Heat Lightning (Warner Bros.) (1934)

‘Heat Lightning’ Is Unique In Location, Cast and Treatment Warner Bros. is: said to have produced a most unusual picture in “Heat Lightning,’ unusual not only in treatment, but in cast and loeation. The picture is scheduled as the feature attraction at the Theatre De RINT eT se sa Its location is both unique and picturesque, the authors of the original Broadway stage hit, Leon Abrams and George Abbott, having placed the entire action of their story in a single locale, that of a gas station in the heart of the desert. They also have crowded the dynamic action into a space of twenty-four hours. But in that space of time the life of one of the characters is snuffed out and that of two others unalterably changed. In making the picture, Warner Bros. sent a company of players under the direction of Mervyn LeRoy into the heart of the Mojave Desert, where they camped for weeks, and where every scene was shot at an improvised auto camp and filling station. Another distinctive feature is the manner in which the almost overwhelming intensity of the dramatic moments are relieved by a constant fire of light comedy action that is said to brighten what might otherwise have been heavy drama. An all star Aline MaeMahon in a former dance hall girl, who breaks away from her old life and the man who dominated her to run a filling station far from the haunts of men. Ann Dvorak has the role of her younger sister, Preston Foster has the leading masculine role, that of a dashing villain who fascinates and despoils women just as he flaunts the world of men. His henchman is Lyle Talbot, a dumb crook who lines up in the comedy quartette with Glenda Farrell and Ruth Donnelly, two Reno divoreees out for the fun they can find, and Frank MeHugh, their chauffeur, over whose love they are constantly bickering. Others in the cast inelude Theodore Newton, Willard Robertson, Harry C. Bradley, James Durkin, Jane Darwell, Edgar Kennedy and Muriel Evans. The unusual angle of the cast, outside of the list being composed of all talented players, is the fact that not a single extra appears in the picture. Some parts are naturally more important than others, but each character has a definite role to fulfill, and is never a part of a mob. The sereen play is by Brown Holmes and Warren Duff. Giddy Glenda east is headed by the role of That’s how Glenda Farrell ap pears in “‘Heat Lightning” com ing on Wednesday to the Strand. Mat No. 10—10c. An orchid to Aline MacMahon for her sterling work in Another Ace For Aline Daily Stories “Heat Lightning,” Warner Bros. daring drama of the desert, coming to the Strand. Featured in the cast are Preston Foster, Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak and those three clever comedians, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh and Ruth Donnelly. Mat No. 7—20c. Robbers Seek Loot On Movie Set; Find Only Stage Money A pair of desert highwaymen got the surprise of their lives when they broke into the Warner Bros. “set” near Victorville, Calif., where a company of players was making “Heat Lightning.” Driven to town by the rain and snow which set in unexpectedly on the desert, Director Mervyn his that their “set”, designed to look LeRoy reported on return like a gas station and auto camp the middle of had into and various articles and eanned goods and set down in the broken of furniture thrown about. Mojave Desert, been The drawer on a “prop” cash register had been pried open and was lying on the table while the stage money was scattered over the floor. It was feared that it was an attempt to find easy pickings among the motion picture troupe, and the Victorville sheriff and his men were called on to guard the camp until the players left the location. The marauders couldn’t have been familar with motion picture making, for the combined restaurant-store into which they broke was filled with motion picture paraphernalia, a wild disarray of are lights, cables, cameras and other movie apparatus. 3ut the robbers never returned so it was concluded that they were passing bandits who mistook a movie set for a real auto camp. The picture, which is a thrilling drama of desert love and_ hate, based on the Broadway stage suecess by Leon Abrams and George Abbott, was completed without further mishap. Mervyn LeRoy related the incident to the rest of the cast in this manner. “They were just a couple of stick-up men who got stuck.” Aline MaeMahon has the. leading role while others in the cast include Ann Dvorak, Preston Foster, Glenda Farrell, Lyle Talbot, Frank MeHugh and Ruth Donnelly and Jane Darwell. Aline MacMahon’s Versatility Fooled Picture Executives Two years ago, when Aline MacMahon first showed up in Los Angeles in the role of May in “Once In A Lifetime” and was signed by Warner Bros., heads were shaken wisely. “Yes, one or two pictures, certainly. But after that, what? She’s something between Marie Dressler and Garbo. She’s not a sexy type. She’s too young for characters.” Director Mervyn LeRoy thought differently and cast her in “Five Star Final’. And he directed her in her latest Warner 3ros. picture, “Heat Lightning” which comes to the Theatre on Aline : MacMahon, star of Heat Lightning,” now at the Strand. Mat No. 1 0c: After her first success, to the surprise of everyone, and more particularly of Miss MaeMahon herself, nearly every story that was considered at the studio as a possible vehicle for Aline MacMahon. Stories of farm girls, stories of feminists, stories of business women, stories of militant professional women, war _ stories, strike stories, ghetto stories, circus stories and sea stories. “A great story, sure,” the studio heads say, “but for whom?” “Well, how about Aline MacMahon?” And there it stands. In “Heat Lightning,’ Miss MacMahon heads an all-star cast, including Ann Dvorak, Preston Foster, Lyle Talbot, Glenda Far rell, Frank McHugh and Ruth Donnelly. The picture, based on_ the Broadway stage success by Leon Abrams and George Abbott, is a thrilling romance of desert love and was dramatized for the sereen by Brown Holmes and Warren Duff. Talbot Gets Desert Role Just As Doctor OrdersHotSunBaths For that Lyle Talbot has ever heard of it, the titted in perfectly with studio schedules. the first time orders of a physician Lyle had recently been in an automobile accident and his doetor suggested that the actor spend some time in the desert. “The desert sun will be just the thing to get you back into good condition,’ he advised. “Yes,” said Lyle, “but I can’t go away from town because of my work.” Right then it all happened. Lyle was called to the studio and assigned a role in “Heat Lightning,” a Warner Bros. picture now showing at the: 2.0. S20 Theatre. He was told to get his things packed at once, for the picture was to be taken, almost in its entirety—on the Mojave Desert! For Aline MacMahon, Preston Foster, Ann Dvorak, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh, Ruth Donnelly and other members of the “Heat Lightning” troupe “on location” on the desert, it was a normal studio assignment. For Lyle Talbot, however, it was more than that—it was just what the doctor ordered! In “Heat Lightning,” Talbot again has the role of a “heel”. The picture is a thrilling drama of desert love and hate based on the Broadway stage hit by Leon Abrams and George Abbott. Ann Dvorak, Made Thin by Desert Heat Seeks to Get Fatter Ann Dvorak, brunette beauty of the Warner Bros. picture “Heat Lightning,’ now showing Abe CHO. Lee ete hs re Theatre, has an unusual problem on her hands. While millions of girls are erying to get thin, and scores of sereen actresses are fighting to keep from becoming too fat— Ann is too thin! And she doesn’t know what to do about it. She weighs just 105, and wants to pick up about six or eight more pounds. She has tried special diets, exercise, special this and that. She lives on a ranch in San Fernando Valley, spends much of her time in the open air, and leads a normal, healthful existence, In “Heat Lightning” Ann spent ten days on location in the Mojave Desert when the thermometer was registering around 125 degrees, and she lost a few more pounds. “T don’t know what to do,” she wailed. “If I get any thinner Tll blow away. But I am going to take a nice rest before my next picture and maybe I can put on a few pounds. In “Heat Lightning,” a thrilling drama of desert love based on the Broadway stage success by Leon Abrams and George Abbott, Ann plays the role of a discontented girl who longs for gayety and romance, so takes love where she finds it, to her sorrow. Others in the all star cast include Aline MaeMahon, Preston Foster, Lyle Talbot, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh and Ruth Donnelly. Mervyn LeRoy directed the picture. Star Stows Away On Plane, Fleeing Film Set To See Her Son As an actress Glenda Farrell is a perfect mother and a grand success as a stowaway. That’s not a knock at her histrionic ability, which is a matter for the movie publie to judge. And it seems to feel that she knows her onions. Now, Glenda has a ten year old son, Tommy, who is in the Black Foxe Military Academy in Los Angeles, and Glenda visits him every week-end. Then Glenda was cast for the Warner Bros. picture, “Heat Lightning, a picture now showing at the Theatre. The picture is a story of desert love, based on the Broadway stage hit by Leon Abrams and George Abbott and the entire action takes place at a gas station on the sun-baked sands. Consequently the entire company was taken to a spot on the Mojave Desert more than one hundred miles from Los Angeles to film the picture. It was too far to be going back and forth so the company camped at a dude ranch near the location to remain about two weeks. A company plane went back and forth daily from studio to the camp to earry in the film of the day’s shooting and bring out more film and other necessities. But the pilot had strict orders to earry no passengers. Glenda knew the orders and thought nothing of them until Saturday, after a week of shooting. Tommy, she knew, would be looking for her. He would be lonely for his mamma. Never had she missed being with him on Sunday. She knew the plane was leaving for Los Angeles that night at six o’clock. So she slipped out while the pilot was warming up his engine and when his back was turned she climbed in the cabin and hid behind a row of film cans. The plane took off and Glenda remained hidden until the plane landed in town. Then an astonished pilot nearly jumped out of his coat when she yelled in his ear: “Thanks for the ride.” Glenda spent Sunday with Tommy and was back at the airport early Monday morning. This time she did not stow away for the pilot knew that Director Mervyn LeRoy would be _ looking for her to go to work. When she landed in the desert she was given envious glances by other members of the cast, including Aline MacMahon, Ann Dvorak, Preston Foster, Lyle Talbot, Frank McHugh, and Ruth Donnelly, who week-ended in the desert. Movie Actors Find Luxury On Desert The wilderness isn’t what it used to be. A movie company from Warner Bros. studios spent some two weeks in the middle of the Mojave Desert making scenes for “Heat Lightning,” now showing atsthes Messe sts Theatre. They were comfortably ensconeed at a dude ranch nearby where they could listen to all the world hap ‘penings or their favorite program on the radio. A plane brought their favorite newspaper every morning together with any other luxuries they desired. Aline MacMahon has the leading role in this picture of desert love and hate. Others include Ann Dvorak, Preston Foster, Lyle Talbot, Frank MeHugh, Ruth Donnelly. Then it gave her an idea, | Page Three