Little Big Shot (Warner Bros.) (1935)

@® PUBLICITY ‘Little Big Shot’ With Sybil Jason Coming to Strand “Little Big Shot”, the Warner Bros. production, which marks the American film debut of the 5 year old genius, Sybil Jason, has been booked for the Theatre ON rates . It is said to be a powerful drama that contains hilarious comedy, touching pathos and a delightful romance. The story by Harrison Jacobs was made into a screen play by three ace writers, Jerry Wald, Julius J. Epstein and Robert Andrews. There is a four star cast headed by Sybil Jason, and_ including Glenda Farrell, Robert Armstrong and Kdward Everett Horton. Sybil, who is not yet six years of age, plays the part of an orphan who is adopted by two men l'ving by their wits. She wins their hearts and eventually brings about their reform, with the aid of Glenda Farrell, who has an entirely different role to her usual vamping, gold-digging parts. In this picture she is a check room girl who knows all the answers, but she longs for a home in the country and love. Robert Armstrong and Edward Everett Horton have the roles of the two near crooks, who fall in love with little Sybil and risk their own necks to get her back from a gang of kidnapers. Armstrong and Horton are responsible for the hilarious laughter in the piece, and also for many tender scenes. Sybil, besides having a real acting role, in which she amazed the hard boiled film colony, also sings, dances and mimics in this picture. There is a large and talented supporting cast which includes Jack LaRue and Arthur Vinton as “the killers”; J. Carroll Naish, Edgar Kennedy, Addison Richards, Joseph Sauers, Emma Dunn, Ward Bond, Tammany Young, Murray Alper, Mare Lawrence and Guy Usher. Michael Curtiz directed the picture. Lyrics and music are by the famous song team of Mort Dixon and Allie Wrubel. Make Up Art Bores Baby Star While other screen players hurry to attend to make-up adjustments while waiting on the set between scenes, the coloring problems that most interest little Sybil Jason don’t relate _ to make-up colors. The sensational five year old British child actress is interested in colors only insofar as they concern crayon coloring. Her first American production is “Little Big Shot,” the Warner Bros. picture, which comes to the Theatre on Little Big Shot Sybil Jason, heralded as the biggest little star of them all, comes to the . Theatre on in’ her first American “Little Big Shot”. Mat No. 108—10c. picture, This 40 pounds of smiling personality is not yet sia years old, but she’s one of the most discussed people in Hollywood. She’s Sybil Jason. Warner Bros’ newest and youngest screen star. She’s coming, together with Glenda Farrell, Robert Armstrong. Edward Everett Horton and a big cast to the Theatre on ........... in “Little Big Shot’. Mat No. 204—20c ‘Little Big Shot’ With 4 Star Cast At Strand Today Four stars appear in the Warner Bros. production, “Little Big Shot,” which opens. atthe .............. Theatre today. The four star cast is headed by Sybil Jason and includes Glenda Farrell, Robert Armstrong and Edward Everett Horton. Sybil is the new baby star, five and a half years old, who was born in Capetown, South Africa, taken to London by her uncle, a famous producer, where she made an instantaneous hit, and stole the two shows in which she appeared, “Barnacle Bill,’ and “Dance Band.” Her success was so marked Warner Bros. signed her to play the stellar role in “Little Big Shot”, in which she sings, dances and mimics, and astonished Hollywood by her talented acting. She is responsible for much of the laughter, as well as the tender scenes in the picture. Glenda Farrell, contrary to her usual chiseling roles, plays the part of a girl with a real heart, although she is still something of a wise cracker who is completely sophisticated, knowing the ways of men. Robert Armstrong and Edward Everett Horton furnish much of the fun as two near crooks. who are always in trouble, but who are entirely reformed through their love of little Sybil, an orphan left on their hands by a gangster just before he is put on the spot. Others in the more important roles include Jack LaRue, Arthur Vinton, J. Carroll Naish, Addison Richards, Emma Dunn, Ward Bond and Tammany Young. The picture is a thrilling drama, which also carries hilarious comedy, pathos and romance. It has as its background the colorful Gay White Way. Harrison Jacobs wrote the story, which was directed by Michael Curtiz from the screen play by Jerry Wald, Julius J. Epstein and Robert Andrews. Music and lyrics are by Allie Wrubel and Mort Dixon. Bob Armstrong Says Fate Drew Him To Theatre Robert Armstrong who has the leading masculine role in the Warner Bros. film, “Little Big Shot”, now showing at the ........ Theatre, declares that some strange twists of fate decided that he was to be an actor, for it was no decision of his own. In his high school days he was the star baseball player of his school, and he decided to follow the sport professionally. Then, during his term at college, he was offered the chance, but refused, for by this time he had decided to become a lawyer. Bob and some college chums organized a vaudeville act to earn some extra money during one summer vacation, and the act was so well received they continued it into the school term. But then, after school had started and _ it was too late for the boys to reenter, public enthusiasm for the act subsided. Bob’s uncle was the late Paul Armstrong, producer and _ playwright. Bob procured a job in_ his uncle’s office, helping him direct and produce, and it was through this daily contact with the theatre, that he at last began to consider the stage as a career. He is now playing in “Little Big Shot”, which is a powerful drama, spiced with hilarious comedy, pathos and romance. Tammany Young Leads A Double Life Tammany Young, stage and screen comic, admits he is living a double life these days. That is professionally speaking. The popular comedian, while working in the Warner Bros. picture, “Little Big Shot,’ now showing at the ............ Theatre, was also busy rehearsing for the stage play, “Daughter of Cain,” which is to be presented locally. (Review) ‘Little Big Shot” And New Child Star Win Triumph Strand Audience Delighted With Sybil Jason and 4. Star Cast In Tense Drama A smashing story with a four star cast, headed by a five and a half year old child, caused a real sensation when the Warner Bros. picture, “Little Big Shot’, the first time locally at the yas shown on the screen for .. theatre yesterday. The story, by Harrison Jacobs, has everything that makes for genuine entertainment, including tense drama, hilarious comedy, tender pathos and a delightful romance. It is a story with the picturesque and colorful background of the Great White Way, depicting the lives of the denizens who make their living by their wits, and some by gangster methods. It is not a gangster picture, although they come into the byplay in their battle against two easygoing men who do not like to work, preferring to pick up a few stray dollars by dubious methods, but who know too many of the secrets of the real gang men. Two men who live by their wits are left in charge of a little orphan girl, a few minutes before the father is put on the spot by the “killers.” A hotel check room girl tries her best to get the two to reform and take care of the child as they should but her efforts are of no avail until the courts take the child from them. Then the two get honest jobs and try to save enough to buy a gas station in the country and get the child back. But the gangsters are after them and kidnap the baby in order to locate them to put them on the spot. They telephone the hat check girl, whom they know to be friendly with the two men, and she tells the two of the message, at the same time calling the police to follow. The two get into the crooks’ den, where they have been lured for the slaughter. Here the plot winds up in a surprising climax, that yesterday brought down the house at {NEES BOG ete Theatre. The new baby star, playing in her first American picture, is Sybil Jason, born in Capetown, South Africa. When but four years old she took London by storm just as she did the theatre crowd yesterday. There is nothing smart or precocious about this little girl. She has an innate artistic talent, playing her part as naturally, and with as little self SYBIL JASON in “Little Big Shot” at the Strand Mat No. 103 10¢ consciousness as though she were playing with her dolls in her nursery. Besides being a talented little actress, she sings, dances with unusual grace, while her impersonations of Mae West, Greta Garbo, and Jimmy Durante amazed. the audience. Glenda Farrell is splendid in a new type of role for her, being on the up-and-up, although a sophisticated girl of the hat check room. Robert Armstrong and Edward Everett Horton, the other two members of the four-star cast, are riotously funny in their roles as tin horns who adopt the baby girl. Jack LaRue and Arthur Vinton do excellent work as the two deadly gamblers and_ killers. Others whose work is of special mention include J. Carroll Naish, Edgar Kennedy, Addison Richards, Joseph Sauers, Emma Dunn, Ward Bond and Tammany Young. Michael Curtiz has done a fine piece of direction which emphasizes every angle of this splendid entertainment. The screen play is by Jerry Wald, Julius J. Epstein and Robert Andrews, while the lyrics and music are by Mort Dixon and Allie Wrubel. In New Role Glenda Farrell, wise cracking golddigger of many film hits, plays a new type role in “Little Big Shot’. in which she is coming to the Theatre on ....... with the sereen’s new child star, Sybil Jason. Mat No. 107—10c 3 Year Old Film Mystery of Dogs Solved by Actor A three year old film mystery has been solved at Warner Bros. studio. The solution came to light when Director Michael Curtiz noticed a dog’s fondness for J. Carroll Naish, character actor, on the set of “Little Big Shot”, now showing at thes ==2 Theatre. Three years ago, Curtiz directed “The Cabin In The Cotton”, and Naish played the part of an escaped convict pursued and captured by bloodhounds. For two days before the big bloodhound scene was shot, Curtiz, a stickler for realism, kept the dogs penned up without food so they would be hungry when he set them on Naish. The dogs were released. They went howling after the actor, caught up with him and began frolicking around him, licking his hands, trying to kiss him and tugging playfully at his trousers. Curtiz couldn’t understand it. “Dogs must be fond of you, Carroll,” he said.. “Look -at the way that puppy takes to you. And remember those blood-hounds in ‘The Cabin In The Cotton’? I thought they were going to tear you to bits and they smothered you with affection.” “Michael,” said Naish. “I have a confession. I, too, thought those dogs were going to tear me to pieces. That’s why I went out to the kennels an hour before the scene was shot and fed them $2 worth of hamburger.” “Little Big Shot” is a comedy drama of the Great White Way and its habitues who live on the edge of the law. It is packed with powerful dramatic situations, touching pathos, hilarious comedy and delightful romance. In the cast are Sybil Jason, new baby star, Glenda Farrell, Robert Armstrong, Edward Everett Horton, Jack LaRue, Arthur Vinton, J. Carroll Naish and others. The screen play is by Jerry Wald, Julius J. Epstein and Robert Andrews, based on the story by Harrison Jacobs. Dixon and Wrubel wrote the lyrics and music, Page Eleven