She Had to Say Yes (Warner Bros.) (1933)

Advance Features “Screen Girls Prettier than Venus de Milo,” says Busby T the famed Grecian beauty, wood today, would she make the screen beauties look to Busby Berkeley thinks not. And Berkeley is fully qualified to make this brash statement. He has directed more than 150 stage productions, mostly their laurels? musical comedies in which the legs is an essential factor. More numbers and ensembles for the Warner Bros. picture sensations “42nd Street” and “Gold Diggers of 1933.” In these pictures he picked 150 beauties frim 5,000 applicants to take part in the choruses and dances. Out of this number he again selected fourteen of the most beautiful and used them as “customers’ girls” in the First National picture, “She Had To Say Yes,” featuring Loretta Young and Lyle. Talbot, which topensivat thes... ... e.. Theatre: OMe se. ergs Oe , and whieh he directed in association with George Amy. Berkeley contends that he se lected the prettiest girls to be found for these customers’ girls. Their qualifications in the story are beauty, brains, wit, camaraderie and the willingness to say yes” to outof-town buyers who want’ to be shown a good time before signing on the dotted line. The girls comprise the secretarial foree of a cloak and suit house, which uses _ its stenos to entertain out-of-town buyers. “These girls are more beautiful by far than Venus de Milo aceording to present day standards,” said Berkeley. “I would not have passed one of them up in favor of the Grecian beauty judging by the dimensions which have been. handed down to us. “Valves-change, and what was acUAlvUa wo Utaaty evel a ru w yy Ca4 ago, would not be considered beautiful today. Buxomness and voluptuousness were considered primary factors in beauty in the past. Now we go in for trim, slender figures.” Illustrating his point he takes Jayne Shattuck, one of the cus | Pray ors Venus de Milo, were in Holly pulchritude of face, form and. recently he directed the chorus tomers’ girls as symbolic of the entire group of girls and compares her with the measurements of the Venus de Milo. Miss Shattuck is slightly taller than the Venus and her proportions are uniformly more slender. This is the table: Venus de Milo Jayne Shattuck Height 5’4” 5/434” Neck 14” 113%” Bust 3434” Bh Waist 2814” OG Hips 36” 34” Calf 131,” 1214” Ankle 814” 734" This perfect Miss 1933, the sue cessor to the Venus de Milo, would be a fairly accurate composite of the fourteen pulchritudinous maidens.in “She Had,To Say. Yes,” ac-, cording to Mr. Berkeley. The other thirteen beauties in the picture include Maxine Cantway, Edna Callaghan, Lynn Browning, Helen Mann, Pat and Toby Wing, Ann Hovey, Margaret LaMarr, Loretta Andrews, Barbara Rogers, Renee Whitney, Donna Roberts and Geraine Greer. They are just as beautiful and as well proportioned as Miss Shattuck. It ig all in the matter of taste, whether you like ’?em blonde or brunette or red headed. In the main cast supporting Miss Young and “slhot are such notable WUegIs es eaey; re Lightner, Hugh Herbert, Joe Cawthorne, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Suzanne Kilborn, Helen Ware and Harold Waldridge. The screen play is by Rian James and Don Mullaly based on an original story by John Francis Larkin. way Secretaries Have Sideline in “She Had to Say Yes”’ I N 4 S the stenographer merely a competent young workwoman about the office, as is so often supposed, or is she, as wives more often fear, a business-hour rival to look out for? First National attempts to answer the question in part in “She Had To Say Yes,’’ which comes to the Theatre with Loretta Young, Lyle Talbot and Regis Toomey in the leading roles. They don’t, of course, attempt to take sides. Your stenog rapher is your own business. Or your wife’s. At any rate she’s not the business of anyone but the man who hires her. What they do try to show, however, is that stenographers can be nsed for other matters than mere “routine office work. In John Francis Larkin’s clever story, for example, they are used to replace the usual showgirls with whom New York firms lure out-of-town buyers into big contracts. Showgirls, contends “She Had To Say Yes,” are all right in their way. But that way has nothing to do with big business, with contracts, or with the present story. Stenographers are fresher. They are generally younger and not so blase about night life. First National has put a bevy of its choicest little beauties into this as the young and pretty stenographers. In the nightclub, in the theatre, and even in taxicabs, they get in the work which bring the business. to their firm. Loretta Young is the chief attraction among them. She’s really not a stenographer at all, but a secretary, engaged to the young executive who thought up the scheme of putting the stenos to work. It’s one of Loretta’s best roles. She’s aided and abetted in her comedy moments by Winnie Lightner, who never lacks for wisecrack—or smile. Lyle Talbot, a young stage player whom First National has developed during the past year, has his first leading role. Lyle has shown himself a Lothario in Hollywood. “She Had To Say Yes” will reveal whether he’s as attractive to the ladies of the country at large as he is to those of the film capital. A new player to the screen is Suzanne Kilborn, who plays the dizziest among the little blond typewriter pounders. She’s new to the screen but not to the stage, where she has played for some years. a a Incidentally — and this is telling on one of the screen’s most engaging young “bachelors” — _ she’s Mrs. Chester Morris. The cast of girls — you’re going to see them again, so you might as well meet them — include Maxine Cantway, Jayne Shadduck, Helen Mann, Loretta Andrews, Ann Hovey, Lynn Browning, Renee Whitney, Pat and Toby Wing and Barbara Rogers. The cast of players, besides the leads, includes Helen Ware, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Hugh Herbert, Joe Cawthorne and Harold Waldridge. The picture was directed by Busby Berkeley and George Amy. Shorts Winnie Lightner’s Last Film Also With Loretta Winnie Lightner, formerly a screen star, forsook the calcium lights for the footlights about a year ago. Her last picture was “Play Girl” with Loretta Young. Now she returns to the screen and her first picture is again a part with Loretta Young in the First National picture, “She Had To Say Yes,” which is now showing at the pol ang tra ess ¢oc a theatre. In both pictures she plays the role of chum and roommate to Miss Young. Loretta Young Miffed at Ousting. of Seers Loretta Young, who plays the leadng role in the First National picture, “She Had To Say Yes,” Comime tomtie: 4... .uisken theatre OHege. is quite miffed at the ‘Los Angeles council which ‘banned fortune tellers from Holly wood. Loretta always consulted a medium before starting work on any picture to learn whether it is just the right role for her. In the last picture she had to be content to take the studio executives’ word for Lyle Talbot’s Ambition Is to Live in London Lyle Talbot, who plays the leading masculine role. opposite Loretta Young in the First National picture, “She Had To Say Yes,” which opens bestia <p aceite eon eee theatre on has an ambition which he hopes to fulfil, when he has attained fame and fortune on the sereen. It is to live in London for ten years. And his reason is to absorb the theatrical atmosphere of the theatre capital of the world, made famous by Kean and | Irving, Ellen Terry, Barry Sullivan and the like. Wife of Chester Morris Makes Her Film Debut Suzanne Kilborn, the famous stage star who in private life is the wife of Chester Morris, makes her bow on the screen in the First National picture featuring Loretta Young, “She Had To Say Yes,” now showing: at the = =. a Theatre. She has the role of a blonde vamp. By coincidence Chester Morris was playing in the same studio at the same time in “Blondie Johnson” with Joan Blondell. Loretta Young Prefers Brunettes as Her Leads Loretta Young likes dark leading men. That’s one reason why Lyle Talbot was selected to play Opposite her in the First National picture, “She Had To Say Yes,” which scomés: to: thee > theatre on , Talbot is very dark of hair and skin while Loretta is the blondest of blondes, with natural light hair and peaches and cream complexion. The contrast tends to set off and enhance Loretta’s fair beauty. ‘She Had to Say Yes’ Is Busby Berkeley’s First “She Had To Say Yes,” a First National picture featuring Loretta Young and Lyle Talbot, which opens at the theatre on eS tee, a eA ee is the first directorial effort of Busby Berkeley, the famous stage and musical comedy director, for that company. He worked in association with George Amy. Berkeley did, however, direct and create the ensembles and the dances for the Warner Bros. picture, “42nd Street.” It ‘eluded was his work in this picture that led to a director’s contract. Just previous to “42nd Street” Berkeley had directed the dance numbers for Eddie Cantor’s “The Kid from Spain” and “Whoopee.” Current Features Gorgeous Clothes Designed for Loretta’s Latest Film ITH the Cinderella story repeated in fashions, if not in plot, ‘‘She Had To Say Yes,’’ a First National pie ture with Loretta Young, now showing clothes seldom equalled by the career. at the an array of in her entire Theatre, presents smart young star Loretta starts as a pretty but dowdy little secretary to a gown manufacturer. Winnie Lightner, another secretary who knows both men and materials, gives her a few pointers. The result is amazing. Loretta starts entertaining out-of town buyers. She snares for herself many fat commissions. She becomes involved in several large romances. Of course, she dresses like a million dollars. In short, the opportunity for both the star and the studio designer, Orry-Kelly, to “do their stuff” is boundless. Entering into the ‘spirit of the moth to butterfly transformation, Orry-Kelly planned for Loretta’s first appearance an ensemble that inan uninteresting, ill-fitting frock, badly dressed hair, flat heeled shoes, and, actually lisle..stockings! It follows that when she enters next in a white mat crepe evening dress with wide -belt-of?rhinestones and with a full-length: evening. wrap of white erminette collared in fox, the effect was the more startling, more beautiful, by virtue of contrast. Roman-striped velvet is another medium given by the designer to the star, in shades of wine, blue and gold. Her only ornament is an oldfashioned locket of cameo and dull gold, the effect glamorous, plus. ut evening clothes are not the only ones that the young star proves she can wear with the chie of Paris. A tailored suit of gray tweed, with matching hat, white stock and English walking shoes, gives her smartest costume to Loretta, and hope to the real life secretary whose wardrobe for daytime must come before that of the evening. Another fashion item of interest to the general public is the long evening wrap for spring, fashioned of tan broadcloth with tippet collar of brown fur. The fabric evening coat with fur trimming, according to Orry-Kelly, is destined to finish the popularity of the all-fur coat. Besides the comic favorite, Winnie’ Lightner, Regis Toomey, Lyle Talbot, Suzanne Kilborn, Joseph Cawthorne’ and Ferdinand Gott schakk ‘aré in‘support of Miss Young in “She Had To Say Yes,” with a new directorial team composed of Busby. Berkeley and George Amy. The story touches on a new phase of Broadway gold digging, in which customers’ girls entertain .out-of town buyers to help: the salesmen close contracts... Loretta Young and Regis Toomey in a scene from the Strand’s new hit, “She Had To Say Yes.” Cut No. 4 Cut 30c Mat roc Loretta Young Plays New Type of “Customers’ Girl’’ HE newest ‘‘racket’’ in the business world, and probably a direct result of the depression, is the ‘‘Customers’ Girl.’’ thieh is elaborated on at some length and without any pulling of punches, in a First National Picture, ‘‘She Had To Say Yes,’’ now playing at the It is a new racket more in manner than in method. Theatre. There have always been customers’ girls used to entice the out-of town buyers to sign big contracts. The great hubs and centers of business, to which all who buy must come for fashion’s sake, have always had them. Generally they have been showgirls, temporarily unemployed, or, as the saying has come to be in Hollywood, “between pictures.” Some times they have been ladies of small means and pleasant dispositions, who found it not too difficult to say “yes.” Rarely, but occasionally, shrewd business men have used their private secretaries for this work. It remained for First National, in “She Had To Say Yes,” to point out the newest method, in conformity with the wave of economy that has hit the world. Why—say they—why not use the stenographers? Why not? Big business houses generally have from ten to a hundred of them around anyway. On the average, they are younger than the showgirls. And being younger, and not shopworn, they’re prettier. But stenographers, notoriously, are not so quick on the affirmative as the showgirls. They have been known to sass their bosses, flounce out of offices at inopportune moments, and generally misbehave when and if they felt like it. But of course, everyone what stenographers are like. Nevertheless, First National used stenographers for Customers’ Girls in “She Had To Say Yes.’ And to excellent advantage too, as you will discover. But, the stenographers used in the picture, who are chosen, the story Says, because they are younger and prettier and fresher than the showgirls whose ordinary duty it has been in the past to please the out-oftown Babbitts, are in this instance, every last one of them—showsgirls! They’re First National’s newest crop of contract girls, not’ a one over nineteen, and any one of them capable of taking a beauty prize at any man’s show. a knows Page Nine