Flirtation Walk (Warner Bros.) (1934)

Current News e Personal Items ° Production Briefs “Flirtation Walk” Actors Go 3000 Miles For Scene “Flirtation Walk,” starring Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler and Pat O’Brien, which comes to the SOP Ae UE Theatre, was nearly a year in the making and involved the longest location trip ever made under the auspices of First National Pictures. Long before the actual shooting date on “Flirtation Walk” was set by the studio, it had begun its negotiations to obtain from the Department of War and the West Point authorities permission to film such a story. As a result, the War Department took a hand in the revision of the first draft of the story by Delmer Daves and Lou Edelman. The studio then set to work to make all the necessary preparations, choosing a cast, director and technical crew and making the numerous arrangements for its three thousand mile location trip to the United States Military Academy. Frank Borzage was assigned to the direction of “Flirtation Walk,” and Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O’Brien, Henry O’Neill, Ross Alexander, John Eldredge, Glen Boles and John Arledge were given the principal parts. Arriving at West Point, the company worked there for two weeks, shooting every day. When Director Borzage and his troupe returned to Hollywood, sections of Hawaii were reproduced on sound stages and on them Bobby Connolly created and directed the spectacular scenes for the Hawaiian dancers participating in the “luau,” or love feast, a traditional custom of the Pacific Island. “Flirtation Walk” is a glowing romance with special music and We'll Stand Pat... Against any actor in Hollywood, for his splendid characterization in “Flirtation Walk” the new Warner musical-drama, which stars Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler, besides Pat O’Brien, smiling at you from above. Mat No. 6—10c Page Six Dick Powell Wants West Point Plan Given General Use There’s an old West Point custom that Dick Powell believes might very well be taken up with great success in Hollywood or any other community. Dick, whose new First National picture, “Flirtation Walk,” which COMES=CO,TNO my. ccctaey: Theatre Ons sae , was largely filmed at West Point, made the discovery that on at least two nights a year, the lowly plebe (or freshman) gets his innings with the stern upper classmen. Plebes at West Point are pretty severely disciplined. They soon learn to take anything an upper classman wants to dish out —and never talk back. But on “One Hundredth Night” and “Two Hundredth Night,’ the plebes get to stand right up in mess hall and-tell one and all just exactly what they think 2f the upper classmen! “One Hundreth Night” and “Two Hundredth Night” are so designated because they occur 100 and 200 nights, respectively, from the first of June—or graduation day. They are big occasions for the plebes, and they make the most of them. It isn’t uncommon for a plebe to spend days composing a vitriolic diatribe against a particularly officious first-class cadet. The upper classmen have to grin and take it, just as they’ve dished it out! From a_ psychological standpoint, it is easy to understand why “One Hundredth Night” and “Two Hundredth Night” are of value. When one orally rids himself of a grudge, instead of harbouring it, it ceases to exist. So the West Point plebes get a flock of insults off their chests and start all over again, until that lucky day when they become “yearlings,” or sophomores. Dick advocates setting aside one day per year on which an employee can tell his bosses just exactly what he thinks of them. Dick was not sure, however, if Hollywood moguls could take it as well as the West Point upper classmen do. “Flirtation Walk” is a gigantic musical special with Powell, Ruby Keeler and Pat O’Brien heading an all star cast. Special music and lyrics were written for the production by Allie Wrubel and Mort Dixon with dance numbers directed by Bobby Connolly. Frank Borzage directed the picture from the sereen play by Delmer Daves, based on an original story by Daves and Lou Edelman. Mass Marriage Shown In West Point Film The “mass Marriage” idea, as instigated by European dictators, has an echo in the First National production, “Flirtation Walk,” in which Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler and Pat O’Brien Will Open “At —bhe ~.2..:c4.03 TheaRLOSON cori to Noed One of the scenes of the picture shows two dozen West Point cadets marrying an equal number of beautiful girls, under the direction of dance maestro Bobby Connolly. This takes place in a sequence from the musical comedy “Hundredth Night” Play, as presented yearly by the students at the nation’s military academy, and which is incorporated in “Flirtation Walk.” Attention! And Dick Powell stands as straight as any real West Pointer ever did. The squared-shoulders and chin-in stuff, was done for “Flirtation Walk” his new Warner melody-drama. Mat No. 16—10ce Ruby Keeler Has Brought New Type Of Role To Films A little more than a year ago, the name of Ruby Keeler who is co-starred with Dick Powell and Pat O’Brien in the First National production, “Flirtation Walk,” which comes to the .......... Theatre: on=<.",<.08 ,» was known only to those along Broadway. There she was known as the little girl who married Al Jolson; the same clever kid who stepped out of the semi-obseurity of Texas Guinan’s night clubs to leading dancing roles in musical comedies, topping it off with the starring lead in the Ziegfeld production of “Show Girl.” Despite her stage success, Ruby Keeler wasn’t widely known when she went to Hollywood with her husband. She landed a leading role in “42nd Street” and that picture put Ruby Keeler on the cinematic map with a resounding smash that practically started a vogue for a type that had almost vanished from the movie horizon — the sweet young thing. Only Ruby’s version of a sweet young thing was tempered with a modern tempo that was unknown in the days when all a movie heroine required was a pair of big blue eyes and golden curls. Her ensuing roles in “Gold Diggers ef 1933,” “Footlight Parade”’ and “Dames” made Ruby Keeler’s name known all over the world. In “Flirtation Walk,” a gigantic musical special, Ruby has the role of an army general’s daughter who is in love with a private. Special music and lyrics were written for the production by Allie Wrubel. and Mort Dixon with dance numbers directed by Bobby Connolly. Frank Borzage directed the drama from the screen play by Delmer Daves, based ow an eriginal story by Daves and Leu Edelman. Pat O'Brien. Like Cagney, Started As a Chorus Boy Pat O’Brien, who is the hardboiled top Sergeant, “Scrapper” Thornhill in “Flirtation Walk,” the First National picture now showing at the ..i.0:...:..6: Theatre, revealed during his location trip to West Point that Jimmy Cagney is not the only ex-chorus boy who has made good in “sock ’em” parts. O’Brien, moreover, doubled the Cagney adventures as a chorus boy by serving in two Broadway shows in such a capacity, while Cagney appeared in only one. Pat was a chorus boy in “Adrienne” and “Blue Eyes.” Jimmy’s one was “Pitter Patter.” Pat’s chorus experiences were taken out of necessity rather than desire. He admits that it took a little while to get on the Broadway stage and that when he did get the chorus jobs he was pretty happy about them. As soon as he could, however, he deserted the musical comedies to go into plays without music, in stock and touring companies. He has not danced on the stage since “Blue Eyes” and his only sereen dancing was in a ballroom sequence of “Here Comes the Navy.” “Flirtation Walk” is a thrilling romanee of glorious youth with a mammoth musical setting, the action taken in Hawaii and West Point. There is an all star cast which includes Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O’Brien, Ross. Alexander, Glen Boles, Henry O’Neill, John Arledge and Guinn. Williams. Special musie and lyrics were written by Allie Wrubel and Mort Dixon, with novel dance numbers directed by Bobby Connolly. The picture is a Frank Borzage production, direeted from the screen play by Delmer Daves, based on an original story hy Daves and Lou Edelman. West Point Cadets Confused Actors With Officers The presence in uniform at the United States Military Academy at West Point of most of the masculine members of the cast of “Flirtation Walk,” the First National picture which is coming “b0-4W6 5 heen cece Theatre Gl ikpatae Spaeth caused mix-ups every day that the location unit was working on the famous Reservation. Dick Powell, who ‘shares the leading honors in “Flirtation Walk” with Ruby Keeler and Pat O’Brien, was garbed in a variety of cadet uniforms. O’Brien was wearing the uniform of a sergeant in the regular army. Henry O’Neill of the cast, wore the stars and other insignia of his high rank as a general. John Eldredge appeared as a lieutenant. Ross Alexander, Glen Boles and John Arledge were dressed as cadets. Col. Tim Lonergan, technical adviser on the picture, who also played a part in it, was dressed as a general. Altogether there was confusion between the reel and real cadets and officers. When O’Neill and Lonergan were in their general’s uniforms, they were saluted by officers, men and cadets alike who did not recognize them. Powell, O’Brien, Alexander and the others, however, were placed in the position of saluters instead of salutees to avoid any possible confusion while they were on the West Point grounds. “Flirtation Walk” is a gigantic musical romance for which special songs were written for the production by Allie Wrubel and Mort Dixon, with dance numbers directed by Bobby Connolly. Frank Borzage directed the picture from the screen play by Delmer Daves, based on an original story by Daves and Lou Edelman. FREAK FACS... . 45007 FIM FAVORITES 4 “yan D ST § RRED tReet U; so@u a Bauy00 quiclé PEO Due AS Keo ronan re Ba, 100! L Y ALL THE ea tae ae SK oS: tele ‘ ee ° / 7 a ogee ' ‘ ar ee) MARRIAGE AND MOVIE STARDOM WERE PROPH £SIED BY A CRYSTAL ZOAZER WHILE SHE WAS STILL AN UN— Yi KNOWN NIGHT-CLUB “DANCER / so Wu ‘DAM [ES ‘Foorticnt ff “ se PARADE AND sobs picnic rn ror hove now: 1 u" Ean NO.1 AND Mat No. 24—20c