San Quentin (Warner Bros.) (1937)

PAGE o—"‘SAN QUENTIN’—PUBLICITY By BLAKE McVEIGH This writer took a visitor out with him a while ago to watch a few scenes made at Warner Bros. studio for the big prison picture, “San Quentin.” Now this visitor was no cream puff. In fact, he had served an apprenticeship in living the hard way — lumber camps, working as a longshoreman, a stretch or No Sissy Actors In San Quentin’ two as a custodian of good manners in very ungenteel dance halls, and many spells as a private detective, which job had brought him plenty of bruises in his work as a strike breaker. Well, when this aforesaid visitor saw them doing an exciting prison break scene for “San Quentin,” which comes to the....... Theatre: oneness a » he was amazed. Mat No. 208—20¢ Pat O’Brien and Ann Sheridan in a romantic scene from the First National production “San Quentin,” which comes to the Strand Theatre tomorrow. “T always thought,” said he, “that these movie actors were a buneh of softies. But these guys look like the real MeCoy. On the level, are they actors?” He was assured that they were indeed. In fact, he was introduced to a few of them — Humphrey Bogart, Pat O’Brien, Barton MacLane, Joseph Sawyer and James Robbins. “’d never have believed they were actors,” he said. “They look like guys who could take eare of themselves in an argument.” “They could, too, Mister,” O’Brien told him. “MacLane was quite a football player at Wesleyan. He’s as strong as a bull and just as fearless. He worked one summer as a bouncer at a big dance hall up near Boston, where the patrons didn’t like bouncers overmuch. Bogart’s well educated, but he’s no softie. He was in the Navy as a kid, and he’s not apt to seare easily. “See that young chap over there? His name’s James Robbins. He won the welterweight championship of New Jersey, amateur, before he became an actor. He used to deliver newspapers before that, and the lad who do that are no lillies. “That husky fellow over there is Joseph Sawyer. He plays Sailor Boy Hansen, a very tough convict. Well, Joe’s an awfully nice chap, but if I were in a jam he’s one guy I’d like to have around me. He used to be a backfield man at the University of California.” O’Brien also was a_ football star, I told the agog visitor, at Marquette University. “Youre a fighter, too, ain’t you?” my companion asked. “I saw you as a fighter in a picture, I forget the name of it, and you looked pretty good.” O’Brien nodded. “That yas ‘The Personality Kid’ He mnt on: “Lots of people have the wrong conception of actors. They think that because they act for a living they must necessarily be soft. Well, actors can’t be that way in the movies, even if they wanted to.” The visitor was much impressed. “I’m going to watch out for those guys’ movies from now on,” he said. “And I’ll be a lot more ecareful what I say about movie actors being a sissy bunch. I think any of these fellows here could make me swallow the words if they heard me call them sissies. And by the way, how do you go about getting a job in one of thege movie outfits?” “San Quentin” is a melodramatic thriller which has for its locale the famed old prison on the shore of San Francisco Bay. Pat O’Brien is starred as Captain of the Yard. Humphrey Bogart and Barton MacLane are featured as the “menaces,” and lovely, red-haired Ann Sheridan is the leading woman. Lloyd Bacon directed the pieture from a screen play by Peter Milne and Humphrey Cobb, based on a story by Robert Tasker and John Bright. PUT BEARDS ON FILM KIDS SAYS LLOYD BACON All young movie actors should hide behind beards when they are starting their careers, according to Director Lloyd Bacon. The beards should be long white ones that completely disguise their wearers. And if beards didn’t look out of place on young actresses, Bacon would suggest that they also wear them. What Bacon, who directed the First National production, “San Quentin” means, is that young players should start out by portraying old men and women. “Young men and women in their tens and early twenties are self-conscious,” Bacon says. “Hide them behind a beard and because they can’t be recognized they lose their self-consciousness.” As an example, Bacon holds up Paul Muni. When he was a 12-year-old, Muni was playing old men. He didn’t shed his beard until he had had years of experience, Mary Phillips, Humphrey Bogart’s wife, made her first real success on the stage playing an old woman, Bacon points out. She was very young at the time and was still self-conscious. With her true self disguised by make-up, she really acted. Bacon says that all young men and women are actors and actresses. The ones who succeed are the ones who forget themselves. And the easiest way to make them do that is to use the whiskers, he says. In the case of young feminine stars, where a beard would hardly be feasible, Bacon thinks that character make-up is the solution. He admits, however, that there are some youngsters now playing in films who are so lacking in self-consciousness that no such precautions are necessary. For example he cites the Mauch twins, Billy and Bobby, who recently scored such a triumph in “The Prince and the Pauper.” “San Quentin,” now showing Atetnete oe: Theatre, is a melodramatic thriller which has for its locale the famed old prison on the shore of San Francisco Bay. Pat O’Brien is starred as Captain of the Yard. Humphrey Bogart and Barton Maclane are featured as the “menaces,” and lovely, red-haired Ann Sheridan is the leading woman. Bacon directed the picture from a screen play by Peter Milne and Humphrey Cobb, based on a story by Robert Tasker and John Bright. O'Brien Mistaken For His Namesake Pat O’Brien has never been mistaken for Erin O’Brien-Moore. He expects to be some day, even though Miss O’Brien-Moore doesn’t look at all like him. Fans are always taking him for someone else. Usually they think he is George O’Brien. Once a woman decided he was Ted Healey and told him how funny she thought he was. Pat doesn’t mind. If you had gone out on the “San Quentin” set and called him Frank MceHugh he’d have grinned at you and thanked you for “the new billing.” He’s starring now in “San Quentin,” the current feature attraction at the.......... Theatre. But sometimes he says his vanity is hurt a little. Like the time he was on the Santa Fe Chief enroute to Chicago. From the moment the train started, the porter almost broke his neck attending to Pat’s wants. He couldn’t do enough for the actor. “I began to think I was an important fellow,” Pat says. “I had a five dollar bill all ready for him when we reached Chicago. I handed it to him and he smiled happily. ‘Mr. O’Brien,’ he said, ‘I think you are about the best actor in the world. You ean ride a horse better than any man I ever did see. ‘And you sure look like your pappy. I used to see a lot of him around San Franciseo when he was chief of police. He was a fine man and yow’re a fine son, Mr. O’Brien,’ “I didn’t tell him I was Pat, not George, whose Dad was the famous police chief,” Another time, Pat dropped into a cafe for a glass of lemonade. At the soda fountain was 4 member of the Warner Bros. publicity department and an outof-town newspaper woman, “This is Mr. O’Brien,” said the publicity man, “The newspaper woman beamed. “How’s your lovely wife?” she asked. “Fine,” said Pat. “She’s in New York now buying elothes for her shop.” “She has a shop?” asked the newspaper woman. “Oh yes,” said Pat. “Then she isn’t in pictures any more?” “She never was,” said Pat. “She was on the stage, but not in pietures. “T saw her in one just the Mat No. 305—30¢ RIOT IN SAN QUENTIN!—Pat O’Brien, as the Captain of the Yard tries to quell the furious mob of convicts in the thrilling prison melodrama “San Quentin,” now playing at the Strand Theatre. other day,” said the newspaper woman. Pat saw the light. “You mean Marguerite Churchill, don’t you?” The newspaper woman said she did. And she added that she thought Mr. O’Brien rode a horse very well, “Pat sometimes goes out with George O’Brien. They were at a football game last season and as they came through the crowd a girl rushed up with an autograph book. “Will you sign this Mr. O’Brien,” the girl said. “We almost broke our arms reaching for the book,” Pat explained. Mrs. O’Brien tells a story that tops any of Pat’s. After “China Clipper” was completed, Pat, the late Ross Alexander and Humphrey Bogart were on a radio program together. Mrs. O’Brien attended and sat outside the broadcasting booth. As she sat there, Ross came up, perched on the arm of her chair and talked to her for awhile. When he went into the booth, an old lady next to Mrs. O’Brien leaned over. “T like your boy friend,” she said. “He’s a fine actor.” The old lady looked through the glass at Mr. O’Brien, Mr. Bogart and Mr. Alexander. “But,” she added, “I don’t see how anyone can stand that Pat O’Brien. He is about the worst actor I ever saw.” Nevertheless, Pat has thousands of fans of his own. They don’t think he’s anybody but their own adored Pat. Most of his feminine fans, for instance, think that he would make the ideal husband. “T don’t know whether or not you’re married,” a New York girl recently wrote him, “but if you’re not, I’d like to put in my application right now. I think the girl who marries you would be the luckiest girl in the world.” Pat’s happily married, however. During a recent birthday, Pat’s popularity was pretty well proven. He received 22 baskets and bowls of flowers, 6 baskets of assorted wines, 54 pipes, 9 blackthorn sticks, 6 clocks, 32 books, including some valuable first editions, 30 neckties, 6 pairs of pajamas, 2 bathrobes, 14 pairs of socks, and 3 sweaters, besides hundreds of telegrams, letters, and four cablegrams from foreign fans, One of his most valued gifts, however, came from a little girl who lives next door to him in Hollywood. It was a two-day old white kitten, with a big blue bow tied around his neck. Pat is an exception from the old proverb “A prophet is without honor in his own home,” for he’s as popular with the Hollywood folks as he is with the movie going public in other parts of the world. The technical crews who work on his pictures, the tradespeople and the neighbors all rate Pat aces-high, as a good friend as well as a favorite actor. That’s because there’s not a trace of snobbery or uppishness about this genial Irish star. Success has not affected the generous, warmhearted Pat, and that’s why he’s a favorite all over the world. “San Quentin” is a melodramatic thriller which has for its locale the famed old prison on the shore of San Francisco Bay. Pat O’Brien is starred as Captain of the Yard. Humphrey Bogart and Barton MacLane are featured as the “menaces,” and lovely, redhaired Ann Sheridan is the leading woman, Lloyd Bacon directed the picture from a screen play by Peter Milne and Humphrey Cobb, based on a story by Robert Tasker and John Bright.