee eee eee ee ee ey Pere ewer eee eeeeersesccreeees Pee eee wee weer neeseeeeseees eee meee error eeesseeesseseeee Peewee sewer ereeseeceoens Pee e meee ewe reser eee sere senesees Peewee eee eercseereoseeeeeeseses TRAVIS She has brown hair and green eyes — and a strange magnetic charm — She never had appeared on the professional stage and had absolutely no film experience — yet she won a contract from Warner Bros. and was assigned to an important role in “Stranded” with Kay Francis—In her second picture she had the feminine lead — She was born in Chicago and is the daughter of Harry Grabiner, vice president and general manager of the Chicago White Sox—She is 20 years old—and at college starred in swimming, basketball and hockey—Now she plays badminton and swims for exercise—Her hobbies are music and painting—She still is considered one of the best feminine hockey players in_ the country and has organized a soft ball team in Hollywood—She is Coming “tos thes. atc. Theatre with Joe E. Brown in “Earthworm June Travis Mat No. 111—10c Practors?? SON siintacccstslotec...veeests FORAN Dick Foran was born in Flemington, N. J.—Attended Mercerberg Academy, Hunn Preparatory School and Princeton University — Starred in football, baseball, lacrosse and ice hockey — Member of Princeton Glee and Dramatic clubs— Got a job with the Pennsylvania Railroad and was sent to California—Given a screen test and became an actor—Is_ crack rifle shot—Has pleasing singing voice—After making a hit in a number of pictures including “Gentlemen Are Born”, he was starred as a singing cowboy in “Moonlight on the Prairie’ and will continue in a series of musical Westerns—Rides horses like a real cowboy—Now appearing with Joe E. Brown in “Earthworm Tractors” atsthese ates Theatre. Dick Foran Mat No. 109—10c Joe E. Brown June Travis Guy Kibbee Dick Foran Carol Hughes Gene Lockhart Olin Howland Joseph Crehan Sara Edwards Charles Wilson William Davidson Irving Bacon Stuart Holmes Length of Film 6335 ft. Running Time ~ 2 === = 69 min.