Tear Gas Squad (Warner Bros.) (1940)

PUBLICITY—"‘TEAR GAS SQUAD” (Opening Day) “Tear Gas Squad” At Strand Today The drama behind the men who fight crime with tears is the impelling theme of Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad,” starring Dennis Morgan, John Payne and Gloria Dickson, which opens at the Strand Theatre today. Reaching into newspaper headlines for material that is as entertaining as it is dramatic, the rich characteriza tions of the plot are in the capable hands of three of Hollywood’s youngest and most talented players. Dennis Morgan is af forded a chance to use his fine baritone voice in several numbers written for him by Moe K. Jerome and Jack Scholl, known for their “Little Buckaroo.” John Payne and Gloria Dickson are cast in parts which are said to be worthy of their special talents. The story revolves around Jerry Sullivan, portrayed by Gloria Dickson, whose family history is crammed with tradition of stout-hearted men who have made their mark on New York’s police force. She is incensed at remarks derogatory of the force made by cocky young Tommy McCabe, played by Dennis Morgan, who is attracted to the girl. When Tommy becomes a cop himself, Bill Morrissey, portrayed by John Payne, who is also Jerry’s devoted admirer, starts keen rivalry. It is when Tommy’s brother is murdered by racketeers that the rookie’s resentment boils over into insubordination that causes him to be suspended from the force. After another murder, the gangsters are ferreted out. They capture Bill and threaten his life unless they are given the opportunity to escape. In a dramatic moment, Tommy takes the gang by surprise, saving Bill’s life, while the tear gas squad smokes out the hoodlums. The capable young director Terry Morse directed the original screen play, written by Charles Belden, Don Ryan and Kenneth Gamet, and produced for Warner Bros. Virile Avtar Plays Gym Instructor John Payne almost put a stop to the day’s shooting on Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad,’’ which opens at the Strand Friday. When he, Dennis Morgan, and a number of other actors were summoned to the Warner gym by Director Terry Morse, to shoot a scene in which Payne was supposed to act as the physical education instructor for a platoon of police department rookies. In demonstrating, Payne picked up Morse, his 34-year-old motion picture director, and gave Morse a sample of what the professional wrestlers call “the airplane spin.” Young Morse had done some wrestling himself, but when Payne set him down after whirling the sandy haired young director around in the air seven or eight times, Morse’s legs played him false, and he managed to totter only about three paces, and then fell flat on his face. Morse got even with Payne when the gymnasium shots were completed for the day, and he told Payne he had a wrestling lock the latter couldn’t break. When Payne approached, to break the lock, Morse took a quick armlock on the athletic actor, bent his shoulders and sent Payne on a somersault over Morse’s back. Payne landed flat on the canvas, and when he arose the two adversaries solemnly shook hands and called off their feud. "Tear Gas Squad’ New Strand Hit The current attraction at the Strand Theatre is the thrilling Warner Bros. action film, “Tear Gas Squad,” starring Dennis Morgan, John Payne and Gloria Dickson. Dealing with New York’s gang-busting, law-enforcing police divisions, it presents the human interest behind-the-scenes stories of the lives of the men who fight crime with tear gas. The plot deals with the rivalry between a sergeant, played by John Payné and a rookie cop, portrayed by Dennis Morgan. Gloria Dickson, whose family reeks police force rather favors John than the cocky rookie. It is when Dennis’ tradition, | young brother is murdered that | the young’ cop snaps into action. | A thrilling scene picturing the tear gas squad smoking out the desperadoes establishes Dennis as a hero. Miss Dickson, Morgan and Payne are among Hollywood’s most promising younger players and their fine work in “Tear Gas Squad” was under the direction of Terry Morse. The original screen play is by Charles Belden, Don Ryan and Kenneth Gamet. Two Made Good In Hollywood Both Dennis Morgan and John Payne, who are playing the two featured parts with Gloria Dickson in Warner Bros.’ exciting “Tear Gas Squad,” which opens at the Strand Friday, campaigned on the stage as young singing leads in “The Student Prince” before they got their big chances in Hollywood. Morgan sang it a little over a year ago with the Los Angeles Grand Opera Co., being then known to music followers as “Stanley Morner” (his real name); a protege of Mary Garden. Payne sang the same lead role in “Student Prince,” besides alternating in the other leads in “The Great Waltz,” and “Gypsy Prince” during sixteen weeks of roadshows for the Shuberts out of New York City in 1935. Morgan has his first opportunity to sing a few numbers for films in “Tear Gas Squad”. “On the Way to My Girl” Mat 202—30c BUT DENNIS MORGAN’S GIRL, GLORIA DICKSON, IS ALSO JOHN PAYNE’S GIRL, so this traffic ticket looks like a case of rivalry in Warner’s “Tear Gas Squad”, at the Strand Friday. (Review) *Tear Gas Squad” Dynamic Drama The Strand Theatre’s presentation last night, Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad,” is an exciting behind-the-scenes story of New York’s trouble-shooters, starring Dennis Morgan, John Payne and Gloria Dickson. A film that makes entertainment of authentic, every day drama, “Tear Gas Squad” is a tribute to those forces whose work protects the lives, property and prerogatives of the public. When night club singer Tommy McCabe, played by Dennis Morgan, sings a number ridiculing the police Dennis Morgan Sings in Film In a corner of a night club, Dennis Morgan, who finally, after three years in films, gets the chance to sing for which Mary Garden originally sent him to Hollywood, sings a song into the blue eyes of Gloria Dickson. It is a scene from Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad,” which opens at the Strand Friday. The song is “I’m an Officer of the Law,” and is all about how a young patrolman made a hit with a pretty blonde girl Mat 103—15c Gloria Dickson and Dennis Morgan in Central Park. As Morgan finishes his last chorus, he suddenly bends and kisses Gloria. With the spell broken, the latter slaps Morgan sharply. Unluckily, after rehearsing the song and the slap, Gloria put too much of the old haymaker in the slap she made for the “take,” and bounced the stone out of the ring she was wearing. While the prop man went for a vacuum cleaner to try to find the stone, Julie Stevens, who was Gloria’s girl friend in the film shot, looked at Dennis Morgan’s stage costume as a policeman, and said, “That’s what he gets for ‘copping’ a kiss.” Policeman Has The Last Word In Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad,” which opens at the Strand Friday, Gloria Dickson introduces her cocky new acquaintance, Dennis Morgan, to her father, who is a police lieutenant; and to her pair of twofisted first cousins who also are officers, after the three policemen have heard Morgan disparaging all patrolmen as “dopes”’ “flatfeet” and men unable to hold any kind of a steady job off the police force. “Haven’t I seen you before?” Dick Rich asks Morgan belligerently. ““Maybe in a showup?” “You’ve got me mixed up,” Dennis explains in embarrassment. “I’ve never been arrested.” “No, Mr. McCabe is just a night club singer,’ Miss Dickson explains to her stern looking menfolk. “And he’s never been arrested!” her father exclaims in disbelief. Thinks of Sponsor Dennis Morgan, who was discovered singing in a Chicago night club by Mary Garden, still sends wax recording's of his newest songs to her for her criticisms, if she has any for him. His current film is Warner’s ‘Tear Gas Squad,” which comes to the Strand Theatre next Friday. . force, he offends Jerry Sullivan, portrayed by Gloria Dickson, whose family reeks police force tradition. He bends over backwards trying to get back into her good graces, for he is quite taken with the girl. Tommy joins the police force and his life is made most uncomfortable by Police Sergeant Bill Morrisey, played by John Payne, who is his rival for Jerry’s affections. The younger rookie’s cocky attitude is a bane Hero to ‘’Heel”’ For Art’s Sake One of the few motion picture | actors who has deliberately set | out to alienate the affections of his audience, change a _ screen role in which he was the recipient of favorable notice and sentimental sympathv, and picture himself as a “heel”? when he was | already accepted as a hero, is John Payne. Playing in Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad,” which opens at the Strand Friday, Payne plays the young policeman who comes in second in the affections of Gloria Dickson after expecting Gloria to marry him instead of Dennis Morgan. As written in the script, Payne’s character came in for a good deal of sympathy. “But I felt it was making me look like a weak character,” Payne explained. Accordingly John began to contribute little personality traits to his young policeman, which would make the audience do a good deal more rooting for Dennis to win the girl. “You know the audience won’t like you very well,” Morse reminded the actor. “T feel sure of it,” said Payne cheerfully. “They won’t like me; but they will realize that I’m in the picture. And for an actor, that’s more important.” | the to the department until his brother is murdered by a mob of gangsters. The shock sobers him and his new zeal causes his suspension from the force. After another member of the force is murdered, the slayers are trapped in a_ waterfront warehouse. Bill is there ahead of the others and captured by the desperadoes, who demand a chance to escape for the young officer’s life. Impulsively, Tommy climbs to the rear of the warehouse and takes the racketeers by surprise while the tear gas squad goes to work. The leading parts offer the players excellent opportunities for their special talents which are fully utilized. Special note must be made of the surprise star, handsome Dennis Morgan. He has been seen in some | worthy roles recently but, this is his first singing part. He gives voice to five numbers, and we'll warrant this young man will be heard from again importantly soon. The capable young director Terry Morse makes the most of well constructed original screen play by Charles Belden, Don Ryan and Kenneth Gamet. International Family In Film Harry Shannon, veteran Irish comedian of stage and screen, who plays the part of a lieutenant of police in “Tear Gas “quad,” in the film heads an allIrish family comprised of five members. Shannon is the only legitimate Irishman in the group; _ the others are Edgar Buchanan, Gloria Dickson, Mary Gordon, who plays the mother, and Dick Rich. Dennis Morgan, John Payne, and George Reeves also play Irish parts in the film; Morgan is Swedish, Payne from the South, and Reeves is of English ancestry. Actor Writes Music John Payne, currently appearing in Warner Bros.’ “Tear Gas Squad” has written several original songs which he sings while accompanying himself. Page Seven