Hard to Handle (Warner Bros.) (1933)

Short Advance Feature Achieving Great Comedy With Duplicate Costumes HE simple expedient of dressing two players alike served to create a splendid comedy situation in ‘‘Hard To Handle,’’ James Cagney’s new Warner Bros. picture, which comes to Theatre on Mary Brian has the leading feminine role opposite the redheaded star, while Ruth Donnelly, recently elevated to screen fame for her portrayal in ‘‘Blessed Event,’’ plays her mother. A bluff, bossy character out for everything she can get, she continuvally takes full credit for her daughter’s success. Not ‘‘Mary did it,’’ but ‘‘We did it,’?? is the keynote to this mother’s character. If Mary gets her man, it is ‘We are engaged to him,’’ or ‘¢ ¢We’ are going out tonight,’’? in the possessive spirit that Ruth Donnelly consistently interprets throughout the picture. Orry-Kelly, the studio designer, hit upon the trick of dressing mother and daughter alike, to give emphasis to the comedy situations. When Miss a Brian, pretty, young and slender, appears aS a marathon dancer in sweater and skirt in the opening scene, her mother is scen in a similar costume, but the effect is ludicrous because the skirt is so much tighter and the sweater a close-fitting, turtlenecked variety. When Mary wears a smart afternoon frock of the new Roman-striped velvet, her mother wears one ‘like it, but with wider stripes and more of them, like a zebra. When Mary goes in for fringe, in a truly stunning gown of black and white contrasted in silk and velvet, Ruth Donnelly wears fringe too—in the wrong places. Even her hats are copied from her daughter’s, but are so subtly exaggerated as to appear over-extreme, and, naturally, comic. The designer’s ruse is one that builds up, gathering momentum as the picture unfolds, since with each successive appearance of the pretty daughter followed by her imitative mother, the effect is ‘‘louder and fun nior,?? The graphic presentation of the right and the wrong, side by side, in feminine fashions, is also a startling lesson in smartness, according to Orry-Kelly, who contends that never before has he had such an opportunity for showing the pitfalls that lead to bad grooming, and how to avoid them. ‘‘Hard To Handle’’ marks Cagney’s return to the screen after an absence of several months, his last previous picture being ‘‘ Winner Take All.’’ Jimmy plays the role of a high powered publicity promoter in a riotously funny take-off on press agents and their wild schemes. The sereen play by Wilson Mizner and Robert Lord, is based on the story by Houston Branch. Others in the east include Allen Jenkins, Claire Dodd, Gavin Gordon, Emma Dunn and Robert McWade. The picture was directed by Mervyn LeRoy, famous for ‘‘ Little Caesar,’’ ‘¢Five Star Final’’ and most recently, ‘‘I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang.’? Advance Feature No Rehearsal for Big Scene in Cagney Film tr the making of moving pictures there are ordinarily many rehearsals before a scene is actually photographed, but it sometimes happens that rehearsals are impossible. Directors fear these scenes because a slip-up in action can’t be rectified. However, if everything goes well, such scenes are often exceptionally good because of their spontaneity. Unrehearsed scenes, if suc oe cessful, are ‘‘naturals.’’ In making ‘‘Hard To Handle,’’ a Warner Bros. picture ia At right, a black velvet afternoon dress’ with nun’s capelet of white silk fringe and hat to match. Above Mary’ Brian wears a draped turban in lipstick red crepe. Gowns in New Film Strike High Fashion Note An afternoon frock of its starring role. plum shade velvet with corresponding colors seen in aroman striped bodice “Hard to Handle.” the Strand’s new romantic comedy, offers feminine fans a great deal besides the effervescent James Cagney in A cast of feminine players headed by Mary At left, a street frock of bright red wool crepe with heavily rolled sleeve detail. Claire Dodd wears a lounging pajama of gray crepe trimmed in flamingo red. Brian and Claire Dodd, offers a display of the very latest in Hollywood’s fashion decrees. Out No. 26 Cut 50c Mat 20c Shert Advance Feature James Cagney Suspicious of _ High Society’s Advances IMMY CAGNEY knew the 400 ‘‘when.’’ He has met them since, of pecially after his great hit course, a number of times. Es‘‘Publie Enemy’’ when he was often invited to some of New York’s most exclusive homes. On the set at the Warner Bros. studio during the production of “Hard To Handle,’’ which opens at the..........00...06ee NGA CTO = acs ee. , he recounted his first experience with the ‘‘creme de la creme.’’ He had been raised on 78th Street, New York, between Ave nue A and First. ‘CA gslum,’’ he said. Then he took a few rounds in vaudeville and returned to New York to appear in a George Kelly play. In the same play was a chorus girl, an heiress from one of the most exclusive families in the city. She was just setting the play down to ‘‘experience.’? Jimmy’s tough but rugged exterior caught the society gal’s fancy, and she invited him to go with her to her house for a little party she was having. Jimmy accepted. That day after rehearsals they climbed into a taxi and .wended their way until they reached 78th Street, near Fifth Avenue. There they got out in front of a gray stone mansion not far from Jimmy’s ‘<slum.’? Suspected a Gag Jimmy entered what was supposed to be an entrance hall, which extended as far as he could see, and then ended in a large winding staircase with a marble balustrade. He had to ask the servants what to do with his hat and coat, and he had to ask them where to go when that was done, for the girl had disappeared after merely telling him that she’d see him directly. He went up the stairway, only to be met by another butler guarding a door through which Cagney could see a lot of people. Jimmy reconnoitered a moment before entering, and noticed for the first time that among the others were a number of actors. He suspected a ‘‘gag,’’ and when the man asked whom he should announce, Mrs. Cagney’s bright little boy told him just to say ‘‘ Another ham.’’ Another ‘‘Ham”’ The butler had more tact, luckily for Jimmy, for while there were a number of actors there, most of New York’s swelldom was _ also there. The actors, Cagney swears, had merely been asked as ‘‘specimens’? for the rich people to inspect. The party went along, and Jimmy was duly inspected with the rest; his | girl friend, he says, was ‘‘regular’’ and soon got the actors off to one side, where they had a party of their After that it was-fun. own. Jimmy later entered Columbia University, where he learned that even rich people can be human; but to this day, though he sees a number of them on his trips to New York, he is always a little suspicious of their motives for wanting to be friendly. He is always afraid they may merely be ‘‘observing’’ him. All except the heiress who played with him on Broadway. She’s still his idea of a regular girl. She writes him a letter occasionally, and calls him neighbor. In ‘‘Hard To Handle,’’ Jimmy makes his return bow on the screen, after a long vacation. It is his first | picture since ‘‘Winner Take All,?” He has the role of a high powered publicity promoter in a riotous takeoff on this class of gentry and their wild schemes. A love affair with a marathon dancing champion, played by Mary Brian, furnishes the romance. Others in the cast include Mary Brian, Allen Jenkins, Ruth Donnelly, Claire Dodd, Gavin Gordon, Emma Dunn and Robert McWade. The sereen play by Wilson Mizner and Robert Lord is based on Houston Branch’s story. The picture was di rected by Mervyn LeRoy. Plant the Three-Day Serial — JIM CAGNEY TRADES PUNCHES WITH FATE! Page 18 which James Cagney makes his screen|crowd went wild, for Jimmy is a return, and which opens at the............ ot Fogee nore Theatre on................. Direetor Mervyn LeRoy made an unrehearsed scene. It photographed more _perfectly, according to LeRoy, than he had dared to hope. Cagney plays the role of a blustering promoter. He induces a pier concession owner at a beach resort to stage a ‘‘gold hunt’’ as a means of bolstering up his trade. The story calls for wild havoc in the mad search for the hidden treasure. Real Treasure Hunt During the preparations for making the picture, it was brought to the attention of officials at the Warner Bros. Studio that a real ‘‘ treasure hunt’’ was being planned by the owners of the Ocean Park pier, at Ocean Park, California, not far from Hollywood. Negotiations were entered into by studio officials and the owners of the pier agreed to allow their ‘<treasure hunt’’ to be photographed for incorporation into Cagney’s ‘‘Hard To Handle.’’ A ‘treasure hunt’’ is an _ oldtime showman stunt, a surefire, foolproof means of attracting attention to the place where it is staged. There’s nothing complicated about it —and it works. On the morning of the Ocean Park treasure hunt, crowds assembled early at the pier entrance, for everyone wanted to get a good start. Moving picture cameras had all been set at points of vantage beforehand and soon busses arrived with players from the studio. Lights were adjusted, reflectors were put in place, microphones concealed, and a loud speaker equipment was installed for making explanations to the eager crowds. When it was announced that .James Cagney was going to fire the starting gun to launch the treasure hunt, the favorite at the beach resort, having made several pictures there. 1500 In Scene Over the loud-speaker equipment, detailed explanations of the treasure hunt were made. At the moment of starting the hunt, Jimmy mounted a platform and gave final instructions to the contestants. A pistol shot was fired, restraining tapes were broken and the treasure hungry crowds surged onto the pier. About fifteen hundred people participated in the hunt. They jostled and pushed in and out of little nooks which they hoped concealed the treasure—and often did. There were shouts of joy as hidden money was found in some unexpected places. Meanwhile the cameras were grindind—photographing a real treasure hunt in progress. The happy faces and the wild spirit of joy was real— very real—for finders of money weren’t pretending happiness. When it was all over Director LeRoy gave a smile of satisfaction. ‘‘That was great!’’ he said with emphasis. ‘‘The movie audiences demand realism and they’ll certainly get it in this one. That’s one unrehearsed scene which came out perfectly!’? The treasure hunt scene is one of the striking incidents in the picture, which exposes publicity promoters and their schemes. Besides the hilarious comedy situations, there is a delightful romance in which Jimmy eventually gets his ‘‘gal,’’ a part played by Mary Brian. Others in the cast include Allen Jenkins, Ruth Donnelly, Claire Dodd, Gavin Gordon, Emma Dunn and Robert McWade. The screen play is by Wilson Mizner and Robert Lord, based on the story by Houston Branch: . 4 Page Nine