Frisco Kid (Warner Bros.) (1935)

RISCO P. UZ 2Baek lp Ee 1 eee Actor Gains Six Pounds Under Cagney’s Training Star Of “Frisco Kid” Compels George E. Stone To Go On A Strict Diet George E. Stone was much healthier when he finished his role in the Warner Bros. production, ‘‘Frisco Kid,’’ which comes to the ...............00 Theatre: OR ain 8 And it was all because of James Cagney, Stone’s pal in the picture. Jimmy took it upon himself to see that Georgie overcame an ailing stomach and put on a few pounds of weight. The two actors have been good friends since they first met five years ago when George was playing in Jimmy’s picture “Taxi? Now they are together again in “Frisco Kid.” When they went to lunch on the first day of shooting, Jimmy was startled to observe the lunch that George stowed away. Sure enough, that afternoon George complained that he wasn’t feeling good—his stomach was bothering him. That gave Jimmy his chance. He has two brothers who are physicians, and he has more than the average layman’s interest in matters of health, medicine and healing. He manages to keep in excellent shape himself. So he proceeded to lecture George about his diet, saying that it was the source of all his troubles. George agreed readily enough, but the next day at lunch Jimmy again observed his friend eating an extremely unorthodox combination of foods. He warned George that he would pay for his dietary sins, and the warning was justified soon after George went back to work. “Maybe now yow'll listen to me,” Jimmy said, and a very pale and wan George gave ready assent, promising to be guided in the future by Jimmy’s dietary advice. The two chief taboos that Jimmy laid down were “no more marinated herring and no more coffee.” The very next day, however, marinated herring was on the menu at the Warner Bros. studio lunchroom, and as George’s eyes lit upon that item, they literally danced. “A double order of marinated herring,” he informed the waitress. Jimmy was listening, however, and he sharply countermanded the order. “No marinated herring for Mr. Stone,” he said forcefully to the surprised waitress. “Bring him a bowl of tomato soup and a salad of chopped greens.” The waitress looked inquiringly at Stone and he nodded a pathetic assent. “But,” he pleaded with Jimmy, “please let her bring me a cup of coffee. Ill just take a sip or two. If I don’t feel good after dinner, I won’t even take one sip of coffee after this. Just this one, huh?” Jimmy relented and George had his two sips of coffee, but he had searcely swallowed them when he showed signs of distress. “No more coffee,” announced Jimmy. “It’ll be milk from now on.” And milk it was for the rest of the production. The consequence was that Stone gained six pounds and was in the pink of condition every afternoon. “Frisco Kid” is a dynamic drama of San Francisco’s Barbary Coast in the days when vice and erime were rampant and the vigilantes represented the only potent law. Others in the cast inelude Margaret Lindsay, Ricardo Cortez, Lili Damita, Donald Woods, Barton MacLane and Joseph Crehan. Lloyd Bacon directed the picture from the story and screen play by Warren Duff and Seton I. Miller. a Woods Couldn’t Get His Hair Cut For Six Months Donald Woods, who has the juvenile role in the Warner Bros. production, ‘‘Friseo Kid,’’ which comes to the ..................0 Theatre ONS een eee , went for six months without a haircut. Woods let his hair grow quite long while playing a role in ‘* The Tale of Two Cities.’? He was just about ready to head for a barber shop when he was instructed to let his long, brown locks remain ‘6 98-i8.22 His new assignment was ‘‘ Frisco Kid’’ with James Cagney, a story of San Francisco’s Barbary Coast during the years 1854-56. Gentlemen of that period also wore their hair quite long. ‘CAnd to top it off,’’ Woods complained, after finishing ‘‘ Frisco Kid,’’ ‘‘T had to go to work in Paul Muni’s picture, ‘‘ Enemy of Man,’’ which also requires long hair. Six months between haireuts is a long time. ‘‘Frisco Kid’’ is a thrilling story of old San Francisco, when the underworld ran wide open in defiance of decency and the vigilantes took the law into their own hands. The all star cast includes besides Cagney and Woods, Margaret Lindsay, Ricardo Cortez, Lili Damita, George E. Stone, Robert MeWade and Joe Sawyer. Lloyd Bacon directed the production, the story and screen play being by Warren Duff and Seton I. Miller. Fire Fighters On Hand When Film Set Burns Down Any fire chief will admit that fire prevention would be much easier if he were notified in advanee of the blaze. This may not ordinarily be practical, but when a San Francisco waterfront gambling palace was burned, a fire company fully equipped with apparatus stood by, having been notified several days in advance. The fire company was the one maintained by Warner Bros. anil the gambling den was a set used in ‘* Frisco Kid,’? now showing at thessiiestenaee Theatre. It was burned to the ground by several hundred extras playing the parts of early California vigilantes. The fire department was on hand to protect the nearby stages and the several hundred actors and members of the technical crew working on the picture. Firemen were everywhere with their reels of hose. The scene was shot several times without a hitch. When it was over Director Lloyd Bacon let the extras go outside for a smoke while the fire company packed up its equipment and drove back to the station. The picture is a thrilling story of the colorful, but lawless Barbary Coast of old San Francisco, when the underworld ran wide open in defiance of decency and the vigilantes took the law into their own hands. The all star cast includes James Cagney, Margaret Lindsay, Rieardo Cortez, Lili Damita, George E. Stone, Donald Woods, Robert MeWade and Joe Sawyer. The story and screen play are by Warren Duff and Seton I. Miller. Burn Big Movie Set For Picture Scene Sets covering more than an acre of ground representing the old Barbary Coast of San Franeisco, were set afire and burned to ashes for a sequence of Warner Bros.’ picture “Frisco Kid,” which comes to the ..........:see Theatre ON -<..4...8:050.-, with James Cagney in the stellar role. Once Again Film Lovers James Cagney and Margaret Lindsay were sweethearts in ‘‘ Devil Dogs of the Air.’’ Now they are lovers again in Cagney’s greatest film hit, Warner Bros.’ ‘‘ Frisco Kid’’ which opens at tN€ 0... Theatre OTe rien kentesoe=ss Mat No. 203—20e Replica Of Barbary Coast Burned For ‘‘Frisco Kid”’ Mob Of Extras Wreck Buildings And Set Them Ablaze In Film For the burning of Barbary Coast in the picture “‘ Frisco Kid,’’ the Warner Bros. production, which comes to the te ae Theatre on ............ pester , Director Lloyd Bacon wore white flannel slacks, a sleeveless, collarless sweater shirt, brown shoes and a slouch hat. Noted for his habit of dressing to match the scenes he is filming, this summery attire surprised the cast and crew of the picture. Bacon is an honorary member of several Hollywood and San Fernando Valley fire companies and his fellow workers had expected him to show up, on this particular day, wearing oil skins and a fire helmet. “You've double-crossed us,” declared Jimmy Cagney, the star of the picture. “You’re dressed for a pienic, not a fire.” The set to be burned was located inside a sound stage on the Warner Bros. lot. It consisted of several ramshackle frame buildings, replicas of those found in the early days on the San Francisco waterfront, two of which were to be first wrecked and then set on fire by infuriated vigilantes, searching for Cagney, playing the role of a ezar of that underworld. This comparatively small interior set was to be “matched” later, to a large exterior set built on the back lot, duplicating several blocks of the same waterfront district as it existed in 1854. The stage set was to show the close up scenes of the wrecking and burning of two particular buildings and the subsequent capture of Cagney as he emerged from one of them. Warning Of Danger Three hundred extras, in a wide variety of costumes, indieating the various classes of citizens involved in the raid, were on hand to do the wrecking. Director Bacon called them together at the beginning of the day’s work, climbed a low platform so that his spotlessly white costume was in full evidence, and made one of his infrequent speeches. “Men,” he said, “this is a danerous scene. We avoid dangerous scenes whenever we can, as you know, but this one must be made. “This is what happens, after you get lined up in your places and have your equipment. You are a part of an orderless mob, bent on tearing Barbary Coast to pieces. About eighty of you will have torches. Half the others will have rifles with bayonets and the rest will have clubs, canes and other hand weapons. “J want you to be careful, but to act as though you were not being careful. I want you to go through these windows and doors, hell-bent-for-election. After you get inside you smash the furniture, pile it up and the men with torches set fire to it. “Tt’s dangerous work, but we are protecting you every way we know how. The studio fire department is here. If the fire should get out of control, they will take charge. Watch that you don’t stick your bayonets into the men in front of you. Keep your torches moving so you don’t start a fire too soon. The first aid department will be here beside me. “Tf you follow instructions you'll not be hurt. As for me,” he paused to look down at his white outfit,’ as for me, I trust you so much I don’t even expect to get singed.” That was probably the longest speech Director Bacon has ever made. Half an hour later the assistant director reported to Bacon on his perch beside the camera, that the extras were equipped and ready to start the destruction. r Mob Turned Loose The motley assortment of characters began walking by the camera. Old men with beards, young blades with top hats, carrying hats, carrying clubs; wharf rats with flaming torches; business men packing rifles; half grown boys with pockets full of stones. The space between the old buildings was small and so it was crowded with men. Bacon looked them over and whispered to his assistant. “Mill them around a little,” he suggested. “Order them back and forth. Get them mad.” The smoke from the torches was beginning to sting their throats. The men were crowded and hot and under the apparently rough handling of the assistant directors, they began to show temper. Bacon waited patiently until he saw the real mob spirit he wanted, begin to smoulder in the crowd. The. three cameramen glued their eyes to the finders of the various cameras focused on the scene. A signal flashed that the film was rolling. Bacon waited one breathless moment, while the mob swayed and grumbled, then waved his arms wildly. “Go,” he yelled. The whole stage trembled with the impact ‘as the three hundred men, as one man, lurched against the doors and windows of the old buildings. Glass crashed instantly. Clubs beat against doors and window frames. One whole wall sagged and then crashed in. The three hundred extras went on a furniture smashing spree. Tables and chairs, bars and the glass equipment they carried, gambling tables, stoves and lamps were heaped together in the middle of the floor. Only One Accident Men with the torches set fire to these heaps in a dozen places. Already small tongues of flame were creeping up the sides of the buildings. The broken furniture kindled quickly, the flames leaped hungrily toward the roof of the stage high above. Cagney was dragged out, limp and bleeding. “Cut,” yelled Bacon, “and get out of the way. Here comes the water.” Even before the cameras had whirred to a quick stop studio firemen were smothering the flames with chemicals, water and wet sacks. “Anybody hurt?” yelled Bacon. One man held up a hand, showing a slight cut. “Over here,” said Bacon, pointing to the first aid dressing room. “Kverybody else out doors while we rebuild the set. We'll do it all again in thirty minutes.” The scene is one of the thrilling incidents in “Frisco Kid” a colorful drama of adventure in old San Francisco in the fifties. Besides Cagney, the cast includes Margaret Lindsay, Ricardo Cortez, Lili Damita, Donald Woods and Barton MacLane. Page Seven