The Last Alarm (Monogram ) (1940)

Thrilling Fire Drama Opens At...... Theatre The Last Alarm”? CoStars Warren Hull and Polly Ann Young —_—-o-(Review) With fire engines clanging and a dangerous incendiary loose in Monogram’s “The Last Alarm,” there are plenty of thrilling moments and plenty of suspense. This feature is now playing at the theatre. With Jim Hadley’s retirement from the fire department, a bigger task than any he has had before presents itself that is finding the dangerous incendiary who has been setting fire to many large buildings in the city, leaving no clues. When Bert Stafford, Hadley’s best friend, is burned to death in one of the fires, Hadley’s daughter Joan and her fiance, Frank, an insurance company employee enlist his aid in hunting the man. In the ashes after one of the fires, Hadley picks up a _ small bronze statue of the fire God Vulcan. Strangely enough, Joan and Frank have seen this statue in the window of a little antique store owned by a man named Wendell. They tell Hadley. Wendell, in the meantime, knowing that Hadley is on his trail, sets Hadley’s house on fire and the lives of Joan and Mrs. Hadley are imperiled. Hadley and Frank arrive just in time to save them from the blaze. For his solution of the crime, Hadley is made honorary Fire Chief. Polly Ann Young supplies the feminine interest in the film, and J. Farrell MacDonald plays the part of Hadley, with Mary Gordon as his wife. Warren Hull plays Frank, Joan’s fiance, and George Pembroke plays the part of Wendell. William West directed from the screenplay by Al Martin. T. Richmond was Associate Producer. Cie 6.0 & 06) 6 0.8 0% © 076.2 ‘0: LAST. ALARM “The Last Alarm” at the ...... Sa Sam aren Pee theatre exposes the arson racket and reveals how a mad firebug is captured. Polly Ann Young, J. Farrell MacDonald and Warren Hull play leading roles. One Col. Cut or Mat No. 5 BRIEFS i J. Farrell MacDonald, who plays a leading role in Monogram’s ‘The Last Alarm:= cate the® sy5iccscsseict.n ces ces theatre, has appeared in more than 500 pictures. Seen in support of MacDonald are Warren Hull and Polly Ann Young. William West directed from the story by Al Martin. @ George Pembroke was appearing in the Los Angeles stage production of “Oscar Wilde” when he was signed for a lead in Mono gram’s “The Last Alarm” at the Pe meron ok. theatre. Warren Hull, J. Farell MacDonald and Polly Ann leading roles. Young have H.| Miss Blane was working at Uni | TRIO.IN FILM THRILLER AT J. Farrell MacDonald, Polly Ann Young and Warren Hull play the leading roles in Monogram’s’ “The arson racket. Last Alarm,” current at the theatre. The film is a thrilling dramatization of the Two Col. Cut Talented Yo 4, or Mat. No. 3 o= ung Family § ALL FOUR SISTERS CLICK § 2 AS FILM) PERSONALITIES — & r, 4 Polly Ann Young’s entry into motion pictures was mainly due to the efforts of her younger sister, Sally Blane, who is also a_wellknown film star and the wife of! Norman Foster, poular actor and| director. It was several years ago when versal in the popular “Collegians” series and the director of the film was looking for a young girl to play the second feminine lead. Miss Blane, realizing that her elder sister was anxious to begin a screen career suggested her to the director who in turn offered to give Polly Ann a screen test. The result was that she was signed to a term contract and appeared in many other sequels in this series. Miss Young’s first real feature role came in “Masque of the Devil,” with the late John Gilbert. Miss Young, who is also the sister of Loretta Young and Georgiana Young, tries to divide her time equally between her screen career and her duties as housewife. She has been married for four years and is the mother of a three-year old boy. Miss Young received her early education in the Los Angeles high schools and following graduation concentrated on dancing, which she chose as a career. “The Last Alarm,” Polly Ann Young’s current feature, at the theatre, also stars Warren Hull, J. Farell MacDonald, Mary Gordon and George Pembroke. T. R. Williams produced the picture which was directed -by William West. The associate producer was T. H. Richmond. mi 5 V, XS OOOO OOOO OOOO OODLE 7, oO + NA es y, eS 4 5 re KS Yeh RS CREDITS RS % % % % 35 6 ret Produced by ret RS T. R. WILLIAMS * 4 » ms Associate Producer RS ie T. H. RICHMOND rm x, % re Directed by % % WILLIAM WEST % »4 a4 % Original Screenplay by r* Ky AL MARTIN rot ‘e' e % Assistant Director % Ry GLEN COOK re e eS rot Director of Photography Ry e eS Ry KARL ZINT Ry S ‘ : "e. ra Film Editor Ky ne RUSSELL SCHOENGARTH XY KS KS eS eS Ry KS Gj OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO COMM LLL LLL LLL LIL LIL LLL LI LLL LILLE LL LLL IIL LL LLL m Father and Daughter J. Farrell MacDonald and Polly Ann Young are-seen as father and, daughter in the theatre’s “The Last Alarm,” in which the dreaded arson racket is exposed. Warren Hull stars. One Col Cut or Mat. No. 4 “LAST ALARM’ OPENS AT.... An outstanding cast of screen favorites was chosen by producer T. R. Williams for leading roles in Monogram’s thrilling story of “The Last Alarm,” now playing at the theatre For the romantic leads Williams close popular Warren Hull and Polly Ann Young. Miss Young last played in the Hal Roach production “Turnabout,” while Warren Hull just concluded several pictures at Columbia, and has also played in many Monogram films. For the important role of Wendell, a crazed incendiary, Williams plucked George Pembroke from the Los Angeles Stage production of “Osear Wilde,’ Pembroke has been in Hollywood for several years and this has been his first opportunity to play a role of this tvpe. SUPER-CHARGED THRILLER OF ARSON RACKETEERS AFLAME WITH EXCITEMENT "The Last Alarm’ __. Theatre Opens at _—-o--— (Review) When a dangerous incendiary sets fire to a series of big buildings it provides plenty of excitement which can be seen in Monogram’s “The Last Alarm,” which opened yesterday at the theatre. The plot revolves around Him Hadley, a retired fireman. Hadley doesn’t know what to do to keep himself occupied until his _ best friend, Bert Stafford, is burned to death in a fire set by a dangerous incendiary whose identity is unknown. When Hadley’s daughter Joan and her fiance, Frank, an insurance company employee, try to enlist his aid in hunting the man, Hadley accedes. In the ashes after one of the fires, Hadley picks up a small bronze statue of the fire god, Vulcan. Strangely enough, Joan and Frank happen to see the statue in a window of a little antique shop owned by a man named Wendell. They tell Hadley. Wendell, in the meantime, knowing that Hadley is on his trail, sets Hadley’s house on fire, and the lives of Joan and Mrs. Hadley are imperiled. Hadley and Frank arrive just in time to save them from the blaze. DOOOOOOOOOOOOOK POOOOOOOOK “4 ~“ ‘4 BY FIRE FILM! RS More than 500 gallons of RS RY gasoline were used in a scene RS % depicting a flaming building % ’< during the production of }% RS Monogram’s ‘‘The Last % Alen? oF thes 6 Sc. * Pecraues theatre with Warren Hull and Polly Ann Young RS in the leading roles. William RS © . ©) % West directed. re! YY, OX ~, v, <X ’, KX </ 4 DX DOO IO IOI eA » For his solution of the crime, Hadley is made honorary Fire Chief. He is again wanted. For this thrilling feature Monogram has secured an outstanding cast among whom are J. Farrell MacDonald, Polly Ann Young, Warren Hull, Mary Gordon and George Pembroke. T. R. Williams produced the picture which was directed by William West. The associate producer was T. H. Richmond. 500 Gallons of Gasoline Used For Movie Fire Begs lee Realism was carried out to the utmost degree in Monogram’s “The Last Alarm,” which will OP GMs he hoes Sspssooce at theses a. ccsbae 7 esis Van teen theatre. So realistic were some of the fire scenes in this picture that before the action was made, a standing squadron of fire engines from the Hollywood Fire Department was requested to stand by in case the fire got out of hand. To provide additional thrills in these fire scenes, director William West ordered that more than five hundred gallons of gasoline be poured in various sectors of the building, thus creating an _ additional background of flames. The producer T. R. Williams signed a well-known aggregation of Hollywood film stars to play leading roles in this Monogram production. For the romantic leads pretty Polly Ann Young, elder sister of Loretta Young and Sally Blane, and Warren Hull were signed. Others include J. Farrell MacDonald, Mary Gordon and George Pembroke. The story revolves around Jim Hadley, a retired fireman. When Hadley’s best friend dies in a fire set by a dangerous incendiary whose identity is unknown, he determines to find the criminal. With the aid of coincidence he discovers him to be an antique shop owner. The man is caught, but only after Hadley’s own house has been set fire and the lives of his wife and daughter imperiled. William West directed the production from the screenplay by Al Martin. T. H. Richmond was associate producer. | FILM DRAMA OF THE DREADED FIREBUG Polly Ann Young, Mary Gordon, J. Farrell MacDonald and Warren Hull are seen in a tense moment from “The Last Alarm,” new Monogram thriller of the arson racket at the theatre. ie WO Ser es Me ee ees es Two Col. Cut or Mat No. 6