In This Our Life (Warner Bros.) (1942)

} Still TL 24*; Mat 204—30c SISTERS. Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland play the role of sisters who understand each other perfectly even though they have completely different temperaments. The film is Warner Bros.' dramatic “In This Our Life," which is now being shown at the Strand Theatre. Film Formula Bows Out When Bette It used to be that the surest sign of a ‘great actress’ was her ability to grow old convincingly. No actress was ever conceded to have anything extra special to offer unless she had portrayed at least one role in which she had a chance to age right before the audience’s eyes. Until she had shown she could wear grey hair, go about with a wrinkled face and an aged stoop, an actress’s carer was not complete. But leave it to two-time Academy Award winner Bette Davis to change all that. In her new picture for Warner Bros., “In This Our Life,” now at the Strand Theatre. Bette pulls a complete switch on the old formula and demonstrates that what really counts is an actress’s ability to grow younger. In her current assignment Bette appears as a young, willful and attractive lass who does not hesitate to jilt George Brent and steal Dennis Morgan away from her sister, Olivia de Havilland. To portray this girl Bette has Plays Role had to forget she ever played anybody as old as Queen Elizabeth in “Elizabeth and Essex” or as matronly as Regina Giddens in “The Little Foxes.” All this is in a day’s work to Bette Davis. What makes her present characterization, Stanley Timberlake, in “In This Our Life” interesting to her is the chance it offers for strong contrasts. Stanley is a beautiful young lady with the soul of a harridan. Meat and drink for Bette Davis. Bette started growing younger by lightening her hair several shades. After the sophisticated hair-do she sported in “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” Bette turned to bangs over her forehead and a long, curled bob. Her mouth she paints with a cupid’s bow effect and her eye makeup, which she has hitherto always shunned, is dark and heavy. To make the effect complete, Orry-Kelly dressed Bette in soft, feminine clothes—stuff like lace and chiffon. Big picture hats completed the return-to-youth effect. George Brent Is Quiet Guy When Not Acting George Brent doesn’t believe in postman’s holidays. You don’t find the mailman taking a walk on his free day, so why should a movie actor talk on his : a microphone,” he explains, “so I’ve just got no. spirit t left for conversation.” Right now he is doing his Mat 102—15¢ talking for pay George Brent in a Warner Bros. picture, “In This Our Life,’ with Bette ‘Davis, Olivia de Havilland and Dennis Morgan, at the Strand Theatre. Don’t get the idea that Brent is absolutely silent when he’s on his own. Not quite. He does talk, but it’s generally in the company of a few cronies, and the subject matter is usually limited to three fields—guns, sailing and life-in-Hollywood. His conclusions about these 4 topics are also to the point. Guns are wonderful, sailing is a grand sport and Hollywood is a hard-working village where one turns in by eleven every night. Brent likes his friends to do the talking. He punctuates their speeches with occasional comments like, “That’s right,” and peppers the general conversation with “yep” and “right.” He doesn’t even like to talk on the telephone. To avoid the friend who just calls to make small talk, Brent’s number is known by a coterie so limited that it compares with the few who understand Einstein. A right-guy, a good-guy, the kind the crew is always glad to have on its picture, George Brent says it all might have been different if the movies had not gone talkie. “Without sound I might have been talkative,” he explains. “In This Our Life,” the picturization of Ellen Glasgow’s best-seller novel, was directed by John Huston who scored such a resounding success with “The Maltese Falcon.” DENNIS MORGAN LIKES TO PLAY MOVIE MEDICO Is there a doctor in the house? That famous old call used to ring through many a theatre at a critical moment. It doesn’t, anymore. These days if anyone is looking for a doctor in a movie house, the place to find him is on the silver screen. Of all the callings of man, that of the physician seems to be the most popular in the movies. Lawyers have had their innings, but they have not always been presented as unselfish, fine characters. For a brief time, too, movie heroes were almost invariably newspaper men or journeymen writers, but audiences soon tired of scriveners. The doctor goes on forever. Dennis Morgan is the latest to join the ranks of screen medicos. He plays a physician in a new Warner Bros. picture, ‘In This Our Life,” in which he shares stellar honors with Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland and George Brent. The film is currently at the Strand Theatre. Morgan is a happy man now that he’s received his screen M.D. According to him, no actor has attained his majority until he has taken up the doctor’s kit and garb. But the best thing about playing a doctor on the screen, according to the newest graduate, is the feeling of authority it gives you over the other characters. “Whenever the going gets tough, as it does in “In This Our Life’ when my wife, Olivia, starts asking embarrassing questions, all I have to do is pick up my little black satchel, say I have an important case, and beat it. “It’s an easy way to make a quick exit. That I like.” PICTURE ALMOST FINISHED BEFORE CAMERA TURNS When director John Huston starts his cameras rolling, his work is practically done. That’s the way he likes to work. Once there may have been skepticallyraised eyebrows, but after the critical and public reception of John Huston’s first directorial effort, “The Maltese Falcon,” the skeptics are inclined to think maybe the young director is right after all. John Huston starts work on his picture at the same time as the screen writer. In the case of “In This Our Life,” his latest directorial assignment, an old friend and ex-collaborator, Howard Koch, was assigned to prepare the screen treatment. At the same time, Huston, working with miniature sets prepared for him by the Warner art department, prepared the action for the actors in the scale models. He has daily confabs with the cameraman. John does not regard the cameraman as the “guy who just shoots the scene.” Anyone who saw “The Maltese Falcon” will understand. John regards the cameraman of vital importance and works with him from the time there is something to show. The cast having been announced, the picture’ being rapidly readied for production, ambling, easy-spoken Huston drops in casually on his players. “How do you see that character” he inquires softly. He is always pleased to receive actor’s comments. So by the time the cameras start exposing film, the greater part of John Huston’s work is finished. Olivia Finds Marriage Worthwhile—In Movies Marriage is a career, they say, but for a strange sort of proof of the proposition you need look no further than Olivia de Havilland. By a curious twist of fate, Olivia, who has yet to take her first hesitant step toward the altar, is the best-married star of the screen. If anyone’s making a career of marriage,” she says with grammatical nicety, ETS lee What is even more interesting is that Olivia’s screen marriages are full of the spice of life, which is variety. Take some of the pictures she has made this year. In “They Died With Their Boots On,” Olivia is the ideal wife in an ideal marriage. Her husband in this one is Errol Flynn, impersonating General George Armstrong Custer, he of the famous “last stand.” What wife wouldn’t relish standing by her husband when others had lost faith? “A wonderful and fruitful relationship,” comments the much-mar ried bachelor-actress. In “The Male Animal” Olivia is married again, this time to Henry Fonda, a young college professor caught between his ideals and a group of college politicians. “That was an interesting marriage while it lasted,” says Miss de Havilland. “It was a typical American marriage, which is to say that it consisted of a little fighting, lots of affection, and a real understanding’between two people.” And now in her current picture at the Strand, Olivia is married again. This marriage is the crux of the story, because her own sister, a vixenish character done up brown by Bette Davis, runs off with her husband, Dennis Morgan. “TI fail as a wife in this one,” declares Olivia. “You can’t play at marriage as often as I have,” she says, “without learning something. I’ve been a career-girl in the marriage line and I have a feeling I’d make good at it.” FRANK CRAVEN ADDS ANOTHER FINE ROLE TO o/-VEAR CAREER Beneath the quiet demeanor, the tranquil manner of Frank Craven, a slight and balding man with a twinkle in his blue eyes and a pipe clenched eternally in his teeth, lies what turns out to be the most amazing set of facts embodied in any one theatrical personage. Just as a Starter, for example, Frank Craven regards as novices actors who point with pride to a mere thirty or thirty-five years in show business. He has been at it for exactly fiftyseven years. And, what’s more, Frank Craven is still not playing bent-over old men with beards down to here. In addition to acting, he is the author of sixteen plays. Right now, he’s playing father to Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland in Warner Bros.’ “In This Our Life,” at the Strand theatre. He’s still, he points out, a long way from grandfathers. Veteran Frank Craven is still strictly the father type. Some of the memorable plays which bear the by-line “by Frank Craven” are “The First Year,” “The 19th Hole,” and “That’s Gratitude.” Besides being the author, Craven has also starred and even co-produced some of his plays. Difficult Makeup Job For Bette Davis’ Role Most elaborate makeup Bette Davis has worn since “Elizabeth and Essex” will be worn by the dramatic star in her current Warner Bros. picture, “In This Our Life.” Paradoxically, the story is a modern one and the clothes Orry-Kelly has designed for Bette are all modish and upto-the-minute. The role Bette plays is that of a small-town belle who selfishly breaks up her sister’s marriage and ruins her family. Bette and Perc Westmore, Warner makeup chief, have decided on a lighter shade of hair for the picture and a facial makeup that will establish the heartless, ervel character she will portray and yet make her appear charming and attractive. Walter Huston Plays Bit Part In Son’s Film Walter Huston will again play a bit part in the picture to be directed by his son, John, for Warner Bros. In John’s first directorial effort, “The Maltese Falcon,” Walter played a dying man and spoke but three lines. “In This Our Life,” John’s latest bit of directing, which stars Bette Davis, Walter will play a bartender and say one line. As before, a regular bit player will receive his check. “I expect to play a part in every one of his pictures,” said Walter. Still TL 26; Mat 201—30c FAMILY GATHERING. The home of the Timberlakes, a once proud family, is the prominent setting of Warner Bros.’ “In This Our Life," now playing at the Strand Theatre. Shown above are Charles Coburn, Bette Davis, Dennis Morgan and Olivia de Havilland.