Stage Struck (Warner Bros.) (1936)

Joan Blondell Models Her Film Role On Real Person Star In “Stage Struck’? Draws On Own Experiences With Actresses Joan Blondell has finally thrown some light on the source of her inspiration for the temperamental actress role created in “Stage Struck”, the First National production, which comes to Fe case n cis baneteneaacveisaiieantas Theatre Gi casscncsiattecaveneteanes Joan, having a lot of fun caricaturing stage and screen temperament on the screen, had everybody at the First National studios guessing about Warren William (left) and Frank McHugh are shown above in a scene from “Stage Struck”, the First National song and laugh picture now mak ING A Nit Ab ENE... s.rrserrsrsseerserrcsesseseseees Theatre. Others in the big cast include Dick Powell, Joan Blondell and the Yacht Club Boys. Mat No. 208—20c Urges Schools To Train Children With The Camera Director of “‘Stage Struck”’ Thinks Visual Edu cation Is Invaluable According to Busby Berkeley the day is coming soon when every school child will be a movie actor or actress. Broadway's famous maestro of the dance, who directed the First National production, “Stage Struck”, now showing at the ier sceacarstcsseseghecsocnthctteence Theatre, foresees this trend as part of the inevitable swing toward visual education in schools. “TI can see innumerable uses for the miniature camera in ele mentary and high schools,” Berkeley declares. “The screen, ingeniously applied to the sort of education I have in mind, confers one priceless gift, that is “to see ourselves as others see us”. “The development of. actors, dancers and public speakers is only a small part of the program which could be inaugurated to help children become effective personalities. Sound and motion analysis of diction, athletics, posture and so on, important as they could become, are also side issues. “The principal value, it seems to me, would lie in the child’s ability, extended by the mechanics of sound movies, to sit off and criticise itself objectively. When I have said such things verbally. objections have been raised such as the comment that this sort of education would make children selfconscious, “actorish,” and so on. “Furthermore, acting would be a separate branch of visual education, not the principal one. The school’s cameras and microphones would most of the time be recording the children when they are not acting, except in the sense that we are all acting every moment we are alive and not asleep.” Hitherto the principal conceptions of visual education value advanced by educators, motion picture people and others had to do with the showing of educational subjects, a factor of growing importance in modern schools everywhere. The director’s idea would represent a revolutionary advance. Berkeley’s current picture “Stage Struck”, is a sparkling musical comedy with lyrics and music by E. Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen, and special numbers written and sung by the Yacht Club Boys. Film Debut Jeanne Madden, the 18 year old Scranton, Pa., high school girl whose voice won her a grand opera contract, makes her screen debut teamed in song and action with Dick Powell, in “Stage Struck”, the First National laugh and song show coming tO thé... Theatre Mat No. 105—10ce The cast includes Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Warren William, Frank McHugh, Jeanne Madden, Carol Hughes and hundreds of beautiful chorus girls. The screen play by Tom Buckingham and Pat C. Flick, based on the story by Robert Lord. the identity of the original. ° Was she copying some wellknown, posey, noisy and temperamental screen actress? Or someone of the musical comedy or legitimate stage? Or a composite of several real-life actresses, by combining their foibles and absurdities? “You'll never know the particular actress, unless you recognize her as I caricature her, when you see the picture,” Joan told us. “T will say this, however. During my sereen career I’ve been in position to observe a great deal of so-called temperament, on film sets and in the private life of the Film Colony. “Many an incident from real life entered into the characterization of Peggy Revere in “Stage Struck”. Robert Lord had some of them in his script. And others, expressed by mannerisms and the way of interpreting script stage directions, I was able to inject from my own experience.” She hasn’t revealed the name of the actress whose real-life character most closely approximates that of the musical comedy queen she is portraying in the picture. Not even to Dick Powell. The latter, and other members of the cast of “Stage Struck” have been making some pretty shrewd guesses, however. Temperament, in the old mean ing of the word, is sadly outmoded in modern stage and screen life, Joan says. Never guilty of anything like it herself, she nevertheless believes that in the distant past it was something more or less required of an actress. “Realism on the screen, and a more realistic conception of actors and actresses in the minds of theatre patrons has made it not only useless but absurd. An actor or actress has no excuse today, for not being human and natural off the screen as well as on,” says Joan. “If such a part as the one I have in “Stage Struck” could be a portrayal of temperament, tempestuousness and silly pose to end such displays forever, it would serve a fine purpose. “But I’m afraid it will have no moral effect on the only sort of player who needs the lesson. No example, however horrible, would put such people to shame or make them conscious of the absurdity of their posing and posturing. “So I’m afraid my work in the picture will not go down in history as a great reform. But I hope it will be very funny and entertaining.” “Stage Struck” is a_ hilarious musical comedy revealing theat PUBLICITY Tantalizing Joan Blondell, whose caricature of temperamental actresses is declared to be one of the season's funniest screen offerings, runs riot in tantalizing antics in “Stage Struck’, the new First National comedy-romance with music which is making a hit at the... Theatre. Mat No. 107—10c rical life behind the scenes. Besides Powell and Miss Blondell, the cast includes Warren William, Frank McHugh, Jeanne Madden, Carol Hughes, Craig Reynolds and Hobart Cavanaugh. Special numbers were written and sung by the Yacht Club Boys, with other lyrics and music by E. Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen. The picture was directed by Busby Berkeley from the screen play by Tom Buckingham and Pat C. Flick, based on a story by Robert Lord. Meet The Chorus Girls Rehearsing Musical Reporter Learns What They Talk About On Set of “Stage Struck” What do chorus girls talk about? What do they think? Or do they? We decided to find out so visited the First National studio where Busby Berkeley was directing “Stage Struck’, an ambitious musical of back-stage life with a Broadway girl show, now on the screen at the Cee eee rresesseeresece Ryasse e Theatre. There were 104 chorus girls on this set, representing a New York musical comedy theatre. There were also the principals, Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Warren William, Frank McHugh, Jeanne Madden and many others. But we were not interested in the stars. What we wanted was chorus girls. But 104 of them? Did you ever want 104 chorus girls, and suddenly to your embarrassment get ’em? If so, you understand our feeling. Where to begin? “What’s your name?” we asked that tall, rangv, nicely-rounded platinum blonde who was momentarily alone while Director Berkelev was lining up a small group of pippins for a number. and the others were together all over the theatre in coveys, chatting. Tall, blonde and rangv gave us a look which says. “And what’s it to vou?” But after a while she replied: “Carolyn Newel.” “Caroline Newell?” we guessed. spelling it. She corrected us. We had scored one point on her. We knew she’d spell it with a “Jvn” and one “1. Chorines like to spell their names “differently” just to _fool you. But Carolyn wasn’t through with us. She continued to survey us with that level gray-eyed gaze, and at last said: Startled, we told her our real one. : “Oh,” said Carolyn indifferently, “You write gossip about Hollywood.” “That.” said we with dignity, “isn’t all we write.” “No,” said Carolyn with her first smile. “I know. On rare occasions, when I have nothing to do, I read the movie fan magazines and New York columns.” Considerably startled, and still dizzy, we approached the next girl more warily. Her left jab looked less formidable to us. She was yawning over a copy of “Around the World in Eleven Years.” Cute. brown-ringleted and just chubby, this girl greeted us with a quick friendly flash of perfect teeth, a sparkle of brown eyes. Wouldn’t her name just have to be Dolly Jarvis? It was. We liked Dolly because she was comfortable to be around. “Yes, this is one of the biggest choruses I’ve ever heen in,” she admitted. “It took about a week of interviews to pick us. I don’t know how many girls were interviewed. There were nearly two hundred the day I was selected.” Next we consulted the prettiest, blondest blonde on the set—FEthelreda Leopold. “A real blonde?” Ethelreda smiled. “Yes, I really am. Look at the hair where it comes out of my scalp, if you doubt it.” “Maybe. you’ve just had _ it bleached,” we bantered. Ethelreda’s good humor stood the test. “You’ve shaved this morning, didn’t you? Well. its afternoon, and by vour beard I can tell vou’re naturally dark. My hair has grown out since morning, and I can prove to you I haven’t had my hair treated since morning. Are you convinred?” "Mike" Likes Voice of Joan Blondell Joan Blondell has a voice which is a “mixer’s delight”, according to the sound mixer on the latest First National production, “Stage Struck”, which comes to the............ PORES ON iis Es cases oiaestcicacs “The actress has just about the most pleasing feminine voice I have ever recorded,’ the mixer says. “Most feminine players have a habit of slurring their words, but Joan has never given any trouble. This is probably explained by the fact that Miss Blondell came to the screen after several years of legitimate stage training. Frank McHugh Long one of Hollywood’s favorite film comies, Frank McHugh has one of the best roles of his career as the harrassed stage manager of Dick Powell’s shows in “Stage Struck”, the First National comedy-romance with music, which ON ONS Abe UNC iisiicassazeescticaneses Theatre Mat No. 108—10c Page Thirty One