The Mad Genius (Warner Bros.) (1931)

FOOTAGE (Vitaphone ) 7491 Feet RUNNING TIME 81 Minutes WARNER BROS. Permission is granted to reproduce with proper licensed exhibitors notice of copyright all matter contained herein JOHN 321 WEST 44th STREET ARRY MORE HE MAD GENIUS NEW YORK CITY, U. S. A. with MARIAN MARSH and CHARLES BUTTERWORTH SYNOPSIS (Not for Publication ) Copyright, 1931, Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Because he is a cripple, Tsarakov himself is unable to be the dancer that he yearns to be but is determined to accomplish this with Fedor, a small boy he has rescued from the abuse of the lad’s foster father during his travels with his marionette show. He is successful and with the financial aid of Count Renaud soon becomes the impresario of a highly We tn ng we: ii ; = z nd Serge Bankieff, his drug-addicted ballet master, heading the troupe. Through Renaud, Tsarakov learns that Fedor is in love with Nana. He opposes this thinks Fedor’s mind will not be on his dancing, and he has great things planned for him. To this end, he tries to rid himself of Nana. Fedor, by chance, overhears the conversation when Tsarakov dismisses Nana, tell ing her she must forget Fedor as he is an artist and must never be in love. Fedor breaks with Tsarakov and leaves for Paris with Nana. Karimsky, Tsarakov’s assistant, points out to him that Fedor’s contract calls for eight years more. In Paris Fedor is now with the Paris ballet, but Tsarakov ends his chances there by his threat of suit. When the ballet arrives in Paris, Nana realizes that Fedor would never be happy away from Tsarakov. She decides to give him up for his own good and go with Renaud. When Fedor learns of this, he attempts to kill Tsarakov but Tsarakov tricks him into returning to the ballet. Fedor becomes a great genius of the dance, but extremely temperamental and difficult to manage, while Nana makes the best of it with the pleasant Renaud. When Tasarakov’s ballet reaches Berlin where Nana lives, she and Renaud go to the theatre. Fedor sees her in the audience and weakens, but because of Tsarakov’s uncanny control over him, he consents to go on with the new dance called “The Idol.” The idol is a huge image made of paper and wood, of wich Bankieff, the ballet master, has often ¢omplained because it was not real. Suddenly, drug-crazed, he attacks the image with an axe and Tsarakov rushes to the rescue of his idol. When Fedor, in his dance, finally unveils the image, it is not the inanimate thing of paper and wood but the body of Tsarakov who has been murdered by Bankieff — now quite mad—as he had so often threatened to do. With pandemonium reigning in the theatre, Fedor is held spellbound by the ghastly sight, but finally finds Nana. Seeing them reunited, Renaud leaves with Karimsky, knowing he has lost his Nana “7aver. because he “mIN U. S.-A. GENIUS OF THE SCREEN Cut No. 15 Cut 30c° Hailed as the dramatic highlight of the current week’s screen presentations, John Barrymore in crowds to the __-_-.._-----------.---Theatre. “The Mad Genius’ is attracting Barrymore’s characterization is said to top even his widely-applauded role in “‘Svengali,’ his pre vious hit. The star portrays a famed ballet master with an obsession to infuse his desires and characteristics into another man’s soul. THE CAST TSARAKOV—Club-footed, half mad genius, who trains “ROUTINE STORY (The story contains all the important facts about “The Mad Genius.” Release it to all newspapers several days before the opening of the engagement.) John Barrymore will be seen at the.......... WHOATLO! face eS next in “The Mad Genius,” a Warner Bros. production — and the most superb of all his .starring vehicles. Mr. Barrymore again chooses radiant Marian Marsh as his leading lady as he did in his previous picture, “Svengali” — in which she played the role of Trilby, and incidentally won acclaim of crities and public everywhere. Miss Marsh, who is but seventeen, creates a flowerlike and wistfully lovely character in “The Mad Genius,” that of Nana the dancer. Mr. Barrymore is Tsarakov — the mad genius — a man whose elub foot has made him as bitterly introspective as King Richard was on account of his deformity. Tsarakov travels from town to town with a marionette wagon show, and one night, Fedor, a peasant’s child, rushes into the tent to escape from the lashing of his brutal father. Tsarakov suddenly has an inspiration. He will kidnap the boy—train him as a dancer—and, through him—enjoy vicariously the applause which he craves, but which the fates have denied him. The boy Fedor, under Tsarakov’s tutelage grows to young mansade acclaimed as the greatest dancer of all time. He leads © } . . : . a ‘ master -—et.. of whieh .Tsarakoy vis cimmresaniag nd thticedg Nana, whom Tsarakov discovers is loved by Fedor. the youth’s genius will be cramped by her, he schemes to get rid of the girl. Believing that she is actually standing in Fedor’s way — she goes at the instigation of Tsarakov, to Berlin with a rich man who has admired her. Fedor discovers the perfidy of Tsarakov and leaves him. Hurt to the quick by Fedor’s desertion the old man makes it impossible for him to get work at his profession. Tsarakov. finally makes the youth believe that Nana does not love him, and in desperation, Fedor again comes under his evil spell and dances in the ballet. How Fedor and Nana again meet — how the mad Bankieff kills Tsarakov in the moment of his highest triumph — and many other thrilling dramatic moments make of “The Mad Genius” a picture of tremendous and enthralling power. Others in the cast are Donald Cook as Fedor—Charles Butterwarth as the eccentric secretary of Tsarakov—Luis Alberni as the insane Bankieff—Andre Luget, Boris Karloff, Frankie Darro as the boy Fedor, and Mae Madison. The play is by Martin Brown. J. Grubb Alexander and Harvey Thew did the adaptation and Michael Curtiz directed. John Barrymore magnificently portrays the strangely ominous personality of Tsarakov. The actor who was the greatest Hamlet of the generation, worthily follows his former characterizations, as “The Mad Genius.” No lover of great acting should miss his last and most sensational portrayal—Tsarakov—the man who in frantically seeking to find his life—loses it. BUTTERWORTH CHARLES NANA—Young and lovely dancer, banished by Tsarakov FEDOR—Poor lad into whom Tsarakov pours his own SERGE BANKIEFF — Drug-crazed ballet master of FEDOR AS A CHILD—Abused by his father, Tsarakov OLGA—A dancer in the Tsarakov ballet. MAE MADISON the outcast lad Fedor, to dance as he himself might have done had he not been a cripple... JOHN BARRYMORE from his ballet when he finds out that Fedor loves Pcie ee ats in ot aoa ads ce ae MARIAN MARSH genius for the dance; lover of Nana__._.DONALD COOK PRESKOYA—Discarded mistress of Tsarakov______. Se CARMEL MYERS KARIMSK Y—Timid and betensric follower of Tsarakov who acts as the great man’s secreta ~ccchg Npsaeeek se cee CHARLES BUTTERWORTH Tsarakov who finally murders him___.LUIS ALBERNI RENAUD—Rich man who takes Nana after Tsarakov has banished her from Fedor____.— Se. ANDRE LUGET FEDOR’S FATHER—W ho beats the lad causing Tsarkov eae ae sere eo BORIS KARLOFF to kidnap him takes him away as his own FRANKIE DARRO WHO'S WHO JOHN BARRYMORE—Star of stage and silent screen. On the talking screen in “Don Juan,” “Show of Shows,” “General Crack,’ “The Man From Blankley’s,” “Moby Dick,” “Svengali” and “The Mad Genius.” Born in Philadalphia, Pa. MARIAN MARSH—Brilliant seventeen-year-old discovery. On the screen in “Svengali” with Barrymore, “The Road to Singapore” with William Powell, “Five Star Final” with Edward G. Robinson and “The Mad Genius” with Barrymore. Born on the Island of Trinidad. DONALD COOK — Broadway stage. On screen in “Party Husband,” “Side Show,” “The Public Enemy” and “The Mad Genius.” Born in Portland, Ore. CARMEL MYERS — On screen in many pictures, including “Broadway Scandals,” “The Ship from Shanghai,” “Girl from Rio,” “The Ghost Talks’” “Svengali” and “The Mad Genius.” Born in San Francisco, California. Broadway musical comedy stage and vaudeville. On the screen in “The Life of the Party,” “Illicit,” “The Bargain,” “Side Show” and “The Mad Genius.” Born in South Bend, Ind. LUIS ALBERNI—Broadway stage. On screen in “Santa Fe Trail,” “Svengali” and “The Mad Genius.” Born in Spain. 2 BORIS KARLOFF — Celebrated on stage. On screen in many pictures, among them being “Little Wild Girl,” “Two Sisters,” “Phantoms of the North,” “The Criminal Code,” “Smart Money” and “The Mad Genius.” Born in London, England. FRANKIE DARRO — Famous child actor. On screen in “Judgment of the Hills,’ “The Desert Pirate,” “Little Micky Grogan,” “When the Law Rides,” “Terror Mountain,” “The Cireus Kid,” “Idaho Red,” “Trail of the Horse Thieves,” “The Rainbow Man,” “Blaze o’ Glory” and “The Mad Genius.” Born in Chicago, Iilinois. MAE MADISON—Star pupil Warner-First National School of Acting. On screen in “Sunny Side Up,” “Bought,” “The Bargain,” “Expensive Women” and “The Mad Genius.” Born in Log Angeles, California. Believing tn’3 J