Little Miss Thoroughbred (Warner Bros.) (1938)

CURRENT PUBLICITY (Opening Day Story) ANN SHERIDAN, JOHN LITEL AT STRAND TODAY “Little Miss Thoroughbred,” which opens at the Strand Theatre today, introduces to the movie public a new child actress for whom the studio predicts a very glowing future. The child for whom this brilliant future is predicted is sixyear-old Janet Chapman, who plays the title role in “Little Miss Thoroughbred,” a_ part that fully equals in importance those of the three adult leading players, John Litel and Ann John Litel Mat 112—lie Sheridan of “Alcatraz Island” fame, and Frank McHugh. Little Janet has the appealing task of portraying an orphan searching for a father she firmly believes exists, and the complications of the story ensue when she elects Litel to be her father. Litel and Frank McHugh are a couple of race track followers who are trying to make their living by “beating” the horses, and Janet is accepted into their strange menage, which also includes Ann Sheridan, as Litel’s wife, when Litel becomes convineed the child is responsible for a cycle of good luck that he begins to enjoy soon after she shows up. Pursued by the police—for kidnaping Janet—and by a gang of betting racketeers—for unknowingly cutting into their racket—Litel and his companions travel from track to track enjoying ever-increasing fortune until the police do catch up with them. But everything turns out all right when Janet insists that Litel is indeed her daddy and he accepts the title with all the sincerity any little orphan could wish for. And a Little Child— Six-year-old Janet Chapman, the Cinderella tot Warner Bros. elevated to stardom when she was chosen for the title role of “Little Miss Thoroughbred,” which is now showing at the Strand Theatre, wanted one day to visit the set of another Warner Bros. star. A policeman announced that the set was closed. Janet, who is at the question-asking age, wanted to know why. Frank McHugh tried to explain. Miss So-and-So often closed her sets because— Janet’: nodded gravely and said: “That’s all right. But when I’m a star I’m going to let anybody watch me act because by that time I’l] be good enough so I won’t be ashamed if somebody watches me.” A Laughing Matter Three times during production the new child star, sixyear-old Janet Chapman, had the cast and crew of “Little Miss Thoroughbred,” which is the current attraction at the Strand Theatre, weeping with her. She weeps real tears when she’s acting a crying scene, but the instant the scene is over she laughs, because to her the funniest thing in pictures is crying when you’re really not sad. Cheering a Winner (Left to right) Frank MceHugh, Ann Sheridan, John Litel, and little Janet Chapman cheer their horse home toa perfect finish in “Little Miss Thoroughbred,” the thrilling saga of the race tracks, now showing at the Strand Theatre. Mat 206——30c¢ (Review ) Audience Hails New Child Star in ‘‘Little Miss Thoroughbred ’’at Strand 4 STORY SYNOPSIS (not for publication): At St. Catharine’s orphanage, little Mary Ann has invented a dream father. So convinced is she that he really exists, that she goes out to look for him. Run down by a truck, she is being taken to a hospital in an ambulance, when “Nails” Morgan (John Litel), on his way to the race track, drives behind the ambulance to make time. To avoid being arrested for this he claims Mary Ann as his child. In a tight spot, he has to keep up the deception, and take the child home with him. Then begins a strange partnership, with Mary Ann bringing him luck at the race track and Madge Perry (Ann Sheridan), his girl friend, and Todd (Frank McHugh ) sharing in the accidental parentage. But trouble comes when some big-time racketeers try to horn in on their luck, and the orphanage is trying to find Mary Ann’s kidnappers. In a thrilling trial scene, however, the little girl saves the day and wins a legal daddy for herself. Alternating moments of gay comedy with moments of such exquisite tenderness as can be evoked only by looking into the heart of a child, “Little Miss Thoroughbred,” the new Warner Bros. picture which opened at the Strand Theatre yesterday, won the double tribute of laughs and tears from its audience. And it was, indeed, a child who was mainly responsible for the sentimental spell which the picture cast upon the audience—a child who, remarkably enough, had never been seen on the screen before and yet disclosed amazing talents as an actress. The tot, six-year-old Janet Chapman, is a veritable wonder child, and in her very first picture she proved that the Warner studio executives are amply justified in their belief that she will be the next great child star of the screen. She is not merely a pretty little girl but is an eloquent and compelling actress with an_ irresistible, elfin charm that only a person with a heart of granite could resist. Playing the role of a pathetic little orphan who is firmly convinced that she has a daddy and then is sure she has found him in the callous person of a race track gambler played by John Litel, she motivates a series of exciting and often humorous adventures that come to a group of adults into whose custody she has been accidentally thrown. This group consists of Litel and his side-kick, a not too bright gambler played by Frank McHugh, and Litel’s girl friend —subsequently in the story his wife— played by Ann Sheridan. The precarious living of the trio comes from their winnings—when they win— from bets on the horses. With the advent of Janet they enjoy a cycle of ex traordinary good fortune, which Litel believes is due to the presence of the child as a mascot. In reality it is the result of his unwittingly cutting himself into the betting coups engineered by a dangerous gang of racketeers. The trio and their mascot are shown as they travel about the country from track to track, dodging pursuit not only by the racketeers but also by the police, who want them for “kidnaping”’ Janet. Caught eventually by the police, they are exonerated from all charges against them in a moving court scene dominated by little Janet, who insists stoutly that Litel is her father. And it is clear, when he accepts the designation, that it is not so much because it gets him out of a tight spot but because the little girl has finally won her way into his hitherto flinty heart. Although Janet proves to be the most interesting personality in the cast, as a talented child actress always will, the picture would certainly not be the perfect little gem it turned out to be if the adult actors in it had not also turned in fine performances. Litel and Miss Sheridan confirm the fine impression they made when they were teamed before, in “Alcatraz Island,’ and McHugh jauntily injects his best brand of comedy at just the right moments in the story. Other pleasing acting contributions are made by Eric Stanley, Robert ee Charles Wilson and Jean Bene eta The production was directed with rare sympathy and understanding by John Farrow, who, incidentally, is credited with being the discoverer of Janet. Based on an original story by Albert DeMond, the screen play was written by DeMond and George Bricker. CAST OF CHARACTERS ‘Nails! “Monoainiertane soucwerstee vos vacates he John Litel MadwenPeriven. ance 8 fw oe Ann Sheridan GAG EPA TIM OUON of. '«deteeeeycauaiea at. Frank McHugh Mary ‘Aun’... «&. visti Seteeeeeee. ar Janet Chapman Colonel! Whitcombe. 22% 20... sae Eric Stanley Officer>O Reilly. 7. Wee sceetes cee diite Bens Robert Homans Dutel es Baltz tei asin aconenocdiwaeta te Charles Wilson PRODUCTION DATCCECR MODY. + chen csceos as ete John Farrow DCLCCN IBV OV. cnc ke aces 4 eheie eee Albert DeMond and George Bricker UR ER arte eaecs anios owe Kee Albert DeMond Att TSG a ager As Ow es sa ee Ted Smith Slug E245. cme. Se ee eee. ee. oe John Ridgely Sister Margaret’. Su.) “US, a. Jean Benedict Sister Patricia.....5 0.5... Maureen Rodin-Ryan Mother Superior... w..% : wasness : Lottie Williams INGEN gs. . apenas sae chetts BE TeER Ce. ub James Nolan DistrictsA ttorney os: bara Aa daes .s don Cy Kendall Judge Stanhoper. tN: fuccihe... Paul Everton mrs. O'Reilly a7. tisk 24 ateeey Dorothy Vaughn STAFF Photography by...... L. Wm, O’Connell, A.S.C. PU Wena e cece es cars Everett Dodd PBIOR OGD PECtGY Soe a hn cc Jo Graham ME MIN, 5g Sic ay af Oo eee oe Stanley Jones AAs... 5 )s vw Be eee Howard Shoup FRANK McHUGH FALLS IN LOVE WITH NEW STAR Recently Frank McHugh, whose popularity as a Warner Bros. comedian allows him, like the wicked, no rest, worked in the picture, “Little Miss Thoroughbred,” now showing at the Strand Theatre. Here he showed that he was a sucker for sentiment, for he fell in love with his greatest direct rival in the cast, namely little Janet Chap man, the six-year-old acting sensation who plays the title role. McHugh and the tiny blonde Frank McHugh Mat 108——15c girl are in scene after scene together, and he is a famous scene stealer. Being in so many scenes with the little girl, however, sank him this time. She was there to crab nearly all of his stuff. Did McHugh resent that? Not on your life! Instead, he went around singing the tot’s praises. He never tired of telling what a miracle it was that she won this part without having had any acting experience of any sort. “Just goes to show you actresses are born!” Frank would say. “Take Bernhardt, Duse, Helen Hayes — it’s not experience with them but divine flame!” She's Vallee Fan Little Janet Chapman, Warner Bros.’ newly discovered child star, who has the title role in “Little Miss Thorough bred,” now playing at the Strand Theatre, did a quick double take in the studio’s Green Room at lunch one day When Rudy Vallee walked in. She looked at Vallee, then her head quickly circled the room’s walls as she counted softly under her breath. “Eight of him on the wall and there he is alive!’’ she exclaimed. She had counted Vallee’s portraits in the Green Room gallery of Warner Bros. stars. Then, with blue eyes flashing, she nudged the assistant director with her and asked coyly: “How about introducing me?” New Combination Ann Sheridan, now appearing at the Strand Theatre in her latest Warner Bros. picture, “Little Miss Thoroughbred,” combines pigskin and python in her newest set of accessories. The gloves have pigskin palms and python backs; the square pigskin bag is bound in python and has long slim handles of the latter, while the wide belt is equally divided horizontally between the two leathers. Janet in Demand The day after tiny six-yearold Janet Chapman’s first picture was finished by Warner Bros., three other studios asked to see her tests and another one to make tests of their own for a big child-star film. The picture in which she makes her debut is “Little Miss Thoroughbred,” now showing at the Strand Theatre. Page Three