Side Show (Warner Bros.) (1931)

FUNNIEST TEAM ON THE SCREEN! Lightsome Lightner Breaks Record In Gay “Side Show” (Biography, August 1, 1931) Winnie Lightner’s mother died when she was born and she was taken by an aunt and uncle who several years later moved to Buffalo where Winnie was educated. When in the early teens she persuaded her foster parents to let her try out her budding dramatic talents on amateur nights in a local theatre. Although Winnie had planned to deliver several rather tragic songs, she was late at the theatre and had to run a part of the distance in the rain. The result was that she was shoved onto the stage before she caught her breath and her serious songs were laughed at instead of being wept over. From that time on Winnie decided to keep ’em laughing. Her progress was comparatively rapid, first in small time vaudeville and later on the big cireuits. Finally her name appeared in lights on Broadway and eventually she was starred in such musical shows as “Gay Paree,” “George White Scandals” and other equally pretentious productions. Miss Lightner spent several seasons abroad at the London “Kit Kat” elub and in Paris night resorts. Returning later to the American stage she was signed by Warner Brothers to play a supporting role in one of the early musical talking pictures, “Gold Diggers of Broadway.” Miss Lightner was an overnight sensation in that picture and a long term contract was signed even before its release. This first success was followed by “She Couldn’t Say No,” “Show of Shows,” “The Life of the Party,” “Sit Tight,” “Hold Everything,’ Gold Dust Gertie” and “Side Show.” Miss Lightner was born in Greenport, Long Island. She is of medium height, weighs one hundred and twenty vounds, and has red hair. and gréenish blue Se Don Cook Creates “3 Role With Lightner In “Side Show” (Biography, August 1, 1931) = Donald Cook, who plays the part of Joe, the barker, in “Side Show,” the Warner Bros. picture, now at the Theatre, left a busimess career for the more spectacular life of the stage. Upon graduation from the University of Oregon where he had studied farming, he went into the lumber business. Finding time hanging heavily on his hands he joined the Kansas City Community Players as relaxation and was so successful in the roles he portrayed that the perennial Mrs. Fiske, seeing him act, at once asked him to appear with. her in a revival of “The Rivals.” He next went into stock in Syraeuse and in due time came. to the New York stage where he appeared ‘with Madge Kennedy in ‘Paris Bound” and as the male lead in “Half Gods,’ “Rebound” and Gypsy.” His first screen work was in a ‘Vitaphone short subject. He created ‘a powerful character as Mike, the ‘soldier brother of James Cagney in Warner Bros. “The Public Enemy.” He has also appeared in “The Reckless Hour,” “The Mad Genius,” and ‘Side Show.” Mr. Cook was born in Portland, Oregon. More Fun Than A WARNER BROS. & VITAPHONE HIT NOW PLAYING STRAND Cut No. 23 Cut 20c Mat 5c 8:30 TONITE Y, BEACON FOR ONE WHOLE WEEK FIVE TIMES AS GOOD AS ANY LIGHTNER PICTURE EVER MADE! BECAUSE WINNIE HAS 5 PARTS IN i W ilder than ever as Cannibal Queen! _As the High. Diver —she comes — up smiling! Days Of School Dinner Pail Recalled On Lot (Current Reader ) More than two thousand box '|lunches and as many pints of milk /| were consumed by extras and players during the filming of “Side Show”, the current Warner Bros. production ee ere ee Theatre. Scenes were shot on location far from the studio for a number of days, and as no restaurants were within miles of the place, the studio put up the lunches. “Side Show” features Winnie Lightner, Charles Butterwo-th, Evalyn Knapp, Donald Cook, Guy Kibbee and Mathew Betz. As the Bearded Lady! EV he KNAPP A WARNER BROS. er own s self, _ .e’s wonderful 1 DONAL GUY KIBBEE Cut No 13 Cut 6oc Mat r5¢ Winnie Avoids ‘Side Show’ Nags By Seer’s Order (Current Reader) Winnie Lightner was once warned against horses by a fortune teller. Winnie took it so literally that she refused to ride the wooden ponies on the merry-go-round which forms part of one of the sets for her latest Warner Bros. picture, “Side Show,” now showing at the Theate. Her supporting cast in “Side Show,” includes Charles Butterworth, Evalyn Knapp, Donald Cook, Guy Kibbee and Mathew Betz. Roy Del Ruth directed. COOK & VITAPHONE HIT She’s a scream as Side Show Spieler! As the Hula Dancer she shakes a wicked hip! D Don Cook Is Roughneck Barker In “Side Show” (Current Reader) Donald Cook makes a radical departure from old ideas of how the perfect romantic lead should appear. In his role as the barker with Winnie Lightner in “Side Show”, the Warner Bros. picture now playing at the Theatre, he not only goes through almost the entire story clad in shirtsleeves, but uses no make-up whatever. Charles Butterworth and Evalyn Knapp are also featured. Evalyn Knapp Counts “Millionaire” Role Worth Millions (Biography, August 1, 1931) Evalyn Knapp, now at the...... Theatre in Warner Bros. “Side Show,” was born in Kansas City, Missouri, June 17, 1908, the youngest of three children. In high school and later in a local junior college, she became a favorite in amateur theatricals and eventually left school to join a stock company. This ended an “earlier ambition to become a newspaper reporter and_ started Evalyn definitely on her career. After playing numerous supporting roles in Kansas City, Miss Knapp’s manager urged her to go to New York for further experience. Her brother, Orville Knapp, was already playing juvenile leads on Broadway and Evalyn eventually overcame parental objection and left for the East. The principal object in the change was to rid herself of a western dialect which her manager insisted must be lost if she wanted to succeed on the stage. After six months’ dramatic schooling without trying for a role, Miss Knapp was given a part with the road company playing “The Patsy.” Later she did the role of Grace in “Broadway,” jumping from rehearsals in New York to production in Los Angeles. Within five miles of Hollywood, Miss Knapp never ventured to the film capital during the run of the play. Back in New York, she played two roles in Channing Pollock’s “Mr. Money Penny.” That was followed by a film test which won her the attention of Warner Brothers. There followed twenty-four short subject pictures in rapid succession which ended with the presentation: of a long term contract and an _ opportunity to go to Hollywood to’ play roles in feature pictures for Warner Brothers and First National. Once in Hollywood, Miss Knapp was assigned to a sunporting role in a football picture, ss Love.” Two days later, after film tests, she was taken out of that picture and given the leading role in “Sinners’ Holiday.” That completed she was given another leading role opposite Charles Bickford in “River’s End” and this was followed by roles in “Mothers Cry” and “Fifty Million Frenchmen,” “The Bargain,” and “Smart Money.” When George Arliss wanted an ingenue lead for his fourth talking picture, “The Millionaire,’ Miss Knapp won the coveted honor against a multitude of applicants. This she considers the greatest honor that has been given her to date. Mr. Arliss is noted for his kindness in imparting his knowledge of dramatic technique to younger players and Miss Knapp proved an apt pupil. Evalyn is five feet, four inches tall, weighs one hundred and five pounds, is an ardent sportswoman, liking particularly swimming, skating and riding. She is not married. FAMOUS COMEDIENNE IS BEARDED LADY IN “SIDE SHOW” (Biography, August 1, 1931) Louise Carver, who plays the part of the bearded lady in “Side Show,” the Warner Bros. production now at the Theatre, was born in Davenport, Iowa, June 9, 1875. She was educated in the Davenport High School and at the age of seventeen made her debut in grand opera at the Auditorium Theatre, Chieago. She was in opera for a number of years and then became an. impromptu comedienne, being featured in “Henpecks” with Lew Fields. She was also in Shubert’s “Dick Whittington” and was leading comedienne ‘in “Fifty Miles from Boston.” Miss Carver started her screen experience with Mack Sennett in “The First One Hundred Years Are The Worst.” She has also appeared in “The Redeeming Sin,’ “Shameless Behavior,” “Four Married Men,” “The Sap,’ “Must We Marry” and “Side Show.” She is five feet nine inches tall, weighs one hundred and sixty-five pounds, has ash brown hair and hazel eyes. amy Page Five