Father's Son (Warner Bros., 1931) (1931)

RUNNING TIME (Vitaphone) 77 Minutes FOOTAGE 7020 Feet 321 WEST 44th STREET And VUTAeHo TALKING NATIONAL PICTURES FURST NATIONAL PICTURES Permission is granted licensed exhibitors to : reproduce with proper notice of copyright all matter contained herein NEW YORK CITY, U. S. A. ATHER'S SON LEWIS STONE-IRENE RICH-LEON JANNEY « SYNOPSIS (Not For Publication ) (Copyright 1931 First National Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved.) Bill Emory is full of the usual habits and pranks of a small boy and his actions are constantly disapproved by his father, who does not understand him. After an unfortunate incident in church, Biill’s father, punishes him by forbidding him to play outside of his own back 4-311 is disconsolate, and while g¢ on the backsteps, he ior Pettis robhino 2 a fight lls off yard. Elis father, tailing to understand the boy’s point of view, punishes him further by making him stay in his yard until Wednesday. The next day Bill is brokenhearted as he had planned to go fishing with the gang. He notices Vestibule Pullman Johnson, a colored friend, who, with his father comes by in a junk wagon. As they pass the house, a tire comes off and Bill calls after them, but they fail to hear. He retrieves the tire, rolls it after them and climbs aboard to tell them about it. Johnson asks Bill to hold the reins while he picks up the tire and when Bill attempts to hand him the reins, Johnson asks him to keep them while he lights his pipe. Bill is so happy to be able to drive, that he forgets his father’s instructions and continues driving down the street. When they pass Emory’s office, he is looking out of the window and sees them. He returns home to reprimand Bill and finds him with Vestibule in Bill’s room, where they have been examining a gun. When they hear Emory’s footsteps, Vestibule hides the gun in his blouse and Emory sends the colored boy home. Bill follows Vestibule to recover his gun. In the yard, Vestibule dares Bill to fire the gun, and he does. The sound of the shot brings Mrs. and Mr. Emory to the door and another lecture ensues, though Mrs. Emory tries to act as peacemaker. Bill is so hurt by his father’s harshness, that he packs a few things, writes a note and leaves home. As he goes down the road in the darkness, he falls into the hands of two tramps, from whom he-is rescued by Dr. Bob Franklin, who takes him back to his home. Mrs. Emory realizes that if Bill is ever to have happiness, he must be separated from his father. She takes him away and he and Dr. Franklin become great friends. Loneliness for his wife and son cause Emory to undergo a change of heart and he becomes what Bill afterwards terms a great sport. Bill and his mother return home and they become a really happy family. THE CAST BILL EMORY, a regular kid... LEON JANNEY WILLIAM EMORY, his harsh dad................ LEWIS STONE RUTH EMORY, his mother.................0...00005. IRENE RICH DR. FRANKLIN, Bill’s pal.......0.00000000.... JOHN HALLIDAY VESTIBULE, Bill’s colored chum... ROBERT DANDRIDGE MR. JOHNSON, Vestibule’s pa................0..... GEORGE REED JUNIOR PETTIS, the bad boy............ MICKEY BENNETT “INAH, a colored maid.................. GERTRUDE HOWARD Kk 8S. STEWART Ce ‘Pero 3. ae GROVER LIGGON — Reyer cranny (This story contains all the important facts about “Father’s Son.” Release it several days before the picture comes to your theatre.) “Father’s Son,” latest First National production, comes to the .... Theatre .... next for a run of .... days. This amusing and realistic comedy, which is based on Booth Tarkington’s “Old Fathers and Young Sons”—is not excelled even by the same author’s Penrod tales, which as everybody knows have no equals but Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, “Father’s Son” is the story of one Bill Emory, a _ freckle-faced, twelve-year-old, who is forever being reprimanded by his father, a man in middle life. Bill’s small misdemeanors are punished in many ways, but especially by his being kept from his gang, the tender solicitations of his mother being without avail to soften dad. Bill, of course, has his inevitable satellites—his dog—his dearest friend, Vestibule Pullman Johnson, the colored junkman’s kid. There is also the real bad boy of the neighborhood, the old -swimmin’ hole gang and all the roughneck tribe of Skinnys, Fats, Reds and Jacks. “Father’s Son” is like a return to childhood—all the joys and pains of: that evanescent state being uproariously manifest. Bill finally decides to pack up and run away, since he cannot be understood by his father. It is then that the really big drama of the enthralling story develops. How mother finds Bill, brings him back, and later goes away from home with him; how dad gets the right slant is only part of a grand and glorious picture which is guaranteed to delight everybody in the family. The cast of “Father’s Son” is superb. Leon Janney is the hero, Lewis Stone the dad who has to be shown, Irene Rich the mother. John Halliday plays the part of a wise doctor, who becomes a chum of Bill. The bad boy is done by Mickey Bennett. Little Robert Dandridge is remarkably fine as the colored pal of the boy who wasn’t understood. Others in the cast are Gertrude Howard, Bertha Mann and Grover Liggon. William Beaudine directs. SUMMARY Booth Tarkington’s touching story of a man who succeeded as a husband but failed asa father. A natural for family patronage! and the troubles straighten out— nm THE HERO: OF THE YEAR'S GREATEST DRAMA WHO'S WHO LEON JANNEY—Brilliant child star—in vaudeville at three—in pictures four years later, with Marion Davies in “Old Dutch,’ with Lillian Gish in “The Wind,” in several Fox animal comedies and featured lead in English and Spanish numbers of the “Our Gang” comedies. Debut in talking pictures in Warner Bros. “Courage.” Later appeared for the same producers in “Old English” with George Arliss, and in “The Doorway to He” Lew Ayres. Bc °° LEWIS STONE—Celebrated on Stage and screen. Among his notable pictures are “Scaramouche,” “The Foreign Legion,” “Freedom of the Press,” “The Patriot,” “Trial of Mary Dugan,” “Madame X,” “Woman of Affairs,” “Wild Orch‘ids,’ “The Big House,” First National’s “The Girl from Montmartre,” “Don Juan’s Three Nights” and “The Private Life of Helen of Troy.” For Warner Bros. he has appeared in “The Office Wife” and “My Past.” Born in Worcester, Mass. IRENE RICH—Charming actress of the screen—among her many pictures being “Beau Brummel,” “Eve’s Lover,” “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” “Powder My ——— Back,” ‘“Craig’s Wife,” “Women They Talk About,” “They Had to See Paris,” “The Exalted Flapper,” “Daughters of Desire” and “Ned McCobb’s Daughter.” Born in Buffalo, New York. The Strand is proud to pre sent this great human story ... of a boy whose dad gave him everything but understanding ...a man who succeeded as a financier but failed as a father .. and a woman who sacrificed the man of her heart for the child of her heart! JOHN HALLIDAY—Star of stage and screen—Broadway success in “The Whip,” “Sour Grapes,” “The Spider,” “The Humbug” and “Jealousy.” Seen in First National’s “Scarlet Pages” with Elsie Ferguson and in Warner Bros. “Recaptured Love” and “Captain Applejack.” Born in Brooklyn, N. Y. MICKEY BENNETT—Famous boy actor of stage and screen—appeared in “The Cohens and the Kellys,” “Grabbing Grabbers,” “Tillie’s Punctured Romance,” “The Dummy,” “Footlights and Fools,” — “The Ghost Talks” and “Strictly Modern.” Born in Victoria, British Columbia. with LEWIS STONE IRENE RICH } LEON JANNEY | Cut No. 21 Cut 20c, Mat Sc ROBERT DANDRIDGE—Cleyer colored child-actor who plays the part of Vestibule Pullman Johnson, pal of Leon Janney in “Father’s Son,” is remembered for humorous roles played by him in “Hearts in Dixie” and “Hallelujah.” 2 Story by Booth Tarkington A First National & Vitaphone Hit! STRAND NOW PLAYING WILLIAM BEAUDINE~— Director, with a genius for transferring whimsical human stories to the | screen—directed “Misbehaving Ladies,” “Wedding Rings” and “Girl from Woolworth’s” for First National and many successes for other producers. mone Page One