The King and the Chorus Girl (Warner Bros.) (1937)

POR tale Orry-Kelly Uses Striped Accents On Screen Frocks ‘<The stars in stripes forever,’’ is the battle cry of Orry-Kelly, famed Warner Bros. style creator. His is the job of designing the gowns and costumes worn by the small army of players on the Warner lot. His latest efforts, this time showing the Parisian influence, will b2 seen in ‘‘The King and the Chorus Girl,’’? Mervyn LeRoy’s comedy romance starring Fernand Gravet, Continental film idol, which com2s.to the .............. Theatre sON:cirs,2, seek seks Designers in other fields can brighten their costumes with vivid colors, can give them life and zest through the medium of bright tints. But in the movies all colors photograph black, white or shades of gray, and therefore the adroit Orry-Kelly uses other means to accomplish the desired effects. Hence his slogan of ‘‘ The stars in stripes forever.’’ ‘¢Stripes are tremendously valuable in designing the most effective clothes, both for the movies and private life,’’ he says. ‘¢For instance, we use blue and white striped crepe to face the cascade which reaches from the waist to hemline of a navy blue street dress for Miss Blondell, who plays the chorus girl in the film. ‘‘ Another dress accented with stripes has a biege and brown pencil striped panel straight down the front against a biege pebbleerepe background.’’ But Orry-Kelly warns women not to use stripes in their clothing indiscriminately because they can do as much harm-as.good. ‘<The King and the Chorus Girl’’ includes in its cast, besides Gravet and ‘diss Blondell, such prominent players as Edward Evyerett Horton, Mary Nash, Alan Mowbray and many others. Transcontinental Route Leads To Fame For Actor Edward Everett Horton, one of the movies’ most famous comedians, chuckles when he recalls the long transcontinental route he traveled to get into the films. He told the story recently during the making of ‘‘The King and the Chorus Girl,’’ the Warner Bros. comedy romance starring Fernand Gravet, Continental screen idol, which opens at the ae ere ane PHEALTE SOM 5..cccctsss. 2-200 During his legitimate stage career, Horton was appearing in Portland. Anxious to remain on the West Coast, he telegraphed Oliver Morosco, then a Los Angeles producer, offering his services on very modest terms. Morosco’s secretary bluntly replied that Mr. Morosco got his actors from New York, not Oregon. So Horton continued his travels, arriving in New York 12 weeks later to learn his agent had arranged a Los Angeles engagement. Back across the country went Horton to become a success there, to invade the movies and to climb to the top of the cinema ladder. In ‘‘The King and the Chorus Girl,’’ Horton plays the role of the ever worried and perplexed unele of a spendthrift, wealthy ex-king, portrayed by Fernand Gravet. Joan Blondell, as an independent, outspoken chorus girl, provides the romantic incentive for His Majesty, and Alan Mowbray, Luis Alberni and other stellar players join in the general excitement and merriment. The picture is the first made by Director Mervyn LeRoy under his new status as a producer. Page Siz Fernand Gravet Is Veteran Of Europe’s Stage If it is true that the movies are an international medium of entertainment, then Fernand Gravet rightly belongs to the cinema. The Continental screen idol, who makes his American bow in ‘‘ The King and the Chorus Girl,’’ which COMES. -TOtHe. ...-, se cas mse Theatre OH iL Soe eee en ,; is a man who knows many nations. Born in Brussels, Belgium, 29 years ago, his parents fled with him during the German invasion and found safety in England, where he was educated and served as a very youthful midshipman. Following the death of his father, Fernand turned to the theatre for a means of livelihood and played in every European country except Scandinavia and Russia, where he has visited in a non-professional capacity. Now, under personal -contract to Mervyn LeRoy, the brilliant Warner Bros. director recently elevated to the rank of producer, he has come to the United States to star in his first American picture. In it, he plays the role of a wealthy, fun-loving ex-king who, having lost his kingdom, next loses his head over a_ spirited, rather impudent little American chorus girl, a role played by Joan Blondell. Contributing to the swiftpaced gaiety are Edward Everett Horton, Mary Nash, Luis Alberni, Alan Mowbray, Jane Wyman, Kenny Baker of the radio, and a host of others. Bobby Connolly’s shapely girls do the Parisian ‘‘CanCan,’’? Gravet and others sing specially written songs, and Mervyn LeRoy has tied it all into a bright, humorous package of entertainment. To Watch Show Is Arduous Task Of Movie Extras Hollywood extras often find work a pleasure. For example, who wouldn’t enjoy being paid to sit in deeply upholstered seats and watch scenes depicting the famed Folies Bergere show in Paris? That was the job of several dozen extras who acted as the audience for the theatre scenes in ‘<The King and the Chorus Girl,’’ the Warner Bros. comedy romance starring Fernand Gravet, Continental screen idol, which opens at She Sees ees Cece It made a brilliant picture — the gorgeous lace curtain, the spectators clad in evening gowns and full dress, vaudevillians zipping out their jokes, Kenny Baker, of radio fame, singing the new hit songs, and the two score Bobby Connolly beauties dancing the celebrated, high-kicking ‘‘Can Can.’’ Strangely enough, the star slept through: it all — but that was part of the story. Gravet, in the role of wealthy, spendthrift former ‘King Alfred VII,’’ is so blase that he goes to theatres for his naps. But he awakes suddenly, finds his heart going pit-a-pat and falls violently in love with one of the dancing girls, otherwise Joan Blondell. That is the signal for the start of the fun, and of the King’s merry, mad, amorous pursuit of the flippant, outspoken chorine. Edward Everett Horton, Mary Nash, Alan Mowbray, Jane Wyman, Luis Alberni and others add to the excitement and humor. There are specially written songs, thrilling dance routines and all under the direction of brilliant young Mervyn LeRoy. King And Chorus Girl Fernand Gravet finds Joan Blondell is ‘‘a very dainty dish to set before a king’’ in ‘*The King and the Chorus Girl,’’ the Mervyn LeRoy pro duction for Warner Bros. which opens at the ............. TREOLT CSO0N5.2. ae. tine Mat No. 202 — 20¢ Hi-de-Highness Edward Everett Horton, master of comedy, is one of the Royal Hide-Highnesses of the court of Fernand Gravet, in the gay mirth and music packed comedy romance, ‘““The King and the Chorus Girl,’’ which comes (0. the. ges sincesses. ECOL € ON ee eri cote Mat No. 101 — 10e Film Star Played Headless Rider In First Movie Many movie stars chuckle at the strange circumstances attending their first film appearance. 3ut few could be stranger than that of Fernand Gravet, celebrated Continental star who makes his American debut in Mervyn LeRoy’s production for Warner Bros. of “The King and_ the Chorus Girl,’ which comes to the ST Se ae WMV AGT Cs OM 19 t0s.6..+-2-0-s For Gravet, in his first movie, was a headless horseman! He did not choose the role and, at the time, had no idea that within a few short years he’d be the idol of millions of European women. It all came about because the Belgian military authorities, eminently practical men, had drafted the motion picture camera to help in providing Belgium with a tip-top cavalry force. Gravet, a cadet in the national cavalry school, was preparing to graduate from the course which would win him his commission as a lieutenant. The camera was set up to record his appearance in the saddle. The film was a slow motion picture record of the young cadet putting his charger through its paces and a record of the way the rider used his hands, knees, feet and body in controlling the horse. On the saddle of the prospective lieutenant appeared a numbered placard. All that concerned the cameraman was getting the placard and the evolutions of the horse and rider in the picture. And when the film was developed, there was M. Gravet, complete save for his head. “Tt probably was a good thing the camera didn’t catch my face,” Gravet recalls. “It was an ordeal to appear easy and erect in the saddle, think of the _ horse’s changing gaits, control him and all the time try to be the mechanically perfect cavalryman. Vm afraid if my face had shown in the film the examining board would have laughed so much they’d have forgotten to sign my diploma.” Joan Blondell is the gay chorine in “The King and the Chorus Girl” “You Name It— I’ve Played It” Says Film Actor A man of many roles is versatile Mr. Alan Mowbray. In the brief period of twelve months, he played fourteen feature parts in as many pictures, the fourteenth being that of head waiter in ‘‘The King and the Chorus Girl,’’? the Warner Bros. comedy romance introducing Fernand Gravet, Continental star, which opens at the ................01... PheatTesONsr sc. .emiekerss But even in this picture, Mowbray has to change his character swiftly. He is a waiter, he poses as a doctor to gain admittance to the apartment of Joan Blon dell — in the role of the chorus girl whom the wealthy ex-king loves — next becomes a supposed American architect, and returns to his waiter’s garb in time for a fist fight with Gravet. Since Mowbray went to Hollywood six years ago, he has been in 85 pictures and three stage plays. He was a Harvard graduate in ‘‘My Man Godfrey,’’ a nobleman in ‘‘Mary of Scotland,’’ a Northern soldier in Rainbow on the River’’ and a Southerner in ““Fatal Lady.’’ ““Moreover,’’?’ says Mowbray, ‘<T’ve played George Washington, the King of England, a. French school teacher, a scientist, a novelist, an Austrian prince and a few score other characters. At least there’s no monotony out here.’? “‘The King and the Chorus Girl’’ is a fast-paced, humorous romance, in which Director Mervyn LeRoy blends singing, daneing, scenes in the Folies Bergere, and various other entertainment elements. The huge cast, in addition to Fernand Gravet and Joan Blondell, ineludes Edward Everett Horton and a host of others. Continental Star Knows The Movies From Ground Up One surprise succeeded another when the movie folk of Hollywood met Fernand Gravet, the Continental star who is introduced to American audiences in ‘The King and the Chorus Girl,’’ the Warner Bros. comedy romance which comes GORDO Re teter ten Seca ipa eens Theatre OIE aioe Set een nanis Mervyn LeRoy, the brilliant young director recently elevated to the rank of producer, knew all about Gravet because he had personally signed the star during a trip to Paris last summer. But he discreetly kept silent. The first surprise came when folks heard Gravet speak. Instead of a foreign dialect, expected because of his birth in Belgium and residence in France, the star spoke perfect English with an Oxfordian accent. The reason? He had been educated in St. Paul’s School in London. Then, on the lot, he expertly talked shop with Tony Gaudio, veteran Warner Bros. chief cameraman, and with the film cutters who perform their mysterious operations inside tiny guarded rooms. Most stars know little of these phases of the business, but Gravet, when he served his movie apprenticeship years ago, had been both a cameraman and ‘‘cutter.’’ Gravet is the king in ‘‘ The King and the Chorus Girl’’ and the picture deals with his amorous pursuit of an independent little American chorus girl, played by Joan Blondell. Providing complications and laughs, are Edward Everett Horton, Alan Mowbray and many others. Mervyn LeRoy both directed and produced the picture.