Son of a Sailor (Warner Bros.) (1933)

Joe E. Brown Lost in Sea Fog Filming His Comedy Company Vanished While On Way To Warship To Take Scenes Shown in “Son of a Sailor” YoY + 7 . . . . ISSING: one star, one first-string director, one juvenile lead, one comedian, and others. This state of affairs existed during the filming of Joe E. Brown’s latest First National comedy, ‘‘Son of a Sailor,”’ which comes to the Scenes were being taken aboard some miles off Long Beach. hour — so long, in fact, that Saratoga’s crew for Joe, Lloyd. Bacon, his director; Johnny Mack Brown, Frank McHugh, and a few more who shared their water taxi. The troupe was quartered at a Long Beach hotel. Each morning they were roused at dawn and transported by small boats to the decks of the warship, where they spent the day before the cameras. On the morning in question, one boat load had reached the ship when a heavy fog blew in from open sea. Joe, Bacon, Johnny Mack Brown and the rest had already set out from shore in a second water taxi; but they ecouldn’t be sighted from the “Saratoga.” When an hour had passed, anxious frowns began to appear. Then suddenly there was a shout alongside. A liberty party from the nearby U. Theatre on the U.S. 8S. Saratoga, anchored It existed for more than an real concern was felt by the S. S. Maryland had come upon them wandering in the fog and mist and had set them on the right track. But an hour in the fog and mist had been a chilling experience. “It was all right,” Joe commented afterwards. “Only all of a sudden I began to remember the stories about castaways. They always eat each other when hunger drives them mad. I like those boys all right — but there weren’t any of them that looked good enough to eat.” “Son of a Sailor,” Joe’s most hilarious comedy, concerns the adventures of a dumb bragging sailor. Others in the cast include Jean Muir, Thelma Todd, Sheila Terry, George Blackwood and Merna Kennedy. The screen play is by Al Cohn and Paul Gerrard Smith. Joe E. Brown Lunched With Admiral of Pacific Fleet Entire Cast of “Son of a Sailor’”’ Partook of Mess Aboard Warship Where Scenes Were Made HEN a movie company along too. It’s a good lunch — packed in paper boxes. But when the location shots continue several days, even a good lunch from a paper box gets tiresome. goes on location, lunch goes So it was good news to Joe E. Brown and all the company working in ‘‘Son of a Sailor,’’ the First National comedy which . comes to the | Theatre on : when they boarded the U. 8S. S. Saratoga, aircraft carrier of the Pacifie fleet, for a week’s shooting and were asked to lunch Joe E. Brown, hilarious hero of “Son of a Sailor,” opening soon at the Strand. Mat No. 20, Price 5c. the first day. The Saratoga had been off Long Beach, California, for a month. When “Son of a Sailor” went into production, naval officers gave their consent to its use by Joe and all his buddies of the First National navy. The company stayed in Long Beach at a hotel and set out with the dawn each morning in small boats. The paper boxes went along, as usual, with full allotment of sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs and fruit. All the same, the Hollywood contingent was feeling hungry — hungrier than that—by mid-morning, after some hours on the open aea. The crew of the Saratoga had been up just as long. Crews eat an early mess. Just as the Hollywood lads were eyeing that stack of paper boxes and wondering why it wasn’t twice as high, mess call was sounded. It was then the navy came into action and played its gallant part. Everyone was asked to share the mess—a good hot mess, and filling too. The football squad of the Saratoga had already discovered Johnny Mack Brown, former celebrated halfback, in the company. They pounced on him and took him off to share their training table fare. The petty officers of the vessel were hosts to Frank McHugh, George Blackwood, Kenneth Thomson, Samuel Hindes and other players in the troupe. The extras from Hollywood, gobs-for-a-week, sat down at table with the Saratoga seasoned salts — the ordinary seamen. The camera and sound crew went to the quartermaster’s table. Everybody found a place for steaming hot beef stew and pilot crackers. And Joe E. himself? Joe ate his luncheon with Rear Admiral Reeves, Commander of the Pacific Fleet and Lieutenant Commander Sogbaum in command of the Saratoga. And so did the ladies of the troupe, including Jean Muir, Thelma Todd, Sheila Terry, Merna Kennedy, Noel Francis and others. “Son of a Sailor” is the story of a too imaginative sailor whose ready tongue gets him into innumerable scrapes, but whose ingrdinate good luck always gets him out again. This is Joe’s first comedy of the new season and is said to be the funniest he has ever produced. Lloyd Bacon direeted it from a screen play by Al Cohn and Paul Gerrard Smith. | Ad DANCE bear ures Why So Forlorn, Joe? ‘Handsome’ Callahan, alias Joe E. Brown, seems to be losing the brag gadocio which made him famous as the Knave of the Navy. His latest laugh-riot, “Son of a Sailor,” which opens Wednesday at the Strand, portrays him as a lady-killing gob. Among his victims are Jean Muir, Thelma Todd (seen above), and Sheila Terry. Mat No. 21, Price 10c. Shy Jean Muir Embarrassed by Her First Screen Kiss But New Film Player in Joe E. Brown Comedy “Son of a Sailor,’ Found Job Rather Pleasant EAN MUIR was being kissed for the first time — kissed by J And when the Big Moment came, Jean was afraid, although it was only a screen kiss. Still it was her very first one for she has played in only one picture previous to being assigned the leading feminine role to Joe E. Brown in his latest First National comedy, ‘‘Son of a Sailor,’’ which comes to the Theatre on ee ith Her lover was Johnny Mack Brown, broad-shouldered, dark and handsome, recently from col lege, where deeds on the football Jean glanced shyly at the semi field had earned him All-American] circle which flanked the battery of are-lights and cameras. “Not for the films nor before a a Prince Charming in a romantic atmosphere. honors. But when he breathed those three words, “I love you,” Jean! ova like this,” said Jean. gulped with embarrassment! “Let’s try this one again,” said She turned unexpectedly to Di-| Bacon. “Forget these people. They don’t care whether you’re kissing Johnny or playing dominos.” Johnny Mack Brown once again took Jean in his arms. The cameras turned and Jean Muir was uninterruptedly kissed. A real old-fashioned kind, tenderly, but still very thoroughly. Jean was still embarrassed and questioned: “How was that?” “That, for a beginner, was a honey,” replied Bacon. “I’d sure | g like to see you when you get accuskiss was no more potent than a); noq to it” good-bye wave of the hand. They, rector Lloyd Bacon, indicated a crowd with a single sweep of her hand, and cried: “T can’t do this with all these people watching.” The by-standing assembly of cam eramen, props, hairdressers, messenger boys, script girls, assistants and extras on the “Son of a Sailor” set at the Warner Bros. studios gaped in amazement. To them a screen Thus concluded Jean’s first kiss for the movies. “But,” as she afterwards confided to Johnny Mack Brown, “it was like going to the dentist. Once started, it wasn’t nearly as bad as anticipated.” “In fact,” she grinned, “if they have any retakes on the picture, that one wouldn’t be hard to do.” “Which,” added Brown, “makes us practically unanimous.” “Son of a Sailor,” which is said however, were veterans in the moThey did not stop to realize that the slim, blonde tion picture game. girl, so embarrassed, was about to be initiated into her first screen kiss. Johnny Mack Brown, attired in a natty naval officer’s uniform, jilted for the moment, grinned delightedly at Jean’s naivete. It was so refreshing in Hollywood. to be Joe E. Brown’s most hilarious Director Bacon, rumpled his hair, | comedy, concerns the mad advenplainly perplexed. He looked to Joe| tures of a dumb, bragging sailor. E. Brown for an inspiration. But|Many of the scenes were taken Joe merely grinned cavernously as| aboard the U. S. S. Saratoga with he surveyed the situation from a|more than a thousand tars in extra near-by stool. Bacon directed his|roles. Others in the cast inelude attention to Miss Muir. Frank McHugh, Thelma Todd, Sheila “You have, however, been kissed| Terry, and Merna Kennedy. Al before?” he ventured, with a tinge|Cohn and Paul Gerrard Smith wrote of hope in his voice. the screen play. Page Five —