The Mouthpiece(Warner Bros.) (1932)

st story es This story contains complete information about “The Mouthpiece” and is known to showmen as a “routine story.” “The Mouthpiece’”’ Coming To....Next.... With Warren William And Special Cast “The Mouthpiece,” a Warner Bros. picture, will open at the... . Theatre next ....fora.... day engagement. The large cast is headed by Warren William, leading man of stage and screen, who in the past few months has appeared in such important vehicles as “Under Eighteen” and “Beauty And The Boss” and has been marked for stardom by the producers. “The Mouthpiece” will serve as an index of his future and marks his greatest screen role to date. “The Mouthpiece,” from a play based on the life of a famous New York legal character, by Frank J. Collins, concerns a rising young prosecuting attorney whose zeal leads him to secure a verdict of guilty against an innocent young inan, who is executed as a result of William's forceful and convincing prosecution. A few minutes after the execution the actual murderer confesses the crime. The knowledge that he has been instrumental in the death of an innocent man drives William to resignation from the State Aftorney’s office and a heedless life of. profigacy which throws him into contact yith shady characters. He becomes theif’“mouthpiece,” a disreputable lawyer who defends criminals and _ operates _through the loopholes of the law. He is eventually reclaimed after a dramatic climax. James Flood and Elliott Nugent, the directorial team responsible for “The Mouthpiece,” are said to have given the picture a pace and intense dramatic quality rarely seen on the screen. Flood concerned himself almost solely with developing the action of the picture via successive situations, while Nugent applied his experience and talent to the dialogue, stressing the necessity for dialogue to “mesh” properly with the action. As a result, dialogue does not impede action, and vice versa. The larze cast directed by Flood and Nugent, the latter of whom is the son of J. C. Nugent, with whom he has written many outstanding stage and screen successes, includes Sidney Fox and Aline MacMahon. Miss Fox is best known for her work as the little southern girl of “Strictly Dishonorable.” she is one of the screen's most diminutive players. It is his love for Miss Fox, in the role of Celia Fara day, which regenerates William d Jeads him to again seek the legal honors he was slated for at the time of his unfortunate prosecution of the innocent young man. Miss MacMahon is well re for her work i we pr “Once In A I. of Edward G. “Five Star Final.” She also had an itm ind fe son’s secretary it portant role in “The Heart Of New York.” f 4 ae : } ~~ ep William Janney, John Mae Madison, Noel Morgan Wall i ne! Carroll Walter Walker, Stanley F LaRue, Emerson Tracey and innell ® your nd story Producers Grooming Warren William For Stardom After “The Mouthpiece 99 Warren William, featured player in “The Mouthpiece,” the Warner Bros. picture coming to the... . Theatre next ....y, is slated for stardom as a result of his work in this adaptation of a play by Frank Collins based on actual incidents in the life of a notorious New York attorney. William, as a “mouthpiece,” the term applied to lawyers who represent doubtful clients caught in the toils of the law, is said to deliver the best work of his stage or screen career. Originally an eager, zealous young prosecuting attorney, he plumbs the depths in character and association as a result of an unfortunate case in which his prosecution brought an innocent youth to the electric chair. ‘The progress and regress of “The Mouthpiece” forms the basis of the story, the romantic angle very evident in the affairs carried on by William. William has been in Hollywood less than a year, but has had several roles leading up to the present very important one in “The Mouthpiece.” He has been seen opposite such stars as Dolores Costello, Bebe Daniels and Marian Marsh in both “Under Eighteen” and “Beauty And The Boss.” Each succeeding role has increased his fan mail to flood tide proportions and has corroborated the producers’ consideration to groom him for stardom. — Sidney Fox, of “Strictly Dishonorable” fame, appears opposite William in the leading feminine role. Other important cast members are Aline MacMahon, remembered for her excellent portrayals in “Five Star Final” and “The Heart Of New York”; Guy hibbee, William Janney, John Wray, Ralph Ince, Noel Francis, Stanley Fields and Emerson Tracey. James Flood and Flliott Nugent directed. , your rd story Specialty Cast Gathered For “The Mouthpiece,” New Vehicle For Warren William When “The Mouthpiece,” a Warner sros. picture, comes to the .... Theatre MEX). 5) TE wal) Dring: to. the: screen a cast of S} expert portrayals of various types ind characters. Heading the cast is Warren William, Wil to invest with all the = whether the role calls «iuy Kibbee, ay, Ralph nee, v ® ? ned ' ~ evens Fe 1. & master ee Sortle lepalist of the ts portrays in, Mouthpiece,” w i those lawyers re evil repute in th law Sidi ey Fox, in the chief fem nine role opposite William, is a specialist in the portrayal of Southern girls, having acquired an authentic accent in spite of her Northern origin. She is best remembered for her part in “Strictly Dishonorable.” Aline MacMahon, also an_ important feminine cast member, specializes in portraying cynical secretaries, having the same type of role she played in “Five Star Final” with Edward G. Robinson. Each of the other players is a specialist in one type of characterization or another and is given full play for his or her talents in “The Mouthpiece.” It was directed by James Flood and Elliott Nugent from the play by Frank J. Collins, which he based on the life of a late well-known New York lawyer. your Mh, story Two Directors Synchronize Efforts In Megaphoning “The Mouthpiece” James Flood and Elliott Nugent, directors of “The Mouthpiece,” a Warner Bros. picture featuring Warren William, whien,/comes to the . £0). mext)). am turned particular attention to the coordination of situations and dialogue in order to obtain the swiftly-paced film they desired. Flood, veteran director, concentrated on the action of the story, with Nugent applying himself almost wholly to dialogue direction. This collaboration between two directors has produced a rapidly moving story in which the dramatic situations and dialogue mesh perfectly, all possible superfluities having been eliminated before the picture was put in production. As a result of their direction of “The Mouthpiece,” in which Warren Wiliam, former famous leading man of the stage, is featured, Flood and Nugent have been assigned the direction of another picture for Warner Bros., the title of which has not vet been selected. Nugent is the son of J. C. Nugent and has collaborated with his father on many stage and screen successes. The younger Nugent has also enjoved a good measure of success as an actor in both mec S. The supporting cast of “The Mouthpiece” includes Sidney Fox of “Strictly Dishonorable” fame, Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Noel Francis, Mae Madison, Ralph Ince, William Janney and Emerson Tracey. ae your eo Din story Warren William Explains Meaning Of *“‘“Mouth piece” Warren William will interpret the title Ss role of “The Mouth yjeces? i W: rT Bros, picture coming to thre atre next W was chosen s the ideal tvpe ‘r Warner Bros. hh id held its title from 4 4' Reayrted . for sone satan tee thre t amd bis thpicce™ w we or Wi itract Lis luced the producers to cust vers him in this important picture William explained the title of the pic ture to a feminine visitor on the set while it was in production. “A ‘mouthpiece,’ ” he said, “is a lawyer, usually a brilliant legalist, who turns to the defense and assistance of those who become embroiled with the law. — His acute mind is invariably able to find the loophole in the law which will permit him to secure the freedom of his client. If the client is not being prosecuted for an infraction of the law, the ‘mouthpiece’ ‘an also be used in advising on the possibility of operating within the law, although such operations are morally and ethically illegal. The class of people using ‘mouthpieces’ has come to call its lawyers by that term, indicating that he serves as their speech, their ‘mouthpiece.’ Such lawyers are invariably able to practice without disbarment because they operate within the law, in spite of their illicit connections.” Sidney Fox, Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee and Ralph Ince support William in “The Mouthpiece,” hailed as one of the most intensely dramatic pictures in several months. James Flood and Elliott Nugent directed. Opening Day Story “The Mouthpiece” Begins At.... Today With Warren William In Leading Role “The Mouthpiece,” a Warner Bros * J. Cellins, based om imeciciemts im the life ef a notorious New York lawyer, opens at the 2.00. ‘Phestre today with Warren William heading a speci lly selected cast of prominent screen players “The Mouthpiece” derives its — title from the main character, portrayed by William. In certain circles a lawyer whose practice consists in freeing and assisting doubtful characters enmeshed in the toils of the law is known as a “mouthpiece.” William acquires this appellation when he gives up his usual law practice after his prosecution has sent an innocent man to the electric chair. He hits the down grade and changes completely, his association with shady characters leading to the development of a “legal-loophole” practice. The large cast includes Sidney Fox, tiny star of “Strictly Dishonorable,” in the leading feminine role, that of Celia Faraday, the young stenographer with whom William falls in love and, as a result, is regenerated. Almost of equal importance is Aline MacMahon, an expert in cynical roles, who plays William’s secretary, a portrayal similar to that of Edward G. Robinson's secretary in “Five Star Final.” Guy Kibbee, stage veteran with several important films already to his credit, appears as a vital factor in William’s character transformation. Other leading players are William Janney, John Wray, Noel Francis, Ralph Ince, Mae Madison, J. Carroll Naish, Stanley Fields, Emerson Tracey and Murray Kinnell. “The Mouthpiece” represents the joint directorial efforts of James Flood and Elliott Nugent, their collaboration being devoted to securing complete coordination between dramatic situations and dialogue, with a view to speeding the picture's pace. QS 2051. LP Iv Be MUS scr wor Warren William and J. Carroll Naish and one of the many girls who appear in the Warner Bros. picture, “The Mouthpiece” Cut No. 7 Cut 30c Mat 10c Green Russian Boots Secure Part In “The Mouthpiece” For Visitor A pair of green Russian boots worn by Gypsy Norman, former musical comedy and stage player visiting the Warner Bros. studios, caught the eyes of James Flood and Elliott Nugent, codirectors of “The Mouthpiece,” the _ Warner vehicle featuring Warren William. The directors sought and obtained an introduction. During the conversawe tion the topic of bit parts came up and’ as a result Miss Norman was assigned — the role of the telephone operator in the picture. “a “The Mouthpiece” cast includes sev= @ — eral such distinguished players as S — Fox, Guy Kibbee, Aline MacMahon, Jé Wray, Noel Francis and J. Ca Naish. : Greatest Mining Engineer _ Commends Warren William For Giving Up Engineering Career Me John Hays Hammond, world’s greatest living mining engineer, on a visit to the set of “The Mouthpiece,” the War net Bros. picture featuring Warren ~ William, which comes to the... . Thea 7 tre next . . . ., commended the player “| ~ for having given up the engineering — career he began before the war. William — had studied engineering and gone to France in the Engineering Division, Supporting William in “The Mouth, piece,” which was directed by J \ ae Flood and Elliott Nugent, is a large cast including Sidney Fox, Aline Mac\~ % Mahon, Guy Kibbee, John Wray, Noel , Francis and many others. Warren William Only Player To Have Reserved Table In Studio Cafe Warren William, featured player in “The Mouthpiece,” the Warner Bros. picture now at the... . Theatre, is the only player on the Warner-First National lot permitted to have a special table reserved for him at luncheon. William has discovered that he cannot learn his lines at home or any other place than the studio and its environment of restless activity. When this was made known to executives he was allotted a secluded table, which does not, however, isolate him and keep him out of the hectic studio atmosphere, all of which helps William make the seript come to life. William is supported by Sidney Fox, Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, John Wray, J. Carroll Naish and Noel Francis in “The Mouthpiece.” Page Three