The House on 56th Street (Warner Bros.) (1933)

j, life, and taking chances with Fate. your Ist story ““House on 56th St.”’ Said To Be Finest Kay Francis Story Few stories are said to offer a star a wider range of dramatic opportunities, or a more dazzling background, than are _ afforded beautiful Kay Francis in “The House on d6th Street,’ Warner Bros.’ picturization of Joseph Sant ley’s story, which will be shown NOM oc: ycpane ae Sb be sen pte Theatre. As the orphaned daughter of a professional gambler, whose beauty wins her immediate success in Broadway’s gayest musical shows, and makes her the toast of the town, as one of the “Floradora” girls, Kay Francis undertakes a role completely different from anything she has ever attempted before. The story opens in the New York of thirty years ago, when the marriages of the “Floradora” to millionaires was the talk of the world, and when Delmonico’s and Sherry’s were the rendezvous of New York’s elite. As she steps from the stage into the most conservative social set of the city as the bride of Monte Van Tyle, scion of an old Knickerbocker family, Peggy’s happiness seems complete. It is not gambling for money that brings about her ruin. But Peggy cannot resist gambling with Becoming involved in the death of one of her former lovers, though innocent, everything. she loves is swept from her in a calamitous sequel to an act of reckless generos ity. Husband, child, friends and freedom are stripped from her, in the scandal and trial that follow. New York’s famous Casino Theatre, home of a generation’s most celebrated musical shows, Sherry’s, the Casino at Monte Carlo and other famous resorts of the years before the war were faithfully reproduced on the Warner Bros. stage. Miss Francis has some of Hollywood’s best known players associated with her in the picture. Gene Raymond, whose work in “ExLady,” “Zoo In Budapest” and “Brief Moment” has brought him rapidly to the front, plays Monte Van Tyle. John Halliday, remembered for his able portrayal in “Men Called Back,’ “Fifty Million Frenchmen” and “Bird of Paradise,” is the discarded admirer whose death brings tragedy to Peggy. The gambler Blaine, who dominates Peggy’s later years and fortunes, is in the able hands of Ricardo Cortez, one of the screen’s best-known actors and recently acclaime1 for his work in “Torch Singer, “Flesh” and “Big Executive.” Margaret Lindsay, Frank MceHugh, William Boyd, Sheila Terry and Henry O’Neill have other important parts in “The House on 56th Street.” Robert Florey, director of “Ex-Lady,” “Girl Missing” and numerous other screen successes, directed. your 2nd story Talented Cast Plays With Kay Francis In “‘House on 56th St.”’ A large galaxy of theatrical notables who have been successful on both stage and screen are associated with Kay Francis in the Warner Bros. picture, “The House on 56th Street,” which comes to the Theatre on who starred in “Mary Stevens, M. D.” and co starred with Edward G. Robinson in “I Loved A Woman,” has the stellar role. Of the four men who play leading roles as Miss Francis’ lovers, three, Gene Raymond, John Halliday and William Boyd are equally well known on the stage as they Kay Francis, screen, having begun _ their picture career after becoming noted before the footlights. Ricardo Cortez, the other member of the quartette, worked his way to the top of the film ladder from extra man. The three principal feminine parts are played by Margaret Lindsay, Sheila Terry and Nella Walker all of whom were stage players before they essayed picture work. Other members of the cast also were stage players before joining the ranks of Hollywood artists. These include Frank McHugh, Hardie Albright, Phillip Reed, Phillip Faversham, Henry O’Neill and Walter Walker. “The House on 56th Street” is an unusual and dramatic picture based on the novel by Joseph Santley which deals with the affairs of a beautiful chorus girl. Robert Florey directed it from the screen play by Austin Parker and Sheridan Gibney. RICARDO CORTEZ Mat No.8 Price 5c ere-on-the! | your 3rd story Kay Francis Wears 36 Costumes During ““House on 56th St.”’ Thirty-six .changes of costume form the amazing wardrobe required | by Kay Francis in the stellar role in “The House on 56th Street,’ her most recent Warner Bros. picture, which comes to the Theatre on This is not only a record for Miss Francis, but is a high water-mark for the studio. Opening in the first years of the present century, the drama comes to a climax in 1933. Thus Miss Francis’ wardrobe constitutes a panoramic review of what American women have worn for three decades. In fact, a complete cycle is established, since the gowns the star wears in the final sequences of the picture bear a striking resemblance to those of thirty years before. “Fashion history is repeating itself,’ said Kay Francis on the set one day, “to such an extent that, with the creators of international styles decreeing that the modes of 1900 shall be the modes of 1933-34, I could duplicate what I wear at the opening of the picture and be practically in style.” The story is that of a beautiful and popular chorus girl who weds a millionaire New York clubman and is idealistically happy until she innocently becomes involved in the death of her former lover. Released from prison, she becomes a blackjack dealer in the very house she had occupied as a bride. The smashing climax comes when she saves her own daughter, who doesn’t know her, from a scandal similar to her own. Ricardo Cortez, Gene Raymond, Margaret Lindsay, Frank McHugh, John Halliday, Henry O’Neill, Phillip Faversham and Nella Walker are the other important members of the cast with Miss Francis. Robert Florey directed the picture, based on the novel by Joseph Santley with the screen play the work of Austin Parker and Sheridan Gibney. Beautiful Kay Francis portrays her most impassioned role in the great Warner Bros. drama, “The House on 56th Street,’ coming to the Strand. She is ably supported by Ricardo. Cortez, Margaret Lindsay, and John Halliday. Mat No. 13 your 4th story Kay Francis Used 4 Noted Male Leads In ““House on 56th St.’’ Four leading men to one feminine star is the unique situation developed by the plot of Kay Francis’ latest starring vehicle for Warner Bros., “The House on 56th Street,” Which. GOntes = tO 0HO~ 2, .cn5h.c<tisdiseos?s Theatre on The four are also her suitors in a strange and emotional love tangle. They are not her lovers at the same period, however, each following the other in succession. John Halliday, Broadway bachelor and man about town, is the first to appear on the scene as the sugar daddy of Miss Francis, in the role of a beautiful and popular chorus girl. The sugar daddy is jilted, however, for a wealthy young aristo Price 10c erat, as played by Gene Raymond, who marries the show girl and builds a beautiful home for her on 56th Street. Raymond dies at the front during the war while Miss Francis is in prison, as a result of circumstantial evidence which convicted her of the death of Halliday, though she is innocent. Ricardo Cortez next appears as her leading man, as her gambling partner after she has been released from prison. Though he is an ardent suitor she manages to maintain the partnership on a strictly business basis. William Boyd became her fourth and last leading man when he compels Kay to become his enamorata as the price of covering up her daughter’s crime. Others in the cast include Margaret Lindsay, who appears as Kay’s daughter, Frank McHugh, Sheila Terry, Hardie Albright, Phillip Reed, Phillip Faversham and Henry O’Neill. The picture is taken from the thrilling and highly dramatic novel of Joseph Santley. Robert Florey directed it from a screen play by Austin Parker and Sheridan Gibney. your 5th story Kay Francis Heads 6 Screen Beauties In ““House on 56th St.’’ The Floradora Sextette is doing its stuff again—back to the world of lovers of the theatre, living again on the screen and making human hearts palpitate as it did before the footlights in scores of theatres throughout the country in the early years of the century. It has a new thrill for the younger generation who have only heard of this famous chorus by name. It revives an old one for the theatre goer of thirty odd years ago. For the show, “Floradora,” was the show of shows of the time. The original sextette was comprised of the most beautiful girls that could be found, all of whom are said to have married gay millionaires who took them from the stage and established them in beautiful mansions. Consequently, when it came time for Warner Bros. to show this famous chorus as the sextette seen in their picture, “The House on 56th Street,” which opens at the Theatre on pick of Hollywood beauties was used. For Kay Francis, the stately brunette beauty, who is the star of the picture heads the modern sextette with such other beauties as Sheila Terry, Renee Whitney, Lorena Layson, Pat Wing and Helene Barelay, all well known to the sereen world. Not that “The House on 56th Street” is a musical. Far from it. Based on the novel by Joseph Santley, it is one of the most dramatic stories ever told on the screen. The “Florodora,” with the Sextette singing “While Strolling Through the Park One Day,” is an impressive and spectacular scene which introduces Kay Francis as the chorus girl whose eventful loves form the basis of the plot for the picture. The story moves from Broadway to the mansion on 56th Street where the young chorus girl is a happy bride, down through the years to the present time and back to the same house where that same chorus girl again reigns, not as a bride, but as the queen of gamblers. An unusually strong cast supports Miss Francis in the picture, including, besides those mentioned, Ricardo Cortez, Gene Raymond, John Halliday, Frank McHugh, William Boyd, Phillip Faversham and Henry O’Neill. The picture was directed by Robert Florey from the screen play by Austin Parker and Sheridan Gibney. your 6th story Gene Raymond Joins With Kay Francis In “‘House on 56th St.”’ Two of the most contrasting types of screen players will be seen as a new team of lovers when the Warner Bros. picture, “The House on 56th Street” comes to the Theatre on They are Kay Francis and Gene Raymond, who play together for the first time. Miss Francis is tall and stately, an extremely dark brunette with flashing dark eyes and hair almost jet black. Raymond, on the other hand, is § one of the few outright blond masculine screen players with flaxen hair and blue eyes. He acts as a remarkable foil to Miss Francis’ dark beauty and the contrast makes them an unusual combination. Three other lovers who appear in the picture are all dark, however. These include Ricardo Cortez, John Halliday and William Boyd. Other members of the cast are Margaret Lindsay, Frank McHugh, Sheila Terry, Phillip Faversham and Henry O’Neill. The picture is a striving drama based on the novel by Joseph Santley. It deals with the affairs in the life of a beautiful chorus girl whose career leads her from the theatre to a mansion on 56th Street, to prison and back to the mansion after it has changed into a fashionable speakeasy and gambling club. Robert Florey directed the picture from a screen play by Austin Parker and Sheridan Gibney. your 7th story Ricardo Cortez Won Long Term Contract With His Fine Work Ricardo Cortez, who plays one of the leading masculine roles opposite Kay Francis in “The House on 56th Street,” which comes to the DP bCa tron 00s tute one. ; won a long term contract with Warner Bros. for his talented work in that picture. Cortez was borrowed from another motion picture company to | play the part of a ecard shark in the Kay Francis picture. His work was so outstanding that Warner Bros. decided they wanted him for other pictures. Negotiations were entered into to take over his contract with the result that Cortez is now a member of the Warner Bros. long list of stars. He was immediately cast for a leading role with Bette Davis in “The Shakedown.” In “The House on 56th Street,” Cortez plays the role of gambling partner to Kay Francis. The two play the big ocean liners and when this gets too hot for them, they settle themselves in a New York gambling establishment on 56th Street. It is the same house to which Kay, as a Broadway chorus girl, had been taken as a bride by her wealthy and aristocratic husband before she was convicted, although innocent, of killing a former lover. Margaret Lindsay plays the role of the star’s daughter, while others in the cast include Gene Raymond, John Halliday, Frank McHugh, Sheila Terry, William Boyd and Hardie Albright. The story, a highly dramatic one based on Joseph Santley’s novel, was directed by Robert Florey from a screen play by Austin Parker and Sheridan Gibney. Page Three