Footlight Parade (Warner Bros.) (1933)

Current Features Huge Multiple Set Gives ‘‘Footlight Parade’’ Speed 12 Complete Interdependent Units Enabled Director To Film Picture With Fast Tempo HAT is probably the most elaborate multiple-unit set ever designed and constructed for a motion picture is the suite of sumptuous offices built for Warner Bros. big musical drama, ‘‘Footlight Parade,’’ which carries as its headliners James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell and a huge cast. Nine-tenths of the dramatic story of ‘‘Footlight Parade,”’’ which is now showing at the Theatre, takes place in the offices of the theatrical firm of Frazer & Gould, creators extraordinary of prologues which are routed from theatre to theatre around the country. The creative and directorial genius of the entire enterprise is Chester Kent, played by Cagney. From his fertile and apparently inexhaustible brain come the show ideas, which, translated into scenery, music, beautiful girls and dance evolutions, pour millions into the coffers of Frazer & Gould annually from sixty traveling units. The formidable collection of offices which compass the many-sided activities of the firm is undoubtedly unique among motion picture sets, not only for its extent, but for the number of separate rooms and passageways linked into one continuous and unbroken whole. This enables the action — and the camera — to move freely and without interruption from one office to another, giving a continuity to the action that was planned by. Director Lloyd Bacon to lend a fast tempo, to the drama that has never before been possible in a picture of this kind. Many sets have been larger in area, it is true—although this suite of offices occupies fully one-half of one of the big sound stages at the North Hollywood Studio. Many sets have been more gorgeous in their appointments, and each room in other multiple sets has frequently been vaster and more impressive in dimensions. Hotel interiors, eastle halls, drawing-rooms, dining rooms and libraries in millionaires’ mansions would, naturally, dwarf this particular “Footlight Parade” set in mere size. The “Footlight Parade” group of sets, however, is unique in being made up of twelve complete, interdependent units. This, as far as the studio records show, is a high watermark for number of rooms assembled in any one Movie Theatre Changes Its Name With Every Show Music Box Seex in “Footlight Parade” Used Only To Make Pictures Of Theatrical Scenes ANY productions have played the Music Box. Not, you understand, the Music Box on Hollywood Boulevard—nor even the one on 45th Street, west of Broadway, in New York. This is the Music Box that fronts on a thoroughfare labelled only ‘‘City Street,’’? and it’s located on the Warner Bros. lot in North Hollywood. Well located too. A subway serves it—anyway there’s a subway entrance near at hand, though no trains roar beneath. Shops stand on either side. The theatre’s entrance is situated well back from the street and the board sidewalk gives ample room for the queues of patrons that arrive whenever the house has a hit —to say nothing of the ticket speculators. They play there, these productions, one at a time—but only for a day. Then the posters come down, the theatre goes dark for an indefinite time, the crowds stay severely away. It may not even be the Music Box when next the crowds start milling in the lobby. The house has had a flock of other names. Almost as many names 4s it has had productions. : But just now it’s the Music Box again—it’s been the Music Box before—and this time it’s a movie house. That is because one day James Cagney and other principals in “Footlight Parade,” a picture now at the Theatre, had to stand out in front and watch the queues ling up. Talking pictures. according to the script, had just come and were about to menace the legitimate. Cagney, as a producer. had to watch those queues, shake his head sadly and decide to switch from musical comedies to prologues. Thus was this bit of history filmed. | Always a Different Name When “42nd Street”? was in production on the Warner lot, the Mu sic Box was the theatre in Philadelphia where “Pretty Lady” tried out. In the final scene, Warner Baxter. as the harassed stage director, stood on the sidewalk outside, listening to the comments of the crowd at the show’s curtain, then sank exhausted onto the fire escape. Fade out. Under another name, the Music Page Twenty-two Box appears in “Gold Diggers of 1933.” Again, you may remember it in “Parachute,” when Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., hiring out as a chauffeur, drives a sleek limousine up to the entrance. In “The Purchase Price” Barbara Stanwyck’s picture was displayed outside the theatre on gaudy posters. In “Lawyer Man” William Powell and Joan Blondell attended a performance there; and for “Blessed Event” the trusty Music Box became a Broadway playhouse of another name, teeming with columnists, dramatic critics and even Broadway yes-men on an opening night. The Music Box has seen all sorts of productions come and go—dramatie smashes, musicals, movies. Some have been failures—for purposes of the script—and some have been hits. But there is one extraordinary fact in the history of this theatre. In all its faithful service on the Warner Bros. lot, the Musie Box. has never had a run of longer than a day. “Footlight Parade,” for which the theatre was last used, is a smashing musical comedy with all star cast. including besides James Cagney. Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee. Ruth Donnelly, Hugh Herbert, Claire Dodd, Gordon Westeott, Arthur Hohl and Phillip Faversham. It was directed by Lloyd Bacon who was responsible for “42nd Street,” from a screen play by Manuel Seff and James Seymour while Busby Berkeley created and staged the ensembles. Harry Warren, Al Dubin, Irving Kahal and Sammy Fain wrote the tuneful music and lyrics. multiple unit set for a picture. The set is laid out to occupy one entire floor in a modern office building in the theatrical district of New York City. The elevator doors open upon a spacious anteroom, flanked on one side by a check room for wraps, which is presided over by a girl who also receives and distributes the incoming mail. A girl clerk at a desk facing the elevators receives visitors and, ditects them to the imposing reception hall directly behind her, but across the main corridor of the enormous suite. A glass swinging door admits the visitor to the re CHARMING LOVERS STORIES FEATURING PRODUCTION ception hall. Down the corridor, at| comes Kent’s private studio, and intervals, are attractive illuminated} behind it is a combination bathsigns, marked “Art Department,” |room, kitchen and dressing room. “Wardrobe,” “Rehearsal Hall,” and SO on. From the reception hall as the living room of many a modern mansion—open off the two most important offices in the organization—that of Chester Kent, directorgeneral of the concern, and that of Si Gould, president of the firm. On one side of the reception hall are four telephone booths. There are three rooms in the suite occupied by Chester Kent. tary’s office countered by the His secreis the first one envisitor. Next Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell, sensational screen couple, continue their lovely romance in “Footlight Parade,”’ coming soon to the .. Cut 30¢ Cut No. 19 the new Warner Bros. musical triumph Theatre. Mat 10c Gould’s private suite is made up of his own spacious private office, as large | and that of his secretary adjoining. Returning to the main corridor, one finds the office of the organization’s official censor at one end of the corridor. The art department opening through a secondary hall, to the audition room, the comptroller’s office, the office of the assistant to the director-general, the rehearsal hall and the wardrobe department along the hallway. Some of the offices—such as Kent’s—are panelled in heavy figured silk. Gould’s is striking with its walls made of knotty pine. The entire scheme of interior decoration for the suite is ultra-modern, a clever and artistic employment of woodwork, glass and chromium which is carried into every article of furniture and decoration used in the various rooms. | Now You’ll Understand When you see “Footlight Parade” yowll marvel at the speed with which it moves, when you’re not staring wide-eyed at the spectacular sets and the unequalled entertainment. But you’ll understand that it was this multiple set that enabled the story to move so swiftly and smoothly. “Footlight Parade’ was adapted for the sereen by Manny Seff and James Seymour. Lloyd Bacon directed the dramatie phases of the picture, while the elaborate dance and musical numbers were staged by Busby Berkeley, who had charge of those features in the successful “42nd Street” and “Gold Diggers of 1933.” The music and lyrics are by the teams of Fain and Kahal and Warren and Dubin. Besides James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler, the unusually large cast includes Hugh Herbert, Claire Dodd, Frank McHugh, Arthur Hohl and Gordon Westcott. Tresses Replace Dresses in Big *‘Footlight Parade” How Movie Studio Solved Problem of Clothing 150 Girls in Nothing for Underwater Sequences HIS is a story of tresses as substitutes for dresses. When Busby Berkeley decided to use one hundred and fifty girls in the startling swimming pool and ‘‘ Waterfall’? numbers in ‘‘Footlight Parade,’’ the Warner Bros. super musical special which opened at the Theatre on Se eee ee an ee , it was bad news for the make-up department. The unemployed didn’t find it that, since ten men were added to the departmental staff to help cope with the emergency. But it meant ample grief for Pere Westmore, make-up head, and his staff. To begin with, bathing suits were out. Berkeley was positive on that point. “We want ’em primitive,” said he. “They’re woodland nymphs.” “All right. Woodland nymphs they are,” Westmore agreed. The only question that remained was how to give “the primitive” that certain propriety demanded by every censor board. Must Appear Nude It was Berkeley’s notion that the nymphs should be garbed only in their tresses. Now that was a very nice idea, as Westmore again agreed. It so happens, however, that most of Hollywood’s nymphs’—in eluding those engaged for “Footlight Parade” own tresses would not even hide their lovely collar bones from the publie gaze. Even among the unbobbed and the unshingled there was not one who could depend on her own hair for a costume. And wigs of hair were out of the question. The arrangement of such wigs for underwater scenes (of which “Footlight Parade” has several) and their drying between shots, would delay production too much. on several substitutes. Just as soon as he thought of one, ne thought also of the practical objections to its use. Flexibility was needed as well as modesty. He decided to use rubber tresses. Westmore pondered First, plaster casts were made. Eleven were found necessary for the production of one costume. These casts, assembled, would produce one woodland sprite complete—at least from top of head to hips. Below that the rubber tresses do not axtend. Eleven casts for every costume—and one hundred and fifty ladies of the wocdland to be clothed! Four large rubber manufacturers were approached. Westmore’s needs were explained to them. Executives shook their heads. The thing couldn’t be done. It would take too long a time; a special process would have to be developed. They were sorry. They couldn’t oblige. With exactly one week before the tank scenes went into production, Westmore decided to do the job himself. In the studio laboratories a room was set aside for the ecasting process. It was discovered that a temperature of 200 degrees Fah renheit was necessary for the preva-: ration of the rubber and in no time the room was designated as the “death chamber.” There the rubber was reduced to the necessary state of flexibility and poured into the casts. After that it was baked in ovens and permitted to coagulate. Eleven casts for every costume and one hundred and fifty costumes to be “baked.” In case you like your figuring done for you —the process was repeated sixteen hundred and fifty times. On completion, the sections designed for the head were fashioned into a wig, each wig being fitted to the girl who was to wear it. And so with those sections intended for the shoulders, busts and torso. Simulating the swimmers’ long and rippling locks, these products of the casting chamber were then adjusted to a thin mesh leotard of fleshing, which each girl dons together with the wig. Almost as soon as this problem was settled, another arose. The rubber tresses were to be painted 4lternately black and gold, half of the girls tc wear one kind, half another. But the tank in which they were to disport themselves had been carefully purified. Preliminary tests showed that the chlorine used in the water would quickly remove the paint which had been ehosen. So all that remained for Westmore +o accomplish as the day before production dawned was to develop a new paint—a special oxidizing process which would undergo no change in the water. These nymphs appear nude in one of the most elaborate and spectaenlar numbers of the many staged for “Footlight Parade” by Berkeley. More than 250 of Hollywood’s must beautiful girls appear in the various ensembles. “Footlight Parade” carries a strong plot filled with hilarious comedy, as well as spectacle. It has an all star cast including James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Guy Kibbee, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Hugh Herbert, Claire Dodd, Frank MeHugh, Arthur Hohl and Gordon Westcott. It was directed by Lloyd Bacon from the screen play by Manuel Seff and James Seymour.