Madame Dubarry (Warner Bros.) (1934)

Current News ey Star Stories Production ® Casting Notes Briefs As suggested in The Film Daily’s Poll of motion picture editors Chosen As One of Ten Most Beautiful Women & Del Rio A committee of outstanding, world famous artists and photographers, who considered scores of the nation’s leading beauties, have listed Dolores Del Rio among the ten most beautiful women in America. The judges were McClelland Barclay and Russell Patterson, illustrators, of New York; John Lavelle, leading portrait painter, of Boston; Baron Kurt Ferdinand De Pantz, Kansas City portrait painter; Paul Stone, photographer of Chicago, considered an expert on feminine beauty; Arto de Mirjian, New York photographer of society and stage beauties; Beth Curtis and Lansing Brown, Los Angeles photographers; J. Del Rio Presented To | King in Her Nightgown Madame Du Barry Didn’t Care a Rap For Conventions, So Dolores Blushed By TOM DE VANE the high powdered wigs and befrilled hoopskirts of a HE name of Du Barry automatically brings to mind that era of French history that marked her rise to fame. But paradoxically enough, Dolores Del Rio, who is por traying the famous Countess in the Warner Bros. produc tion of ‘‘Madame Du Barry,’’ now showing at the Theatre, wears a wig only once during the entire length of the picture. Hoopskirts, of course, she ‘ wears in profusion, very beauti ful ones, too. Jeanne Du Barry herself, as historians tell us, was a very clever woman. She avoided looking like the other sirens that frequented the court of her royal protector, Louis XV—and going wigless in the face of fashion was just one of her astute gestures. When the former milliner finally coaxed the king into allowing her to be formally presented at court, thus giving her the social standing that had been preyiously denied her, there were several problems to be faced. One was the problem of finding a title lady who would “sponsor” Du Barry, and make the introduction to the king. When this lady, the Countess de Berne, was finally found, and for a price agreed to present the king’s enamorata, Du Barry’s enemies, the Duchess de Grammont, played in the picture by Verree Teasdale, and her brother, the Due de Choiseul, Alfred Mitchell, Kansas City _por-~<Henry O’Neill, hired thieves to “trait photographer and Thurston Hatcher, Atlanta artist. Only one other motion picture actress, Norma Shearer, was included and no stage actresses, although Helen Hayes received honorable mention. The other eight American beauties honored were Mrs. George Grant Mason, of New York; Mrs. Compton Dilicke, of Los Angeles; Princess Anna Ilynski, formerly Audrey Emery of Cleveland; Mrs. John Herndon Goodwin (the former Dorothy Munger) of Kansas City; Mrs. Florence Hoffman Plamondon, of St. Louis and Mrs. Potter Palmer, of Chicago. Miss Del Rio was chosen as a striking brunette and Miss Shearer as the smartest woman on the sereen. Mrs. Mason is a classic blonde type; Miss White has blue eyes and dark hair; Mrs. Plamondon is a dashing brunette with vivid coloring. None of the winners, according to the judges, was selected because they were merely “pretty”. They are the acme of loveliness, as visualized both by the camera and the naked eye. Miss Del Rio, whose vivid Spanish type of beauty has brought her world-wide recognition as the screen’s most exquisite actress, is a brunette with perfect olive coloring and _ gorgeous, thrilling eyes that bespeak the fire and temperament that have won her a place among the half dozen leading stars of the screen. In the Warner Bros. comedy drama, “Madame Du_ Barry,” which opens at the = ...7.....-. MNeCRETO., QU cn aie eee) oe ete she enacts the merry sweetheart of Louis XV in a way that is as dramatie as it is intriguing. In the elaborate costumes of the period she is utterly ravishing, but the transcendent beauty that has brought her this latest signal honor, is shown to best advantage when she storms the Court of her royal lover clad only in her night gown, a procedure that, incidentally, averted a war with England and the downfall of a prime minister. Page Six sical, On the day of the presentation, not only Du Barry’s white presentation wig and her mag nificent ball gown, but her carriage, as well. And if that weren’t enough, they kidnapped the Countess de Berne, portrayed by Helen Lowell. Du Barry was only momentarily dismayed. She arrived at the palace in a hired carriage, and walked into the throne room dressed in a very simple white gown—with her glorious auburn hair in its natural state —and formally presented herself to Louis XV. The white gown, incidentally, was later revealed as one of her night gowns! Miss Del Rio is Du Barry—and the scene was filmed. Warner Bros. have surrounded Miss Del Rio with a brilliant stellar cast, including, besides Verree Teasdale and Henry O’Neill, Reginald Owen, as the King; Osgood Perkins, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Victor Jory, Anita Louise, Dorothy Tree and Hobart Cavanaugh. The picture is a gay story of the intimate life of Madame Du Barry and King Louis, written and dramatized by Edward Chodorov. Dance creations are by Albertina Rasch dancers. William Dieterle directed. Reginald Owen Has Twice Portrayed King Louis XV But Quite a Different Louis Appears In “‘Du Barry” Than In “Voltaire”’ more than one picture. ie isn’t often that an actor has to play the same role in Reginald Owen, however, is appearing for the second time in the role of Louis XV in the Warner Bros. production of ‘‘Madame Du Barry,”’ Theatre. now showing at the ‘The first. occasion that Owen portrayed the fifteenth Louis was in “‘ Voltaire,’’ Although he plays the_ profligate King in both Warner productions, Owen says that the character has been treated entirely differently in the two pictures, and therefore he has had to make his second interpretation distinetly different from the first. In “Voltaire,” the stiff, formal and regal side of Louis XV was shown. The King was strictly a monareh in his attitude toward the famous French philosopher. Then, too, it showed a much younger Louis, during the years that Madame Pompadour held sway. “Du Barry,’ on the contrary, shows Louis in his later years, the elderly King who fell in love with the little milliner’s assistant and spent, many millions of franes on her. “The King,” says Owen, “was about fifty-eight years old when he first met Du Barry. But he appeared older as a result of his profligate living. One reason he loved Du Barry was that she treated him_as a much younger man. She helped him forget that he was aging rapidly. “This point, incidentally, is with George Arliss. brought out in the film version of ‘Madame Du Barry’.” Owen considers this latest portrayal of Louis his finest screen opportunity to date. It is a grand role, full of color and life—and most important, it shows the King as he really was. He is the tender lover of Du Barry, the stern grandfather of the stupid Dauphin (afterward Louis XVI) and a weary old monarch who was all too willing to die when his time came. The light comedy aspect of the King’s life is paramount in this Warner picturization of “Madame Du Barry,” in spite of the spectacular and authentic production of the film. Edward Chodorov wrote the film story, giving an intimate picture of the loves of the King’s favorite. Others in the east headed by Dolores Del Rio and Reginald Owen are Verree Teasdale, Victor Jory, Osgood Perkins, Helen Lowell, Henry O’Neill, Anita Louise, Maynard Holmes, Hobart Cavanaugh and Dorothy Tree. William Dieterle directed while dance creations are by Albertina Rasch dancers. Ladies!” Dolores Del Rio, as Madame Du Barry, is being raked over the coals by Marie Antoinette, ably portrayed by Anita Louise. But Dolores doesn’t seem to mind since Reginald Owen, as King Louis XV, is standing by. It’s all part of Warner Bros. new film, “Madame Du Barry,” taken from an original story for the screen by Edward Chodorov. Mat No. 8—20c Gorgeous Settings Symbol Of Du Barry’s Gay Life Ornate Sets Given True Background To Nature of Frivolous Countess ‘By ARTHUR ZELLNER and color; brilliant sparkle of sequins and brocades ; luminous buckles, golden cireclets and gem-studded tiaras. “i HE salon of Du Barry is a glimmering riot of light Hanging prisms play shimmering rays on the cos tumes of the women—bare shoulders like spots of warm ivory—bright eyes a-shine with the joy of living. The men, courtly and gay, move from group to group with witticisms as pointed as the jeweled rapiers that hang at their sides. The background of the whole gay, carefree scene is rippling laughter. This is the very spirit of the French Court in the time of Louis XV. The production of “Madame Du Barry,” with Dolores Del Rio, which comes to the Theatren Onis weak <a » Js keyed to this gay and bubbling note. The sets of the Warner Bros. studios reflect it and even the actors have succumbed to its spell. Atmosphere Overcomes Players Dolores Del Rio exchanges banter with the staid and distinguished Reginald Owen who plays King Louis Quinze. Frederick Gottschalk, sedate dean of the New York Theatre, as Louis’ inimitable valet, unbends to chaff with Verree Teasdale, the devilish Duchess de Grammont. An extra girl frivolously executes a pas seul in her gorgeous court gown and her companions laugh blithely. The cameramen exchange bon mots with the sound technicians and the electricians chuckle among themselves. Director William Dieterle, who is too serious an interpreneur to allow frivolity off stage smiles in spite of himself. After all, this is the very atmosphere he has striven to create. “Madame Du Barry” has been staged in many versions, but heretofore with less emphasis on Du Barry, the woman, and more on Du Barry, the power behind the throne. New Conception of Du Barry The story, which now stars Dolores Del Rio, begins with Du Barry’s first meeting with the King, with all the amusing side lights on her manner of intriguing that merry old reprobate. It introduces her friends and her enemies—a diverting lot of irresponsible characters, who could have existed only at the Court of a Louis XV. Miss Del Rio’s conception of Du Barry is a pert, light-hearted Dolores Del Rio, star of Warner Bros. ki “Madame Du §| Barry,’ com| ing to the Strand. Mat No. 12 —10c minx who sees life as a jovial game and insists on everyone around her sharing this view. Once she has made her bargain with the King, she keeps it. When her enemies try to diseredit her, she fights back, in a war to the finish. But even in the heat of battle, she injects her own brand of fun into the encounter. While this is the season’s most gorgeously mounted production, it is primarily the vastly entertaining story of a young woman who,’ whatever her mistakes may have been, once she had made her bed, was willing to lie in it. The story and screen play are by Edward Chodorov with dance creations by Albertina Rasch dancers. Miss Del Rio heads an imposing array of players which include Reginald Owen, Victor Jory, Osgood Perkins, Verree Teasdale, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Dorothy Tree, Anita Louise, Maynard Holmes, Henry O’Neill, Hobart Cavanaugh, Helen Lowell, Joan Wheeler and many others. William Dieterle directed.