Sonny Boy (Warner Bros.) (1929)

10 Davey went along. I couldn’t leave him behind because he never lets me get out of his sight a second. That story wasn’t true about Davey’s wandering away, and running into Mr. Jolson out on the lot. You couldn’t coax him to leave my side. “The casting director paid no attention to Frankie at all when he saw how big he was. He just looked at Davey, and asked me if he had been working. I told him he hadn’t had any experience but could do anything they wanted him to do. “He took Davey into Mr. Warner’s office, where he was talking to Mr. Jolson and Billy Rose, who wrote the ‘Sonny Boy’ song. I trailed along. “Mr. Jolson just gave one look at David and held out his arms. They began to talk ears and different things that would interest David, and instantly were laughing and having a great time. From the start, Mr. Jolson seemed to understand Davey, to know just what I knew, that he could do anything. ““Test this boy,’ he said to the easting man. “We came three mornings for three different tests—first with Mr. Jolson, then with Davey’s play mother, Josephine Dunn, and finally with Davey alone on the set with his toys. There wasn’t a time when he didn’t know what he was wanted to do. Davey’s scenes with Mr. Jolson occupied two weeks. In that time he didn’t hold them up 10 minutes; there wasn’t a retake. “The moment the director said ‘Camera!’ and called Davey on the set he responded instantly. He is ____s0_ shy and affectionate at home, no e Stock S-316—Cut or Mat ne ees de ee eae ——ooOoOoOoOoOoOoO—_—_—_—_—_—_—_— one but Mr. Jolson could have han dled him as he did. He played with him constantly, went over Davey’s lines with him, and when Mr. Warner or anyone would come on the set, Mr. Jolson would say: ‘Come on, Davey, let’s go over our lines together.’ “Tlonestly, it seemed as though Mr. Jolson had had a dozen children,” she went on. “He did something when he was playing with Davey that only his daddy and I do— he would bite him on the toes. If the child had belonged to him he couldn’t have loved him much more. He told me he saw in David the baby he had always wanted, and went on to say what he would do for him if we would let him adopt him. Sorry for Famous Comedian Mrs. Lee sighed as though she felt sorry for the millionaire comedian who had everything but a son like DA hers, whom money couldn’t buy. “[ feel so uplifted from having come in contact with Mr. Jolson,” she went on, “It was the greatest thing that has ever come into my life. Positively he’s the most human soul I know.’ Davey adores him.” At this juncture there ran through my mind Jolson’s own story—so strangely different from David’s, the answer to Jolson’s talent, temperament and tenderness, the story of the ragged tenement child, Asa Yoelson, playing in the Washington streets and singing for pennies in the capital’s once notorious cafe ’way down on Pennsylvania Avenue known as “The Bucket of Blood.” How dramatic is it that that ragged boy, son of Russian immigrants, who did not know one note from another when he started singing for his supper in Washington, should grow up to be more eelebrated than the celebrities he entertained, and that just when he had discovered happiness was neither in fame nor fortune he should run across a little boy his heart hungered for! Stranger and sadder still that that little boy could only bring him further gold and glory. Already Jolson’s “Sonny Boy” song has netted him a royalty of $75,000 on records alone. Davey Lee knows every word of the song himself, and his mother says, is too dear for words when he sings it standing beside the piano while Frankie plays the accompaniment. Frankie Proud of Davey “Frankie is awfully proud of his brother,” explained Mrs. Lee, “and was just thrilled when he found out what a nice, big part he was to have as Sonny Boy. He was so anxious for him to do well, and every night when we would get home from the studio Frankie would be standing waiting in the door. “He would have a little present wrapped up for Davey, and when I would tell him brother Davey did well today he would kiss him and carry him off to open his present.” “Muvver, tell her about that fire engine,” David interrupted. The conversation was now taking a turn that interested him. So Mrs. Lee told me all about the little “engine that went” that Frankie had as a big reward for his buddy one night for his big scene that day in “The Singing Fool.” But of course, she said, Davey never realized he was doing anything but playing on the set. It was all just a game to him, and was dismissed from his mind the moment he got home. “They asked me several times at the studio if Davey was nervous and restless at night. But he wasn’t. 1 gave him his bath and a good olive oil rub, and he slept soundly. “T am always careful of his diet, and especially so when he is working. He has his milk promptly at 10.30 and his orange juice in the afternoon on the set just as he does at home. A Temperamental Youngster “I tell you, Miss Peak, Davey has jkept me occupied every minute since he was born. He has a strange little temperament and is very self-assertive. He isn’t easy to handle, and certainly you can’t manage him like most children. One night I came home from the studio awfully tired, so I asked Mr. Lee if he wouldn’t put Davey’s nightie on and get him ready for bed. “Pretty soon I heard him screaming in the bathroom, absolutely refusing to go to bed.’ F told his daddy to get a stick and go out and shake the bushes around the house, and I would take care of Davey. “Then I went in and quietly told Davey that he was waking up all the birds. Couldn’t he hear them seramb lin’? around in the trees outside? Davey stopped crying instantly and|lots of VEY LEE in “SONNY BOY” — Warner Bros. FEATURES FOR NEWSP If You Are One of the Thousands Who Have Cried Over ‘Sonny Boy” (Continued from page 8) SOR pas EA ARR Davey L : a SE Latest Vitaphone Talking Picture APERS SS Warner Bros Star I'WINKLES of a TINY STAR Davey’s Big Brother Little Davey Lee, star of Warner Brothers Vitaphone production of “Sonny Boy,” now at the Theatre, is the brother of Frankie Lee, a very popular screen child of several years ago. Frankie, aged sixteen, is devoting his time to high school at present, but plans to return to the screen when he finishes~ his education. Davey’s hasn’t officially begun yet. He is only four years old and spends all his spare time playing. Davey Lee Himself Four-year-old Davey Lee, starred in Warner Brothers Vitaphone of “Sonny Boy,” now at the Theatre, is even cuter off the screen than on. Beside the screen shadow and voice which the publie know, he has a velvety pink and white complexion which needs no makeup, lustrous brown hair, perfect teeth and big blue eyes shaded by long lashes. Davey’s Memory Director Archie Mayo declares four-year-old Davey Lee to be one of the best troupers he has ever worked with. During the vitaphoning of Warner Brothers production of “Sonny Boy,” Davey’s first starring picture, he had not the slightest difficulty in remembering the action which Mayo told him to go through or in his lines, although some of the sequences are quite long. Davey loves to work in the talk “THE WORLD IS SO FULL OF A NUMBER OF THINGS” [is 224 the strongest argument that Stock S-317—Cut or Mat—Order Separately SHIPMATES My Grandpa used t o sail in ships Around the world and back again. He has tattooes on both his arms. I wish I’d known my grand pa then. I told him so, and grandpa said: ‘I wish so, too, but anyhow, Even tf we did lose time— Davey, me lad—we're shipmates now! “And always going to be!” I said. I wonder what he meant, ’cause then, He told about a ship that sailed, And never did come back again! HARRY LEE. SSS69SOgOW@<BSsaBaj{Y{]733B}F}])}]SSSq went willingly to bed. He even | whispered his prayers for fear he | would disturb the birdies.” Davey looked terribly pleased about this, and had to be told a lot more about bird’s nests and things before we could go on. Finally I }asked him what he thought of him self when he saw “My” on the sereen |for the first time. “Booful, little bit,” he said. Mrs. Lee smiled. “When Uncle Al came out first to sing, Davey got the most foolish look on his face. He knew it wasn’t he and he couldn’t understand how he could be there singing. But when he saw himself, he looked so sober and puzzled it was funny!” The Picture Is Forgotten Davey grinned, and before he knew it we had forgotten all about the fame the picture had brought him and were talking about what Santa Claus was going to bring David Lee. It was just a few days before Christmas. Where would the thoughts of a 3-year-old-going-on-4 be at a time like that? On “electric trains, house of books, soljur games, gun like that play gun in Unele Al’s picture, little airplane with motor you can pedal with your feet, and a otterbile.” | Unele Al and Warner Brothers are David Lee’s Santa Claus. Isn’t he 'Al’s special discovery, and hasn’t the big white-front, radio towered studio ‘signed him for featured roles for the /next five years? Davey has already ‘Played with Rin-Tin-Tin and with |Edward Everett Horton, Gertrude i/Olmstead and Betty Bronson in ‘his own special “Sonny Boy” land he has a fascinating career ahead of him. But don’t imagine ihe believes Santa Claus wears anything but long white whiskers, high boots and a red jacket! And don’t get the idea that Holly| wood’s youngest player is supporting (a large family at the tender age of 3. His father, who was a former newspaper man, has a perfectly fine job as title writer for Paramount Studios. His buddy has a sereen future of his own when he gets old enough, and his mother—well, you know Mrs. Lee! Once she wanted to be an actress, but now she has a bigger career managing David’s. his mother can use with him {§ that she will make him retire from the show business. The lad is very observant. He soon knew the names of everything about the set, and several days after he has started on a picture he knew all the workers, as well as actors, by name. Edward Everett Horton, Betty Bronson, Gertrude Olmstead, John T. Murray, Edmund Breese, Lucy Beaumont, Tommy Dugan and Jed Prouty are among those in Davey’s support in “Sonny Boy.” Davey’s “Weepie” When Archie Mayo came to direct little Davey Lee in Warner Brothers Vitaphone talking picture, “Sonny Boy,” he confided to Edward Everett Horton that the job would probably be a difficult one. “You know Davey is only four!” he said. Mayo started to explain the first scene in a very careful and detailed way in words of one syllable. David looked slightly puzzled at first, then a look of boredom suffused his face. “Pardon me, Mr. Mayo. You want a weepie, don’t you. Lets twy it,” and with all the assurance of a seasoned trouper he went through the scene. “Well, Archie, that takes the load right off your shoulders,’ said Horton. “Some kid!” answered the beaming director. Davey Stars It Davey Lee, the adorable child who created such a sensation wit® Al Jolson in “The Singing Fool,” was placed under contract by Warner Bros. and after appearing with RinTin-Tin in “Frozen River,” was elevated to stardom, may now be seen pnd. heard at. dthegepeeen 2. ts Theatre in his first starring vehicle, Warner Bros. Vitaphone talking picture, “Sonny Boy.” David has just turned his fourth year. Other members of the allstar cast are Edward Everett Horton, Betty Bronson, John T. Murray, Gertrude Olmstead, Lucy Beaumont, Tommy Dugan and Jed Prouty. Leon Zuardo, did the story. C. Graham Ba. ker the scenario, and Archie L. Mayo directed.