On Dress Parade(Warner Bros.) (1939)

‘DEAD END' KIDS IN THE ARMY NOW! Mat 301 — 45c AND IS THE NAVY HAPPY! They're wearing uniforms in their latest picture, but the hooligans are just as scraphappy as ever, Put ‘em all together and there's plenty of excitement with the Dead End Kids "On Dress Parade" at the Strand, where they appear this week... (Lead Story) and the army wishes that they had never arrived. The Dead End Kids Coming In ‘Dress Parade’ Comedy Seeing the Dead End Kids play heroic roles instead of city toughs is going to be the revelation offered Strand Theatre patrons this Friday when “The Dead End Kids On _ Dress Parade” makes its local debut. In a complete reversal of form, the wise-cracking, long-haired gutter-hardened denizens of the slums will become model American youths, though still with plenty of hooliganism, at one of the country’s leading military academies. There will be one exception however. Leo Gorcey, toughest of the lot, the lad who could spit through the eye of a needle, is still a tough. Toughie Becomes Cadet The story is said to be concerned with a tough city lad who is sent to a military academy to learn the finer side of youth. Here he engages the other Dead End Kids, Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, and Bernard Punsley—all model cadets. Too city-wise to go for a lot of discipline and drills, Gorcey gets into plenty of scrapes and nearly gets tossed out of school, but for the good fellowship of the Cadet-Major, played by Halop. How Gorcey turns from his former self to an understanding young cadet forms the basis of the climax of the “Dead End Kids On Dress Parade.” For those who have become accustomed to the Dead End Kids in the roles which they have “Dress Parade’”” Coming “The Dead End Kids on Dress Parade,” the newest of the ‘Dead End’ pictures will open at the Strand Theatre on Friday. The Warner Bros. comedy stars all of the ‘Dead End Kids’ with John Litel and Frankie Thomas. The story deals with the humorous attempts of Leo Gorcey, playing the role of a tough city kid, to adapt himself to the rigid rules in Washington Military Academy. The other ‘Dead Enders’ are his classmates at _ school. made, and by which they have become famous, “The Dead End Kids On Dress Parade” should be a new and welcome departure. Since their debut on the screen in “Dead End,” which trademarked the kids, such pictures as “Angels With Dirty Faces,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” and “Angels Wash Their Faces” have seen the Dead End Kids add one after another triumph to their young careers. “The Dead End Kids On Dress Parade” gives them a real chance to display new talents. The picture, produced by Warner Bros., and featuring Frankie Thomas, John Litel, and Cissie Loftus, will play one week starting Friday at the Strand Theatre. Leo Gorcey Oldest Leo Gorcey, at twenty-three is the oldest of the boys, and Bobby Jordan, sixteen, is the youngest. Yet in those years the boys have all had _ extensive theatrical backgrounds. Billy Halop started in radio work at the age of six and was featured in the “Bobby Benson” hour. Gabriel Dell had an early start in dramatics in a_ parochial school, which led to a role in “The Good Earth.” Bernard Punsley also had his start in a dramatics school. Training in dramatics led Huntz Hall to the Roxy Theatre in New York and subsequently ‘Dead End.” Leo Gorcey is the only one of the Dead Enders born into a theatrical family. NEW STILL SERVICE Stills available on most of the scene cuts on the publicity pages in this Campaign Plan. Price 15¢ each. Order by still number indicated under each cut, from Campaign Plan Editor. If still number is not given, photo is not available. (Asterisk denotes still is included in regular set available at your local Vitagraph Exchange.) Mat 102—15c Still No. MS-151—I5c IT'S CADET-MAJOR GORCEY NOW! He's still the same old "Spit," though, with the Dead End Kids "On Dress Parade" at the Strand. Plumber to Actor From plumber to actor in one jump. While there are instances in which there doesn’t seem to be any distinguishable difference in the case of the able Leo Gorcey, one of the Dead End Kids, the above wise-crack does not apply. Gorcey got his start when he accompanied a younger brother in a tryout for a role in the stageplay, “Dead End” in New York. The director chose him instead and the Pipefitters Union thereby lost a member to the stage. ps URE 1 25 Ea Ste sae a cb toga NE ee Raa LEO GORCEY Cadet: Major Roliisi. ae eae es BILLY HALOP Cadet Ronny Morgan. sii siinea tinea BOBBY JORDAN Cadef. Johnhy Cabot a5). iro Met ad ith HUNTZ HALL Cadet-Georgie: Warren... 20h cS GABRIEL DELL DOUG oe i a es a BERNARD PUNSLEY Col, Michael Ramet. coo es a John Litel Coder Lt Muraiy i ane eee Frankie Thomas Nis, NORE cok ce es es Cissie Loftus Capt. Bvaie Dover ni ea es Selmar Jackson Bather Retr Oo eee ee GOR Aldrich Bowker lainey a ee, Pe age Ss Douglas Meins Of, MOWNBS oes oee ie a eee es William Gould Col William: Danodin os Don Douglas PRODUCTION Director e:/:) 3 Cee ee es WILLIAM CLEMENS Director of Photography... Arthur L. Todd, A.S.C. Prt Ditector one eee ‘ onc CRE ERT ee Esdras Hartley Dinlogue Director 6. eee ea Frank Beckwith Film Edttor Fs So ae A ee Doug Gould SONG ea kia ee ee ee iy Stanley Jones Technic Advmor ue Oe John Murphy SYNOPSIS (Not for publication.) "Slip" Duncan (Leo Gorcey) is a tough city kid who gets sent by his dead father's friend to a fine military school. Arrived at the model institution, Slip starts raising cain in short order and gets himself in bad with the whole school, the cadet corps including the other Dead End Kids, who are all A-1 kaydets. Finally Slip decides this is all sissy stuff and wants to take it on the lam. When the other cadets try to stop him, he puts up his dukes with the result that Cadet Major Billy Halop is pushed out the window and is hurt. When Halop won't squeal, Slip decides that maybe these mugs are not so bad after all and digs in. Now, however, the other Kids give him the cold shoulder, and when that scrap-happy bunch of hooligans puts the finger on somebody it's no joke. While the school is at camp a fire breaks out and Slip distinguishes himself by saving Gabriel Dell from death. The whole corps makes an about-face and Slip is elevated to his saber and chevrons, after receiving an apology from all the boys. Running Time: 62 minutes DEAD END KIDS LEAVE MARK It’s a far cry from the sidewalks of New York to the gold coast of California, but the ‘Dead End Kids” have long since become acclimated. The problem which still seems to exist is whether the good citizens of Hollywood and its environs will ever get accustomed to the hoitytoity holocaust which descended upon them a few years back to remain and take root. A few years ago, to fill the roles of six tough city kids, the producers of the play, “Dead End,” went for realism in selecting the portrayers of the roles. One of the kids, Billy Halop, had had professional training but for the most part, these kids were real toughies and talking out of the side of their mouths with a “foist, second, toid” accent had long since been second nature with them. When Hollywood decided to produce a screen version of the play, the kids went along to do their original roles, and the rest is history. In California, even if the screen money were not attractive, the climate was, so the kids and all their relatives moved in to stay. With cars, beautiful homes, and swimming pools, a person would think these kids would change along with the scenery. Say not so! The Kids didn’t change but everybody around them did. It became the thing to do to act and talk like the Dead End Kids. Their impression on Hollywood will be long-felt. Their latest picture, “On Dress Parade,” comes to the Strand Friday. LEO GORCEY GETS HIS BIG CHANCE Spit has arrived! Ever since Leo Gorcey was given the nickname “Spit”? because of his remarkable proficiency in expectorating, he has played the toughest of the Dead End Kids and has played the role to the hilt. In their past pictures, like ‘Crime School,’ ‘Angels With Dirty Faces,’ ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ etc., Gorcey has always shared the spotlight with the other boys, but has never so dominated a film as he does in “The Dead End Kids On Dress Parade,” which is coming to the Strand Theatre on Friday. Always a great actor, Leo was given his big chance in this role and has not muffed it. Playing the part of a tough kid sent from the slums to military school, Gorcey plays the role with all the talent at his command and comments from preview critics more than justify his being entrusted with such an important role in ‘The Dead End Kids On Dress Parade.” “Spit” has come a long way since his first tough role years ago and Hollywood is keenly awaiting his next picture. Mat 103—15c LEO GORCEY Page Eleven