So Long Letty (Warner Bros.) (1929)

CHARLOTTE GREENWOOD in “SO LONG LETTY’—A Warner Bros. and Vitaphone Production FEATURES AND REVIEWS Tall Waves and Tall Girls Upset Short Bert Roach This situation is simply a case of the long and the short of it. It happened at the beach at Catalina Island, where Director Lloyd Bacon filmed beach scenes for “So Long Letty,” the Warner Bros. and Vitapie production which is now playing atrthees ..... Lheatre. Charlotte Greenwood plays Letty, while the short, rotund Bert Roach plays the role of ‘her home-loving husband. Bacon ordered them to wade out into the surf for one of the scenes, and to shout their lines at each other in angry tones so that the microphones could pick them up. The pair went out, and Miss Greenwood shouted her speech with proper gestures. There was no response save a low “lub, glub.”” Roach had disappeared under a wave, while Miss Greenwood was well out of the water. “Say,” said Roach when he came up somewhat nearer shore, “if you want to record this scene you'll have to build me an underwater platform to stand on, or else Charlotte will have to get down on her knees to do her talking. Otherwise this is going to be an undersea sequence as far as I am concerned!” Lloyd Bacon on Location in His Own Yacht The conventional costume of riding boots and open shirt, supposed to be worn by all movie directors, was conspicuous by its absence during the filming of “So Long Letty,” the rollicking Warner Bros. and Vitaphone farce now at the... . Theatre. Instead Director Lloyd Bacon wore a yachting costume, for many of the scenes of the picture were filmed at the beach, and about the harbor at Catalina Island. Bacon went on location in his own yacht, “Mammy,” named in honor of Al Jolson. His director’s costume consisted of a yachting cap, a dark blue flannel coat with his yacht flag monogrammed on the pocket and white ducks. Most of the members of the technical crew also went yachting 1nstead of going Hollywood and wore yachting caps and white trousers. “So Long Letty” features Charlotte Greenwood in the title role. Grant Withers, Patsy Ruth Miller, Bert Roach, Claude Gillingwater, Hallam Cooley, Harry Gribbon, Marion Byron iand Helen Foster are also in the cast. IT IS WISE TO ADVERTISE WARNER BROS. present Charlotte (ir mM eenwood | Fast and Furious Farce! Singing, Clowning Cast! And_ the Session of Merri Funniest has provided. screen ment the ie | ever | Joe Casey | THE LEASE-BREAKER | os Scene from "So Long Letty” Starring Charlot /| Warner Bros. Production Charlotte Greenwood’s audience does not seem appreciative. Marion Byron and Helen Foster might even do something desperate to stop the racket. = as Production No. 6—Cut or Mat “So Long Letty,” Famous Stage Farce, Now An Uproarious Singing, Dancing, Comedy Film . THEATRE—Warner Bros. present Charlotte Greenwood in ‘‘So Long Letty,’ a Vitaphone talking, singing and dancing production. Adapted from the play by Elmer Harris. Screen play by Robert Lord and Arthur Caesar. Directed by Lloyd Bacon. . THE CAST LETT Y: ROBBING scsetinivere tains CHARLOTTE GREENWOOD Harry Miller tiis,..cagan peithnigges TOM, OEE SES BE HORE Grant Withers Ty Onrire stomp iiss. GOs oa aed Bate BUOY, aio ae oe Bert Roach BRE Med 2295 70° RAM a TRIMS LEMIRE ak LEE Claude Gillingwater Babli: Liat edo ith oy A EO Helen Foster Rutt: Dats gies gon oe. dat See A ee Marion Byron CSette TARY cit as sete A ce abe ese ee a Patsy Ruth Miller ClasenitecDe Bit fe) get gs ee, Te meats Hallam Cooley rishi ge ce clas erin aa aie Sas ha LS ae Harry Gribbon GORGEOUS bit of tomfoolery is} The plot deals in a mix-up of hus A “So Long Letty,” which bands and wives just at the time a d 4 ; i, crabby millionaire uncle comes to opened yesterday at the . town with his two flapper grand Theatre. Light, airy, not at all daughters, and mistakes Patsy Ruth | Two-Column Ad—Style VD—Cut or Mat serious, and yet. exciting, it is one of the best farcés yet produced as a talking picture. It is high in entertainment value, and with plenty of laughs, many of which are credited to the lanky Charlotte Greenwood, who made a hit in the role of Letty in the stage production of this excellent comedy. The Vitaphone and the cameras make even more of a story of this than did the play, allowing plenty of rapidity of movement, beach scenes with a score of pretty girls, taxi chases and riotous outdoor comedy. The story is strictly modern, with the dialogue being written by Broadway’s famous wise-cracker, Arthur Caesar, and Robert Lord, the scenarist. The plot deals in wild parties at a hotel and beach resort, the spirit of | adequately | summed up in the clever song, written} the whole thing being by Grant Clarke and Harry Akst, “Clowning.” The spirit of clowning pervades the story throughout. Miller for the wife of his nephew, Bert Roach, after having taken a violent dislike to his real wife, Charlotte Greenwood, and to Patsy Ruth Miller’s husband, played by Grant Withers. So an exchange of husbands and wives is executed, the party-hound, Withers, going over into the next door cottage with the party hound, Char: lotte Greenwood, while Bert Roach, who likes his wives domesticated, goes with Patsy Ruth, who, of course, sim’ ply loves to cook and sew and make a husband comfortable. These four leading characters are chiefly respon: sible for the fun and pep of “So Long Letty.” Claude Gillingwater plays the eccentric uncle splendidly, while Harry Gribbon, as the life guard who can’t swim; Hallam Cooley, the actor who is trying to’ promote an operetta, and Helen Foster and Marion Byron, as the gay flappers, are excellent in their roles. Four new songs are sung in the production, in addition to “So Long Letty,” the famous theme song of the stage production. “So Long Letty’ Is Grand Film Comedy, Has Pep and Fun At the... . Theatre, Warner Bros. present Charlotte Greenwood in “So Long Letty,” a Vitaphone singing and dancing production. Based on the play by Elmer Harris. Screen story by Robert Lord and Arthur Caesar. Directed by Lloyd Bacon. Supporting cast in cludes Grant Withers, Bert Roach, Patsy Ruth Miller, Claude Gillingwater, Helen Foster, Marion Byron, Hallam Cooley and Harry Gribbon. In smart modern dress, “So Long Letty,” that good old stage farce that kept audiences laughing for four years, has been transferred to the audible screen. It is a fast and furious farce, going at such a pace that it is difficult to keep step with the laughs. And when one stops laughing there is always something else to get excited about. Truly, the story of ‘So Long Letty” is even better material tor the talking screen than it was for the stage. The familiar Letty, the one we knew years ago in the original production, is here with all her laugh-provoking tricks. Charlotte Greenwood has always been capable of extracting every ounce of comedy from this deightful role and she fulfills our expectations in this new film. Her per: formance is great, and she is supported oy an uncommonly good cast. Patsy Ruth Miller, Bert Roach, Grant Withers and Claude Gillingwater play the more important roles in a fine comedy vein. The screen story sticks closely to the original except that the dialogue has been brought up to date. It is a gay tale of the exchange of wives and the almost disastrous result of the exchange. You will enjoy it. “So Long Letty” Now Talking Film Letty is in town again and she is more fun than ever. Of course you remember “So Long Letty,” the famous stage farce that toured the country and broke records by performing continually for four years. Now this delightful comedy is in screen form and it is one of the funniest talking picture farces we have ever seen. “So Long Letty” is a Warner Bros.” Vitaphone singing and dancing produc tion and it was shown for the first time last night at the .... Theatre. The one and original Letty, Charlotte Greenwood, is in her old role and she is, without a doubt, the gayest of the comediennes on the stage or screen today. Her clowning is a joy and she is capably assisted in making this picture the good fun it is by Patsy Ruth Miller, Grant Withers, Bert Roach and Claude Gillingwater. Others in the cast include Helen Foster, Hallam Cooley and Harry Gribbon. They are all good. As to the story; Harry’s wife is too domestic and Tommy’s wife is too gay. Tommy wants to stay at home evenings but Harry loves to trot around. They exchange wives and the fun _ begins. And the fun lasts until the exciting finish. Do not fail to see it. wood’s chair and table-stepping scenes are as hilarious as ever. Lloyd Bacon directed the picture with a nice sense of comedy values. The good entertainment pace is maintained throughout Miss Greenthe entire production.