Four Wives (Warner Bros.) (1939)

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ON Sas ae Na Si a Sie Na Sieg Na Se, Sg Soe Sig, Sig Sg Sg Sg Sg Sig Sg Sg Sig eg ‘Four Wives’ Has Fashion Lesson for This Year’s Brides Silhouettes may come and silhouettes may go but the white satin bridal gown fashioned on slim lines goes on forever. The three Lanes, Lola, Rosemary and Priscilla and Gale Page all illustrate in “Four Wives” how perennial this cut of gown is. Although Rosemary is the only one off the satin side in mousseline de soie her gown too shows slim hips and a trailing skirt. The sleeves in Priscilla’s slipper satin are model in the Elizabethan mode launched by Orry-Kelly recently and which promises to become very popular. They show small puffs at the wrists graduating to enormous ones at the _ shoulders. Priscilla was so enthused over this type of sleeve that she planned a New Year’s evening coat in heavy dark rose satin which she’ll wear over a red wool dinner gown the coat puffs outlined with rubies and cabochons. The ‘“coxcomb” hair do is worn by Lola for the first time. All the hair is swept up away from the nape of the neck, ears and brow with myriads of pin curls which fall from front to back in a coxcomb effect. Lola thought it a bit frivolous for a mother, especially of twins, but Perc Westmore assured her that mothers are now supposed to look as new as their offspring. There is a great deal of smocking used by Howard Shoup, the designer. A dirndl waist on suspender slacks for Rosemary has smocked detail, also the yoke of a pleated beige crepe Lola wears. Priscilla remains true to her youthful looks by wearing boxy coats, pleated skirts, blouses with Peter Pan collars, skirts with flares and a young girl’s locket. She likes this locket as much as Gale Page likes her pearls. One coated outfit with black and red plaid skirt has a very contrasting swingy topper in oyster wool with broad plaid collar to team with the skirt. Priscilla found that long finger nails are completely impractical for violin playing and handling babies. She had hers filed short but covered the entire nail with polish to simulate length which she never otherwise does. That fur hats won’t be relegated to the closet shelf come spring is shown by an ensemble for Lola. It’s one of Shoup’s most striking costumes. In eggshell broadcloth a princess coat has a dashing hussar collar of mink with matching hat banded in the fur. The outfit is smart for early spring wear. Lemp Home Rebuilt For ‘Four Wives’ It’s harder to do it over than to do it the first time. That was the conclusion of a crew of Warner Bros.’ set decorators and builders when the home used in “Four Daughters” had to be duplicated precisely for “Four Wives,” sequel to the earlier film. The first part of their task was to assemble photographs, blueprints, lists, and diagrams of the original film set. Next, property storerooms had to be scoured for articles. A wall paper which had since been used up in other pictures had to be tracked down to the manufacturer who had supplied it. Furniture had to be rebuilt. A sofa which had been re-upholstered had to be torn apart and restored to its original condition. The set decorators and builders blame their hard work on the public. “Fans,” they agree, “have sharp eyes.” “FOUR WIVES"—CURRENT PUBLICITY * Still FW26; Mat 302—45c IT'S ALL RIGHT FOLKS, THEY'RE SWINGING ON THE GATE! A family crisis is averted when Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn (out of the camera's range) go for the afore-mentioned ride. The interested onlookers are (left to right) Lola Lane, Frank McHugh, Rosemary Lane, Claude Rains, May Robson, Dick Foran, and Gale Page, and the scene is from the gay new sequel to ‘Four Daughters"—''Four Wives" at the Strand. Star Shorts and Production Notes Dressed to Chill Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn were complaining about =, the heat on thee hour Wives’’ set while ten babies in the scene with them seemed perfectly happy. Finally Director Michael Curtiz became exas= perated. “Great big people like you should be Mat 106—15c JEFFREY LYNN ashamed by these babies,” he declared. “Look at that little fellow,” pointing to a chubby infant, “not a whimper.” “Well,” answered Jeff as he eyed the gurgling, one-garmented baby, “if I dressed like that maybe I wouldn’t either.” Film Family History For the benefit of those in the film audiences who see “Four Wives” but who missed ‘Four Daughters”, the picture which first brought the Lemp family to the screen, the story of the previous picture is brought in in a simple but clever fashion. Rosemary Lane, one of the four girls in the title roles, tells her new boy friend the family history while they are lingering at the front gate after their first date together. ‘Four Wives” is now at the Strand. Plays Lovable ‘Babbitt’ There aren’t many actors who can take a stuffed-shirt, Babbitt kind of a role and make it endearing, but Frank McHugh is an exception to that rule. In _ last year’s ‘‘Four Daughters,’’ and this year’s new sequel “Four Wives”, Frank plays the rotund little banker who is always thinking of new ways to add to his substantial fortune, the sort of fellow whose mind is always on commercial matters. Nevertheless, the way McHugh plays the character, he is a likeable chap whose preoccupation with making money can be forgiven him, because he uses it to make folks happy. Mat 108—15c FRANK McHUGH Reel Vacation During the filming of “Four Wives,” an interviewer asked Director Mike Curtiz what he did in the evenings. “T go to movies,” replied Curtiz. “I’ve got to do something to take my mind off my work.” Had the Wrong Baby! Michael Curtiz, in filming scenes of “Four Wives,” which is currently showing at the Strand, acquired the habit of calling all his actors “Baby.” The first time he used it on Claude Rains he got an astonished look called in film parlance a “double take.” And when he used it on May Robson, May retorted: ‘Not for seventy-five years, Big Boy!” No Rest Cures For May May Robson is inclined to be rather impatient with young screen actors and _ actresses who profess to be all worn out and in need of a long rest after doing three or four pictures a year. Seventy-five years old, Miss Robson is currentMati1i—15c_ ly rounding MAY ROBSON out her fiftysixth consecu tive year of acting, and has appeared in twelve pictures in the past twelve months. She’s taking a vacation now, but not a rest. The vacation will be spent sight-seeing across the continent, and she embarked upon it the day after she finished her last scene in “Four Wives’, the film now showing at the Strand. A Rose By Another Name When an English word bothers Mike Curtiz, Warner Bros.’ top director and murderer of the English language, he simply gives it another name just as sweet. For example, in his current film “Four Wives” which is now showing at the Strand there’s a Capehart. Curtiz stumbled over _ pronouncing it a couple of times, and then decided it was “‘capon.” Water His Waterloo After being marooned at the Isthmus on Catalina Island during the big storm, Eddie Albert piloted his boat back across the channel in time to report to the ‘Four Wives” set at Warner Bros. for nie ht scenes. He said he wasn’t nervous during the big blow and had had a calm return crossing. Five minutes after he said that, however, a prop man slipped up behind his chair and dumped a bucket of water on the floor. Eddie jumped up like he’d been shot. L223 Mat 104—15c EDDIE ALBERT Strikes for Her Lunch In an attempt to “kid” Director Michael Curtiz about his forgetfulness when th lunch hou strikes, Rose3 mary Lane thought up this stunt. She 3 and Jeffrey: Dick: die Alber showed up o the set of: “Four Wives” = rat 113—15c with belts ROSEMARY LANE around their waists that were obviously too large for them. “See how we’ve shrunk,” they chanted. The director looked at them, glanced at his watch and called lunch. English As She Is Spoke Mike Curtiz was giving instructions to a group of women extras he had just chosen for a wedding scene in ‘Four Wives.” “I want you should wear nice clothes for this wedding scene tomorrow ... but this is a small town wedding . don’t wear anything that look like it cost much ... no Paris cremations.” ‘Florist?’ Hates Flowers When Dick Foran, 200 pounds of film-hero virility, first reported on the Warner Bros. studio lot, h tionnaire about? himself. One; question was,§ “What is your’ f-Ay0aral: tue flower?” Hi answer to tha was ‘‘Don’ like flowers.” Last year when the studio was casting “Four Daughters” they hit upon Foran as the perfect person to play the shy, inarticulate florist boy friend of one of the girls. Well, it was a fine role, and Foran accepted it. But he didn’t know then that “Four Daughters” was going to be such a hit that Warners would make a sequel to it, using the same cast, of course. So Dick’s playing a florist again in “Four Wives’, now showing at the Strand Theatre. Mat 107—15c DICK FORAN Protege Wanted Jeffrey Lynn was both complimented and alarmed _ the other day when a 13-year-old, red-headed and pretty lass cornered him and demanded that she become his theatrical protege. She told him that Bernhardt and Duse and Bette Davis had been proteges. Jeff is now in “Four Wives” at the Strand. DESO EOE aE oe No Dull Moments During Filming Of ‘Four Wives’ When an actor or actress is working in a picture, it is naturally vequired of them _ that they be on the set each day, even though they may be in front of the camera only for fifteen or twenty minutes during that day. Some of the rest of the time is spent in rehearsals, but quite often there are stretches of nearly an hour when they have nothing to do. Among the women players many knit or sew or cut out paper dolls for their children at home. The men smoke, tell stories, argue, submit to interviews, refuse to buy any more insurance and often take a cat nap. Men sleep on the sets more than women. The Lane sisters, Priscilla, Rosemary and Lola, all together again recently in the picture “Four Wives,” which is currently showing at the Strand, like to talk about and play with their animals. Gale Page sometimes “walks her dog.” May Robson knits while her companion on the set reads to her. She misses very little that goes on, however. Jeffrey Lynn invents gadgets for his own convenience. Claude Rains, Frank McHugh and Dick Foran — proud papas all—are wont to gather in a little, somewhat shame faced group and swap stories about their respective youngsters. Some time is spent having hair-dresses repaired. Manicures on the set are common. Good books are at a premium, new automobiles, parked outside the set, must be admired and compared. Visitors from Kalamazoo are made welcome—but not too welcome because they might stay too long. Publicity men take up some of the spare time with “on the set” pictures of visiting celebrities or newspaper reporters and columnists. Denial of rumors uses up several minutes out of the average day. But it’s never dull! CAST AnnLempBorden..PRISCILLA LANE ROSEMARY LANE Thea Lemp Crowley... LOLA LANE Emma Lemp Talbot...GALE PAGE CLAUDE RAINS JEFFREY LYNN Dr. Forrest, Jr EDDIE ALBERT Aunt Etta MAY ROBSON Ben Crowley...-FRANK McHUGH Ernest Talbot DICK FORAN Dr. Forrest, Sr..... HENRY O'NEILL Mrs. Ridgefield.......... VERA LEWIS JOHN QUALEN PRODUCTION STAFF Directed by....MICHAEL CURTIZ Kay Lemp Adam Lemp Felix Dietz Julius J. Epstein Screen Play by... Philip G. Epstein Maurice Hanline Suggested by the book "Sister Act" by......Fannie Hurst Director of Photography Sol Polito, A.S.C. John Hughes Jo Graham Art Director Dialogue Director Film Editor Ralph Dawson Sound by Oliver S. Garretson Makeup Artist Gowns by Perc Westmore Howard Shoup Orchestral Arrangements by Hugo Friedhofer Musical Director....Leo F. Forbstein Max Steiner (The "Symphonie Moderne", as played in the film by the 110piece Vitaphone Orchestra, was written by Max Steiner and Max Rabinowitsh} Running Time—112 Minutes