Polo Joe (Warner Bros.) (1936)

“POLO JOE”’ PUBLICITY (Lead Off Story) Joe E. Brown as Polo Pretender Coming to Strand Your old friend, Joe E. Brown, gallops into the Theatre on latest and laffiest of all his Warner Bros. starring vehicles, “Polo Joe.” He plays the role of Joe Bolton, an American youth who, after several years in China, returns home with a solemn-visaged valet—and an unbounded supply of tall tales. He returns to the arms of his adoring, gushing and disgustingly rich Aunt Minnie— who is a member of an extremely swanky polo-playing colony. Joe at once falls violently in love with pretty Mary Hilton, a neighbor, who recognizes no hero but a polo-playing hero. Joe and his valet discuss the case in hand and decide that Joe must pose as a wow at polo. After that, he brags so much about his skill that he is finally shamed into becoming an active member of the local polo elub. To get him out of his fix, the valet with more enthusiasm than judgment, hires a couple of thugs to kidnap Joe before the game. Their plans are overheard by the rival for Mary Hilton’s hand, who relays the information to Mary’s father. Joe is forced into the big game of the season. After a number of dumb plays which weaken the faith of everyone but the girl—Joe about-faces and makes a series of such brilliant ones that he wins both the game and the girl. But see Joe in action! Carol Hughes, who made such a hit with Joe in “Earthworm Tractors,” is delightful as the pretty polo enthusiast. “Skeets” Gallagher does the dead-pan valet with gusto. Gordon Elliott is Joe’s rival and Joseph King is Mary’s country-gentleman pa. David Newell is her brother, Olive Tell her mother—and Fay Holden is Joe’s effusive Aunt Minnie. George E. Stone and Charles Foy are effective as the comical crooks. As an added attraction Joe throws in some unique tricks and for good measure sings a Chinese song. William McGann directed the comedy from the screen play by Peter Milne and Hugh Cummings. Horsey Hero! Joe E. Brown in his regalia in “Polo Joe,” the Warner Bros. comedy which comes to the Mat No. 108—10c Page Ten years Joe E. Brown, starring as the timid Polo Pretender—and beautiful Carol Hughes as the Siren-W ho-Drives-Him-To-lt—in an uproarious scene from “Polo Joe,” the Warner Bros. screen comedy which Contes to the: 22 ee Theatre on. eee P Mat No. 204—20c (Review) Guffaws Greet Grinning Comedian As Polo Champ Joe E. Brown’s Newest Warner Bros. Comedy Acclaimed As Funniest Of His Career Joe E. Brown has played almost every kind of character with the exception of a polo-player—and now he has covered that one in ‘‘Polo Joe,’’ the uproarious comedy which POMOC BE CRB eo occ, gas. nie niaueus eee core Theatre yesterday. “Polo Joe’’ follows the unfailing recipe that has always made us laugh and always will. Pickwick is of the same ilk, and so is Happy Hooligan. Caspar Milquetoast is one of them. It is the type of man who hides his inability to do the “big bowwow” things by pretending that he is a past master at them. In “Polo Joe” the star portrays a globe trotter who returns to the welcoming arms of his rich and gushing Aunt Minnie, after in China. Aunt Minnie’s mansion is in the midst of a swanky, polo-playing colony — and Joe complicates matters for everybody by falling instantly and violently in love with pretty Mary Hilton — who thinks the only man worth considering is one who is a polo champ. Joe has brought with him from abroad a dead-pan valet, Hay ward—who is filled with dismay when he hears his boss brag that he has just come from polo-playing triumphs in the Orient. Joe is in for trouble for he is forced to join the local polo club —and to agree to play in the big game of the season. Hayward conceives the brilliant idea of hiring a crowd of crooks to kidnap Joe before the game. Joe’s rival for the hand of Mary overhears and reports to her father. Joe is imprisoned by the erooks, his hysterical Aunt Minnie gets the police out to hunt him, and it looks as if the game must be played without him. He, of course, manages to appear in the nick of time—and after ludicrous anties—such as only Joe E. Brown can concoct—he makes some accidentally brilliant plays Joe E. Brown in “Polo Joe” at the Strand. Mat No. 114— 10c and wins the game—and the girl to boot. Carol Hughes, a recent screen “find” does a grand job as the Southern belle whose passion is horses, and Fay Holden gives a grand performance as the talkative Aunt Minnie, who bristles with questions that are never answered because she can’t keep still long enough to listen to the answers. The story is simple enough— but the way it is presented makes it one of the fastest, funniest comedies of the year. Others in the cast are Carol Hughes, Richard “Skeets” Gallagher, Joseph King, Gordon Elliott, Fay Holden, George E. Stone, Olive Tell, David Newell, Milton Kibbee, Frank Orth, John Kelly and Charles Foy. The screen play is by Peter Milne and Hugh Cummings. William McGann directed. Nobody who remembers Joe E. Brown in his portrayal of the nitwit Flute, the bellows-mender in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” —or in “Alibi Ike,” “Bright Lights” and a score of others— will want to miss “Polo Joe.” Come and bring the gang. Joe is guaranteed to do the rest. (Opening Day Story) Gallops To Gal And Glory! | NewJoeE. Brown Film Hit Comes To Strand Today Joe E. Brown—king of the laughmakers—comes to the..... Theatre today in his newest Warner Bros. comedy hit, “Polo Joe.” Joe has been almost everything in the sport world—prize fighter, racer, circus clown, high jumper, bike rider, hoofer, acrobat—and now he comes as a synthetic polo player. Again he portrays the meek soul who tries to cover his fright at his own limitations by insisting that they don’t exist. He finds it necessary to pretend great prowess at polo, though he has never been on a horse, and gets fits of sneezing whenever he gets near one. As Joe Bolton, he returns to his home town and the welcoming arms of his rich and gushing Aunt Minnie — after years in China. With him comes his deadpan valet, Hayward. Aunt Minnie’s mansion is in the midst of a swanky polo-playing colony— and Joe at once falls head over heels in love with pretty Mary Hilton, who thinks no man can be a hero unless he plays polo. To get out of his difficulty Joe pretends that he is a wow at it— and so is forced to join the elub. He is in terror at what lies ahead and his valet gets the brilliant idea of hiring a gang of bruisers to kidnap him before the game. His rival for Mary’s hand overhears Joe’s scheme, and informs Mary’s father. So he is compelled to play in the big game—and what happens is good for more laughs to the second than you have enjoyed for many a long day. This is a guarantee. The supporting cast includes Carol Hughes, Richard “Skeets” Gallagher, Joseph King, Gordon Elliott, Fay Holden, George E. Stone, Olive Tell, David Newell, Milton Kibbee, Frank Orth, John Kelly and Charles Foy. The screen play is by Peter Milne and Hugh Cummings. William McGann directed. Don’t fail to see Joe as the polo-pretender — and don’t be selfish—bring all the family. Joe E. Brown’s Pants Blown Off In Movie Scene How’d you like to have the pants blown right off of you in an explosion? That’s what happened to Joe E. Brown during the production of the Warner Bros. comedy, “Polo Joe,” which comes to the Dhoatrdsontessne wer ivack te Brown plays the part of a braggart who is forced into a polo match though he has never been on a horse. The script calls for his valet, before the game, to put into the seat of his riding breeches a big inflatable rubber pad to spare him bumps. The valet, “Skeets” Gallagher, placed the pad and Eddie Edwards, head prop man, inserted the nozzle of a compressed air hose into the valve, while Joe Brown, with belt unbuckled, loosely held the top of his pants. Bang! Under too high pressure the rubber gave way. It blew the seat right out of Joe’s pants. He let go and what remained of the breeches fell. “Polo Joe’ was written by Peter Milne and Hugh Cummings. The supporting cast includes Carol Hughes, Richard (Skeets) Gallagher, Joseph King, Gordon Elliott, Fay Holden and George E. Stone. William MeGann directed. Polo Played By Chinese Ruler 1236 Years Ago Polo, generally regarded as an East Indian game introduced to England and thence spread around the rest of the world, was really played in China long before returning British . Indian army officers brought it to Great Britain. In fact, the Emperor Ming Huang and his courtiers played polo in 600 A.D., according to Paul Fong, noted Chinese scholar and historian who acted as technical advisor on Joe E. Brown's latest Warner Bros. comedy, “Polo Joe,” which comes to the Petty Safes eee PUMOATNG MOM ere. te res Fong had a photograph of a spirited Chinese painting of that period showing Ming Huang and his lords at the game. The painting itself hangs in the Imperial Palace at Peking. But Fong has the photograph no longer, because he graciously presented it to Joe E. Brown, the film comedian. Fong is acting as Joe’s technical advisor, because the latter is supposed to have returned to America after a ten-year stay in China, and he has to sing a Chinese song, play a _ one-string Chinese violin and eat with chopsticks. Joe learned to do all these things for the riotous comedy romance by Peter Milne and Hugh Cummings. Besides Joe E., the cast includes Carol Hughes, Richard (Skeets) Gallagher, Joseph King, Gordon Elliott, Fay Holden, George E. Stone and others. William McGann directed. Fraternity Boys Get A Paddling By Joe E. Brown That open-mouthed roar (Yeow) that Joe E. Brown lets loose in pictures, resounded in Brown’s Beverly Hills home at one-thirty one morning during the filming of his latest Warner Bros. comedy, “Polo Joe,” now showing at CLG eee cele: Theatre. The doorbell peal was long and loud. The sleepy butler had responded, and had awakened Joe with the news that “Twelve young men are outside demanding to see you.” Joe donned a robe and went downstairs, and there were the twelve. Three were prisoners, nine were guards. The prisoners explained that they were being initiated into the Chi Phi fraternity at the University of California at Los Angeles. “Part of the ceremony is that we disturb you while asleep, for which you paddle us, and that we disturb you again while at work, and you paddle us once more,” they explained. “T have a great affection for U, Cr Ac,” said Joe. “My,-son, Joe, Jr., goes to school there. But boys, gimme that paddle! I’m going to lay it on!” And he did. The next day the three initiates made their way to the Valley Saddle Club, near Burbank, where Brown was working in “Polo Joe,” and broke into a scene supposed to depict smart society watching a match. Again Joe wielded the paddle—plenty! “Too bad that can’t be in the picture!” he said. “Polo Joe’ is an uproarious fun-maker by Peter Milne and Hugh Cummings. The support includes Carol Hughes, Richard (Skeets) Gallagher, Joseph King, Gordon Elliott, Fay Holden and George E. Stone. William MceGann directed.