The White Angel (Warner Bros.) (1936)

THE WHITE ANGEL y FT 2 ££ 4. G4 “White Angel” Scenes Are Accurate In All Details Proves One Of The Most Difficult Pictures For Art Director It made no difference that a recent picture of the 12th century showed characters wearing materials never even thought of at the time. There was no danger of anybody in the audience remembering. Certain license is allowed in period pictures. If a particular collar is not becoming to a star the costumer makes slight changes. If a setting lacks pictorial value, the Art Director adds a couple of effective angles. Pictures may idealize things with which an audience is not too familiar, but woe betide the producer who takes liberties with familiar details. The most difficult story to stage is one laid in a period still partially remembered, but long enough ago for a difference in manners, customs, clothes and architecture. In “The White Angel,” the First National picture which comes to the iain atic anake Theatre on Rr ae Ale Peeres , for instance, the action takes place in the 1850’s and required more authentic research than either “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or “Anthony Adverse.” You may say that few people remember that far back. True. But in thousands of American and English homes are family pictures of that time. In almost as many are heirlooms of the period. Vases, clocks, silverware, even clothes. Kay Francis, who is starred in the role of Florence Nightingale, wears a bonnet copied from an old photograph that belonged to her grandmother. When Ian Hunter came onto one of the sets he recognized a desk as a duplicate of one in his grandfather’s home in England. Phoebe Foster and several other members of the cast checked the details of their costumes with pictures in family albums. Anton Grot, Art Director on “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Anthony Adverse” and other big productions says it is much easier to design the Palace of Theseus than the Interior of a London home of 1856. “From the smallest detail of door sills to the curve of a stair Inspired The struggles of Florence Nightingale to mother the wounded, be sister to the sick, sweetheart to the blind, and angel to the dying, are portrayed by Kay Francis in “The White Angel,’ the picture now enthralling audiences at thé oo... Theatre. Mat No. 107—10c Page Thirty way, we must be accurate,” he says. “Even small changes to favor the camera are not permissible. We reproduce everything exactly. This takes much more time and work than with a set that allows for artistic liberties.” Nigel Bruce, well known British actor, who plays the part of a London doctor, has several scenes in an office supposed to be a room in an old London home. The first day he worked in this set, he walked to one of the doors and opened it. Much puzzled, he looked around. Turning to Director William Dieterle, he asked, “Where’s the sitting room?” “What sitting room?” Dieterle replied. “T have been in this house a thousand times,” said Bruce, “and there should be a sitting room right here.” “You have been in this house?” asked Dieterle. “In one exactly like it,” said Bruce. “It belongs to our old family doctor, who inherited it. It was built by his great grandfather in about 1850.” “The White Angel” is based on the life of Florence Nightingale from the time she first became interested in relief of human suffering. It includes the dramatic and thrilling period of the Crimean War and Miss Nightingale’s decoration by Queen Victoria. A cast of over 100 principals and several thousand supernumeraries are used in the big production. Among the principals in the cast are Donald Woods, Donald Crisp, Henry O’Neill, Billy Mauch, Charles Crooker-King and Halliwell Hobbes. Mordaunt Shairp wrote the screen play. Star Thinks Clothes Over Emphasized Kay Francis who plays the role of Florence Nightingale in the First National picture, “The White Angel,” which comes to the.............. Theatre on.................. » says that too much emphasis has been given and is still being given to the clothes worn by woman stars. Coming from Kay, that remark is certainly a surprise, for she has long been noted as one of the bestdressed women on the screen. “Of course,” she _ explained, “every woman likes to feel that she has good taste in matters of dress and that she looks attractive in her clothes, but I don’t believe there is a single actress who would be flattered if you told her that her taste in dress was her chief professional asset. Film Extra Ruins Scene By Snoring The cameras were turning on one of the most important scenes in “The White Angel”, the First National picture which comes to the Theatre on Kay Francis, in the role of Florence Nightingale, leaned close over a hospital bed to catch the last words of a dying man. “What are you saying?” she said softly. Before the man had a chance to gasp his answer, a man in the next bed started to snore. Kay Francis got the giggles and Director William Dieterle had to laugh. An extra man had fallen asleep in the next bed. Hunter Insists On Living Near Water All his life lan Hunter has lived near some body of water. He claims he could not live otherwise. Hunter, the English leading man, now playing opposite Kay Francis in the First National picture, “The White Angel”, which is showing at the Theatre, spent most of his childhood in Capetown, South Africa, with the Atlantic on one side and the Indian ocean on the other. When he moved to England he promptly purchased a small boat in which he spent much of his leisure time cruising the Thames. Now that he is in American pictures he lives at Malibu Beach, Calif. Wall Paper Of 1854 Found For Film The First National property department got one of the most difficult assignments during the production of “The White Angel”, now showing at the.............. Theatre with Kay Francis in the stellar role. It was an order for old wallpaper of twenty-eight patterns, period 1854. The film is a picturization of the life of Florence Nightingale and sets represent the Nightingale home in London during the Crimean War. It was a difficult assignment. Wall-paper scouts found a rich harvest, a bonanza, in a warehouse in, of all places, Australia. More than a thousand rolls of paper were found and the entire supply purchased. Famous War Nurse In "White Angel" A group of gray-clad nurses, while working with Kay Francis in “The White Angel”, the First National picture now showing at UN Gssssssesssaspsatcgers Theatre, whispered together. Their eyes were on a quiet figure also in nurse’s costume, who sat reading near the stage door. The little figure looked up from her book and smiled. She was Katherine N. Volk, the noted peace advocate, lecturer and Red Cross nurse. Miss Volk was aboard the famous Red Cross Mercy Ship that sailed from America in 1914, before Uncle Sam entered the war. She was with the celebrated “Unit EB.” Film Cast Signs Drum For Drummer Boy Billy Mauch, First National’s 12-year old screen actor who plays the role of a drummer boy in the First National picture, “The White Angel”, now showing at the scatnabanatnuiean Theatre, is very proud of the huge drum which had been his property all during the making of the film. The lad had become so attached to the instrument that Kay Francis and other members of the company had arranged with the property department to present it to him at the conclusion of his work. The signatures of every member of the cast was inscribed on the tightly-drawn skin. Kay Francis Adorns 62 Magazine Covers Kay Francis, who plays the part of Florence Nightingale in the First National picture, “The White Angel”, which comes to the saaeatienacesepeeseces MENGA ETO COM att sceee ee has won a new kind of championship. The First National star’s picture has appeared on a greater number of magazine covers than any other celebrity’s in the past two years. During that time Kay adorned 62 magazine covers published throughout the world. Soldiers Of Humanity Kay Francis, Donald Woods (left) and Ferdinand Munier (centre) plan a battle against ignorance, prejudice and apathy to raising nursing from a work of degradation to a profession of dignity in “The White Angel,” First National’s story of Florence Nightingale which opens at thé css. Mae taro riec Theatré 08 cisions Mat No. 204—20c Locales Never Before Filmed Now On Screen “The White Angel” Takes Public To New Places And Scenes To find a country, locale or atmosphere new to movie goers is no easy matter. Much of the ingenuity of picture makers is spent nowadays finding backgrounds that audiences have never seen. Like Alexander, the movies are looking for new worlds to conquer. “I never saw that before” is one of the most-sought comments, and music to a producer’s ear. There may not be anything new under the sun, but there must be something new under the sunarcs. First National found it. It is Scutari, during the Crimean War. In this unusual locale is laid much of the action of “The White Angel”, which comes to the.............. "ERGGUTE OR cacimaschceeee » with Kay Francis in the stellar role. Based on the life of Florence Nightingale, the story opens in England, but the activities which made Miss Nightingale famous were centered in the East. Scutari, located on the north shore of the Bosporus opposite Constantinople, was a small Turkish town. The Crimean War suddenly made it a cosmopolitan port. The Turkish alliance with England and France brought Europeans in great numbers. One of the novel settings in “The White Angel” is the water front of Scutari. Against its low, picturesque skyline, foreign transports unload passengers and freight. Narrow streets stretch in grotesque turns and corners. Byzantine and Moorish buildings lean lazily against one another. Another of the big settings is the English military headquarters, barracks and_ hospital. Here, Florence Nightingale and_ her nurses are projected into the fearful realities of war. The picture, a thundering indictment of the ignorance and prejudice of doctors of the last century, and of Florence Nightingale’s part in overturning an obsolete hospital system. It paints with fiery drama her work in saving wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Besides Miss Francis, the cast includes Ian Hunter, Donald Woods, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, Henry O’Neill, Billy Mauch and scores of other principals besides hundreds of extras. Tan Hunter’s Dog Loves Champagne Ian Hunter, the English actor, now featured with Kay Francis in the First National picture, “The White Angel”, which comes to the Theatre , has a mongrel dog named “Hamish”, which drinks champagne. The dog acquired his taste for the effervescent wine while traveling with Mr. and Mrs. Hunter from England to America. His master gave him champagne as a remedy for seasickness and the dog has since shown a decided leaning toward the bubbling liquid. Whenever the Hunters serve champagne at their home Hamish must have his saucer, else he sulks for hours. Kay Francis Likes To Watch Circus After finishing filming the life of Florence Nightingale, “The White Angel”, a First National picture now showing at the.............. Theatre, Kay Francis spent considerable time on a circus tent set where scenes of “Bengal Killer” were being made. The reason for Kay’s interest was that it was her earliest ambition to be an aerialist. And she’s never quite outgrown that ambition, instilled in her when her mother, the well-known actress, Katharine Clinton, took her to her first circus when she was a little tot in short skirts and long dark curls. William Dieterle directed the picture from the screen play by Mordaunt Shairp.