He Couldnt Say No (Warner Bros.) (1938)

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(Advance ) CLEVER PROPS HELP CAMERA TO TELL LIES Dry ice to make steam, cellophane ice cubes, and thousands of dollars’ worth of rare art treasures ~-the business of bringing realism to the movies is curious! Filming of Warner Bros.’ “He Couldn’t Say No,” coming to the Strand and featuring Frank McHugh, Jane Wyman and Diana Lewis, from a popular national magazine story, proved that a camera is inconsistent in telling the truth. Cellophane cubes filmed realistically, did not clink in the glass and did not melt like real ice. For cooking scenes in the apartment of Jane Wyman and her mother, portrayed by Cora Witherspoon, — boiling water and steam were produced hy dry ice. The camera accepted these artifices without question. On the other hand, genuine paintings, statuary and other objets dart had to be used in auction room scenes to bring the realistic atmosphere demanded by the camera. These things were drawn from the $1,000,000 store of properties maintained in the elaborate studio property department. When Frank McHugh was the dinner guest of Jane Wyman and Cora Witherspoon in their apartment, a considerate property man carefully hid pieces of toast under the lamb chops and slices of apple among the potatoes so. they wouldn’t have to eat the heavier foods for repeated takes. The camera let them get away with that. Diana Lewis’ first job, however, in reporting for her role in the picture, was to pose for three eight-foot statues of herself. “He Couldn’t Say No” was filmed under the direction of Lewis Seiler from the Joseph Schrank and Robertson White adaptation of the story by Norman Matson. PUBLICITY Mat 301—45c “IS THIS MY DREAM GIRL OR AM I DREAMING?” Poor Frank McHugh is in a dither. He thought he was in love with a statue until he met the girl who posed for it—Diana Lewis—and that’s when his troubles began because ““He Couldn’t Say No’’—which happens to be the title of his newest picture, a Warner Bros. comedy coming Friday to the Strand. From Famous Family Diana Lewis, new Warner Bros. discovery in “He Couldn’t Say No” is descended from Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition—and, if you remember your history, that was a good trek. It discovered the great Northwest. Diana will be seen at the Strand Theatre next Friday with Frank McHugh. Well-Behaved Pet Cora Witherspoon, featured in Warner Bros. “He Couldn’t Say No” at the Strand Theatre, always takes her wire-haired terrier, “Bide-a-Wee” to the studio with her. He has been trained never to bark on the set. Had Hard Day Tom Kennedy, playing a gangseer ii the Warner Bros.” comedy “He Couldn’t Say No,” featuring Frank McHugh, spent all of one recent day attired in nothing but an old-fashioned flannel night shirt, and covered from head to foot with calcimine make-up. (Advance) Introducing Diana Lewis A Model Young Starlet! Hollywood’s most unusual casting problem has been solved and a new star is in the making. Diana Lewis is the girl, Warner Bros. is the studio and “He Couldn’t Say No,” featuring Frank McHugh, is the picture. It opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre. The casting problem was to find a leading lady for McHugh. Not only did the girl have to possess unusual acting talent—she had to be petite, with a beauty that would reproduce effectively in a statue. The entire plot of “He Couldn’t Say No” which is an adaptation of a national magazine story, centers around that statue and therefore it became the most important item in casting. Girls there are aplenty in Hollywood who have earned _ their living posing for sculptors, but none possessed the supplementary attributes of talent and beauty the role required. Diana Lewis has never in her life posed for a sculptor—but she had what the studio wanted and so she won the coveted role in the whimsical new film comedy. A role that, one may reasonably assume, may catapult her to stardom. Diana is the daughter of Si Plunkett (J. C. Lewis, Sr.), who delighted theatregoers for more than 30 years with his repertory company. Now retired, he was on the stage for 50 years. Diana’s mother was Hettie Lewis, ingenue in the Si Plunkett company, and she has two sisters, Maxine Lewis, Page Two famed singer, and Marion Held, and a brother, J. C. Lewis, Jr., who produces radio features at Station KHJ in Los Angeles. Diana is a_ sun-tanned elfin sprite of four feet 1134 inches and 102 pounds, capable of turning any man’s head. She has light brown hair, blue eyes and is an AllAmerican girl. Born at Asbury Park, N. J., 19 years ago, she completed her education with private tutors and at Lawlor’s Professional School. She is a descendant of Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition. She started traveling with her theatrical parents at the age of three months and went on _ the stage with them when she was three years old. Possessed of pronounced dramatic talent, she is also a talented singer and dancer. She has appeared briefly in “It’s a Gift,” “All the King’s Horses,” and “Singing in the Air? but her assignment to “He Couldn’t Say No” is her first important screen role. She posed for Steven. Gaal, the sculptor who modeled the statue for “He Couldn’t Say No.” And she philosophically says that if she doesn’t make a success in the movies she would be happy to take up a career as a model. But Hollywood is betting she will make a great success in the movies. Besides Miss Lewis and McHugh, “He Couldn’t Say No” also features Jane Wyman, Cora Witherspoon, and many others. (Advance) ‘Have Fun, Get Most Out Of Life’, Says Jane Wyman “Have fun if you want to be a success and get the most out of life. “Regardless of misfortune, adversity and hard luck, always make sure you have more than enough fun to balance the score.” That is the creed of lovely Jane Wyman, who plays a featured role with Frank McHugh in “He Couldn’t Say No,’ Warner Bros.’ picturization of the popular national magazine story. This opens, in film form, at the Strand Theatre next week. “Have fun in everything you do,’ says Jane. “A person can’t make a success of a job he dislikes. If a person doesn’t enjoy his work he should exert every effort to get into work he does like. “By that I don’t mean that a person should seek a job that requires no effort, no hard work. Often when a person is having fun in his work he is putting more into it and is more weary at the end of the day than he would be in work he didn’t like. But it is a healthy, joyous weariness that is thrown off easier than the fatigue brought by unpleasant work. “The stern Pilgrim fathers believed little in laughter and pleas ures in life, but fortunately that belief is now as outmoded as many other beliefs of those early days. Kyen though a_ person is required to get along on a small income, he should provide in his budget for a judicious, balancing amount of entertainment.” Jane puts her theories to practice. Her acknowledged motive in life is to have just as much fun as she possibly can. She entertains frequently at small, informal dinner parties which are followed by an evening devoted to cards, usually bridge or poker, or other similarly relaxing diversions. And she gets fun out of her work. She will accept any type of role that she knows she will enjoy and into which she can put her heart and soul. But if she knows she won’t have fun with a part she won't assume it under any consideration. Jane is known affectionately as “Dynamite” at the studio because of her volatile, dynamic pep, enthusiasm and ability to have fun. She is a fount of energy and works hard at everything she undertakes. Prior to entering pictures she worked as a secretary, manicurist, switchboard operator, hairdresser, model and radio singer. A MODERN DIANA Sculptor Stephen Gaal uses Diana Lewis as a model for his statue, “Courage,” which plays a_ big role in the novel comedy “‘He Couldn’t Say No,” the picture in which Diana herself makes her film debut. Mat 203—-30c Country of origin U.S. A. Copyright 1938 Vitagraph, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright is waived to magazines and newspapers. (Advance ) COMEDIAN KNOWS ROPES OF MOVIELAND It had been a long, tiring day. Scene after scene had been filmed in a temperature slightly hotter than a furnace, with the huge lights aiding the blistering rays of Old Sol in one of his heat waves. The actors — Frank McHugh, Cora Witherspoon and Jane Wyman—Director Lewis Seiler, the crew and everybody connected with the filming of Warner Bros.’ whimsical new comedy, “He Couldn’t Say No” were tired, desperatety tired and waiting for the quitting signal. But despite their fatigue, this final scene was the most realistic filmed all day. The scene required Jane Wyman and Cora Witherspoon to drag Frank McHugh bodily from an auction room in an effort to keep him from yielding to an overwhelming desire to buy a statue. Desperately the girls struggled to drag Frank out and desperately he struggled to remain on _ the spot. The roaringly funny scene was completed in one take. “You sure put up a_ battle, Frank,” said Miss Witherspoon. “Why didn’t you give a little?” “And have to do it over?” McHugh replied. He pointed to some chalk marks on the floor. “I knew if you dragged me over those marks we would be out of the camera and have to do it over again-—but now we can go home.” “He Couldn’t Say No”—ineluding this particular scene—is coming soon to the Strand Theatre. Up The Ladder Lewis Seiler, cirector-of Warner Bros.’ “He Couldn’t Say No,” which is now being shown at the Strand Theatre was graduated from the City College of New York and was teaching school when he decided to enter the movie business. He started as a prop boy, became an assistant director and then a director when the director of a picture on which he was working became ill and Seiler had to complete the film. Cora A Designer Cora Witherspoon, currently playing a featured role in Warner Bros” “He Couldn’t Say No,” now showing at the Strand ‘Theatre, designs all of her own clothes. Unusually gifted as a designer, she plans soon to open a number of modiste shops as a sideline to her screen work. He’s Cane Collector Frank McHugh, starred in Warner Bros.’ “He Couldn’t Say No,” current attraction at the Strand Theatre, has a collection of more than 500 canes and walking sticks of every type and description and representative of almost every country in the world. A Sad, Sad Story This is the sad story of Frank McHugh, the movie star, and an apricot: About three years ago McHugh discovered a tiny tree growing in the yard of his Toluca Lake home. The gardner said it was an apricot tree and that he was going to chop it out. Frank indignantly ordered him to leave it alone. For three years Frank tended that tree like a baby. Finally his efforts were rewarded with one tiny — but unmistakable — apricot. But before he could pluck it, a butcher bird swept dewn and stole it under his very eyes!