Smarty (Warner Bros.) (1934)

| Have Your Teeth Cleaned? Now, aren't you getting a little personal, Warren? Joan Blondell and Warren William, two of the all-comedy cast of “Smarty,” the Warner Bros. laugh riot coming to the Strand. The cast includes, Frank McHugh, Edward Everett Horton, Claire Dodd and Joan Wheeler. Mat No. 8—20c Claire Dodd’s Vampire Calm Is Never Ruffled Bewitching Divorcee in ““Smarty”’ Always Serene in Her Real Life and Screen Roles enough for everybody to leave the set, except one young ‘sk earthquake lasted only ten seconds but that was long woman who calmly sat down. A few minutes later, with their fears partly allayed, the others returned. One very excited actor exclaimed, “Heaven! You didn’t stay in here, did you?” The young lady looked up calmly. Her answer was charac teristic. “There was no use going out unless I hurried and I _ never hurry.” That was Claire Dodd. She loiters while others speed, drawls while others talk and yawns while others applaud. Nothing destroys her utter calm. Her success over many others is the success of the tortoise over the hare. She pursues her way quietly and steadily. On the surface, her efforts are effortless. She never bothered to ask for a job in pictures. She made a screen test to accommodate a friend and forgot about it, until she received a wire in San Francisco to report for work in “Whoopee.” Never in a Hurry It did not interfere with anything else at the time, so she accepted the work. When she finished, Ziegfeld himself offered her a contract in his new stage production “Smiles.” Claire decided that she would not mind going to New York, so she signed the contract. When the show closed, she returned to Hollywood, where another studio welcomed her. For a year and a half she stayed on one lot. With this experience as a basis, she was offered a Warner Bros. contract. Among the seventeen pictures she has made are “Footlight Parade,” “Massacre,” “Journal of a Crime,’ “Gambling Lady” and “Smarty,” her latest vehicle which neither does she shirk. She has given several brilliant performances and has a tremendous following. Claire Dodd was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and Page Fourteen knew nothing of the early struggles of most successful players. She spent her early life in pleasure jaunts about the world. Her only ambition was to get through life quietly and without undue excitement. Willing to Be an Actress The idea of being an actress was mildly appealing, but not worth too much-effort. She took dancing under a Chalif pupil, but gave it up when she thought of something else she would rather do. Her work on the screen is the first thing that ever held her interest. In this, she is both industrious and persistent. She has great personal charm and a poise that is partly breeding and partly an unhurried outlook. She reads without system, preferring more serious types of literature and luckily her slim, graceful figure demands no exercise. She sleeps twelve hours out of every twenty-four. Outside of her work, the nearest thing to an ambition is a vague wish that some day she might catch a marlin. If an accommodating marlin should decide to take her hook and then climb quietly into the boat beside her, she may realize her ambition. 3 In “Smarty,” she has the role of a divorcee who is a calm spectator of other persons’ marital tangles. The picture is a merry comedy romance based on a play by F. Hugh Herbert and dramatized for the screen by Herbert and Carl Erickson. In the cast besides Miss Dodd are Joan Blondell, Warren William, Edward Everett Horton, Frank McHugh, Joan Wheeler, Virginia Sale and Leonard Carey. Robert Florey directed. Blondell's Husband Also Her Cameraman Joan Blondell, who has the leading role in “Smarty,” the Warner Bros. picture which comes to the Mheatre On 6220... was photographed by her favorite cameraman, George Barnes, who also happens to be her favorite husband. As a matter of fact he is the only husband she has ever had although she has had lots of cameramen. This is the sixth production in which Joan and her husband have worked together. Cast in Divorce Film Attend Real Wedding Joan Blondell, Warren William and other members of the cast of the Warner Bros. picture, “Smarty,” a merry tale of divorce scandals, which comes to the ....... NCALTS COMMIT ee ees at > were treated to a real wedding during the production of the picture. The nuptials were those of Frank McDonald, dialogue director of the film. He was married to Goodee Montgomery, daughter of Dave Montgomery. in Hollywood and all of the cast members were invited. Miss Montgomery hurried to the film capital from Chicago as soon as she had finished appearing in the show, “Sailor, Beware.” he The couple went on their honeymoon as soon as the film “Smarty,” was completed. Joan Blondell is Now — Taking French Lessons Joan Blondell, who has the role of a fickle wife in the Warner Bros. picture,.’ “Smarty. now. showing, at the ............... Theatre. is anything but that in real life. At present she and her husband are spending their evenings together studying French, German and Spanish. They are studying with Dr. Franz Moeller, formerly head of the language department at the Universitv of Munich. and now a resident of Hollywood. Frank McHuah Leads Double Laugh Life Frank McHugh, whose peculiar. high-keved screen laugh will be heard in the Warner Bros. production “Smarty,” which comes to never laurhs that way in real life. His real laugh is a full octave lower than his film laugh. In “Smarty.” he plays the role of a stynid friend of a counle of quarreling love birds. which parts are taken hv Joan Blondell and Warren William. Joan Wheeler Fries 2 Doz. Eags in Film Joan Wheeler, who has the role of a gay young cut-up in the Warner Bros. picture, “Smarty,” which comes to.the ..........,..2:-.«., ewer OM es cy , had to fry two dozen eggs on the set during the production of the picture. Miss Wheeler fries the eggs for Warren William, the character with whom she is enamored. She is only supposed to fry two, but with retakes and close-ups she had to go through the operation many times and new eggs were fried each time. Fortunately for William he does not have to consume them, the scene calling for his ex-wife to interrupt the feast before he gets to the eggs. Warren William Is Unable to Smack Girl Gracefully Film Star Is Embarrassed When He Slaps Fair Joan Blondell in “Smarty”? Film AMES CAGNEY has enjoyed the undisputed title of Cham pion Caveman Extraordinary in his attitude toward his leading women, ever since he pushed the grapefruit into Mae Clarke’s charming features in “Public Enemy.” Now a formidable contestant to Cagney’s title has arisen on the Warner Bros. lot—within the ranks of his own artistic family. Jimmie’s challenger is the last person in the world one would suspect, no less than that suave, urbane, perfectly mannered gentleman, Warren William. Warren beater! William as ae wife It is impossible to conceive of this paragon of the drawing-room as soundly slapping his wife’s face in the presence of a room full of witnesses, yet that’s the kind of a brute he is in his latest picture, “Smarty,” which comes to the Theatre? onl «22325 Ree t , with Joan Blondell as the tantalizing slappee. It’s only fair to Warren William to add that the scenes in which he has to slap Joan Blondell’s face were the most painful and embarrassing moments in his entire career as an actor. Slapper Also Suffers By the time he had slapped Joan a few times in medium shots and close-ups, Warren’s face was crimson, perspiration was running down his make-up and he was thoroughly miserable. What made it worse was that Director Robert Florey insisted: “IT want to hear that slap when we look at the rushes. Make it a good one. Don’t try to fake it.” Warren looked at Joan apologetically. Miss Blondell smiled as if to reassure him and said: “Don’t mind me. TI can take it. Give me a good smack.” Warren tried his best, but the first attempt was a fizzle. It was a weak slap, and it didn’t sound right. The second time, being overanxious, he slapped Joan too hard and, though the slap was just what Florey wanted, Joan reeled a little and let out an involuntary “ouch!” So it had to be taken over again. This time Warren stole a_nervous look at George Barnes, Joan’s husband, who is chief cameraman on “Smarty.” But he~couldn’t catch George’s eye, so he had to lay a violent hand on Joan’s rosy cheek for the third time without knowing how George was taking Kiss and Make Up, Boys to the idea of having somebody else slap his wife. Slapping Grace Missing “You ought to be used to it by now,” Joan whispered as they got ready for the third “take.” “I’m sure this is going to be a good one.” It turned out even better than Joan expected. Even Florey was pleased. “You didn’t hit her very gracefully.’ he commented, “but then you’re not supposed to be accustomed to it.” “Now all we need is a _ nice close-up of the same thing,” exclaimed Florey. At which William let out a loud groan. “Good heavens!” he exclaimed. “Do I have to go through this all over again!” By the time the close-up was made, Warren was so overwhelmed with contrition at his treatment of Joan that he insisted on taking both Miss Blondell and her husband to lunch. Most of the action of the picture takes place in a New York penthouse, owned by Warren William. That’s where the hilarious slap scene between Joan Blondell and Warren William takes place. And that’s the. place where Frank McHugh takes the lovely Claire Dodd out on the terrace, and spends the evening eating pretzels. Soft balmy breezes blow, the fair moon shines down upon them, sweet music plays in the distance... and Frank eats pretzels. Edward Everett Horton is “the other man” in the life of Vicki (Joan Blondell) and her husband. Frank McHugh is the well-meaning but annoying friend. Claire Dodd, Joan Wheeler, Virginia Sale and Teonard Carey have important roles in the cast as well. The picture is a hilarious comedy romance of marital tangles taken from the play by F. Hugh Herbert and adapted by Herbert and Carl Erickson. Joan Blondell acting as go-between for Warren William and Edward Everett Horton in the new Warner comedy “Smarty.” This hilarious picture relates the story of a temperamental young woman who com mutes between husbands. The cast includes such luminaries as Frank McHugh, Claire Dodd and Joan Wheeler and the film is coming to the Strand soon. Mat No. 4—20c