Jezebel (Warner Bros.) (1938)

(Advance) Old Time Duel Is Halted By Modern Noises How to film a dueling scene supposed to have taken place in 1850 —in 1938 was the problem facing Director Wyler recently while he was making “‘Jezebel,’’ the drama coming to the Strand Theatre. It is dawn —the proper time for starting a duel. A man in a black cape steps forward, “Are i you ready, gentlemen?”’ heasks. When the others nod in affirmation, he starts counting, his heavy voice monotonous, and the two duelists walk in opposite directions. When he reaches the count of ten, Mat 109 — 1l5c Richard Cromwell they turn and fire. Thus on a Louisiana field of honor the two get satisfaction. Only it isn’t morning and it isn’t 1853. It is 2 o’clock on a Winter day in 1938 and the oak forest is just across the Los Angeles river— or what passes for a river in Southern California — from the Warner Bros. studio. The two Southern gentlemen are George Brent and Richard Cromwell. The man who gives the count is Jack Richardson, the old-time Western actor. It isn’t easy to recapture the past here in Hollywood. The outside world intrudes too often. Out in the valley a freight train whistles mournfully right in the middle of the duel. The sound man presses a button and a buzzer on the camera stops the action. “IT can hear that whistle,’ the sound man calls. ““Couldn’t that bea steam boat on the Mississippi?’’ George Brent asks. “That could only be a Southern Pacific railroad whistle,’’ the sound man calls back. “‘Have to retake it.” Director Wyler Has Clever Plan William’ Wyler, who directed “Jezebel,” the drama now at the Strand for Warner Bros. studio, has discovered a unique way to speed up production. At Wyler's request, Art Director Robert Haas, who designed the “‘Jezebel”’ settings, has made miniatures of all the sets for the director. These miniatures, 28 in all, were placed in one room of Wyler’s Beverly Hills home. Each night after dinner, Wyler put the set he was to use next day in the center of a big table and figured out the shots he was to make. When he reached the studio he knew just what Bette ‘Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Fay Bainter and the other members of the “‘Jezebel’’ cast were to do. This was the first time Wyler had tried out the plan and he says it materially increased his directorial speed. The miniatures were complete in every detail. When he worked with them, Wyler used miniature actors and a miniature camera. SHAKESPEARIAN PET Richard Cromwell, one of the stars of Warner Bros.’ “Jezebel” has for a pet a parrot that can recite half the alphabet. Mat 204 — 30c THE SWEETEST KISS IN DIXIE—From the wickedest woman in the world. Bette Davis is the heartless siren “Jezebel,” and Henry Fonda is the cavalier who wins her love. “Jezebel,”’ a romance of the Old South, comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday. There is one in every theatre — a bush league film critic who goes to the movies to pick flaws in the productions. The bush league critics will probably complain about Bette Davis’ bed in Warner Bros.” ‘“‘Jezebel,”’ now showing at the Strand Theatre. The bed, a four poster, is equipped with box springs. And as “Jezebel” is laid in New Orleans in 1852, there will be a good many bush leaguers who will feel that there were no box springs in New Orleans then. The critics will be wrong. While the New Englanders were sleeping on feather beds or corn husk mattresses laid on crude cowhide covered frames, the New Orleans belles were resting comfortably on box springs. MacLean, who works hand in glove with Dr. Herman Lissauer of the research department, can tell you a good many odd things about the New Orleans of 1852. He knows, for instance, why floors were made of cypress, why few rugs were used and why chairs and tables had feet consisting of brass claws and glass balls. All this was because of the damp which rotted ‘Jezebel’ Film Settings Authentic And Artistic (Advance) floors, rugs and chair legs. Dressing a set in a period picture is a difficult job. A set dresser must be more accurate these days than ever before. That’s because of the flood of home furnishing magazines on the market, according to MacLean. He says that the ordinary citizen knows more about furniture now than the expert used to. Some of the most difficult and expensive items to find were the gas fixtures. At the time of the story, gas was just beginning to be used for illumination in New Orleans and the fixtures were very elaborate, all crystal and glass. None of these fixtures were available and they had to be made. MacLean points out that some of the self-appointed censors may criticize his use of glass domes in *“‘Jezebel.’” The set dresser has used them to cover clocks and statuary instead of as repositories for stuffed birds and flowers. He says that he is right —that in that time glass domes had a real use — they kept the moisture off fine clocks. In the cast of “‘Jezebel,’’ besides Miss Davis, are Henry Fonda, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Fay Bainter and other noted players. Mat 206 — 30c MEN FOUGHT FOR HER SMILE—Bette Davis, in her latest and greatest role as ‘“‘Jezebel’’—plays with the hearts of George Brent and Henry Fonda. “Jezebel” comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday. (Advance) Donald Crisp Of Film Fame A Banker Too Donald Crisp, fine film actor and former director, is on the Board of Directors of the Bank of America in Hollywood. Crisp has been a director for 15 years and has been the man who passed judgment on the advisability of all film loans. He put the okay on loaning Walt Disney the money for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’’— convinced the bankers they couldn't lose. Once he turned down a request for a $300,000 loan to a producer to 5 exploit a foreign Mat 105—I15c star. Said it would hethee: fe ee to spend the money exploiting known quantities. He also passes on what is good collaterial and what isn’t. Many a time, Crisp has faced the producers on a movie set one day when he was acting and then faced them in the board room next day when they wanted to borrow money. Crisp now has an important part in ‘Jezebel,’ the colorful drama of the Deep South coming to the Strand Theatre. Critics Predict Award For Bette In 1935 Bette Davis received the Motion Picture Academy Award for the best screen performance of the year, the most coveted recognition that a star can receive. She won it for her work in ‘‘Dangerous.”” And now, in 1938, it looks very much as though she will again be the winner for her performance in “‘Jezebel,” the drama which comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday. Quoting Ed Sullivan, movie columnist for New York's Daily News: “Bette Davis in ‘Jezebel’ is a good bet for the 1938 Academy Award . . « She's terrific.” Sullivan is only one of the country’s leading critics who have nominated Bette as their candidate for the honor. Cast as a devastating siren of New Orleans in pre-Civil War days, Bette’s portrayal is said to be magnificent by all the previewers. And the screen public knows that no actress is quite so capable at playing heartless flirts as the dynamic Miss Davis. With her in the cast are George Brent, Henry Fonda, Margaret Lindsay, Fay Bainter, Donald Crisp, Richard Cromwell, John Litel, and many other famous players. William Wyler directed. ‘Jezebel’ Inspires New Torch Tune Inspired by Bette Davis’ grand portrayal of a bewitching siren of the South in “Jezebel,” at the Strand Theatre, Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer wrote a song entitled ‘Jezebel,’ which has been incorporated into the score. Introduced over the air by Guy Lombardo recently, the torchy tune has caught on with other top-notch orchestras, and is the current rave of the airwaves. Several recordings have already been made. ) ee ee nf Page Five