Two Seconds (Warner Bros.) (1932)

CURRENT CAMPAIGN Opening Day Story Edward G. Robinson ) tO eee ee Today In “Two Seconds”’ For the first time in his screen career, Edward G. Robinson will be seen as a lover when his latest First National _ starring vehicle, “Two Seconds,” ig flashed on the......... Theatre screen today for its first showing. Heretofore associated with either lawless or heartless characters, Robinson turns to\the characterization of an ordinary human being who had more than his share of extraordinary trials and difficulties in his struggle to make his way in the world. As John Allen, hero of “Two Seconds,” Robinson portrays @ man who has been double-crossed by love and who, despite all his efforts to save his honor, fails. Defeated at every turn, he finds himself in a thrilling climax of great dramatic intensity which is said to exceed in emotional power any of the star’s past performances. Mervyn LeRoy, director of “Five Star Final,” and “Little Caesar,” in both of which eated a 2 «mM 2 nd day of run ASAE SST SRNR Cigarettes Just Props To Vivienne Osborne, Taxi Dancer in “Two Seconds”’ Vivienne Osborne has at least one pet aversion—and that is, a smoking scene. On the stage or on the screen, they’re equally disconcerting to her. She gets through them because she’s an accomplished aetress. But she’s always glad when they’re over. The answer is that Vivienne is one of those rare modern women who do not smoke, Cigarettes are just props to her. And unpleasant ones at that. As Shirley, the taxi dancer, in First National’s “Two Seconds,” Edward G. Robinson’s latest starring vehicle, now playing at the Theatre, Miss Osborne igs called upon to use humerous cigarettes in her various scenes. Handling them naturally, she declares, is harder for her than learning thirty ‘sides’ of dialogue. “In spite of all the smoking I’ve had to do professionally,” she said the other day, “I’ve never been able signed h oD rd day of run SETAE NUS NERA! It Took Hollywood To Renew An Old Friendship For Preston Foster It used to be said of San Francisco: “If you stand long enough at the Golden Gate, you will meet everyone you ever knew.” In the show business, at least, the same thing is. true today of Hollywood. Preston Foster, one of the ironworkers in First National’s “Two Seconds,” starring Edward G. Robinson at the........... Theatre, is just beginning to find this out. Four seasons ago in 1928, Foster and Louis Alberni played together for twenty-eight weeks in “The Silent House,” one of the conspicuous successes of that Broadway season. During that time, the two men had become firm friends. For four years, Foster and Alberni did not onee see each other. In the meantime, Alberni had heard the call of the screen and had definitely established himself as a competent and valuable actor at the leading studios. Foster continued on Broadway until, at the instance of Mervyn LeRoy, Warner Bros. im Short Stories One Week In Hollywood Makes Preston Foster A Native Son One week in Hollywood was enough to convince Preston Foster that it’s a great place to live. When Preston left New York for the Warner Bros. First National studios in California to take his place in the cast of “Two Seconds,” starring Edward G. Robinson at the Theatre, he promised his wife he would send for her at the earliest possible moment. At the end of the first week on the picture, there was an_ enthusiastic long-distance telephone conversation between the actor and his better half. The result was that Mrs. Foster sailed from New York forthwith by way of the Panama Canal, to spend the winter in California, with her husband. A heavily pedigreed black Chow dog, who is the idol of the family, and a pet canary also traveled west with Mrs. Foster for the family reunion. ed many innovations in camera and directorial technique. The large supporting cast features Preston Foster, who plays the same part he had in the Broadway production of “Two Seconds,” Vivienne Osborne, stage and screen star, and Guy Kibbee. Important roles are portrayed by J. Carroll Naish, Adrienne Dore, Walter Walker, Burton Churchill, William Janney and Edward MeWade. The players were specially selected with an eye toward the specific types they were called upon to play. | st day of run RNAI ESET TES ERD STOREET BEN OP ENSRD Ee UO GE CP Star Of “Two Seconds’’ Rested In Electric Chair Between Shots While Making Film Superstition sometimes outweighs ambition, even in Hollywood where ambition grows to tremendous proportions. The fact made unusually difficult the casting of fourteen bit roles in Edward G. Robinson’s latest First National picture, “Two Seconds,” which is now playing at Thee Theatre. The bit roles were all for those of people witnessing an electrocution. They included legal witnesses, newspaper reporters, a priest, three jailers and a doctor. Several of the first fourteen called declined the offer because they did not want to Page Three a cigarette between my fingers.” Cast in support of Robinson and Miss Osborne is a specially selected cast including Preston Foster, J. Carroll Naish, Guy Kibbee, Adrienne Dore, Walter Walker, William Janney and many others. Mervyn LeRoy directed. —_—— appear in a death house, even an imitation one. There are always a certain number of extra players who find exeuses for not working in prison Sequences. The fourteen partg in the scenes in “Two Seconds,” were all good bits, with chances for camera close-ups, so dear to the ambitious extra’s or bit player’s heart. Even so several anxious actors could not bring themselves to break their superstitious barriers and aecept almost a week’s profitable work. Edward ,.G. Robinson himself shares none of these beliefs, apparently. In fact, he found the death chair was more comfortable than his canvas studio chair and during the making of the death cell sequences he could generally be found between scenes lounged comfortably in its menacing embrace. Important roles in “Two Seconds” are played by Vivienne Osborne, Preston Foster, J. Carroll Naish, Guy Kibbee, Adrienne Dore, Walter Walker, William Janney, Burton Churchill and many others. Mervyn LeRoy directed. Seconds.” Nearly a week after the shooting of the picture had begun, Alberni who has played important roles in several Warner-First National productions, dropped in to call on Mervyn LeRoy, the director. There were simultaneous yells of pleasure and surprise as the two men found themselves face to face for the first time in four years. For the rest of the afternoon, Alberni was a keenly interested spectator as he watched his old pal of “The Silent House” do his stuff before the camera. An day of run Former Prison Guard Plays Similar Role In “Two Seconds” Starring Edward G. Robinson Four years as a prison guard in a state penitentiary may not make a@ man a good actor, but it adds that necessary touch of realism to a prison scene. Which is one reason why director Mervyn LeRoy, in picking his cast for “Two Seconds,” Edward G. Robinson’s current First National picture now at the... ....:.. Theatre, selected L. J. O’Connor to play the captain of the prison guards in the death-house sequence of the picture. O’Connor was a prison guard at San Quentin, the California state prison, for four years, and took out the first ‘honor’ camp of convicts 1 Follows Mystery Story Technique “Two Seconds,” Edward G. Rob ‘inson’s latest starring vehicle for First National Pictures, which comes to; the see, ele Theatre next Doan x Rie , follows the technique and methods of a mystery story in its unraveling of the dramatic story. The new Robinson picture begins at the end and works back to a climax, as is usual with mystery stories in which the solution follows the initial discovery of the baffling situation. Supporting Robinson in “Two Seconds,” are Preston Foster, Vivienne Osborne, Guy Kibbee, J. Carroll Naish, Adrienne Dore, Walter Walker, William Janney, Burton Churchill, Edward Me Wade, Dorothea Wolbert and Helena Phillips. Mervyn LeRoy of “Five Star Final” fame directed. for road work that ‘was ever authorized by the state. Before he left San Quentin he had reached the rank of sergeant. Several years later he was a member of President Wilson’s entourage at his second inaugural. He was house detective at the Hotel Astor, New York City, for more than a year. His most unusual assignment was as Chief of Police on one of the steamers of the United Steamship Lines, plying between New York and Italy. In this capacity, O’Connor had a force of six men under him and made ten round trips to Europe.