Numbered Men(Warner Bros.) (1930)

Le ' Directed By Mervyn LeRoy, Missed The Box Office Yet! It Gets Your Who Hasn’tinivn' Villain and Heroine of ‘‘Numbered Men’’ Soe eae SE a OAD RR RII OOOO oy : "oh Ince and: Bernice Claire at the _--________»_______ Cut No. 14 Cut 30c Mat 10c Dramatic Depiction Of Prison Life At Theatre (CURRENT READER— VITAPHONE) “Numbered Men,” First National’s highly dramatic Vitaphone depiction of prison life, is now playing at the Sa wie Theatre. In it are Conrad Nagel, Claire and Raymond Hackett, featured in a trio of fine roles, and such Bernice ~==favorites as Ralph Ince, Tully Mar shall, George Cooper, William Holden, Maurice Black and Blanche Frederici. Mervyn Le Roy, who directed the ‘~re, devoted a great deal of ati n to securing accurate back. >». «ds for his prison scenes, since = Phe whole picture, with an amazing variety of action, thrill, comedy, love interest and pathos, takes place in prison, out with the road gangs, at a convict labor camp and at a farm where the convicts eat. “Numbered Men” is based on Dwight Taylor’s stage drama, “Jail Break.” It affords Nagel one of the best roles in which he has ever appeared. Plays With Broken Foot Ralph Ince, who has one of the outstanding roles of the year in “Numbered Men,” the First National Vitaphone production now at the ee ce: Theatre, played throughout the entire picture with a broken foot. Ince broke one of the bones of a toe while on the beach and was en erutches at the time the role was 34 to him. So anxious was. he lay the part that, against his _ wor’s advice, he gave up _ his erutches and instead strapped his foot tightly with adhesive. Nagel Talkie Pioneer Conrad Nagel, who appears in the Theatre on is one of the real pioneers of the talkies. Al Jolson broke the silence of the screen in “The Jazz Singer,” and Nagel was the next to arrive. He appeared in “Glorious Betsy,” and in a number of pictures that immediately followed. eee wee ee es RUMTALIO UM 2 nc we wt es _ Wears Beard Continually Tully Marshall, who appears in “Numbered Men” now at the Be Theatre, wears a beard the year around, not because he wants to, but because it’s less trouble than to keep growing one. He is continually cast in roles ealling for lack of a shave, so finally gave up the idea of remaining smooth shaved unless a picture’ ‘happened to’ eall for it. Prison Life Shown In “Numbered Men”’ (CURRENT READER) The hardest thing that Mervyn LeRoy had to do in filming “Numbered Men,” which comes to the on as a First National Vitaphone production, was to teach actors to talk without moving their lips. The story concerns penitentiary life. Prisoners are not allowed to talk to each other during working hours, and to be So doing so brings severe ne —_—-——— uuu 1088 ofr privileges. However in all prisons the prisoners have developed a system of talking while looking straight ahead and without moving their lips. To instruct the men engaged in the prison scenes not to move their lips or not to talk out of the corner of the mouths like gangsters or tough guys outside of prison, proved a difficult task, as ordinarily lip movement is one of the most important things in filming talkies. A former prisoner in San Quentin penitentiary acted as technical advisor and rehearsed the “actor-prisoners” in preparing for these scenes. Conrad Nagel, Bernice Claire, Raymond Hackett, Tully Marshall, Ralph Ince, Maurice Black, and William Holden are among those in the cast. Ince First Lincoln Film Portrayer From Abraham Lincoln to a tough convict is a far stretch, but it is encompassed in the career of Ralph Ince, who plays one of the leading roles in “Numbered Men” now showing at the Theatre. Ince was the first actor to play Abraham Lincoln on the screen. He played the part a number of times about 18 years ago. In this picture he takes the part of the toughest convict in a prison. UNSOLVED MYSTERY One of the mysteries of prison life is how convicts obtain knives, guns, and other weapons inside the prison walls. Quantities of such weapons are invariably found after each prison riot, Mervyn Le Roy, who directed “Numbered Men,” now at the Theatre, points out. have never’ solved _ this Officers problem, Present Day Reform The effects of present day attempts to rehabilitate convicts, especially youthful first offenders, through prison farms and rural outdoor life are vividly shown in “Numbered Men,” the First National prison drama which comes to the theatre on ........... Many states are now planning on regular prison farms in remote sections. CONRAD NAGEL “TALKIE” ROLE Plays Hero Who Doesn’t Get Girl, Bernice Claire, In Final Fadeout (ADVANCE NEWS— VITAPHONE) Conrad Nagel doesn’t get the girl in “Numbered Men,” the First National Vitaphone prison drama based ‘on Dwight Taylor’s play, coming to the Theatre It is Raymond Hackett who awarded the love of the heroine in the end, which is a tough break for Nagel, because Bernice Claire is featured with the two handsome gentlemen in the leading feminine role. Nagel plays an entirely new type of role, and if he has to do without love, the histrionic power and beauty of his characterization are compensations. “Numbered Men” is an “inside” story of prison life, inside the grim walls and out with the road gangs. Nagel takes the part of a convicted who is a political influence in the prison. At the end he makes a startling sacrifice for the happiness of the two lovers. The picture was directed by Mervyn Le Roy. Conrad Nagel became a film actor after playing juveniles on the stage, and few people know that he started his dramatic career because in college (Highland Park College at Des Moines) he was given the degree of Bachelor of Oratory. His stage career is counterfeiter began in Des “Moines in 1914, and he entered pictures in 1918. Until “Numbered Men,” all the pictures in which Mr. Nagel appeared presented him as the romantic lead who won the girl in the end, although many of his pictures have had sad endings. “Numbered Men” Has All-Star Cast (ADVANCE—SILENT) Tha. Theatre’s next attraction will be a sensational prison drama, “Numbered Men,” produced by First National. Conrad Nagel, Bernice Claire and Raymond Hackett are the featured players, but the cast deserves the name all-star. Among the favorites in “Numbered Men” are Tully Marshall, Ralph Ince, Maurice Black, William MHolden, Blanche Frederici, Ivan Linow, George Cooper and Frederic Howard. The picture has one of the largest casts of any recently produced, for in addition to other characters the whole personnel of a big prison is represented. San Quentin is the model for the prison in “Numbered Men.” Director Mervyn Le Roy spent a week there with some of the cast, studying, photographing and _ sketching for “atmosphere.” Primarily “Numbered Men” is a powerful dramatic love story, but in these days of prison revolts it holds peculiar interest as a truly “inside” story of prison conditions. Its entire background is authentic, and deals with prison life behind the big walls, out on the road gang, and at the convict camps. It will be presented at the next eee eee ee ee LOAD 2 eee ee eee ve Pictures New Type Criminal In “Numbered Men,” now at the Se ees Theatre, Conrad Nagel is pictured as a higher type of prisoner. In fact he is shown reading the American Mereury in the prison recreation room. This touch is not farfetched, for as a matter of fact a number of convicts have written for the Mercury recently, and have established literary reputations which have stood them in goon stead when they got out. Bernice Claire In GETS NEW TYPE OF | Non-Musical Role For First Time Plays Straight Dramatic Part After Three Film Musicals. (CURRENT NEWS— VITAPHONE) Bernice Claire, musical comedy and opera prima donna, has just reached theyfilm=fans:ofe. 0 iat | in her first mnon-musical screen role in “Numbered Men,” although she has been leading lady in three musical films before that! Miss Claire, “the youngest prima donna” of grand opera and feminine star of the stage presentation of “The Desert Song,” came to Los Angeles to play the title role in “No, No, Nanette.” Her success in this musical talking film led to feminine leads in “Spring Is Here,” followed by “Song of The Flame.” “Numbered Men’ is not a musical film at all and it is, consequently, the first regular film role that the little singer has appeared in, despite her three successful musical pictures. Director Mervyn Le Roy declares that her acting in “Numbered Men” in both comedy and highly dramatie scenes is worthy of the screen’s most experienced and gifted actresses. Conrad Nagel and Raymond Hackett are featured with Miss Claire in “Numbered Men.” An _ all-star supporting cast, however, is in evidence, for among others are Tully Marshall, Ralph Ince, Maurice Black, William Holden, Blanche Frederici, Ivan Linow, George Cooper and Frederick Howard. The’ story is a fast-moving melodrama with a strong. annealin ant | distinctly novel romance woven into its vivid action. It igs based on Dwight Taylor’s play, “Jail Break.” Native Daughter Arrives Bernice Claire, who plays the leading role in “Numbered Men,” now at the Theatre, is a native Californian, hailing from the city of Oakland, where she received her first training in singing in the Oakland High School. For some reason unknown to producers, very few California girls have succeeded in pictures. Hollywood itself has produced practically none, most of them hailing from other states. Rarity of Prison Breaks Woven around the theme that the liberty of one means the liberty of all, “Numbered Men,” stresses the fact that prisoners in penitentiaries who are given work in road camps seldom attempt to escape—and if they do escape are seldom caught alive. Their fellow prisoners know that this jeopardizes their liberty. “Numbered Men” is now running at the Convict Stripes Abolished The striped uniforms, famous in cartoonist’s strips depicting convicts, have no standing in reality, according to Mervyn Le Roy, director of “Numbered Men,” now at the ..... Convict stripes were abolished many years ago in practically every penitentiary, and have been supplanted by regulation dull garb, distinctive enough to be recognized but not so conspicuous. Le Roy made a study of prison conditions before directing the picture for First National. Gangsters Not Tough Appearing That the real gangster is seldom the tough appearing guy, is indicated by Maurice Black in “Numbered Men,” now playing at the .......... Black, who plays the role of a big racketeer, points out that one of the|: best marks of a gangster is the fact that he is a fancy dresser. He doe not want to attract attention by look ing tough. The old days of the tough! guys in the Bowery are gone. CENSORING CAUSES COMPLAINT The censoring of newspapers and magazines which reach convicts in penitentiaries is a frequent cause of complaints among prisoners, according to Mervyn Le Roy, director of “Numbered Men” now at the ..... Theatre. Papers from the same state are generally forbidden inside the walls. Periodicals and (other newspapers which have been cut and censored always arous tremendous curiosity. Friends and relatives are not allowed to send periodicals directly to prisoners. Only papers and magazines which have been mailed directly from the publishers are permitted. se eee Director Once Newsboy Mervyn Le Roy, who directed “Numbered Men,” now at the ene es Theatre, got his first taste of the stage while working as a newsboy in San Francisco. A theatre had need for someone to play the role of a newsboy on the stage, and having seen Mervyn outside the stage door, he got the job. When he grew up he went on the stage, but gave it up to become a gag-man in pictures, and later was made a director. Shaved Head Sanitary Regulation Prisoners do not have shaved heads in penitentiaries, contrary to public opinion, according to Mervyn LeRoy, director of “Numbered Men” now at the Theatre. A prisoner’s head is shaved simply as a routine sanitary measure when he enters the prison, turns to his civilian clothes, and receives his uniform. Thereafter he lets his hair grow, and has it cut at regular intervals by the prison barber. Is Love Mightier Than The Law? wit! CONRA®” NAGEL REENIN 1Cy CLAIRE F :AYMOND }ACKETT ? )irected by “MERVYN LEROY | Cut No.8 Cut 20c Mat 5c eee ee Qa | A FIRST NATIONAL & VITAPHO) ye PICTURE “Vitaphone” is t d trade mark of [@ Vitaphone Cor . re ik its products. ——— eS eS np... DWIAancsanr —