The Crash (Warner Bros.) (1928)

Remember Thelma Todd in ‘Vamping Venus’? Here She Is as a Hip Waving Burlesque Dancer Milton Sills -Country Gentleman A movie star who lives like a baron of old on his estate—who plays rough-hewn film roles and dis cusses philosophy, fights like a demon on the shad ow-stage and plays piano compositions of his own at home! His latest picture, “The Crash,” comes to Theatre on By Jay Brien Chapman “T am not, and never have been, a college professor. That’s one myth I’d like to be rid of, and anything you can do to dispel it will be appreciated.” Milton Sills, star in First National Pictures, roughand-ready hero and fighter of many a film plot, country gentleman of an estate near Beverly, Calif., and something of an authority on horticultural subjects, was very definite on that point. “What started the rumor, I suppose, was ‘the fact that I was Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Chicago,” Sills continued. professor, and had no intention of being one. “I was never a It simply happened that I became intensely interested in philosophy at the time, and wished to go farther into it than the ordi nary course would carry me. Pet Sine sie GE Sot Seco 50 eae eee WANES We were sitting on the veranda of the Sills country estate looking out over some ten acres of orchard and ornamental garden toward the sea, plainly visible from there, five miles away. The big, rambling Spanish house occupied the very highest point of a long ridge that commanded a view of the surrounding country. Its very position once more reminded me of a _ baronial estate of King Richard’s day in England. No, this would be Spain, architecture, tropical gardens and picturesque Spanish boy, who not far away wielded a pruning hook under the cinema star’s supervision. “Hey, Pepe!” cried Sills so suddenly that he startled the slowmoving Latin into a distinct jump. “Don’t use the saw on those shoots. The knife—and a clean circling cut around the bark first.” Pepe began using his pocket knife. “That, by the way, is a betel nut palm; the only one, so far as I know, in Southern California, with the exception of a few in one garden in Santa Barbara.” Interested in His Work After my introduction to his betel nut palm, an importation from the Malay Peninsula, I steered the conversation back to Mr. Sills again. He evidently wished to talk of almost anything and anyone else. Major problems of the motion picture industry interested him, and he was not at all reticent concerning his part in the work of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, an association’ of film producers, artists and directors. Sis is a man a bit hard to classify. I said something to this effect, and he betrayed considerable amusement. “Why,’ he demanded, ‘do they always try to classify anyone who happens to be in the public eye? There’s Gene Tunney, for instance. They brand a fine, clean, sportsmanlike fighter a ‘highbrow,’ because, probably, he likes to read. Prize fighters and movie stars who can read and write may be rare, but not so rare that anyone who reads and studies a bit for diversion need be labeled ‘high-brow.’ ”’ “You aren’t a ‘high-brow,’ then?” I queried with a smile. Denies He’s a “Highbrow” “Not as I understand the term. Once it was applied to anyone who had attended high school. Then it was limited to college students, and finally to men and women with degrees. But I think all that is past. Everyone today is, to a certain extent, cultured, a seeker after culture, a striver for improvement. So I think the modern significance of the term ‘highbrow’ is one of derision. The word is a synonym for pretender.” Still I persist in trying to classify Sills, and still I fail. During the filming of a picture called “Burning Daylight,’ I chanced to see him in a vicious fist fight, waged, of course, for cinematic purposes. Anyone could see, with half an eye, that he enjoyed it! Do Page Four »» Cut No. 12. Cut, 25c. Mat, Se. ‘highbrows” in any sense of the word like to fight—if we exonerate Tunney from the “highbrow” class? When Sills speaks his “lines” for a picture such as his latest, ‘‘The Crash,” in which he is a hard-bitten uneducated railroad man, he growls out ungrammatical sentences and slang so naturally that anyone who had not heard the ‘“‘professor” myth wouldn’t believe it afterward! His Favorite Role His character in “The Crash,” that of a rough-and-tough and always ready specimen of humanity’s “hardest,” a railroad wreck emergency clean-up man, is his favorite of all his roles to date. Perhaps, because it’s a bit less like the country gentleman of real life than any other. “Men of Steel” he liked, too. “Burning Daylight” and “The Valley of the Giants” supplied characterizations that pleased him; the plots of “The Hawk’s Nest” and “Framed” intrigued him, and the romantic side of “The Sea Tiger” and the colorful scope of that much earlier picture, “The Sea Hawk,” were also appealing. “Would you play a role in which you were a college professor?” I asked him, somewhat mischievously. No Professor Role “No, I don’t think I would,” he replied quite seriously. “Once they (First National officials) were considering a picture in which I should play the role of a scientist. It was a rather remarkable characterization and it offered interesting possibilities, but on general principles I threw cold water upon its purchase—for me. “I think I have a screen person ‘ality suited for roles of the gen eral character of that in ‘The Crash.’ Within these limits alone there is a possibility for an infinite variety of characterization, plot and setting.” Wrecked trains —wrecked hearts — and a man whose courage and daring saved both. Here s a picture that rlorifies the unung heroes of he railroad and ells a_ stirring -»ve story about ine of its great«st daredevils. MILTON SILLS Milton Sills, star of “The Crash,” was born in New Palestine, Ohio, and finished his education at the University of Chicago. Con§ trary. to the; general belief, he had never been a college professor. He was, however, a Fellow in the Department of Phil, osophy. Few people know that immediately following the completion of his education at school, i Milton Sills he extended itous No. 18; Cut, 25c, by taking a Mat, 5c. trip around the world, with many side excursions. He attained some professional recogntion for his legitimate stage work, but motion pictures gave him his real fame, particularly his first great picture, “The Sea Hawk.” His film successes immediately preceding “The Crash” were “Burning Daylight,” “The Barker” and “The Valley of the Giants.” WADE BOTELER Wade Boteler, playing the “pal” of the hero in Milton Sills’ “The Crash,” did not actually “grow up in pictures.” He was born and raised next door to them, however, figuratively, since the town of his birth was Santa Ana, California. He played in stock with Los Angeles and San francisco companies, and then joined the studios in character bits and §‘“heavies.” By far the greatest number of the roles he has played were of the “villain” class. Perhaps, that’s because he’s a big fellow with a tough look about the face and a shock of red hair. MILTON || A ‘classical figure. ali al BIOGRAPHICAL BRIEFS _THELMA TODD Thelma Todd entered motion pictures via the beauty contest route, and then attended a movie school. First National gave her a chance in Richard Barhelmess’ “The Noose” in a small part and her talent was recognized immediately. She was placed under contract and given the title role in “Vamping Venus.” This was followed by a juvenile leading lady role in “Heart to Heart.” Her latest is. the lead in “The Crash,” opposite Milton Sills. Miss Todd is a blonde with a She was born in Lawrence, Mass., and taught primary school there before winning a school teacher’s beauty contest. WILLIAM DEMAREST William Demarest has been widely recognized as a stage actor, particularly in vaudeville, before he attained equal or greater fame for character roles, usually humorous, on the screen. He was one of the famous team “Demarest and Collette,” in the vaudeville circuits. Arriving in Los Angeles, he was given successful tryouts in several important films, and he has now become identified with the younger art. Demarest had an important role in First National’s ‘The Butter and Egg Man,” and as a result of his good work was chosen as the showman: heavy in “The Crash,” Milton Sills’ latest starring picture. The Youngest Actress Screenland’s’ very youngest aspirant to film honors is seen in Milton Sills’ First National picture, “The Crash,’ now showing at the Theatre. She is Miss Betty Morse, who was just four months old when she played her | part in the picture. with THELMA TODD Presented by Richard A. Rowland Directed by Eddie Cline Cut No. 7 Cut $1.00. Mat 20ce. p " THEATER CIRCLE” GD CIRCUS PARK AT WOODWARD }OTADIO ris naire OIAN OD TIL RULCO IN SHARP CONTRAST TO PERSONAL LIFE Milton Sills Plays ‘Roughnecks’ on Screen; in Private He’s Anything But. (CURRENT READER) Perhaps, there is no man in the screen world whose private life and screen characterizations are as diametrically opposed as in the case of Milton Sills, For example, a few weeks ago he was bossing a rough and ready gang of laborers along the railroad right-of-way in the Sierra Mountains for scenes in “The Crash,” which is now showing at the...... Theatre. While the cameras clicked, Sills in his rough and ready clothes played and fought with the laborers and in general was just a big “roughneck.” But in the evening, with the day’s work done, Sills sat at a piano and in a masterly manner played selections that are so difficult that only the really accomplished musicians attempt them. He forgot motion pictures in thinking of his music. All Sills’ roughness and fighting takes place in front of a camera. “The Crash” was directed by Edward Cline and is a screen version of Frank L. Packard’s magazine story, “The Wrecking Boss.” The leading feminine role is played by Thelma Todd, while others in the superlative supporting cast include William Demarest, Wade Boteler, Yola d’Avril, Sylvia Ashton and Fred Warren. From Farce to Villainy William Demarest, who plays the “heavy” role in “The Crash,” the First National Picture, which COMEB«TO" ThE ok eo ee Theatre OW: Gocut oe ce eae , made the move from farce comedy to villainous roles in one jump. He likes comedy roles better than the “dirty work” part, he says. Milton Sills is starred in “The Crash.”