Merry Wives of Reno (Warner Bros.) (1934)

Lead-Off Story ‘*Merry Wives Of Reno’’ Lively Tale Of Divorce Colony A picture that is heralded as one of the liveliest and merriest comedies of error of the season, will come to the Theatre on under the title of “Merry Wives of Reno.” It is based on the hilarious story by Robert Lord which dexts with philandering hus bands, flirtatious wives and ma rital mix-ups that lead to the Reno divorce colony where more marriages are unscrambled than in any other place in the world. The picture, a Warner Bros. production, carries an udu sually well balanced east with two straight leads and seven of Hollywood's best comedians in the principal roles. Margaret Lindsay and Donald Woods have the featured roles, portraying a bride and groom whose happiness is wrecked on the rocks of the bride’s suspicions, but who, contrary to the usual experience, ure reunited in Reno. Guy Kib bee has the role of the philandering husband whose henpecking wife is cheated of the large alimony she had expected when he frames her into a compromising situation. Ruth Donnelly plays the part of the wife who rules her home with a rolling pin and crockery. Glenda Farrell has the role of a flirtatious wife of a wealthy middle aged man who is too dumb and too engrossed in his own business to be aware of her seandalous affairs. Hugh Herbert has the part ot her husband, a fancier who never appears without his pet lamb, Elvise, on leash. Eloise is one of the star performers of the picture and responsible for many of the laughs. Frank McHugh and his trick laugh are seen and heard in the picture as a chiseling bell boy at a Reno Hotel who is ever ready to show a fair divorce applicant the town or to frame her for ber husband. Roscoe Ates, as a grizzled sour dough trapper from Alaska, stutters his way to divorcee from a wife who has eloped with an Eskimo, while Hobart Cavanaugh is the harassed lawyer who is handling the cases for the merry wives. sheep H. Bruce Humberstone, who directed the picture, is said to have given the production a fast tempo with snappy action. Donald Woods Handsome husband of that young divorce-getter, Margaret Lindsay, in “Merry Wives of Reno,” now at the Strand. Mat No. 5—10c Page Fourteen : On The Cast Glenda Farrell Was Guarded By Trained Nurse During Film Rather than hold up “Merry Wives of Reno,” the Warner Bros. picture which comes to the Theatre on Glenda Farrell went to work sev eral days under the persona! su pervision of a trained nurse, with orders from the doctor to rush her home if her temperature went over 100. A touch of old-fashioned grippe was Glenda’s affliction, and she had been fighting it at home for three days. The old “show-must-go-on” spir it, however, induced Glenda to extract permission from her doetor to go to work, on condition that her temperature didn’t g: bevond 100. With the nurse taking her tenperature every hour, Glenda man aged to get through a week suceessfully, and then went home to resume her battle with the grippe, in which she finally won out. Miss Farrell plays the part of a flirtatious wife of a wealthy and middle aged man. She has % penchant for other women’s husbands, which is the basis of all the merry Reno divorce troubles that take place in the picture. Hugh Herbert is her husband while others in the cast include Margaret Lindsay, one of the unhappy wives, Donald Woods, Guy Kibbee, Frank MeHugh, Roscoe Ates, Ruth Donelly and Hobart Cavanaugh. The picture is an uproarious comedy of the divorce mill The story and screen play are by Robert Lord and the direction by H. Bruce Humberstone. Production Story 4 Hugh Herbert Plays Mary To Pet Lamb In Divorce Comedy The Mary of the nursery rhymes had nothing on Hugh Herbert when it comes to having u lamb follow one about. In “Merry Wives of Reno,” the Warner Bros., picture now playing at the Theatre, Herbert plays the part of a Nevada sheep fancier. He has a pet lamb which he leads about on a leash, dines and wines in his hotel and which sleeps in a special cot in his rooms at night. The lamb, Eloise, which was brought from a Montana ranch to play in the picture, proved to be unusually docile. It beeame so attached to Herbert that it not only followed him about on the studio set as it was supposed to do in the film, but all about the lot when not working and to the studio lunch room. Herbert refused to take the lamb home with him, however, as he does in the picture, and the lamb bleated pathetically when he left it at night to be locked up in its pen. It greeted him with a joyful blast every morning. The lamb appears throughout most of the picture and adds greatly to the humor of the production which is a hilarious comedy of the Reno divorce mill written by Robert Lord. Others in the cast include Margaret Lindsay, Donald Woods Guy Kibbee, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh, Roscoe Ates and Hobart Cavanaugh. H. Bruce Humberstone directed. The finger points! Mat No. Hugh Herbert and Glenda Farrell are having a little spat in “Merry Wires of Reno,” the First National comedy coming to the Strand. The all-comedy cast includes Donald Woods, Guy Kibbee, Margaret Lindsay, Ruth Donnelly, Roscoe Ates, Frank McHugh and Hobart Caranaugh. The plot erolves about the three merry wites who step out to Reno for a divorce. 4—20¢ ~ Production Story Frank McHugh Ribs Actors With Loaded Dice In Reno Film Trick dice are added to Frank MecHugh’s trick laugh in “Merry Wives of Reno,” the Warner Bros., picture which comes to the Theatre on : The sequence depicts a party in a Reno hotel room and Frank, in the course of a friendly little game of “African golf,” throws a seven that number of times in succession for the benefit of the camera, Margaret Lindsay, Donald Woods, Glenda Farrell, Hugh Herbert, Hobart Cavanaugh and other members of the cast gath ered about to watch the experi ment. Throwing 4 seven with dice is a real accomplishment for any player in the game of galloping dominoes. Imagine, then, throwing it seven times in a row! Difficult as it was, Frank sueceeded and while he was later accepting credit for his masterful handling of the dice, following the photographing of the seene, along came Pat Malley, property man, to re-claim the pre. cious “bones”. While MeHugh fled, Pat explained that the dice were perhaps the best loaded dice in Hollywood. The picture is a hilarious comedy of the Reno divorce mill, written by Robert Lord and directed by H. Bruce Humberstone. Ates Never Went To Stuttering School Roscoe Ates, who stutters his way through the Warner Bros. picture, “Merry Wives of Reno,” now showing at the Theatre, was stopped on the street one day by the head of a school for stammerers. “Did you ever attend a schoo! for stutterers?” he queried. “N-n-n-o,” said Roscoe. “I-I-I-I c-came by it n-n-naturally.” On The Cast Margaret Lindsay Wins Lead Role In Reno Divorce Film Che pretty girl from Dubuque. lowa, whom all Holly wood is talking about, is now cast in another big part. Margaret Lindsay, who attracted su much uotice first in “Cavalcade,” then House on 96th Street,” won the leading in “Voltaire” und “The role in “Merry Wives of Reno,” ihe Warner Bros. picture now at the Theatre. Miss Lindsay plays the part of a young wife whose marital com Margaret Lindsay one of the “Merry Wives of Reno” at the Strand Mat No. 10 1Vc¢ plications take her to Reno, through error. A neighbor of hers is drawn into the same mistaken situation. The attempts of the two hus bands to straighten out affairs bring about a ridiculous confusion that abounds in laughs. With the comedy is combined the serious romantic interest of the young couple and Miss Lind say’s emotional work is a fine contrast to her lighter moments. Miss Lindsay is a striking brunette with hazel eyes and brown hair and before coming to Hollywood was a favorite of the London stage. There is an unusually impres sive cast of comedians in the picture including Donald Woods, Guy Kibbee, Glenda Farrell, Hugh Herbert, Frank McHugh, Roscoe Ates, Ruth Donnelly and Hobart Cavanaugh. The picture is based on the hilarious comedy of the world’s most famous divorce mill by Rob ert Lord. It was directed by H. Bruce Humberstone. “ rage and hurls the famil Donald Woods Fit | Up Special Room To, Rehearse Film Wor, | Donald Woods, One of three husbands wh a 08¢ domestie bliss undergoes a terrific strain in “Merry Wives of Reno,” the ’ Warner Bros., production whieh comes to the Theatre on » has fitted up y a in his home which the tam. ily calls “the rehearsal room”, Ever since hig days in theatri. cal stock, Donald has been aceuy. tomed to studying his parts out loud, and rehearsing them ip the same way. Memorizing, sayy Donald, is twice as easy and goes twice as fast if you can do it uloud. Once he has his part firmly fixed in his mind, he rung through it with his Wife, Mrs, Woods, giving him the cues of the other characters. Two such rehearsals are enough to perfect him in his role. “After my experience in stock companies,” Donald remarked one day, “when you're always study. ing two plays at once, and some ” times more, getting up in a role ‘ for a picture is duck soup. It’s } the easiest part of studio work.” ‘ That’s why he fitted up a spe } cial room for rehearsals in his t new Hollywood home during the | production of “Merry Wives of ( Reno’. The picture is a riotous comedy by Robert Lord on the} world’s most famous divorce col ¥ ony. Others in the cast include Margaret Lindsay, Guy Kibbee, Glenda Farrell, Hugh Herbert, Frank MeHugh, Roscoe Ates andy; Ruth Donnelly. H. Bruce Hum herstone directed. { y/ Production Story, Actress Smashes » Plate On Kibbee's Bald Pate In Film Some folks think a womanly, can’t throw. straight, but Guy, Kibbee is not one of them 4% Guy plays the part of a hetpecked husband in i \ Bros. picture, “Merry Wives 0 \, Reno,” a merry tale of the famvus divoree colony which comes to the _ Theatre om Ruth Donnelly is bis nan eating spouse. Just because she discovered he | had spent the evening with au / other woman, she flies into ay), y dished}, In shooting the seen e, director # to alll 7) SS at him. H. Bruce Humberston instructed Miss Donnelly at a sideboard on one ae Kibbee and at a door on ‘ other. | The director called fo ee ; and the dishes began to fly, r action | ; ther to the astonishment of ae 4 " players most of them landed his bald pate. “Great,” grinned the “You made @ bull's eye { out of every five. \" “But I really didn’t a i him,” protested Miss _ " “I tried to hit the door, = er and the dire¢ hile be ™) walnut. ; «Tell that oO. } director. q ' \ ; ur in fo i Guy eyed h suspiciously the W a bump as big 48 . “Yeah,” he said. the judge in Reno. +g bi hers in the cas 0 arieoon comedy 28 ne on include Margare t Lindsay, yi, Hug ald Woods, Glenda Farre es ee Herbert, Frank McH Ates and Hobar