Frisco Kid (Warner Bros.) (1935)

P UZ Ben [2 Ge.l Fe An Old Frisco Custom An exact replica of a San Francisco gambling den of the 1850s was erected on a Warner Bros. sound stage for important scenes in ‘‘ Frisco Kid,’? which opens at the .......:...... Se et NEGO EX ON te se eee a Shown above are James Cagney, (left) George E. Stone, (standing) and Ricardo Cortez in the role of the croupier. Mat No. 207—20c Cagney And Kohler Stage Battle To Death In Film Latter Is Slain On The Screen For 276th Time In Battle In ‘Frisco Kid’’ By FRANCES HEACOCK Fred Kohler has been in pictures a goodly number of years. During that time he has played in an estimated 300 pictures. He isn’t sure of the exact number. In 275 of the 300 pictures—he’s absolutely certain of that 275—he has died ignominous: deaths. In ‘‘Friseo Kid,’’ the Warner Bros. picture of old time San Francisco, which comes to GOS east serine Theatre on Kohler, like the Indian, bites the dust again. This time it is at the hands of the redoubtable Jimmy Cagney that he meets his just fate. His death is the climax of a barroom brawl, as many of his deaths have been, but the method by which red-headed Cagney effects his opponent’s extermination is decidedly unusual. The scene of the big fight is in a bar-room and gambling hall, reconstructed in exact detail from a San Francisco waterfront resort of the year 1854. Cagney is seated at a faro bank, across from Ricardo Cortez, who is dealing. In the role of a sailor who has narrowly eseaped being shanghaied, Cagney drops his last gold coin on the table and loses it, just as Kohler, the “Shanghai Duck,” comes "1p behind him. Kohler wears a needle-pointed iron hook, as a substitute for the right hand supposedly lost in a previous brawl. Cagney wears a quarter-inch thick leather vest. Kohler reaches out, sinks his hook into Jimmy’s shoulder, which, of course, is protected by the leather vest, and swings him around. The fight is on. The two hundred extras scream, shout and form a circle around the two. Cagney lets go a right which he brings up from around the floor and Kohler sails backward, breaking the ring of spectators. He lands, back down, on a table Page Hight which splinters under his 250 pounds. A couple of chairs go down with him and he breaks off one of the legs, which he holds in his good left hand. Back he sails into the center of the circle of spectators. He and Cagney mix it for a couple of minutes, They clinch and fall to the floor. Over and over they roll, back and forth across the gaming room, tables, chairs, glasses, bottles, chips, dust and coins showering upon them. Several times Kohler sinks his hook into Cagney’s “flesh,” but each time the red-head manages to escape. Suddenly Jimmy reaches out, seizes Kohler’s right arm and bends it up. With a big effort, he rolls his adversary over, meanwhile twisting the iron hook backward around Kohler’s neck. His face bloody with tomato eat sup, he leaps astride his burly opponent, grabs the latter’s head in both hands and jerks it up and down three times in rapid succession. The hook penetrates its wearer’s own neck and Kohler is dead for the 276th time. “That’s fine,’ says Director Lloyd Bacon. “Now we'll move our camera up for a medium shot. We ought to be able to get to the close-ups by tomorrow or the day after.” Which meant that Kohler had to be killed six or seven times in one fight. Film’s ‘“Tough Guy” Can’t Grow Beard Joe Sawyer is probably one of the toughest men on the screen today, but he can’t grow a beard! Sawyer, who will be remembered for his spectacular performance as the nemesis of Victor MeLaglen in “The Informer,” is wearing false whiskers for his current assignment, the role of Shanghai artist in the Warner Bros. picture, “Frisco Kid,” now showing at the ................ Theatre. The sereen heavy discovered his deficiency some time ago, when he was doing a part in “Eskimo.” “I tried for two months to sprout a decent set of whiskers for that picture,” he said, “but the best I could do was a downy fuzz. I finally had to get a set of false ones.” Teetotaler In Role Of Film Bartender Joseph Crehan, who never touches liquor, plays the role of a bartender in the Warner Bros. picture, “Frisco Kid,” which COMES tO CE? sia coe eecepe Theatre ig Baber coat ae , with James Cag ney in the stellar role. Crehan took lessons in mixing drinks from a bartender, Frank MacPherson, who joined the army of the unemployed when Agua Caliente closed its doors recently. Ex-King Alfonso Gave Damita Her Name Alfonso, former King of Spain, gave Lili Damita her last name. Miss Damita, who is now playing in Warner Bros.’ “Frisco Kid,” at ther ge iee Theatre, once appeared before the monarch in a command performance. He gave her the name Damita, meaning “little lady.” “Gold Pieces’? No Good For Phone Slugs Hollywood’s telephone authorities are grateful to Limey Plews, a Warner Bros. property man. In “Frisco Kid,” which comes to Klas cee eR | iat Theatre on cee ee » he made 5,000 slugs representing $10 gold pieces, for use in gambling scenes. Studio visitors appropriated about half of these, figuring they were about the size of nickels, and might fit ’phone slots. But Limey had foreseen that—and they were just a trifle too big. Cortez Makes Tour Of Frisco Bar Rooms Ricardo Cortez made a tour of San Francisco barrooms just prior to starting work on the Warner Bros. picture, “Fricso Kid,” now showing at the ............... Theatre. He wasn’t looking for Pisco Punch nor Side Cars. He was in search of wood cuts. The picture depicts San Francisco’s old Barbary Coast® in the 1850’s, and the Research Department wanted pictures of the notorious dives of the district. The department had heard that there were ten prints made from wood euts of the period hanging on the wall of a saloon in the city. But it was not known what saloon. Cortez was going to Frisco, so he volunteered to look for the place. After spending some hours canvassing the town, he finally located the prints, which were later used in designing the famous old time resorts. Cagney’s Hair Long In Two Pictures James Cagney, the Warner Bros. star, has worn long hair during most of the last year. He permitted his red locks to grow almost to his shoulders for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” In his subsequent picture, “Frisco Kid,” which comes to the ............ aeutet oe Phe aERe On osc sy seas his hair again is long, the picture representing a period in the 1850’s. Costly Props Used For Short Film Scene Twenty-one truckloads of costly equipment were used for a scene that appears for three minutes on the screen in “Frisco Kid,’ the Warner Bros. production now showing at the ......:......... Theatre. The scene was filmed on a location trip to the old Grand Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. It involved all the principal players, James Cagney, Margaret Lindsay, Ricardo Cortez and others and 450 extras. Cagney Wears Forty Hats In New Film Jimmy Cagney has forty new hats. The “tough mug” of the movies has not entered a race for sartorial honors of Hollywood, however, for the hats are part of his equipment for the Warner Bros. production, “Frisco Kid,” which comes +0 the <..../.....0.....-: PPHGALRO CONS ict teste The plain and fancy head gear reflects an idiosynerasy Cagney develops when he climbs to power as the kingpin of early day San Francisco’s Barbary Coast. Actor To Tour World Before The Mast Barton MacLane, Warner Bros.’ villain of “Frisco Kid,’ which Comes*to the... t...s-2 Theatre OMe oa ae , has planned a novel vacation for next Spring. As soon as he ean get a few months leave of absence—MacLane has made seven pictures now without a rest—he expects to sign on the crew of an American tramp freighter. He hopes, in this manner, to make a complete tour of the world. James Cagney James Cagney follows his triumphs in ‘*G Men’’ and ‘‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’’ by making one of the biggest smash hits in his remarkably sigmgssful career in Warner Bros.%.@cciting drama of old San Fradtsco, ‘‘Frisco Kid’’ NOW SOG VNE2sccasacti es ste: Theatre. Mat No. 102—10c Miss Lindsay Wears 19 Costumes In Film Margaret Lindsay has nineteen changes of costume in the Warner Bros. production, “Frisco Kid,” now showing at the .................00. Theatre, with James Cagney in the stellar role. Miss Lindsay plays the role of a San Francisco society woman in the 1850’s. She also is the editor of the city’s leading newspaper. The part requires a number of dazzling costumes of the period, including evening gowns, street dresses and negligees. All gowns are of the variety worn at the time the upper-garment was tight fitting with a wasp waist and the skirt long and sweeping. Cortez Judges Lighting By Heat On Face Ricardo Cortez, who has the heavy role with James Cagney in the Warner Bros. production, “Frisco Kid,” which comes to the Py iyeesresseR es Pheatre Onc ...cs.as.ny has an uncanny knowledge of film technique, including camera angles and lighting. While making a scene in the picture, he stopped and spoke to Director Lloyd Bacon. “I think a litle more light is needed on my left side,” he said. “That’s right, it is,’ said the cameraman, after looking through his lens. “But how did you know?” “T can usually tell,’ said Cortez, “by the amount of heat the lights throw on my face. Just now it was too cool.” Irishman Teaches Hebrew Yiddish George E. Stone, a Hebrew, has to speak Yiddish in his latest film, “Frisco Kid,” a Warner Bros. picture, now showing at the Sr aslas ving toa gedeS Theatre. He didn’t know any Yiddish so he got an Irishman to teach him. Stone has the role of Solomon Green, one of the most famous characters of early day San Fancisco’s Barbary Coast. “Solly” operated a second hand clothing store on Pacific Street. When James Cagney, the star found Stone couldn’t speak any Yiddish, he gave him instructions. Jimmy acquired a thorough knowledge of Yiddish during his childhood on New York’s East Side. Tough Mug Cagney Has Embarrassing Moment Ownership of the purely imaginative title of “toughest mug” on the screen gave James Cagney, star of the Warner Bros. picture, “Frisco Kid,’ which comes to the Soe UNeatre Ono sucess, an embarrassing moment one night recently. As Cagney was passing in front of a theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, he noticed an urchin, not over eight years old, staring at one of his posters in the lobby. The youngster’s lips were moving and the star, his curiosity piqued, moved closer to eavesdrop. And did his ears burn! “T could lick that punk with one hand tied behind me,” the eightyear-old was saying. Cagney, the toughest kind of a character in “Frisco Kid,’ moved hastily on.