The Prince and the Pauper (Warner Bros.) (1937)

EATURES, READERS, SHORTS ON CAST ‘Prince And Pauper’ Has Ancient Coronation Rites Picture Of Mark Twain’s Famous Story Has Crowning Of Early Edward The coronation of a British King is a four-hour cere monial. It took the movie-makers seven days to film it for ‘‘The Prince and the Pauper,’’ Mark Twain’s classic of the sixteenth century, which will be the feature attraction at the 'Theatre, beginning next It is unreeled on the screen in something less than 20 minutes. In the film version, the coronation of Edward VI is an expensive rite. The costumes alone are said to have cost over $100,000. More than 500 people, including 35 principals, appear in these scenes. The set itself is a detailed duplicate of the main portion of Westmin‘ster Abbey. Wall hangings are hand-made reproductions of the originals. Most of the small ‘‘props’’ are priceless museum pieces. Sixty-one carpenters, plasterers, and painters worked 23 days on the construction of the set. Other spectacular settings in the film are royal palaces, an extrayagant banquet hall in which Henry VIII seats several hundred guests, royal apartments, a richly decorated throne room, several streets in London’s slums and a small English village built about a 16th century Inn. Difficulties of researchers were magnified by the fact that little exact information was available on habits, customs and costumes of the middle 1500’s in England. Records, drawings and paintings LADS LEARN. HISTORY Literary tastes of Billy and Bobby Mauch, famed film twins, took a decidedly upward trend as the result of their work in First National’s production of ‘‘ The Prince and the Pauper,’’ Mark Twain classic in which they have the title roles. Boys’ stories, usually fancied by 12-year-olds, were discarded in favor of history as a result of their interest in Twain’s story of the closing days of the reign of Henry VIII. ‘*Gosh, it’s as exciting as an) adventure story,’’ they said, and borrowed most of the old English history books in the studio ref erence library to read in their leisure moments. When they reach English history in their formal education, both lads undoubtedly will astound their instructor with their thorough knowledge of the lives and ecustoms of the sixteenth century, the period covered by ‘*The Prince and the Pauper.’’? The picture comes to the Theatre on . William Keighley was the director. MOWK IS WAY TO SAY NAME The Mauch twin: movie-actors, Billy and Bobby, want the world to know their name is pronounced as though it were spelled MOWK. The ‘‘ow’’ is sounded as in *Soow,’”? Since they rose to. fame first over the radio on national broad casts originating in New York, their name has been continually Mispronounced and now that both of them are screen stars—playing the title roles in ‘The Prince and the Pauper,’’ now showing at the Theatre—they think it time to straighten people out. that might have been reliable were destroyed in the London fire at the end of the century. Only the paintings of Holbein, the German artist who specialized on royalty of the period, exist today as a record of the appearances of Henry VIII, his son, Edward VI, who sueeceeded him and their numerous courtiers. There was much difficulty in finding drawings or descriptions of buildings and vehicles. One casting problem, solved in the past by having the same actor play both Prince and Pauper, was circumvented by the use of the sereen’s two promising child actors, the twins, Bobby and Billy Mauch, in the title roles. Errol Flynn, considered an exact proto type of the gay and adventurous Miles Hendon, was also under con tract to the producing company and thus available. Among others in the spectacular cast of ‘¢The Prince and the Pau per,’’? are Claude Rains, Barton MacLane, Henry Stephenson, Al:n Hale, Phyllis Barry, Helen Valkis and Ann Howard. PHYLLIS. BARRY FEMININE. LEAD NN FILM ROMANCE A pretty young English girl, who reached Hollywood by way of Australia, has the distinction of being the only important feminine character in First National’s striking production of ‘* The Prinee and the Pauper,’’? Mark Twain's classic adventure romance, which Theatre comes to the on . Phyllis Barry, erstwhile of Yorkshire, is the young lady, and in her four years in Hollywood she has made real progress. Miss Barry started as a child aetress in London, and later went with a traveling company to Australia. En route home, she stopped off in Hollywood and has heen there ever since. In fact, except for visits with her family, she in tends to remain in California the rest. of her life, having recently hecome an American citizen, In ‘*The Prinee and the Pau per,’?? she has the role of a. barmaid and plays a romantic scene with Krrol Flynn who, with Billy and Bobby Mauch, shares the star ring honors. William Keighley 4trected the picture which includes in its east Henry Stephenson, Claude Rains, Alan Hale, Barton MaclLane, Fritz Leiber, Montagu Love, Erie Portman, Robert War wick and many other well known players. SAVES TAILOR BILLS Claude Rains, now) playing in ‘The Prince and the Pauper,’? at the Theatre, raised enough wool on his Pennsylvania farm this vear to have four suits of clothes and two overcoats made for himself. His wife says she is trying to get him to rise mink next year so she can have a new cout, * * * “THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER™ Crowned With a Bucket A box his throne, a pail his crown and a thief’s hideout his palace, was Fate’s gift to Bobby Mauch as King Edward V1, whose boyish prank led him into the strangest adventures that ever befell a monarch in First National’s film version of Mark Twain’s best-loved novel, ‘‘ The Prince and the Pauper,’’ now playing at the Theatre. Mat No. 205—20c MAIMED GET FILM MONEY The halt, the lame and blind had their day in the spotlight at the First National studio recently with a chance to earn some much needed money. Unfortunates were needed for “atmosphere” in “The Roost,” an unsavory e¢riminal’s hideout where Bobby Mauch, as the Prince, masquerading as a pauper in “The Prince and the Pauper,” is taken by brutal Barton MacLane, who mistakes Bobby for his son. Research shows that most eriminals in the sixteenth century were minus a leg or an arm or an eye as a result of the cruel system of punishing them for their misdeeds. To achieve reality, the director decided to hire real eripples for the parts. Several were from the Soldiers’ Home at Sawtelle, Calif., and other institutions. All were paid the highest rate for extras and doctors were on the set in ease any needed atten tion. William Keighley directed the Mark Twain elassie in which Billy and Bobby Mauch, 12-year old twins, are sharing starring honors with Errol Flynn. The picture comes to the Theatre on KEIGHLEY’S DISCOVERY William Keighley, the director who guided ‘(The Prince and the Pauper,’? now showing at the Theatre, recently had a new fireplace built into his home after a design he encountered in a sixteenth century book while doing research work for the Mark Twain classic. The picture stars Errol Flynn and the famed Mauch twins, Billy and Bobby. WHISKERS BY POUND Twenty five pounds of whiskers were attached to the chins of character actors and extras for the coronation sequence of ‘4 The Prince and the Pauper,’? which will open next at the Theatre. According to old paintings of the sixteenth century period, a barefaced man in those days was almost as rare as a bareheaded man at the North Pole. Fifteen makeup men were required to attach the hirsute adornments. $75,000 ROBES IN FILM SCENE Five hundred costumes, costing from $150 to $200 each, had to be made especially for the coronation scenes in ‘The Prinee and the Pauper,’’ the First National spectncle film now showing at the Theatre. There were no costumes of that period (sixteenth century), available in Hollywood, so they were made after the design of Milo Anderson, costume designer for the studio. ‘‘The Prince and the Pauper,’’ made from Mark Twain’s immortal adventure-romance, co-stars Errol Flynn and the 12-year-old Mauch twins, Billy and Bobby. William Keighley was the director. Poor Gateman Is Fooled Again By Pranks Of Twins The studio gateman who was always getting into difficulties by not recognizing movie stars because of their make-up, was in an unusual quandary recently. He had the 12-year old Mauch twins to contend with—the youngsters who play .the title roles in ‘«The Prince and the Pauper,’’ the First National production which comes to the .. Theatre next M : Because of congested traffie on the lot, the Mauch boys were limited to one bicycle between them. When one of them rode through the auto gate, the gateman gave him a gay wave of the hand, mean ing that all was clear. But when the other rode by a few minutes later, the gateman wasn’t sure whether he was seeing double o1 the boys were putting one over on him. One day, after one had passed through the gate, he thought sure he had the goods on the second when he rode up. ‘<See here, young fellow, your brother already has gone in,’’ he said. ‘You know only one of you is entitled to bring a bike on the lot.”’ ‘¢Oh,’’? answered Billy (or maybe it was Bobby) ‘‘that was me. I went out the other gate and rode around the studio and here I am again.’? The gateman was convinced that something was wrong a bit later when he saw both boys astride bicycles, but he couldn’t leave the gate unguarded to check up. KEPT SWORD IN SHEATH Although he is one of the best swordsmen on the American stage and sereen, Fritz Leiber, veteran Shakespearean actor and portrayer of dramatic roles, doesn't even touch a weapon fn his latest picture, the First National production of “The Prince and the Pauper,” which has almost as much sword play as a Dumas adventure thriller. The picture is now showing at the Theatre Leiber has the role of Father Andrew, kindly old priest who befriends Tom Canty, the begyar boy, portrayed by Billy Mauch, and the young Prince of Wales, enacted by Bobby Mauch. It is Errol Flynn who does all the rapier wielding. Sinee high school days in Chiengo, Lieber has made fencing one of his principal sports and in many stage and screen appear ances his skill with rapiers and broadswords has often helped him considerably. The Mauch twins, 12-vear-old Billy and Bobby, have the title roles in “The Prince and the Pauper,” and share starring honors in the Mark Twain classic with Errol Flynn. Williain Keighley was the director. IS BISHOP AT LAST Halliwell Hobbes, distinguished character actor, was proud of being cast for the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the First National production of ‘‘The Prince and the Pauper,’’ as he intended in his youth to study for the ministry but took to the English stage instead. ‘(The Prince and the Pauper,’’ opens at the Theatre on KIDDING US, ERROL FLYNN? Errol Flynn, film star who recently returned by plane from the East, to play in ‘‘The Prince and the Pauper,’’ now at the Theatre, says the aircraft flew so high over a Rocky Mountain storm that his wateh froze up. ‘*T had to soak it in hot water to get it going again,’’ he swears. Which Is Which? One of these twins is Billy Mauch and the other his brother Bobby. The two boys play the title role in ‘‘The Prince and the Pauper,”’ First National film version of Mark Twain’s immortal story. It comes to the . Theatre, G0 =o cictteeoe Mat No, 103—10e Pane Twenty-three -~ |