From Headquarters (Warner Bros., 1933) (1933)

(Review) ‘From Headquarters’ Fine Picture With Novel Twist Is Thrilling Detective Mystery Well Done With New Angle in Police Crime Detection BAFFLING murder mystery with a startling new twist was unfolded yesterday on the screen of the Theatre with the showing of the new Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘Wrom Headquarters.’’ Not only does the spectator behold the scientific unravelling of a tangled murder plot, but in the very midst of the search for the slayer, another murder is committed right in Police Headquarters in an effort to cover up the major crime. Blackmail of the blackest sort, that which threatens to ruin a mother in order to force her to sell her daughter’s honor, is one of the threads that runs through the dire plot which the police are called upon to untangle to find the slayer. Two women and three men have sufficient motives to kill the Broadway millionaire playboy who is found dead in his luxurious apartment by his valet. All are put through the varying methods of inquisition by the police in the effort to discover the criminal. Colorful picture of the inside workings of detectives and other police officials in a metropolitan police force in solving a murder mystery is revealed in this production. Police procedure in handling suspects from the first finger printing to the dark room third degree is intelligently and fascinatingly woven into the tale, including the press room and the work of the police reporters. The entire panoramic view of Police Headquarters has been accurately and interestingly presented in the screen play by Robert N. Lee | and Peter Milne, both of whom know their subject thoroughly, having been former police reporters. A strong and able cast keeps the story in well-oiled operation. George Brent and Margaret Lindsay, comparative newcomers to the sereen, who within the past year have risen to the forefront of film players, have the chief roles. Brent as the scientific police officer who eventually solves the crime, which the usual police methods are unable to uncover, gives the finest performance of his career. Margaret Lindsay gives a sincere and ¢onvineing performance as one of the suspects, the girl who was hounded by the playboy until she had every motive to commit the crime. Eugene Pallette, whose fine characterizations of a police officer will be well remembered in the S. S. Van Dine murder mysteries, has the role of Sergeant Boggs in this picture. Other sterling players in the cast include Dorothy Burgess, Hugh Herbert, Theodore Newton, Hobart Cavanaugh, Henry O’Neill, Ken Murray and Murray Kinnell. Altogether the picture is one of the most realistic as well as most baffling murder mysteries ever to come to the screen, with thrill upon thrill following in rapid succession to a smashing climax. The picture was directed by William Dieterle. Opening Day Story Ist day of run ‘From Headquarters’ |Dorothy Burgess as Murder Mystery Play| Broadway Drifter Is At... .. . Today|Feature of New Film One of the strangest and most baffling of murder mysteries will be presented on the screen of the Sra Ree Theatre today when the Warner Bros. picture, “From Headquarters,” is shown. In fact it is a double murder case for a seeond killing, presumably to cover up the first crime, takes place in police headquarters itself. The startling disclosures that come about through the police investigation include a blackmail plot and secret love affairs of a millionaire Broadway playboy. Two methods of investigation are followed, one the modern, scientific way of unearthing criminals as practiced by George Brent in the leading role, and the other the blundering system followed by the old school police who rely on the third degree to wring confessions from their victims. ‘The latter method is followed by Eugene Pallette. There is romance entangled in the plot under the strange circumstances of Brent, as the police officer, investigating the girl he loves, a part played by Margaret Lindsay, who is supposed to have been the enamorata of the murdered man and is suspected of his murder. Besides containing an unusual number of thrills and surprises, the picture gives a panoramic view of the inner workings of a police department in search for criminals, with all the scientific apparatus now used in the detection of crime. The screen play is realistic and authentic, having been written by two former police reporters. A strong cast includes besides those mentioned, Hugh Herbert, Dorothy Burgess, Theodore Newton, Hobart Cavanaugh, Robert Barrat and Henry O’Neill. know it, Dorothy Burgess is one of the large Although few persons crop of “junior” players—meaning the second generation—that is taking its place as the backbone of the movies. Dorothy, tlie raven-haired, fiery latest vivid “From Head quarters,” the Warner Bros. mys vamp who does her characterization in tery -dramasnow at thes nee rn....:-. the the laughter of two famous actresses. Theatre, is niece and Fay Bainter, beloved stage star, is her aunt. Dorothy’s mother, Grace Burgess, also was a well known itage player in her day. Following their footsteps, Dorothy Burgess manages to divide her time rather equally between motion pictures and the legitimate stage. Theatre audiences have seen her as the seductive “Lulu Belle,” and as the peppery Mexican girl in “The Broken Wing,” as well as in many similarly brilliant interpretations. But picture-goers remember her especially for roles in “Ladies They Talk About,” as the crazed reformer in love with an evangelist; in ‘Taxi,” “Old: Arizona,” “Play-Girl” and many others, all with outstanding evidence of the fiery spark that 3he inherited from her famous relatives. In “From Headquarters,” Dorothy has a prominent role in a cast that includes George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Hobart Cavanaugh, Ken Murray, Hugh Herbert and Eugene Pallette. William Dieterle directed the picture from a screen play by Robert N. Lee and Peter Milne. Ciurrent Publicity Margaret Lindsay makes a futile attempt to escape a barrage of quesions hurled at her by detectives determined to get to the bottom of the baffling case in “From Headquarters,” Warner Bros. absorbing police story. George Brent enacts the part of her sweetheart and the cop who solves the mystery. The picture is now at Mat No. 8 | 2nd day of run Herbert Talked For Screen Before Film Could Really Speak Most of our present-day screen favorites came from the stage to talking pictures. But with Hugh Herbert, who has an important role in the Warner Bros. picture, “From Headquarters,’ now at the tures that gave him his first chance on the stage. And that happened years before there were any talking pictures. ‘This is how it happened. twenty years or more before modern sound systems were perfected and talking pictures as they are enjoyed today were realized, numerous at tempts were made to make pictures. “talk.’ Sometimes it was done with phonograph records synehronized with the action of the picture, and played behind the screen, a crude forerunner of the dise system perfected later. A popular and simpler method in those early days—when the idea that pictures could “talk” was as weird as horseless carriages in Mother Shipton’s day—was to hire a couple of elever actors as the “voices behind the screen.” One man and one woman were all that was needed. The man played all the male characters, the woman all the female parts. They talked from behind the sereen, watching the movements of the characters and speaking when they spoke to one another. Small town audiences enjoyed the illusion it. gave them, even when there were ludicrous mistakes in matching dialogue, as there often were. Hugh Herbert’s first chance in a theatre was as one of these protean “voices,” inasmuch as he was a natural mimie. Herbert plays the part of a bail bondsman in “From Headquarters,” and supplies comedy relief in a picture that is an intensely thrilling mystery play. Others in the east include George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette, Dorothy Burgess, Theodore Newton and Hobart Cavanaugh. William Dieterle directed it from a screen play by Robert N. Lee and Peter Milne. Warding Off 3rd Degree at Strand Theatre, it was talking pic| For | | appearing. 4th day of run Movie Star Invents ‘Fingerprints’ Fad To Amuse Hollywood How quickly does, your mind work? 4 If you want an interesting and unusual test for your powers of perception, try this new game called “Fingerprints,’ which George Brent invented during his spare moments on the set during the production of the Warner Bros. mystery drama, “From Headquarters,” now showing at the Theatre.” To play “Fingerprints,” you be gin by taking the fingerprints of all the people in the room, on cards similar to those used by the police in solving the double murder. in the picture. An ordinary inking pad, such as is used for rubber stamps, is sufficient to give you a satisfactory impression. Two sets of each person’s fingerprints are necessary. When they have all been taken, one set is identified with the name of each person, and these are, passed around for everyone to. look at and That set is put aside, and the unidentified set of fingerprints is shuffled. study. Everyone then tries to Theatre. | fit these fingerprints correctly to Price 10¢ each player. reached the | point where he can identify about | half in a game of | “Fingerprints,” and more than one | Beverly Hills party has already | been enlivened by the game. “From Headquarters” is a baffling murder mystery drama with a sur| prising climax. Other members of | the cast are Margaret Lindsay, Hobart’ Cavanaugh, Eugene Pallette, Robert Barrat, Henry O’Neill, Mur| ray Kinnell, Kenneth Thomson and — Dorothy Burgess. William Dieterle directed from a screen play by Rob-ert N. Lee and Peter Milne. ‘ — George Brent has the players 3rd day of run Lone Numeral Seven Vital Factor in Big Drive on Crime Ring The simple little numeral “seven” can mean exactly forty-five things about you if you are a criminal. So can every one of the numbers up to and including “nine,” making a total of four hundred and fifty things about you that these numbers can tell the sheriff’s office if you haven’t been behaving as you ought. 5th day of run The numbers are listed on a small eard about three inches by seven inches, and are punched with a round hole to indicate your modus operandi, according to Frank Gomperts, technician for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office, who has been acting as technical director for “From Headquarters,” a Warner Bros. picture now at the... Theatre, in which George and Margaret Lindsay are Miss Lindsay Plays Fiancee, Mother and Sister To Same Man Have you heard about Margaret Lindsay and Theodore Newton? . It’s not, however, a Hollywood gossip story ... so don’t get too jexcited. As far as anyone knows, : Margaret is still being seen with’ Donald Cook and Ted with Janet Gaynor. It’s about Margaret and Ted in their last three pictures at Warner Bros. studio. Brent The card indicates only your method of operation, but it is very complete. The fourth “six” punched, for example, might indicate that vou operate only against Caucasians, not against Ethiopians. If there’s a hole where the eighth “four” is, you probably do your job between twelve midnight and four in the morning. Or it may indicate that you use only a certain sort of lethal weapon or a certain sort of safeeracking tool, or any one of a thousand things about you—no, not a thousand, just four hundred and fifty. But in that four hundred and fifty things are comprised most of the actual methods of operation of all criminals, according to Gomperts. In “Voltaire,” Margaret was Ted’s fiancee. In “The World Changes,” played his mother. In “From Headquarters,” her latest Warner Bros. picture, now show. ing at the Theatre, she plays the part of his sister. Both are under suspicion of having murdered a millionaire Broadway playboy because he was annoying her. she The picture is a thrilling and baffling mystery drama with a revelation of scientific police methods in hunting down criminals. George Brent has the leading role while others in the cast inelude Eugene Pallette, Hugh Herbert, Dorothy Burgess, Theodore Newton, Hobart Cavanaugh, Robert Barrat, Henry O’Neill, Ken Murray and Murray Kinnell. William Dieterle directed it from the screen play by Robert N. Lee and Peter Milne, based on Lee’s story. Besides the mystery angle in the picture, a realistic view is presented of the workings of a metropolitan police foree in crime detection. There is a large cast which includes besides those mentioned, Theodore Newton, Eugene Pallette, Hugh Herbert, Dorothy Burgess, Hobart Cavanaugh, Robert Barrat and Murray Kinnell. William Dieterle directed the picture from the screen play by Robert N. Lee and Peter Milne. Page Five