Penrod and Sam (Warner Bros.) (1937)

“PENROD and SAM” PU Bea oe Oe Penrod And Sam, Real Yank Kids, Loved By Adults Travels’? was a sophisticated political satire for adults when written by the great Dean Swift. ‘‘ Arabian Nights’? was an equally bawdy collection of tales for adults. Both, expurgated, became juvenile ‘*Gulliver’s bawdy, classics. On the contrary, Booth Tarkington’s famous ‘‘Penrod’’ tales, written for juveniles, have become adult classics and were best-sellers because they appealed to grownups as well as youngsters. About a month after the book was first published, adult readers began to show a great deal of interest in the characters and situations created by Tarkington. In short order, Penrod and Sam had become universal characters, beloved by adults because the story brought back their own childhood, beloved by children because the boys did the things that all children want to do. Banking on that fact, First National, in filming ‘‘Penrod and Sam,’’ the most popular of the Tarkington series, which in film form. COMES: 10 the! ....s. series. ‘Theatre -On= ese os kes » aimed at the dual appeal of the picture. The screen play, by Lillie Hayward and Hugh Cummings, and the direction, by William MeGann, incorporates the same qualities of universal appeal that are found in the stories. According to Director McGann, this is simpler on the screen than on the printed page. That is because the visual unfolding of plot and characterization gives juveniles a much wider range of story interest: than they enjoy in a medium which they must read and then visualize for themselves. ‘* As censors have pointed out -—— and rightly — the child is capable of understanding subtler things on the screen than he can on the printed page,’’ MeGann says. ‘‘It is easy, therefore, in a screen play to combine those amusing human touches through which an adult re-lives his boyhood with the action boys like, without boring child or adult.’’ ‘‘Penrod and Sam’’ is Booth Tarkington’s long-famous comedydrama of a group of adventurous small-town boys — brought right up to the 1937 minute by having their interests what the boys’ interests of today are. Billy Mauch, famous for his work in ‘‘ Anthony Adverse’’ and ‘¢The White Angel,’’ is starred as Penrod; Harry Watson plays his pal, Sam. Frank Craven and Spring Byington are Mr. and Mrs. Schofield, Penrod’s parents, and there is a large supporting cast of capable juvenile actors. William McGann directed the picture from a screen play adapted from the Tarkington book by Lillie Hayward and Hugh Cummings. Kid Actors’ Fists Fly In “Penrod and Sam” There were six fist-fights among the 37 boys — ages from 9 to 13 — who took part in the making of ‘“Penrod and Sam,” the Booth Tarkington comedy-drama, now showing at the Theatre. Two lads got black eyes; three got bloody noses. Billy Mauch, the star, who plays Penrod, was in two of the scraps, but came out unmarked. He won one, got a “nice draw” in the other, which was stopped by Director Bill McGann. Page Eight Ride’Em! G-Men! Billy Mauch (left) and Harry Watson will have everyone laughing and crying at the pranks of Booth Tarkington’s battling bunch of real boys in the First National picture ‘‘ Penrod and Sam,’’ which COMES NO" URE soc eae ee Theatre, OM she Pew ueas o Mat No. 105 — 10e Movie “Fat Boy” Can Eat All He Wants—And More There are movie diets — and movie diets. For example, there’s the diet of Billy Wolfstone, 10year-old boy actor who is portraying ‘‘Piggie’’ in First National’s ‘*Penrod and Sam,’’ now to be seen at thei. hice Theatre. His fat is his fortune, and it doesn’t come so much from glands, his mother declares, as a judicious diet. Here’s a rough survey of Billy’s diet for one day: Breakfast, ham and two eggs; a big bowl of oatmeal, real cream and several bananas. Luncheon, several buns; potatoes, a fair-sized steak, green vegetables, a pint of milk (half eream) and a double portion of dessert, usually topped off by several bananas. Dinner, rich soup, chopped liver appetizer (two dabs the size of hen’s eggs) and a huge helping of roast beef with potatoes and other vegetables on the side, not forgetting brown gravy. Then the usual pint of half-cream milk, dessert, and almost always, a few more bananas! Billy Mauch, Warner boy star who plays ‘‘Penrod,’’ and others of the ‘‘Penrod and Sam’’ east envy Billy more than any other boy they know. He never gets indigestion, can eat all the sweets he wants and is never told he’s making a pig of himself! ‘¢Penrod and Sam’’ is Booth Tarkington’s long-famous comedydrama of a group of adventurous small-town-boys — brought right up to the 1937 minute by having their interests what the boys’ interests of today are. Billy Mauch, famous for his work in-‘‘Anthony Adverse’’ and ‘<The White Angel,’’ is starred as Penrod; Harry Watson plays his pal, Sam. Frank Craven and Spring Byington are Mr. ad Mrs. Schofield, Penrod’s parents. There are any number of capable juvenile actors, although the story has just as much appeal for grownups. William McGann directed the picture, from a screen play adapted from the Tarkington book by Lillie Hayward and Hugh Cummings, ‘Penrod And Sam’ Has Own Battery Of Junior G-Men Woe to any crooks and public enemies (Numbers One to a Hundred) who might have shown up around one certain movie lot a few weeks ago. The place was overrun with ‘*G-Men.’’ The Department of Justice aides at Warner Bros. those days may have been unofficial, but they had badges and were on the lookout for clues and crooks. They were, officially, ‘‘ Junior G-Men of America,’? a New York organization transplanted to Hollywood by the President of the Junior G-Men and his aide, respectively Billy and Bobby Mauch. The boys arrived from New York to play im ‘‘Penrod and Sam,’’ the Booth Tarkington classic, of which Billy is the star, now showing at the .................. Theatre. They had authority and a lot of badges for the organizing of a Hollywood branch. Harry Watson, who plays ‘‘Sam,’’ was made secretary of the ‘‘G-Men’’ organization, and all the other masculine, under-thirteen members of the east were sworn in and received their badges. Between scenes of the picture, in which they just ‘‘played’’ Gmen part of the time, Billy and Bobby trained their new organization apace. That is, when they could escape from the regular school teachers who sat beside the movie cameras waiting to drive them to their lessons after each scene was taken. ‘¢Penrod and Sam’’ is Booth Tarkington’s long-famous comedydrama of a group of adventurous small-town boys — brought right up to the 1937 minute by having their interests what the boys’ interests of today are. Billy Mauch and Harry Watson are, respectively, Penrod and Sam, and Frank Craven and Spring Byington are Mr. and Mrs. Schofield, Penrod’s parents. There are any number of capable juvenile actors, although the story has just as much appeal for grownups. William MeGann directed the picture, from a sereen play adapted from the Tarkington book by Lillie Hayward and Hugh Cummings. It Happens In Families “Triple-Threat” Man Has Role In ‘Penrod And Sam’ It sounds like the good old days of motion pictures to hear that one man had a share in the writing, directing and acting of a single flicker opus. And that is what happened recently to Hugh Cummings, who shared with Lillie Hayward (and Booth Tarkington) authorship of First National’s ‘‘Penrod and Sam,’’ which stars little Billy Mauch, and is now showing at the Soatuencgaaret Theatre. Cummings, former stage actor and director, is a regular dialogue director at Warner’s, so he was assigned to that function in the filming of ‘‘Penrod and Sam,’’ after finishing his script. Then one day a practical barber — that is, a real barber, not an actor — was to do a ‘‘bit’’ in a barber-shop sequence of the film. The regular barber could cut hair but couldn’t put the comedy touch of the scene across. Director William MeGann turned and pointed an accusing finger at Cummings. ‘*You’re the only other adult actor available on the set!’’ he said. ‘‘You’re already writer and dialogue director. So it won’t hurt you to act this scene for us.’’ Cummings donned the barber’s apron and did the scene to perfection, with no protest about the fact that his studio contract no longer calls for histrionics, except on paper. ‘*Penrod and Sam’’ is Booth Tarkington’s long-famous comedydrama of a group of adventurous small-town-boys — brought right up to the 1937 minute by having their interests what the boys’ interests of today are. Billy Mauch, famous for his work in ‘‘ Anthony Adverse’’ and ‘“The White Angel,’’ is starred as Penrod; Harry Watson plays his pal, Sam. Frank Craven and Spring Byington are Mr. and Mrs. Schofield, Penrod’s parents. There are any number of capable juvenile actors, although the story has just as much appeal for grownups. William McGann directed the picture, from a screen play adapted from the Tarkington book by Miss Hayward and Cummings. Billy Mauch (right), Spring Byington and Frank Craven form a family group that stands united against the world but battle among themselves, and evoke memories of childhood in ‘‘ Penrod and Sam,’’ the comedy drama film based on Booth Tarkington’s great story, which comes to CHEE ee ee TREGU 6-0 Seis pea es Mieke Mat No. 201—20c¢ Dons Fake Beard To Hide Genuine But Ugly Fringe Playing a bank-robber with a black stubble of beard on his face was putting a sad handicap on Craig Reynolds, one of Hollywood’s handsomest young menabout-town. The night spots were threatened with suffering, too, as a result of Craig’s role in ‘‘Penrod and Sam,’’ the Booth Tarkington classic which comes to the ................ Theatre (00 ican css as a First National production. Time was when a stubble or beard was just a make-up problem. A smear of dark grease paint did the trick. But, modern photography makes it the one sort of false hair that cannot possibly be duplicated by the makeup man. It represents a three-day growth, and is kept at one ‘‘level’’ by the application of clippers. Reynolds, who likes to do the ritzy spots of evenings, got away with it by means of a desperate expedient. After consulting his current girl friends he donned a false Van Dyke beard to cover the stubble, and successfully braved his well-known haunts in that guise! ‘Penrod and Sam’’ is Booth Tarkington’s long-famous comedydrama of a group of adventurous small-town-boys — brought right up to the 1937 minute by having their interests what the boys’ interests of today are. Billy Mauch, famous for his work in ‘‘ Anthony Adverse’’ and ‘“The White Angel,’’ is starred as Penrod; Harry Watson plays his pal, Sam. Frank Craven and Spring Byington are Mr. and Mrs. Schofield, Penrod’s parents. There are any number of capable juvenile actors, although the story has just as much appeal for grownups. William McGann directed the picture, from a screen play adapted from the Tarkington book by Lillie Hayward and Hugh Cummings. Between-Scenes Picture By Cast Of ‘Penrod’ Film There was a ‘‘G-Man’’ picture for the Junior G-Men of America, by way of between-scenes pastime for the juvenile portion of the cast of ‘*Penrod and Sam,’’ the First National comedy-drama now on VAG Waa tub NOs: se tee stosa core Theatre. Billy Mauch, who is starred in the sereen version of the Booth Tarkington classic, was director, cameraman, producer, script writer and one of the actors. That wasn’t because he’s star of the picture, nor relative of anyone in the ‘‘producing ecompany’’ except his twin brother, Bobby Mauch. Nor was it because he is President of the Junior G-Men of America. No, sir, it was because he owns the movie camera and was buying the film they’re using! Adults of the ‘‘Penrod and Sam’’ cast such as Craig Reynolds, Frank Craven and Spring Byington, and the director, William MeGann, were ‘‘consulting experts.’’ Harry Watson, who plays ‘‘Sam’’ in the film, was Billy’s chief assistant. Among the film workers subjected to the most annoyance by the juvenile production company’s activities were the prop men. The boys were continually trying to ‘borrow’? props from them, and that’s strictly taboo! Anyhow, the youngsters ‘‘made a picture,’’ and Billy Mauch said he was going to show it soon after the release of ‘‘ Penrod and Sam.’’