Public Wedding (Warner Bros.) (1937)

IAA WOON \" g N3) PROUD PAPA — The father, Berton Churchill, fits daughter Jane Wyman’s wedding dress, for the biggest wedding ever held—in the mouth of a whale. bride’s PROMOTER — Spieler (Dick Purcell) handles the publicity for the world’s looniest wedding. Come one, come all, see the most spectacular nuptials ever held. FAN DANCER—Played by Marie Wilson, entertains the wedding guests with her own interpretation of Lohengrin’s famous ditty. THE BIG EVENT — Siealing Jonah’s stuff, William Hopper and Jane Wyman are married in the mouth of a whale. It’s the world’s whackiest wedding, and youll see it when “Public Wedding” comes to the _____-----TNGQET OVO isi ccctrtoccisicccon tooo j Heading and photos in this strip available in mat form—No. 101B Price 10c PAGE 6—‘‘PUBLIC WEDDING’’—PUBLICITY Local Theatre Workshops Are Providing Stars Hollywood has finally come to realize that some of the finest film talent to be had grows right in its own back yard! The cinema capitol at the moment is proving a veritable gold mine of undiscovered talent. In their never-ending search for. new personalities the film studio talent scouts have found that it is no longer necessary to travel to New York, Paris and London for potential star material although, of course, these sources have not been discarded. During the last year Warner Bros. studios have signed approximately twenty-five new players to long-term contracts. Of these, twenty were discovered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Pasadena and other adjacent cities. The Pasadena Community Playhouse has been the largest single contributor to the ranks of new contract players at Warner Bros. From this outstanding producer of new talent came Wayne Morris, tall, handsome youngster who gets his big opportunity in the title role of “Kid Galahad.” From there also come Craig Reynolds, Jonah may have been swallowed by a whale, but an even more spectacular stunt was that of Movie Players Jane Wyman and William Hopper—they were married in the mouth of a whale! Mat 102— 10c That’s what you see in “Public Wedding,” the Warner Bros. comedy which had its first local showing yesterday at the Theatre. Film’s New Talent Source “aS It’s the comedy-catch of the year when this batty bride (Jane Wyman) and her gaga groom (William Hopper) set out to out-Jonah in “Public Wedding” now playing at the ___----Theatre. Mat No. 103—10c Gordon Hart and Helen Valkis. Jean Muir’s now defunct “Workshop Theatre” contributed ‘Public Wedding’ Reviewed And a public wedding it certainly is! Tickets are sold by the thousand, and anyone who has fifty cents is cordially invited to attend the nuptials of Jane and Bill. These two youngsters—together with James Robbins, Dick Purcell, Berton Churchill, Raymond Hatton, Marie Wilson, Veda Ann Borg and various others—were members of a carnival troupe that went broke when the public lost interest in their greatest asset—“Moloch the Mighty Mastodon of the Deep,” a_ stuffed whale. In order to rekindle interest, the wedding was arranged. Jane and Bill thought it was going to be a fake ceremony, but it turned out to be quite genuine. They were dismayed for a time, but not only do they become recon William Hopper ‘Discovered in Little Theatre Fred Lawrence and Jane Bryan. Considered one of the outstanding dramatic finds of the genera tion, Gloria Dickson came from the Federal Theater Project. So great has been the impression she made on executives in tests that her first screen assignment was the leading role in Mervyn LeRoy’s production “The Deep South.” William Hopper, whose parents, DeWolf and Hedda Hopper, were famous in the theatre for many years, also gets a prominent role in LeRoy’s next independentlyproduced picture. Hopper spent some time on the New York stage but he had to come to Hollywood and join a little theatre group before the movies would “discover” him. He is currently playing the male lead in “Public Wedding,” the farce-comedy which opens at Che ae: tee Theatrewon. te.2-8 « He is 6 feet 3 (like his father), handsome and a capable actor. He is a real find. Jane Wyman, who plays opposite him in “Publie Wedding” also got her start in a summer theatre workshop. ciled to it—they love it! The whole show is a rib-tickling comedy — with plenty of laughs. There’s a nice strain of romance running through it, and capable performances by a cast WILLIAM HOPPER Mat 105— 10c of up and coming youngsters. Nick Grinde directed the picture from a screen play by Roy Chanslor and Houston Branch, based on Branch’s original story. Dick Purcell Lived On Candy For Weeks Almost starving to death on candy was but one of the experiences of Dick Purcell, prominent young film player, on his Hollywood climb. When he first came to Hollywood several years ago, he could not get extra work, in spite of his fine stage record. His one friend worked in a candy store. Every night, the friend presented him with a pound box of chocolates worth about 60 cents. After a few days of trying to fill up on candy, he evolved a elever scheme for getting some real food. Dick swapped the box for a 25 cent dinner at a lunch counter. For six weeks he did this. Finally, he swallowed his pride and wired home for money. As soon as he reached New York he was engaged by Arthur Hopkins. On the stage he won his spurs in “Paths of Glory” and others. His first picture for Warner Bros. was “Ceiling Zero,” and currently he’s in “Public Wedding,” now showing at they so Theatre. Dumb Blonde Type Aid To Miss Wilson Aside from the fact that it got her a job in pictures, being known as a dumb blonde has other advantages, claims Marie Wilson. : Miss Wilson, who sold herself down the river as a dumb blonde after deciding that she’d have to “stage an act’ if she were to ever crash the gates to movie fame, asserts that her reputation has caused her to be forgiven whenever she has made any mistakes. “Whenever I do something wrong, and you’re bound to make errors in this business,” she explains, “people just say: ‘Well, a dumb blonde.’ “And when I do something smart I get double praise for it. People say: ‘Why isn’t it amazing that a blonde as dumb as she is could think of such a smart thing.’ ” Miss Wilson is portraying one of the leading roles in “Public Wedding,” which comes to the Theatre next : glad to ‘parents’ fame. she can’t help‘ herself. She’s just « Scion Of Stage Family Stands On His Own William Hopper, who has been signed to a long term contract by Warner Bros. recently came into the studio’s publicity department and made a request. “T’d like to ask,” he said, “that in the future when you use my name in publicity stories you will refrain from referring to me as the son of DeWolf and Hedda Hopper.” One of a group of amazed publicists finally managed to ask the reason for this astonishing request. Most sons and daughters of prominent actors are only too capitalize upon their “Well,” young Hopper replied, “Yd like to stand on my own feet instead of my father’s and mother’s. I got my contract without trading on the family name and I’d like to continue in this business under those same terms.” Hopper is now playing his first leading role in “Public Wedding,” at the Theatre. Jane Wyman, another newcomer to the films, plays opposite him. (Lead-off Story) Wedding Film Coming Soon ‘Public Wedding’ Booked for the Strand Next Week The carnival show was flopping. “Moloch, the Mighty Mastodon of the Deep” (a_ stuffed whale) wasn’t bringing people in under the tent. In fact the carnival performers were getting just about hungry enough to eat Moloch’s stuffing, when somebody got a bright idea. Why not have a “Public Wedding?” Why not have a young couple married right inside the gaping mouth of the mighty Moloch? Would that bring in enough cash customers to straighten out the carnival folks’ finances—and especially to get them a few square meals? That’s what this lively Warner Bros. farce-comedy, “Public Wedding,’”’ which comes next CO MbNO) eh came ces Theatre, is all about. The young people who marry in the whale’s mouth think it’s merely a fake marriage—a rather novel publicity stunt. But it turns out that this isn’t the ease at all. They’re really married. And in the end they come to enjoy the fact that they are. The leading man—making his first movie appearance—is the 6-foot-3 son of the late De Wolf Hopper, William by name. His leading lady is Jane Wyman, a vivacious young brunette who has just come up from the ranks of little theatre players and is doing very well. Others in the picture, which was directed by Nick Grinde from a screen play by Roy Chanslor and Houston Branch, include Dick Purcell, Berton Churchill, Raymond Hatton, Veda Ann Borg and Carlyle Moore, Jr. (Opening Day Story) Jane Wyman In New Film William Hopper Is Opposite Her in ‘Public Wedding’ Young couples have been married in balloons, in lions’ dens and elsewhere, but probably no boy and girl were ever before united in the: mouth of a stuffed whale. That’s the situation you get in “Public Wedding,” the Warner Bros. farce-comedy that will have its first local showing today at the Theatre. The wedding is arranged for publicity purposes when the earnival show to which the boy and girl belong has gone so broke that the matter of the next meal is the most profound problem that faces the troupe’s personnel. They think it’s only an imita tion wedding—but it isn’t; it’s real! It brings in thousands of spectators; it sets the troupe back on its feet again. The boy and girl who take part in the ceremony are William Hopper (son of the late DeWolf Hopper, and now playing his first movie; and Jane Wyman, an attractive little brunette who likewise is having her first leading role. Other notables in the cast include Dick Purcell, Marie Wilson, Berton Churchill, Raymond Hatton, James Robbins and Vede Ann Borg. The picture was directed by Nick Grinde from an original screen play by Roy Chanslor and Houston Branch.