The Adventures of Jane Arden (Warner Bros.) (1939)

CURRENT PUBLICITY--THE ADVENTURES OF JANE ARDEN Rosella Towne Has Many Reasons To Believe in Good Neighbor Policy Rosella Towne is a solid believer in the good neighbor policy. One of them got Rosella her first job in motion pictures; a gesture of friendly interest for which she will be ever grateful. Rosella, reconciled to a brief business life as an office worker with hopes of having that soon turn into marriage with some Prince Charming, went to work as a receptionist in a doctor’s office when she was graduated from Huntington Park High School in a suburb of Los Angeles. Something happened to that. job. Her next one was with an employment agency, where all day long she listened to the complaints of housewives trying to find the ideal cook or maid. Then one day a new family moved into the house next door to that of Rosella’s mother. The new man next door was Herman Bing, spluttering comedian of the films. Bing didn’t splutter mentally when he got his first look at Rosella. He asked the inevitable question: ‘“How would you like to go into the movies?” Rosella gave the inevitable: “Why, I’d love to....” Result. Bing got in touch with his agent, the agent saw Rosella, Terry Morse Makes Directorial Debut With “Jane Arden’ “The Adventures of Jane Arden,” which is playing at the Strand Theatre, is not only the first picture of a new Warner Bros. series based on the heroine of the popular cartoon strip but also the first production to be directed by Terry Morse, who was made a director in recognition of his brilliant work as a film editor at the Warner Bros. Studio. Morse came to Hollywood from St. Louis, with his father when the latter was a division manager for the old Vitagraph film company in 1918. The youngster got a job in the Rothacker-Aller laboratories shooting titles for the silent films. Then Terry advanced to assistant cutter with what is now the Paramount studios. He was assigned as cutter to the units of the silent star, Corinne Griffith, and remained with Miss Griffith and her producers through her successive moves to Metropolitan and then to the First National (now WarnerFirst National) Studio. His promotion to be a head cutter—or editor—followed. Morse has done all his film work at Warner-First National since 1925. He became head cutter on the Bryan Foy pictures in 1936, and recently directed the fight scenes and the dam explosion scenes in the Technicolor outdoor picture “Heart of the North.” The young director—he is only 33—is a member of the family which three generations ago included Samuel F. B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph. He is something of an inventor himself, his gadgets all being connected with the technical end of motion pictures. Terry Morse was a cutter so long (in spite of his limited years) that he recognizes wasted action and excess film footage before anything has been recorded. That’s one reason why his first picture swings out into such a sharp clip of action from the outset and holds its pace to the end. arranged a test with Warner Bros., and a new screen starlet was born. Recently Rosella, rather tall, dark, and with a _ slumberous beauty, played her first leading film role, that of Jane Arden in the Warner Bros. picture “The Adventures of Jane Arden,” which opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre. The picture is the first of a series to be filmed around this character of a girl newspaper reporter, taken from the Jane Arden newspaper strip. She is practically the only player in the cast who came to the screen without previous stage experience, thus being the exception to prove the general rule that the stage is the only door to Hollywood. William Gargan, playing opposite her, Dennie Moore, Peggy Shannon, James Stephenson, Benny Rubin, a half dozen others in featured parts all came from the theatre, both Miss Moore and Miss Shannon having stepped up from the New York chorus. Maybe they could have saved that experience if they had had Herman Bing for a neighbor in the house next door. This Part Called For Stunt-Man, Not Actor When Benny Rubin went home from work at the Warner Bros. Studio one night he had a taste in his mouth like that of an inquisitive small boy who has had a sip from every pump at a soda fountain. “J don’t feel so Benny explained. For “The Adventures of good,” Jane Arden,” the Warner Bros. picture now playing at the Strand Theatre, in which he is featured with Rosella Towne and William Gargan, Rubin had been sitting at a ship’s bar all afternoon and part of the morning, playing a scene in which he was supposed to sample every type of wine in the steward’s locker. For the ordeal, the prop man had laid in a supply of every type of soda pop, cola, ginger ale and _limeade he could think of, and Rubin had had to try them all. Benny says they must have forgotten to have a stunt man for the part. That, or a drinking man. Ree Mat 203 — 30c TURNING THE TABLES — instead of being in love with the boss, Rosella Towne, in "The Adventures of Jane Arden,"' has the boss, William Gargan, in love with her. The Warner Bros. picture is now at the Strand. ‘Jane Arden’ Makes Hit Because it is thrilling and amusing entertainment in itself and because it fully equalled the hopes and expectations of those in the audience who knew the heroine as an old friend, ‘The Adventures of Jane Arden,” the Warner Bros. picture which opened yesterday at the Strand Theatre, rates as one of the most satisfying films of its sort that has been produced ina long time. The new Warner picture is the first of a series based on the popular Jane Arden cartoon strip which appears in 171 papers and whose central character is also the heroine of a radio serial that has been running for two years on a national network. The studio, it seems, took the long chance of having the public do the casting, and the public, by vote of the readers of papers in which the strip appears, disregarded past reputations, and chose pretty, young Rosella Towne because she actually looks a great deal like the drawings of Jane Arden in the Monte Barrett and Russell E. Ross cartoon strip. In the plot devised by Vincent Sherman, Lawrence Kimble and ROSELLA TOWNE, pert and lovely brunette who is featured in "The Adventures of Jane Arden" (left) wears a greatcoat TOWNE AND COUNTRY (Review) of ‘Funnies’ on Screen Charles Curran for this first Jane Arden picture, the heroine succeeds in unmasking and bringing their just deserts to the members of a sinister band of jewel thieves and smugglers, who also are not averse to a bit of murder on the side. She accomplishes her purpose by bravely masquerading as a jewel thief herself and then succeeding in getting into the employ of the band. — The young managing editor, who is, incidentally, in love with his star girl reporter, is played by William Gargan. An excellent portrayal of the urbane but sinister leader of the jewel gang is given by that dependable actor of cultured villians, James Stephenson, and well interspersed amusement is contributed by Benny Rubin and Dennie Moore. Others who give better than average performances include Peggy Shannon, Hobart Cavanaugh, Pierre Watkin, John Ridgely and Maris Wrixon. The picture is an auspicious directional debut for Terry Morse, recently promoted from post of chief film editor. & ood Mat 301—45c of vivid plaid over her pencil-slim black wool dress. (Center) Accent on accessories for sport, a vagabond hat with a swashbuckling quill, a suede weskit, and shirred leather bag. (Right) Rosella's three-piece herringbone tweed suit is one of the season's smartest travelling outfits, equally as good for country wear. [10] Bill Gargan Has Definite Ideas on Likes and Dislikes William Gargan is the kind of person you immediately call ‘Bill’ His unassuming and quiet manner at first makes you wonder if this is the well known actor, or just another big, smiling Irishman. Like any other regular fellow, he has those special little characteristics which mark him as a ‘right guy’, an inidvidual with the same likes and dislikes other people are likely to have. Returning to the Warner Bros. Studio—where he used to be a contract player—to play the male lead in ‘The Adventures of Jane Arden,’ which opens Friday at the Strand Theatre, he is the only actor on the lot who admits to saving bits of string, or talking to himself when alone. His likes and dislikes are as varied as his career. He loves clothes and has more than four hundred neckties. He distlikes to see either matches or cigarettes wasted. An excellent swimmer, poker and ping-pong player, he has no use for bridge. He likes to cook and learned a mouthwatering recipe for ‘potted shrimp’ while in England. Gargan is happily married to Mary Kenny, who was an actress until she became Mrs. Gargan, and they have two sons, Barrie, aged nine, and Leslie Howard Gargan, who is not quite six. Bill was born in Brooklyn, N. Y. on July 17, 1905 and educated at St. James High School and St. James College there. He has one brother, Edward, who is also an actor. As a child he wanted to become a fireman. As an actor he hopes to become a pro__ ducer. He has & supported Leslie Howard, his favorite actor and best friend, in the stage and film versions of ‘The Animal Kingdom,’ ah SPH screen play of ‘British Agent.’ He has been seen in ‘Aloma of the South Seas’ and ‘Misleading Lady.’ Gargan has had a variety of jobs before turning to acting. Before achieving fame he was an extra, dancer, private detective, reporter for a Brooklyn paper, and clerk in a Wall Street brokerage house. Gargan knows what it is to be broke, hungry, and discouraged, but he has always taken things on the chin and then come up smiling. You just have to like the big, grinning Irishman. How can you help liking a fellow everyone calls ‘Bill’? Mat 103 —15c William Gargan Rosella Towne’s Dresses By Milo Anderson In “The Adventures of Jane Arden,” the Warner Bros. picture playing at the Strand Theatre, Rosella Towne has a Milo Anderson-designed wardrobe planned for the active life of a girl reporter. In spite of the sturdy and tailored aspect of her suits, however, they are nevertheless outstanding for their introduction of needle art. An oxford grey model has groups of pleats in front and back which are stitched in turkey red thread. The color accent is repeated in the broad quilted lapels of the jacket and the quilted crown of a matching vagabond hat. A fitted jacket of shepherd’s check has its square yoke crossstitched in black and white yarn in a geometric design, such as was once used on fancy checked gingham aprons.