Gold Diggers of 1933 (Warner Bros.) (1933)

é : = ture FICTIONIZATION Adapted from Warner Bros.’ super musical pro duction of the same name, coming to the with a cast of 12 stars headed by Theatre Warren William, Ruby Keeler and Joan Blondell. Fictionization by CARLISLE JONES CHAPTER III Faith, Hope and Charity ° OR a moment the little company sat in stunned silence after Barney’s confession of financial incompetence. Carol was the first to find her voice. ‘No money at ALL?’’ she demanded incredulously. ‘Not even the old shoestring, fully. ’? confessed Barney, mourn ‘But you said—you made us think that—’’ ‘*What did I made you think?’’ Barney was as gloomy as anybody in the room now. ‘‘I said I had a show—a great show— and I have.’’ “But you said it was set.” It was Fay Fortune, belligerantly indignant who spoke. “Tt is set,” Barney was oiling the troubled waters as best he could. “Been set for six months. Every time I get an angel to put up the money, something happens. “You’ve got a lot of nerve Barney.” It was Carol speaking now and everybody listened. “What about all these girls—they’ve thrown up jobs—just because you said—” Barney was squirming. “Listen—listen kids,” he pleaded. | ' “Pmrnot going to let you down. I ot other irons in the fire. All I can say -is—” But there was nothing to say. Barney made another hopeless gesand sat down. There was a moment of dead, unhappy silence. Then Brad turned quietly from the piano and faced Barney. “How much do you need?” he asked casually enough. No one except Barney registered the slightest interest in the question. “Say — fifty thousand dollars.” Barney was being generous with himself in his despair. Carol told him as much. “All right,’ he agreed, “who needs fifty thousand? Forty—twenty-five—” Here he looked at Carol again but she shook her head. “If I chisel—and I know how to chisel —I could do it for fifteen. Yeah— it would be a cinch—fifteen—but—” | “PH Advance You 15” Brad stood up, “I’ll advance you fifteen,” he said. “It’s not smart to make gags when girls are starving,’ snapped Trixie. “It’s too serious a matter to all of us, Brad,’ Polly explained “you see—” “I’m not wisecracking. I’ll be glad to do it.” “Where can you get grand?” demanded Carol. Brad refused to be insulted., “Remember, one condition.” He had his fifteen “There You Are, Fifteen Thousand in Cash!” (Scene in “Gold Diggers Dick Powell saves the show in “Gold Diggers of 1933.” ) of 1933.” check book in his hand. “Polly is to be featured.” Barney would have featured the Statue of Liberty for half as much money. “Anything you say,’ he agreed hastily and bent double over Brad as he started to make out the check. But Brad hesitated, tore the check from the folder without signing it and quickly tore it into small pieces. “T can’t give you a check—for certain reasons,” he said, a little lamely the others thought. “T’ll give you cash tomorrow morning. It that all right?” The laughter that followed had a hollow sound. “Tt’s not a gag, I mean it,’ Brad added seriously “I’ll be at your office at ten-thirty—you have my word for it, ’ve another idea for a number too. I’ll see you later.” ing Brad Roberts was the only member of the company who was not in Barney’s office. At eleven o'clock he had not arrived nor called. “Gigolo” Eddie, the street’s favo He left hurriedly and even Polly, who trusted him so completely, was left dazed and hurt by his strange conduct. She followed and caught up with Brad in the hall way. “Brad,” she said tearfully, “this is| rite bootlegger, arrived to find a eruel.” room full of glum and indignant people. He received slight encouragement and did no business. At noon Barney called Brad’s apartment. There was no answer, Polly was on the verge of tears. Carol sat on Barney’s desk, drumming her fingers and searching for words to comfort Polly. Trixie finally broke another long silence. “Now I can say ‘I told you so.’ Only I won’t. It hurts too much.” Eventually even Barney decided to wait no longer, “Might as well close up the joint,” he said glumly, and at that exact moment Brad Roberts breezed in. “Good morning,” said Barney sareastically. “You’re early.” “Sorry I kept you waiting but I got an idea for a new number and lost track of time. Got a piano? Ill play it for you.” “That ain’t funny, “Ym not kidding,” he answered gently. “T’ll give him the money. He’ll have it in his office at half said Trixie coldly. “Please stop it Brad.” It was Polly speaking, tears in her eyes. “There’s a limit to everything.” Barney towered over Brad menacingly. | Get Out Everybody! | “I’m locking this office,” he bellowed. “Get out everybody—will you?” Brad faced them all, amazed. “Don’t you want your money?” he demanded of Barney. And out of his pocket he pulled a neat roll of crisp bills. “There you are. Fifteen thousand in cash.” He poked the money into Barney’s : : limp hand. Then through the open windows it “was “‘Deixie’ who spoke teat. they could hear Brad playing again, “Brad,” she cried, “you're 2 darling. that same hauntingly beautiful melolal ; wie aM Gee cn) thie tev. dy, a melody that somehow aie beset LE past ten tomorrow.” And even Polly, who loved him, could not make him explain it any further. Back she went into the dreary apartment, hung thick with gloom. “He meant it. He really did. Vd stake my life on it,’ she cried. “Faith, hope and charity,” said Trixie, pityingly. “You have faith, Barney has hopes. We all need chari+ 39 fe SS nenssnch i a se SSS SSS el!” But it was too much for Barney. He fainted suddenly from the excitement, scattering bills all over the office as he fell. And everybody was glad that “Gigolo” Eddie was there. a part of their own misery and discouragement, yet a melody of understanding and comfort, too. “Listen,” shouted Barney, ‘“He’s got it. Got just what I want. Hear that wailing? Don’t that get you?” At ten-thirty ‘the fonowang-améem=p——= ~BiSo_Be Continued) ¢ Sennen Theatre Adapted from Warner Bros.’ super musical production of the same name, coming to the with a cast of 12 stars headed by Warren William, Ruby Keeler and Joan Blondell. Fictionization by CARLISLE JONES CHAPTER IV Opening Night . . . and Lumbago O Barney’s show was to go on after all, with Brad Roberts’ money and Brad Roberts’ music and with Polly Parker in a featured role. The rehearsal theatre fairly buzzed with excitement. It was evident that Barney had been right. He had had an idea, even if he hadn’t had either the money or the tunes to back it, and that idea had been translated into sensational show material. “Listen! You Can’t Let Them Down! God Knows. What Will Happen to these girls! You’ve Got to Go On!’ (Aline McMahon, Dick Powell and Ned Sparks in a strong dramatic scene in “Gold Diggers of 1933.” ) Fired with the thought that at last they were part of a production that was certain to be a sensation in the show world, the cast and chorus worked over-time with a minimum of complaint, to perfect the spectacular numbers. Even Barney, who had suddenly become notoriously difficult to please, could find only one weak spot in the whole ensemble. Time and again he had urged Brad Roberts to take over the juvenile role replacing Don Gordon who had admittedly been a “Juvenile” for eighteen long theatrical years. Brad refused steadily and he declined to give a reason for his refusal with equal firmness. Brad’s efforts to coach Don Gordon in the numbers he had written, won him only the dislike of the older actor, **You ought to play the juvenile part,’? Barney declared again after he had watched Brad struggle to get his ideas across to Don without success. “You’ve got it over Gordon like a tent. Why don’t you reconsider? Give your numbers a break.’’ Brad shook his head. ‘‘No. told you, Barney, I can’t! ?? I’ve Nobody could understand it—not even Polly. She had never been able to get any good reason from Brad as to why he refused so emphatically all of Barney’s suggestions that he appear in the show he was backing. But Trixie Lorraine believed she had found the answer to this riddle. She hesitated to confide in Polly and yet she felt it would be unfair not to give the girl the benefit of her suspicions, After Brad’s final refusal to replace Don she decided to speak. *“You’ve a big yen for that boy, haven’t you?’’ she asked Polly one day, between numbers. | “I Like Him” ‘<TJ—like him, of course.’’ Polly’s face belied her modest admission. ‘“There’s something very funny about him,’’ Trixie went on. ‘‘Something very mysterious. Look.’’ It was a newspaper clipping which Trixie unfolded for Polly to read. ‘‘Did he ever tell you where he got fifteen thousand dollars?’’ Trixie demanded. ‘‘And why he has to live on twenty-five dollars a week when he can go out and come back with that much money? Now look.’’ olo’’ Eddie rubbing the antique juvenile’s back with gin. 6é It Ig plained. his lumbago,’’ Eddie ex‘*He can’t stand up.’’ Barney was brutal in his contempt. ‘*T got a show,’’ he shouted. ‘‘I spent weeks, months, getting a show together. I worked. I slaved! Opening night. We OPEN tonight, and you’ve got lumbago.’’ He yanked Gordon to his feet but when he let go of him momentarily, Gordon slid to the floor groaning. Barney howled for the stage manager. Here Trixie read from the clipping. ‘*Toronto bank clerk took twenty thousand dollars and disappeared—’’ “*T can read,’’ gulped Polly. “‘That’s quite a coincidence, I should say.’’ Trixie declared. ‘‘ And here is the description of him. He IS about five foot nine. He HAS light hair. And where DID he get the money.’’ y ‘¢Go announce the show won’t open,’’ he roared. ‘‘Give them back their money. Tell them our juvenile is dying of old age.’’ Then he saw Brad. He caught the younger man to him viciously. | _“You’ve Got to Go On!” | ‘‘You’ve got to go on,’’ he said Of course Polly wasn’t easily convinced. ‘«Listen honey,’’ Trixie begged. ‘‘I don’t want to see you fall in love with a guy who’ll get you into a mess of trouble. Remember he wouldn’t sign that check for Barney. And he won’t get out and sing Gordon’s part. Why? Afraid of newspaper men??’?’ It did seem peculiar, and when “¢T can’t do that.’? Brad was alPolly overheard Brad bribing a| most as distraught as Barney. down-at-the-heels reporter to stay|««There’s 4 reason—”’ away from the theatre and to keep still she began to be afraid that Trixie might be right, after all. She questioned Brad herself, but got little out of him which would either deny or confirm her suspicions. Brad was too wrapped up in the success of his show to realize how unhappy Polly had suddenly become. And even Polly forgot her worries momentarily, the night the show opened. This was the realization of all the hopes and dreams of that little group of discouraged people who had met in her gloomy apartment weeks ago. This was life and excitement and thrills such as she had always wanted and had never enjoyed before. Even love took a back seat for the moment. ‘“There is no reason,’’ choked Barney. ‘All right, what’s your reason?’’ By this time Trixie Lorraine was on hand to take charge. Trixie, the manager. Trixie, who thought she knew Brad’s precious secret. ‘“Listen,’’ she began as she faced the white-faced Brad, ‘‘I don’t care if you go to jail after this performance. You ought to forget about yourself and do it anyway... All these kids have been living on nothing these weeks, starving themselves these weeks of rehearsal—hoping for this show to go on and be a success. .. . You can’t Jet them down. If you do God knows what will happen to these girls. They’ll have to do things I wouldn’t want on my conscience. And it’ll be on yours.’’ It was strong talk, but Trixie meant what she said for once. ‘“She’s right, Brad,’’ Polly added. ‘*T don’t care what the reason is.’’ ‘‘T hadn’t thought about it that way,’? Brad said slowly. Then he added quickly: Of course I’ll do it!’’ (To Be Continued) With five minutes to go before the curtain and with success staring them in the face, the first blow fell on Barney’s unexpectant head. Don Gordon, who had been a juvenile for eighteen years, was taken seriously ill in his dressing room. Barney received the news while the overture was playing. He rushed to Gordon’s dressing room to find ‘‘Gig 6¢ Yes, Page Seven