Stolen Holiday (Warner Bros.) (1937)

43 FEATURE STORIES ABOUT PLAYERS AND PRODUCTION PUB -Cal oF Screen Lovers Once Again Kay Francis and Ian Hunter are paired for the third time on the screen, in her newest starring picture for First National, ‘‘Stolen Holiday,’’ a great human drama of fashions, finance and love, based on recent international events, which comes to the ..............c000 ENEGUC © ONS ca. -cte tee oe Mat No. 204—20c Parade Of Fashion Models Bores Hunter, He-Man Star Leading Support Of Kay Francis Has Only To Act Himself In Present Role Ian Hunter, handsome English stage and screen actor heading for stardom in Hollywood, did for his art recently, something that in real life he has always flatly refused to do. He accompanied a lady into a flicker replica of a famed Parisian fashion salon. It was a scene from Kay Francis’ new starring vehicle, ‘‘Stolen Holiday,’’ the First National picture now showing at the Ste ae Theatre. Sitting on one of those pastelshaded satin chairs, inadequate for his large masculine frame, h2 watched the mannequins parade gowns and listened to his companion rave over the latest 1937 fashions. Even in a film, this bored and embarrassed Hunter. Fortunately, his part calls for just that sort of typical he-man boredom and embarrassment at the fashion parade — until he sees Kay Francis herself. Then his boredom and embarrassment naturally vanished, actually as well as cinematically. Kay has that effect on any fully masculine spectator, on screen and off. So, by and large, the scenes were easy for the husky British actor. All he had to do to attain histrionie perfection in them was to be natural. Hunter is a South African by birth, the son of wealthy nonprofessionals. But he attended college in England and took a chance offered by Basil Dean to go on the stage in 1919, at the age of 19. Among his successful stage plays in England were “Blue Lagoon,” “Bill of Divoreement,” “The High Road,” “Spring 1600” and “Touch Wood.” He played leads in a dozen British films, particularly notable among them being “Church Mouse,” “lazy Bones” and “Morals of Marcus.” Warner Bros. brought him from England to play Theseus in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” He then appeared with Bette Davis in one picture, with Kay Francis in two, “I Found Stella Parish” and “White Angel.” Hunter likes Hollywood. He likes film work and he’s very enthusiastic about the climate. Considering the film colony’s facilities for his favorite sports, swimming, golf and tennis, he has decided that of all parts of the globe — and he has traveled on every continent — this hectic little area will be his home for many years. Hunter has a Hollywood home and a neat little sea-going cruiser, “Etain.” He is married, Mrs. Hunter being Casha Pringle of English stage fame. Their marriage has stood the test of ten years, and brought to them two children, Robin, aged 6, and Jolyon George, aged 9. They speak “American” and are teaching it to Papa and Mama! “Stolen Holiday” is a thrilling, romantic story of the rise of a lovely but humble mannequin to the position of queen of fashion in Paris, dictating to the whole world what women shall wear. Others in the cast, besides Hunter, include Kay Francis, Claude Rains, Alison Skipworth, Alexander D’Arecy, Betty Lawford, Walter Kingsford and Frank Reicher. Michael Curtiz directed the picture from the screen play by Casey Robinson. Claude Rains Is Adept At *‘Stealing’’ Pictures Actor Who Dominated In “Anthony Adverse” Now Appearing Opposite Kay Francis The title, ‘‘King of the Picture Stealers’? has come to rest on Claude Rains, probably to stay for some time. Undoubtedly if it were a criminal offense to purloin from other actors the center of attention in films, Rains would be Serving time now! His latest opportunity (and he doesn’t spare the ladies, either!) is in Kay Francis’ First National Models, Not Choristers, Get The ‘Heavy Sugar’ Men Beautiful Mannequin From “Stolen Holiday” Is Interviewed On Matter Of Spenders starring film, ‘‘Stolen Holiday,’’ eurrently at the s2......2..0u.. Theatre. : But in this case Miss Francis is glad, for she knows that any theft — if theft there be — will not injure her. Moreover it will add popularity to the picture in which she, Rains and Ian Hunter do such outstanding work, and vie so hard for acting honors in many scenes. Those parts of ‘‘ Anthony Adverse’? in which Rains appears mark occasional thefts from Fredric March, Anita Louise, and whomever else chances to appear with him. As for stealing one of Rains’ starring vehicles from him — well no one has succeeded yet! And it is still a joke around film circles that he was able to dominate his first picture, ‘‘The Invisible Man,’’ although he didn’t appear — in the flesh — until the last scene, in which he was a corpse! In ‘‘Stolen Holiday,’’ currently Rb EO pict <n ssccasen Theatre, Rains plays the part of a penniless adventurer in Paris who builds up a vast fortune through daring financial swindles which finally culminate in disaster. Miss Francis as a French fashion arbiter is his innocent accomplice. ‘¢Stolen Holiday’’ is a thrilling, romantic story of the rise of a lovely but humble mannequin to the position of queen of fashion in Paris, dictating to the whole world what women shall wear. Others in the cast, besides those named, include Alison Skipworth, Alexander D’Arey, Betty Lawford, Walter Kingsford and Frank Reicher. Michael Curtiz directed from a sereen play by Casey Robinson. Sure, Kay Knows How To Wear ’Em Kay Francis is one of the few film stars absolutely trusted by studio fashion designers to don and wear one of their pet style ‘“ereations’’ correctly, without supervision. She wears several sensational new frocks in her current starring picture, ‘‘Stolen Holiday,’’ which CONICS=-tO=SbNO —snseenec crt Theatre Don’t join the chorus to get your millionaire husband. Become a mannequin. Twice as many attractive ‘propositions,’ 3 as the modern chorus girl gets, fall to the beautiful girls who model clothes in famous modiste shops. That is the opinion of several noted models currently dis playing what milady should wear in the First National picture, ‘Stolen Holiday,’’ which stars Kay Francis and comes to the are Tee Theatre ON. ..........000-00-+0 ‘¢Zee chorus gairl, to look well wizout ze clothes, she mus’ be heavy here, and here,’’ declared one of our informants, indicating where chorines must be heavy. ‘On ze stage, wizout ze clothes, she looks fine. In ze clothes, poof! She’s fat, non?’’ It seems that your sophisticated spenders of these choosy times want feminine companionship that looks good in clothes. Moreover, the style salons are grand hunting grounds for men and models. Just which — the girls or the men — are the hunters, and which the game isn’t clear. But it seems that men with an eye to feminine beauty frequent these salons. Other men, in tow of women for whom they’re buying some of the nicer things of life and fashion, come along to Tag *‘Handsomest Man”’ Not Needed By Hunter Acting Ability, Not Good Looks, Wins London Idol Big Parts In America It’s practically safe, now, to mention the fact that Ian Hunter was once known as ‘‘London’s handsomest leading man.’’ Hunter, now playing opposite Kay Francis in her latest starring vehicle, ‘‘Stolen Holiday,’ > a First National produc $s Ae the Theatre, came to Hollywood to play in the Max Reinhardt screen production of ‘‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’’ Behind him was a reputation not only for being ‘‘ London’s handsomest leading man,’’ but a fine actor in films and on the stage. Born in Cape Town of Well-todo, non-professional parents, Hunter was steered to the London stage by Basil Dean, following college in England and high school in South Africa. Success was his from the first, and the only real hardship he encountered, according to Hunter himself, was living down that ‘‘handsomest leading man’’ reputation. His present assignment with Miss Francis is his third opposite that star. The first was ‘‘I Found Stella Parrish,’’ the second, ‘‘ The White Angel.’’ In ‘‘Stolen Holiday’’ Hunter is seen as a wealthy young British diplomat who, while traveling in France, falls in love with the famous modiste, Nicole, played by Miss Francis. ' “¢Stolen Holiday’’ is a thrilling, romantic story of the rise of a lovely but humble mannequin to the position of queen of fashion in Paris, dictating to the whole world what women shall wear. Others in the cast, besides Hunter and Miss Francis, include Claude Rains, Alison Skipworth, Alexander D’Arcy, Betty Lawford, Walter Kingsford and Frank Reicher. Michael Curtiz directed from a screen play by Casey Robinson. select a model while their companion is selecting a gown. And such men have money! It seems that in the big Parisian and New York style centers, too, buyers come from all over the world. These buyers are notorious spenders, when they take a mannequin out, after modelling hours. “Of course, zay are not — what shall we say — permanent,’’ the model in ‘‘Stolen Holiday’’ admitted. ‘‘They are what you call ze transient. They come, they ordair ze clothes, they take ze gairls out. Then they go back to ze leetle towns and their wives and babees. But —’’ with an expressive shrug and gesture of the hands, ‘‘ while they are there, they are nice, you see??? There’s a slight edge, too, for the model over the chorus girl in chances of marriage. As our informant pointed out, it seems logical that a man might prefer to marry a girl who wears clothes well, provided he is the desirable sort who can afford to buy them for her. If he’s not — well! — the chorines are more than welcome to him. Claude Rains Claude Rains triumphs again as Stefan Orloff, promulgator of one of the greatest international financial swindles known to modern times, in ‘‘ Stolen Holiday,’’ First National production starring Kay Francis, which comes to the .......... Theatre-0n22h ike Mat No. 104—10c Page Nine