Wild Boys of the Road (Warner Bros.) (1933)

ADVANCE PUBLICITY your 1st story “Wild Boys of Road” Next Strand Picture Is Based Upon Fact Purveyor of amusement’ to the world, Hollywood not so long ago startled the world with “I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang,” a Warner Bros. picture. by this Eneouraged success in ____ substituting real, living drama of the times for the synthetic drama of fiction, the same studio has made “Wild Boys of.the Road,” the story of the 500,000 young Americans who are wandering loose over the country’s roads today. The picture, which is being released by First National, opens at the Theatre Not that “Wild Boys of the Road” is all stark drama. Youth of the ages of the wandering boys and girls in America today is too irrepressible for that. Comedy and the exuberance of the very young vie with the naked realities of the situation — a situation that at the present time has ealled forth a Congressional investigation. So numerous have these wandering boys become over the country, it is impossible for state and city government to either house, feed, or clothe them. The sick and the criminal are weeded out from time to time and sent off to hospitals and reformatories, but the great. mass of them are allowed to continue their wandering as long as they do not interfere with the normal life of the communities they pass through. Facts of this momentous national problem were unearthed by Danny Ahearn, youthful author of “Wild Boys of the Road,’ who chanced on his story when he talked with several of the homeless au axeuw 20rk’s Central who subsequently lived for six months among them in their “jungles” and “sewer pipe cities” over the country gathering material. He found disease and crime rife, disrespect for law and order almost the common thing. He found boys and girls of good families and excellent training degenerating into wandering animals. But, worst of all, he found general indifference or utter hopelessness the attitude of the authorities whose business it should be to cope with the situation. It had grown too big for them to attempt to control. A talented cast of young actors and actresses has been assembled for “Wild Boys of the Road.” Dorothy Coonan and Ann Hovey, both formerly of the choruses of “42nd Street” and “Gold Diggers of 1933” have the two leading feminine roles. Frankie Darro, Edwin Philips and Sterling Holloway play the leading male roles. In addition, scores of actual “Wild Boys of the Road” are used in the scenes depicting the life of the boys in an improvised city made entirely of sewer pipe. William Wellman directed. roanunester Park, an your 2nd story Strong Drama Filmed of Young America As It Marches to Hell “Ripped from the front pages of America’s newspapers, “Wild Boys of the Road”, a First National pieture, comes to the .......... Theatre next ‘as .a. vivid depiction of what a half a million of America’s boys and girls in their teens are going through in this country. Five hundred thousand of these “wild boys” it was recently reported to a Congressional investigating committee — boys and girls mixed, were riding on freight trains, living under bridges, in hobo jungles, in “sewer pipe-cities”, in swamps, victims of diseases, without law, panhandling, begging, bumming, fighting, with no one seemingly caring Page Four Desperate ‘Wild Boys’ Battle Railroad Cops! SENSATIONAL RIOT SCENE FROM “WILD BOYS OF THE ROAD” First National Picture which comes Frankie Darro and Dorothy Coonan are featured. to the Strand Theatre your 3rd story Sensational Details ‘Concerning 500,000 Homeless Boys Bared The newest sensational picture of actual happenings to follow “I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang” out of the First National Studio is “Wild Boys of the Road”, which COMes:--b0-Sth6.2--sare to Theatre Oe ee, co It was feared ee re Sees he «om when CITC U IAs wp + om believe that such conditions existed. The same fear governed the production of “Wild Boys’. Yet the facts are true and unvarnished —although unknown to perhaps ninety per cent of the population of the country. In the juvenile court of Judge Blake in Los Angeles alone, from sixty to seventy of these “Wild Boys” are tried every day. And this is duplicated in every city of the country. Caught in the freight yards, they are hailed into juvenile court, where they are offered their choice of “Bugitive” Ore =rwUu serving a term for vagrancy or going to work for the state at seventy-five cents a day. They invariably accept the latter alternative and are put to work by the state on roads and farms. Their pay, however, is not given to them, but saved for them until an amount sufficient to pay their fare home has been earned, when they are taken off the pay roll and shipped to their home town. Among the seventy boys tried by Judge Blake, three or four are generally girls dressed in boys’ clothes! The picture paints the adventures and hardships in the lives of these road kids, of whom it is estimated there are 500,000 roaming the country. The screen play by Earl Baldwin is based on the story by Danny Ahearn who lived with these boys in their camps and _ testified concerning them before a Congressional investigating committee. In the east, besides 250 wild boys, are Frankie Darro, Dorothy Coonan, Rochelle Hudson, Edwin Philips, Ann Hovey and others. It was directed by William A. Wellman. eee a in the least what became of them. This is the smashing and _ heartrending drama of our times told in “Wild Boys of the Road”. It is a story that will live for long in the memories of those who view it, for it is the story of young America that has strayed from protective firesides. The leading feminine role in the story is played by Dorothy Coonan, who came out of the choruses of “42nd Street” and “Gold Diggers of 1933”. Other roles are all taken by youths under twenty. Frankie Darro, Edwin Philips, Ann Hovey, Sterling Holloway. next. Cut No.7 Cut4s5c¢ Mat rsc your 4th story Director Wellman Breaks Watermelon Over Sleuth’s Head William A. Wellman, while con ceded to be one of the ablest motion picture directors in Hollywood, has never quite outgrown his boyhood chievousness and somewhat erratic love for pranks. His mis temner._infact have earned him the sobriquet of “Wild Bill: This propensity brought Bill real enjoyment the making of the First National picture “Wild Boys of the Road”, which at the ene ae Theatre on And he took scene in which about 250 boys bom bard eggs in opens particular joy in a railroad deteetives with and overripe vegetables. The for pulling his punches and he gave the boys to and then use all the muscle they had. He when the dicks emerged from the director is known not explicit instructions aim chuckled loud and long battle smeared with eggs and dripping with tomato juice. Not fun of looking on, however, he deto self. So in the afternoon when he staged another shot of the same scene he appeared dressed in overalls and an old sweater. After instructing the eompany as to what he wanted done, he left his assistant at the megaphone and joined the ranks of boys. Bill didn’t throw any eggs. He stood innocently in the open door of a freight car. When one of the detectives fled to the car for refuge, Bill picked up a huge watermelon. The detective was half way in the car when Bill squashed the melon content with the vicarious cided get into the fracas him over his head and chortled aloud in glee. The astonished detective decided it was better to face the eggs. This is one of the humorous incidents, of which there are many, in a picture that is for the most part powerful drama, dealing with the heart rending -conditions of the thousands upon thousands of youths who are now wandering about the country as vagrants and potential criminals. The story was written by Danny Ahearn, a former newspaper man and author of “Pieture Snatcher”, who lived in the camps with these boys in order to learn their story. The principal players include Frankie Darro, Dorothy Coonan, Rochelle Hudson, Edwin Philips, Ann Hovey and Arthur Hohl. Baldwin wrote the sereen play. Earl -your Oth story College Youths Are Among Those Ghosen For “Wild Boys” Film Young America assembled in force on the lawns of the First National studio during the production of “Wild Boys of the Road,” Which comesst0: the <<... a= fa east Nhedtte on eo seaae ho ot os » while Director William A. Wellman picked types. to portray America’s 500,000 vagabond vouths. whose hitherto unwritten "St®.y 48 low dramatized on the screen. There were 500 youngsters in line as the director appraised them. Keen-eyed youths, ranging in age from sixteen to twenty, boys who would have been in college if other things had been equal, with here and there a sprinkling of college graduates or young men who had been through a year or two at some university, before cireumstances compelled them to. forego the balance of their college course. In making “Wild Boys of the Road,” First National took pains to avoid types that had already begun to show the wear and tear of vagabond life these homeless outcast youngsters have been compelled to lead. Director Wellman shows the deterioration and demoralization of these boys, by gradual stages, until they are, for the most part, confirmed hoboes, preferring the precarious life they are leading to the normal life that was denied them. Frankie Darro, who had the principal juvenile role in “Mayor of Hell” with James Cagney, will play the leading part in “Wild Boys.” Others in the cast include Dorothy Coonan, Rochelle Hudson, Edwin Philips and Ann Hovey. The screen play by Earl Baldwin is Three Glasses of Among the American workers there But ers, the shifting, nomadic groups are no class distinctions. among American non-work which use empty freight cars to follow the sun, there are three distinct classes, and they never mingle. Bindle Stiffs are who follow the harvests. They generally carry a roll of blankets on their backs. They have their own jungles, and resent being called hoboes—which they are not, for they are always willing to work when work is offered. Hoboes comprise the second class. They are the knights of the road, the order of the never the tramps your Oth story “Gold Diggers” Girl Jumps From Ghorus Inte Featured Rele Hollywood’s most romantic story of a chorus girl’s rise to fame concerns Dorothy Coonan, pretty brunette, who has the feminine lead in First National’s “Wild Boys of the Road,” which opens at the Pheatre: OM ete: tai sst eed see Dorothy, who is seventeen, was chosen for the role after fifty female players; including some of Hollywood’s best known, had taken the test for it. Her own screen experience consists of three years’ work in the various choruses directed by Busby Berkeley, beginning with “Whoopee” and ending with “Gold Diggers of 1933.” Before that Dorothy went to grammar schools and high schools in California and was tutored in French, music and mathematics privately. Her choice for “Wild Boys” came as the culmination of some of the most exacting tests ever given for a role of this kind. She was the unanimous choice of the director and executives. That she lived up to her tests is shown by the fact that when her work in the picture was reviewed, she was immediately signed up to a long term contract. Others in the east of “Wild Boys” include Frankie Darro, Rochelle Hudson, Edwin Philips, Ann Hovey, Arthur Hohl and Robert Barrat. The sereen play by Earl Baldwin is based on a novel by Danny Ahearn and directed by William A. Wellman. E Oh, You Hobo ! DOROTHY COONAN plays her first big role in “Wild Boys of the Road” coming to Strand Theatre next. Cut No.2 Cut r5c: Mat 5c based on a story by Danny Ahearn, who spent six months in these boy camps. “Boes’ Never Mix workers. In this elass will be found the harmless tramp and also criminals. oy Wild Boys form the _ third class. They are the kids from fifteen to twenty who have been roaming the country jobless and homeless. It is their story which is presented in the First. National picture, “Wild Boys of the Road”, which comes to the Theatre on story was written by Danny Ahearn, ex-newspaper man, who spent several months bumming around the country with these boys. Frankie Darro, Dorothy Coonan, Rochelle Hudson, Edwin Philips, Ann Hovey and Arthur Hohl are in the east. William A Wellman directed.