The White Angel (Warner Bros.) (1936)

THE WHITE ANGEL , & SS 4 2: £.g Battle Scarred Veterans Play In Hospital Feature Scene In “The White Angel’? So Real Even Kay Francis, The Star, Weeps By Lucy Lee I went through a hospital with Florence Nightingale, and it was not all make-believe. Kay Francis, looking very lovely in a plain, gray dress with a white cowl framing the soft lines of her face, was only playing a part in “The White Angel”, the First National picture now SEE PRR PE ons casecsasaisepo scr oancaens Reece Theatre, but the other actors were playing a part in a grimmer drama. “The White Angel” Too Big A Drama To End In Kiss Director Explains That The Picture’s Theme Concerns All Humanity The gray vaulted rooms in which the scene took place represented a hospital in Scutari, at the time of the Crimean War. All about, on cots and palettes, lay the maimed, the halt and the blind. There were 200 of them of all sizes and ages. Supposedly they were victims of the Battle of Balaclava. In reality, they were victims of a lost battle against the handicap of affliction. The man on the first cot was a basket case. He had a fine head and massive shoulders. The rest of him was sacrificed at Chateau Thiery to make the world safe for a democracy that has few jobs for legless men. But he had one of the few jobs for such men, in this picture. Penalty of Heroism Next to him was a gray-haired man with no arms. He had lost them both trying to snatch a baby from in front of a street car. The baby mercifully had died. The old man lived on, his hope buried with his arms. The man on crutches who crossed before the camera was not acting. His labored progress and the desperation in his face were convincing because they were real. Still, he was happier than usual. He was earning enough so that he could eat for a while without charity. William Dieterle who directed the film is a “driving” director. But he was not driving these actors. He had demanded true types and he had gotten them. But it was too real, even for him. “I would replace them with actors and make-up,” he said, “Except that I know they need the money.” Kay Francis nodded. More than once, she had repaired her makeup because she could not hold back the welling tears. One old man in a battered uniform of a Dragoon seemed proud of his two empty sleeves. “TI was with Teddy at San Juan Hill,” he said. “Ain’t it a coincidence that same thing happened to my boy in France? But he couldn’t get used to the idea of trying to live without them, so he just decided to die.” Living Their Roles Meanwhile, all around was the usual bustle and activity of a motion picture set. Electricians were setting lights. The sound man was worrying about his boom. The grips were laying a track for the camera dolly. Tony Gaudio, the photographer was setting the camera. Prop men were attending some lamps used in the scene. I noticed, though, that everybody was working more quietly than usual. Nobody thought of asking an extra to move out of the way. When the shot was ready, the bell rang for silence. For the first time in his career, the Assistant Director failed to shout his raucous “Quiet!!!” Then Dieterle explained the scene to his actors—these two hundred men in the roles of wounded heroes. “Remember now,” he explained, “you have all been wounded in the Battle of Balaclava. In this place, there is very little to eat and conditions are _ unbearable. and conditions are unbearable.” The camera started toward them. Their acting was marvelous. But it wasn’t acting at all. “The White Angel” is a powerful story of Florence Nightingale’s battle to establish a competent nursing system to care _ for wounded soldiers, Besides Miss Francis, the cast includes Ian Hunter, Donald Woods, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, Henry O'Neill, Billy Mauch, Charles Crooker-King and scores of others. Page Thirty Two Crimean War Surgical Kit Used In Film A set of surgical instruments actually used in the Crimean War was donated by Dr. P. M. MacWilliams to the First National prop department for use in Kay Francis’ latest starring picture, “The White Angel” which comes COSENE. syste caer: EDCAELE SOND siecs csecesnsets> MacWilliams, studio doctor, inherited the field operating kit from his great-grandfather, a British army surgeon. The film, based on the life of Florence Nightingale, reproduces scenes from the Crimean struggle. A kiss. Soft Music. The picture ends. And so, they lived hap pily ever after. Not so long ago, this formula settled everything. Villains were forgotten. Troubles dismissed. The future taken care of. But now we must face the horrendous fact; kissing has gone out of style in Hollywood. One of the biggest films of them all hasn’t a lover’s kiss in it. War Nurse ay Kay Francis as Florence Nightingale, the social butterfly who became mankind’s immortal angel of mercy, in “The White Angel,” First National’s successor to “The Story of Louis Pasteur.” “The White Angel” is. now playing at the Sspsrasninieninisecsiess Theatre. Mat No. 106—10c British Film Actor Likes Cricket Nigel Bruce, distinguished English actor playing with Kay Francis in the First National picture, “The White Angel”, now Showing at Une iis scccsssccsaseseseTheatre, is one of Hollywood’s greatest cricket enthusiasts. With the exception of three days when it rained, Bruce has played cricket every Sunday afternoon for fourteen months. Editor's Widow Film Technical Advisor In 1854, Private Frederick Billington was wounded at the battle of Balaclava. His nurse was Florence Nightingale. Private Billington’s daughter, Mrs. Frederick Lawrence, acted as technical adviser on the First National picture, “The White Angel” which comes to the...........04 TReEOtTOSON iisscckccsiskccestnasaeseess Mrs. Lawrence, widow of the famous Hearst editor, is the founder of the Nightingale Institute of Honorables. In “The White Angel”, the First National picture now showing at ENG sccccctccsa vsceestsee Theatre, there isn’t even a little peck. When we heard this, we recalled with a shock that several important pictures had recently seemed a bit lacking in osculation. That practically none had ended with a kiss. This couldn’t be coincidence. Was it, then, some plot to outlaw the policies of Cupid? We went to Kay Francis, star of “The White Angel”. She had a practical idea. “I suppose”, she said, “it’s simply an effort to vary the monotony of the usual ending.” This didn’t exactly click. Whatever a kiss might be, it could hardly be called monotonous. There must be some deeper reason. We thought of William Dieterle, who is Miss Francis’ director. We were not prepared for the seriousness with which he regarded the matter. “A picture with a theme important enough to concern all humanity must involve tremendous problems and conflicts. These cannot be solved by the sugary promise of a kiss. “To end such a picture as “The White Angel’ with a kiss would be like settling the riddle of Life with a picture of a pretty sunrise. “Pictures are getting bigger in outlook as well as in size. A kiss, like any other piece of theatrical business, has its place, but it is not important for a climax.” Dieterle reminded that a few works great enough to affect human history, or even literary history, ended with a kiss. “Remember,” he concluded, “a kiss solves all problems and all hurts for a little child, but not for a grown-up. Pictures are adult now.” “The White Angel” is a powerful story of Florence Nightingale’s battle to establish a competent “ nursing system to care _ for wounded soldiers. Besides Miss Francis the cast includes Ian Hunter, Donald Woods, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, Henry O’Neill, Billy Mauch, Charles Croker-King and scores of others. Woods Has One HairCut In A Year Donald Woods, who has a leading role with Kay Francis in the First National production, “The White Angel”, which comes to the ecvesintcckoniseteetids TPREGENE OUiseisisecteisstaccess has had only one haircut during the last year. The First National player has acted in period productions at his home and other studios which required that he wear his hair throughout the last twelve months longer than usual. Donald Woods, one of Hollywood’s outstanding favorites, has the romantic role opposite Kay Francis in “The White Angel,’ the First National PiclUre COMING LO ENE crsssersssesssessscsereers DRGUEE O98 isis csttnastensietee The film, acclaimed as great as “Louis Pasteur,” is the life story of the great war nurse, Florence Nightingale, who deserted love and wealth to work for suffering humanity. Mat No. 202—20c Donald Woods Doesn’t Want To Become A Star Prefers Leading Role Such As He Is Playing In **The White Angel’’ Once upon a time, way back at the start of his motion picture career, a young actor overheard another actor telling a third actor he had overheard a statistician telling another fellow that the average life of a screen star lasts just seven years. Now this young actor didn’t bother to verify the statistician’s observation. If he had he’d have found the figure approximately correct. The chance remark, however, set the young actor to thinking. Here he was, just past twentyfive, beginning a motion picture career after an eminently successful span of years on the legitimate stage. He could go into pictures, get the “feel” of them, to him, a new medium, as a leading man. Then he could strive for stardom. But if the statisticians were correct that meant he’d be finished in about seven years. On the other hand he could go into pictures as a leading man and remain a leading man indefinitely. Whether that course would prolong his screen life beyond the statisticians’ allotted span of seven years remained to be seen. It was a gamble, but the young actor decided the odds were in his favor. And so Donald Woods became a leading man and has remained one ever since the time, nearly four years ago, he signed a First National contract. He is now playing a leading role opposite Kay Francis in “The White Angel” which is showing at the............. Theatre. He is perhaps the only actor in Hollywood’s leading man _ classification who is perfectly content with his lot and who has no ambitions of becoming a star. The only one that is, with a single exception—Paul Muni—and the latter is ranked a star despite his vehement objections to the star system. They’re in constant demand. Woods, for example, has played leading men roles at other studios almost as often as he plays on his home lot. Brent is constantly being “farmed out.” His last assignment away from his home lot was with Ginger Rogers and prior to that he was Greta Garbo’s leading man in “The Painted Veil.” Tone has _ been loaned to First National twice in the last two years for leading man roles. In “The White Angel” Woods plays Miss Francis’ lover, though she does not reciprocate that love. lan Hunter Portraying a newspaper reporter who inspired Florence Nightingale to revolutionize jthe entire system of nursing, Ian Hunter, noted English stage and screen star has one of his best roles in “The White Angel,’ the First National picture NOW Playing Ab UNE csersssessreesrereeseees Theatre. Mat No. 104—10ec Her love is for humanity, she having the role of ‘Florence Nightingale.” The others in the cast include Ian Hunter, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, Henry O’Neill and Billy Mauch. William Dieterle directed the picture from the screen play by Mordaunt Shairp.