First Lady (Warner Bros.) (1937)

a ee ee a Oe ee ee, ee, ee ee ou! * * * * ae — eee ae kk we le ee i “FIRST LADY” « Six-Day Serial Story alive with interesting reading. Photos and type available in mat form to Editors requesting this feature. Write or wire to Campaign Plan Editor. This is the Ist Chapter—Send for Galley Proofs & Mats of Complete Serialization “FIRST LADY” A Warner Bros. Picture Starring Kay Francis with Preston Foster, Anita Louise, Walter Connolly, Verree Teasdale and Victor Jory; From the Play by Katharine Dayton and George S. Kaufman; Directed by Stanley Logan; Music by Max Steiner; Coming to anaes sa Theatre on ............ . Fictiomzed by HARRY LEE (Above box should run with daily chapter) Chapter I ‘‘T don’t see how Aunt Lucy can sit in that old Senate all the time, do you, Sophy? I’d think she’d scream.’’ Emmy, young, bubbling over, and disturbingly pretty, followed the efficient secretary to the phone in her office. ‘<T really, Emmy,’’ snapped the loyal lady, ‘‘could kill your Aunt Lucy! Keeping us waiting with that raft of women coming! I’ll have to phone again! National 3120. Yes. Hello, Mr. Halloran, this is Sophy Prescott. Thank you. Just fine. Mr. Halloran, would you look over at the Senate Gallery and see if Mrs. Wayne has left ...I’ll hold the line...’’ ‘<Paul Starrett says you’re the best secretary in Washington,’’ Emmy said to fill the wait. ‘‘He says if it wasn’t for you, he doesn’t know what Aunt Lucy’d do!’’ ‘¢She’d do just as she does now, probably—what she likes!— Hello! Oh, she’s still there? Well, how long has Senator Keane been speaking? I see. Well, if he does stop, will you tell Mrs. Wayne to come right home?—No, nothing serious — nothing but the official day-at-home of the wife of the Secretary of State—that’s all!’’ Sophy hung up. ‘‘Paul Starrett says .. .’? began Emmy but Miss Prescott broke in sharply. ‘‘Look here, young lady, where have you been seeing Paul Starrett so much?’’ ‘¢Oh, we just had lunch today. Sometimes we have lunch. He thinks Aunt Lucy is the most glamorous woman!—I wish I knew how you got glamorous! He says the two most glamorous women in Washington are Aunt Lucy and Irene Hibbard—and no wonder they ’re enemies! ’’ Everybody knew that Lucey Chase Wayne, granddaughter of a former President of the United States, and wife of Stephen Wayne, the present Secretary of State, was bent on making herself First Lady of the Land, and that her rival was the haughty Irene Hibbard, whose aged husband was a Supreme Court Justice. When Gordon Keane, fiery young Senator from the West stepped into the arena—both women saw in him a possible aid in steering their respective husbands into the White House. Lucey had won the first round by helping Gordon to write his maiden speech. Now the fine house of the Secretary of State and Mrs. Wayne was overrunning with flowers and flunkies — and soon it would be groaning under the determined footsteps of invading femininity. Mrs. Lavinia May Creevey, head of the Women’s Peace, Purity and Patriotism League would lead the van. No wonder Sophy Prescott was in a stew about the absence of the Lady of the House. Suddenly Lucey Chase Wayne swept in like a salt wind. ‘‘Oh, how lovely everything looks! Emmy, your hair is charming! I never saw so many flowers! Looks like a gangster’s funeral! Sophy, don’t look so grim —can’t you ever forget you’re General Prescott’s daughter! Know what I’ve been doing, Sophy? I’ve been saving the country! Do you know what he was going to do? Keane, I mean. He was going to make a speech that was unfriendly to Stephen’s treaties plan! But I headed him off! Where is Stephen? Is he home yet?’’ ‘‘He phoned a little while ago,’’ said Sophy glumly, ‘‘and there are some flowers from him on your dressing table .. .’’ ‘¢My darling old elephant! He never forgets! ’’ ‘Senator Keane’s awfully goodlooking, isn’t he, Aunt Lucy,’’ Emmy asked, ‘‘and young, too, really! No wonder they call him the Boy Senator! I saw his picture im! the... ‘¢Boy Senator, that’s just what he is!’’ said Lucy reflectively. Then with wilyness, ‘‘ You know, Sophy, that whole Western is just using him! And who’s helping them, do you suppose? Who but my darling friend, Irene Hibbard! By the way, Sophy, look out for Senator Keane this afternoon, if I’m tied up when he gets here! And I wouldn’t wonder a bit if Irene comes! I must go see dear Charles . . . I won’t be long!’’ As Lucy Chase Wayne rustled upstairs, Sophy saw to her delight that grand old warhorse of many a political battle, Belle Hardwick, and with her was Mary Ives, wife of the Postmaster General. Sophy rushed toward them saying, ‘‘Glad to see you! Thank heaven for nice, dependable women! ’’ ‘¢T’m always early,’’ said Belle, fitting a cigarette in the long holder, ‘‘just an old Washington rounder, minding her protocol and precedence. I wasn’t a White House child like Luey—I haven’t [il] got that fiendish Chase charm, so I’ve got to come early! What do you want me to do, Sophy? ‘“Oh, just push everybody into the dining room and then push them out again. Excuse me a moment... ’’? Sophy was off like a hurricane. ‘One nice thing about Lucy’s receptions,’’ said Mary Ives, ‘‘is the fact that there really are a number of somebodies ... It put; gossip on a so much higher plane, don’t you think, Belle?’’ ‘¢And yet, darling, the dirt’s all there ... underneath! ’’ ‘¢Take Lucy and Irene, for instance, Belle! Back home they’d be just two wives ... but here it’s Lucey Chase Wayne—and the wife of a Supreme Court Justice! Well, I guess it’s a feud we can count on year after year! Who started it? A man?’’ ‘<Yes, Lucy’s cook! Irene stole him! He’d made Lucy’s Sunday breakfasts the most potent political power in Washington! Presi said Lucy, glitteringly. ‘‘I was so glad I happened to be there to hear it!’? ‘“‘My wife has a delightful knack of always being on hand,’’ said Stephen, ‘‘when anything really interesting occurs .. .’’ ‘¢T hope, Irene,’’ Lucy said affectionately, ‘‘that your husband pays you pretty compliments like whatens 7? ‘¢Not often, darling,’’ answered Irene sweetly, her eyes narrowing, ‘‘you see I never meddle in his affairs—Well, Gordon, we’ve got to be going! We’re driving over to Maryland, Lucey, to the HendFIicksg. ase! ‘‘There’s ...er... plenty of time, isn’t there,’’ said Keane, reddening. ‘¢T’m afraid not, Gordon . you know Senator Hendricks wants to talk to you before the others get there! It’s rather important! Are you ready, Gordon?’’ Veg ou. it Mrs... Wayne. ms er ... Mrs. Wayne was going to “By all means, Senator, go with Irene!” dents were made and unmade, right between pop-overs! Then Irene divoreed that marrying foreign prince of hers — What was his name??? ‘¢Gregoravitch! ?? ‘‘Oh, yes ... and then Irene took the house on Massachusetts Avenue and began to splurge on the Baker millions! — Oh, look, darling, there comes Irene now— on the arm of Senator Gordon Keane! — Wait till Lucy sees! ’’ ‘¢There comes Lucy with Stephen!’? ‘‘ Hello, Senator! ’’ Stephen held out his hand heartily. ‘‘Mrs. Wayne tells me you made a very fine speech this afternoon! I’d like to read it!’’ : ‘¢Yes, it really was superb,’’ show me some old photographs... Oferta. ‘Not really? Dragging out the memoirs again, Lucy? My Life and Times in the White House. You can see them anytime, Gordon! They’re always on _ exhibition! Gordon will love them, Lucy! You in bloomers, riding piggy-back on dear old Grandpa! Well, goodbye everybody! We must run! Goodbye, Lucy, You’re so fortunate to have a past, my dear! It gives you something to talk about! Come, Gordon! ’’ Lucy was speechless with rage. Her husband slipped an arm about her. ‘‘Take it easy, Lucy... ”’ he said with a twinkle, ‘‘That was only round one! ’’ (To be continued tomorrow) Other FREE Serials Now Ready “The Life of Emile Zoia”’ “The Perfect Specimen” “They Won’t Forget” “Confession” a ee ee ei easy Te