Sons o Guns (Warner Bros.) (1936)

PUBLICITY Laughter Greatest Aid To World Peace, Says Star Joe E. Brown Believes Comedy Films Like ‘Sons O’ Guns’ Will Outlaw War Can the film industry, which helped win the Great War for the Allies, sell the world lasting peace? If so, according to Joe E. Brown, the first gun in a celluloid war to end actual war has been fired. It all came about because the Warner Bros. star was deluged with letters, many of them from cranks, after it had been announced that he was to play the comical pacifist in ‘‘Sons O’ Guns,’’ now showing at {i} eT: Pace oeareiepe Theatre. Joe thinks it is time to answer some of the questions that have been flung at him. ‘“Tt’s pure comedy, dealing with the gay and not the grim side of the World War and_ the A.E.F.,’’ Brown said in answer to letters that accuse him of becoming a pacifist propagandist, a militarist propagandist, and almost everything but a polygamist. ‘“ However, if anybody wants my opinion on a subject that greyheaded international sages are wrinkling their brows about, I think ‘Sons O’ Guns’ will have a healthy effect on a war-conscious world. It’s satire as well as broad eomedy. As such, it’s the enemy of pomp, pageantry and theatricalism. ‘¢And the sort of wars no one wants to foster, wars of aggression, depend to an amazing extent on theatricalism. The militarists must sell their unpopular war to their own people, and try to sell it to their allies and neutral nations. Find a funny side to this theatricalism, start a big enough laugh, and your war-making jingo gets laughed off the map. ‘““ At the same time good comedy builds up the spirit and morale of a country waging a war for liberty or any just cause, because a war doesn’t need theatricalism to make it seem worth fighting if the cause behind it is just.’’ Director Bacon, a war-time lieutenant commander in the United States Navy and an authority on war films by virtue of his success with several, thinks that war comedies on the order of ‘‘Sons O’ Guns’’ are healthy entertainment fare. The interest in war versus peace, as indicated by the letters received, seems to be at fever heat in the country, he admits, and therefor the comedy treatment of the O, Look At Joe E. Joe E. Brown Stabbed In Back By Extra First blood drawn in the latest war production, “Sons O’ Guns,” the Warner Bros. picture which comes to the .................. Theatre ODP. cine , came from Joe E. Brown the star. In a scene which Lloyd Bacon directed, Joe was escorted down a steep dirt incline by a soldier who held a bayonet to his back. Dirt rolled, the soldier slipped, and Brown got an inch-long slit. The comedian was treated in the studio hospital. With Joan Blondell glaring for action and Winifred Shaw putting a strangle hold on him, Joe E. Brown should worry about anything except the battle the gals wage in ‘‘Sons O’ Guns’’ the Warner Bros. musical COMING FO TNE .......cceccceeccee PREG C2 ON lk Mat No. 204—20c subject is safest at this time. ‘A gerious film, made quite without propaganda, might arouse hysteria, that a comedy is certain to calm,’’ he said. ‘‘ Mirth can be hysterical, and we have put a little of that into ‘Sons O’ Guns.’ Yet, in the same way that a comedy can be sheer lunacy, and keep its audience sane, hysteria from laughter is the antidote for other sorts of hysteria. ‘As long as the American people can get a hearty laugh from good healthy American comedy, Joe Brown Sees New Film Cycle Started By Comedy ‘Sons O’ Guns” Turns Light On Ridicule of Martial Posing, Declares Noted Star Hollywood is wondering whether the Warner Bros. pro duction, ‘‘Sons O’ Guns,’’ now showing at the Theatre, will start a new cycle of World War films. There was a diversity of opinion in regard to this among members of the company making the film. Lloyd Bacon, who has earned the reputation of being the ace director of service pictures, feels that ‘‘Sons O’ Guns’’ will not have this effect, while Joe EK. Brown who plays the stellar role believes that ‘‘it is quite possible.’’ ‘In the words of Al Smith,’’ said the popular comedian, ‘‘let’s have a look at the record. Back in 1925 the release of ‘The Big Parade’ started a barrage of war pictures that shattered all box office records. That cycle of war pictures completed it’s 360th Degree five years later with ‘All Quiet On The Western Front.’ ‘‘Now,’’ continued Joe E., ‘‘ we had a cycle of gangster pictures and at the present time we are in a cycle of costume or period pictures. There appears to be 720 Degrees to this cycle but it’s a great one, and I believe one of the most successful we have had. ‘“Seriously I do believe that we are due for another group of World War pictures. It’s eighteen years since the signing of the Armistice and the generation that is growing up is certain to be interested in the campaign in which their fathers, uncles and older brothers played a. part. ‘* “Sons O’ Guns,’ of course, is those who worry about militarism, pacificism and the other isms needn’t worry. We’re still, as they said in wartime, safe for Demoeracy.’’ In the east besides Joe E. Brown are Joan Blondell, Beverly Roberts, Eric Blore, Craig Reynolds and Winifred Shaw. The screen play is by Jerry Wald and Julius J. Epstein, based on the Broadway stage hit by Fred Thompson and Jack Donahue. Music and lyrics are by Warren and Dubin with special numbers staged by Bobby Connolly. not a serious treatise of war but shows the brighter side of the . American Expeditionary Force in France. I really believe that it is quite possible that this comedy may start another cycle of World War pictures.’’ Lloyd Bacon, a wartime Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, whose peacetime Navy and Marine pictures have been box office record makers, feels that it is still too early for another cycle of war pictures. ‘The most ‘successful of the Civil War plays,’’ says Mr. Bacon, ‘‘did not make their appearance until twenty-five years after that war. We are bound to have another cycle of World War films but I don’t believe that this will happen for at least another eight or nine years.’? ‘Sons O’ Guns’’ is Joe E. Brown’s latest rollicking comedy romance. Others in the cast include Joan Blondell, Beverly Roberts, Erie Blore, Craig Reynolds and Winifred Shaw. The screen play is by Jerry Wald and Julius J. Epstein, based on the play by Fred Thompson and Jack Donahue. Music and lyrics are by Warren and Dubin with numbers staged by Bobby Connolly. Joe Brown Holds Record For Baseball Trophies Star Comedian Of “‘Sons O’ Guns’? Has World’s Greatest Collection What is perhaps the world’s ‘greatest collection of ‘‘base 9? balliana is the property of Joe E. Brown, the wide-mouthed comedian now appearing at the Sets Sie ones Theatre, in the Warner Bros. comedy romance, ‘‘Sons O’ Guns.”’ It’s no secret that Joe, despite all his fame and fortune in the movies, would much rather have been a star ball-player in one of the big leagues. He did have a trial once with the New York Yankees, has backed several ball-clubs, has held an interest in the Kansas City team, and is still considering the idea of buying an interest in the Boston Braves. Objects that have figured in important games are to Joe the most interesting and valuable objects in the world. Since he’s America’s Baseball Fan No. 1, he has no diffieutly in acquiring his trophies. The players are glad to give them to him, and he’s a friend of every big leaguer and hundreds of minor leaguers. Has Babe Ruth’s Bat There was a World Series game a.few years back wherein Babe Ruth, the great Yankee, hit three home runs onthe same afternoon. The big heavy ash bat that Babe wielded, autographed by Ruth and all his teammates, has one of the star positions in Joe E. Brown’s collection. There was another World Series game in which, in the ninth inning, the tying and winning runs were on base when the ancient Grover Cleveland Alexander was called upon by the defending team to go into the box and preserve the one-run lead. He did it by striking out the batter on three blinding fast balls across the plate. Brown has the ball used in that heroic stand. Whenever Joe E. Brown is in the East during the baseball season, he sits in the dugout with the players and manager. Whenever touring players, on exhibition trips reach Hollywood in the Winter, they automatically become guests at the Joe E. Brown home. Lover of Football . He always brings back souvenirs with him when he goes to a ball game. He has no end of bats, balls mitts, fielders’ glove and whatnot. He even has several complete uniforms, the latest being one worn by the eminent “Dizzy” Dean. Football is Joe’s second-best love, and his pet team is the University of California at Los Angeles. Joe made a protege out of a great backfield player at U. C.L.A., named Mike Frankovitch, and after the boy graduated, got him a job as a catcher on the Mission ball-club of the Pacific Coast League. Joe likes to look at boxing matches, but has no special interest in any fighter. Nevertheless, he has several pairs of boxinggloves that were worn in championship bouts, particularly in the lighter-weight classes. Basketball Backer Every Winter Brown gets together, equips and backs a team of basketball players, who bear on their uniforms the legend, “Joe EK. Brown All Stars.” He pays their coach and trainer, pays their traveling expenses, and travels with them whenever he can. Joe likes the game, likes any competitive game, and is a genuinely grand sportsman. -“Sons O’ Guns” is a colorful, mirth-laden and tuneful romantic comedy of the World War days, dealing only with the bright and Veddy Good, Sir Eric Blore noted author and comedian, who shines Joe E. Brown’s shoes in private and kicks him in the pants in public, in the new Warner Bros. musical ‘‘Sons O’ Guns,’’ which opens at the ............ LRU C: ON = sxe Mat No. 106—10e hilarious side of doughboy life in the A.E.F. Besides Joe E. Brown 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. Music and lyrics are by Harry Warren and Al Dubin while production numbers were staged by Bobby Connolly. E-E-E-Y-O-W! The terrifying Apache shown above is none other than Joe E. Brown, who has an even bigger hit than “*Bright Lights’’ in the new Warner Bros. song and laugh musical, “Sons O’ Guns,’’ which is now playing at the %:.5.c.i.c..: Theatre. Mat No..112—10¢ Page Twenty-five