The Mad Genius (Warner Bros.) (1931)

Se ¢ PICTURES! HIT HARD ON IT! TOGETHER AGAIN! John Barrymore and Marian Marsh, who reached the heights of Cut No. 14 Cut 30c Mat roc screen greatness in “Svengali,” are together again in “The Mad Genius,” the Warner Bros. picture at the Theatre. Blunderbuss Collecting Is Hobby Of Barrymore (Current Reader) One of the hobbies of John Barrymore, now at the.......... Theatre in “The Mad Genius,” his latest Warner Bros. starring vehicle — is the collecting of firearms. He owns an elaborate and sinister assortment of duelling pistols elephant guns, flint-locks, muzzle loaders, Maxim silencers, early blunderbusses and the latest Lugers. Miss Costello has accomplished Mr. Barrymore on many big game expeditions into remote parts of the world. PLAZA OT TTT His supreme dramatic achievement — His out standing contribution to posterity ! JOHN BARRYMORE madman-genius—master in The MAD GENIUS with MARIAN MARSH sharing the master’s glory! CHAS. BUTTERWORTH Donald Cook A WARNER BROS. & VITAPHONE HIT Cut No.6 Cutaoc Matsc siege 4he h~ AL. £ aa 8 months, buinamg Ss Lavish Settings Are Used In Melodrama “The Mad Genius” (Current—Plant 2nd Day) Elaborate and picturesque backgrounds are seen in John Barrymore’s latest Warner Bros. production, “The Mad Genius,” now show ing at the Theatre. Early sequences of the story show the star as master of a traveling marionette show. For this part of the story the Club Titerero, Hollywood’s principal puppet shop, worked night and day for two atus for the few brief sce..e5s~ ix which the puppets actually appear. Later incidents in the story take place against the elaborate background of European theatres in rehearsals and performances of the Russian Imperial Ballet where the half-mad impresario Tsarakov works out his demoniac devices. Three complete ballets were trained by Adolph Bolm for these sequences. Although the dances and dancers appear only as atmosphere background for the story, three great theatre interior were constructed for these scenes. Marian Marsh and Don Cook play the leading juvenile roles. Others in the cast are Carmel Myers, Charles Butterworth, Luis Alberni, Andre Luget, Boris Karloff, Frankie Darro and Mae Madison. Michael Curtiz directs. Barrymore Considers Tsarakov, Of “Mad Genius,” Finest Role Warner Bros. Feature Comes To Strand Theatre On Next (Advance—Plant 6 Days Before) When John Barrymore first read the script of “The Mad Genius,” his latest Warner Bros. picture, which opens at the Theatre next, he said it offered the kind of role that comes but once in a lifetime. Tsarakov, the mad genius is indeed such a part—artist voluptuary, master mind and driving force, he dominates men and women by sheer force of -will—bends fate to meet his needs and conquers all but the unconquerable human equation which eventually proves his undoing. The story of “The Mad Genius” moves relentlessly to a tremendous climax built about the powerful personality of the one man, Tsarakov. Few moments in pictures have been sO awe-inspiring as the last few hundred feet of film of “The Mad Genius.” Marian Marsh heads the supporting cast. Others are Charles Butterworth, Donald Cook, Luis Alberni and Carmel Myers, Michael Curtiz directed, Marian Marsh, Known To The World As Big Screen Discovery Of The Year, Is Merely The Kid Sister To Her Family Youthful Leading Lady To John Barrymore In “The Mad. Genius,” The Warner Bros. Film Now At The Strand, Owes Unaffected Simplicity To Her Mother Who Has Four Children In Films By CARLISLE JONES (Human Interest Story for No. 1 Paper) Marian Marsh may be John Barrymore’s leading lady so far as the public is concerned, but she is still playing kid sister roles at home. Members of Marian’s family are no doubt properly impressed with her importance in the sereen world because for the second time she has been chosen by Warner Bros. to play the lead opposite Genius” opening at the Theatre: = next, but they are individually and collectively, so busy keeping little Marian in her place in the home that they have no time to become excited about her. MARIAN WAS VIOLET The family name is Krauth but only the mother has seen fit to keep it in Hollywood, where euphony, astrology and numerology is each a vital factor in the selection of a screen cognomen. Marian was born Violet Krauth. Her first appearance in pictures was under the name of Marilyn Morgan. When her contract with Warner Bros. was signed it was changed to Marian Marsh in order to conflict less with another Warner Bros. name, Marilyn Miller. But Marian’s brother Eddie kept the name of Morgan—a family name —and so did the older brother George, now nominally the head of this interesting family, since the father’s death a few years ago. Marian’s older sister, born Jean, adopted the name Morgan until convinced that a more fortunate com “lon ald be figured by the stars. | 7 ‘esult is that she is now registered as Jeanne Fenwick—and _better parts have come her way since the change. The Krauth-Morgan-Marsh-Fenwick home is presided over by Mrs. Harriet Krauth, a tall, stately woman who successfully avoids being the typical movie mother by consistently staying away from the studios where her children work. NO JEALOUSY HERE She manages to keep a nice balance among her four ambitious youngsters, each struggling for recognition in the same industry. The fact that the youngest of the four has outstripped them all within a few months of her entry into the motion picture world isn’t a matter of jealousy among them but neither has it been a signal for the others to give up their careers and wait upon their promising young sister. With such a background Marian finds it difficult to become conceited over her own success. “It seemed to me,’ she explained, “that I got a lot of scoldings during the making of ‘Svengali.’ I know both Mr. Barrymore and the director, Mr. Mayo, were worried about my having such an important part with so little experience, and some nights I was quite discouraged. “At home I’d tell mother my troubles and ery a little sometimes. She was so sympathetic —and so were all the rest—that I’d go back the next day with renewed courage. “In my second picture with Mr. Barrymore, ‘The Mad Genius,’ I decided that I was doing much better. People said such nice things to me after scenes that I often went home feeling quite cocky. “Then mother, who had been so comforting, brought me back to earth with some such sound advice that I’d be meek as a lamb for days!” Discipline within the confines of the family will undoubtedly prevent any immediate spoiling of the very young girl who is so patently destiny’s darling. One would have to be very much more sophisticated and experienced than little Marian Marsh to hold to an exaggerated ego in the face of such candid mother, sister and brothers. JEANNE WINS HONORS “It is not fair,’ Mrs. Krauth explains, “to let Marian’s success interfere with the efforts of my other John Barrymore in ‘‘The Mad Daddy Goes A Hunting After Filming “The Mad Genius” (Current Reader) After the strenuous weeks of filming of “The Mad Genius,” the Warner Bros. picture now at the Sere ae Theatre, John Barrymore and Dolores Costello left their yearold daughter, Dolores Ethel Mae, in the care of an army of trusted caretakers, and set sail for the Alaskan wilds in their one hundred and twenty foot Diesel schooner yacht, the Infanta. While in Alaska Mr. Barrymore’ shot several sizable bears, including a giant of the Kodiak breed. Miss Costello, who is an expert shot, also has some valuable trophies of the trip. 2nd GREAT WEEK “YOU WANT TO BE A FAMOUS STAR ? Come to Malt Wel datas 3 o'clock’ alne! Sa ae ANY) “e z any <y? iim ‘ali ARRYMORE A WARNER BROS. & VITAPHONE HIT The Man Was Mad— But A GENIUS! Here is drama in its final analysis— The ultimate in supremeachievement! JOHN | in the master performance of his _ lifetime The Mad Genius with MARIAN MARSH CHAS. BUTTERWORTH Donald Cook Cut No.g Cut goc Mat roc children to find places for themselves in the world. Neither was it fair to report that Jeanne pushed Marian into the spotlight because she realized she herself could never be a success. That was not true. Jeanne has done very well for a number of years and while she did everything to help Marian get started, like any big sister should and would do, she has not abandoned her own career. As Jeanne Fenwick she hopes now to get away from the story that she has given up hope for her own success.” There is no coddling of Marian in the family circle. She is the baby of the household but she is big enough to share in the common duty of keeping the household in order. She is expected to do her share of the housework. She is not above washing dishes on the maid’s day out and until recently there was not always a maid to wash them on other days. The Krauth invasion of Hollywood was a deliberate one of which the father approved. The family is English and came to Hollywood from Boston whence they had come from the British West Indies. There is the English atmosphere of quiet dig ¢ nity about the home in spite of the presence of four very spirited young people, each intent on winning recognition in the films. MOTHER GUIDES The mother rules them all with a firm hand. There is an austere quality about her—which seems to indicate that she considers motion pictures a serious business and that she will bréok no lapse into careless habits on the part of her children. Things often happen quickly in the motion picture world but in the case of Marian Marsh they broke all speed records. Out of comparative obscurity and from the very heart of an average family, she skyrocketed into national prominence as the actress chosen by Warner Bros. to play leading roles opposite John Barrymore in two important pictures. She has also been featured recently with William Powell in “The Road to Singapore” and with Edward G. Robinson in “Five Star Final.” Others in the cast of “The Mad Genius” are Donald Cook, Carmel Myers, Charles Butterworth, Luis Alberni, Andre Luget, Boris Karloff, Frankie Darro and Mae Madison. Michael Curtiz directed. Page Three