Ex Lady (Warner Bros.) (1933)

il GENE RAYMOND — MONROE OWSLEY — WARNER BROS. MERCHANDISING PLAN FOR With FRANK McHUGH CLAIRE DODD ci Wa Cub oe Berne BETTE DAVIS Naw Star, Daring Theme, Fresh Treatment, Pack “EX-LADY” With Box-Oifice Power. The daring, timely theme of “Ex-Lady”’ invites you to— go the limit in sensationalizing your campaign. Drive it across boldly and definitely — but keep it clean! The selling power of the show is concentrated in the catchline, “We don’t dare tell you how daring it is!’ It is daring — but not because of sex or suggestion. It shocks because it is modern, out-spoken, youthful and courageously different. “Ex-Lady” will offend no one, yet you can safely and profitably warn patrons “who feel over sixty” that they may be shocked by the extremely modern viewpoint of the story. THE STORY ing, and although the affair is quite innocent he fibs about it. Helen declares that the incident proves her contention that marriage believing their love will be more kills love. She insists that they spontaneous if unhampered by such live apart. They do so and remain ties. sweethearts. All goes well until one Helen Bauer, an artist with ultramodern views on marriage, is in love with Don Peterson. Neither wishes to be restricted by marital bonds, Helen’s father, a man of strict, “old fashioned” ideas, discovers the two together in Helen’s apartment, and denounces his daughter. The incident arouses Don, who urges Helen to marry him. At first she refuses, but finally gives in. Returning from their honeymoon they find that Don’s advertising business is in bad shape. He loses several accounts, and one important company wants Helen to do the drawings for their campaign independently of Don’s agency. This starts friction. After bitter words Helen goes to their apartment while Don remains to do some night work. She regrets the quarrel and returns to his office with the intention of making up. But she arrives just in time to see Don go out with Peggy, one of her married friends. Don does not return home until early in the morn night Don wishes to see his wife and finds that she has an engagement with Nick, a man about town. Again Don meets Peggy, and Helen, dining with Nick at a hotel, sees the two go to Peggy’s apartment. She confronts them and there is a scene, Helen leaves the apartment in a rage, and consents to go to Nick’s apartment with him, as he had long been urging her to do. Nick immediately takes her in his arms, but she is saved from an ugly situation by a mutual friend who walks in on them. Returning home she finds Don there, he having realized that he loves only Helen, and leaving Peggy’s apartment immediately after his wife had gone. They rush into each other’s arms, both coming to the realization that while marriage is not perfect the other situation is impossible. This is a new and striking reversal of the “not recommended for children” gag, and is particularly apt because it registers forcefully the picture’s youthful frankness and unconventionality. Give Bette Davis strong billing — particularly if you played “Cabin in the Cotton” and “20,000 Years in Sing Sing.” “Ex-Lady”’ definitely places her among the ranking stars right at the moment.she is capitalizing on the tremendous publicity she received on the “42nd Street Special.” Make “Ex-Lady” the proof of your showmanship. It is one of the greatest opportunities ever offered for smart and constructive show-selling. CAST OF CHARACTERS SULIT TOU a ea ae ge ee Bette Davis PONT RCT ee ee eee Gene Raymond Tugs Var ih ee a ee Frank McHugh Wich Maloy is 2 oe ee eee Monroe Owsley DCS I ae Claire Dodd PeMRy OMI Nihe se oe he es ee = ee Kay Strozzi Fi es) |) 7, Sate See ea mater ne ine eee ea Re oe Ferdinand Gottschalk Tite; Faber ee a a Alphonse Ethier Phe MOMS i a ae oe ee ee Bodil Rosing OFFICIAL BILLING Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. & The Vitaphone Corp. 25% present “EX-LADY” 100% with Bette Davis 85% Gene Raymond 65% Frank McHugh — Monroe Owsley 60% . Claire Dodd — Kay Strozzi 60% Directed by Robert Florey 20% A Warner Bros. and Vitaphone Picture 40% PRODUCTION STAFF DPC CHG Boe fee NG eg a eg Robert Florey DCLECIE FRG) DY ee David Boehm Based-0n-the stony: CVs ee Edith Fitzgerald and Robert Riskin Dit ORNS DIC CR OF a es et ee Stanley Logan TCO REEDRN OT se ee re ee en ee Tony Gaudio POD DOR a a a ee Harold McLennon PANE DECOR eS Se en eee —Bill Cannon ORS Va re eee ae eee Orry-Kelly Vitaphone Orchestra Conducted ry uae dati ae eee eee eres ae _Leo F. Forbstein Page One