The Adventures of Mark Twain (Warner Bros.) (1944)

Fredric March As ‘Mark Twain’ At Strand Tonight (Opening Day Reader) As a welcome change from the crucial war news that is making history in the daily press and on the screen comes Warner Bros. classic film of Americana, “The Adventures of Mark Twain,” which opens today at the Strand. Still MT 546; Mat 104—15c¢ ALEXIS SMITH Fredric March appears in the title role, which permits a wide range for his versatile talents, with lovely Alexis Smith co-starred as Olivia Langdon. The picture revives the saga of this country’s most beloved humorist—from his birth in 1835 in a small town on the banks of the Mississippi, through his boyhood and adult life, past the turn of the century to his death. Not. the least interesting of the scenes is the 1863 frog jumping contest, the account of which in short story form as “The Jumping Frog of Calaveras,’ inadvertently launched Twain on the road to literary fame. Warner Bros. took no chances on using amateur jumping frogs. Producer Jesse L. Lasky and Director Irving Rapper sent to Angels Camp, Calif., site of the original contest and of its annual revival, for fortyseven expert jumpers and with them came Alfred Jermy, chairman of the frog jubilee, to serve as technical advisor. The film boasts a long and impressive list of players with Donald Crisp playing the role of J. B. Pond, literary agent, first man to recognize Twain’s inherent genius and Alan Hale as Steve Gillis, Mark Twain’s mining partner in one of his less successful ventures. Also in the cast are C. Aubrey Smith, John Carradine, William Henry, Robert Barrat, Walter Hampden, Joyce Reynolds and many others. The production was adapted by Alan Le May, Harold M. Sherman and Harry Chandlee from the screen play by Mr. Le May. Max Steiner wrote the original music. 22 The Synopsis (Not for Publication) One night in 1835 Halley’s Comet flares through the sky and a son is born to the Clemens’ (Frank Wilcox and Kay Johnson) of Florida, Missouri, a small town on the banks of the Mississippi. Named Samuel Langhorne Clemens (later to take his place in American literature as Mark Twain), the child grows to boyhood against a Mississippi background. With two other boys— Tom Sawyer (Michael Miller) and Huckleberry Finn (Eugene Holland)—he rafts on the river, hunts for buried treasure and outwits imaginary pirates. So much a part of the boy is the river that eventually it lures him away from his brother Orion’s (Russell Gleason) print shop and under the tutelage of Horace Bixby (Robert Barrat) young Clemens learns to navigate the Mississippi. Finally, grown to manhood, Clemens (Fredric March) qualifies as a full-fledged pilot and takes his own steamer down the river. Here Clemens meets Charles Langdon (William Henry) and falls in love with a photo of Langdon’s beautiful sister, Olivia (Alexis Smith), vowing to himself he will one day marry her. To this end he goes west with Steve Gillis (Alan Hale) to make money in mining. At mining, Clemens is a failure. But he arranges a jumping contest between his frog and Bret Harte’s (John Carradine). This amusing contest later becomes the basis of Twain’s first contribution to American literature. Hesitating to sign his own name to the piece, he uses instead “Mark Twain”—words meaning “safe water” to every Mississippi River man. Efforts of an Eastern literary agent, Maj. Pond (Donald Crisp), to find Mark Twain are interrupted by the Civil War when Twain goes home to prevent his beloved Mississippi from being blockaded. The war ended, at last Maj. Pond finds Twain and persuades him to lecture in New York where Twain finally meets and marries Olivia Langdon. With gentle prodding from her, Twain begins his writing in earnest. But the money Twain realizes from his writings is lost in bad investments—among them a publishing business which leaves him bankrupt. To pay his creditors, Twain, now an aging man with daughters, Susie and Clara, growing to young womanhood, undertakes a lecture tour which covers every country on the globe. His debt liquidated, he joins Livvy in Italy to find her ill and near death. Their last days together are an idyll of tenderness. Before she dies Livvy knows the joy of having her husband acclaimed as the great man she always knew he was, when he receives an invitation to accept an honorary degree from Oxford University—the same honor bestowed on such other. “greats” as Wordsworth and Browning. With Livvy gone, Twain lives on in lonely fashion. One night in 1910, ill in bed, he chides his pet kitten for having grown up, wistfully complains to his daughter, Clara (Joyce Reynolds): “There’s nobody left for me to play with any more.” Clara, at the window, stands frozen. Across the sky Halley’s Comet once more streams clear and bright. She turns back to the bed—but Mark Twain’s eyes have closed forever. (Running Time: 130 minutes) Production Staff Jack L. Warner, Executive Producer. Produced by Jesse L. Lasky. Directed by Irving Rapper. Screen play by Alan Le May; adapted by Mr. Le May and Harold M. Sherman. Additional Dialogue by Harry Chandlee. All Fredric March Loses His Identity In ‘Adventures Of Mark Twain’ appears in 419 of the picture’s 439 scenes and didn’t have a day off while it was in production, this would have _ been monopolistic enough. But Twain even moved in on his home life. When her husband started the When he finished his movie portrayal of Mark Twain, Fredric March found it necessary to steal a few days in which to become re-acquainted with a chap named Fredric March. For twelve weeks he saw very little of the March fellow, even in the mirror. He lost track of his personal interests, got behind in his reading and correspondence, and became sadly out of touch with his affairs. Ordinarily, March does not subscribe to the theory that an actor must live a character to bring him to the screen convincingly. He has an idea there’s an art called acting which makes that unnecessary. He, however, found the late Samuel Clemens a most possessive exception to the usual run of characters. From the time he started “The Adventures of Mark Twain,” there were only sleeping hours left for the reallife Fredric March. 12 Hours by Day From six to six as the clock flies the daylight circuit, he was not only required to look like Mark Twain but to talk and think like him. Two, often three, hours in the Warner Bros. makeup department each morning erased the last vestiges of Fredric March from his appearance. Eight, frequently nine and sometimes ten, hours of reliving Twain’s experiences and speaking in Twain’s voice, crowded March out of his thoughts. In view of the fact that he Es biographical material based on works owned or controlled by the Mark Twain Company, and the play “Mark Twain” by Harold M. Sherman, Music by Max Steiner. A Warner Bros.-First National Picture. Rousing Film On Mark Twain Comes To Strand Friday (Advance Theatre Reader) Warner Bros.’ new thrillpacked film about America’s most widely loved humorist, characterization, Mys. March suddenly discovered Twain When March came home in the evening he found the frau chuckling over the witty writings of the man he’d been play ing all day. “The Adventures of Mark Twain,” which recently completed engagements at advanced prices in two hun dred theatres throughout the country, will be offered at popular prices beginning tomorrow at the Strand. Fredric March and Alexis Smith are starred in the Jesse L. Lasky production, which was directed by Irving Rapper. Every facet of Twain’s vibrant adventurous life is depicted in the film. Against a _ picturesque background in a rapidly changing young country, the photoplay shows Twain as barefooted boy, rafting Mississippi River explorer and pilot, reporter, mining prospector, lecturer, lover and literary light adored by the multitudes. Cast as “Livvy” Langdon, who becomes Mrs. Twain, is lovely Alexis Smith, last seen in “The Constant Nymph,” and featured among the outstanding list of supporting players are Donald Crisp, as a _ literary agent, and Alan Hale, as Steve Gillis, Twain’s mining partner. Alan LeMay, Harold M. Sherman and Harry Chandlee are responsible for the adaption from the screen play by Mr. LeMay. The music was composed by Max Steiner. Still MT 539; Mat 204—30c Fredric March is cast in the title role in Warner Bros.’ film biography of one of America’s best loved authors, “The Adventures of Mark Twain,” which comes to the .......... Theatre on eee ee ee oe ee