The Singing Marine (Warner Bros.) (1937)

PAGE 4— “THE SINGING MARINE” — PUBLICITY Major Bowes Find ls Screen Newcomer Dick Powell’s Leading Lady In ‘The Singing Marine’ Started On Famed Program Doris Weston, who is playing her first screen role as Dick Powell’s leading lady in ‘‘The Singing Marine,’’ the Warner Bros. musical comedy now at the ...0........eceeeeeee Theatre, doesn’t know for sure just what it was that made her decide to become an actress. But she dates her desire for a stage eareer from the first time she saw Irene Bordoni. Doris was 9 years old at the time and had always been good at reciting. She even knew French well enough to act in Fremch plays at school. She hadn’t thought of becoming an actress ‘‘for real,’’ however, until that eventful day when she went to her first play in ‘New York and saw Mademoiselle Bordoni of the bangs, the accent, and the eyes that wouldn’t behave. The young lady’s background for her movie work is solid enough. She went to the Professional Children’s School in New York from the time she was able to persuade her parents, that she wanted to study for the stage in earnest. For several years thereafter Doris continued to go to Professional Children’s School, which embraces a high school as well as an elementary course. She posed now and then for advertisements, but didn’t really try to go on the stage until she was 17. At that time she went looking and wound up, after all her years of study, as a show girl ‘¢The Great the movies’ new songstress im ‘¢The Singing Marine,’’ at the Strand Theatre. Mat No. 102 10¢c When that mammoth spectacle closed during the summer, Doris had an audition for the Major Bowes Amateur Hour. It seems that she had been studying voice right along and had been encouraged to make a career out of it. She got on as one of the count. less amateurs who have stood within a yard of the famous gong. She made good as an amateur, so good, in fact, that the Rainbow Room, New York’s sky-high night club show place in Radio City, engaged her for a week. The engagement became nine weeks in all, exceeding all earlier records. The Rainbow Room engagement meant also her first acquaintance with talent scouts, both from radio and Hollywood. She was given a contract by NBC and was in demand as a guest artist with Rudy Vallee, Paul Whiteman and other celebrities of the air. Then she was auditioned for a commercial radio program, got the job and had to leave it. . Warner Bros. had seen her sereen test and wanted her to come to Hollywood immediately. So a few hours after she got her biggest radio opportunity she piled into her car and drove to Hollywood. She was tested for a dozen roles, but there was always some reason why she didn’t fit. Finally the seript of ‘‘The Singing Marine’’ came in and she fit that. The tests were encouraging enough to warrant her presence in virtually every scene of ‘‘The Singing Marine,’’ so the script was arranged accordingly. Doris Weston, Musician Adler Has Best Hands The most beautiful hands Busby Berkeley—who has looked at thousands and selected hundreds of beautiful girls for his musical screen numbers — has ever seen, belong to a man. Larry Adler, ‘‘world’s champion harmonica player,’’ is the young man who gets the accolade for his hands from the famous beauty-picker. ‘*The most graceful, expressive and beautifully handled hands I have ever seen belong to Larry Adler, said Berkeley on the set of ‘«The Singing Marine’’ at Warner Bros. In my opinion, and I have looked at the hands of thousands of pretty girls, Adler’s hands put those of the prettiest woman to shame. They are more expressive than Garbo’s, and more £4.01! LS in producin ica effects and to focus attention on the instrument. Young Larry has played his harmonicas in the capitals of Europe as well as in a Ziegfield show on Broadway, in vaudeville and now on the screen. He is abroad at present filling a special engagement in Great Britain where he made a sensational success a few years ago. Incidentally it was the London engagement which got him his first break in moving pictures. He is to be seen in ‘‘ The Singing Marine,’’? which opens next at hel ee Theatre. Dick Powell is the star and Doris Weston the leading lady. Also in the cast are Lee Dixon, famous tap dancer, Hugh Herbert, Jane Darwell, Allen Jenkins, Doc Rockwell (of vaudeville fame), Veda Ann Borg, Jane Wyman and many others. At the San Diego Marine barracks, Bob Brent (Dick Powell) is a timid buck private. He’s a splendid singer and guitar player. IN FINE VOICE Sings New Songs Dick Powell in Warner Bros.’ sparkling new musical, ‘‘ The Singing Marine,’’ sings qa new collection of song hits in the picture at the Strand Theatre opening on Se ee ee cccscscescesese® Mat No. 103 — 10c First Fan Mail Makes Her Cry Who said movie stars are blase? Doris Weston, who is making her debut as Dick Powell’s leading lady in ‘‘The Singing Marine,’’ the Warner Bros. musical comedy NOW OD VIiGW! at ithe i .ccc22h cece Theatre, broke down and cried when she was asked for her first autographed picture a couple of months ago. _. Miss Weston was so to ed by... ~ thi naexpected request for a signed _ photo that she had to wait until — she got over her little ery before — she put the pen to the still picture. ‘¢This is wonderful,’’ she said. ‘¢T never thought six months ago that anybody would ask me for a picture. ‘“And the little girl — Suzanne Thomas—who asked for it hasn’t even seen me on the screen yet. She wrote that she saw my picture in the newspaper and liked me right away and wanted me to send my picture. *‘T guess my crying a little bit will have to be excused,’’ she concluded as the make-up man repowdered her face for the next ‘Stake, ?? In ‘‘The Singing Marine’’ Miss Weston and Powell are supported by a splendid cast which includes Hugh Herbert, Allen Jenkins, Lee Dixon the eccentric dancer, Jane Darwell, Doc Rockwell of vaudeville fame, Marcia Ralston, Jane Wyman and Veda Ann Borg. Ray Enright directed. The Story lects Peggy. comrades. His pals Sergeant Mike (Allen Jenkins) and Slim (Lee Dixon) take him along — to provide romantic music — when they go out with their girl friends. Bob himself is in love with Peggy (Doris Weston) but is so bashful he ean’t tell her about it. Peggy decides to visit New York and have a try at ‘‘Major Rowes’ ’’ amateur program. When the marines hear that, Bob’s company takes up a collection and sends him along, too, as ‘‘The Singing Marine.’’ Peggy flops in her try at the amateur hour, but Bob is a tremendous success. He is immediately signed up as a radio performer by a couple of agents, Aeneas Phinney (Hugh Herbert) and his partner (Addison RichBob induces Peggy to stay in New ards). York as his secretary. it meant that I was Losing Voice Great Scare To Film Star Temporary Loss Was Agony to Dick Powell Like everybody else, Dick Powell, the movie star, has faced those close cal's when ‘‘a miss is as good as a mile,’’ but very frightening anyway. He has been scared jin airplanes and in automobiles. He has had narrow squeaks when he was a plain pedestrian. Horses have given him bad moments. The thing, however, that practically marked the end of the world for him, was the loss of his voice: for three months. It happened while he was doing both pictuwie and radio work at the same time. The strain, complicated by a cold, was too much. He lost his voice. ‘¢T have never experienced such a moment of complete horror,’’ he said on the set of ‘‘The Singing Marine,’’ ‘‘as when I opened my mouth one day and discovered that I couldn’t even speak. ‘¢Maybe you remember. There were all kinds of rumors. I had lost my voice foreyer. I would never sing again. Well, I thought so, too. And for three long months I was without a voice, not knowing whether I would ever have one again! or not. I lost weight from worry. I was really unhappy for the first time in my life. ‘¢T didn’t want to have to quit that way and it looked as though ito of it, so to speak.’’ It turned out better than those three months of voicelessness indieated. A delicate operation on the vocal cords removed the condition which had taken his voice away. ‘‘Tt was like coming back to life again,’’ Dick says, ‘‘when I found that I could speak above a whisper.’? Powell sings half a dozen new songs by Al Dubin and Harry Warren in ‘‘The Singing Marine,’*? which is now showing at ict Harper ey aS Theatre. He continues his old habit of exercising his voice at odd moments during the day, singing snatches of old and new songs and ‘‘mi-mi-miing’? his scales. He studies his operatic areas again as he did in the old days he characterizes as ‘*B.V.D. — Before Voice Disappeared.’? But success goes to Bob’s head. He negHe forgets about his marine His 30-day furlough ends, and he is ordered to return to the Pacific coast and then go to China with his outfit. He does this, but travels on a luxury liner instead of an ordinary transport. Arriving in Shanghai, unknown to him, his managers open a luxurious night club; name it ‘‘The Singing Marine’’—and exercise their power of attorney by using his savings to finance it. Headquarters refuse to let him participate but he manages to perform on opening night. The turnout enables him to pay off his debts. He then turns the establishment over to Ma Marine, the beloved matron of the marines. He again wins the favor of all concerned. The film closes with a spectacular performance. When Berkeley looks at Beauty Is A Business To Director Busby Berkeley Blase About Georgeous Gals Feminine beauty is Dance Director Busby Berkeley’s business. Berkeley, therefore, has put beauty on a business basis. He regards the horde of gorgeous creatures who apply to him for jobs, and the comparative few who get jobs, the way a nut-and-bolt manufacturer regards his products. He looks at them impersonally as far as emotion is concerned, but he is extremely interested in their marketability as movie adjuncts. Berkeley, whose latest job of beauty-marketing was done for Dick Powell’s latest musical comedy ‘‘The Singing Marine,’’ which comes to the ...............00 Theatre OR ea ie , considers supply and demand all the time. He is, however, in a business in which the demand always exceeds the supply, which is as ideal a situation in Berkeley’s business as in the nut-and-bolt business. He is always looking at women. Of the thousands he sees per annum, he finds about two hundred that he can use. Of the two hundred there are perhaps a hundred who are kept fairly busy. The other hundred are used as ‘‘alter— nates,’? when, as in the case of ‘<The Singing Marine,’’ there are several elaborate dance numbers. f ti eb but clumsily, she’s ‘‘out.’’ If they all right, he looks at her legs. And they have to be good! Then, in easting his girls for a picture, Berkeley surveys the market just as the nut-and-bolt man surveys his before introducing a new line. Berkeley’s success in the beauty market is based on his ability to please all types of people with his product. Some like their chorus girls short. Some like them tall. Others like them medium. Berkeley remembers his divided market. Some like them plump. Some like them slim. Some like them blonde, or red-headed, or brunette. Berkeley takes those likes into consideration. When he is through casting, his ehorus represents every variety of beauty according to the respective eyes of the beholders. Once he has his girls selected, Berkeley, considers their presentation for best effect, the way our nut-and-bolt hero thinks of the best way of presenting his products to the market. He devises all his own dances, precision drills and tableaux. ‘‘This business of dance directing,’’ says Berkeley, ‘‘has taught me more about beauty than a stick can be shaken at. Ever since ‘42nd Street’ I have been learning more and more about the beauty market and looking at it so much like a regular business that I think in terms of availability, marketability, routing, promotion and presentation.’’ Berkeley is regarded in Hollywood as the foremost tycoon of the beauty market. He has become, more than any other man, the symbol of the business known as ‘‘Beauty, Inc.’’ Beautiful Chinese girls are a novelty in ‘The Singing Marine,’’ part of whose action takes place in Shanghai. Doris Weston, a screen newcomer, is Dick Powell’s leading woman in the picture, which was directed by Ray Enright from an original screenplay by Delmer Daves. e \