Garden of the Moon (Warner Bros.) (1938)

12 PAYNE RECORDS HIS BIOGRAPHY Something new in interviews was introduced for purposes of fun when John Payne reported for work at the Warner Bros. Studio in “Garden of the Moon,” the new musical now at the Strand Theatre. Payne, anticipating the barrage of questions from the publicity department when a new player is signed, made a recording of his biography and sent it in when the date for the first interview was set. Payne’s gag ‘interview record has a musical score, which he figured out for himself. talks about his birth in Roanoke, a lullaby is heard. When he talks about starting to walk at the age of 14 months, the record plays “Pony Boy.” The idea is applied throughout Marches, waltzes, fox-trots, anthems, opera and other musical forms are used as the underscoring for Payne’s biographical reccord. When he mentions his romance with Anne Shirley, the song is “Hearts and Flowers.” Payne’s record ends with the story of his signing with Warner Bros. The theme for that is “Blue Skies.” Subbed For Vallee In Fact and Film Two real incidents in his past are matched in John Payne’s role in “Garden of the Moon,” the Warner Bros. musical now playing at the Strand Theatre. First of :all, John is anorchestra leader in. the role, which was assigned to him after Dick Powell drew a suspension for refusing to play it. In Roanoke, Va., his home town, John led his own band for local dances. Second and more startling similarity is his substitution for Rudy Vallee. Several years ago Vallee was en route to Virginia Beach to fill an engagement. Accompanying him was Alice Faye, vocalist with the Vallee orchestra. The ear in which Miss Faye and the crooner were riding erashed. Johnny Payne was one of those who filled in as a substitute. In “Garden of the Moon” Don Vincente, played by Payne, gets his break at a famous night spot when Vallee, according to the seript, is in. a motorbus crash with his aggregation. Film Fashions Margaret Lindsay chooses plaid, the darling of Fall fashions, for her square-shouldered swagger coat, with double flap pockets placed just below the shoulders. Miss Lindsay is featured in “Garden of the Moon” at the Strand. When he’ CURRENT PUBLICITY ———————— — Writers Go Round ‘n Round Before Hit Tunes Come Out Mat 202—30c¢ MAGARET LINDSAY — dark-haired charmer who is currently playing her most glamorous role—the feminine lead in “Garden of the Moon,” Warner Bros. new musical, based on the Saturday Evening Post story of the same name, and now playing at the Strand Theatre. @ Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment @ Margaret Lindsay Talks About ‘Little Girl’? Days Margaret Lindsay was sitting off in a corner of the “Garden of the Moon” set, gazing dreamily into space. It seemed like a fairly auspicious moment for an interview, so we sauntered over and offered her a big red apple for her thoughts. At first she wouldn’t talk, but after we produced the apple, nicely shined, she broke down and confessed that she’d been daydreaming about her childhood. SO asco omiar Dubuque?” we asked. Mat 109—15e “The very same. I suppose it was a pretty average kind of childhood, but I liked it. I used to sit under the trees in our front yard and look up through the trees at the clouds chasing across the sky toward the Mississippi River. That was when I was a tiny tot. Later, I didn’t have much time for looking up at the clouds, because I was too busy roller-skating. And you know, you have to keep your eyes on the ground when you’re skating. Every day I’d skate to the convent where I went to school. My best memory of the convent now is the circular walk in the yard, where we would skate ’round and ’round until we fell in a heap on the grass. “T suppose I had the acting instinct even in those days, because one of the pleasantest things I remember is the play we put on over at my chum’s home one day. There was a huge playhouse on the grounds and we used that for our stage. We were ten at the time, and “Cin derella” was our favorite story, so we decided to make a play out of that. With a remarkable sense of showmanship, we chose a day when my friend’s mother was giving a big party, as the day for our performance. ‘The guests could hardly refuse to attend, and we charged them regular prices, too. The receipts went to our hostess’ pet charity — the “Baby Fold’-— and after that our plays put in a pretty regular appearance at all her parties. “Corinne Griffith was my idol, and every Saturday afternoon | was in my seat in the front row balcony of the Grand Theatre, at least half an hour before the movie started. I adopted Corinne’s coiffure —or at least my version of it —and modelled my voice and mannerisms after hers. I got rather a setback one day, however, when our friendly but frank grocer. said to me: “What’s got into you, Margaret? You don’t talk any more, you just sort of whine.” “Even the happiest childhood is bound to have at least one unpleasant memory. Mine is a very vivid recollection of the first time I saw someone steal. It was in a drug store near school where we used to stop for ice cream or candy. One day a little girl standing next to me at the counter, took a penny tablet and slipped it in her pocket. She saw me watching her and gave me a broad wink which made me feel like an accessory to the crime. “When I was a little older, I began being a baseball fan, and never missed a home game—”’ It was at that point that Director Busby Berkeley sent Margaret a message that her scene was about to begin, and that finished, for the time being, her recollections of childhood days in Dubuque. Has Big Wardrobe When John Payne arrived on the Warner Bros. lot to take Dick’s Powell’s place in “Garden of the Moon,’ he arrived also with an eye on that lot’s “bestdressed man” title. Young Payne brought with him 37 suits and appropriate accessories. He explained that he felt like the late O. O. McIntyre about clothes. According to Odd: “a new suit makes a new man of you.” Too Many Johns Because their first names are the same, John Payne and Johnnie Davis were a source of constant confusion on the “Garden of the Moon” set. The situation came to a head one day when Busby Berkeley, director, shouted “Go to: lunch, Johnny.” Both Johnnies went to lunch at the same time. Berkeley meant for Payne to grab lunch while he finished a shot with Davis. The music goes round and round for the smash-hit musicals and how it comes out is the highly specialized business of a huge group of workers comprising the music department of a studio. At the Warner Bros. Studio, leading producers of musicals, creation of the hit tunes rest with Harry Warren, Al Dubin, . Jack Seholl, Moe Jerome and Johnny Mercer. Mercer was teamed with Warren and Dubin to write the songs for “The Garden of the Moon,” which is now showing at the Strand Theatre. When the script for a musical picture is finished, it is turned over to the song writers. They read it, analyze it and make notes on the places where they think songs and production numbers fit in. Then they go into a huddle with the associate producer, who may think they have scheduled too many songs or too few. Finally the number of songs is decided upon and, after approval by Hal B. Wallis, associate exeecutive in charge of production, the writers start the actual work of creating the songs. Each song they write must have a definite place in the production and must advance the story. The music must match the mood of the scene and the lyrics must tie in with the narrative. The song writers seldom if ever work at the studio. Shutting them up with a piano in a small room is a waste of time, for they work best in the privacy of their homes. Writing songs is a matter of hard, conscientious work, but it is a matter of inspiration, too, and inpiration comes easiest in attractive, familiar surroundings. Six or eight songs may be required for a film and the writers may turn out a score or more of tunes before the right ones are produced. Those responsible for the selection of songs for pictures are not denied the human tendency to err. = When writing of the film son hits is completed, the arrangers write the orchestral and vocal arrangements and the dance arranger prepares the music for the dance director. Leo Forbstein, musical director, rehearses his 50-piece orchestra in the production numbers and Dudley Cham Did I Say Turpentine? I Meant Ammonia! Penny Singleton was worried. Assistant Director Bob Ross was worried. There was a deep, tantalizing mystery on the set for “Garden of the Moon’ the Warner Bros. picture now showing at the Strand Theatre. Why should Pat O’Brien want turpentine put in his coco cola? “You ask him, Penny,” said Ross nervously, “‘we really should know.” “Pat, why do you want to drink turpentine in your coco cola?” Penny demanded. “That isn’t good for you, you know.” “Huh?” Pat said bewilderedly. “I don’t want—”’ “Here it is, Mr. O’Brien,” said the colored service man briskly, holding out a botile of the soft drink and a bottle of turpentine which he had had to secure on a requisition from Ross. “You better mix it yourself.” “TI don’t want turpentine,” howled Pat. “I said ‘aromatic spirits of ammonia’.” “No, suh!” insisted the service man. “Yo’all said ‘tur pentine’.”’ “¥ was thinking of getting some turpentine for some painting I’m doing,’ mused Pat. “Say, am I going nuts?” bers rehearses his chorus of 20 if chorus voices are needed. Then Dick Powell, Rosemary Lane, John Payne or the other stars who will sing the songs rehearse them in preparation for pre-recording. When the scene is filmed the players again sing, matching their song and lip movements to the song which is played back to them on the set. Everything is perfectly timed so there can be no error. The sound track is then combined with the motion picture film in the laboratory. ‘Break’ Cost Payne Free Evenings His call for his ‘‘big break’’ cost John Payne $35.00 in cash and two spare evenings. He was vacationing in Santa Barbara when he was sent a ‘‘hurry-up’’ eall by the Warner Bros. Studio to make tests for the role originally intended for Dick Powell in ‘‘Garden of the Moon.’’ Johnny leaped into his car with Anne Shirley, his wife, and started driving for the studio. As he was hitting a 75-mile-anhour elip near Calabassas, about 25 miles from Hollywood, he was sighted by a highway patrol officer and was followed for four miles before he was caught. He was not recognized and was scheduled to go to jail because he had no cash to pay his fine until the officer recognized Miss Shirley. Having made his tests successfully and begun work in ‘‘Garden of the Moon,’’ Payne returned the appointed day to Calabassas and there was given the $35 fine, a severe reprimand and a sentence to two nights of traffie school. No Weak Sister Although Margaret Lindsay usually plays a somewhat fragile type of girl on the screen, she is really one of Hollywood’s best feminine athletes. She can jump a horse with the best of them, and plays an almost professional game of tennis. None of that athletic skill has as yet been demanded in any role she has played, but she has finally been given, in ‘‘Garden of the Moon,’’ the Warner Bros. musical coming to the Strand Theatre next Friday, the part of a vital, forceful girl. Film Fashions Mat 104—1l15¢ For glamorous evenings, Margaret Lindsay, currently appearing in “Garden of the Moon,” selects this long-sleeved sequin embroidered sheath, with voluminous net panels set in at the sides to add a “‘gracious lady” touch.