Stars over Broadway (Warner Bros.) (1935)

PUBLICITY HU OVER BROADWAY Actor Owes Music Career To His College President James Melton, Now In “Stars Over Broadway,” Quits Law To Become Singer James Melton, who competes on the radio with Dick Powell, Rudy Vallee and Phil Regan for the title of Public Singer No. 1, has now joined the movie colony in Hollywood and makes his bow in pictures in the Warner Bros. musicom edy, ‘‘Stars Over Broadway, CHEE O.A0E 55. eels. ea He was born in Moultrie, a prosperous Florida sawmill operator, was ambitious for his son to become an attorney. James Melton thought well of the idea until one day, when he was 16, the president of the University of Florida called him into the office. “James, my boy,’’ said Dr. A. A. Murphree, as he sat at his desk and looked over his glasses at the youth who played football, basketball and baseball for his school, ‘‘what are you going into when you graduate?’’ Melton thought a moment. ““Well,’’ he said, ‘‘father wants me to be a lawyer. I’d kind of like to play my saxophone in an orchestra and the fellows over at the fraternity house think I ought to coach football. What do you think, sir?’’ “«Sing,’’ was answer. ““Do what???’ ““Sing,’’ repeated the professor. ‘“For a long time I have been impressed with your solos in Chapel. I’d suggest you switch from law to music. You’ve got the stuff, my boy.’? James Melton decided to become a singer. With a brilliant musical and athletic record at the University of Florida behind him, Melton, upon graduation, enrolled at the University of Georgia to study more music. A few years later he was attending Vanderbilt University. When he had won a string of academic degrees, he got a job in an orchestra as a saxophone player. A few months later he was the orchestra’s featured singer. New York’s famous Roxy called and Melton soon found himself a favorite of radio listeners and sponsors. Last year Warner Bros.’ casting director made a hurried trip to New York with a flattering contract in his brief case. Thirteen months later Melton arrived in Hollywood with the girl he married six years ago, Marjorie Louise McClure Melton, daughter the president’s JAMES MELTON im ‘*Stars Over Broadway’’ Mat No. 103 10¢ of Marjorie Barkley McClure, the famous writer. Now Melton is giving the screen the voice and personality which made him a radio idol. His first picture is ‘‘Stars Over Broadway’? and the girl he makes ‘‘reel’’ love to is the very same girl he has sung with scores of time in front of a microphone, Jane Froman. Melton has the leading male singing role in ‘‘Stars Over Broadway,’’ a colorful story of the lives and loves of New York radio celebrities. The screen play is by Jerry Wald and Julius J. Epstein, based on the story by Mildred Cram. Music and lyrics by Warren and Dubin with special numbers by Busby Berkeley and Bobby Connolly. The all star cast includes Pat O’Brien, Jean Muir, Jane Froman, Melton and Frank McHugh, William Keighley directed. Page Twenty-two which comes to the .................... Ga., January 2, 1904. His father, Jane Froman Courted By Two Donald Rosses The first boy who ever courted Jane Froman, New York radio star who makes her screen debut in ‘“Stars Over Broadway,’’ the Warner Bros. production now showing ats thee. hear Theatre, was Donald Ross whom she met while studying journalism at the University of Missouri. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She married another Donald Ross, whom she met while attending the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Her husband was making ‘“Broadway Hostess’’ at the Warner Bros. studio at the same time Miss Froman was filming ‘‘Stars Over Broadway.’’ Star Hates High Spots But Has To Sing From Them Jane Froman has been climbing baleonies ever since she can remember. The popular radio songstress, now playing in her first picture for Warner Bros., ‘‘Stars Over Broadway,’’ at the ................ Theatre, has appeared in more baleony scenes than the average road company Juliet. Ever since she played in amateur theatricals in Clinton, Mo., directors have made Jane deliver most of her lines from some high spot around the stage. If there was no balcony available they dug up a second floor window set or a stepladder. Jane did it but she didn’t like it, for she gets dizzy from looking down from the slightest height. Then when she began making personal appearances in movie theatres the mechanical device: for lifting the organ and even whole sections of the stage was in vogue. She was always called on to go up over the orchestra pit with the organ or with an impressive piece of scenery. When she started work on her first film she hoped she could stay on the ground. She met Director Buzz Berkeley and they walked over to the sound stage. ‘Right here,’’ said Berkeley, pointing to a fire-escape which started from the floor and led up into the rafters, ‘‘is the set where you sing your duet with the leading man. We start here on the first floor, and as you sing you’ll start up the fire-escape, going from story to story.’’ ‘“Wouldn’t it make a better story if we just sang our song on a little bench in the park?’’ interrupted Jane. But it all ended up just as Jane knew it would. She sang her song and climbed the steps bravely— several times. The picture is a thrilling comedy drama with musie, with an all star cast ineluding Pat O’Brien, Jean Muir, Miss Froman, James Melton and Frank McHugh. William Keighley directed from the sereen play by Jerry Wald and Julius J. Epstein, based on the story by Mildred Cram. Music and lyries by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. | Among The Stars Frank McHugh, who is rapidly becoming one of Hollywood’s most important film comedians, has scored another personal hit in ‘Stars Over Broadway,’’ the Warner Bros. musicomedy now playing OS (her mean Theatre. Mat No. 111—10c Special Movie Set Had To Be Built For Giant Actor James Melton has the distinetion of having a movie set completely remodeled for him. The famous New York radio star who makes his film debut in the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘Stars Over Broadway,’’ didn’t protest but his head did. That’s why the set was pulled down and rebuilt. In a musical number, Melton plays a butler for Jane Froman, another New York radio star who also makes her film debut in the picture. The action takes place in a sumptuous penthouse apartment, which boasts a baleony. Melton strode up the winding staircase and was about to step onto the baleony to rehearse when he hit his head on the ceiling. The radio tenor stands six feet, four and a quarter inches. The ceiling was six feet, two. The company rehearsed on another stage while carpenters, painters and others rebuilt the set. ‘‘Stars Over Broadway’’ is a colorful story of the lives and loves of New York radio eelebrities. The screen play is by Jerry Wald and Julius J. Epstein, based on the story by Mildred Cram. Music and lyrics by Warren and Dubin with special numbers by Busby Berkeley and Bobby Connolly. Birds Make Merry At Frank McHugh’s Cost The birds which gather every day in Frank McHugh’s backyard to wash their wings in a marble bath don’t know what mental agony Frank McHugh went through in getting the bath. McHugh and Pat O’Brien, now appearing together in the Warner Bros. picture ‘‘Stars Over Broadway,’’ which comes Theatre on , went to an auction ‘Make a low bid,’’ whispered McHugh to Pat. Pat bids $2. Frank raised the ante twenty-five cents. His was the second and last bid. ‘“Now there’s a bargain for you,’’ Frank told Pat. Next day while McHugh was working in the film, his wife called up. ‘*Did you buy a marble bird math?’’ she asked. ‘‘ You did? Well, there’s $16.10 trucking charge on this trash.’’ Pat O’Brien Claims To Be Happiest Hollywood Star No Option Clauses In New Contract Of Star In ‘Stars Over Broadway’”’ If a contest designed to find out who’s the happiest male star in Hollywood should be held, Pat O’Brien figures he’ll come out on top. Pat is opposed to popularity contests, personality contests, bathing beauty contests and the like, and he says he wouldn’t walk across the street to see Miss America unless she were Irish. But he is in favor of a happiness contest. O’Brien is one actor who doesn’t try to smile. Sometimes, however, he tries not to, which he did for eight weeks during the filming of his latest Warner Bros. picture, “‘Stars Over Broadway,’’ now showine at theses Theatre. The men who wrote the scenario said the character Pat played should never smile, so it was Director William Keighley’s job to photograph Pat only when he had a ‘‘dead pan.’’ There was a time when the popular Irish actor let the corners of his mouth drop very low. That was when he, a chorus boy working in a New York musical with George Bancroft, was named one of the ten best looking lads in Manhattan. This aroused the Irish. O’Brien temper and Pat stormed back to his native Milwaukee and enrolled at Marquette University. He had made up his mind to be an attorney. Four years later the smiling face of Pat O’Brien was again seen on Broadway. Warner Bros. gave him a brand new reason to be happy only recently when they handed Pat one of the most unusual contracts ever offered a star. There are no option clauses in the document, which means that he, unlike most stars, does not have to worry whether the executives will decide at the end of each six months to keep him on the payroll. The contract is an expression of confidence that his popularity with theatregoers will continue to increase. Pat deceases ‘‘no man ever had a better family than I.’’ These are his own words. He is married to the beautiful Eloise Taylor O’Brien, whom he met in Chicago where they struggled for recognition in the stage play, ‘‘Broadway.’’ It is she whom the late Rudolph Valentino picked as the most beautiful girl in Iowa. Last year there was an addition to the O’Brien household in the person of a little colleen whom Pat named Mavourneen. She is an only child to date. As a ‘‘dead pan’? artists’ manager in ‘‘Stars Over Broadway,’’ Pat works with Jean Muir, Frank McHugh and two famous radio. stars, Jane Froman and James Melton, who were brought to Hollywood to appear in the film which pictures the life of radio celebrities. Nine Ginderolias Win Jobs In Film Musical Morgan Family, Down On Luck, Stage Radio Hour For ‘Stars Over Broadway” Usually Hollywod’s Cinderella stories concern one Cinderella. He or she wins fame and fortune over night just as the little girl in the famous fairy story did. Well, here’s a Cinderella story in which there are nine Cinderellas. They are William Morgan, his wife and their seven children. The youngest of the Morgans is not quite a year old and the eldest is just about eighteen. Several months ago Morgan, a plasterer by trade, arrived in Hollywood with his wife and brood. He was broke. He traded the old battered-down touring car which brought his family from Texas for a three week supply of groceries. Before long the groceries ran out and there wasn’t anything left for the unemployed plasterer to do but apply for charity funds. Unable to find work of any sort, the distracted father was about ready to give up when one day a sympathetic friend suggested Morgan parade his children before a microphone at Warner Bros. Hollywood radio station, and try for the amateur radio hour prize. ‘CAnd what do you call yourselves?’’ asked the announcer. Morgan scratched his bald head and then aswered, ‘‘ Better call us the Morgan Family.’’ Papa Morgan played his guitar (one he had borrowed for the oceasion) while his brood—Robert, 13; Charles, 11; Ruby, 10; Richard, 6, and Mary, 3—sang hill billy and cowboy songs. They won the hearts of the vast radio audience; they won first prize and a check for $10. The Morgans were leaving the broadcasting studio when a man stepped up to the father. It was Wiliam Keighley, director of ‘‘Stars Over Broadway,’’ now showing at the ....:........06... Theatre. ‘*T saw your act and like it,’’ he said.‘‘1’m staging an amateur radio hour for a film and maybe I can use you. Would you like to come out to Warner Bros. and make a test tomorrow?’’ Would they! Morgan was too overjoyed to speak. He just grabbed Keighley ’s hand. And the kiddies danced around the director. The Morgan Family were given their test. And hired. During the next exciting days the Morgans rehearsed from dawn to dusk. All Mrs. Morgan had to do was take care of the 11 months old baby, prepare three or four meals a day and figure out a way to stretch that $10 prize check. The six: Morgans went through their act before the cameras and they not only won the praise of Director Keighley but other film producers. Success of their careers as movie performers was assured. ‘“Stars Over Broadway’? is a stirring drama with music featuring Pat O’Brien, James Melton, Jane Froman, Jean Muir, Frank McHugh and Frank Fay. William Keighley directed.