Hard to Get (Warner Bros.) (1938)

ADVANCE PUBLICITY % Mat 208—30c TEAMED FOR FIRST TIME, Olivia de Havilland and Dick Powell are the co-stars in the new romantic comedy “Hard To Get” which comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday. Dick Tells Why He Wants To Show Fans New Powell There comes a time in the life of a high-powered singing screen juvenile, according to Dick Powell, when he wants to quit being a happy grin, an ingratiating personality, and a set of melodious vocal chords. When Dick Powell, making a rapid mental resume of the past six years and what they have meant to him in the way of money, popularity and professional prominence, recently reached that stage, Dick determined ‘‘It was time for a new Dick Powell.’’ Dick determined to break in this ‘‘new Powell’? with his next film, which happens to be ‘‘Hard To Get,’’? the Warner Bros. comedy which comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday. Dick’s idea of the ‘‘old Powell’’ was quite frankly expressed. ‘<T sang too much,’’ he said. ‘<I was always going around grinning. I didn’t make things happen; they just took place, and I was there at the time. ‘¢T’ven got. to. do things take place, and I cause them. It won’t hurt me to get slapped around a little. I’m a red-blooded American, 33, in good health, sound of limb and wind, and I figure I’ve got a sound idea. **T want to be definite and not roles where Mat 101—15¢ CO-ST ARRED—Olivia de Havilland and Dick Powell share starring honors in “Hard To Get,” coming to the Strand Friday. have people remember me because I have curly hair, or sang suchand-such a song, or played in the same musical show with a lot of good-looking girls.’’ So; ins “Hard, To-Get;,’”. “Dick spanks Olivia de Havilland; hefights two bruisers named John Ridgely and Jack Mower, never winning from either of them but always coming back for more; he descends hand over hand, on a rope from an emergency fire escape platform, high on an upper floor of an office building; he rides a girder which a derrick is hoist| ing; he catches hot rivets in an iron bucket and he ruins six suits. ‘¢T like to sing, and always have and always will,’’ Dick said. ‘‘ But people get tired of the same player singing the same kind of songs, without any particular reason for them. Musical films ebbed in popularity once before. They probably will do so again. I don’t want to go out of popularity when the musical films do. I am a family breadwinner now, and I want to stay in pictures. ‘‘Tt seemed to me that it was up to me to demonstrate that I could be interesting in roles with some characterization. So hereafter, even when I sing on the screen, I want to have good reason to sing. I think the songs should be woven naturally into the story.’’ Powell — de Havilland New Starring Team Some of the best matches are made — not in Heaven, as the old saying goes — but in the Hollywood casting offices. They don’t have to stand the test of marriage, of course, but they do have to stand the test of the film public’s romantic ideas. ‘‘I don’t know what he sees in her’’ (or vice versa) is probably one of the most overworked sentences in the English language. And that’s what the casting directors have to circumvent: Latest result of their art is the pairing of Olivia de Havilland and Dick Powell in ‘‘Hard To Get,’’ a delightful romantic comedy which comes to the Strand next week. Both young stars have been in the top brackets for some time and have shared romances with the sereen’s leading lights, but this represents their first co-starring work, and according to advance reports, it’s an ideal film match. (Lead ) Dick Powell And Olivia de Havilland In Top-Notch Comedy ‘Hard To Get’ Charles Melville Co-starring a new team of romantic funmakers — Dick Powell and Olivia de Havilland — Warner Bros. comedy will have its local premiere Friday at the Strand Theatre. It is called “Hard To Get” and has been described by preview critics as about the tops of the 1938 moviecrop as a laugh-getter. It may seem odd that the producing studio hasn’t teamed up Dick and Olivia before. Each has. had a number of successes in the lighter vein, Powell’s most recent, for example, “Cowboy From Brooklyn,” and Miss de Havilland’s preceding picture, “Four’s a Crowd.” But now that the studio finally has teamed them, it seems to have something — to have plenty, indeed. Although Dick is the leading man, “Hard To Get” isn’t a mu Winninger, Allen Jenkins, Cooper In Cast Of sical picture. In fact, it has only two songs in it: “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby” and “There’s a Sunny Side To Every Situation.” Powell sings them, of course. They’re by the popular and capable composing team of Harry Warren and Johnnie Mercer. A “new Powell” is presented to the fans in this picture. Dick, some time ago, decided that he was tired of being merely a goodlooking, singing juvenile, and told his bosses at Warners “Give me more acting and less singing.” They took him at his word, and provided him with this role, which has some serious moments to it as well as the lighter ones. Preview audiences gave a hearty welcome to the new Dick. Powell and Miss de Havilland have excellent comedy support in Funsters “Hard To Get.” In the cast are such excellent and well-liked players as Charlie Winninger, the chunky gray-haired comedian who did “Cap’n Andy” in “Show Boat” and a dozen other notable parts; Melville Cooper, the deadpan Britisher, Isabel Jeans, mistress of the art of portraying fluttery, jittery society women, Allen Jenkins, gangster-mugg extraordinary, and that delightful 15-year-old brat, Bonita Granville. Ray Enright directed “Hard To Get” from a script prepared by Jerry Wald, Maurice Leo and Richard Macauley, based upon an original story by Wally Klein and Joseph Schrank, which was suggested by Stephen Morehouse Avery. Quite a lot of cooks! But they improved, rather than spoiled, the broth. Mat 301—45c ALL-STAR LAUGH LINE-UP — (left to right) Melville Cooper, Isabel Jeans, Charles Winninger, Olivia de Havilland, Dick Powell, Bonita Granville and Allen Jenkins top the cast of “Hard To Get,” the easyto-laugh-at romantic comedy hit which is scheduled to have its first local showing at the Strand Friday. CAST OF CHARACTERS DG) «state es Dick Powell Mrs. Richards Margaret 3c. Olivia de Havilland Ben Richards ........ Charles Winninger aga Burke = ........ Ce Ren SAN rE oaten Allen Jenkins pe OnnEe | 255. 053.0Ueee Bonita Granville Rios be. ce Melville Cooper SRADE fiicwdn Directed by. 5...) api cn (Jerry Wald, Screen Play by .... \Maurice Leo and {Richard Macaulay Ray Enright PRODUCTION STAFF Gowns by .... From an Original Story by .............. ae Wally Klein and Joseph Schrank Suggested by a Story by HO WERE Teas Stephen Morehouse Avery Photography by Fans Picard Ee Charles Rosher, A.S.C. Film Editor .............. Thomas Richards LENGTH — 7218 feet [10] Sound by Stanley Potter ................ Grady Sutton ME RTE Thurston Hall as lakeaeetee eee.' John Ridgely eneeaes reine Penny Singleton Judge Harkness .......... Granville Bates ee ee ak Jack Mower Art Director ......................Anton Grot Dialogue Direction by ey Hugh Cummings and Gene Lewis Sip Sew: Milo Anderson Music and Lyrics by’ ...0:.0 0. Sone. ....Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer Orchestral Arrangements by Bi eae tics a Ray Heindorf RUNNING TIME — 79 minutes REL ple as, Isabel Jeans {Charles Lang and ) David Forrest eat: Leo. F. Forbstein