Indianapolis Speedway (Warner Bros.) (1939)

ADVANCE PUBLICITY—"INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDWAY" FAMED CAR WINS SPEED CLASSIC AFTER 19 YEARS After waiting nineteen years, Art Klein’s famous white, twoseated Peugeot racer has at last won the Indianapolis Speedway classic. The famous $25,000 racer was built at the Peugeot works in 1914 for Andre Boilleau, noted French driver. It stood untouched in the Peugeot plant from 1914 to 1919, because of Boilleau’s death as a World War flier. In 1919 Frank Book, Detroit millionaire, put up the money for Art Klein who drove the car in one Indianapolis race. He ended among the leading place winners, but was not first. The next year racing specifications were changed, and Klein’s 300-cubic-inch Peugeot was supplanted by a 1838-cubic-inch car. The bigger cars never came back into speedway acceptance. They were perfectly acceptable, however, to Warner Bros. Studio for “Indianapolis Speedway,” in which Pat O’Brien, John Payne and Frank McHugh appear as the daredevils of speed, and which comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday. O’Brien and Payne drove Art Klein’s $25,000 beauty in the climatic scene of the picture, in which they win the Indianapolis classic. The famous old racing car, after being built in 1914 to contend for the American racing championship, at last has come into its own. SWEETHEARTS OF RACING DRIVERS CAN'T BE SISSIES The actors who learned to master some of the principles of professional auto racing while they were making the new Warner Bros. thriller, “Indianapolis Speedway,” which opens at the Strand Theatre next Friday, got their liveliest impressions about the sport from the wife of “Babe” Stapp, veteran racer who was technical advisor on the film. First and foremost, Mrs. Stapp told Ann Sheridan, Gale Page and Grace Stafford, who were featured in the picture as the wives of racers, an auto driver’s sweetheart must be “able to take it.” “Everybody that stays in the game long enough, will have some kind of a spill or an accident,” Mrs. Stapp confided. “Take my husband. He has been in a dozen of the Indianapolis speedway races — came in fifth in 19389 and made a good little sum in prize money —and he never has been hurt in the 500mile race. “But ‘Babe’ has been hurt three times in his racing cars. His accidents were all on the west coast. And, of course, they didn’t stop him; for accidents never seem to do that to the professionals. Every time ‘Babe’ came back, he drove faster afterward than he ever did before.” Mrs. Stapp’s conclusion was that auto racing was “no game for sissies, either racers or wives.” Too Big For Car Every time six-foot-three-inch John Payne crawled into the specially chartered Indianapolis Speedway racing auto he used in Warner Bros.’ “Indianapolis Speedway,” which comes to the Strand Friday, it was necessary to take the wheel off the car so he could squeeze into the seat. Mat 201 — 30c DANGER AHEAD — when "Oomph Girl’ Ann Sheridan comes between this pair of brothers, played by Pat O'Brien and John Payne. The picture is “Indianapolis Speedway," thrill-packed drama coming to the Strand. Gale Page Proves That Beauty and Brains Are Kin On the screen Gale Page is an irresistible beauty. Admiring eyes and words of affection follow her about. Young ladies wonder how she achieves that exotic look. Older ladies wish they had her charm. All this is very fine, and Gale appreciates it no end. But this Junior Leaguer sees another side besides this adulation. Gale likes to relax. She likes to cook, and she likes the company of children and dogs. Above all, Mat 106 — lic she likes to ex change repartee with the smarter minds that she can find. Her favorite luncheon companions and repartee friends at Warner Bros. Studio, are John Garfield, the year’s acting find; Irving Rapper, dialogue director ; Jeffrey Lynn, new young masculine heart throb; and clever little Bonita Granville. At home, and on the set during the filming of Warner Bros.’ “Indianapolis Speedway,” which opens at the Strand Theatre next Friday, she revealed other accomplishments She cooks. She continues he singing and even finds time to paint a little and to knit sweaters for herself and her niece. She plays a good golf game. The one thing she barely finds time for is the matter of cosmetics. ; “Gosh, I’d like to try out new creams and eye shadow, and lipstick, and lotions,” says Gale, “but I just can’t find the time. By the time I learn my lines, do my knitting and practice my singing, I never seem to get around to try those new make-up tricks that everybody keeps telling me about.” Auto racing, which used to be a thrill reserved for millionaire sportsmen, has now become the game of the small town kid. That’s the word of the famous men of the speedways who took part along with Pat O’Brien, Ann Sheridan, John Payne and Frank McHugh in the Warner Bros. racetrack thriller, “Indianapolis Speedway,” which starts Friday at the Strand Theatre. Nine professional auto racers drove their own famous mounts from the Indianapolis, Oakland, Altoona and the dirt track speedways for high speed sequences in the auto racing film, and not one of them hailed from a background of affluence or elevated social position. Most of them were small town high school boys, farm boys who had always liked to work with machinery, small town youngsters who had gotten their first spending money in odd jobs as grease monkeys around some cross roads garage. “There seems to be something about a small town American boy to make him love to tinker, and make things go fast,” mused Elbert A. (“Babe”) Stapp, the technical adviser for the picture. Stapp was born in a suburb of AUTO RACING NOW OPEN TO ALL San Antonio, Texas, and grew up as a boy around the southeast side of Los Angeles. His interest in wheels and motors placed him in the automotive course at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles. He graduated into short races about California; and then into the competition at the old, and celebrated Ascot Speedway. “The kids that keep the auto racing ranks filled, are generally 17 and 18 years of age when they get started,” Stapp said. “They generally come from small towns where there is county fair racing, or dirt track racing.” “The boys used to break in by working in the shops, and getting a chance to ride as a mechanic,” Fred Friday, midget racing champion, explained. “But twoseat motors went out under the new racing rules several years ago, and now the young fellows are getting their start with the midget cars. “These are cheaper to build and easier to own than the old, high powered, $10,000 or $12,000 cars. The midget cars now operate on dirt tracks in more than 100 American cities, and this new realm of competition spells opportunity for impecunious but ambitious youngsters. ‘Melt °"Em Or Mash °Em?’ Is John Payne's System That has been John Payne’s system for his 26 years. When John was a kid in Roanoke, Va., his mother, formerly of New York grand opera, helped develop a singing voice in her lusty black-haired, young son. He sang in the choir at Episcopal High School in Washington, and continued his singing at college. He has one of those personality-plus tenor voices, the kind that always soften the’ sentiments of those who hear it. That was John’s technique of melting ’em. But he was good at the alternative technique also. As an athelete in prep school, and later at college he played end on the football team, tried out for the swimming team, and turned into a star amateur wrestler. Later, when John insisted on going “on his own” despite the financial backing of his well-todo father, he dabbled for some months in professional wrestling about New York. His lilting voice, however, carried him onto the stage as soon as the stage managers heard him. Payne came to Hollywood two years ago and has already been SAILORS CAN'T MATCH ACTOR IN STRENGTH FEATS John Payne had the time of his life “doing” the amusement concessions along the Long Beach “pike” recently. He attracted the attention of a couple dozen sailors with his feats on the strength machine, and charmed sailors’ girl friends with his impromptu concert at one of the open air sheet music booths where he and his pals took over the piano. The sailors watched the 26year-old actor swing the hammer, blow the bulbs, lift the weights and pull the pulleys on the strength machines without realizing that he had spent years of his life as a wrestler, both amateur and professional, and that he had been a football player, and baseball outfielder. The operator of the strength machine concession said Payne’s record was tops for the amusement season just started. His visit to the amusement center was made during the filming of “Indianapolis Speedway,” Warner Bros.’ auto racing thriller with Pat O’Brien, Frank McHugh, Ann Sheridan and Gale Page, which comes to the Strand Theatre Friday. Fooled By Realism “Babe” Stapp, who has driven in seven or eight Indianapolis races, found the Warner Bros. Studio’s replica of the little speedway cafe so realistic on sound stage eighteen, that he went down the whole length of the pine wood counter trying to find the initials that he had carved into the real restaurant in front of his favorite stool. Stapp is one of the auto racers in “Indianapolis Speedway.” Needed Lessons Gale Page made a _ hurried date to take ice skating lessons from her pal, Jeanne Cagney, Jimmy’s sister, before she accepted an invitation to go out one night and cut a few skating flourishes while filming Warner Bros.’ “Indianapolis Speedway.” featured in one hit musical, “Garden of the Moon,” at Warner Bros. But the two-fisted element in the. young man’s _ personality came to the front in his later pictures. In his latest, Wat 1-62 Bros.’ “Indianapolis Speedway,” which opens Friday at the Strand Theatre, he Del Asyes ea scrappy youngster who skips from his college campus to turn auto racer. Payne was required to show a high level of personal daring and athletic vigor in the filming of this picture. And to crown it all, he won the heart of beguiling Ann Sheridan, proving that he can still melt as well as mash. ‘OOMPH GIRL’ HAS BEST OF BATTLE WITH SPEEDSTER Ann Sheridan had a narrow escape from a serious injury during the filming of the Warner Bros. auto racing thriller, ‘Indianapolis Speedway,” which will open at the Strand Theatre. Ann, gorgeously clad, had to dive hurriedly under the bottom of a partly dismantled racing auto to escape the wrath of Pat O’Brien who was trying to break up her friendship with his kid brother, John Payne. When Ann dived under the auto, Payne was already there, wearing soiled overalls, and working on the nether side of the car. In her hurried attempt to scramble under the car, she gave a shove to the side of the car and it began to roll backwards slowly. Payne, who was midway between the wheels on both sides, was in no danger, but Ann had to make a hurried and vigorous roll to safety alongside the actor, in order to keep out of the way of the wheels as the car slid slowly away from them. Bicycle Built For One Prop men, technicians and assistants who have worked with Director Lloyd Bacon through a long series of pictures and on Warner Bros.’ “Indianapolis Speedway,” which comes to the Strand Theatre next Friday, as an intact unit, took up a pool and purchased a new scarlet and chromium plated bicycle for him. Electricians and metal workers fixed it up with special trouser guards, bells, fog light, speedometer and locks in order to make it the most elaborate bike that ever wheeled into the studio grounds. Mat 102 — l5c One Ace Too Many When Frank McHugh, Warner Bros. comedian who will be seen in “Indianapolis Speedway” when it comes to the Strand Theatre next Friday, had to answer the query as to his most embarrassing moment, he said, “The time I dreamed I was playing poker, and one after another picked up my first four cards, and saw that each of them was an ace. Then, just out of curiosity, I picked up the fifth card, and it was an ace too. That broke up the game. Honestly, it was such a vivid dream that I can’t get myself to play poker any more these days.” Page Twenty-three