Lilly Turner (Warner Bros.) (1933)

Chatterton Wrings Your Heart “Lilly Turner’? Throbs and love with her. Incredible as such a romance may seem when outlined in cold words, Ruth Chatterton and George Brent succeed in making it 3rd day of run ___|McHugh Was Really Hurt Staging Fight For “‘Lilly Turner’’ 4th day of run “*Lilly Turner’’ Role Fulfilled Life Long Ambition for Kibbee (reams ott at Thrills With Her Power Strong Supporting Cast Aids Star as Tarnished _ Cooch Dancer and Medicine Show ‘“‘Come-on” (Review) NCE again Ruth Chatterton has established her right to be considered the first dramatic actress of her generation upon the screen, by virtue of “Lilly Turner,’’ time locally at the her performance as the star of which First National presented for the first Theatre last night. It is not too much to assert that no other star could have equalled her astounding delineation of the soiled, bedraggled queen of the carnivals and sideshows who emerges, through tragedy, to a loftiness of self-sacrifice that brought hundreds of plaudits from the spectators. In its tremendous sweep, Ruth Chatterton’s “Lilly Turner’ recalls no other performance save one or two of the star’s most outstanding successes. It ranks in power with her “Madame X,” though there is no son in this story to lend the unique note of pathos that only such a situation as the one climaxing the famous French play can give. Outdoes ‘Frisco Jenny” Frankly this reviewer welcomes Chatterton in “Lilly Turner” as a great relief from the highly polished and highly sophisticated roles she had been playing prior to “Frisco Jenny.” It is evident the movie fans feel the same way. We understand the production executives at ~ Warner Bros.-First National studios, whose business it is to sense the publie’s taste, had a difficult time convincing Chatterton that the fans want to see her in “Frisco Jenny” roles, when they first asked her to do that picture. However, following the sensational success of “Frisco Jenny,” Chatterton threw all her dignity to the four winds. Believe it or not she actually appears in tights and diaphanous costumes as a cooch dancer in “Lilly Turner.” Her characterization is so superb, so human, that sobs mingled with gasps of admiration as we watched her. To our minds, “Lilly Turner” transcends in power and dramatic appeal her last picture, “Frisco Jenny,” because it savors less of theatrical melodrama and goes deeper into genuine human emotions than the story of the Barbary Coast ever did. “Lilly Turner” is a story of lights jand shadows, of heights and depths —with the shadows and the depths darkening most of the dram’, un til the appearance of the young man who to her utter amazement, despite her tarnished past falls in | Finely Supported magnificently believable and true. Earlier, the star delineates, before the eyes of an enthralled audi ence, the gradual disintegration of Lilly Turner from the time her bigamous husband deserts her until she is the cynical, hard-boiled queen of the medicine show, posing alternately as the unmoral cooch dancer and physical culture model. William Wellman’s direction of the picture is no small factor in its successful appeal. Miss Chatterton, revealing new sides of her amazing ability as an artist in every sense, was splendidly seconded by a cast of unusual power. Guy Kibbee was present with one of his typical characterizations as the lecherous medicine show doctor. Frank McHugh, as the kind-hearted “spieler” who offers Lilly Turner the protection of his name, but can’t give up drinking to please her, turns in the finest performance of his career. Marjorie Gateson, Robert Barrat, Gordon Westcott and Grant Mitchell —to name only a few of the numerous supporting cast—were excellent in their various roles. As Miss Chatterton’s leading man, George Brent has the first real opportunity he has been given for many months to demonstrate the strength of his personality and the power of his artistry. He acquits himself with brilliance from the ést scene to the last. months to come as Ruth Chatterton’s masterpiece, and one of the conspicuous successes of a tumultuous season. If you liked “Frisco Jenny,” you'll love “Lilly Turner.” Opening Day Story Ruth Chatterton in Amazing New Role Ruth Chatterton comes to the............ theatre today in the most astounding characterization she has ever portrayed on the screen—in the title role of the First National picture ‘‘ Lilly Turner.’? As Lilly Turner, the ‘‘Cooch’’ dancer and come-on girl for a ecarnival, she has in this picture more clandestine love affairs than most actresses portray in a lifetime. She flits from one love to another with a wild abandon inspired by cruel mistreatment at the hands of her first lover. It is not until she finally awakens to real love that ghosts of her many sweethearts rise up to haunt her. The picture, based on the stage success by Phillip Dunning and George Abbott, reveals the life behind the scenes of the players in the tawdry medicine tent shows and the glamorous carnivals. Gone is the stately Miss Chatterton, of the society drawing room: In ‘‘Lilly Turner’’ is Chatterton, cooch dancer who wiggles her hips and jiggles her chest muscles to fascinate and lure the male; the poseur in pink tights and flimsy, transparent costumes. Never, it is said, has she given such a powerful characterization as that of Lilly Turner, the girl who flaunts her charms to devastate the heart of the male; whose life is one of butterfly gaiety on the surface and bitter heartaches beneath. ‘‘Tilly Turner’’ is a vivid, realistic story with frivolity and pathos and real dramatic power. George Brent plays the leading masculine role opposite Miss Chatterton, the first time the two have been teamed together since their marraige last Fall. Others in the cast include Frank McHugh, Ruth Donnelly and Guy Kibbee. The direction was in the hands of William A. Wellman who directed Miss Chatterton in ‘‘Frisco Jenny.’’ Ist day of run Accident Aids Star 2nd day of run Brent Beats McHugh of *‘Lilly Turner’ to |At Memorizing Part Opens at... Today; Put Over Realism/For “Lilly Turner’ Ruth Chatterton couldn’t do -a hoochi coochi dance one day, because she had hurt her hand. So her movie director had her become a mother instead, using the pain from the injured hand to create added realism in the scene. Not that the dance required any particular action of the hands. In fact it is largely done by wriggling the hips and shaking the muscles of the chest. But a bandaged hand does not go so well with the flimsy and abbreviated costume vf a cooch dancer. The dance is a scene in the First National picture, ‘‘Lilly Turner,’’ now playing at the Theatre, in which Miss Chatterton has the role of a performer in a carnival tent show. The evening before the day she was scheduled to do the dance scene she caught her hand in an automobile door and two fingers were crushed. Miss Chatterton gamely appeared on the set, although her face was pale from the agony she was suffering. Director William A. Wellman looked her over and shook his head. She was entirely too pale, her hand was bandaged and he feared that the contortions would make the injury worse. Then a bright thought struck him. In one of the sequences Miss Chatterton goes to the hospital. ‘Perfect! ’’ said Bill. ‘‘You’re all pale around the gills. You’ll register the agony of a hospital patient and you ean keep your hand under the covers so it won’t show. So the company was shifted to another set where the hospital had been built, and Miss Chatterton lay in bed all day and suffered. The cooch dance scene was not forgotten, but was taken at a later day when Miss Chatterton had somewhat recovered from her injury. George Brent, who has the leading masculine role with Ruth Chatterton in the star’s latest First National production, ‘‘Lilly Turner,’’ now at the Theatre, has the reputation of being the fastest ‘‘study’’ at the studio. He possesses what is popularly known as.a ‘‘ photographic memory,’’ made so by years of training in stock companies. During the production of ‘‘Lilly Turner,’’ George and Frank McHugh, also a member of the company, engaged in a memory test to determine which one could get the dialogue of a scene by heart in the shortest time. Frank is no slouch, either, when it comes to mopping up the ‘‘sides’’ of a part. By they chose a_sequence in ‘‘Lilly Turner’’ that was three pages long, neither of them had Miss Chatterton and the players agreement, ever read. other with their scenes under the direction of William A. Wellman, while George and Frank retired to another section of the big stage and began to ‘‘cram.’’ went on When the showdown came, George Brent beat Frank McHugh by almost five minutes. George’s exact time was twenty-four and a half minutes. Frank’s was a trifle over twenty-eight minutes. ‘*There’s nothing like a few years in a stock company to cultivate and improve one’s memory,’’ laughed George afterward. ‘‘You’re carrying two plays in your head all the time— the one you’re playing that week and the one you are rehearsing for the following week—and studying a third in your spare moments.’’ “Lilly Turner” will rank £--——~ nv_ Guy Kibbee is realizing an old and all-but-forgotten boyhood ambition of his in playing the role of ‘Doe’? McGill, traveling miracle man, gland specialist and all-around rejuvenator, Not every actor knows how to fight a film fight and that makes it tough on the player who has to take a cinematie licking for the benefit of the camera. in Ruth Chatterton’s latest First NaFranck McHugh, as Ruth Chatter= ; . i ae pe 3 ton’s husband | tional picture, ‘‘Lilly Turner,’’ now inher: newb ths Theatre. First National! xKipbee, when ten years old, was picture, “Lilly consumed with a burning desire to be a traveling medicine man, at the head of his own show. He says he never missed any of the medicine shows that came to the Texas town where he lived. Turner,’ now Theatre, faced such a dilemma during the filming of that picture. ““Boy, what a kick I used to get out of listening to the Doc’s sonorous periods, as he rolled off his spiel He was to be “knocked into a cocked hat,” RUTH the script said,| spout the 1 “aniedina.2? asia CHATTERTON by Gordon a ee is ase ous remedies,’’ sai Out No. 2 Westcott, a Kibbee. ‘‘I used to go home after Cut 15cMat 5c youthful actor|ome of those sessions and practice who was admittedly not trained in “pulling punches.” What added to the complications was that William A. Wellman, a glutton for realism, was to direct the scene. All through his lunch hour McHugh worried aloud and at Iength about the scene which was so shortly to be followed. ‘¢T’ll get it in the neck sure,’’ he grumbled. ‘‘Gordon’s nervous about reeling off the rigmarole myself. I thought I was pretty good, too. ‘fA little show of some kind—a blackface act, or a singing and daneing number, an oriental dancer, a rope-spinner, a monologist — always preceded the business part of the performance. The glamor of it was real. I believed every word those old fakirs + t a tak a3 t uttered. it too an at means curtains for : ewe Re Frankie McHugh, You wait and atest on OE ae a re Rees eae a wa “LUIL 4 da “p-~7 é -| ture. old boy as he And those who waited saw McHugh! Jooked tu a of an unsophisti taking the licking of his life. Wellman saw to it. He never takes a fight scene but once. And he had said nothing to Westcott about ‘‘pulling his punches.’’ cated youth . was in those days.’’ George Brent has the leading male role opposite Miss Chatterton in ‘<Tally Turner,’’ while others in the east include Frank McHugh, Ruth Donnelly, Robert Barrat, Marjorie climax of ‘‘Lilly Turner,’’ a glamor-| Gateson, Gordon Westcott and Grant ous picture of tent show life with! Mitchell. William A. Wellman diMiss Chatterton the Carnival Queen. | rected. The fight leads up to the smashing Ruth Chatterton and Guy Kibbee as they are seen in First National’s exciting drama “Lilly Turner.” The story deals with the hectic adven tures of a wandering side show and serves as the most stirring screen vehicle Miss Chatterton has ever had. Out No.7 Out 80c Mat 10c Page Seven