The Great Garrick (Warner Bros.) (1937)

(Lead Story) Aherne Starred In Comedy As ‘Great Garrick’ Using for its hero the immortal British actor David Garrick, a gay comedy of that star and his times is coming next Friday to the Strand Theatre, with Brian Aherne in the role of Garrick and Olivia de Havilland as Germaine, the girl with whom he falls in love. “The Great Garrick” is the title of the picture, which was produced for Warner Bros. distribution by James Whale, under the banner and the personal supervision of Mervyn LeRoy. It is the fourth LeRoy cinema since he became an independent producer, the others being “The King and the Chorus Girl,’ “Mr. Dodd Takes the Air” and “They Won’t Forget.” Garrick in the era of the 1750’s was acknowledged to be the greatest actor the world had ever known. He could play anything — comedy, tragedy, straight drama. This story finds him ending a long run in London and preparing to begin another in France. Enemies have circulated a false report that he said he would “teach the French to act.” Insulted, the French stage folk decide to frame him up and make him look ridiculous. How he turns the tables on them and then goes on to success on the Paris stage, is what makes up the story. It has some ~ ~beautiful settings — notably the old Drury Lane Theatre in London and the Comedie Francaise in Paris, and various streets and dwellings in the two capitals. Supporting Mr. Aherne and Miss de Havilland are such notable players as Edward Everett Horton, Melville Cooper, Lionel Atwill, Henry O’Neill, Luis Alberni, Lana Turner, Marie Wilson, Fritz Leiber, Linda Perry and Etienne Girardot. “The Great Garrick,” which is neither historical nor biographical, but just sheer fun, was written for the screen by the distinguished author Ernst Vajda. FLAT SLIPPERS MAKE EXTRA GIRLS HAPPY The ladies who worked in ‘‘ The Great Garrick,’’ James Whale production for Mervyn LeRoy at Warner Bros.’ studio, got a nice break. They had a chance to take off their high-heeled shoes during pro‘duction and put on comfortable soft slippers. Wearing elaborate costumes of the 1750 period for the comedy, their skirts were long and wide. Numerous petticoats further aided in concealing the footgear. So they took off their shoes and put on the flat slippers for comfort. LINDA IS A ‘JOINER’ Linda Perry, beautiful young actress appearing in ‘‘The Great Garrick,’’ which opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre, wasn’t satisfied with one sorority in college. She belonged to three — Alpha Omicron Pi, Zeta Phi Eta and Tau Sigma Delta, as well as three collegiate dramatic groups. OLIVIA GROWS TALLER Because she is a full foot shorter than Brian Aherne, her leading man, in ‘‘The Great Garrick,’’ which opens next week at the Strand Theatre, Olivia de Havilland had to wear special shve lifts to lessen the vast diff erenve in \ height between them. \ Mat 208—20c HE’S THE WORLD’S GREATEST LOVER and as for her — they don’t come any lovelier. So watch out for romance when you see Olivia de Havilland and Brian Aherne in the Mervyn LeRoy production for Warner Bros, ‘‘The Great Garrick’’ at the Strand next week. The Story’ Origin Ernest Vajda, who wrote it, got the inspiration for ““The Great Garrick,” James Whale production for Mervyn LeRoy at Warner Bros., twenty years before the film was made. Vajda, noted Hungarian stage and _ screen playwright, came across an old legend attaching to David Garrick, the central character in the film and one of the most famous players ever to tread the boards of the Drury Lane Theatre in London. According to the old story, Garrick was the victim of a practical joke. The Comedie Francaise had enlisted its person nel of players in the execution of the joke. ‘They took over an inn outside of Paris where it was known that Garrick would stop on his way to Paris. e inn’s personnel was dismissed for a day while the actors took over the various jobs _ inn-keeper, chef, stable boys, waiters, maids, blacksmith, etc. When Garrick arrived everything in the inn proceeded to go wrong. The inn became a madhouse. The service was bad and there were half a dozen duels and fights in it. When Garrick was thoroughly discomfited the actors ended their joke and told Garrick it was merely for fun. So the legend went. Vajda found it in an old book twenty years ago and began thinking about it. It started him on the plot of the film which emerges now as ©The Great Garrick.” How It Came To The Screen A luncheon in Hollywood and a cocktail party in Beverly Hills resulted in “The Great Garrick.” The cast of characters n the plot were Brian Aherne, Ernest Vajda and Mervyn Le oy. Vajda had cherished the idea of writing a screen play about David Garrick for 20 years. f Vajda called Aherne for lunch in Hollywood when the actor finished his role in “Beloved Enemy.” He was perfectly free to go on from there. Both gentlemen, one the writer, the other the actor, left luncheon with empty stomachs and full minds. Aherne hoped that someone would buy Vajda’'s story so he could play in it. Vajda hoped he could sell it so his pet project could he realized. Later that day they went to a Beverly Hills cocktail party. Producer Mervyn LeRoy was there. He had just embarked on his new venture as an independent producer for Warner Bros. Vajda told his story again. LeRoy liked it. Then and there he made arrangements with Vajda and Aherne and immediately started preparations for filming “The Great Garrick.” Production Jots MUSIC ~— Eighteenth century music was written primarily for such instruments as the lute, harpischord and recorder. Adolph Deutsch, musical director for Mervyn LeRoy’s productions, delved into the archives of musical history and came up with some music never before heard in this country which he incorporated into the score, also writing an original “Garrick theme.” THE SETS — Three major settings were called for in the script of “The Great Garrick’’— the Drury Lane Theatre in London, the Comedie Francaise in Paris, and the Adam and Eve Inn. Art Director Anton Grot and his associates consulted old books, playbills, and historical records with the result that the huge sets are faithful in every detail to the eighteenth century originals. (Advance ) Screen Actress Fated To Work For Reinhardts Olivia de Havilland of the movyies was fated to work for a Reinhardt — some Reinhardt! The beautiful young ‘‘period heroine,’’ whose latest role is opposite Brian Aherne in ‘The Great Garrick,’’ which is due to open at the Strand Theatre next Friday, started her movie career by being chosen as understudy to the understudy for the role of Hermia in Professor Max Reinhardt’s Hollywood Bowl presentation of ‘‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’’ two summers ago. Olivia had intended, after her anticipated brief career as an understudy, to return to her home in Saratoga, Calif., and then begin work at Mills College, to which she had won a scholarship, under Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt, president of the noted feminine college. Dr. Aurelia is no kin to Professor Max. But the fate which had marked Olivia as a protege of one or another of the Reinhardts stepped in. The understudy to Gloria Stuart, who had been cast as Hermia and who had withdrawn from the east, did not get the part after all. The understudy’s understudy, Olivia herself, the little girl from the country town, was given the role. Then, when Max Reinhardt produced ‘‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’’ as a film for Warner Bros., Olivia got the job of doing her Bowl role on the screen. _ Sinee then Olivia has risen.to a high ranking position as a Hollywood leading lady. She has appeared in ‘‘The Irish in Us,*? ‘*Captain Blood,’’ ‘‘ Anthony Adverse,’’? ‘‘Charge of the Light Brigade,’’? ‘‘Call It A Day’’ and **Tt’s Love I’m After,’’ following her role in the last with the latest one in ‘‘The Great Garrick.’’ Olivia was born in Tokyo, Japan, on June 1, 1916. She was educated in California at Notre Dame Convent and Los Gatos High School. Her mother was her tutor in diction and drama, and her present high estate as. a screen player represents the fulfillment of her mother’s ambition for her. PLENTY ILLUMINATION FOR ‘GARRICK’ SCENE To illuminate the ‘‘Adam and Eve Inn’? set for one night scene in the Mervyn LeRoy production, ‘“The Great Garrick,’’? 280 overhead spotlights, 42 floor spotlights and floodlamps were required, projeeting over 84,000 watt candlepower of light. Eight wind machines created the effect of movement through the trees, while a coach and four was driven through the set, which covered every inch of space in one of the largest stages at Warner Bros.’ studio. The picture comes to the Strand Theatre next week. COSTLY GOWN IN FILM Olivia de Havilland wears an elaborate nightgown in ‘‘The Great Garrick,’’ the Mervyn LeRoy comedy which is now playing at the Strand Theatre. The garment contains sixty yards of chiffon and fifteen yards of valuable Alencon lace trimming. WANTS WOODEN INDIAN Mervyn LeRoy, is a devotee of Indian ‘lore and has instituted a search for authentic wooden Indians of a period now past in America. LeRoy’s latest picture, ‘‘The Great Garrick,’’ a comedy, comes to the Strand Theatre next week. — Page Five