Side Show (Warner Bros.) (1931)

IDEAS ON PAGES 2 AND 3 Winnie Would Escape Stuffed Clubs And Custard Pies Winnie Lightner, featured with Charles Butterworth in “Side Show,” the Warner Bros. comedy-drama of circus life which comes to the Theatre next—is delighted with the fact that for the first time on the screen she is permitted to blend her tomfoolery with serious acting. “Not that I escape the perils of slapstick in ‘Side Show’ for I play everything from fire-diver to bearded lady and cannibal— but there are moments when I am permitted to be just human. I for the first time am given a good-looking man as lead—Don Cook to be exact—and a rival in Evalyn Knapp—and the solemnest funnyman in movies as a secondary lover, Charley Butterworth, who is the circus sealtrainer. “This is a relief after my other pictures, in which I was always being crowned with custard pies, socked with stuffed clubs— loaded into boats with wriggling fish, treated generally like the proverbial stepchild, and married off, if at all, to money or a mummy. “TI am told that ‘Side Show’ is my funniest picture. It is also my most human one. I am hoping my public will like me in my serious moments and in the two songs I croon—as well as they have liked me as Mabel and Gertie and the rest!’’ Roy Del Ruth who directed Miss Lightner in “Gold Diggers of Broadway” ably directed sensational “Side Show.” a eam, ORL. ““nuts!’’ is wait till you see her with CHARLES BUTTERWORTH EVALYN KNAPP DONALD COOK GUY KIBBEE A WARNER BROS. & VITAPHONE HIT Lions are going crazy! Elephants “Side Show” Comedian Writes His Own Part As Trainer Of Seals (Current--Plant 3rd Day) . “Tf there is no rest for the wicked neither is there rest for the wouldbe Charles Butterworth, whose natural funniness has witty” says robbed him of a lot of well-earned rest. After finishing his work with Jonn Barrymore in “The Mad Genius” he was given an intermission of one week before starting work with Winnic Lightner and Evalyn Knapp in “Side Show” now at the ... Theatre. But his part as a circus seal-trainer in the laitter Warner Bros. picture proved a tough job for Warner’s writing staff. They haven’t yet found any2ne who ean write inanities to fit the solemn antics of the novel frozenfaced comedian. So Charles had to spend his week of rest cloistered at Palm Springs writing his entire part into the picture and composing the side-show ballyhoo speeches he deThe many laughs they are Ec eee Theatre show that his task was well done livers. getting at the Others appearing in “Side Show” are Donald Cook, Guy Kibbee, Louise Carver, Mathew Betz, Ann Magru ier. Luis Alberni, Edward Morgan, Tom Ricketts and Otto Hoffman. Hundreds take part in the exciting circus scenes as freaks, performers and onlookers. All the shrill and stirring paraphernalia of the Big Top are in evidence, with wild animals, hot dog stands and red lemonade Roy el Ruth directed. a w TAL are going The whole town going wild because ide how here with WINNIE She’s a circus herself bui— Cut No 4 Cut 40c Mat roc ithe Warner . INSPIRATIONAL! SENSATIONAL! COMICAL! SIDE SHOW grown-ups! novel! Fastest WINN A real circus for the kids— a thrilling romance for the New, different, moving talkie you’ve ever seen with IE Winnie and Charlie. funniest team of troupers that ever hit the screen. GHTNER CHARLES BUTTERWORTH EVALYN KNAPP-DONALD COOK-GUY KIBBEE A WARNER BROS. Cut No6 Cut 6o0c Mat 15¢ & VITAPHONE PICTURE Winnie’s Fear Of Lions Causes Big “Side Sh Show” Riot | Her ‘Side Show Freaks _(Curre _ Day) Soi 1 — 1 ee ee arias Butt : in “Side Show . vroduction now a . Theatre, has such an exaggerated fear of lions, and of the possibility of their breaking out of their cages, that all the hundreds of players on the lot became more or less lion-minded. One day when the wind began tc blow lustily, Winnie noticed that the Big Top tent began to puff up, and, as she thought, to tear. Momentarily she forgot lions in her eagerness to warn everyone, and shrieked “Look out!” Her ery had the opposite effect. Everybody thought the lions were out, and rushed to the big tent for shelter. “Side Show,” a thrilling love story of circus folks, is the first picture to give Miss Lightner a chance to do serious emotional acting, which does not mean that she does not also clown. She plays double for many of the freaks, a cannibal, a hula dancer, a fire diver being among her ludicrous portrayals. Others in the cast are Evalyn Knapp, Donald Cook, Guy Kihbee, Louise Carver, Mathew Betz, Ann Magruder, Luis Alberni, Edward Morgan, Tom Ricketts and Otto Hoffman. The play is by William K. Wells. Arthur Caesar, cleverest of Broadway dialogue writers did the talk. Roy Del Ruth directed. Lightner And Knapp Cast As Sisters In ‘‘Side Show” (Advance Reader) Winnie Lightner and Evalyn Knapp are cast as sisters in “Side Show” the Warner Bros. production which comes to the Theatre Lightner is right-hand-man to the tippling owner of the circus, as well as substituting as fire-diver, hula dancer and cannibal in the show. Her sister alienates the affection of the barker from Winnie—and thereby hangs the tale. Gorgeous circus scenes, with freaks, performers and all the paraphernalia of circus life furnish the background for this exciting drama, which was written by William K. Wells. Roy Del Ruth directed. Miss Lightner Quells Serious Revolt Among i Gives In Kiddie eport Action mite spiaa in No. 2 ive Days Before Coming of Film.) Scene is the Warner Bros. ranch. Pieture is “Side Show” Circus stuff. Cooch gals walking around. Property men following ’em. Electricians following property men. Every body hollering. Joe the Barker shouting: “ONE THIN DIME, WOES PEELS = W-ARY-oENS =e ALIVE... AGEV. E>. CAPTURED IN INDIA ... We pan with our camera to a corner of the circus. A dozen people are talking at once. The fat lady is there, the midget, the skinny man, the rubber man, the snake charmer, and the editor. A bunch of freaks in short. In short doesn’t include the tall man. Jisten in: FAT LADY (in pooh pooh manner)—Winnie Lightner! MIDGET (also in pooh pooh)— Winnie Lightner! SKINNY MAN (ditto)—Winnie Lightner! FAT LADY—Where do they get off, making her the star? MIDGET—It’s a darn shame. SKINNY MAN—It’s a gyp game. FAi' LADY—I'm the biggest verson in this picture. I’m entitled to star billing. SKINNY MAN—What! MIDGET—What! FAT LADY—You heard me. I’m more important than Winnie Lightner. I’m the fat lady. MIDGET—Blow me down. You? You may be more important than Lightner, but you ain’t more important than Tom Thumb, Smallest Man in the World—stands forty-two inches from the ground. FAT LADY — Oh I don’t know about the Smallest Man in the World stuff. I once toured with a circus that had a forty-one-inch Tom Thumb. MIDGET—At’s a dirty lie. FAT LADY—And anyway, a fai lady is always more important than a midget. SKINNY MAN — Now wait a minute, just wait a minute, you two. T got the kick coming (Director kicks him but the sound recording is bad. Rattles too much.) Every 2 SS REET NO time I turn sideways on the screen LIGHTNER LAFF HITS Gold Digners of Biondaeae? “Show of Shows” “She Couldn’t Say No” sh Bert gig “Gold Dust Gertie” “Side Show” you can’t see me. Is that fair? MIDGET—Fair or not I don’t like it. Dve been featured in every circus I’ve been in. And this one’s no better. What can this Lightning person, or whatever her name is, do? FAT LADY—She only weighs one hundred and twelve. SKINNY MAN—Who ever heard of a skinny lady at one hundred and twelve? Ha, ha! MIDGET—And she’s five feet three inches. Ha, ha! FAT LADY—And she gets bill ing over us, (Enter Miss Lightner.) WINNIE—Why, hello folks, how’s everything today? THE FOLKS — Swell, Winnie, how’s everything by you? WINNIE—Just dandy. Let’s all have an ice cream cone. THE FREAKS — Sure, Winnie. Atta girl, Winnie. Swell girl, Winnie, ete., ete. And so ended the revolt. “Side Show,” the Warner Bros. produetion featuring Winnie Lightner, Charles Butterworth, Evalyn Knapp, Donald Cook and Guy Kibbee comes to the Theatre LIGHTNER CHARLES BUTTERWORTH STRAND Cut No. 22 Cut 20c. Mat 5c Page Nine