Hollywood Hotel (Warner Bros.) (1937)

Orchid Room Guests Pay Plenty $$$ %$ In bringing the world’s most famous imaginary hotel to the screen, the movies went into the most trifling of details. Even a menu with appropriate prices was printed. The cover of the folder bears a picture of an orchid. Beneath it in script appear the words “Orchid Room.” And under that in hand-blocked lettering “Hollywood Hotel.” On the Orchid Room set for “Hollywood Hotel” at Warne Bros. studios, copies of the menu were scattered about on the tables. When the million dollar-plus musical reached the screen, audiences saw diners consulting it, ordering from it. A closeup shot or two reveals some of the prices. On the “Carte des Vins” standard cocktails, such as Manhattan, Martini, Old-Fashioned, etc., are quoted at 75 cents. A champagne cocktail is $1.50. Breast of golden pheasant, sous clouche, comes at $2.25 the portion. Pate de fois gras, terrine, is $2. Caviar is $3. Crepes suzette is priced at $1.50. Other prices fall into the same category. No wonder Dick Powell, as a young fellow from a middle western orchestra and Rosemary Lane as the unknown little gal who gets her chance to pose for a night at being a movie star, seem to be a little aghast when they pick up that menu. ~ “Hollywood Hotel,” which has practically an all-star cast, opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre. Busby Berkeley directed it. BUYS WIFE A YACHT Dick Powell’s newest gift to his wife, Joan Blondell, is a boat! It is yawl-rigged and has an auxiliary motor. It has a 65-foot deck line, cabin and dining accommodation for ten. Built in Glasgow, it is staunchly enough constructed to cross the ocean. Powell, who is currently starring in “Hollywood Hotel,’ bought it from Jascha Heifetz. moon. The all-star show comes to the Strand Theatre Friday. Mat 301——45c SWING IS HERE TO SWAY! Benny Goodman, his clarinet, and his Swing Band go to town in “Hollywood Hotel,” the most lavish musical film of many a Mat 206——30c STAR BOARDERS OF “HOLLYWOOD HOTEL?” are the Lane sisters, Rosemary (right) and Lola, and Dick Powell. You'll be seeing them in that spectacular show “Hollywood Hotel’? at the Strand next Friday. Make-up Artist Playing in Film The man who spent six hours a day for weeks on end applying makeup to the face of Paul Muni for “The Life of Emile Zola,” took only five minutes to make himself up the other day for his own debut as a movie actor. The man is Perec Westmore, head of Warner Bros. studio makeup department, who is making his bow before a camera for the first time in “Hollywood Hotel,” super filmusical starring Dick Powell and Benny Goodman’s Swing Band. Westmore plays Westmore in the picture, and comes into the action of the story when Rosemary Lane takes the place of her sister, Lola Lane, who enacts the role of a temperamental screen star. Who, better than Pere, could be callec in by Allyn Joslyn, a typical Hollywood press agent, to make up Rosemary as Lola’s double? The man who has applied barrels of liquid makeup and tons of false whiskers to others’ faces, merely rubbed on a light solution for himself, brushed his hair and was ready. “All I need is enough makeup to cover the bristles of by beard,” he explained. “Otherwise, I’d look like someone else—not Pere Westmore.” “Hollywood Hotel,” which stars Dick Powell, Louella Parsons, was directed by Busby Berkeley. Alan Mowbray No Fanof HisOwn He’s an artist who never sees what he creates! He’s a movie actor who never beholds himself (nor anybody else) on the screen! No, you’re wrong, he isn’t a blind actor. He’s Alan Mowbray. He revealed his non-going movie habits while playing one of the principal roles in Warner Bros. “Hollywood Hotel,” during an off stage discussion with other members of the cast about an imminent premiere. “Count me out of the party you’re making up,” he said. “I haven’t seen a movie in three years.” But as every rule has an exce’ tion to prove it, so has Mowbray’s. He did see one picture—the only one, however, in three years. It was “The Magician,” in which he played the title role. “T did all the tricks myself,’’ he said. “Didn’t have a double to work for me. And I wanted to see how they went across.” Mowbray, as one of the leading freelance actors of Hollywood for years, has a leading role in “Hollywood Hotel,” coming soon to the Strand Theatre. “Hollywood Hotel,” which stars Dick Powell and Rosemary Lane was directed by Busby Berkeley. Mercer, Whiting Write Songs To Fit Scenes In a little more than a year, the song-writing team of Johnny Mercer and Dick Whiting, who wove the magic melodies in ‘‘Hollywood Hotel,” the immense musical comedy that comes to the Strand Theatre next week, have produced fifty song hits for Warner Bros. musicals. Johnny does the words and Dick the music. Amazing to all who hold to the belief that composing is purely inspirational, they write their songs to fit definite situations in pictures. Together they study and discuss a situation in a script for which a song number is desired. Then, having analyzed it and studied the possibilities they go to work separately. Sometimes Johnny gets the words first. Sometimes Dick pulls out of the blue a musical strain which clicks. If the latter, words are then written to fit it. If the former. Dick then writes the music to fit the words. Dick Whiting began his career as a pianist in Nat Goodwin’s Santa Monica cafe, went into vaudeville, then wrote “When It’s Tulip Time in Holland,” which Fritzi Scheff sang to a nation’s applause. That launched him into ai out many an unforgettable it. Johnny Mercer’s career has been shorter, but his lyrics since joinin Warner Bros. already have put him at the top of his class. The clever team has some striking numbers in “Hollywood Hotel,” which was directed by Busby Berkeley. TINY DOGS FOR HUGH Hugh Herbert’s latest addition to his San Fernando Valley ranch Zoo, which includes goats, a cow, a horse, chickens, pigs, dogs and cats galore, is a pair of toy schnausers. The tiny dogs, both males, weigh little more than 11 ounces each. They are worth $500 apiece. Herbert, who is currently playing in “Hollywood Hotel,” houses them in a specially built miniature dog house.