Sweet Adeline (Warner Bros.) (1934)

AD SWEET ELINE ~~, CORSE ON THIS PAGE: Fashion Notes Production Briefs Casting Notes AS SUGGESTED BY FILM DAILY’S POLL OF EDITORS CERESD PAATUIRIS STORES Irene Dunne Dubbed **One-Take-Dunne”’ Irene Dunne, star of the Warner Bros. musical, ‘‘Sweet Adeline,’’ which comes to the ............ Theatre; on: steel cosa , is now known as ‘‘QOne-Take-Dunne.’? The appellation was pinned on her by Mervyn LeRoy, director of the picture, because not once during her scenes was a retake necessary on account of any mistakes made by the star. She stars in the film, supported by Donald Woods, Hugh Herbert, Ned Sparks and many other comics. Irene Dunne Starring In Her First Screen Musical Famous Stage Singer And Actress Gets Her Big Chance In ‘Sweet Adeline” RAINED and educated for opera, for four years an out standing film star, for three years a star of musical . comedy and with one of the finest lyric soprano voices in America, Irene Dunne had to wait until the present for an important singing role in pictures. In the title role of ‘‘Sweet Adeline,’’ the Warner Bros. production now showing at the sings the beautiful Jerome Kern numbers that were in the original Broadway production as well as special numbers that Kern has written for her. Miss Dunne was born in Louis© ville and when very young moved to St. Louis, where her father was Supervisor General of Steamboats for the Government. She entered Loretta Academy, and there began her musical education, which later was finished at the Chicago Musical College. Always with an eye on grand opera, she started her stage career in ‘‘Clinging Vine,’’ a musical comedy. After ‘‘Irene,’’ ‘‘Sweetheart Time’’ and two Dillingham shows, she won the lead in ‘‘Show Boat’’ and was an overnight sensation. Meanwhile, it looked as though her ambition for Grand Opera would be realized when she received a one year’s contract with the Metropolitan Opera. Being young, the thing she wanted seemed less attractive after she had won it, and she suecumbed to a new temptation when a picture contract was offered. In ‘‘Cimarron,’’ she won her way to immediate stardom. When it became evident several An Old Drinking Custom ise a Theatre, she seasons ago that the Warner studio was setting the pace in musical productions, Irene Dunne was anxious for a role in one of them. Finally, when Mervyn LeRoy decided to film ‘‘Sweet Adeline,’’ the title role demanded a girl with beauty, charm and a voice equal to the difficult music. Irene Dunne filled the bill perfectly and that she should get the part was a foregone conclusion. The production is taken from the famous Broadway musical comedy hit by Oscar Hammerstein IT and Jerome Kern, and is one of the greatest entertainments to come to the screen, with rollicking comedy, thrilling episodes, exciting romance and _ spectacular scenes in which seores of Hollywood’s most beautiful girls take part. Supporting Miss Dunne are Donald Woods, Hugh Herbert, Ned Sparks, Joseph Cawthorn, Louis Calhern, Winifred Shaw, Dorothy Dare and many others. Mervyn LeRoy directed the picture, with ensembles staged by Bobby Connolly. The music and lyrics are by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. Hugh Herbert satisfies his thirst, while pretty Winifred Shaw keeps her eye on her slipper in this scene from Warner Bros.’ “Sweet Adeline,’ which stars Irene Dunne and comes to the ............ Theatre soon. Mat No. 18—20c Page Hight Lady In White Mat No. 16—20e Irene Dunne Beautifully Gowned in ‘Sweet Adeline’ 337 Changes In Costume Are Made By Star And 54 Dancing Girls HATEVER changes take place in picture production, as in the world in general, one problem remains—the eternal question: ‘“What shall the ladies wear?”’ Sometimes, as in the big musicals, the problem assumes an aggravated form. Here the trouble is wholesale. In “‘Sweet Adeline,’ the Warner Bros. production now showing at tho —..cccc.cc...s0cedse Theatre, Irene Dunne, the star, has thirteen changes of costume, while fifty-four dancing girls have six changes each, a neat little total of three hundred and _ thirty-seven gowns. Nine other principals in the cast have an average of seven changes each, another sixty-three. Add to this the three changes of fifty male dancers and the single changes of sixteen ‘‘bit’’ players and the grand total explains why the Warner Bros. wardrobe department’s 150 seamstresses and twelve tailors were an unduly busy crew during this production. One costume that Irene Dunne wears contains 150 yards of net and represents a cost of $700. In the beautiful ‘‘Swing Song’? number, it was intended to use sixty girls, but only 1750 yards of the starched chiffon was available. When fifty dresses were made, of thirty-five yards each, the supply was exhausted. The particular chiffon required in the specified color is specially processed in France and the studio was unable to find another yard of it in any of the five large cities to which they sent telegraphic orders. The costume problem in ‘‘ Sweet Adeline’’ was intensified by the fact that the play is laid in 1898. While the plot and music are modern, the gowns are all period styles. If a dress manufacturing company wanted fifty garments of one style, they could be cut and sewed together by regular factory methods. In a lavishly mounted musical like ‘‘Sweet Adeline,’’ each dress is made to order for its wearer, who has her fitting and try-ons, the same as if she had ordered the gowns from a fine modiste. Miss Dunne herself is authority for the statement that she has never appeared in any picture in which she was as beautifully gowned as in ‘‘Sweet Adeline.’’ Miss Dunne, one of the most popular stars of stage or screen, heads the all star cast in ‘‘Sweet Adeline,’’ which is the ultimate in musicals, for which Warner Bros. are famous. The production is taken from the famous Broadway musical comedy hit by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern, and is one of the greatest entertainments to come to the screen, with rollicking comedy, thrilling episodes, exciting romance and _ spectacular scenes in which scores of Hollywood’s most beautiful girls take part. Supporting Miss Dunne are Donald Woods, Hugh Herbert, Ned Sparks, Joseph Cawthorn, Louis Calhern, Winifred Shaw, Dorothy Dare and many others. Mervyn LeRoy directed the picture, with ensembles staged by Bobby Connolly. The music and lyrics are by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. The screen play is by Erwin 8. Gelsey.