Escape Me Never (Warner Bros.) (1947)

Errol Flynn Plays Unusual Role In ‘Escape Me Never’ The music department at Warner Bros. Studios has been working overtime as a teaching organization and the pupils are among the highest paid stars and players in the motion picture industry. In Warner Bros.’ “‘Escape Me Never’’, Errol Flynn, who normally plays heroics on a horse or behind a rapier, uses a concertina to good effect. It was a new skill for Flynn, and a nice job Errol Flynn of instruction MAT 1A for a member of the music jJepartment. In “The Beast With Five Fingers’, Victor Francen as a concert pianist living in retirement had to play a difficult composition for the left hand. The piece was composed by Victor Aller of the music department, and he also taught Francen how to play in the right style. Robert Alda also had to handle the piano. This came easy to him. He put in a long apprenticeship as George Gershwin for “Rhapsody In Blue.” It was just a matter of Lmbering up. The big assignment was to have John Garfield play the violin with all the dash and bravura of a concert virtuoso, for ‘““Humoresque.” Three hours of hard practising every day under the watchful eye of two members of the department of music and Garfield has graduated. The public is assured of one thing, that the music will sound right, even if now and then the fingering is off. Ballet Stars in Film George Zoritch and Milada Mladova, stars of the Ballet Russe, appear in “Primavera” ballet sequence in Warner Bros.’ “Escape Me Never” opening Friday at the Strand Theatre. 4 ORDER Mat 656-501-x from Campaign Plan Editor, Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., 321 West 44th St., N. Y. 18, N. ¥. ERROL IDA ELEANOR MOVIE-OF-THE-WEEK: AscAPe ME VEVER’ stain: FLYNN ~ LUPINO PARKER RRS LET ME GO: OR ne 2 “| CAN'T MARRY YOU — BECAUSE OF GEMMA!" 1 LL CRACK YOUR SHINS!” Young, carefree love in 1900 against a colorful canvas of Venice in the spring and London in the autumn, highlights Warner Bros.’ newest romantic drama, “Escape Me Never,” adapted from Margaret Kennedy’s celebrated international best-seller and play. Starring Errol Flynn, Ida Lupino, Eleanor Parker with Gig Young, the film has been brilliantly directed by Peter Godfrey, from a screen play by Thames Williamson. Erich Wolfgang Korngold has composed an original ballet for Leroy Prinz which serves as a dramatic climax for the charming story, with Ballet Russe stars, George Zoritch and Milada Mladova, prominent in the actual performance. Reproduced above are several outstanding moments in the story’s development: (1) Hungry and worried over her family, Gemma (Ida Lupino) disguised as a touring student girl invades a summer castle of visiting English gentlefolk, to get food. (2) Fenella (Eleanor Parker) wealthy English girl, whose parents have rented the castle, is in love with Caryl (Gig Young), gay, penniless musician, but has a quarrel with him and leaves ANCIENT SEWING MACHINE USED 3 GEMMA SINGS “‘O NENE" AS SEBASTIAN PLAYS | 5 “IF MADAME WON'T DANCE, GET SOMEONE ELSE." “PM NOT CARYL'S GIRL — NEVER WAS.” suddenly. (3) Gemma and Caryl’s brother, Sebastian (Errol Flynn) set out to catch up with Fenella and untangle the misunderstanding. Enroute through the Tyrol, they earn their way singing in wayside cafes. (4) When Gemma finally reaches Fenella, she confronts her with her own love and affection for Sebastian, as the English beauty has now turned her fickle affections to this romantic artist. (5) The big night arrives in London for Sebastian’s ballet to be performed, but at a rehearsal the ballerina balks at dancing to the difficult music. However this problem is unraveled before curtain time, and the ballet proceeds on schedule. The symphony orchestra strikes up the opening notes as Sebastian searches for Gemma, whom he knows now is his true love, and finally locates her in the top gallery just as the curtains part on the ballet which is entitled, “Gemma — Escape Me Never”. Henry Blanke, Warner Bros. producer, was in charge of this production which stars Errol Flynn, Ida Lupino and Eleanor Parker. Gig Young completes the roster of stellar names in the picture. GIG YOUNG FOLLOWS CALENDAR Bertha, the sewing machine girl, had nothing on Ida Lupino when it comes to turning out the work. For a sequence in her current Warner Bros. film, “Escape Me Never”, which opens at the Strand Theatre on Friday with Errol Flynn, Eleanor Parker and Gig Young rounding out the stellar cast. Ida spent the day huddled over a battered sewing machine while stitching her way through an imposing pile of detachable shirt cuffs. The ancient machine supplied by the property department had seen its best days around the year 1850, and didn’t make the work any easier for the star. To operate it Ida had to pump two pedals which vibrated a Rube Goldberg contraption of pulleys and belts into motion causing the needle to stutter its way along a seam. Gig Young MAT IB When Gig Young, does something, he usually tries to act on a date that means something. At least his record in Hollywood so indicates. Gig’s score card reads like this: Arrived in Hollywood April Fool’s Day, 1937. Signed his Warner Bros. contract April Fool’s Day, 1941. Joined the service, Coast Guard, on December 7, 1942. Mustered out of the service after considerable duty in the Pacific, Fourth of July, 1945. Started his first picture after honorable discharge, Armistice Day, the picture being “‘Escape Me Never’, which opens Friday at the Strand Theatre. In “Escape Me Never”, Young appears with Errol Flynn, Eleanor Parker and Ida Lupino. He plays the role of Caryl, a struggling musician. ‘Escape Me Never’ Features Special Dance Sequence Ballet enthusiasts will be interested in the dance sequence created especially for Warner Bros.’ motion picture version of “Hscape Me Never’, which stars Errol Flynn, Ida Lupino, Eleanor Parker with Gig Young, opening Friday at the Strand Theatre. A high spot of the film adaptation of the Margaret Kennedy story is a ballet called ‘Primavera”’, which Leroy Prinz directed with a corps de ballet of 24 girls and six men. Featured in this sequence are George Zoritch and Milada Mladova of the Ballet Russe and Betee Bryson. The ballet is based on Botticelli’s painting of the beautiful woman personifying new life which is entitled ‘“Primavera”’, meaning Goddess of Spring. Before the five-week rehearsal period began, Prinz visited Washington, D. C. to study the original painting so as to recreate the overall effect. Erich Wolfgang Korngold, distinguished composer, wrote the original music for the ballet. Included in the corps de ballet are Panchita Rowe, whose fencing won her the title of Pacific Coast Woman’s Foil Champion in 1945, also Gloria Atherton, who started her film career at the age of 11 when Leroy Prinz directed dance numbers for ‘‘The Etarmaker”. Eleanor Parker MAT IC Composes Special Music Erich Wolfgang Korngold composed the special music which is a highlight of Warner Bros.’ “Escape Me Never” opening Friday at the Strand Theatre. The score includes ballet music as well as the general production background.