The Expert (Warner Bros.) (1932)

Review Chic Sale And Dickie Moore Triumph As “Partners” In ‘The Expert’ At The _______--- Chic Sale, as ‘Old Man Minick,’’ and Dickie Moore, as an orphaned waif, brought the warmth and humor and pathos of life itself to the screen of the Ay Si BU na ai Theatre yesterday as ‘‘The Expert,’’ a Warner Bros. picture, was unreeled to an audience which alternated gales of laughter with an occasional tear. Sale and Moore appear again in virtu ally the same characterizations they had — in “The Star Witness.”” They brought an uncommon reality to the screen of thee ee eae. They showed us people we meet, know and live with. Sale is the grandpa we all know, coming to live with his son and daughterin-law after a lifetime in a small city. Alone in the world, he has no one to turn to except his children. But the difference in age, the always-changing ideas of successive generations throw him out of line. His has been a different liferoutine. He does not realize this and goes his sincerely meddlesome way in an effort to help, usually hindering. He estranges his daughter-in-law’s fellow club members, antagonizes the cook and generally has his say on almost everything. The humor inherent in such a situation is capably handled by the featured players and enhanced by Archie Mayo’s masterful direction. The occasional tear in the audience is aroused by sympathy for the old gentleman and his orphaned friend. Old Man Minick meets young Dickie, the orphan, in the course of his wanderings and begins a friendship which carries through to the end of the picture. The talented pen of Edna Ferber, author of the novel and play from which “The Expert’? was made, has given to the movies this story of the old man and his six-year-old friend. All the drama, humor and reality which she infuses into her characters are evident in ‘‘The Expert.” Headed by Sale and Dickie, both of whom have been rewarded with starring contracts, the cast fills its roles as though’ made for them. Ralf Harolde and Adrienne Dore are Dickie’s ‘‘guardians,”’ typical as Sykes and Nancy are in ‘‘Oliver Twist.’’ The old cronies of Chic Sale’s pinochle-playing forays are just the sort of proud old chaps we see in G. A. R. parades. Right to the happy end when Old Man Minick and Dickie are admitted to membership in the Home for the Aged, ‘‘The Expert” will hold you in. the grip of its ‘Real-life’? spell. It is everything a wholesome, engrossing story should be. BU Sona S LR CL readers are urged to see this continuation of the partnership — so auspiciously begun by Chic Sale and Dickie Moore in ‘‘The Star Witness.” “The Expert” is even more memorable than its predecessor. Page Eight La day of run “Expert”? Earns Chic Sale Starring Contract Charles (Chic) Sale will be starred by Warner Bros. in his next picture after “The Expert,’’ from the story by Edna Ferber, now at the.......... Theatre. This vehicle marks his first appearance since his success in ‘“‘The Star Witness.”’ Published several seasons ago, Miss Ferber’s novel made a strong appeal to theatrical producers on account of the strength of its principal character and the human interest in its story. Winthrop Ames finally secured it and produced the dramatization by Miss Ferber and George Kaufman in which O. P. Heggie played the title role. The Warners, in looking around for a suitable story for Chic Sale, saw in ‘‘The Expert’? what they considered an ideal vehicle for him. It is the story of a meddlesome old man who comes to live with his son and daughter-in-law in the city after a lifetime spent in getting “set in his ways.’ There is friction of a humorous nature as a result of his wellintentioned interference. The cast includes Dickie Moore, who appeared with Sale in “The Star Witness’”’ and will also be starred in his next picture, Lois Wilson, Earle Foxe, Ralf Harolde, Adrienne Dore, Walter Catlett, Noel Francis and Elizabeth Patterson. Archie Mayo directed. ik day of run SRE HN LE SDI SOLIS BES A INE ET EO Chic “Specialist” Sale — Veteran Of Stage And Pioneer In Talking Pictures Charles (Chic) Sale, whose newest Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘The Expert,” is Now! vat the sao as Theatre is one of the veterans of talking pictures. Sale, in reality a young man without either whiskers or rheumatism, made one of the first short subjects for the talking screen when that medium was first finding its voice. It was called, ‘‘The Man Who Knew Lincoln,’’ and brought Vitaphone favorable attention from the public. For a long time after that Sale devoted most of his time to stage work. His occasional appearances in pictures were made only in ‘“‘short subjects.’’ These presented on the screen the same skits he had made famous on the vaudeville circuits. Warner Bros. featured Sale in a full length picture, ‘‘The Star Witness.” Its release made Sale a potential screen star immediately. As a result of his portrayal in ‘‘The Expert,’’? he was placed under a starring contract to Warner Bros.-First National Pictures. Sale is not only a fine actor, but wellknown as a writer and master of comedy technique. His ‘‘Specialist’’ sold in the thousands of copies. Featured with Sale in ‘“‘The Exp Dickie Moore, child actor who al peared with him in ‘The Star Wit The large supporting cast include. Wilson, Earle Foxe, Ralf Ha Adrienne Dore, Walter Catlett, Francis and many others. Archie Mayo directed. ebrd day of run Child Actor Of “The Exper Is Screen’s Youngest Star Dickie Moore, co-featured with Ch Sale in ‘‘The Expert,” the Warner Bro picture now at the.......... , will b raised to stardom in ‘‘Rags To Riches,’ his next picture, as a result of his wort in “The Star Witness” and “The Expert’ in which he appeared with Sale. Only six years old, Dickie becomes the youngest star on the screen. Dickie has been in pictures since he was eleven months old. At that tender age he played with John Barrymore in “The Beloved Rogue.’ Since then he ‘has appeared in numerous screen vehicles, including ‘‘Son of the Gods,” “‘Seed,”’ “Union Depot” and ‘Manhattan Parade.”’ Dickie is noted in Hollywood for his ability to remember lines, not a single scene ever being retaken because of his failure to have his lines ‘“‘down pat.” This faculty keeps other members of the cast of pictures in which Dickie appears on the alert so that they may not be outstripped in this respect by a child. In “The Expert’’ Dickie appears as the orphaned waif befriended by Chic Sale, who portrays a meddlesome old man who comes to the city to live with his son and daughter-in-law. His portrayal has won the ‘‘ohs’’ and ‘‘ahs’’ of IY ge teas Ue Theatre audiences. “The Expert” includes in its large cast Lois Wilson, Earle Foxe, Ralf Harolde, Adrienne Dore, Walter Catlett and Elizabeth Patterson. Archie Mayo directed “The Expert,” which was picturized from Edna Ferber’s novel and stage play, “Old Man Minick.” It is Miss Ferber’s fourth work to be filmed. The others were “So Big,” ‘‘Show Boat’’ and “Cimarron.” Aw day of run **Expert’’ Is Natural Role For Chic Sale “The Expert,’’ latest Warner Bros. picture in which Chic Sale appears at sda Ramat ante ie Theatre, recalled to Sale the several years he spent in rural communities and the rustics he knew. Born in Huron, South Dakota, Sale was reared in Urbana, Illinois. There he learned to know the habits and people he met again in Edna Ferber’s ‘‘The Expert.’’ Of particular interest to him was re-acquaintance with a ‘“‘rasslin’’’ trick called the ‘‘grapevine’’ because of the curious way in which a wrestler wraps 2 leg around that of an opponent in an effort to bring him down. Sale became acquainted again with the numerous characters one finds in every small town. He himself portrayed the old grandpop who went to the city to live with his son and daughter-in-law. Set in his ways, this character endeavors to influence those around him. He can neither do this nor change his ways to conform with those of others. As a consequence ‘“‘The Expert’’ is crammed with a natural humor rare in pictures. Also featured in ‘‘The Expert’ is Dickie Moore, six-year-old player who appeared with Sale in ‘“‘The Star Witness.”’ Both Sale and Moore will be stars in their next pictures. The large cast includes Lois Wilson, Earle Foxe, Ralf Harolde, Adrienne Dore, Walter Catlett and thirty-three old men who at one time were stars of stage and screen and are now familiar to moviegoers as extra and bit players. Archie Mayo, director of ‘Bought,’ directed ‘‘The Expert.” THE EXPERT! Chic Sale appears in the title role of “The Expert,” the Warner Bros. film of Edna Ferber’s fourth screen SLOFY:: GP thee Theatre. “The Expert” knows everything, | they say. Cut No. 10 Cut 15c Mat 5c USE EXPERT SELLING METHODS FOR PROFIT « Current Readers False Tooth Bridge Provided For Dickie Moore, Six-Year Old There’s a remedy for every little mishap in the making of movies, but the prize goes to Warner Bros. for its dental feat in providing a false tooth bridge for a six year old youngster. Dickie Moore, who is co-featured with Chic Sale in ‘‘The Expert,’’ now at the Been 2 Theatre, was half way through the production when he celebrated the loss of his first baby tooth. Dickie’s mother tried to keep him from playing with the loose tooth, but to no avail. The tooth dropped out. An enterprising Hollywood dentist constructed a miniature gold bridge on which was fixed the recalcitrant tooth. Thereafter Dickie had a good time with the tooth, putting it in and taking it out. With Chic and Dickie in ‘‘The Expert’’ are Lois Wilson, Noel Francis, Adrienne Dore, Ralf Harolde, Earle Foxe, Walter Catlett. Hollywood Snow Helps “Chic” Sale With “The Expert’ Southern California has an occasional cold snap, in spite of its Chamber of Commerce, and during the spell last winter Charles (Chic) Sale had all the luck. He was working in scenes in which he wore a heavy overcoat and oldfashioned ‘‘arctic’’ rubbers. “And they felt durned good, too,” said Chic, ‘‘especially in the early mornings.” Chic wears the galoshes in ‘‘The Expert,’ Warner Bros. screen version of an Edna Ferber novel which is showing atthe pease) a): Theatre. Co-featured with Sale is Dickie Moore, six-year-old who was also teamed with him in ‘‘The Star Witness.’’ Archie Mayo directed. Thirty-Three Famous OldTimers In “Expert”? Cast Theatre-goers of many years standing find many familiar faces in ‘‘The Expert,’ Warner Bros. picture featuring “'Chic’’ Sale and little Dickie Moore, now ATA Tes Wascnne wares Theatre. Thirty-three aged men, used throughout the picture as cronies of the venerable but spry “‘Expert,’’ were formerly well known stage actors, picture stars or vaudeville headliners. To the younger generation they are known now as competent extra and bit players. To their parents, these actors will bring a sentimental recollection of the past. Youth and beauty are ably represented by Lois Wilson, Noel Francis, Adrienne Dore, Ralf Harolde, Walter Catlett and Earle Foxe in ‘‘The Expert.” Sunday Feature Chic Sale, Star Of “The Expert,”” Voices His Views On Comedy And Slapstick By Jack Cooper “If it weren’t for comedy,” said Chic Sale, alias The Specialist, ‘‘life wouldn't be worth living.” It is only natural that Chic would stick up for what has earned him a fine livelihood, but beyond that he has a sincere, sympathetic understanding of all that it means. He is an inveterate silver-lining turner, During the first few minutes of an interview with him at the Warner Bros. studio, where he was filming ‘“‘The Expert,’ now showing at the.......... Theatre, he made certain that when he spoke of comedy it would not be confounded with slapstick. ‘There is all the difference in the world between the two,” he said. ‘‘Slapstick bases its laughs mainly on humiliation. It drags down people we envy, also inflicting pain on them. | call it ‘vicarious sadism’—or inflicting pain and humiliation by proxy, so to speak.” From which it may be gathered that Chic is a devotee of comedy, and not of slapstick. “On the other hand,’’ Chic went on, ‘comedy is as true a delineation of life as is drama. It discards the tragic or darker side of a story or character and stresses its humorous points. Comedy needs no grotesquerie. “The part of the ‘old man that | play in ‘The Expert’? is a character to be met in almost every home. His children are under obligation to see that he is provided for, but his old ideas and butting into their affairs make him a burden. His is in reality a tragic character, but there is much in him that makes for wholesome comedy. In this picture, both aspects are brought out with the accent on the laughs.” It was an almost identical character that Chic played in ‘‘The Star Witness,” his first Warner Bros. picture. Chic Sale has not contented himself with merely drawing on his imagination for his characterizations. During his vaudeville days he spent a lot of time in rural communities studying the people. ‘‘There was a fresh naivete in these people that made excellent material for my characterizations,’’ Chic said. ‘‘They are all vitally human, and by keeping them so, | was able to make them alive.” There is tragedy, too, in the characters he found, but says Chic: “Life is too short to be continually harrassed by its tragic side and a good laugh is better than a good cry any old day of the week.” Co-featured with Chic in ‘The Expert,’ is 6-year old Dickie Moore, newest boy star of the screen. Others in the cast are Lois Wilson, Adrienne Dore, Ralf Harolde, Walter Catlett and Noel Francis.