Nora Prentiss(Warner Bros.) (1947)

RW From Captain, To General, To PFC, Army Rank Of Star “Say, that guy looks familiar!”’ That’s what a lot of ex-GI’s are bound to exclaim when they see Kent Smith, who is costarred with Ann Sheridan and Bruce Bennett in Warner Bros.’ “Nora Prentiss,” which opens at the Strand on Friday. The Army recognized training films as an invaluable teaching aid, making them an integral part of the modern soldier’s indoctrination. And Kent Smith appeared in a goodly number of those pictures. He was a major in a film on post-war vocational training; a colonel in a picture on resisting enemy interrogation. In “Three Cadets,” an Air Forces film, he portrayed a serious young captain in the Medical Corps. “T suppose I played every rank from general to captain,” Smith mused. ‘Nothing lower, at any rate.” Smith was recently given an honorable discharge from the AAF. His rank? PFC! Director Relives Gub Reporter Days For Film Scene Vincent Sherman, director, portrays a scared but superficially brash newspaper reporter covering a murder trial in “Nora Prentiss,” the new Warner Bros.’ melodrama, starring Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith and Bruce Bennett, which is currently showing at the Strand. This is his first appearance before the camera since he foreswore acting for writing and directing. Until now, Sherman has been quite content with the change over, but, according to the director, he can’t resist re-living the greatest day of his life — even if it is only acting. This great day came about when Sherman was a cub reporter for an Atlanta, Georgia, paper. He got a tip on a murder and his city editor held the presses for an extra while he beat out his story, which began, “Slit from ear to ear, the body of an unidentified woman ...’For his scoop, Vince was upped from $20 to $22 a week, and won the privilege of covering the trial. It was a great day, that first day in court. And Mr. Sherman is sure he can remember exactly how a scared reporter copying his brash elders, really behaves. Ann Sheridan Real Life Heroine On ‘Nora Prentiss’ Set Martha Gidding’s face was bloody red, one day, but it might have been worse except for Ann Sheridan. Miss Gidding, Ann’s. verv close friend and wardrobe woman, found herself in the path of a falling studio lamp at Warner Bros. on the set of “Nora Prentiss,” which co-stars Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith and Bruce Bennett and is currently at the Strand. She might have been severely injured if Ann hadn’t hurled her out of the way. As it was, Martha received only superficial skin lacerations of the forehead. Still No. 659-93 ANN SHERIDAN, in a scene with Robert Alda, portrays the part of a night club singer who ''sings six songs a night and has a drink with the better cus tomers’ in Warners’ ''Nora Prentiss," currently at the Strand. Miss Sheridan shares star billing with Kent Smith and Bruce Bennett in the new exciting melodrama. MAT No. 2D Warbler, Song, Cafe, Authentic For Film It’s not a very high-class joint, but it’s chummy and smoky and_ authentic. Ann Sheridan is the featured bluessinger and her voice, too, is chummy and authentic. She’s currently warbling in Warner Bros.’ “Nora Prentiss,” in which she is co-starring with Kent Smith and Bruce Bennett at the Strand, and as recreated on Stage 17. at Warners, the little cafe where Ann sings is an exact duplicate of a place on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. The company knows it was authentic because it wason location in San Francisco for two weeks when the exterior of the very place was being photographed. One day Ann, dressed in a daring something dreamed up by Billy Travilla, her current designer, warbled through the sultry lyrics of “Who Cares What People Say?’ a song written especially for her in the picture by Moe Jerome and Jack © choll. Extras apylauded in desultory fashion and on cue because Ann’s singing wasn’t supposed to tear down the joint. This natvralness came as an agreeable change from the average motion picture sequence in which the slightest vocal effort of a known star sets off the customers in a frenzy of acclaim. Mat 1D Ann Sheridan Mat 1J Bruce Bennett “Give me more walking with the song,” suggested Director Vincent Sherman. “Tl walk and wiggle all you want,” Ann smiled, “but not in this dress, Vince. This is a singing dress—a standing-still singing dress, not a walking one. Why, I’m practically sewn into the darned thing.” So they compromised. Ann stood still and sang. For movement, they dollied the camera around her—forward, backward, all around her. “With me it’s perfect,” said Vince Sherman. “With me it was safe,” Ann tittered. Prowlers Warned To Stay Out Of Encino By Warner Actress Stay out of Encino after dark. We offer this advice after a brief discussion with Ann Sheridan on the set of ‘Nora Prentiss,” the new Warners’ melodrama at the Strand, co-starring Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith and Bruce Bennett. Ann, it appears, packs a rod, and sleeps with it under her pillow. The? Warner : Bros: -star’s ranch-type home in Encino has been rifled by intruders, prowled by peeping toms, and beset by ornery critters who just cut screens and should know better. Ann mentioned these annoyances during a recent visit to her native Texas. Her brotherin-law, R. E. (‘“Doc?’) Day, of Sherman, Texas, suddenly disappeared from the room, and returned a few moments later with an impressive-looking gat. The firearm is a .38 calibre police special, and Ann places it under the pillow next to her. Screen Production Timed With Stork Rosemary DeCamp’s family production schedule didn’t interfere with Director Vincent Sherman’s shooting timetable on Warner Bros.’ ‘Nora Prentiss”, coming to the Strand. The melodrama, starring Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith and Bruce Bennett arrives on Friday, and Miss DeCamp’s baby isn’t due to arrive until mid-July. The actress is wife of Judge John Shidler of Torrance, and the child will be the couple’s second. ‘Nora Prentiss’ Star Honored By TWA For Air Travel Record Ann Sheridan, lovely Warner Bros. star was honored by officials of TWA Airlines recently. The actress, who is co-starred with Kent Smith and Bruce Bennett in Warners’ “Nora Prentiss,” now at the Strand, was presented with a special log book in honor of having completed one million miles of air travel. In addition to the title, “Most Popular Passenger”, Ann is also the “Most Travelled Movie Actress.” Presentations were made by Mary Bullock, Chief Hostess, and Mr. Howard W. Adams, TWA’s Western Regional Director. A million miles would constitute, roughly, 166 round trips to New York. Ann hasn’t visited the East Coast that often, but hit the million mark, according to official estimates, through her many hops to Florida and Mexico. Last year she rolled up a cool 70,000 miles during a USO-Camp Shows junket to the CBI. “T’ve flown in all kinds of crates,” said Ann, “from ATC bucket seats over the Hump to reclining armchairs on plush streamliners.” Star In Search For Two Lost Gows, Brings Back Three For several nights, Robert Alda who is featured in Warners’ “Nora Prentiss, which Sinause Anan Sheridan, Kent Smith and Bruce Bennett at the Strand, was awakened by his three horses and two cows breaking out of their corral and stampeding into the canyons near his ranch home in Sunland. He finally discovered the cause —a_ prowling mountain lion and traps were set for it. In bringing back his livestock, Alda found another cow which belonged to someone in the neighborhood. Temporarily, Alda offered the lost bovine to Ann Sheridan, with whom he was working. Mat 1B Robert Alda Promising Actors Emerged From Famed ‘Laboratory’ Clifton Young, two-fisted young thespian of the famed “Actors’ Laboratory,” plays an important role in the Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith, Bruce Bennett starring film, “Nora Prentiss”, which is currently showing at the Strand. Young’s assignment in the film has an interesting background in view of the fact that Miss Sheridan’s new leading man in the Warners’ film is another “Lab” alumnus, handsome Kent Smith. Smith and Young recently played the leading roles in the Lab’s triumphant production of “A Bell for Adano.” The play, produced by John Garfield and directed by Vincent Sherman, received wide critical acclaim in Hollywood and was seen by numerous important members of the film community. This led to the signing of the two actors who are making their Warner Bros.’ film debut together. Still No. BB48 BRUCE BENNETT shares star billing with Ann Sheridan and Kent Smith in Warner Bros.’ powerful new drama, "Nora Prentiss, which arrives Fri day at the Strand. Robert Alda and Rosemary DeCamp are featured in a large supporting cast. MAT No. 1H Hand Made Lobsters In Screen Debut One hundred handmade lobsters and an equal number of handmade crabs make their screen debut in a _ sequence for Warner Bros.’ ‘‘Nora Prentiss,” currently at the Strand. Costarred in the film are Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith and Bruce Bennett. The crustacean props were modeled in clay by the property department and painted red. Real shellfish could have been used at less cost, but Director Vineent Sherman refused to permit the waste of so much food. LAAN HN 21