Fashions of 1934 (Warner Bros.) (1934)

Powell Insisted On Crisp, Snap-Ending For Newest Picture William Powell has his own theory about how long a motion picture should be. As the doctor of most of his own film stories and even of his completed films, he believes that most pictures don’t know when to end. “Writers and directors,’ he says, “should take Whistler’s advice to stop working when they are through with what they are doing — not go on and try to put a triumphant ending of some sort on it.” Working on this theory, Powell succeeded in making a crisp, busi nesslike production of “Fashions of 1934,” his latest First National picture, now showing at the.......... Theatre. “Whistler believed — and most artists conceded him right, even in his own day — that a half light gave better values, and that what might be called a halffinished picture was often better than a finished one, for the reason that the artist has really said all he intended to say in the former, whereas in the latter he says more than he intended to say. And under statement is always more effective than overstatement.” In “Fashions of 1934” Powell has the role of a raseally, though likable, promoter who corners the fashion marts of Paris and New York. While a comedy romance, the picture also features such spectacular numb rs as a fashion show and a fan dance, the latter created by Busby Berkeley. The picture was directed by William Dieterle from the screen play by F. Hugh Herbert and Carl Erickson. Bette Davis has the leading feminine role. Others include Frank McHugh, Verree Teasdale and Reginald Owen. Ostriches Sought To Furnish Feathers For200FanDancers Red flannels are greatly in demand at the Los Angeles Ostrich Farm these days by the longlegged, ungainly birds who have “given their all” for the sake of art. Virtually every ostrich in the place is qualified for instant admission to the nudist colony at Lake Elsinore, California, and no questions asked, or answered — because of the recent demand for ostrich feathers at the First National studio. Busby Berkeley, dance director, needed the feathers to stage a spectacular number, featuring 200 fan dancers, in “Fashions of 1934,” the picture now showing at the Theatre. This meant 400 fans, each containing six ostrich plumes. The feathers alone for the number, are estimated to have cost $10,000, and while the ostriches may wear a pained expression as the cold breezes whistle about their plucked hides, they at least have the satisfaction of knowing that their sacrifice added a great contribution to cinema art and incidentally permitted their boss to declare a fat dividend. “Fashions of 1934” is a diverting comedy romance starring William Powell, with a strong supporting cast including Bette Davis, Frank McHugh, Verree Teasdale, Reginald Owen, Henry O'Neill, Hugh Herbert, Phillip Reed and Gordon Westcott. William Dieterle directed. Page Fourteen Willowy Verree Teasdale, who appears in “Fashions of 1934,” at the Strand Theatre. Mat No. 1—5c Frank McHugh Picks Up His Famous Funny Ha-HalnPullmanGar Frank McHugh’s famous laugh, which is heard on many occasions in the First National picture, ‘“Pashions of 1934,’’ now at the Theatre, originated in a pullman observation car when Frank was in vaudeville. Someone on the train told a story, a not very funny story, but it set a traveling salesman laughing. The fellow laughed until the tears rolled out of his eyes. He laughed finally, until he couldn’t laugh any more. People who had been watching him with annoyance, because they hadn’t thought the story was funny, found the laugh so contagious that they all took it up. The salesman by this time was so weak he could hardly laugh any more, and the weaker he got from Two Stars And A Baby DorothyBurgess Did 1st Role So Well It Typed Her For Parts Sometimes it’s best not to get your big chance in pictures until you have been in them for a while, according to Dorothy Burgess. Taken from stage work when she had already begun her career, she was cast as the feminine lead in one of the most famous pictures ever made, “In Old Arizona.” She was an immediate hit. But for several years after that, she was only used in the role of a Spanish vamp. An example of an actress who had done her work too well. She has been living down her reputation for that sort of role, and only recently has been getting roles which, she thinks, might properly have been given her in the beginning of her screen career—such roles as the one she has in “Fashions of 1934,” the First National picture now shownig at The. «022.23 Theatre. Dorothy’s role in “Fashions of 1934” is the extremely modern one of gold-digging secretary to William Powell, star of the picture. Others in the cast are Bette Davis, Frank McHugh, Verree Teasdale, Reginald Owen, Henry O’Neill, Hugh Herbert, Phillip Reed and Gordon Westcott. Although “Fashions of 1934” is primarily a comedy romance, there are two spectacle numbers in it, one a gigantic fashion show and the other a fan dance with 200 hand-picked beauties. The fan dance sequence was staged by Busby Berkeley with songs by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal. William Dieterle directed. laughing, the funnier it was to every one else. At last the whole car was roaring. It set Frank thinking. What would happen, he thought, if someone ‘earned to laugh as if he had already laughed himself out and had barely a couple of little gasping laughs left? Would it be funny? He tried it in his vaudeville skit—and it was. And now Frank has introduced it on the screen. ‘“FWashions of 1934’? is a comedy romance starring William Powell with Bette Davis playing opposite him. Others in the cast include Verree Teasdale, Reginald Owen, Henry O’Neill, Hugh Her bert, Phillip Reed and Gordon Westcott. William Dieterle directed. Edward G. Robinson and his famous son visit William Powell on the set of “Fashions of 1934,” First National’s new fashion drama. Mat No. 22—10c WILLIAM AT NIGHT FIGURE 1S INSURED ror £50,000. \ — fs AN) Feu ‘ gon HORE ACY PAINTED HIS BLACK DACHSHUND'S (fe TAIL WITH LUMINOUS PAINT $0 THAT HE COULD FIND HIM ii im i \ eg, N FREAK FACS. . . . A8007 FM FAVORITES FILM COMEDIAN, HAS WRITTEN STAGE AND SCREEN PLAYS, INVENTED A CAMERA WHICH 1S CONCEALED IN THE HEAO OF A CANE These and other stars are now at the Strand in “Fashions of 1934.” This popular feature is heartily endorsed by exhibitors throughout the country. Are you taking advantage of it? It’s a sure-fire pub licity plant, popular with both editors and readers wherever it has been tried. Mat No. 52—10c Bette Davis Doesn't KnowWhether She Is Flesh, Fish Or Fowl Bette Davis is puzzled. She stopped working on her newest First National picture, “Fashions of 1934,” now showing at the Rs cer eS Theatre, long enough to read an English magazine which described her as weighing seven stone ten. Like any film star, Bette wanted to know how much th +t was. She asked William Powell, star of the film. He scratched his head and figured for a while, then answered that he thought it meant about a hundred and ten pounds. That wasn’t close enough for Bette, who tried some of the other people on the set, including Director William Dieterle. No one could better Powell’s guess. Bette sent for an Oxford dictionary and looked it up. This is what she found. “Stone... weight of 14 pounds or of other amounts, varying with the commodity (stone of meat or fish 8 pounds, stone of cheese 16 pounds).” Bette figures from that, that before she can know how much she weighs, she will have to decide what she’s made of. Figures it must be something between meat and cheese if she weighs “around one hundred and ten,” and thinks this is a far ery from the old “sugar and spice and everything nice.” “Fashions of 1934” is a comedy romance in which Bette is very much in love with her boss, a likable scoundrel who corners the fashion marts of Paris and New York, In the supporting cast are Frank McHugh, Verree Teasdale, Reginald Owen, Henry O’Neill, Hugh Herbert, Phillip Reed and Gordon Westcott. Director Refuses To Let Actors ‘‘Act’’ In Any Of His Pictures There’s a big difference between acting and acting natural, according to William Dieterle who directed William Powell’s latest First National picture, “Fashions of 1934,” now showing at the Theatre. Dieterle. who had to choose some Frenchmen for certain roles in the picture, the locale being Paris, took real pains to see that the players, who were from the stage, were natural appearing and natural acting. He did not wish the “mouthing” style of many stage actors. But acting natural in an office, and on a set, he soon discovered, meant two different things to his Gauls. In each case, the moment the men were placed before a camera, they dropped their air of ease and naturalness, contorted their features, and stalked about as if their backs were reinforced with iron staves. “Here, what are you doing?” asked the irate director of one of the men. “What are you making those faces for?” The man drew himself up very straight. “Vm acting,” he said. “Well, quit acting,” said Dieterle, “or I’ll throw you off the stage.” After considerable coaching the men finally learned the difference between acting and acting natural, although they preferred the former. “Fashions of 1934” boasts a strong cast in support of Powell. Bette Davis is the leading lady and other principals are, Frank McHugh, Verree Teasdale, Reginald Owen, Hugh Herbert, and Henry O’Neill. Specialty numbers, including a fan dance with 200 girls, were staged by Busby Berkeley.