Smart Blonde (Warner Bros.) (1937)

“SMART BLONDE” Sfrial Billing Below is the official billing for “Smart Blonde.” It is important that this be followed without change or variation. PRODUCTION DETAILS Stars Of New Strand Hit Glenda Farrell, now a wise crack girl newspaper reporter, and Barton MacLane, the toughest guy of the films, head an all star cast in a new series of adventure pictures, the first of which ‘‘Smart Blonde’’ opens UGA | Chet epee gees Shere LEROGU CEO 5 si csc tae Warner Bros. 25% Pictures, Ine. present 5% SMART BLONDE 100% The Adventures of Torchy Blane 20% with Glenda Farrell — Barton MacLane 75% Winifred Shaw — Craig Reynolds 60% Addison Richards 60% David Carlyle — Joseph Crehan 40% Directed by Frank MeDonald 20% % * * A Warner Bros. Picture 20% Tarrng tee ee ia Glenda Farrell Sieve Mehage... se SoS Se Barton MacLane Dilly tee. re ee Winifred Shaw Oe lg” ae Rae Sa eee Craig Reynolds Pie Oe Addisen Richards Marcia PYG ss Soe Charlotte Winters Dis, Ha Bs ep CS Be Jane Wyman Bee eee ee eS a ee ee David Carlyle TANG TOON... ee ee Joseph Crehan Uanagen ee ee eS Tom Kennedy UR ee ee ee a John Sheehan ON ONG Max Wagner Pickney Sax aot Soe ep ee George Lloyd Dir pelts irascigs eis ee Dereun Play OY. a. cna PEN peas is Dialogue Director Film Editor GOUns De. Sen ee. Photography by... oe ee sg Soo eee Frank McDonald be tee Don Ryan-Kenneth Gamet th fae eee Frederick Nebel (Sess ee Harry Seymour ee Warren Lynch, A.S.C. See ee ee Frank Magee oe ee Carl Jules Wey! ea ae See Milo Anderson Music and lyrics bY........0......0..... M. KX. Jerome and Jack Scholl Yoo Story Tiny Torgenson (Joseph Crehan) is murdered in front of the Union Depot of a large city. Torgenson was coming to town to take over the ‘‘ Million Dollar Club,’’ a smart night spot owned by his friend, Fitz Mularkey (Addison Richards). Detective Lieutenant Steve MeBride (Barton MacLane) and his girl-friend, Torchy Blane (Glenda Farrell) a newspaper reporter, get together to solve the case. They find that Mularkey was going to sell out to Torgenson because he wished to give up night club life and marry Marcia Friel. (Charlotte Winters). He has arranged to take the money he will get from his club and invest it in a real estate deal with Marcia’s brother, Lewis. (David Carlyle): They also find that Dolly Ireland (Winifred Shaw), a singer in Mularkey’s elub, and Chuck Cannon, (Maz Wagner) Mularkey’s bodyguard, were in front of the station the night Torgenson was killed. Dixie, (Jane Wyman) hat check girl in the club, helps them with this information. Chuck Cannon is the strongest suspect because he had the knowl LENGTH RUNNING TIME edge that he would lose his job if Mularkey sold out and married Marcia. As MeBride goes to his room to question him, Cannon is murdered by some one who escapes through a window. Later it is found out through Tom Carney (Craig Reynolds), manager of Mularkey’s club, that Cannon had threatened to ‘‘get’’ Mareia if she continued with her plans to marry Mularkey. MeBride arrests Mularkey on suspicion of getting Cannon first, and the night club owner confesses. McBride suspects that the confession is to shield Marcia. McBride and Torchy, by clever trickery, find the actual murderer of both Torgenson and Chuck. He is none other than Lewis Friel, bogus brother of Marcia. The two were a pair of confidence experts hoping to get Mularkey’s money after he had sold the elub. Lewis killed Torgenson when he found out that Torgenson was wise to the whole game; and later killed Chuek when the bodyguard began to suspect the swindling pair. MeBride arrests the two and they are sent to prison for life. It looks like a romance for McBride and Torehy. 5397 Feet 59 Minutes Mat No. 208—20c Glenda Farrell Came into movies ‘‘the hard way’’— After a lifelong experience on stage — Started at 7 in birthplace, Enid, Okla., as ‘‘ Little Eva’’ in ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’’ — Did stock work in San Diego, . Los Angeles, San Francisco, finally hit Broadway — Was in ‘‘Life Begins’’ on stage there when Warners engaged her for same part on screen — Played in many comedies as sidekick of Joan Blondell, who’s her great offstage pal — Most recent picture ‘‘Here Comes Carter’’ with Ross Alexander — Now teamed with Barton MacLane in ‘““Smart Blonde’’ which comes to Pheceeen ns a Theatre on ............... : Winifred Shaw Tall, dark, contralto Wini Shaw is one-eighth Hawaiian blood — She born in San Francisco — Has had a promising career, though still young, in vaudeville, Ziegfeld Follies, New York musicals — Most popular in movies as girl who sang lasting hits ‘‘ Lullaby of Broadway’’ and ‘‘The Lady in Red’’ — ean sing native Hawaiian songs just as well and play island instruments — Was the evangelist in Al Jolson’s ‘‘ The Singing Kid’’ — More recently a villainess in ‘<The Case of the Velvet Claws’’ — Present picture (as a night-club singer) ‘‘Smart Blonde,’’ now showile at the: sks. Theatre. Wanted To Be Fireman Says Actor Joe Crehan All his life Joseph Crehan, one of the featured players in ‘‘Smart Blondes: -nowsat thes csc esscens. cures Theatre, has wanted to be a fireman. But he has never even had the chance to portray a fireman in pictures. Joe got the ambition in 1904, when his native city, Baltimore, was about half-consumed by flames. Barton MacLane His football playing at Wesleyan University got Barton MacLane his first movie job — Richard Dix saw him; engaged him for ‘‘The Quarterback’’ — Then skipped pictures for 10-year stage career — Back in movies two years ago, began hitting toward top as Publie Enemy in ‘‘G-Men’’ — Reeent films ‘‘Draegerman Courage,’’ ‘*God’s Country and the Woman’’ — ‘‘ Trial Horse’’— feiternates bewteen heroes and villains, cops and gangsters Stands 6 feet 2, weighs 210, native of Columbia, S. C. — Now teamed with Glenda Farrell in ‘‘Smart Blonde,’’ which will be seen at the Be eR Sea SV HOAtTO ORs . ackecsecaee Glenda Too Fast, Barton Too Slow, For Sound Movie With the starting of production at Warner Bros.’ studios on ‘‘Smart Blonde,’’ the comedydrama now showing at the ............ ee ts Theatre, the sound department issued an ultimatum concerning Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane, the featured players. Hither Miss Farrell had to slow down on her far-famed mile a minute dialogue delivery, or Barton had to speed his up. The sound-crew wasn’t particular about which party gave in, just so one of them did. Glenda keeps the sound mixers in a continual uproar by her breath-taking delivery, which has been known to reach 385 words per minute on a long speech. MacLane, on the other hand, is inclined to be a drawler with his dialogue. He’s going fast at 150 W.P.M. Between the two, they kept the ‘*Smart Blonde’’ mixer busy and confused the first day. Smocks Aplenty Fans’ Gifts To Glenda Farrell The trend toward the sending of gifts to movie stars by their fans, instead of the fans asking for presents of a personal nature, is evidenced by Glenda Farrell’s recent experience with the smocks. , Two or three months ago an interviewer let it be known in his publication that Glenda wore a faded tan smock over her costume between scenes at Warner Bros.’ studio. He bewailed the fact that Miss Farrell didn’t have something more colorful for an informal lounging robe while she was making ‘‘Smart Blonde’’ the mystery-thriller now at the ..........00..0..... Theatre. About a week later the first of the smocks arrived. It was colorful to say the least — consisting mainly of red, white and blue strips running around in barber pole fashion. It was the gift of a lady in Nashville, Tennessee who said she wanted to see her favorite star dressed right. After that, Glenda received an average of about three smocks a week. They came from all parts of the country and all were in brilliant colors. Just before the last scene of ‘‘Smart Blonde’’ she signed the postman’s receipt for her twenty-third smock. It was from a gentleman doing a stretch for forgery in a middleWestern state prison! ‘«Smart Blonde’’ is a combination mystery-newspaper-police thriller, co-starring Glenda as a wisecracking but brainy girl reporter and Barton MacLane as a hardboiled detective-lieutenant. Other notables in the east are Winifred Shaw, Craig Reynolds, Addison Richards, David Carlyle, Jane Wyman, and Charlotte Winters. It was directed by Frank MeDonald. Run In Stocking Made Him Recall Glenda David Carlyle has a long memory. On the ‘‘Smart Blonde’’ set at Warner Bros. studio one day, Carlyle, who made his film debut less than a year ago, got into conversation with Glenda Farrell. ‘““You probably don’t remember, but I interviewed you on the radio three or four years ago,’’ Carlyle informed the fast-talking actress, who is featured with Barton MacLane in the mystery melodrama. ‘<You’re memory shouldn’t be so long,’’ chided Glenda. ‘‘ What did I say that brings it back to you??? ‘‘Tt wasn’t what you said,’’ Carlyle chuckled. ‘‘But you had a runner in your stocking that day. I never forgot it!’’ ‘“Smart Blonde’’ comes to the Re ee SPBCALTO< OM sin conan Wini Shaw, Balladist, Directs Movie Scene Winifred Shaw, lovely brunette torch singer who plays a night club entertainer in Warner Bros.’ comedy-drama ‘‘Smart Blonde,’’ was temporarily the director of that picture while it was being made. ‘Here, Wini, you tell the folks what to do — you know more about it than any of us,’’ said Director Frank McDonald when a scene was to be made in a nightspot setting. And she did—accurately, for she was starred for several years in just that sort of place, in New York, Chicago and London. ‘¢Smart Blonde,’’ co-featuring Glenda Farrell and Barton MacHane -comes.-t0° the: ..2:.. 200s a PhegtheOns sess ts Page Three