Spring is Here (Warner Bros.) (1930)

“Spring Is Here” Was AA Riot On The Stage But Wait Till You Seé It On The Vircphons J A Gale Of Laughs! Shower Of Songs! Cyclonic Dances! ae Hurricane Romance! Only once each _ year comes a picture so captivating. But it’s well worth waiting for. A John Francis Dillon Prod. Hear These Song Successes :“Crying For The Carolines,” “Have A Little Faith In Me,” “Yours Sincerely,” and “With a Song, f In My Heart.” LAWRENCE GRAY ALEXANDER GRAY BERNICE CLAIRE LOUISE FAZENDA, FORD STERLING —_—__ A FIRST NATIONAL & VITAPHONE HIT “Vitaphone’’ is the registered trade mark of the Vitaphone Corp. designating its products. :| BE NONCH/ALANT N’S YOUNGEST PRIMA DONNA IS ADVICE TO SCREEN’ ACTORS Resourceful P]@yers Capitalize Unexp;: Cted Slips on Sound * tages (CURRENT NP ) BADER) Be nonchalant ig ‘he motto of the studio, when ‘talking’ Pictures are in the making. When ¥°U trip over a rug like Louise }/22enda did in “Spring Is Here,” or bite your tongue just before SPe@king an important line ,as diq Lawrence Gray, or hit another mer *P@r of the cast with a tennis racket,’ 22 ror debited to Inez Courtney, bi? nonchalant and pretend that the w @*Pected bit of |. “SPRING IS HERE” BRINGS NEW SONGS (ADVANCE READER) Not content with using the songs made popular by the musical comedy, “Spring Is Here,” the First National song writers under the supervision of Norman Spencer have added four new ones to the three held over. With a “Song in My Heart” and “Yours Sincerely,” were judged musical enough to be used in the picture aling with “What’s The Big Idea,” “Sighing fo rthe Carolines,” “Bad Baby,” “How Shall I Tell” and “Have a Little Faith in Me.” These songs will all be sung in the First National picture “Spring Is Here,” coming to the Theatre Alexander Gray, Bernice Claire, Lawrence Gray, Inez Courtney and Frank Albertson, featured players. FIRST SCENES IS MADE FIVE TIMES It has long been a_ superstition among movie directors that if the _ first scene is n.g. the picture will come out all right and require few retakes. If this is the case, “Spring is Here,” the First National produetion directed by John Francis Dillon, is certain to be a hit. It took five trials to get the first | scene in the box, and then, when they had taken it and went to hear it played back—Well just as the stage director says when the dress rehearsal is long, drawn out, and poor, “It'll be a damn fine play.” Page Two ESTATE BUILT FOR “SPRING IS HERE” (ADVANCE FEATURE) From the viewpoint of the studio visitor, there have been few more inviting sets in Hollywood than that designed for “Spring is Here,” the First National-Vitaphone picture coming to the Theatre, With careful attention to every detail, the designers at the Burbank studios erected a ten-room house in the center of a luxuriant garden, modelled after a costly Long Island estate. Ponds, fountains, arbors, tennis courts and even a dance floor were included on the grounds gurrounding the house. Visitors were much taken by the completeness and beauty of the layout providing a background for many of the scenes of the picture that has Lawrence Gray, Bernice Claire, Alexander Gray, Louise Fazenda, Ford Sterling, Inez Courtney, Frank Albertson and other screen celebrities in the cast. At a safe distance from the shooting of the scenes, in order that their voices might not register on the microphones, Miss Claire and her associates entertained hundreds of guests. The set, with its activity and color, resembled a July afternoon on a millionaire’s Southampton estate. Perfect Society Woman Natalie Moorhead, playing Rita the young widow, in “Spring is Here,” coming to the Theatre this week, began her career in the role of Rebecca of “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.” And now she is known as the perfect society woman type. action was in the s Crit. These things, ang M0re, happened to the company ; odueing “Spring is Here” for First 7N@tional, and all in one day. It was 2% unlucky day for everybody on ,*he “Spring is Here” set. The scr Pt had been revised and the playe’’ Were diligently studying their ;2°W lines to be ready when the sc@@@ Was called. Inez Courtney misla2¢ her shoes and Louise Fazenda lost er fan: Frank Albertson couldn’t find the necktie he needed for the 8¢@ne, whereas Natalie Moorhead ,20 all mixed up and landed on the. wrong set. On top of this eo™fusion, or perhaps because of it, ®#me the mishaps already notedy But they did rot upset the equ®2imity of the players. And nether did they ruffle the serene dip eation of Director John Francis: Dillon. “Spring is Here, after this bad day, went along sn)°°thly and was finished ahead of Schedule. It is now playing at the? to eer ce ae ee Theatre where it wil continue until eee eee Se oer aa —— Actors Drawn From Stage and Screen For r New Talkie Theatre-going au Shy OS will have a chance to judge for themselves as to the merits of btage and screen training, when “Pring is Here,” comes to the ..... Voces, Theatre, Half of the cast ns been recruited from the stage anid the other half from the old guardi °f the screen. Inez Courtney of “Good News” fame in New Yori Plays the part]. of baby sister M#TY Jane Braley. Betty Braley, the oder sister is portrayed by Bernice claire, who played “Margot in “The ‘Desert Song” in New York, whereas Terry Clayton is played by Alexande? Gray who appeared opposite Marilyn Miller in “Sally,” and oppos ite Miss Claire in “The Desert Song.’ On the screen gid@ we have such old timers as Ford: Sterling of Keystone Kops fame. ‘He plays the part of Peter Braley, #he girl's irritable father. Louise Fazenda, also of Sennett fame, plays {his dutiful wife, Emily. The other of the screen guard is Lawrence Gray ‘Who has played in pictures opposite Bi ebe Daniels, Gloria Swanson and Pole! Negri, and who has just scored -— in Marion 9 Davies? “Marianne and Duley.” “Spring is Here ” is an alltalking First National prov uction directed by John Francis Dill?? pi ——— Bernice Claire in “Spring is Here” Cut No. 10 Cut 30c Mat roc BERNICE CLAIRE IS PROTEGE OF OF JERITZA, FAMED. OPERA STAR Star of “Spring Is Here” Had Years of Vocal Training Before Stage Debut _ (ADVANCE READER) Bernice Claire’s mother, Mrs. Adolph Jahnigan, (which, you deduce, is the real name of the star) heard her baby daughter singing in 1908 when she was just 14 months old. And all this took place in their little home in Oakland, California. Consequently, Mrs. Jahnigan decided that Bernice should be a singer. But Bernice grew into young girlhood with the firm conviction that she would become a writer of Christmas plays for children! However, her voice continually suggested singing. When she was six years old its cultivation was begun, and, at the same time, she took daneing lessons from Madame Morosini of San Francisco, with whom she has studied ever since. She sang and danced Friday afternoons at entertainments in the Lafayette Grammar School in Oakland. Of course, she had leads in operettas at Oakland High School. But all this didn’t in the least divert her from her determination to write Christmas plays for children! Protege of Jeritza Soon she followed her mother’s wish by going to New York to study, 1d also to meet’ Madame Jeritza. The move was a fortunate one, for the famous singer, captivated by the young girl’s voice, by now a coloratura soprano, made her one of her proteges. Bernice immediately began voice study with Emil Polak, the star’s accompanist. She had studied in San Francisco with Alice Eggers. “Babes in Toyland,” “Mademoiselle Midiste,” and “The Chocolate Sol | P | Cut No. 18 Cut goc Mat roc dier” afforded her her first experience, and then came the chance, first as ballet dancer, then understudy for the role of Margot in “The Desert Song.” The illness of the star put Miss Claire in the role, and she made good. This was with the San Carlo Opera Company, the original company in the East. “The Desert Song” role constituted her most important part and her greatest early success. Alexander Gray, who was singing the lead opposite Marilyn Miller in “Sally,” was asked to take a vdice test at the Vitaphone Studio in Brooklyn. He had sung the lead in “The Desert Song” and persuaded Miss Claire to go with him and also have a voice test for the movies. Breaks into Talkies She, however, heard nothing from the tests for awhile, and the New York season being over, traveled to California to visit her parents. One day she received a telegram. It was from an executive of the First National Studio. He told her to come down from Oakland to take the part of Nanette in “No, No, Nanette” at First National. Her tests had been highly successful! She found herself again opposite Mr. Gray, who had finished the lead in the cinema “Sally” opposite Marilyn Miller, and was playing the male lead in “Nanette.” This role led to the establishment of a new film romantic team, not only bringing together two striking and appealing new screen lovers, but two remarkable singers whose voices will be heard in many a duet in the cinematic future. Miss Claire and Gray vere signed by First National on long term contracts, and their current picture “Spring is Here” will be presented at the .: .......-. Theatre Miss Claire is still fond of the idea of writing Xmas plays for children, but she would like to be an opera star, perhaps of the celluloid opera she feels may come some day. Miss Claire is 5 feet, two and a half inches tall, weighs 116 pounds, and has blue eyes and dark brown hair, She is unmarried. She rides, swims and plays golf, and her favorite author is Joseph Conrad. Prefers Screen To Stage Inez. Courtney, Mary Jane Braley in “Spring is Here,” has played the same part on the stage in the musical comedy version of this story. But she prefers the screen, says it seems more genuine. '