Tovarich (Warner Bros.) (1937)

Mat 403—60c BACKSTAGE ON THE “TOVARICH” SET: Upper left — meet the author, Mr. Jacques Deval; center — Charles Boyer, Director Anatole Litvak and Claudette Colbert discuss a scene; upper right — Miss Colbert learns to croon Russian style; lower right — Anita Louise explains the (Opening Day Story) Stage Play Four Years Now Film After a run of several years in New York, London, Paris and various other world capitals as a stage play, ““Tovarich,’’ a comedy dealing with a Grand Duchess and a Prince who were exiled from their native Russia by the revolution, now comes to the screen. It will have its first local showing today at the Strand Theatre. Warner Bros. made the picture and endowed it with a_ splendid cast and many magnificent settings. Claudette Colbert plays the Grand Duchess and Charles Boyer the Prince. Other notable performers in the cast include Basil Rathbone, Anita Louise, Melville Cooper, Isabel Jeans (imported from England for the picture), Morris Carnovsky, Montague Love, Reine Riano and Heather Thatcher. Anatole Litvak, famous Russianborn director — remembered for his sensational picture of a few years ago, “Be Mine Tonight’? — guided the making of ‘‘Tovarich.”’ Although the main characters are Russian, all the action of the picture takes place in Paris, to which city the erstwhile nobles have fled. They have brought with them, in trust, 40 billion francs in gold. They become servants in the home of a rich Frenchman in order to live, and the story revolves around the efforts of various elements to get hold of the fortune, which the Grand Duchess and the Prince will not touch themselves. There are no revolutionary scenes and no warfare in “‘Tovarich.”’ It is continuous high comedy. The screen adaptation was made by Casey Robinson from the original French play by Jacques Deval and the English version of the stage success by Robert Sherwood. Star Learns Duties Motion picture work can be instructive as well as remunerative if you're quick at learning. Consider the case of Claudette Colbert, co-starred with Charles Boyer in Warner Bros.’ screen version of ‘‘Tovarich,’’ the New York and London stage success, now showing at the Strand Theatre.. To date, Miss Colbert has been called upon to: Mop a kitchen floor, Wash dishes, Make a bed, Wash a shirt for Boyer, Wait on table during a seven course meal, Mend an apron. Miss Colbert admits that she knew already how to do some of these things. But she points out that it is the first time that she has done them on the screen. fine points of needlepoint to Charles Boyer; lower left—Basil Rathbone snatches forty winks. Personality Briefs Mat 103—15c pened One Night.” CLAUDETTE COLBERT — would also answer if you called her Lily Chauchoin, her real name. Though she was born in Paris she doesn’t speak with a French accent. Came to America when she was twelve and was educated in New York schools. Her school chum at Washington Irving High School is now her stand-in, Catherine Riseley. Of Claudette’s first Broadway role the critics said ““The play was bad, and Miss Colbert was worse.” Only mildly discouraged, she went on trying and scored her initial success in “The Barker.” Made her film debut in “‘The Lady Lies’’ with Walter Huston. Since, has bathed in milk as “Cleopatra,” was ducked as a witch in “Maid of Salem,” risked her neck skiing at Sun Valley in “‘I Met Him In Paris,’”” and carried off all-time comedy-acting honors for “It Hap Knows a great deal about photography and lighting, is married to Dr. Joel Pressman. Her brown hair which photographed jet black was dyed blonde for “‘Tovarich.” Mat 102—15e at work improving CHARLES BOYER — Born in the tiny town of Figeac in Southern France, began manifesting dramatic ability by the time he was three. At six he was putting on his own shows in Papa’s barn. At the insistence of his mother he continued his regular studies, but only until he was twenty. Then he enrolled for a dramatics course at the Conservatoire in Paris. Within a year the Parisian press was hailing him as the coming hope of the French stage. Starred in dozens of plays and talking pictures. Although he is now a famous Hollywood star, he continues to return to France and make Frenchspeaking movies. Married Pat Patterson, a young English actress, after a whirlwind courtship of three weeks. Is a trained musician, a fine athlete excelling in winter sports, reads incessantly, and is constantly his English which is very nearly perfect now. His latest which will bring him more medals is his part co-starring with Claudette Colbert in “Tovari Mat 105—15c ch” at the Strand. ANITA LOUISE — New York-born. On the stage at seven. Dramatic schooling, and training for a musical career. Despite her screen success, she still has a yen to be a concert pianist or harpist. Is fond of all outdoor sports. Doesn’t bother with a diet. Has no beauty secrets except plenty of soap and water and lots of sleep. Saves money by doing her own hair and nails and promptly squanders it on buying flowers. Prefers Hollywood to New York for shopping. Her lone pet is a Scottie named “Wee Thistle’ who accompanies her wherever she goes. Is heart-whole and fancy-free and very popular among Hollywood’s younger set. Keeps very busy at Warner Bros. where she is in constant demand for featured and starring roles. Recently seen in “First Lady,” her latest picture is ‘‘Tovarich,’’ co starring Claudette Colbert and Charles Boyer, which is now at the Strand. Mat 107—15c car. Is currently featured in ‘“Tovarich’’ at the Strand. [8] BASIL RATHBONE — hailed as “‘the handsomest villain on the screen.’”” Born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Like the son of a true colonial, he was sent to England to school. From earliest youth he wanted to go on the stage, and admits now that he was probably quite a prig about it — that he was “hamming” all the time. Made his first stage appearance as Hortensio in “The Taming of the Shrew.’’ From then on there was no holding him. The war, during which he was awarded the Military Cross for bravery, interfered with his career for awhile, but after 1918 he returned to the stage and soon came to Broadway. In 1929 he came to Hollywood to play in ““The Last of Mrs. Cheyney’”’ and he’s been working there ever since, except for vacations. Is one of the tennis aces of Hollywood, drives his own (Current) No Errors Allowed In “Tovarich™ Sign painters at the film studios are likeable fellows, intelligent, too, and they would rather split their last dollar than an infinitive. Fifty million Frenchmen can howl their heads off, but the sign painter’s work is as good as his bond when the spelling on the job at hand is in English. When the script calls for French, however, the painter is as likely to spell trouble as anything else. The trouble most recently was for Bernard Deroux, technical adviser for ““Tovarich,’” which Anatole Litvak made for Warner Bros. with Claudette Colbert and Charles Boyer in the starring roles. One of Deroux’s jobs was to see that no liberties were taken with French grammar or spelling. On one big Paris setting, a street scene with shop windows, store names, posters and what not, the expert spotted five mistakes in grammar and six misspellings. But he did not consider that a bad job, considering the amount of sign work that went into the scene. Literacy, of course, is only one reason for the employment of technical experts. Critical fans all over the world seem to have no greater pleasure than taking pen in hand to send letters to studio heads reporting trifling mistakes in films. The French are such prolific correspondents that French expert Deroux has had virtually steady employment. He was technical adviser on ‘Camille’ and after that on “The Woman I Love.” He hopes he has made ‘“‘Tovarich” letter-proof. He was close by Director Litvak and Assistant Director Chuck Hansen when they were picking 300 extras for street scenes to make sure only Latin types got the job. He went over the costumes garment by garment to make sure they were of the sort Frenchmen would be wearing in one of the poorer sections of Paris. And he approved every detail of the street scene itself, designed by Anton Grot. This expert on things Parisian, by the way, is not a Frenchman at all. He was born in Russia. International Star Charles Boyer, one of the stars of Warner Bros.’ comedy, “‘Tovarich,” now showing at the Strand Theatre, spoke not one word of English when he made his first American picture, “Red Headed Woman.” Boyer, a native of France, came to America to make French version pictures, but was put into “Red Headed Woman.” His English now is practically perfect, but he speaks with a decided Russian accent for his ““Tovarich’’ role.