Tear Gas Squad (Warner Bros.) (1940)

PUBLICITY—"‘TEAR GAS SQUAD” GANG-BUSTING HERO John Payne is held in ambush for one of the highlights of Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad”’, the film coming to the Strand Friday,which also stars Dennis Morgan and Gloria Dickson. The story is timely, dramatic, concerning the activities of our up-andcoming tear gas divisions. Mat 201—30c Hollywood Discovers a Singer in Dennis Morgan Dennis Morgan has taken by storm that part of Hollywood which has already heard his sensational singing in advance of the release of his new swashbuckling Warner Bros.’ picture, “Tear Gas Squad,” in which he stars with John Payne and Gloria Dikekis'on, which opens at the Strand on Friday. Young Morgan came to Hollywood three summers ago, heralded as a singing find. On the recommendations of Mary Garden he was put under contract to one of the major studios. At that time he was just beginning the first steps into acclaim as an operatic tenor by singing roles of secondary fea Mat 102—15c Dennis Morgan CRERCE EE CUQU ERD DDEEREEE EEO E CREED ER ES ERE ASEM E RSE R RCTS R TEED SYNOPSIS (Not For Publication) Tommy McCabe (Dennis Morgan) is a fresh night club singer whose act, burlesquing a policeman, offends Jerry Sullivan (Gloria Dickson). Jerry’s father is a Police Lieutenant, her “steady fellow”, Bill Morrissey (John Payne) is a sergeant, and she’s all for the department. When Tommy joins the force he is the most cocky rookie in the department, and the most unpopular. But when Tommy’s younger brother (George Reeves) is shot down by gangster bullets he snaps out of his diffidence. After a member of the force is murdered by the same gangsters, the police corner the desperadoes in an old waterfront warehouse. Bill Morrissey is captured and held as hostage for a chance of a getaway. Tommy daringly climbs to the roof and through the skylight, while the tear gas squad is able to smoke them out. Page Six tured consequence in the Chicago Civic Grand Opera. He also was starting to attract much attention as a singer on Chicago and New York radio programs, and was heading for Europe and a place which had been arranged for him because of his personality and promise, in the Paris Opera Comique. Dennis waited three years in Hollywood to gain the chance to sing, which he thought was automatically his when he accepted his first Hollywood contract in 19386. But the closest he ever got to singing was when he stood up handsomely and seemed to sing in the hit number, “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody,” in “The Great Ziegfeld,” although the voice that seemed to come from his lips was a tenor voice and not his own. A singing opportunity was not forthcoming, so Dennis moved out of films and took the singing leads in the Los Angeles Grand Opera Company’s 1938 light opera program. The past six months have been a preparatory period in which Dennis has done some fine acting, his last assignment in “Three Cheers for the Irish,” with Priscilla Lane, having won fine comment from the critics. And now, at last, he has been given a role in which he sings in “Tear Gas Squad.” Beauty and the Beast On the “Tear Gas Squad” set at Warner’s recently, Gloria Dickson took her first horseback ride. She is frankly frightened of horses and agreed to mount the “beast,” as she described it, only because it is a necessary part of the action. “It’s really very simple,” consoled Director Terry Morse, ‘‘and there’s nothing to be afraid of.” Miss Dickson quavered, “Never mind the small details, just tell me where the brakes are!” (Lead) “Tear Gas Squad’ Action Thriller at Strand Friday “When bullets can’t get ’em, tear gas can!” is an expression popular among officers of the law. The use of chemicals in fighting the underworld has become tremendous, and Warner Bros. astutely pounced on this timely topic for the basis of its newest thriller, “Tear Gas Squad,” starring John Payne, Gloria Dickson and Dennis Morgan, which opens at the Strand Theatre on Friday. Cast in the story’s three leading roles are a trio of young, promising players naturals for their parts. Morgan, whose outstanding baritone voice first demanded Hollywood’s attention, in a role in which he has his first opportunity to sing for the films. John Payne is a young husky rapidly rising to prominence. And beautiful, blonde Gloria Dickson has to her record a series of performances so worthy as to make her perfect choice for the feminine lead in “Tear Gas Squad.” | Strong Story Value | The plot starts with Dennis Morgan, as Tommy McCabe, a cocky night club singer, showering unwanted attentions on Jerry Sullivan, played by Gloria Dickson. Tommy’s having ridiculed the police force has offended Jerry, whose father is a police lieutenant and whose whole family reeks with police department tradition. It is Sergeant Bill Morrissey’s, played by John Payne, fine record on the force that has made him win her affections. As a lark, Tommy joins the department, and his prankishness causes much friction between him and his rival, Bill. It takes a serious blow to sober Tommy, and this comes when his brother, portrayed by George Reeves, is murdered by gangsters. The rookie’s zeal in trying to bring the slayers to justice causes him to be suspended from the force. When a police sergeant is murdered, the gang is tracked down to a warehouse. Bill is snared by the hoodlums, who demand a chance for a getaway in exchange for his life. While the cops debate how to take the crooks without risking Bill’s life, Tommy breaks into the warehouse alone and takes the mob by surprise while the force takes care of the rest with tear gas. The fast moving original screen play was written by Charles Belden, Don Ryan and Kenneth Gamet. Talented young Terry Morse handled the direction. Director’s Problem Twenty men in _ policemen’s uniforms were singing a song for a scene in Warner’s “Tear Gas Squad.” “Maybe we’d better have the men take their hats off,” said director Terry Morse. The hats came off, bringing six bald and semi-bald pates into full view. “As you were, men,” yelled Morse, ‘“‘you’re reflecting too much light.” PERC CRCREEREEEREERECEREREESEREE ESTES APEC ERE R PER ER EERE ROR R ESE THE CAST Tommy McCabe DENNIS MORGAN Bill Morrissey. JOHN PAYNE Jerry Sullivan GLORIA DICKSON Joe McCabe... George Reeves Sergeant Crump Frank Wilcox Lois Julie Stevens Lieutenant Sullivan Harry Shannon Mrs. Sullivan ... Mary Gordon Captain Henderson William Gould Chief Ferris. John Hamilton Cousin Andy. Edgar Buchanan Cousin Pat...... Dick Rich George............ DeWolf Hopper DEUORERSOUGERUHEHAQQUEEEREREUCUCCRERROCCCRGERERERBRRRGRRERREGR ORES whose vitality make them There is handsome Dennis Gloria Dickson Has Had Lively If Young Career From a part in a Long Beach, Cal., tent show to a screen career in which she never has been a lesser player than a leading woman, has been the young but lively career of Gloria Dickson, who is starred with Dennis Morgan and John Payne in Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad,” which comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday. From a Long Beach community theater she progressed to the tent show, and from the tent show to acting jobs with the Federal theatre DitLo jrercst around Los Angeles. She also made appearances over the radio in Long Beach, when not working nights. A talent scout hunted her up a little later, after John Langan, her federal theater project stage director, had told him to look up the intense little yellow haired girl with the big blue eyes who was playing the role of “Paul” in “The Devil Passes” at the Los Angeles Musart Theater. That scout was Irving Kumin of Warner Bros. studio, and a day or two after Irving saw Miss Dickerson, she was on the contract list at Warner Bros. studio, and her name was changed to Gloria Dickson. = Mat 105—I5¢e Gloria Dickson They Got There Dennis Morgan, young Warner Bros. leading man, who is playing in “Tear Gas Squad,” and John Payne, who is also in the same picture, have formed a “Two Years To Get There Club.” Both players spent a period approximating two years before they received their real “break” in films. And both are singers, although John will not warble in his current role. Reunion on Set Production on Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad” seemed like homecoming week to graduates of the Pasadena Community Playhouse, the group which has given Hollywood many of its stars. Represented were George Reeves, Julie Stevens, Frank Wilcox and George Buchanan. The first three are under contract to Warner’s. Buchanan was engaged for “Tear Gas Squad.” Adventurer in Film George de Norman, one time was personal war aviator for Marshal Chiang Kai Shek of China, recently finished a stunt man assignment in the Dennis Morgan Gloria Dickson John Payne picture “Tear Gas Squad” at Warner’s. John Payne Plays Hard Boiled Cop If John Payne had it to do over he’d play just as much football, wash just as many dishes in New York lunchrooms, take the same jobs as poolroom bouncers ,and do almost everything else he did while grooming himself to become an actor. But a few things that John did during his past ten years, he now thinks he would skip. “T wouldn’t try to teach geometry to spoiled kids f7-O Mi 1. New York ipa Wale She John says, “Because I would know in advance Girat. tne vy would flunk Mat 101—15c the subj ect, John Payne same as I did. “T’d work harder on my singing, if it were possible to work harded than I did, and I’d be more careful with my money. Because if I had it to do over again, I would hold outa little longer against accepting my first offer to come to Hollywood. I now know that I should have come to Hollywood as a bigger stage figure than I was.” Payne is playing the part of a youngish, but hard boiled, police sergeant in Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad.” It’s his first deviation from a succession of likeable leading man roles, and it is a change for which the 27-year-old actor has been angling. He believes it is disastrous to get into the Hollywood groove. Tackle Clashes With Right End When Dennis Morgan, who had been tackle for Carroll College of Wisconsin, met up in physical combat with John Payne, Mercersburg College right end, it made an exciting scene for Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad,” which opens at the Strand on Friday. Payne threw Morgan; sent the tall ex-lumberman sailing over his shoulder in perfect camera tempo. Three days later, Morgan got even. It had to be a punch that sent Payne sprawling, and it was no time for a soft tap. So Dennis got the last innings, and the screen had seen two of the most expensive young gladiators measure blows. PRODUCTION Directed by Terry Morse Original Screen Play by Charles Belden, Don Ryan and Kenneth Gamet; Director of Phtography, Sid Hickox, A.S. C.; Art Director, Charles Novi; Dialogue Director, John Langan; Film Editor, Louis Hesse; Gowns by Milo Anderson; Sound by Stanley Jones; Music and Lyrics by M. K. Jerome and Jack Scholl. Running Time...... 55 minutes