Purchase Price (Warner Bros.) (1932)

Star Current Publicity Review “The Purchase Price”’ Shows Barbara Stanwyck In Her Finest Screen Role Chalk up another winner for Warner Bros., who have been supplying the theatres with the most consistently good product of any of the movie producers, in ‘‘The Purchase Price,’’ starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent, which opened last Wisnteewe Athen. cosa eRe Theatre. Following her great hit in ‘‘So Big,’’ the star is back again in the type of alluring role that has won for her so many admirers. She is back again as a young, vibrant, entrancing charmer. As a night club singer who tries to escape the ennui of her life, Barbara Stanwyck reveals again all the charm, the tremendous dramatic vitality and the. sure touch which have marked her pictures from ‘“Ladiesof Leisure’’ to ‘‘Tllicit’’ and ‘‘Night Nurse.’’ It has long been a commonplace to speak of Barbara Stanwyck as a good actress. She’s more than that, however. And in the present picture, as the night club singer who fails to get out of her environment by a Park Avenue marriage, and instead, as a “‘nicture bride’’, goes West and marries a Dakota wheat farmer, she gives the greatest performance of her brilliant career in ‘‘The Purchase Price.’’ Perhaps the greatest surprise of the piece is the acting of young George Brent, dark-haired Irish leading man who played. to such excellent advantage with Ruth Chatterton recently in ‘‘The Rich Are Always With Us.’’ You can mark him down in your book right now as one of the future stars of pictures. An added surprise comes when Miss Stanwyck sings her own songs in the night club sequences, in a most pleas_ caps An evv..ngement occurring on the_ night of her wedding, the new wife lasts until an unexpected visit from an old lover precipitates a quarrel— a terrific battle between Brent and Lyle Talbot—and makes husband and wife realize their need for one another. This profoundly moving story has been directed with rare skill and understanding by William A. Wellman, who will be remembered for his direction of ‘‘Wings’’, ‘‘The Public Enemy,’’ ‘‘Night Nurse,’’ etc. An unusually strong supporting east includes David Landau, Hardie Albright, Leila Bennett, Murray Kinnell, Matt McHugh, Clarence Wilson, Lucille Ward, Victor Potel, Adele Watson, Dawn O’Day, Snub Pollard and Crauford Kent. Put this down as one of the pictures you must see. Opening Day Practically Same Cast That Made ‘So Big’ Also in “The Purchase Price” ‘¢The Purchase Price,’’ Barbara Stanwyck’s latest starring picture for Warner Bros., which opens toGay at= thes... Oe. eee ass Theatre, has almost the same ‘‘set-up’’ of east and technicians that made her previous success, ‘‘So Big’’. The company might almost have been lifted from ‘‘So Big’’ and put into ‘‘The Purchase Price,’’ so identieal is it, thus assuring the public, according to Warner officials, of another Stanwyck film of the same high ealibre. George Brent again has the leading role opposite Miss Stanwyck. Hardie Albright who appeared in ‘“‘So Big’’, is again featured, and Lyle Talbot, the one important addition, is also featured. Many others who played less important parts, have roles once more in the supporting cast of ‘‘The Purchase Price.’’ William Wellman, responsible for the directorial end of ‘‘So Big’’ as well as ‘‘Night Nurse’’, took up the megaphone for the new production, with A. Zimmer, his assistant, in his usual place. BARBARA STANWYCK Cut No.8 OQOuti15ce Matic With this, however, the similarity ends. Laid in New York, Montreal, and the waving wheat-fields of the Dakotas, the plot is an original and imaginative one giving the star a chance to run the full gamut of her emotional ability, and, incidentally, to wear a collection of lovely gowns denied her in ‘‘So Big.’’ It is from the Saturday Evening Post novel, ‘‘The Mud Lark’’, by Arthur Stringer and adapted by Robert Lord. The cast supporting I. day of run ‘Purchase Price’ Gives Barbara Stanwyck Chance To Display Singing Voice It is in line with Barbara Stanwyck’s modesty that she never told anyone she could sing. It never oecurred to her that anyone could be interested in knowing. Director WilVian WTA nw Joo-a a a 4a UISCUVETEA 10 OLLLy aL~ ver ne nad tried to get several singers to double for her in her current production of ‘‘The Purchase Price,’’ now playing at the ............... Theatre—and failed. No one else’s voice seemed to fit her personality. Barbara then offered, much to the surprise of everyone, to sing the song entitled ‘‘Take Me Away,’’ herself—and did, with the same haunting loveliness that characterizes everything she does. Critics everywhere have voiced their surprise that a voice like hers has been kept from the screen so long. ‘The Purchase Price,’’?’ marks the first time she has ever sung in a picture. In the cast of ‘‘The Purchase Price’? with Miss Stanwyck are George Brent, sensational new leading man of the screen, Lyle Talbot, Hardie Albright, David Landau, Mat McHugh, Clarence Wilson, Lucille Ward, Victor Potel, Adele Watson, Dawn O’Day, Snub Pollard and Crauford Kent. It was directed by William Wellman from Robert Lord’s screen adaptation of Arthur Stringer’s Saturday Evening Post story, ‘‘The Mud Lark.’’ Z na day of run George Brent Popular With Men and Women (Biographical Story) George Brent, appearing now opposite Barbara Stanwyck in her latest Warner Brothers production, ¢¢The Purchase Price’’ at the ............ Theatre, is one leading man who seems to be as popular with men as with women. This is not always the case. Many a Hollywood leading man who finds himself a sudden favorite with the fair sex, has to suffer the sneers of the sterner males who don’t like him. And the same thing holds true the other way. In fact, if any ’ thing, the ladies have more power in this respect, for when they don’t like a leading man they don’t let up until they have had their way in getting rid of Rim. Prd day of run Barbara Stanwyck Loved By Cast For Her Kindness It was a simple little act—but it revealed the reason everyone in Barbara Stanwyck’s company, which made ‘‘The Purchase Price’’ for Warner Bros., appearirg currently Hi Reale borer cuttin Serer cote Theatre, is ‘‘erazy about’’ the star. It happened on location, at Vincent, California, where the company had gone to film a vast expanse of ploughed land. The month was April, and the usual prevailing winds were blustering about, biting cold from the mountains, The young woman who is Miss Stanwyck’s ‘‘stand-in’’ was placed in position to help the camera crew align the cameras, and the company retired to the warmth and comfort of the private car which had rolled them to location. Miss Stanwyck’s absence was not noticed in the car for some time— until, in fact, she came running in coatless and hatless, having surrendered her coat to the ‘‘stand-in,’’ whose .own thin garment was poor protection from the mountain wind, and who had stood, uncomplaing but shivering with the cold until noticed by the star. ‘<The Purchase Price’? was adapted from Arthur Stringer’s great novel and Saturday Evening Post story, ‘*The Mud Lark’’. It is a thrilling story directed by William Wellman. The cast supporting Miss Stanwyck includes George Brent, Lyle Talbot, Hardie Albright, Matt MeHugh, Leila Bennett, David Landau, and Murray Kinnell. GEORGE BRENT and BARBARA STANWYCK, stars in the new Warner Bros. dramatic hit, “The Purchase Price.” It heads the Strand Theatre’s current bill and will be on view until Friday. Cut No.4 Outi15c Matic Brent, whose tall Irish good looks came to him from a long line of Dublin cavalrymen, was born in that city. He attended public school and the National University at Dublin, playing during his university days with the Abbey Theatre group. As a runner for Michael Collins during the Irish rebellion, he stuck by that redoubtable leader until he was killed, when Brent fled Ireland for his life.. In America he has played with many stock companies and has owned several of his own. He stands over six feet one, weighs 170 pounds, and uses his fists as readily as his head, which makes him a man’s man. His last New York stage appearance was with Alice Brady in ‘‘Love, Honor and Betray.’’ His pictures for Warner Brothers include ‘‘So Big,’’ ‘‘The Rich Are Always With Us,’’ ‘‘Miss Pinkerton, ‘‘Week-end Marriage,’’ ‘‘The Purchase Price.’’ . Playing with Miss Stanwyck and Brent in the latter are Lyle Talbot, David Landau, Hardie Albright, Leila Bennett, Murray Kinnell, Matt McHugh, Clarence Wilson, Lucille Ward, Victor Potel, Adele Watson, Dawn O’Day, Snub Pollard, Crauford Kent. The story is by Arthur Stringer, sereen play by Robert Lord. William Wellman directed. GEORGE BRENT Cut No.5 Cuti15e Mat de Ain day of run Star Selected Story of **The Purchase Price,” Her Latest Warner Hit Barbara Stanwyck, now playing Dib tN Ge soccer tees seeie es Theatre, in ‘‘The Purchase Price,’’ chooses her own stories and makes recommendations for the director and leading man, she would like to have, in all her Warner Bros. pictures. She has herself chosen ‘‘ Night Nurse,’’ ‘‘So Big,’’ and ‘‘The Purchase Price’’—the last named being a story by Arthur Stringer, which appeared serially in The Saturday Evening Post under the title ‘‘The Mud Lark.’’ : The story, a strong, vivid tale of a night club singer, transported to the Dakota wheat fields, is greatly _augmented by its natural and nower ful dramatic background. It is a thrilling story, directed by William Wellman and adapted for the screen by Robert Lord. Supporting Miss Stanwyck are George Brent, popular new leading man, Lyle Talbot, David Landau and many others of note. > th day of run Barbara Stanwyck Swears By William Wellman, Her Favorite Movie Director William Wellman has directed every: one of Barbara Stanwyck’s pictures for Warner Bros. with one exception—that exception being ‘‘IIlicit.’? His most recent direction for Miss Stanwyck was with ‘‘The Purchase Price,’’ which comes to the Ste EO WE Ga tl Orsiace vetiisc. ccs Wellman’s directorial career has been brief, but brilliant. As brilliant, it might be said, as everything else he has done. He was a brilliant baseball and football player in the Newton, Mass., high school which he attended. He acquitted himself brilliantly as a member of the famous Lafayette Escadrille, until he was invalided home to become an instructor of flying at a California cantonment. There he met Douglas Fairbanks Sr., who interested him in motion pictures. War flying was the thing he knew best, so it wasn’t surprising when -he was selected to direct the famous air picture, ‘‘Wings.’’ He followed this with other outstanding hits, culminating, something over a year ago, in ‘‘The Public Enemy,’’ one of the greatest films of all times. Later pictures include two of Miss Stanwyck’s—‘‘Night Nurse’’ and ‘‘So Big.’’ Today, he is a young man of thirty-odd years with a shock of chestnut curls and a face at once fine and forceful. Although he has one of the most brilliant careers as a director in Hollywood before him —Wellman isn’t even sure that he will take advantage of it. For he plans, someday, to give up directing for writing. Until then he’s Barbara Stanwyck’s favorite director, just as she’s his favorite star—which largely accounts for their success together Page Eleven