He Was Her Man (Warner Bros.) (1934)

Victor Jory Writes Plays And Music as Well as Acts Has Role Of Joan Blondell’s Fiance In Great Warner Bros. Drama “He Was Her Man” ICTOR JORY, the dark-haired, good-looking six-footer who plays the role of a Portuguese fisherman in ‘‘He Was Her Man,’’ the Warner Bros. picture now showing at the igo Rimes, Theatre, with James Cagney and Joan Blondell in the featured roles, has crowded many experiences into his thirty odd years of life. Robust in physique and always fond of all forms of athletics, Jory might easily have excelled in any of one of half a dozen sports, as an amateur or as a professional, if the theatre had not claimed his attention shortly after he entered college at the University of California. As it was he demonstrated his ability to excel in both football and baseball while still an undergraduate. During his early days as a stock company actor, he took up boxing and wrestling as a pastime. He became so engrossed in both that he turned professional for a while. Before he finished that phase of his career, he had become light heavyweight champion of British Columbia. Later, in Monterey, Calif., he won the National Guard boxing and wrestling championships. Though boxing and wrestling have ceased to play a part in Jory’s life, even as a pastime, he can still give an excellent account of himself in the mat or in the squared circle. Omnivorous Reader Golf and tennis are his favorite sports today, and with his ability __to.master. whatever he takes up, he has delevoped a formidable game of tennis and plays an enviable round of golf. One might think that a man endowed with such physical aptitudes would be more or less lukewarm on the subject of books and reading. Victor Jory is one of the most omnivorous readers in the motion picture colony. His library numbers more than 5,000 volumes and, to use his own phrase, ‘‘I read everything I can understand.’” ‘“Maybe the adventurous streak in my nature,’’ he said one day on the ‘‘He Was Her Man’? set, “fis due to the fact that I was born up in the Alaskan goldfields, at Dawson City. Like so many thousands of others, my parents were lured there by the gold discoveries, and probably the fever is in my blood as a natural consequence. ’’ In Victor’s case, the theatre seemed the answer to the restlessness of his nature. He began to seize every opportunity for acting long before he left school. The chances to be an actor afforded him by the high school in Pasadena, where the family moved from Dawson and Vancouver, and later in the Junior College at Fullerton, Calif., kept Victor satisfied for a while. After a year in the University of California, the eall of the footlights was too strong for him to resist any longer. He foresook the paths of conventional educatien to join a stock company in Vancouver. For the next few years Victor went through the gruelling but thorough school afforded by the stock company system in Salt Lake City, Denver, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo and other mid-western cities. Writes Plays and Sings Returning after several seasons of this sort to California, he appeared in several productions at the theatres of Los Angeles. Three years ago he had his innings. on Broadway, where he was a member of the casts of four revivals, Page Fourteen Who's Afraid of What? Import Live Fish To Studio For Film Fifty live yellowtail and other finny dennizens of the deep were imported to Warner Bros. Studios, for scenes showing Jimmy Cagney qualifying as a fisherman, to supplement the deep-sea fishing expedition off the Monterey Peninsula, one of the highlights of ‘‘He Was Her Man,’’ which comes to the eine... Theatre’ 0M ;:...000::s0ce Cagney is co-starred with Joan Blondell. 4 5 ‘ James Cagney and Joan Blondell look all upset about something. The only way to find out what it is, is to see them in the new Warner drama “He Was Her Man.” coming to the Strand. The cast includes Victor Jory, Sarah Padden, Frank Craven and Ralfe Harolde. Mat No. 26—20c ——EESE ESE ‘*Berkeley Square,’’ ‘‘ What Every Woman Knows,’’ ‘‘Tonight or Never’’ and ‘‘The Truth Game.’’ He makes no secret of the fact that, at times when the supply of actors seemed to exceed the demand wherever he happened to be, he has served as a lumberjack, washed dishes, and even dug ditches. It was all a part of the game of life to Victor Jory, and he took it smiling. Even within the limits of the show business, Victor Jory’s versatility has asserted itself in no uncertain manner. He is a playwright with two plays to his eredit—‘‘Five Who Were Mad’’ and ‘‘Bodies By Fisher.’? He has composed a number of songs—having taught himself to play the piano well enough to pick out his own melodies—and two of his compositions, ‘‘The Sundown Trail’’ and ‘‘ Without You’’ have achieved real populartiy. If he were ever to give up acting, he would devote himself to playwriting and songs. But with six important pictures to his credit, a long term contract at a major studio in his possession and an increasing fan following manifesting itself in his favor, there is no likelihood of Victor Jory’s retiring in the near future. In ‘‘He Was Her Man,’’ which marks the reunion of James Cagney and Joan Blondell after two years of separate stardom with the exception of ‘‘ Footlight Parade,’’ Victor Jory plays the part of Joan’s fiance. Frank Craven, Russell Hopton, Ralfe Harolde, Sarah Padden, Harold Huber and George Chandler are other important members of the cast. “Tough Guy” Cagney Studies Literature James Cagney, the tough guy of America’s screen who would just as soon kick a goil’s teeth out as smack her in the kisser with a grapefruit, is studying literature under the supervision of Lincoln Steffens, noted novelist. Whenever Jimmy can get away from the studio, he journeys posthaste to the writers’ colony at Carmeléy-the-Sea. In his latest Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘He Was Her Man,’’ which comes to the Rr TE TT RORSTO ON. 555.3 crite Jimmy is a deep dyed, double crossing vililain, although in this picture, he doesn’t hand out any fistie blows. Sarah Padden Laughs A Billion Dollars Sarah Padden, who has the role of a Portuguese peasant in the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘He Was Her Man,’’ now showing at the a Oa Eee ree Theatre, is said to have a million dollar laugh. In such a case she must have laughed a billion dollars worth during the filming of the picture. She plays the part of a warm hearted woman who exudes joy. She laughs almost perpetually during her _ scenes. *‘He Was Her Man’? is an intense drama with James Cagney and Joan Blondell in the stellar roles. Cagney -Blondell First To Bring New Sound Kiss To Film A brand new screen kiss will be heard in the Warner Bros. picture, “He Was Her Man,” Man” which comes to the .............. Theafroes0n! ost Screen kisses in themselves are nothing new. The method of recording them is. Sound experts have always had troubles recording kisses so that the ear could recognize them as signs of love. Experts have long been working on the problem and now a new microphone has been perfected through which a kiss is recorded as a kiss. Up to now a screen kiss might sound like any one of a number of things, all of them totally unrelated to lovemaking. James Cagney and Joan Blondell were the first to try out the new “mike” in “He Was Her Man.” Their earnest, pleasant, but not overly sentimental kisses, by the old method, would have reached the screen sounding like blown-up paper bags being “popped” had not the recording experts stepped in with substitutes better suited to the scenes. “He Was Her Man” is the dramatic story of an utterly unscrupulous scoundrel whose one decent act is to go to his death without involving his enamorata, leaving her free to wed the man who has offered her real love. In the cast with Cagney and Miss Blondell are Victor Jory, Frank Craven, Harold Huber, Russell Hopton, Ralfe Harolde, Sarah Padden and others. Lloyd Bacon directed the picture from the screen play by Tom Buckingham and Niven Busch, based on the story by Robert Lord. Frank Craven Hasn’t Been Home in 6 Years Frank Craven, who plays the part of a stool pigeon in the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘He Was Her Man,’’ which comes to the oe Pheatre On... ces has not been home in six years. The reason is that Craven’s home is in Little Neck, Long Island and he has either been with shows or working in Hollywood all that time, too busy to go home. James Cagney and Joan Blondell have the stellar roles in ‘‘He Was Her Man,’’ an intensely dramatic production. Joan Blondell Wants To Make Own Cider Joan Blondell, who has the role of a play girl in the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘He Was Her Man,’’ now showing at the .........0cc. Theatre, is looking over ranches with an apple orchard with an idea of buying. Back of this idea is one of Joan’s childhood dreams. Ever since she was a tot, her favorite beverage has been sweet cider, and she has always wanted to be able to make it, in her own cider mill, from her own apples. Now that she’s a Warner Bros. star, she’s in a position to make her dream come true. Joan Blondell’s Hubby Photographs Her In Six Films Joan Blondell and her husband, George Barnes, were brought to . gether again. It wasn’t that there had been any of this Hollywood “trial separation” about it, but merely that they were brought together again for cinema purposes. George photgraphed Joan’s latest Warner Bros. picture “He Was Her Man” now showing at Ee aCe Theatre, with Joan co-starring with James Cagney. Joan now has her favorite photographer for the sixth time. George and Joan first met when he photographed her in “The Greeks Had A Word For It.” Their romance blossomed when he photographed her in “Broadway Bad” and shortly after that picture they were married. Since then George has photographed his vivacious wife in “Goodbye Again,” “Footlight Parade” and “Smarty” before working with her in “He Was Her Man.” In “He Was Her Man” she has the role of a play girl who wants to go straight. She is eventually given her chance by a no-good lover whose one act of decency is to go to his death without involving her. Others in the cast include Victor Jory, Frank Craven, Harold Huber, Russell Hopton, Ralfe Harolde and Sarah Padden. Lloyd Bacon directed the picture from the screen play by Tom Buckingham and Niven Busch, based on a dramatic story by Robert Lord. Victor Jory Drives Nail With His Fist Victor Jory, who has the role of a Portuguese fisherman in the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘He Was Her Man,’’ which comes to the eT AT Theatre ON —...2...5.-.....6:5 is a man with a nailed fist, literally. During the taking of a scene in a fisherman’s cottage near Monterey, Calif., Lloyd Bacon decided to make some Director .changes in the interior of one of the rooms. He wanted, among other things, a picture moved to another place on the wall. There was no hammer available so Jory worked the old nail loose, wrapped his handkerchief about the head and with several blows drove it into the wall where it was needed. Wears Sandals To Keep Her Disposition Sunny Joan Blondell started an innovation during the production of the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘He Was Her Man,’’ which comes to ThOe ese one Theatre on ................ A Instead of her regular shoes, she wore a pair of heelless canvas sandals whenever the scenes did not call for photographing her in fulllength. Joan says the sandals are much more comfortable, and help to keep her disposition bright and sunny. Now all the players are adopting the plan.