Hard to Handle (Warner Bros.) (1933)

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CURRENT PUBLICITY James Cagney Slugs’Em and Hugs’Em Again “Hard to Handle’? Made to Order for Popular Jimmy Claire Dodd Frank to Say Handles New Type Role in Compelling Fashion Famous Red Headed Star Rises to Greater Heights in His Latest Entertainment-Packed Hit Prepared Review ARE situations, mixed with the most infectious humor this reviewer ever has seen in one of his pictures, marks James Cagney’s latest. production for Warner Brothers, ‘‘ Hard To Handle,’’ which opened at the................0.0..05 Theatre = a..cue : If ‘‘Blessed Event’’ was fast, ‘‘Hard To Handle”’ is faster. If ‘‘Smart Money’’ was smart, this is smarter. If you like to see zippy fast moving action, if you like to hear brilliant dialogue, if you like to see inspired acting, you shouldn’t allow anything to keep you from seeing ‘‘Hard To Handle.’’ Not that Cagney has everything his own way. He doesn’t. The story itself is one of the most original to be turned into a movie that has come out of Hollywood in several years. It is by Houston Branch. Its screen form, prepared by Wilson Mizner and Robert Lord, reveals again the very great ability these two Warner Bros. writers possess in screen production. It was directed by Mervyn Le Roy, who directed ‘‘ Five Star Final’’ and ““T’m a Fugitive From a Chain Gang’’—and it doesn’t suffer by comparison with either of these. In addition, it gives Mary Brian and Ruth Donnelly—a newcomer from tha George M. Cohen Theatre in New York, whom you may remember from ‘‘Blessed Event’’—the best roles of their careers. At a time when the screen is perhaps suffering from too great an attempt to present the heavy-duty problems of the day, ‘‘Hard To Handle’’ comes like a breeze from the summer ocean. It is entertainment plus. The story of a modern licity man and promoter, on the most realistic dance imaginable. Two couples lay pubit opens marathon are left. The publicity man’s girl is the runner-up. She wins, but the p.a’s. partner runs off with the money. The girl’s mama leads the riot which nearly wrecks the dance hall and causes us to discover Cagney riding street ears to the end of the line—because he has no place to go. Fast Moving Story From such an auspicious beginning the story develops rapidly to a treasure hunt—which does cause a mob of about five thousand extras to wreck a pleasure pier; to New York, where Jimmy pursues his girl, only to find her engaged to a twenty-five thousand a year photographer; to a modern university, which Jimmy helps put back on its feet with an advertising campaign; to Florida, where he promotes a diet campaign with grapefruit which rocks the nation—and incidentally, thins it; to jail; and, finally, to one cf the funniest reconciliation scenes you’ve seen in all your moviegoing time—and we don’t eare how long that is. The gigantic crowds used in the marathon and treasure hunt, and the way they were handled, alone make JAMES CAGNEY Cut No.4 Cutis Mat 5c the picture noteworthy from a production standpoint. Cagney Great Cagney ’s work has never been better. The freckled star, whose recent return to the screen made the newspaper headlines all over the country, proves himself a star and a real artist in every sense of the word. The furious pace which he sets for the picture with his machine-gun speeches is only exceeded by the genuine artistry with which he times and spaces his work. With ‘‘Hard to Handle,’’ he easily leaps into first place as the most entertaining star on the screen. : If you have to miss everything else for a while, don’t miss ‘‘Hard to Handle’’—you owe it to your sense of humor. Others in the notable cast include | Allen Jenkins, Claire Dodd, Gavin ; Gordon, Emma Dunn, Robt. McWade, John Sheehan and Matt McHugh. | Current Feature “‘I copy everyone from whom I think I can learn anything,’’ continued Miss Dodd. ‘‘ Everybody does. Garbo herself is the result of some of the same causes which made some actresses all appear more or less alike. Camera Responsible ‘‘The changes that have come are only partly the result of makeup. The camera itself had most to do with it. The camera makes everyone look larger than they are. A woman with a good figure on the stage is positively fat on the screen. Actresses soon found this out and began to reduce to the streamlines now in vogue. This had results due not to Garbo but to thinness itself. They had to wear their hair, their clothes, and deport themselves in a certain manner to harmonize with their thinness. ‘Of course makeup helped. I always feel differently according to the makeup I am wearing. Youthful dresses and a lot of curls on my neck make me feel younger. They do everyone, I suppose. That’s one of the reasons why people are actresses in the first place. Very Impressionable Ape Garbo? Why, I ape everyone and everything because I’m impressionable. Why, I can go to a play in which a group of English actors and actresses are appearing and come out with the ripest British accent you ever heard. Or to a play with southerners in it and come out slipping up on my r like a Virginia colonel.’’ Film Flashes from Cagney’s “Hard to Handle’”’ Just a few of the many uproarious situations in “Hard to Handle,” Warner Bros.’ hit starring JAMES CAGNEY, who makes his smashing comeback to the screen in the comedy-drama of a twentieth century publicity man—who can promote anything on the map into what it isn’t. Beautiful Mary Brian is the girl, and Ruth Donnelly is her walloping mother, who makes things hot for Jimmy when he isn’t making them hotter for her. “‘“Hard to Handle” comes to the Strand Theatre Page Six Cut No. 25 Cut 50c next, Mat 20c jar eran Of. days. She Copies 66 OPY Garbo? Certainly I copy Garbo and everyone else This amazing statement came from the lips of pretty, blonde, green-eyed Claire Dodd, accompanied by a most disarming smile. Claire Dodd who plays the part of a vamp, and glories in her wickedness, in James Cagney’s new starring pic ture for Warner Bros., ‘‘Hard To Handle,’’ now showing at Theatre. Indignation, denial, expostulation, anger—anything had been expected in answer to the question except the reply given. Everything 9? Miss Dodd waved her hands largely and smiled to show that she generally didn’t talk so much about herself. It was a pretty smile, really, as fresh and bright as Claire Dodd’s self. But it was a little wicked. When asked if the slightly wicked roles she has played so long with Warner Brothers suited her—pleased her, she said: Plays Wicked Roles ‘“Yes. I think so. But not entirely. I’d rather play comedy, something not so—so brittle. ‘“More naive? Lord no! But less— wicked. Clever, fresh, bright, witty.’’ She rose langorously and walked onto the set of ‘‘Hard To Handle.’’ She went through her lines. Her speech was even, cultured, curiously rich and colorful. It brought to mind the fact that Claire Dodd is not merely an actress. That is to say, she has had most of what are known as ‘the advantages.’’ She had wealthy parents, and tutor-. ing, and never thought of going on the stage or screen until Ziegfeld practically forced her to. Since then she’s found that she likes both of them. Her success was immediate and promises a long road with few turnings. Frank and Charming She’s frank, calm, cool, resourceful. Charming—if a little wicked. But like Garbo? ‘‘Nix!’’ says she, ‘‘T’m more like Claire Dodd.’’ Certainly she is quite individual as the pretty adventuress who lures Jimmy Cagney, and then laughs off her conquest, in ‘‘Hard To Handle,’’ Houston Branch’s riotous comedy on high powered publicity-promoters. In this picture Cagney returns to the screen after several months absence. Mary Brian plays the leading feminine role, while others in the east include Allen Jenkins, Ruth Donnelly, Gavin Gordon, Emma Dunn and Robert McWade. The screen play is by Wilson Mizner and Robert Lord. Mervyn LeRoy directed it. Program Notes Jimmie Cagney, coming in “Hard to Handle,” keeps in trim by clog dancing, which he claims is the best exercise yet invented. oo * * Mary Brian, supporting James Cagney in “Hard to Handle,” recently smoked her first cigarette. The experience was quite distasteful to her, but sereen requirements must be observed. * * oS Grapefruit, which caused such ructions in “Hard to Handle” Jimmie Cagney’s new film, and which brought him so much notice when he squashed it into a beautiful lady’s face in “The Public Enemy,” is the ONE fruit which he positively refuses to eat! ak ok Though Ruth Donnelly, leading lady for Jim Cagney in “Hard to Handle” wears the Same costumes as her screen daughter, Mary Brian—the latter succeeds in looking beautiful while Ruth looks well — ask Cagney how!