Jezebel (Warner Bros.) (1938)

(Current) Bette Davis’ ‘Jezebel’ Is Wicked Gal With Bette Davis as star, ““Jezebel,”” pronounced by previewers to be the best picture of her highly successful career, will have its first local showing at the Strand Theatre today. This is a Warner Bros. drama with its action laid in New Orleans in the early 1850’s just before the yellow fever scourge descended upon the picturesque city. Miss Davis portrays a_ spoiled, utterly selfish young socialite who takes pleasure in scoffing at all the ancient traditions of her class and period. But she is regenerated in the end by sacrifices she makes to help her chief suitor, played by Henry Fonda. A rival beau is played by George Brent. Other capable performers in the high class supporting cast include Margaret Lindsay, Fay Bainter, Donald Crisp, Richard Cromwell, Henry O'Neill, John Litel, Spring Byington, Janet Shaw and Margaret Early. *‘Jezebel’’ was originally a successful stage play by Owen Davis, Sr. It was adapted for the screen by Abem Finkel and Clements Ripley and directed by William Wyler. PLENTY OF JULEPS One of the oddest charges ever placed on the budget of a motion Picture, appears on the cost sheet of Warner Bros.’ ‘Jezebel,’ the deep South drama that is now showing at the Strand Theatre. “For Fresh Mint — $9.50,”’ the bill reads. The mint was used in the mint juleps the stars drank in the film. Pat Patterson, the property man, put in a fresh supply during every day of production. HAD SAILOR GRANDPA Bette Davis, the film star, has sent to the “folks back home’’— on Cape Cod — for the Davis family tree. It’s a book, in which she hopes to find accounts of an ancestor — a sea captain who was captured by Jean Lafitte and later founded a family in New Orleans, the locale of her new Warner Bros. film, “Jezebel.” EXPENSIVE WEAPONS The two pistols used by George Brent and Richard Cromwell in the duel scene for Warner Bros.” “‘Jezebel,’’ are museum pieces each worth $1250. ‘‘Jezebel’’ is a drama of old New Orleans starring Bette Davis. Mat 110 — 15c MARGARET LINDSAY—Dark-eyed glamor girl who plays a featured role in “Jezebel,” at the Strand. Page Ten SIREN OF THE SOUTH—Heartless Mat 207 — 30c and beautiful, tender and tem peramental is Bette Davis in the title role of “Jezebel” at the Strand. VERSATILE DIRECTOR William Wyler, who directed “Jezebel’’ for Warner Bros. studio, discovered a new way to keep his company entertained. He played the harmonica between “‘takes.”’ e WALTZED 36 MILES In the ballroom sequence of Warner Bros.’ ‘“‘Jezebel,’’ Bette Davis and Henry Fonda waltzed an estimated 36 miles. The sequence took a week to film and several takes were made of each scene. e IS TINIEST ACTRESS Margaret Early, one of the stars of Warner Bros.” ‘Jezebel’ is probably the smallest actress in pictures. She’s just five feet tall. KEPT THEM BUSY Ten seamstresses worked two weeks to make the red evening dress Bette Davis wears in the Proteus Ball scene of “Jezebel.” e RECORDS HELP BETTE Bette Davis, starring in “‘Jezebel”’ as a New Orleans girl of the 50's, had disc recordings of words in common use made by a New Orleans teacher. She played them to learn the desired accent. e FROM FAMOUS TOWN Janet Shaw, now appearing in “Jezebel” comes from Beatrice, Nebraska, which gave Harold Lloyd and Robert Taylor to Hollywood. (2 column Photo Layout) Her Play-By the sea because the changing moods fit into her own. vale da ites Htovie Stars BETTE DAVIS Her Home-From leafy seclusion it overlooks all Hollywood and the heights crowned byMountWilsonObservatory. Her Pets-A black Scottie and a white Sealyham. of the Her Work~Movie acting. Here | she is in a scene with Henry Fonda in her latest Warner Bros. picture—“Jezebel.” Mat 201 — 30c K Mud-Slinging New Sport In Movie Studio Ordinarily, motion picture studios don’t hire men to throw mud at their stars. But recently, at Warner Bros.’ studio, a couple of “grips” got paid for chucking mud at Bette Davis. It was real, not synthetic, and. they splashed it all over a $250 dress. No one was mad at Miss Davis. They muddied her up for a scene in “Jezebel,” now showing at the Strand Theatre, where she reaches the bedside of Henry Fonda, stricken with yellow fever, after fighting her way through a swamp. One can't fight one’s way through a swamp without collecting considerable mud, even if one is as pretty as Miss Davis. There was no swamp on Stage 15 where the scene was filmed under William Wyler’s direction. There was only a plasterer’s tank with four inches of gooey mud in it. Two “grips’’ stood by the tank stirring it with shovels. The set was the interior of a bedroom in an old New Orleans home in the year 1853. When Miss Davis appeared on the set, there was no mud on her dress. That was natural because she had only come from her dressing room, a couple of blocks from the stage, and the lot was quite dry. The dress she was wearing was a beautiful white and blue affair. Director William Wyler pointed to the plasterer’s tank. “Stand in there,” he said. Obligingly Miss Davis stepped into the make-shift swamp. “Splash her,’ said Wyler. The men with the shovels looked at Miss Davis and they looked at the dress and you could see they weren't very keen about their job. “Not that way,” said Wyler. ““She’s supposed to have fought her way through a swamp. The way you're doing it she'll look like she merely stepped in a mud puddle.” He grabbed a shovel and threw mud all over the skirt. Another shovel full of mud was splashed on her and another and another. Director Wyler nodded his approbation. Finally he said that was fine and Miss Davis stepped out of the tank. She shook herself and splattered all over the floor. When she was dry, Wyler had her take her place by the bed and begin taking care of the yellow fever victim. Mat 101 — 15¢ JEZEBEL—Bette Davis in the wick edest, womanliest and greatest of all her roles at the Strand Theatre.