The Crowd Roars (Warner Bros.) (1932)

SPECIAL STOR S ~ aod em — d thie : ADVANCE SHORTS SUNDAY FEATURE “The Crowd Roars”’ Arouses Unusual Interest Before... .... Showing The newest James Cagney-Joan Blondell starring vehicle for Warner Bros. Pictures, “The Crowd Roars,” has created an unusual amount of interest prior to its showing at the es es NORELCO; sas Advance reports have it as the most thoroughly thrilling film in years. It is, therefore, anxiously awaited by local theatre-goers. Concerned with the lives and work of professional auto racers and their continual defiance of death, “The Crowd Roars” is set against a background of the greatest speedways in the country. —_._.Further interest attaches to James Cagney. This young star has cap tured the fancy of both American men and women, in spite of the fact that he is not the matinee idol type. His work has been consistently excellent, reports on his role in “The Crowd Roars” indicating that he outstrips even his past performances in such outstanding pictures as “The Public Enemy,” “Smart Money,” “Blonde Crazy” and “Taxi.” “The Crowd Roars” was directed by Howard Hawks, director of “The Dawn Patrol,” who also co-authored the story with Seton I, Miller. Racing Scenes Photographed At 125 Miles Per Hour For “‘The Crowd Roars’”’ Ghost-like cars, racing at 125 miles per hour were photographed by director Howard Hawks and his staff of cameramen for some of the scenes in “The Crowd Roars,” War ner Bros. special production which stars James Cagney and Joan Blondell. A high-speed camera car was specially constructed for the recording of these scenes, most of which were made at Indianapolis Speedway. The cameras also recorded several spills which were not in the original scenario, but which have been retained in the final film. “The Crowd Roars” will be shown at the ...... eee Theatre beginning next fe It is heralded as one of the most -exciting films in years. Page Eight Which Answers The Question They Have Been Asking About James Cagney, ‘‘What Is This Power He Has Over Women?” What is the secret of James Cagney’s appeal to women? But, you may ask, does he appeal to women? The answer to that question you can obtain for yourself by taking a look at the audiences at the.......... Theatre, where his latest Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘The Crowd Roars,’’ is now playing. You’ll find lots of women there. On the average, they make up about half of his audiences—half of Jim Cagney’s audiences, who is supposed to be (and is) the darling of red-blooded male movie fans because of his hard-boiled, rough-and-ready wiseeracking roles. And, according to gossip from Hollywood, Cagney’s fan mail tells the same story. This redheaded son of the East Side of New York gets stacks of letters every day, most of them from members of the gentler sex, asking for his autograph, for his photograph, for his views on this, that and the other thing. Yes, Cagney has an appeal for women; and, according to certain deep students of feminine psychology, the probable reason is that he has never made any special effort to that end. He says himself: “I wouldn’t want to be a Valentino or a Gable even if I could—and of course I never could. Vm not the Great Lover type. In all my pictures I have played hard guys of one sort or another. Now I hope I’m not a hard guy myself, but I’ve known plenty of them in real life; I was brought up among them on the sidewalks of New York, and I understand their ways of looking at things and of behaving. Romeo wouldn’t have lasted long on our block when I was growing up, unless he had learned to use his mitts.” And Cagney added a very significant comment: “The toughest babies that I have ever known have, for some reason, been pretty popular with women. I mean they have never seemed to have any trouble getting girls — and keeping them. But if you ask me why, brother, I’ll have to send you on your way. You can’t prove it by me.” This, we repeat, was a significant utterance. In it there seems to lie the answer to the question about James Cagney’s appeal to the fair sex. The roles he has played in “The Public Enemy,” “Smart Money,” “Blonde Crazy,” “Taxi!” and now in “The Crowd Roars,” typify certain radically masculine qualities —courage, self-confidence, sheer unadulterated nerve and fighting spirit; and if a man possesses these qualities, most women are willing to forgive a good many shortcomings. It is the appeal of the primitive male. But James Cagney has never played parts that were purely brutal and ruthless. Always there have been redeeming features — humor, loyalty to pals, a fundamental kindliness — if only you know how to dig down to it. And these, too, are qualities that appeal to women. In “The Crowd Roars” Cagney’s characterization is that of Joe Greer, a king of the auto race tracks, a speed demon who scorches his way through life and love. This portrayal is perfectly true to life; Joe Greer, as played by Cagney, has his counterpart by the dozen among the professional racers of this and other lands. There is something in the daily contact with deadly peril that brings out a certain recklessness that lies in every man — or in every man who is likely even to dream of taking up such a profession. Joan Blondell and Ann Dvorak have prominent feminine roles opposite Cagney, and among the other members of the cast are Erie Linden, Frank McHugh and Guy Kibbee. It was Joan Blondell, for instance, who, after acting with Cagney in several pictures, exclaimed cof him quite spontaneously one day on the studio set: “What a man!” His countless feminine admirers are repeating it every day. CURRENT SHORTS Two Newcomers Winning Screen Fame In “The Crowd Roars” Eric Linden and Ann Dvorak, comparative newcomers to the screen, | are earning the plaudits of press and public by their fine performances in “The Crowd Roars” with James Cagney and Joan Blondell. From the reactions of the audiences at the ....... Mee tees Theatre wiere “Tie Crowd Roars” is now showing, it would appear that a promising future is in store for both Mr. Linden and Miss Dvorak. Howard Hawks, who wrote and directed “The Crowd Roars,” called. them. “excellent starring possibilities.” Large Production Crew Worked On “The Crowd Roars” —— It took more than twice as many electricians, technicians, cameramen and sound experts to make “The Crowd Roars” than it ordinarily takes to make a motion picture. The lighting of the Indianapolis Speedway by artificial light, the crew of 30 cameramen, employment and screen training of professional racing drivers, the make-up of the enlarged cast and the outdoor sound recording proved the biggest job. But from the crowds attending the Spee Theatre where “The Crowd Roars” is now playing, the investment was well worth making. 14 Autos Wrecked In Filming ‘The Crowd Roars’ Fourteen racing automobiles were wrecked in the “shooting” of scenes for “The Crowd Roars,” the Warner Bros. special production starring James Cagney and Joan Blondel, which is now playing at the ....... Theatre. Four of the wrecks occurred at the Indianapolis Speedway where Howard Hawks, director and co-author, took a special crew. The ten other accidents occurred ~ in and around Hollywood. Supporting Cagney and Miss Blondeil in “The Crowd Roars” is a large special cast including Ann Dvorak, Erie Linden, Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee, Charlotte Merriam and a score of past and present racing champions, including Lou Schneider, the 1931 champion.