Jezebel (Warner Bros.) (1938)

(Lead) Bette Davis In ‘Jezebel’ Coming Friday | **Jezebel,”” a colorful and exciting romantic drama of the Deep South shortly before the Civil War, will be the feature attraction next Friday at the Strand Theatre. Bette Davis is co-starred with Henry Fonda, George Brent and Margaret Lindsay. Other noted and popular players in the cast include Fay Bainter, Donald Crisp, Richard Cromwell, Henry O'Neill, John Litel and Spring Byington. The picture was directed by William Wyler from a screenplay by Abem Finkel and Clements Ripley. Miss Davis, who won the Academy Award as the best actress in 1935, declares that this is the best Picture part she has ever had, not excluding her great work as the slavey in “Of Human Bondage” with Leslie Howard. She is a wilful, spoiled, tempestuous young Dixie belle who achieves the name of the wicked Biblical character Jezebel because she defies Southern tradition. She breaks hearts with dashing unconcern. She smokes, she prefers juleps to sherry — in short she’s a modern miss in an_ old-fashioned setting. She has two favorite suitors, one a conservative young banker, played by Mr. Fonda, and the other, a handsome young rake, portrayed by Mr. Brent. The period is that of the great yellow fever scourge in New Orleans in the early 1850's. Costumes, settings, dialogue and all the other atmospheric conditions of that day are said to be faithfully reproduced. Previewers consider ‘Jezebel’ tops in 1938 entertainment. A ‘JEZEBEL’ ROSE Research for Bette Davis’ current motion picture, “‘Jezebel’’ coming soon to the Strand, developed an unexpected complication in providing the stage gardens with the proper kind of roses grown in Louisiana in 1850. Joe Trusty, head of the Studio's Flower Room says, ‘We discovered that most of the brilliant varieties of roses now popular are hybrids developed within the past forty or fifty years. The rose which was agreed on by technical experts for use in Miss Davis’ picture is a full-blown, pinkish orange, streaked a bit with red, which is described as something like the Talisman rose. a ee Mat 103—15c HENRY FONDA is featured with Bette Davis in “Jezebel,” a colorful and romantic saga of New Orleans. It comes to the Strand on Friday. Page Four Country of origin U.S.A. Copyright 1938 Vitagraph, Inc. HALF ANGEL — HALF SIREN and all woman! Bette Davis “Jezebel,” a dashing, production for Warne Dramatic stars don’t get to the top all by themselves. A good many men and women help them up the ladder — sometimes as many as fifty. Bette Davis, star of Warner Bros.’ ““Jezebel,"” the Deep South drama that opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre, had some thirty Persons giving her aid on the way to stardom. John V. A. Weaver, poet, playwright and husband of Peggy Wood, was the first person to put out his hand to Miss Davis. She was <n usher in the Cape Cod playhouse where Miss Wood was star and Weaver gave Miss Davis letters of introduction to New York theatre managers. Through the letters she got her first real job as an actress. The next man who gave Miss Davis a boost was James Light, director for the Provincetown players. Then Frank Conroy, an actor, got her an introduction to George Cukor, then a stage director, and Cukor gave her a good part in a play. It was Cecil Clevelli, who was directing Blanche Yurka, who had confidence enough in Miss Davis to introduce her to Miss Yurka and get her the part in “The Wild Duck” that brought her to the attention of the New York critics. Then Miss Yurka herself gave Miss Davis a good deal of help in the form of valuable advice. Miss Davis lists Raymond Moore, manager of the Cape playhouse as one of her helpers. Moore gave her parts with his company three summers in a row. She also lists Minor Watson and Laura Hope Crews as helpers — they were the stars of Moore’s company. She feels more indebted to Marion Gering, now a film director, than to most people. It was Gering who gave her her first big Broadway role in “Broken Dishes.”’ It was this role which brought her to the attention of the film producers. Donald Meek, star of the show, gave her invaluable advice, she says. Next on Miss Davis’ list is Murray Kinnell who suggested to George Arliss that she could play the feminine lead in ‘“‘The Man Who Played God.” Arliss is on the list for having confidence enough in her to give her the part. Miss Davis credits Richard Barthelmess for helping her get the feminine role in ‘“‘The Cabin in the Cotton.”’ She also gives Perc Westmore, head of the Warner Makeup Department, a good deal of credit for teaching her his secrets. Mat 301 —45c with her many-sided , genius, plays glamorous and heartless siren of the Old South. “Jezebel,” a W r Bros., is one of this year’s stellar illiam Wyler films coming to the Strand on Friday. Bette Davis Credits Man Y For Helping Her To T. op (Advance) All rights reserved. Copyright is waived to magazines and newspapers. (Advance) No Difference In Love Scenes” 1850 to 1938 Love hasn't changed much down through the ages, in the opinion of several directors who have been working simultaneously on love scenes dated 1210, 1850 and 1938. Still pictures made on each set show almost identical poses. Thirteenth century love is being demonstrated on the set of ‘“‘Adventures of Robin Hood,” between Errol Flynn as Robin Hood and Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian. She clings to him and his arms encircle her. His chin whiskers tickle her forehead. Pre-Civil War love scenes were enacted the same day between Bette Davis and Henry Fonda for the Picture “‘Jezebel,”’ coming soon to the Strand. Still pictures show that she clings to him and that his arms are around her shoulders, and although Fonda wears no chin whiskers, his well brushed sideburns serve almost the same purpose. On another stage, a few days earlier, Willard Parker, blond young giant, new to pictures but who used to pose for collar ads in New York, had held Jane Bryan in the same way when registering love for the camera for the picture, ‘A Slight Case of Murder,” in which they supply the young love interest in support of Edward G. Robinson. More than seven hundred years intervene between these pictured romances—yet fundamentally they were the same in almost every way. And the studio’s technical and research experts agreed that this is the way love has been made for far more than seven centuries. GETS SINGING BOX Fay Bainter, one of the stars of Warner Bros.’ ‘‘Jezebel,”” which is coming soon to the Strand, has for her hobby the collection of music boxes. She added a prize specimen to her collection recently, acquired in rather an odd fashion. Driving from the studio to her home she saw a little boy sitting on the curb playing the music box, which proved to be 150 years old. She stopped and asked him where he got it. The boy told her that his mother had given it to him and that he wanted to sell it. Fay accompanied the boy home, found that his story was true and gave him a bicycle for the music box. ce Mat 107—15c GEORGE BRENT — As a hard-riding, hard-fighting, Southern dandy, featured opposite Bette Davis in “Jezebel”’ coming to the Strand. ae