Melody for Two (Warner Bros.) (1937)

“MELODY FOR TWO” YU Bei Le it WINI’S VOICE BRINGS $100 TO SCENARIST Winifred Shaw’s voice is regarded very highly by George Bricker, author of her current screen play, ‘‘ Melody for Two,’’ for it brought him the down payment on an automobile several years ago. ‘Tt was back in 1932,’’ Scenarist Bricker recalled while watching Miss Shaw, Patricia Ellis and James Melton enact a scene in the Warner Bros. musical now showing at the «0.000.000... Theatre, ‘‘that I made a bet with a fellow working with me on WMCA, New . York, over whose voice we were hearing come over the network. ‘‘That’s Lona Watters,’’ said his friend. F ‘¢T¢’s Wini Shaw,’’ said Bricker. ‘$Who’s Wini Shaw?’’ his friend wanted to know. ‘A girl I heard singing last year while visiting San Francisco. IT can’t mistake that voice.’’ ‘<Well,’’? Bricken said, ‘‘we had a big argument and finally decided to bet it out.’’ ‘‘We each put up $100. Then we waited to hear what the announcer had to say: And sure enough, it was Wini. The $100 I won went into an automobile.’’ Before entering pictures, Bricker wrote newspaper articles and managed the New York radio station. ‘‘Ts it any wonder I wrote a good part for her in ‘Melody For Two’??? he asked with a smile. ‘Melody For Two’’ is a musical comedy based upon a new angle — the stiff competition between night-club and radio bands for places on the big and _ profitable aerial networks. The picture features James Melton, long famous as a radio singer, and Patricia Ellis. Dick Purcell, Fred Keating, Gordon Elliott, Marie Wilson and Winifred Shaw are also in the cast. It was directed by Louis King from a sereen play by Bricker, Luci Ward and Joseph K. Watson. The songs are by the Warner teams of Jerome and Scholl and Warren and Dubin. Robert Vreeland directed the dance numbers. PAT CROONS AGAIN Patricia Ellis, originally signed by Warner Bros. as a singer and dancer, never got a chance to do either until she was recently teamed with James Melton in “Sing Me A Love Song.” Now they’re together again in “Melody For Two,’ another musical film, at present at the —.............. Theatre. Again “Pat” shows she can sing. Dates On Two Coins Bring Melton Luck Gold and silver coins, not rabbit’s feet, have brought luck to James Melton, Warner Bros. player featured in “Melody for Two,” now playing at the Theatre. The tenor, who came to Holly~vood after making a name for himself as a radio star, is never without a twenty dollar gold piece, minted in 1904, his birth year, and a silver dollar struck in 1934. “TI was born in 1904 and in 1934 signed my first movie contract with Warner Bros. so both dates mean a lot to me, thus the two coins,” says Melton, He holds both coins in his left hand when he sings over the radio or before cameras. Page Ten Love's A Melody For Two James Melton is the King of Rhythm and Patricia Ellis is the Queen of Hi-de-Ho who stage a battle royal for swingdom’s crown (the peace treaty is a marriage license!) in ‘‘ Melody For Two,’’ the Warner Bros. musical crammed with romance, swing and fun, now playing at the... Theatre. Mat No. 201—20c FILM GIRL BAND GETS MANY BIDS As a result of their work at Warner Bros. studios in “Melody ' For Two,” a James Melton mu sical, Juanita Connors and her blonde swing band have received offers to play in Australia, New York and Chicago hotels and night clubs. Melton directs the orchestra of 15 girls in “Melody For Two,” which is now showing at the Rae eT ee Theatre. Patricia Ellis is featured with Melton. MOVIES BEAT CIRCUS Craig Reynolds, handsome young Warner Bros. leading man appearing in “Melody For Two,” was prepared to join the Barnum & Bailey Circus as a tightrope walker when a movie scout discovered him. He can still walk the wires, but thinks movie work is easier and safer. “Melody For TWO, =COMOS=t0e the? iiss. PheatEe on sccsa bashes MELTON’S DOG PHOTOS A fancier of dogs, James Melton who is featured in “Melody for Two,” which comes to the Seis a Kee Theatre, On 63.055.2043; has a picture of every important dog hero since the world famous Balto, which carried the life saving serum to Nome. MAGICIAN NOW FILM COMEDIAN Fred Keating, fast becoming one of the sereen’s most popular comedians, originated the vanishing canary and birdeage trick when he was a stage magician. He’s now playing the comedy lead in Warner Bros. production of “Melody For Two,” which COMES tO" thOs....-..eens Theatre ONS WINI NEEDS NO SONG COACHING Winifred Shaw, playing a torch singer~in the Warner Bros. production “Melody For Two,” didn’t need a director to tell her how to act the part. She sang with many of the more famous _ orchestras before coming to Hollywood. “Melody For Two,” is now at jth: Sgn ee eee Theatre. 16 LUCKY FOR ROULETTE Ambitious to figure out a system to beat roulette, Dick Purcell, Warner Bros. actor featured in “Melody For Two,” now playiIng-at the: Sasa ee Theatre, for the last two years has. been keeping a careful record of the numbers which have won on his small wheel. Sixteen, he says, seems to be the best number. ROG AML @ Charley Foy, one of the sons of the late great Eddie Foy, boasts that one time when he was broke and couldn’t get a vaudeville job he tap-danced for nine straight hours to win a $5 bet—and lived on the five-spot for a week. James Melton, famous star of radio and screen, drinks a tall glass of hot water before recording a song. Dick Pureell is collecting the favorite jokes of all his movieactor friends, and intends publishing them in a book to be ealled ‘“Joe Miller in Hollywood.’’ Carlyle Moore, Jr. has appeared in four pictures during the last four months, and in each he plays the role of a radio announcer. Patricia Ellis’ real name is Patricia O’Brien—but she changed it when she came to work for Warner Bros. because there was already one Pat O’Brien on the lot. Fred Keating, originator of the amazing disappearing bird and bird cage trick, and now a movie comedian has never been out of work for more than three days since he was 18 years old. Patricia Ellis, at the age of twenty, has the astonishing record of having played thirty-six featured roles in motion pictures, in addition to having appeared in several stage productions. James Melton recently treated his father, J. W. Melton, to a trip around the world. Harry Warren and Al Dubin, songwriters who did several of the songs for ‘‘Melody For Two,’’ have just completed their 100th song together. The fifteen girls who compose the all-feminine orchestra in ‘‘ Melody For Two’? dyed their hair blonde overnight for their roles im the picture. EDDIE FOV'S SON HAILED AS ‘FIND’ BY MOVIE SHARPS Twenty-three years ago, when the motion picture industry was in its swaddling clothes, Charley Foy, of the famous Eddie Foy vaudeville family, made his debut as a hoofer. Now, today, this same industry is hailing him as a discovery, as a result of his sensational dancing and acting in ‘‘ Melody for Two,’’ a Warner Bros. musical extravaganza_ starring James Melton, which will open at the .............. Theatre sOn: tsetse Realizing the days of vaudeville were definitely over, Foy left New York and came to Hollywood nearly two years ago. He tried, but without success, to sell his services as a dancer to the movie producers. He made test after test, but no one was interested in hiring him as a fast stepper. Then, several months ago when ‘¢Melody for Two’’ was being cast, the studio sent out a eall for special dancers who could act. One of the many who applied for the job was Charley Foy. ‘Tf you can’t dance well, there’s no use of your trying for this spot,’’? Foy was advised. But Foy said he’d try. Then he went into his ‘‘finger dance’’ routine which for twenty three years won him fame and fortune in the nation’s top vaudeville houses. ‘*You’re sensational,’? Foy was told. ‘*You don’t tell me,’’ replied Foy. SINGERS BET ON SUCCESS OF TUNES GROONED IN FILM One hundred thirty million men, women and children are going to decide who wins a certain $150 which is now tucked away in a safe on the Warner Bros. lot in Hollywood. The winner will be either James Melton, the radio star who is now taking a fling at pictures, Winifred Shaw, a radio star who gave up radio for Hollywood, or Patricia Ellis, a movie actress who has yet to appear over the air. The three Warner Bros. players, now busy singing in ‘‘ Melody For Two,’? a musical extravaganza, showing at the ................ Theatre, have each put $50 in a _ pool. They’re betting the songs they sing in the picture will make the biggest hit with Mr. and Mrs. America. Melton sings ‘‘Melody For Two’? and ‘‘September In The Rain,’’ composed for him by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. And Miss Ellis and Miss Shaw introduce ‘fA Flat In Manhattan,’’ ““Eixcuse For Dancing’? and ‘‘ Jose O’Neill, the Cuban Heel’’ which were written for them by M. K. Jerome and Jack Scholl. BLONDE MARIE GETS DARK WIG The very blonde Marie Wilson wears a not-so-blonde wig for her art. Her art, at the present time, is slapping a bull fiddle in “Melody for Two,” a Warner Bros. musical extravaganza featuring James Melton and Patricia Ellis, which comes to the «....0....5...5.... Thestre: On. ca eee Marie is a member of a girls’ orchestra which Melton directs. All fifteen girls are blonde, but Marie is blonder. So that she wouldn’t look out of place in the band she had to wear a not-soblonde wig. BullFiddler Marie Wilson, screendom’s dizziest blonde slaps the bull-fiddle in a girls’ swing band for her role in ‘‘Melody For Two,’’ the Warner Bros. musical crammed with romance, swing and fun, which COMES $O0-thEG: is ae Theatre, 0 Reape Peg ere Mat No. 101—10c