Ladies They Talk About (Warner Bros.) (1933)

ADVANCE FEATU SPECIAL NEWSPAPER ART BARBARA STANWYCK and PRESTON S. FOSTER in a scene from “Ladies They Talk About,’ opening at the Strand Theatre....... next. Cut No.12 Cut 80c Mat 10c Advance Feature RES NET ANE TESTIS CRE TTL OTA REE TOTTI POS IEE Sereen Heavy Finally Preston S. Foster After Numerous Pictures as Villain, Is a Minister With Barbara Stanwyck HE leopard may not be able to change his spots, but Preston S. Foster can. After a lurid screen career in which he has praetically plumbed the depths of human brutality and depravity before the cameras Preston has gone and ‘got religion.’ As Brother Slade, high-powered evangelist in Barbara Stanwyck’s latest starring vehicle, ‘‘Ladies They Talk About,’’ which opens at the Le Theatre on 2s sco... <.. Preston battles for the right and wrestles with the devil as wholeheartedly and powerfully as he ever led the forces of evil in his earlier pictures. For a while it looked as if Preston Foster had a corner on all the heavies and bad men, that were in circulation—all that he had time to play, at any rate. His screen career began fairly auspiciously with the role of the good-natured, hard-headed _ riveter pal of Eddie Robinson in “Two Seconds.” Preston hadn’t gone ‘heavy’ then, but in “Doctor X,” he became a-monster as the unbalanced scientist whose insane experiments formed the basis of that mystery drama. There was a little respite for him when he played one of the surgeons in “Life Begins,” starring Loretta Young, and he wasn’t a half-bad sort in the football picture, “All American.” Went Completely Bad Then Preston went completely ‘to the bad’ once more as Killer Mears in “The Last Mile.” Immediately following that, in “I’m A Fugitive From A Chain Gang,” starring Paul Muni, Foster added another blot to his motion picture scutcheon as the hobo killer whose murder of a lunch wagon proprietor landed Muni in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, -and precipitated the tragedies of the story. Even in Joe E. Brown’s latest starring success, “You Said A Mouthful,’’? Preston was in the ‘heavy’ corner as the arrogant, egotistical swimming star who tries to frighten and bulldoze Joe out of both the girl and the swimming race. In his role as “Brother Slade’ Foster has received a reprieve from the “heavies,” making his debut as a leading man. During the produetion of “Ladies They Talk About” Preston strode up and down the platform in the big tent tabernacle while his congregation was singing fervently Hymn 229, before he walked down to the mourner’s bench where Barbara Stanwyck, star of the picture, was kneeling at the rail with other sinners. Almost a Minister “This role of a minister, now,” he said smiling. “You know my people did their best to make one of me. While I was still a kid, trying to decide whether I wanted to be a fireman or a policeman, my people came to the conclusion that I ought to be a preacher. “For a time I guess they thought there was a chance of the dream coming true. We lived in a little town in New Jersey, and I was a member of the choir in the village church. They thought it would be just a step from the choir to the pulpit. However, I stepped the other way. Stepped from Choir “T started in on radio work, then I became interested in grand opera and started playing bits. After a the offer. It was only when studio = wea aS ae Advance Feature Ex-San Quentin Prisoner Was Technical Advisor on Barbara Stanwyck Film *“‘Ladies They Talk About’ Is Doubly Authentic As Author Herself Had Served Time in Jail OLLYWOOD, long aware that audiences critically demand accuracy in their movies, uses the ‘‘technical advisor’’ system. By it each picture has assigned a person possessed of a thorough knowledge of the subject being filmed. The technical advisor must see that every tiny detail is accurate and logical in the picturization of a subject. Air pictures have reputable fliers on hand for this purpose; sea pictures have experienced mariners to point out mistakes; their profession. Barbara Stanwyck’s ‘‘Ladies They Talk About,’’ based on the play by Dorothy Mackaye in collaboration with Carlton Miles and opening at GOs oe HOA CTO< OW ss iec-ccceee ene A the studio sought the services of a technical advisor. Because the story revolves about women in prison, it meant that a technical advisor with a knowledge of women prisons was needed. Working undercover with the assistance of prison authorities who carefully guard the whereabouts of ex-prisoners to save them from persecution and public taunt, communication was finally established with a woman who had served time in the San Quentin penitentiary. An offer of employment meant much to her, for at the moment she was facing a _ condition bordering on poverty. Pride, however, meant more to her and she refused Is promised to conceal her iden Spoke to Few She was a quiet person, this exprisoner technical advisor. She came on the movie set and subsided immediately into the background. She spoke to few people and only when she arose to lend assistance to Director Howard Bertherton or his associate director, William Keighley, was she seen. There was none of the hardness generally associated with people of her type and unconcernedly she quietly observed the strange swirl of activity about her. Mary, as we will term her, for that wasn’t her name, formed an acquaintance with Barbara Stanwyck, the star of the picture. Miss Stanwyck displayed an honest interest in the problems of the unfortunate women confined in prison and once Mary had learned this she talked. Each day during the making of the picture, Mary appeared promptly each morning quietly dressed. A feeling of reserve seemed to hold her back— kept her from soliciting friendship of those about her. Never did she ap OOOO couple of years I was singing some of the important second roles. And after that it was pictures. This is probably as near to the ministry as Tll ever get, I’ll bet a plugged nickel that the folks back East will think it my finest role.” “Ladies They Talk About” reveals the intimate life of the women behind the bars of San Quentin prison with the glamorous romance of a young evangelist who is infatuated with a beautiful though none too virtuous prisoner, played by Barbara Stanwyck. The sereen play by Sidney Sutherland and Brown Holmes, is based on the play by Dorothy Mackaye and Carlton Miles, and is a picturization of Miss Mickaye’s own experiences in San Quentin, where she was sent after the tragic death of her husband. Others in the cast include Lyle Talbot, Dorothy Burgess, Lillian Roth, Maude Eburne, Harold Huber, Ruth Donnelly, Robert Warwick, Helen Ware, De Witt Jennings and Robert McWade. The picture was directed by Howard Bretherton and William Keighley. of a prison, she declared that it medical authorities check on stories and scenes which concern When Warner Bros. began the filming of proach anyone on the set except those with whom she had business to discuss. Alone she sat watching the reenactment of the unpleasant days behind her when she was a part of the life she was witnessing taking place before the cameras. Tried to Forget ‘*Tve tried,’’ she said, ‘‘to forget all that time I spent up there. I’d almost succeeded, too, when along comes this job. ‘That place’ was all she ever termed San Quentin. Asked if the prison sets before her appeared real, she replied: ‘‘Real? They’re too real for me! ’? : Few people associated with the making of ‘‘Ladies They Talk About’’ knew that Mary was an ex| prisoner. Her wishes for secrecy were: carefully observed. Aalaad ak-a-+-+ tha ~wark +r one of the benefits of imprisonmen that it was a special favor to be granted only those who behaved. — Those who committed infractions of the rules were denied the privilege of work. The fedr of that denial of activity, caused the hardest women to observe the rules. Mary elaborated about ‘that place’ as she told of the various phases of life within the prison walls. Interesting comments came in profusion, for she was entirely unaware of the colorful aspect she gave each subject she discussed about the life of prison inmates. ; Cells aren’t cells. Each girl refers to ‘her room’ and in each are various decorations and knick-knacks to lend individuality. No Prison Bars Bars are usually strangely absent in women’s prisons. It has been found that women suffer greater stages of abjectness and moroseness than male prisoners. Too, it has been found, women rarely shake off this ‘‘ beaten spirit’? air acquired through the presence of bars and barred windows. A man with a broken spirit can rise to self-assurance much more easily than a woman. Mary declared that there really RES. wasn’t much for her to do in con| nection with the filming of ‘‘ Ladies They Talk About.’’ ‘‘One of the authors, you know,’’ she advanced, ‘‘ was Dorothy Mackaye who spent some time at San Queniin. Dorothy has certainly brought out realism in this work of hers and Barbara Stanwyck is giving her portrayal extreme effectiveness. I’m not able to suggest anything that Dorothy Mackaye doesn’t know about women in prison.’’ The screen play by Sidney Sutherland and Brown Holmes is a powerful drama of a woman’s struggle with her own soul, with picturesque settings in San Quentin’s women’s department of the California state penitentiary. Those appearing in support of Miss Stanwyck include Preston S. Foster, Lyle Talbot, Dorothy Burgess, Lillian Roth, Maude Eburne, Harold Huber, Ruth Donnelly and DeWitt Jennings. : Page Three