The Gorilla Man (Warner Bros.) (1943)

Mat 201 — 30c¢ John Loder and Ruth Ford are featured in Warner Bros.’ mystery film about British Commandos in ‘The Gorilla Man,” opening Friday at the Strand Theatre. ‘Gorilla Man,’ Topical Commando Film, Opens A topical film about the British Commandos and their efforts to expose a vicious group of spies operating in England opens at the Strand Theatre today. The picture is Warner Bros.’ “Gorilla Man”, starring John Loder and Ruth Ford, with a supporting cast headed by Marian Hall, Richard Fraser and Paul Cavanagh. Actors Trained For Commando Roles in Film When you play Commandos in motion pictures you have to train just about as much as the real ones do. At least that was the experience of Jonn Loder, Richard Fraser and others who are cast as battling Britishers in the Warner Bros. murder mystery, “The Gorilla Man”, which comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday, The players didn’t have to fight any Nazis on the battlefield. Action in the film takes place after they have returned from a raid. Loder, who plays the part of a captain, has to climb the side of a house much in the manner that authentic Commandos use to scale a cliff. He has three slugging matches with Nazi agents and murderers, and uses official Commando technique in subduing his enemies. There was a lot of running, both cross country and through woods; some swimming, fence climbing, and the like. It was pretty much like one of those obstacle courses the Commando and Ranger troops use in training. In order to do all the stunts properly, Loder, Fraser and the rest spent a couple of weeks toughening themselves up for the grind. They didn’t have to waste much time learning dialogue. “Gorilla Man” is supposed to move so fast there isn’t much time for talk. Others featured in the cast are Ruth Ford and Marion Hall. The story was directed by D. Ross Lederman, from an original screen play by Anthony Coldewey. ‘Gorilla Man’ Coming Friday to Strand Methods used by espionage agents in communicating information to their chiefs abroad furnish one of the highlights of “The Gorilla Man”, Warner . Bros.’ spy thriller, which comes >” the Strand Theatre on Friday. John Loder, Ruth Ford, Marian Hall and Richard Fraser are featured in the picture. A group of Nazi spies operating in a_sanitarium in the South of England receive word that a British Commando group carrying military information is expected to land nearby. The spies meet the Commandos and persuade the wounded captain to take refuge in the sanitarium. Intercepting a radio message in Morse code, the captain becomes suspicious, and sets about to expose the spies, but not until they have involved him in a series of crimes. How he extricates himself and brings the culprits to justice makes for exciting entertainment. John Loder, well-known English actor, is cast as the Commando captain. Ruth Ford plays his fiance and Marian Hall is her sister. “The Gorilla Man” was directed by D. Ross Lederman. Espionage Methods Seen in ‘Gorilla Man’ An interesting device used by Nazi spies for signalling purposes is highlighted in “The Gorilla Man”, Warner Bros.’ murder mystery picture, which comes to the Strand Theatre on Friday. The spies, signalling to agents offshore, create what sounds like static to the casual listener, but it is actually a message in Morse code. “The Gorilla Man“ features John Loder, Ruth Ford, Marian Hall and Richard Fraser. (Review) ‘Gorilla Man,’ Commando Film, Opens at Strand Plenty of suspenseful action and the eventual triumph of a Commando group over a number of German secret agents operating in England, earmark “The Gorilla Man” one of the most exciting pictures of the year. The fast-paced Warner Bros.’ film opened yesterday at the Strand Theatre. Literally packed with intrigue and color, the story has a hardhitting cast that features John Loder, Ruth Ford, Marian Hall and Richard Fraser. “The Gorilla Man” relates the story of a wounded Commando officer who becomes implicated in a couple of bestial murders plotted by Nazi agents to wreck the Home Defense of England. Under the protective guise of a sanitarium on the South West coast of England, a trio of German agents secure information that a returning Commando group with a wounded leader is expected to land nearby. The Commandos are met by one of the spies, and the wounded captain is persuaded to come to the hospital for treatment. He soon suspects foul play, but his attempts to verify his suspicions result in a series of gruesome crimes. The ultimate exposure of the vicious system and the solution of the murders are an exciting climax to this swiftpaced story. “The Gorilla Man” was expertly directed by D. Ross Lederman from an_ original screen play by Anthony Coldewey. Richard Fraser Out of Air Roles After a year and a half in Hollywood, Richard Fraser has gotten out of the air force, cinematically speaking, for the role of a_ British Commando lieutenant in Warner Bros.’ adventure film, “The Gorilla Man,” opening Friday at the Strand Theatre. Except for his role as Davy in “How Green Was My Valley,” Fraser has been cast as an airman in one picture after another, despite the fact that he’d never been up in a plane in his life until he crashed Hollywood. Fraser’s first Hollywood part was that of an English pilot in “A Yank in the R.A.F.” and from that he went into “Desperate Journey,” portraying a similar character. Before being assigned to another picture by Warner Bros., Fraser portrayed an airplane pilot role in “Eagle Squadron,” for Universal. In “The Gorilla Man,” however, Fraser is on tera firma at last, portraying a lieutenant in the British Commandos. SYNOPSIS (Not for publication) Captain Craig Killian (John Loder), a wounded Commando captain, carrying important military information, is brought to a hospital on the South Coast of England, operated by Dr. Joseph Wolf (Paul Cavanagh). The sanitarium is really a blind used by a group of Nazi spies intent upon wrecking the Home Defense of England. In order to discredit Killian, Wolf tells an important British official that Killian is suffering from shock and is not responsible for what he says. Killian, virtually a prisoner, manages to escape, so that he might warn the authorities. But the spies get there before him and commit a series of crimes, implicating Killian. Killian, however, outwits the agents, vindicates himself and brings the spies to justice. (Running Time: 84 mins.) CAST Capt. Craig Killian. John Loder Janet Devon .... ....... Ruth Ford Patricia Devon......Marian Hall Walter Sibley....Richard Fraser De; Wolf728 Paul Cavanagh General Devon....Lumsden Hare Dr. herrists com John Abbott Nurse Kruger.......... Mary Field | Shad Cosel ap EN AE OS Rex Williams Mrs. Tanner........ Joan Winfield Inspector Cady ...Charles Irwin Olivera). ey Peggy Carson Sammy =e fais Walter Tetley Gonstable2 s7se45 Art Foster Ryans see. a Creighton Hale Fletcher 3:30.54... Frank Mayo PRODUCTION Directed by D. ROSS LEDERMAN Original Screen Play Written by Anthony Coldewey; Director of Photography, James Van Trees, A.S.C.; Film Editor, James Gibbon; Art Director, Stanley Fleischer; Dialogue Director, John Lucas, John Loder’s Past Fits Him for Commando Role John Loder who portrays a Commando in “Gorilla Man,” Warner Bros.’ spy and mystery story at the Strand Theatre, fits the role in every particular — even to au thentic true-life background. If there had been Commandos in the last war, Loder would have undoubtedly been one of them. He fought as an officer of a famous regiment — the King’s Hussars — whose soldiers were used as. ‘shoek troops,” the nearest approximation to today’s Commandos in the British Army. His exploits in World War I brought him many medals. Loder, whose father was General Sir William Lowe, was born to a military career. When World War I broke out, he was just a boy in his teens and a student at Eton. He quit the school for Sandhurst, the British “West Point”. After only four months of training, he received his commission and was_ sent right to the battle front as the youngest combat officer in the British Army. He was in the thick of action on many fronts without receiving a wound until the spring of 1918, when he was wounded and captured on the Amiens front in France. The Armistice brought his release. Following the war, Loder engaged in business, but a chance meeting with Sir Alexander Mat 101 — 15c¢ John Loder and Ruth Ford play the featured roles in Warner Bros.’ “The Gorilla Man,” now playing at the Strand Theatre. Korda resulted in his entry into English films. Warner Bros.’ Jesse Lasky was responsible for his appearance in U. S. films. 1 of 400 Made Good — Her Name: Ruth Ford Ruth Ford was the one girl out of New York’s 400 to make good. The group to which she belonged was not that of society’s bluebook, but was the corps of ambitious tyros who gathered to audition for Orson Welles in “Shoemaker’s Holiday” on the New York stage. But this is not the only “first” to have been won by the girl picked by Welles from among the hundreds who made the try. Now under screen contract to Warner Bros. and currently featured opposite John Loder in “The Gorilla Man”, which opened at the Strand Theatre on Friday, Ruth Ford was named “‘one of the 10 most beautiful women in America” by Cecil Beaton, photographer of royalty. She was the top feminine scholar during her student terms at the University of Mississippi, emerging with bachelor of arts Country of origin U.S.A. Copyright 1942 Vitagraph, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright is waived to magazines and newspapers. and master of arts degrees, and also as the only girl ever to have won a place on the executive council of the student body. She got the acting urge in the college dramatic society and glee club, and then headed for Broadway. For a year or so she posed for noted New York photographers and magazine cover artists, and then came her chance in “Shoemaker’s Holiday.” A half-dozen hits before the footlights followed and brought her to the attention of Hollywood. Now she has a longterm contract with Warner Bros.