Sons o Guns (Warner Bros.) (1936)

(Lead-off Story) Joe E. Brown Is Coming To Strand In “Sons O’ Guns” Joe E. Brown, the awning lipped comedian, promises to bring an unusually big package of laughs in his new Warner Bros. filmusical romance, ‘‘Sons O’ Guns,’’ which is scheduled to open atethes= ese Theatre on ........... The picture is based on the rollicking Broadway stage hit of the same title by Fred Thompson and Jack Donahue, a colorful, mirthladen, tuneful comedy of World War days, dealing only with the bright and hilarious side of doughboy life in the A. E. F. Four big specialty numbers in the production were staged by Bobby Connolly, who put on the original stage play. One number from the original play, ‘‘Over Here,’’ is sung by Joe and the Chambers Male Chorus of thirty-two voices. Two new song numbers were written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, especially for the picture, one of which, ‘‘Por a Buck and a Quarter a Day,’’ is sung by Joe and Joan Blondell. The other Warren and Dubin song, ‘‘In the Arms of the Army Man,’’ is sung by the musical comedy star, Winifred Shaw. The fourth number is a riot of fun and fast pantomimic action in which Joe and Frank Mitchell, of acrobatic fame, dance the wildest Apache ever screened. Joe, who has three sweethearts in the picture, has the role of a Broadway entertainer who just can’t get mad enough to enlist. Beverly Roberts has the role of Joe’s fiancee, while Winifred Shaw is the vixenish sweetheart from whom Joe flees into the arms, first of the army, and later the arms of a chic French lassie, a part played by Joan Blondell. Erie Blore plays the part of a former valet of Joe’s who becomes his hard-boiled top sergeant. Craig Reynolds is the tough lieutenant who forces Joe to the front and Joseph King the father of Joe’s fiancee. Joe gets into some hilarious mixups at the front, finally being arrested as a spy. Before he is gathered into the arms of the Grim Reaper, however, he stumbles into a surprising situation which brings a riotous climax to a series of funladen incidents. Lloyd Bacon directed. Joe Joins Joan Joe HE. Brown and Joan Blondell head the cast of the new Warner Bros. song and laugh hit ‘‘Sons O’ Guns,’’ which opens at the Rartah Saeee ee TROON CON oe ae Based on a famous Broadway stage musical, it has a notable cast of Hollywood film favorites. Mat No. 101—10c Page Twenty-four Right the first time — it’s Joe E. Brown, starring in a song show that’s even funnier than ‘‘ Bright Lights.’’ It’s ‘“Sons 0’ Guns,’’ the merry martial musical Warner Bros. have adapted from the famous Broadway stage success. It opens at the ....... 25, oe PREG OR acne Mat No. 211—20c (Opening Story) Joe E. Brown At Strand Today In “Sons O’ Gun” ‘“‘Sons O’ Guns,’’ Joe E. Brown’s latest Warner Bros. comedy frolic, based on the hilarious Broadway musical hit by Fred Thompson and Jack Donahue, ODGNS 2b thO™ ot... nae Theatre today. Besides the mirth stirring anties of the wide mouthed comedian, the picture is spiced with the famous martial airs of the original stage play, with tuneful new songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, sung by Joe E., Joan Blondell, Winifred Shaw and the Chambers Male Chorus, and riotous dance numbers, all staged by the famous musical comedy producer, Bobby Connolly. The story is a rollicking comedy romance dealing with the humorous side of doughboy life in France during the World War. The pieture is said to be most colorful and picturesque, and lavish in production values, staged with more elaborateness than any previous Joe E. Brown comedy. Between his distaste for army discipline and enemy shells on the one hand and his timorous adventures with three jealous and aggressive sweethearts on the other, Joe finds that life is just one horrible nightmare after another, much to the amusement, it is said, of the spectator. As the much heckled buck private he is finally arrested as a spy and is about to be placed before a firing squad when a surprising turn of events makes him the hero of the hour, with his love troubles all untangled. Miss Blondell, Miss Shaw and Beverly Roberts are Joe’s three war-time sweethearts while others in the cast include Erie Blore, Craig Reynolds, Joseph King, Robert Barrat, G. P. Huntley, Jr. and Frank Mitchell. Lloyd Bacon directed the pieture from the screen play by Jerry Wald and Julius J. Epstein. Music Can Tame Savage Breast Of Joe E. Brown Joe E. Brown can be tamed by music, but nobody knew it until it was discovered that the magie tune that would turn Joe from a raging lion into a man of mellow and obliging mood is ‘‘Skater’s Waltz!?? Joe confessed the other day when an orchestra played it while a scene was being taken for the star’s current Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘Sons O’ Guns,’’ whieh comes‘to. thes... Theatre ONES. sees ‘‘Tt hits me right where [ live,’*’ said Joe. ‘‘You see, they played it when I joined my first eircus, Sells and Downs. I was nine years old, doing my first turn as an aerialist. You know, the kid they toss through the air with the greatest of ease. “At first it was part of my nightmares. I’d be falling enormous distances toward hard ground, all to the tune of ‘Skater’s Waltz.’ But when I got over my fear the tune got into my blood. Several times when I’ve been making personal appearances, some old friend in the audience would tip off a band or orchestra to play. it..=. ‘‘Then1 not only feel. mellow, . but. my ‘muscles twitch=to the old trapeze stuff.The air whistles in my ears and my blood surges’ the way it does when ‘an acrobat is tossed from one man to another over :the heads of the circus crowd.’? i Joe plays the part of a doughboy in ‘‘Sons O’ Guns,’’ an hilarious comedy’-romance of World War ‘days based on the play by Fred? Thompson and Jack Dona: hue, with music and lyrics by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. Besides Joe in the stellar role, the cast includes Joan Blondell, Beverly Roberts, Eric Blore, Craig Reynolds, Winifred Shaw, Joseph King and Robert Barrat. ‘The picture was directed by Lloyd Bacon from the screen play. by Jerry Wald and Julius J.. Epstein. The production numbers’ were staged by Bobby Connolly. PUBLICITY (Review) Joe E. Brown Evokes Riot Of Laughs In New Comedy ‘Sons O? Guns” Also Replete With Catchy New Tunes And Riotous Dance Numbers By far the most exciting as well as the most uproariously funny of all Joe E. Brown’s pictures, is his latest comedy romance for Warner Bros., ‘‘Sons 0’ Guns,’’ which was shown for the first time locally at the day. og ee Theatre yester Kids and grown-ups alike roared with laughter at the comedian’s nonsensical antics in the battle line of the French front. For this is a comedy of the World War, although it is entirely bloodless and deals only with the humorous side of the life of the doughboys in the A.ELF The picture is based on the Broadway musical comedy hit of the same title by Fred Thompson and Jack Donahue and earries some of the rollicking martial songs of the stage production that were being whistled everywhere a few years ago. In addition there are new airs written by the famous song team of Harry Warren and Al Dubin that set everyone’s feet to tapping and are destined to be among the song hits of the day. In addition to the songs there are specialty dance numbers staged by Bobby Connolly that are riots of laughter, especially the Apache act as staged by Joe with Frank Mitchell as his feminine partner and more than a score of husky athletes dressed as Montmartre night club girls. Joe, himself, never was so funny as he is as the timorous doughboy who is so dumb that while fleeing from the enemy he captures nearly a regiment by mistake. To add to his innumerable troubles he gets all tangled up with three pretty war-time sweethearts who lead him a merry life clear from America to France. His troubles are finally about to be ended before a firing squad when an amusing turn of events makes him a war hero, whereupon he is grabbed off by a French lassie who tames him. Joe is a riot as an Apache dancer and also as a song bird, singing the Warren and Dubin song, “For a Buck and a Quarter a Day,” with Joan Blondell. Joe also warbles “Over Here” with the Chambers Male Chorus. Miss Blondell is Joe’s French sweetheart and does some clever bits of acting in an hilarious comedy role. Beverly Roberts is his New York fiancee, who with her father, a general in the army, tries in vain to shame him into enlisting. But Joe just can’t get mad enough at the enemy to fight. It takes the battling Winifred Shaw, a chiseling chorine, to scare him overseas, where she and Miss Roberts both follow him, to wage their own fight with the French sweetheart for his love and affeetion. Miss Shaw also sings one of the Warren and Dubin hits, “In the Arms of the Army Man.” Eric Blore adds no:end of comedy touches as Joe’s one time valet who becomes his top sergeant and alternately cuffs and eajoles him, depending on whether he is being observed by his superior officers. Others in the cast who do excellent work inelude Craig Reynolds, a hard boiled lieutenant, Joseph King, a somewhat fatuous general, G. P. Huntley, Jr., an English army officer and Robert Barrat, a spy for the Germans. = Lloyd Bacon, who has directed so many of Joe’s comedies, has excelled himself in this production, giving the picture a fast tempo as well as plenty of laughs. The screen play was written by Jerry Wald and Julius J. Epstein. Parlezvous,Joan? Joan Blondell, all dressed up like Mademoiselle from Armentieres for the leading feminine role in ““Sons O’ Guns,’’ the new War ner Bros. comedy in which Joe E. Brown is now starring at the Sea eee Theatre. Mat No. 102—10c Film Beauties Teach Joe Brown Kissing Racket Don’t tell Mrs. Joe E. Brown, but her husband took lessons in the technique of kissing for his current Warner Bros. picture, ““Sons O’ Guns,’’ which comes to HOt aise Theareson=.wse 5 First, Joe got a demonstration from Beverly Roberts, curvy little ash-blonde ingenue whose suppressed desire, she has confessed, is to be a slinking, smouldering and glamorous siren. He learned about kissing from her. Then Winifred Shaw, in the character of a burlesque star who has had husbands, near-husbands and breach-of-promise suits, showed Joe what he has been missing to date. He learned more about kissing from her. So far it was just the sort of experience a fellow occasionally picks up, if he’s lucky. Then came the real teaching and he was ready to graduate. A little French girl, played by Joan Blondell, saw Joe’s other lessons and ridiculed the technique of both. Joe wanted to know why, so she first imitated the osculation of Beverly, then of Winifred. Then she showed him how a ‘‘reel’’ French girl can kiss. It was some kiss. Ask Joe E. *“Sons O’ Guns’? is Joe’s latest rollicking comedy romance. Others in the cast besides his three feminine leads include Erie Blore, Craig Reynolds, Joseph King and Robert Barrat. Lloyd Bacon directed the picture from the screen play by Jerry Wald and Julius J. Epstein.