Times Square Playboy (Warner Bros.) (1936)

(Lead Off Story) Comedy Of Lite On Times Square BookedByStrand “Times Square Playboy”, a rollicking Warner Bros. comedy, filled with tense drama and heart interest as well as laughs, based on the famous Broadway hit, “Home Towners,” by George M. Cohan, OIE TIFT ossctstsanrsesansavenses Theatre Warren William heads a talented cast in the role of a small towner who has made good in the big city. Bubbling over with good spirits and happiness because he has won the love of a_ beautiful and talented night club singer from a younger rival, he calls on a boyhood chum in the old home town of Big Bend to act as his best man. The friend is suspicious of women entertainers, and unaccustomed to their gay life and effusiveness, believes them all grafters. He thinks the singer is trying to pull his chum’s leg for all she can get out of him, while playing around with the ex-rival. The small towner, a part played by Gene Lockhart, tells his friend just what a sucker he is, and gets his face slapped for his pains. The next morning the bride and her entire family call at the hotel suite of the best man to take him to a football game. Carrying a healthy hangover and boiling over with anger, he heaps insult after insult on their heads. William repents hitting his friend and when repulsed, forces his way into the hotel room by a ruse, uses a strangle hold on Lockhart and while he has his man pinioned to the floor, convinces him that he is a fool. Lockhart, aghast at the trouble he has caused and believing he has wrecked all their lives, by a clever scheme manages to get the family together, whereupon he clears up the entire situation in an amazing Cohanesque climax. June Travis has the role of the night club entertainer, and sings a song especially composed for the picture by M. K. Jerome and Joan Jasmyn entitled “Lookin’ .for Trouble”. Barton MacLane is the combination butler and physical trainer, who furnishes much of the comedy in the picture. Dick Purcell plays the part of the bride’s brother, Granville Bates and Dorothy Vaughan, her parents, while Craig Reynolds is the handsome rival who loses out to Warren William. Kathleen Lockhart plays opposite her own husband, as the wife of the small towner. William McGann directed. Warren William Star of “Times Square Playboy”, the Warner Bros. comedy based on the famous George M. Cohan stage success, which opens at thé. bg, ee ae Mat No, 102—10c Warren William (right) June Travis and Gene Lockhart have 24 hours of Manhattan madness in a George M. Cohan merry comedy of human nature in big cities and small ones “Times Square Playboy’, the Warner Bros. comedy hit now playing at thesrscccssssssssecsesersecseens Theatre. Mat No. 207—20c (Opening Day Story) “Times Square Playboy” Opens At Strand Today With Warren William in the leading role, “Times Square Playboy”, a hilarious Warner Bros. comedy, sprinkled with drama, romance andj song, opens at the........ Theatre today. The picture, based on George M. Cohan’s Broadway _ success, “The Home Towners”, is said to be ideally suited to the comedy talents of Warren William. It marks the second picture in which June Travis, daughter of Harry Grabiner, Vice President of the Chicago White Sox, has the leading feminine role, her first being “Ceiling Zero”. Miss Travis also sings a song specially written for the production by M. K. Jerome and Joan Jasmyn. Barton MacLane, noted film “bad man” has a comedy role in this picture, being William’s friendly butler, valet and athletic trainer. Gene Lockhart and his wife, Kathleen Lockhart, are the small towners around whom the plot of the picture revolves. Others in the cast include Dick Purcell, in the role of Miss Travis’ brother, Granville Bates and Dorothy Vaughan, her parents, and Craig Reynolds, William’s rival in love. The story is a sparkling Cohanesque comedy romance in which a small town boy becomes engaged to a beautiful night club entertainer after making millions in the big city. His boyhood chum, called upon to be the best man, throws a monkey wrench into the happy affair by denouncing the girl and her entire family as gold diggers. It turns out that he is not as astute as he thought he was, however, and shocked at the disaster he has caused, he puts through a clever scheme to undo the mischief, his plot working out successfully in a surprising and amusing climax. William McGann directed. Film Gangster Now In Comedy Role Barton MacLane, Warner Bros. actor, known to theater audiences as a celluloid public enemy, makes his debut as a film butler in “Times Square Playboy”, which COMES! L0= (Ne xtsttparascsgscsvavtncases Theatre Warren William has the featured role with June Travis playing opposite him. Warren William Teaching Dog To Write His Name Warren William, recently acclaimed Hollywood’s expert chicken trainer, now is busy teaching his dog unusual tricks. His wirehaired terrier, Jack, is the present pupil of the Warner Bros. star, now featured at the soasteppsnsscavesicsanscatrses Theatre in “Times Square Playboy”. William has taught the dog to drink milk out of a bottle through a straw. “Anybody can train a dog to do this with a little patience,” said William. “I started in by letting Jack lap milk out of a bottle by tipping it toward him. Then I put straw in the bottle and let him lick the wet ends. Finally he caught on to drawing on the straws.” William is now teaching the dog to write his own name on a typewriter. After that. Jack will be given lessons in turning on the William estate lights at sundown. “I'd like to teach him my trick garage door combination so he could open the doors for me, but I’m afraid it would be a bad policy as he’s very friendly with strangers. Maybe I ought to teach him to be unfriendly first.” William has trained his chickens to walk a straight line, lie down and get up on command. “Times Square Playboy” is bubbling over with fun, interspersed with dramatic episodes and a glowing romance. The screen play is by Roy Chanslor, based on, the famous play by George M. Cohan, “Home Towners.” Music and lyrics are by M. K. Jerome and Joan Jasmyn. Besides William the cast includes June Travis, Barton MacLane, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, Dick Purcell, Craig Reynolds, Granville Bates and Dorothy Vaughn. William McGann directed. Lockhart Is Honered By Theatre Guild Gene Lockhart, featured with his wife, Kathleen, in “Times Square Playboy”, the Warner Bros. picture now showing at the SeStehaoaantsciies Theatre, has been notified that the New York Theatre Guild credited him with the best comedy performance of 1935. Lockhart played the lead in “Sweet Mystery of Life”. In “Times Square Playboy” he has an important role. Warren William is featured, with June Travis playing opposite him. PUBLICITY (Review) ‘Times Square Playboy’ Is Thrilling Screen Romance Tense Drama and Hilarious Laughs of Geo. M. Cohan Play Make Hit At Strand One of the most delightful comedy dramas of the season, “Times Square Playboy”, a Warner Bros. production, was shown to enthusiastic audiences at the where it had its local premiere. sidecases esas Theatre yesterday, Adapted from the George M. Cohan Broadway stage hit, “Home Towners”, the screen play preserves the real Cohanesque flavor, being packed with hilarious laughs, romance, some intense dramatic moments, sparkling dialogues and lively music. The picture is fast moving and holds the suspense to an amusing and surprising climax. Heading the cast is Warren William in the role of a small towner who, after having made millions in the big city, becomes engaged to a night club entertainer. The part is particularly suited to William’s dignified and subtle comedy talents, although for once he stoops to no inconsiderable clowning, in which he is ably supported by Barton MacLane, temporarily released from his erstwhile gangster roles to play the part of William’s valet, butler and athletic trainer. MacLane gives as fine a portrayal of comedy character as he previously has done in heavy roles. June Travis, the sprightly daughter of Harry Grabiner, Vice President of the Chicago White Sox, has her second leading feminine role in this picture, her first being in “Ceiling Zero.” She not only is beautiful, but gives a clever performance as a night club entertainer and William’s fiancee. In this character she also sings a catchy song written for her by M. K. Jerome and Joan Jasmyn. She has a fine singing voice in addition to her talent as an actress, which combination bids fair to take her a long way toward screen fame. That veteran of the stage, Gene Lockhart, has a difficult role, and proves adept in the art of tangling true love and messing up the lives of others through his interference. He is ably assisted by his wife, Kathleen Lockhart, who also plays his spouse in the picture. Others who do excellent work include Dick Purcell as the brother of the bride, Granville Bates and Dorothy Vaughan as her parents and Craig Reynolds, in the role of a football hero and the unsuccessful rival of William for the love of the beautiful night club singer. The badly scrambled romance is finally unscrambled by Lockhart, who proves that Wall Street can be just as prejudiced and narrow minded in its way as Main Street. The picture is lively entertainment throughout. William McGann has done a fine piece of direction, balancing the comedy with the drama in a way to hold the attention. William Now Wears Wooden Carnation The man who made wooden nutmegs has nothing on Clarence Eurist who sprung a wooden carnation on the well dressed Warren William. A real wooden carnation it was, guaranteed to last a lifetime and look like the real McCoy in the movies. Eurist, prop man on William’s current Warner Bros. picture, “Times Square Playboy”, which comes to the Theatre on » produced the trick flower to save his bosses the price of two fresh carnations every day for three weeks for William to wear in the picture. Manufactured in the Warner Bros. carpentry shop out of shavings, the carnation weighs little more than a nursery specimen. It won’t—can’t—wilt. A painter can freshen it up in no time. Screen Battles Keep Peace In Lockhart Home Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, man and wife in real life, on the radio and in Warner Bros’. “Times Square Playboy”, which comes to Che; sssccctrecreaes ANG AtLEsONvnieraisecscee ; are the envy of their friends. They have never had a fight. Not even a cross word. “We’ve never had a fight since we were married, and that’s just about a record,” said Lockhart with an air of sincerity. “We haven’t, have we, honey?” “Absolutely not,” replied his wife: “I’m very tactful.” “What do you mean tactful,” the spouse asked his mate. “Don’t I always do what you say? Huh?” Kathleen Lockhart studied her husband for a moment. “Well, hardly.” “How can you say a thing like that? You know very well I do everything you ask.” “Listen dear-ie, your memory isn’t very good.” A very red-faced Gene Lockhart exploded: “Now don’t let’s start an argument!” “There’s no argument as far as I’m concerned !” “What,” asked Lockhart, “about the other night when you .. .” Director William McGann, flanked by Warren William and June Travis, stepped up. “They’re really not the fighting kind,” stated the director. “They’re just in training for this picture.” They fight aplenty in the film. “Times Square Playboy” is bubbling over with fun, interspersed with dramatic episodes and a glowing romance. On The Square Barton MacLane, the screen's No. 1 bad man, who is shown putting a half nelson on Gene Lockhart, for once has a comedy role, and with Lockhart furnishes most of the laughs that feature “Times Square Playboy”, the Warner Bros. comEdy COMING FO the.ussrseee Theatre Mat No. 108—10c Page Three