Voltaire (Warner Bros.) (1933)

; 3rd day of run Studio Built Royal Bed for Pompadour by Scaling Drawings Making 2 bed for a king’s favorite requires ingenuity, imagination and a vast amount of material. They built just such a bed at the Warner Bros. studios; a_ bed for Madame Pompadour, whose poudoir was the real throne room of France during the reign of Louis XV and who figures importantly in the story of “Voltaire” in which George Arliss is starred and now showing at the Theatre. They built the Pompadour’s bed to seale from drawings made of it during the height of her power. Although she never actually oeccupies the bed in the picture, it was obviously the most spectacular and interesting feature of her poudoir. The “inside rag department,” that branch of the studio’s drapery department which provides all interior cloth trim to sets, went the limit on this assignment. First a recess lined with sky blue silk damask was arranged. Across this recess gold broeade drapes could be pulled at will. The bed itself, since it was not to be actually oeeupied, was a wooden affair without springs, covered with gold cloth and lace and surmounted by a twelve foot canopy of gold brocade topped by a great crown of gold and turquoise blue ostrich feathers. It was all very regal and very spectacular and very uncomfortable, but it was accurate, even to the number of ostrich plumes decorating the crown. Doris Kenyon has the role of Madame Pompadour while others in the east include Margaret Lind say, Theodore Newton, Reginald Owen, Alan Mowbray and Helena Phillips. John Adolfi directed. Ath day of run Doris Kenyon Had to Use Loors Reserved for Trucks as Exit It required two men to get Doris Kenyon on and off the Warner Bros. sound stages during the filming of Plays Glamorous Role in “Voltaire” i CURRENT PUBLICITY Arliss Triumphs Anew George Arliss gives his greatest biographical portrayal as the eccentric French ~~ genius, Voltaire, in the picture now playing at the Strand. Cut No. 26 Cut 30¢ Mat 106 the George Arliss picture, “Voltaire,” now showing at the Theatre. Miss Kenyon plays the role of Madame Pompadour in this produetion and as the lovely mistress of King Louis XV, she wears copies of the dresses popular in his spendthrift court. These dresses were elaborate creations, consisting of tier upon tier of brocade and satin with hoop skirts often more than six feet wide. The skirts could not be squeezed through the usual pedestrian doors of the sound stages without damage and it was consequently necessary to let Miss Kenyon on and off the stages through the great sliding double doors usually reserved for trucks and huge pieces of scenery. Since these doors are thirty feet wide and twenty-five feet high, Miss Kenyon had no difficulty in getting the doors without damage to the elaborate dress she wore. In the supporting cast besides Miss Kenyon are Margaret Lindsay, Theodore Newton, Reginald Owen, Alan Mowbray and Helena Phillips. The late John Adolfi directed. through 5th day of run | Geo. Arliss Reviles Shakespeare But Has His Fingers Crossed Theodore Newton Learns /ful buildings of all history, was re |tion during the reign of. Louis XIV lof feet i “Voltaire,” 7th day of run Beautiful Versailles Almost 500 Candles Palace Reproduced | Used in “Voltaire’s” For “Voltaire” Film| Gay Court Sequences Four thousand seven hundred and eighty-two candles of various sizes, shapes and colors were burned during the filming of the Warner Oth day of run famous, and most beauti most of the the one One of certainly produced for George Arliss’ latest : ‘ : ; Warner Bros. picture “Voltaire,” Bros. picture, “Voltaire,” starring sow ak the Theatre.| George Arliss and now at the The building is the famous Pal-|-----: Theatre. Yet the ace at Versailles, which was origlight they gave was scarcely a millionth part of that actually used inally a chateau, then a fortress, | ° 3 : with a moat around it. Under|in photographing the picture. Louis XIII the marble court was Voltaire was a noted night owl and the French court of Louis XV to comple and Madame Pompadour, which he begun, and was carried |— the Magnificent Louis, who also frequented, observed no regular laid out and executed the famous| ours, so that much of the story | gardens, of “Voltaire” is of necessity told Of briek and marble and white arrite . benny ears nag sindstone, the court is one of the yur — ; — hee ne : ; of light at the time, even in the most pretentious ever built, as fam. can ta a O60 ca Saltese Pad royal palaces, and great chandeliers | oe in 7 Rome a iaicichuatioan and containing hustred: of Se Windsor Seloden age a a candles, are. consequently featured ; os ——— in many sequences of the picture. The entire marble court, hundreds length, and eovering an stage, constructed = for of the scenes take place. It is here that Voltaire baits King XV and is only saved from the Bastille by the intercession of the King’s mistress, Mme. Pompadour, played by Kenyon. entire Just one of the many studio lights used to light the sets of “Voltaire” gives off many times the actual amount of light furnished by the whole 4,782 candles, so they were of no actual help in photographing the scenes, save that of atmosphere. “Voltaire” is an intensely dramatie presentation of the turbulent life of the great French wit and ngitator, who was only saved from Louis’ wrath by the intervention of Madame Pompadour, who admired Voltaire for his wit. in entire was where many Louis Doris The picture staged on a stupendous scale with spectacular is and dramatic seenes. A strong cast supports Mr. Arliss, including Doris Kenyon, Margaret Lindsay, Theo Among those who support Mr, Ardore Newton, Reginald Owen and| iss are Doris Kenyon, Margaret Alan Mowbray. John Adolfi di-| Lindsay, Theodore Newton, Regi rected. The nald Owen and Alan Mowbray. late John Adolfi directed. Knack of Wearing Sword|Geo. Arliss’ Stand-In George Arliss, who possesses all | Worried by Bald Pate the average actor’s reverence for| Wn ambitious young actor, Shakespeare, found himself saying struggling with his first spear carryGeorge Atkinson, who “stands unecomplimentary lines about the ing job on the legitimate stage, ever|in” for George Arliss while the world’s greatest poet-playwright|h1q more trouble with his “props”|eameras are focused and the lights during the filming of his latest War-|than Theodore Newton, playing a] adjusted, worried considerably ner Bros. picture “Voltaire,” now|romantic young French officer of Louis XV’s sword. at the Theatre. Voltaire, perhaps the greatest of | French playwrights, was noted for his ability, his sardonie humor and| his conceit. He is known to have} made many slighting remarks about the Englishman named Shakespeare who had preceded him to fame by a hundred years. Some of those, lines were lifted from ‘Voltaire’s works and _ ineorporated in_ the dialogue used by Arliss in the picture. So, as Voltaire, Arliss utters sarcastie comments on the ability of the great Bard of Avon but keeps his fingers mentally crossed — as Voltaire may have done too — while he says them. The picture is mounted production of the gay court life the Palace of Versailles| where Voltaire was a frequent visitor during the time of Louis XV. This highly dramatie and intensely exciting drama of court intrigue and political strife is based on the novel by George Gibbs and E. Lawrence | Dudley. Among those in the cast} are Doris Kenyon as Mme. Pompa Lindsay, Theodore Owen and Alan Adolfi directed. an elaborately | in Margaret Reginald John dour, Newton, Mowbray. “Voltaire” Features a Play Within a Play the latest Warner Bros. George Ar liss picture, “Voltaire,” now at the Theatre. Like Hamlet, Voltaire decided there was nothing like presenting a drama of the King’s misdeeds be him to eatch the kingly con science. Margaret Lindsay, Theodore Newton and Douglas Dumbrille are the principals in the play fore There’s a play within a play in| about doubling for the famous actor in the role of “Voltaire,” a Warner Bros, picture now showing at the Theatre. Voltaire was notoriously bald. A special wig was designed for Mr. Arliss, a wig which hides his own hair and gives him a bald pate. The wig makers declared they were making only one such wig and that Atkinson, to approximate the appearance of the actor in the Voltaire role, would have to shave his head. But later an ordinary bald wig was rented and he was allowed to keep his hair. court, had with his While rehearsing for his part in the new Warner Bros. George Arliss picture, “Voltaire,” now at the trad Theatre, Newton neglected to practice the art of striding about with a dangling sword side-swiping his heels. When he found himself tangled up in the elaborate uniform of the part, he realized his mistake. He stumbled through his first seene and onee it was over, repaired to the sidelines to practice. Ravishing New Luminary Lo Ww ese ann it Doris Kenyon, in the fascinating character of Madame de Pompadour, is one of the all-star cast supporting George Arliss in his most recent triumph, “Voltaire,” at the Strand. , Cut No, 28 Cut 30c Mat roc now showing let, while Doris Kenyon, as Mme. Pompadour, Reginald Owen as the King Louis XV, and the courtiers look on. It is all a part of the dramatic story of the life of Voltaire, the famous wit and playwright, who escaped the Bastille for his audacity thfough the intercession of Pompadour. Margaret Lindsay, whose beauty was = ~ He h spots of “ pe has one of the leadi roles in “V oltaire,’ George Arliss latest and greatest picture, current at oJ Cut No. 27 Cut 300° Mat roc Page Eleven — 3s a 4 g