Murder in the Clouds(Warner Bros.) (1934)

Lyle Talbot Fightingest Actor In All Hollywood Star Of ‘“‘Murder In The Clouds” Wins Film Fame With His Fists THER fellows play the prizefighter roles on the screen, but Lyle Talbot is really the fightingest fellow in all Hollywood. He has actually, both figuratively and literally, fought his way to the top in the cinema world and now he’s there he’s still fighting. Like Clark Gable, Talbot made his entry into the films by playing gangster roles and ‘‘heavies.’’ He has long since graduated to leading man parts opposite such stars as Barbara Stanwyck, Kay Francis, Bette Davis, Ann Dvorak, Bebe Daniels and others, but Lyle’s screen life continues to be just one scrap after another. : He has more or less come to accept fights by this time as routine. Fighting, as far as Lyle is concerned, is a definite part of the making of motion pictures. When he was elevated, some months ago, from the ‘‘heavy’’ elass of actors to the straight leading man roles, he sighed happily. He thought that.the fighting phase of his career had passed. It wasn’t to be so, however. In his latest picture, the First National air thriller, ‘‘ Murder In : The Clouds,’’ which comes to the aM ee Theatre.ON sucess Lyle once more has his quota of fights. ‘‘T’m really a very peaceful fel )—_— lw”-he~will-say;—““but~E-cart—— convince the writers of that. In this picture I was told I’d be an aviator. I thought they’d let it go at that. But what happens? I’m supposed to be an aviator who likes to fight!’ Talbot fought with Ricardo Cortez in ‘‘Mandalay’’ and swapped punches with Preston Foster in ‘*Heat Lightning.’’ He tangled with Dick Powell in ‘College Coach’’ and had fights with George Brent in several productions. His latest picture, however, sets a new all-time record for fights in the young actor’s career. One of the first scenes in the picture has him engaged in a terrific encounter with three strong arm men in a cafe and just when he is recovered from that he indulges in another blow-fest with a band of conspirators. Off screen he’s a mild mannered, quiet chap, but one would never suspect that from his movie characterizations. The public seems to like to see the Talbot fists flying about and there’s nothing that he can do about it but fight. There are countless actors who find boxing an engaging sport but few actors get the chance to fight before the cameras as often as Talbot. He has been taking his boxing training on Tuesdays and Fridays regularly, when he’s not at work on a picture, and on those same nights he goes to the prizefights. Talbot, having boxing as a hobby and going to the fights regularly, is quite like the case of the letter-carrier who goes for a hike on his vacation, in the opinion of Hollywood. ‘“Murder In The Clouds’? is an unusual and baffling mystery drama, involving several strange murders in the air and the kidnaping of a beautiful girl by airplane. Talbot, Ann Dvorak and Gordon Westcott head the cast-in a triangular romance while others include Robert Light, George Cooper, Charles Wilson, Henry O’Neill and Russell Hicks. D. Ross Lederman directed the picture from the story and screen play by Roy Chanslor and Dore Schary. Charles Wilson In Big Business. Man Role Charles Wilson has become a big business man in his screen career of late. = In the Joe E. Brown picture, ‘«The Circus Clown,’’ Wilson portrayed a circus owner and in the James Cagney film, ‘‘The St. Louis Kid,’? he was cast in. the role of owner of a trucking concern, In ‘‘Murder In The Clouds,’’ the First National picture now showing at the ..........0.... Theatre, with Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak and Gordon Westeott in the leading roles, Wilson is enacting the role of owner of an airplane transport line. Lovely Ann Dvorak, talented young star, is now appearing at the Bete Bee ..... Theatre in First National’s “Murder in the Clouds,” the action-drama which features Lyle Talbot and Gordon Westcott in the all-star cast. Mat No. 3—20e Robert Light Makes Quick Leap To Fame On Screen Given A Leading Role In “Murder In The Clouds”’ By First National Executives OBERT LIGHT, who has one of the leading roles in the First National picture, ‘‘Murder In The Clouds,’’ which comes to-the. .2....4c0/852 theatre 0N= 25 isciinks , had planned a journalistic career, but now, instead of writing about other people, he is being written about as one of Hollywood’s newest and most promising young actors. Born Merwin Light, in Denver, Colorado, he attended the local schools and graduated from the East Denver High School, going later to attend the Hamilton Institute in New York City. He didn’t fare especially well as a member of the fourth estate, and having always had a fondness for the theatre, decided to seek a stage career. He walked into the office of the manager of the Theatre Guild, asked for work, and was promptly handed a role in ‘‘ Marco Millions.’’ Light registered well with the audiences and engagements followed in the Guild productions ‘“Volpone,’’ ‘‘Guest Room’? and *¢Thoroughbred.’’ In the last named play he won special attention for his brilliant characterization as Florence Reed’s son. . Then came seasons of stock company work in Pelham Manor, Mount Vernon and Summit, New Jersey, after which he returned to Broadway to win further attention as a radio entertainer. Warner Bros.-First National offered him a motion picture contract and brought him to Hollywood, where his name was changed from Merwin Light to Robert Light. He is still secretly fond of writing, indulging in it as an avocation when he has time free from the movie cameras. Six feet tall, weighing 165, brown hair and brown eyes. Light possesses, in addition to his good looks, fine theatrical capabilities. He is expected to go far on the screen. He is fond of literature. He picks Kenyon Nicholson as_ his favorite playwright and Gershwin’s music wins his heart. The young actor has traveled extensively throughout the United States, but has not yet had the opportunity to travel abroad. That will come, he plans, after he has made a success of his career. Tennis, horseback riding and swimming constitute his outdoor diversions and his fondness for these sports serve to keep him in fine physical condition. For ‘*sports to watch’’ he likes football, tennis and horse-racing. The promising young actor made his sereen debut in ‘‘Gentlemen Are Born’? with Jean Muir, Franchot Tone, Margaret Lindsay and Ross Alexander in the same cast. In ‘‘Murder In The Clouds,’’ action-drama, with a thrilling romance, written by Roy Chanslor and Dore Schary, he has the role of an air pilot. There is an all star cast including Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak, Gordon Westcott, George Cooper, Charles Wilson, Henry O’Neill, Russell Hicks and Light. D. Ross Lederman directed the picture. Ann Dvorak Happily In Love In City Of Divorces Feminine Lead In “Murder In the Clouds’’ Finds Married Life Ideal N a town where everything seems to combine to wreck marital happiness, Ann Dvorak, who has the leading feminine role in the First National picture, ‘‘Murder In The Clouds,’’ which comes to the So fee fq hestreon. a.j.c0Gs5s and her husband Leslie Fenton quietly go on their way, remaining Hollywood’s ideal young romantic couple. The condition of perfect happiness and contentment that is theirs comes about without any special rules or regulations. It just is. Ann and Leslie live a quiet, orderly and serene existence. It all began with their airplane elopement to Yuma, Arizona, on March 17th, 1931. A short time later came the big test of the practicability of their marriage ideas when the two deserted Hollywood, their friends, their careers, and went on a year’s ‘‘tramping’’ honeymoon that took them around the world. Their home is small. The house has but three rooms. It is on a small ranch that is the pride of Ann and Leslie out in San Fernando Valley, several miles from Hollywood. The sparkling night life of the film colony, extensive entertaining, parties and such are not for this happy pair. Their interests all revolve about much more prosaic pursuits. They like farming, gardening, writing and studying. Screen work is their major interest. Ann is under contract with Warner Bros.-First National Studios and Leslie is a free lance player, working at many studios. They stay close to help one another in their film work, not too close to interfere. The arrangement is ideal. It’s this feeling of co-operation, helpfulness and similarity of interests that welds firmly the Ann Dvorak-Leslie Fenton romance. They have a wide variety of interests, but all are shared by both. Ann is studying music. So is her DVORAK husband. Leslie is fond of writing. So is his wife. Ann is studying foreign languages and Leslie, an accomplished ANN Mat No. 6 10c linguist, aids in her studies. Together they are reading philosophy and history, archeology and seed catalogues. It all sounds too serious to be true, but they are having an amazingly good time. After finishing her latest’ First National film, ‘‘Murder In The Clouds,’’ in which she appears opposite Lyle Talbot and Gordon Westcott, Ann retired to her ranch home to ‘‘rest’’ urtil her next screen assignment. In ‘‘Murder In The Clouds,’’ an unusual and baffling mystery drama, involving several strange murders in the air and the kidnaping of a beautiful girl by airplane, Ann plays the part of an air hostess. Others in the cast include Robert Light, George Cooper, Charles Wilson, Henry O’Neill and Russell Hicks. D. Ross Lederman directed the picture from the story and screen play by Roy Chanslor and Dore Schary. Daredevil Air Pilots Do Thrilling Stunts In Film Leading Flyers Of Country Appear In First National’s ‘“Murder In The Clouds” Masa thrills are in store for audiences of First National *s ‘‘Murder In The Clouds,’’ which comes to the Theatre on , but the audiences will not real ize all the thrills that came to those who were actually engaged in filming the daring aerial sequences of the story. The days of ‘‘faked’’ movies are past. In making ‘‘Murder In The Clouds”’ the entire production unit moved, bag and baggage, to Keene Camp, high in the San Jacinto moun tains about 150 miles from Hollywood. It was necessary to go that distance because it offered the on ly place in southern California where there was a landing field within a forest. That was an integral part of the story and, although it might have been changed or faked, the producers went to great trouble and expense in order to film it in authentic fashion. The fliers, in further keeping with the new movie mode of authenticity were genuine aviators of proven merit with long records of performance. There was Lieutenant Clinton N. Herberger, popularly known as ‘‘Herb’’ to airmen all over the country. On June 18, 1929, while engaged in conducting a government test at a Los Angeles airport, his plane suddenly fell into a flat spin, ‘the most deadly of falls. Trying desperately to save the ship, Herberger ‘‘stayed with it’? through nineteen ‘complete turns while it hurtled down to earth at a terrific rate of speed. Finally sensing the hopelessness of it, he ‘‘bailed out’? and made his parachute jump to safety when the plane had descended to four hundred feet above the earth, a very low and dangerous altitude from which to make a jump. Frank ‘‘Specks’’ Clarke, daredevil stunt flier, was another engaged in the filming of ‘‘Murder In The Clouds.’’ He is famed for the exciting power dives he made of more than 5,000 feet for the filming of ‘‘Hell’s Angels’’ as well as other daring feats in the air. Howard Batt, Frank Tomick and Dick ‘‘ Five Foot Tall’’ Renaldi comprise the other famous fliers who participated in the filming of ‘‘Murder In The Clouds.’’ All possess names with which to conjure in the world of. aviation. ‘“Murder In The Clouds’? is an unusual and baffling mystery drama, involving several strange murders in the air and the kidnaping of a beautiful girl by airplane. Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak and Gordon Westcott head the cast in a triangular romance. Page Nine