Gold Diggers in Paris (Warner Bros.) (1938)

(Advance) SHE'S BEAUTIFUL BUT NOT SO DUMB While Ethelreda Leopold was working as a Busby Berkeley chorus girl in “‘“Gold Diggers in Paris," Warner musical coming to the Strand Theatre, she happened to make a pastel sketch of another Berkeley girl, Poppy Wilde, and it resulted in her receiving her first commercial commission as an artist. The order was placed by the Warner Bros. studio. . Berkeley saw Miss Leopold's sketch and it gave him an idea for a routine to be included in the finale of the picture. The idea was to have life size pastel sketches made of fifteen of the chorus girls, and then, in turn to focus the camera on each of the sketches briefly before turning the lens upon each of the fifteen girls, all of course wearing the same costumes they wore when posing for the sketches. Once the executives at Warner Bros. approved of the idea, Berkeley insisted that the commission to make the sketches be given to Ethelreda. The chorus girl-artist spent several years studying at the Chicago Art Institute, while she was employed there as a commercial model before entering motion pictures. Music From Hardware Freddie Fisher’s Schnickelfritz Band in “‘Gold Diggers in Paris," at the Strand Theatre, plays one verse of “Listen to the Mocking Bird” on bulb-bottomed auto horns, and another verse with a’ quartet of ocarinas, one mouthorgan, and one empty vinegar demijohn. The four gallon demijohn provides the bass notes. Stanley ‘“‘Red’” Fritts, who plays the auto horn melody single-handed, is the regular trombonist in the band. He employs nine auto horns, each having a different musical note, to form a complete octave, plus high “‘C.’"’ He has a tenth auto horn, with a heavy bass note, fastened to the bottom of a chair, where it can be kicked with one foot to supply the needed low note. Vallee In ‘Who’s Who’ The publishers of “‘Who’s Who in America” have apparently come at last to realize that Rudy Vallee is an American who is somebody. The star has never appeared in previous editions of the reference work but while he was working at the Warner Bros. Studio in “Gold Diggers in Paris,” which opens Friday at the Strand Theatre, he received a biographical questionnaire to be filled out for the 1939-40 edi tion of society’s handbook. No Gaspipe—No Song Freddie Fisher’s Schnickelfritz Band, whose specialty music is heard in “Gold Diggers in Paris,” Warner Bros.’ musical coming to the Strand Theatre next Friday, were held up for two hours the day they made phonograph recordings of their ““Gold Diggers” numbers for Decca Records company. They were held up because Stanley Fritts, who plays the jug, the washboard and other odd musical instruments, had left at home a piece of the gaspipe upon which the boys play part of the song ‘The Latin Quarter” used in the finale of the picture. (10) (Advance) Melody Maniacs Invade Hollywood! Novelty bands are nothing new in Hollywood, but Freddie Fisher’s Schnickelfritz Band from Minnesota really was a sensation in the capital city of the motion picture world. This band was brought to Hollywood because Rudy Vallee recommended Fisher and his five fellow rustics to the Warner Bros. Studio as the most adroit bunch of musical jesters in the country; and said he wanted the Schnickelfritzes in his picture, ‘Gold Diggers in Paris,” which opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre. The six ex-farmhands who make up the Schnickelfritz Band, ‘Gold Digger’ Tunes The Strand Theatre will offer as its feature attraction starting Friday, ““Gold Diggers in Paris,” newest of the Warner Bros. famous musical series, starring Rudy Vallee and featuring Freddie Fisher’s Schnickelfritz Band, Rosemary Lane, Hugh Herbert, Gloria Dickson, Allen Jenkins, Mabel Todd, Melville Cooper and a host of other noted film names. Harry Warren, Al Dubin and Johnny Mercer, well-known songwriters supplied the musical numbers which include “I Wanna Go Back to Bali,’’ “‘Day Dreaming,” “Stranger in Paree’” and “The Latin Quarter.’ The tunes were recently introduced over the air by. Rudy Vallée. may be six of the smartest musical entertainers who ever came to Hollywood — and Rudy Vallee and Producer Hal Wallis proclaim that they are — but they don’t look it. “We don’t dare look smart or dressy,” says Paul Cooper, the pianist and arranger for the troupe. Cooper used to be radio announcer over KGKO in Wichita Falls, Tex. Now he can talk as though his teeth were full of pumpkin seeds. Cooper explains that part of the “‘appeal” of himself and his colleagues is that they all look as if they are bewildered hayseeds. ‘*There ain't one of us six who Peer qthey €° We urder can’t milk a cow,” said Kenneth Trisko, the trap drummer, proudly. No one knows. until he sees the Schnickelfritzes how much rhythm can be hidden in an old hat. They brought two trunkfuls of old hats to Hollywood with them, for during many of their verses, the band keeps an endless chain of old hats going; old-time police helmets, firemen’s hats, plug hats, felt hats, Mexican hats, straw hats, derbies and bellhop toppers. The exchange of hats is always utterly in time with the music; in fact, it becomes an integral part of the mad rhythm. adie \ ree™ g nuts’ They *.Gold Mal 4os-*°° Killing Two Birds The motion picture debut of Freddie Fisher's farmhand novelty band, the Schnickelfritzes, from Minneapolis, was a honeymoon jaunt for two of the six bandsmen. Kenneth Trisko, the band’s 29year-old trap drummer from Owatonna, Minn., was married to Helen Rohow, St. Paul home girl, after the signing of the band’s contract to appear with Rudy Vallee, Rosemary Lane and other famous folks in Warner Bros.’ ‘Gold Diggers in Paris,” which opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre. Nels (‘‘Nellie’’?) Laakso, 23year-old cornetist, had tripped to the altar not long before that with Ione Dietrich. CELLOPHANE COATS HIDE NO CHARMS! Four out of every five of the chorus girls in “Gold Diggers in Paris,’”’ the new Warner Bros. musical coming to the Strand Theatre next Friday, wore on rainy days those new light-weight ‘cellophane’ raincoats that have a hood attached and can be rolled and carried purse fashion. Of course, convenience is a great argument in favor of these raincoats, but the evident preference of the girls for the most transparent colors indicated a_ belief that their charms should be concealed no more than necessary for protection. (Advance) COEDS LESS PRIM THAN CHORUS GALS A Busby Berkeley chorus girl costs more to take out than a University of California (at Los Angeles) co-ed, she doesn’t pet as easily, she expects flowers from her escort, and she very seldom takes more than one drink. These were among the facts disclosed by a poll conducted at Warner Bros. studios among the girls working for Berkeley in “Gold Diggers in Paris,’ which opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre. The tabulated results were contrasted with a similar poll which had been conducted at U/C. EA. No Berkeley girl would admit having slapped anybody who tried to kiss her. On the other hand, 95 percent of them claimed that it takes more than one date before they will kiss willingly. They all insist on formal introductions “unless they are fellow workers at the studios.” Seventy-two percent of the girls expect that their escorts will bring them flowers, ‘“‘especially on a first date.”” They figure that their average date with a new man costs their escort ‘from five dollars up’ and the figure is mostly up. The co-eds placed the cost at $3. Sixty per cent of the co-eds preferred double dates — for protection. Only 22 per cent of the Gold Digger girls wanted double dates. Perhaps they feel they can look out for themselves. Sixty-seven per cent of the Gold Diggers will take a drink compared with 80 per cent of the co-eds, but only 42 per cent of the Berkeley girls take more than one, although 91 percent claim that their escorts do. Only eleven per cent of the Gold Diggers will take a chance on a blind date. The rest of them insist on a formal introduction. Only three per cent prefer to date with college or university males. The rest prefer a man ‘‘between 25 and 40.” Only five per cent of the girls would admit to having ever been ‘stood up,’ although eighty-two per cent admitted that on occasion they had left an escort waiting at the gate. More than half of the co-eds believed that the other sex was “not friendly enough.’ Not one of the entire group of 120 Berkeley girls questioned would admit to having ever had any trouble about that. Just For Contrast *‘Wanted—eight ballet dancers with overdeveloped legs!”’ That call was sent out by the Warner Bros. casting office one day — and easily filled — for a sequence in “Gold Diggers in Paris,” the new musical coming to the Strand Friday. The dancers with the overdeveloped legs comprise the ballet led by comedian Fritz Feld and for comedy purposes their heavy underpinnings are contrasted with the slim pedal extremities of the regular chorus directed by Busby Berkeley. Huge Hosiery Bill Two hundred chorus girls wore out five pairs each of opera length hose during the filming of ‘‘Gold Diggers in Paris.’’ The hose cost five dollars a pair and were woven out of a special refraction index thread to best reflect light and show a glossy sheen for the cameras.