Harold Teen (Warner Bros.) (1934)

Oklahoma Simply Foreed Rochelle Hudson to Films Home State Of Leading Lady In “Harold Teen”’ Wouldn’t Let Her Go On Stage I’ all the strange explanations advanced by Hollywood O actresses anent their screen career beginnings, Rochelle Hudson’s is the most unique. The State of Oklahoma is directly, if unwittingly, responsible for the young lady finding herself in cinemaland. She was born in that state, in Claremore, on March 6th, 1914, of non-professional parents. Since Rochelle was four years old she has had ambitions to act and throughout her school days in Claremore and Oklahoma City High Schools, she appeared before clubs, societies and school audiences. After Rochelle had finished an intensive course in private tutoring, she decided to launch upon . her theatrical career on the legitimate stage. The State of Oklahoma, however, had other ideas. The legislative powers of the state had decreed that minors were to be barred from the stage and that settled that. Tried to Change Laws It didn’t settle it in the minds of Rochelle and her mother. They went about in an effort to have the laws changed regarding minors in theatrical productions, but their most determined efforts were unavailing. It was only when they had failed after exhaustive attempts at legislative changes that Rochelle and her mother looked to other fields. Hollywood beckoned. Mother~and daughter arrived in Hollywood in July of 1930. An agent asked Rochelle her ambitions and when he heard her exclaim, “The stage!” he inquired why had she come to Hollywood. “Oklahoma!” came the terse reply. Since that date Rochelle has progressed extremely well in her cinema career. Starting with small parts in “Fanny Foley Herself,” “Beyond the Rockies,” “Hell’s Highway” and “The Penguin Pool Murder,” Rochelle performed so capably that she speedily moved on to bigger and more important parts. There came featured roles for the young actress in “Are These Our Children?”, “Wild Boys of the Road,’ “She Done Him Wrong” and the two most recent Will Rogers pictures, “Dr. Bull” and “Mr. Skitch.” ; She moved on from these to her biggest assignment to date, that of “Lillums” opposite Hal LeRoy in the title character as “Harold Teen” the Warner Bros. picture now showing at the Warner Bros. Theatre. Rochelle becomes terribly provoked when anyone assumes that the fact she comes from Will Rogers’ home town had anything to do with her rise in pictures. Didn’t Know Will Rogers “Imagine that!” she exclaims, her pretty eyes blazing. “Why the two families didn’t know each other back home in Claremore, and I’d never met Will Rogers until I was selected for a role in his picture. His home state is responsible for me being here, but he certainly isn’t!” Five feet three inches tall and weighing 107 pounds, Miss Hudson is possessed of black hair and grey eyes. She is looked upon as one of the most striking photo. graphic subjects in Hollywood and that degeription is particularly distinctive in the city of thousands of excellent camera subjects. Directed by Murray Roth from the famous Carl Ed comic strip, “Harold Teen,” boasts a powerful cast which includes Hal LeRoy, Roehella Hudson, Patricia Ellis, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert, Clara Blandick, Hobart Cavanaugh and others. Page Thirty | Play, Hal, Play Kibbee In Father Role First Time Lemuel Lovewell, father of Lillums in ‘‘ Harold Teen,’’ the Warner Bros. picture which comes to these eee Theatro on ............ Neate, » is none other than Guy Kibbee. And Guy is a father for the first time—in pictures. For years Kibbee has played motion picture gay old dogs, philandering husbands, miners, trappers and even road-show promoters, but never a father. ‘In real life, it’s different,’’ Kibbee says. ‘‘I have a threeyear-old daughter and I’m mighty proud of her.’’ Good Tap Dancers Never Get Winded, Says LeRoy Star of Harold Teen Can Keep Up Routine Of Fancy Steps For Long Periods OOD tap dancers never get winded. If you think you’re a tap dancer, and find yourself dancing with an effort or running out of breath, change your style. You’re all wrong. So says Hal LeRoy, star of the Ziegfeld Follies and “Strike Me Pink,’’ who has danced his way to fame and fortune faster than any dancer of his generation. “Correct breathing while you’re dancing is just as much of an art as correct breathing for a singer,” said LeRoy during the production of “Harold Teen,” the Warner Bros. picture which Comes’ CO-thO fir... Theatre OMe saeco ie . “Once you get the secret of it, and it’s quite simple, you can go on indefinitely and never feel breathless.” Hal’s longest record for continous dancing is two hours and fifteen minutes. He’s under the impression that it may be some kind of a record for dancers in general but he isn’t sure. On another occasion, during a publicity stunt in connection with the Ziegfeld Follies, he and his fellow-dancers kept nimble-footing it without a break for an hour and three-quarters. “We were spelling each other in that case, though,” Hal added, “so it wasn’t as strenuous as it sounds.” LeRoy tells an interesting story of his experience in taking an insurance examination, by way of proving that an expert dancer need never run out of breath. He was doing four shows a day at the Palace Theatre, New York, and arranged to have the doctor call on him for the examination at the conclusion of one of the shows. He came off the stage after twenty minutes of fast footwork, went to his dressing-room and found the medico waiting for him. “When the examination was over,” said Hal, “he told me that my heart-beat was absolutely normal and my respiration equally 80.” In the Warner Bros. picturization of Carl Ed’s famous comic strip, “Harold Teen,” Hal LeRoy has the title role, Rochelle Hudson plays Lillums and Patricia Ellis is Mimi. Guy Kibbee, Hobart Cavanaugh, Doug Dumbrille and Clara Blandick are also in the cast. Murray Roth directed the picture from the screen play by Paul Gerard Smith and Al Cohn. While the picture is not a musical, there are several specialty numbers with musie and lyrics by Trving Kahal and Sammy Fain, popular songwriters. Pat Ellis’ Mother Combs What would you do in this predicament? “I wouldn’t play piano,” we answer for you. Neither does Hal LeRoy, who’s coming to the Strand in the dandiest comedy of the year, “Harold Teen,” taken from the popular comic strip of the same name. Beside the lovely girls in the picture, Patricia Ellis and Rochelle Hudson are prominent in the cast. Mat No. 12—20c LeRoy’s Hair For Film Starts Him Out In “Harold Teen” Just As She Did In First Stage Hit Kwe Big Song Hits Will Be Heard in “Harold Teen”’ Rochelle Hudson, Patricia 3 Ellis and Chandler Warble Though Film Is Not Operetta IVE songs, and all of them hits, according to those who have heard them, will be heard in the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘Harold Teen,’’ which comes to the .................. Thestre-on = , a production that isn’t a musical. The ‘‘Harold Teen’’ songs are by Irving Kahal and Sam my Fain, the ace-writing songsters who produced such hits as “By A Waterfall,” “There Ought To Be a Moonlight Saving Time,” “Was That The Human Thing To Do?”. “You Brought a New Kind of Love To Me” and many others. “How Do I Know It’s Sunday” is the first song in the picture. It’s a catchy tune, sung by Chic Chandler to Rochelle Hudgon in “The Sugar Bowl,’ and what “Harold Teen” fan doesn’t know that famous soda-shop conducted by the tolerant “Pop?” “Sweet and Simple” is a number sung by Rochelle Hudson who is as fine a singer as she is an actress. Patricia Ellis sings “Two Little Flies on a Lump of Sugar” and the song is as engaging as its title. Miss Ellis has a well trained singing voice that registers with exceptional clarity. “Farewell Covina” is the stirring song of the graduates of Covina High School in “Harold Teen,” and no more thrilling school song has ever been heard in Hollywood than this. In the small town amateur show staged in “Harold Teen” is heard “Col legiate Wedding” and Patricia Ellis and Rochelle Hudson are presented as two most attractive brides. An interesting fact in conneetion with the singing of these songs is that the two singers, Rochelle and Patricia, have never before sung for the screen. Each girl has filled a number of screen roles in her respective career, but never before has the occasion arisen for either to sing before the camera. Both possess good voices, but their singing talents have heretofore been confined to private audiences. There is a talented cast in “Harold Teen” the members of which represent the characters in Carl Ed’s famous comic strip. Hal LeRoy, noted on the musical comedy stage, heads the list which also includes besides Miss Hudson and Miss Ellis, Guy Kibbee and Hugh Herbert. The story by Paul Gerard Smith and Al Cohn is an exeiting and hilariously funny comedy romance. -It wasn’t that Hal needed help especially, but the reason was one of sentiment and stage superstition for it was Pat’s mother who helped the youngster get ready for his first stage success. Back in 1929, Hal was rushed from a New York night elub to Boston for a try-out with “Tattle Tales,” produced by Alexander Leftwich. When he arrived backstage he hardly looked presentable for an auspicious debut. For one thing his hair was very unruly, and secondly his shoes could stand improvement. Pat’s mother, who was travelling with her husband, felt sorry for the bewildered and very seared kid, for Hal was just only in his teens. She just had time to buy a jar of hair oil and a shiny new pair of shoes. Luckily the shoes fitted, but getting the hair in place proved to be a real task. With an encouraging pat on the shoulder the good samaritan pushed Hal out onto the stage of the Copley Theatre and into what is one of the most outstanding performances in the history of the theatre. Hal stopped that show colder than an iceman’s glove. Now, four years later, acclaimed one of Broadway’s brightest stars, Hal LeRoy is in Hollywood to make “Harold Teen” with the daughter of the woman who befriended him in Boston. And when he readied himself for the first “take,” he «*ked Pat’s mother if she’d mind combing his hair for him. A job which was easier this time. PATRICIA ELLIS in “Harold at the Strand } Mat No. 7 10¢ Hal’s request was made because of a theatre superstition and as Mrs. Leftwich started him on his initial stage success he is of the opinion she can do as much for his screen career. His shoes, however, were very much all right this time. “Harold Teen” is a _ riotous comedy romance taken from the famous comic strip of Carl Ed. It brings to life on the screen all the characters of the comic cartoon in a picture full of fun and excitement. In addition to LeRoy and Miss Ellis the cast includes Rochelle Hudson, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert, Hobart Cavanaugh, Chic Chandler and Eddie Tamblyn. Murray Roth directed the picture from the screen play by Paul Gerard Smith and Al Cohn.