Watch on the Rhine (Warner Bros.) (1943)

BEULAH BONDI STORY e PRODUCTION FEATURES se nn SSCS ET ST a ae Te a Still WR 53; Mat 204—30c Bette Davis and Paul Lukas play the leading roles in Warner Bros.’ filmization of Lillian Hellman’s prize-winning play, ‘Watch on the Rhine,” now at the Strand Theatre. Stock to Broadway to Hollywood Story of Veteran Beulah Bondi Beulah Bondi, prominently featured in Warners’ “Watch on the Rhine’ at the Strand Theatre, came to Hollywood from New York.« but=1t would be a mistake to say she is a product of the Broadway stage. Before she arrived there, to become known as one of its most able character actresses, Miss x Bondi had Mat 108—15c¢ played over 250 Beulah Bondi roles during her stock training with companies throughout the country. The middle-west was her birthplace and it was there she received most of her education and theatre training. As a little girl she showed an aptitude for recitations, and she followed this with dramatic studies at school. Later she took a masters degree in oratory at Valparaiso University and for a while she was a member of the Chicago Little Theatre. She went on the stage with Stuart Walker, who at that time had a company which played in Indianapolis and Cincinnati. It was with him that Miss Bondi received much of her experience. Her roles on Broadway which won her national recognition were in “One of the Family,” “Saturday’s Children,” “Cock Robin,” “Street Scene” and “Christopher Bean,” her last Broadway play. She was brought to Hollywood for the first time in the summer of 1931 to appear in the movie version of “Street Scene.’ Then as a free’ lance player she appeared in 17 pictures in succesion. She was cast for an important role in “Maid of Salem,” and had leading role with Victor Moore in-The* Years; “Are~ So’ Long:” Her other pictures include “Hearts Divided,’ ‘Vivacious Lady,’ * "The: Sisters,” -“On> Borrowed Time,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “Our Town,” “The Shepherd of the Hill,” ‘Penny Serenade” and “One Foot in Heaven.” “Watch on the Rhine” is her latest picture. After All, Who Can Blame Him? Twelve-year-old Eric (“Bodo”) Roberts, the enfant terrible who made life horrible for members of the New York cast of “Watch on the Rhine,” the stage play, pulled a one-boy rebellion on the Warner Bros. lot during the filmization of the play, now at the Strand Theatre. A scene from the movie version calls for Bodo to take a bath. The kid is demanding a stunt check. Bette Loves-y Everybod-y Whose-y Names-y End-y in Y And If It Isn’t That Way When She Meets You, She'll Change It Does your name end in “Y’? Bette Davis loves you. And when Miss D. puts her stamp of approval on a person, his or her name must automatically end in wy? The list has grown slowly but today it is fairly long, Bette being the kind of person who likes a lot of people. Some of them, Geraldine Fitzgerald, for instance, who appears with Miss Davis in the Strand Theatre’s current att voeuronu. “Watch on the Rhine,’ have fought frustrated little battles to keep Mat 105—15¢ their own Geraldine names, but in Fitzgerald Hollywood a Davis appellation seems to stick like an Act of Congress; Miss Fitzgerald _ is “Fitzy,” and that’s that. a One Explanation “IT think,” said Geraldine, who is Irish and believes in pixies, “I think there is something deeply psychological about all this. Bette dropped the ‘Y’ from her own name. So she hangs a ‘Y’ on everybody else. “T think I shall call a meeting.” Geraldine was grinning wickedly by now. “I shall call a meeting of all Bette’s ‘Y’ friends. We will demand that Miss Davis take back her lost “Y’ and make it ‘B-E-T-T-Y,’ or else quit “Y’ing’ us.” The “Y” meeting would be attended by some interesting people. Olivia (“Livvy”) de Havilland would be prominent. Perc (“Percy”) Westmore, George (“Georgie”) Brent, Humphrey (“Bogey”) Bogart, John (“Johnnie’) Garfield, Priscilla (‘‘Prissy”) Lane, Ida (“Loupie”’) Lupino, Dennis (“Denny”) Morgan, Edward (“Eddy”) G. Robinson, Ronald (‘Ronnie’) Reagan, Ann (“Annie”) Sheridan and Jane (‘Janie’) Bryan would be among those present. All were dubbed by Bette. An “IE” is as good as Be as Which it is. Bette’s husband, Arthur Farnsworth, is “Farnie.”’ Her personal hairdresser and confidante of many years, Margaret Donavan, is “Maggie.” Her personal maid, Edith Kemp, a dignified colored woman, long since resigned herself to “Kempy.” The Scottie dog is ““Tibbie.”’ Still WR 60* ; Mat 205—30c Paul Lukas, Bette Davis and George Coulouris are seen in a dramatic moment from Warner Bros.’ “Watch on the Rhine,” which is the current attraction at the Strand Theatre. Often When Actors Look Tired They Really Feel That Way When actors look hot, tired and exhausted on the screen it often happens that they are hot, tired and exhausted. i hete vis. 2 scene in Warfer bros.” “Watch on the Rhine,” opening Friday at the Strand Theatre, that is a warm case in point. Bette Davis, Paul Lukas and their ee screen children, Mat 102—15¢ Janis Wilson, Bette Davis Eric Roberts and Donald Buka, are approaching a United States Immigration Bureau station on the Mexican border. They are refugees from Europe —from all parts of Europe, as a matter of fact, for they are Nazihaters and have fought Nazis in every country they could make a stand. Now they are coming home, poverty-smitten, heart-sick, and with a deep hunger for a little security and a kind word. That is the way they look. Also, as a matter of fact, it is about the way almost anybody would look under the blanketing heat of a California sun a low, atid valley. No military secret now, the temperature registered more than 90 when Director Herman Shunilin shot the scene. Bette Davis, always a potential victim to sunstroke, perched under a canvas umbrella when she could between scenes. Playing the part of a mother of three, she wore cotton padding in order to look a bit matronly. A California valley in midsummer is dusty, as arid and airless as the inside of an hourglass. The players were soon grimy. Carrying heavy suitcases and lugging heavy coats under their arms, they were soon tired. When the long shots, the medium shots, and the closeups were completed late in the afternoon, Miss Davis, Mr. Lukas & Co. were ready to drop. They looked a great deal like refugees might look as they ended a wearisome trek—hot, exhausted and discouraged. They were. Still WR 44* ; Mat 202—30c Paul Lukas, Bette Davis and George Coulouris are shown in a scene from “Watch on the Rhine,” now playing at the Strand. “T used to have such a nice name,” sighed Geraldine Fitzgerald. Still WR 56* ; Mat 209—30c George Coulouris and Geraldine Fitzgerald top the supporting cast in the Strand Theatre’s new film, ‘‘Watch on the Rhine.” 8