Talking Picture Magazine (Jan 1933 - Jul 1934)

Page 22 TALKING PICTURE MAGAZINE Nov.-Dec, 1933 THE STOLEN BRIDE Willie Hebert Drama File No. 9384 rpHE; elder Cooper prided himself upon his sportl ing blood. It was a matter of pride to him. a member of the 400 that he invested money in Broadway shows. But when he learned that his son, Jerry, safely engaged to Mathilda, one of the season's debutantes and daughter of one of Cooper s former partner's, had become interested m a show girl, his blood boiled. Jerry, while visiting a night club had stood by while a girl, resenting the clinging hands of one of the patrons, had been fired. She had been an excellent little dancer, and Jerry, was touched by her spirit in explaining she had been hired to entertain the club's guests only by dancing. As he waited for her outside, he offered his sympathy. He learned that she had no hope of getting another postiion and promised to try to get her into his father's show. Lee, the dance director, was sceptical about Jerry's enthusiasm, but he admitted he needed a specialty dancer and agreed finally to see the girl at work. Janet was taken on and her gratitude to Jerry was touching until the day that Mathilda, calling for Jerry, saw him in conversation with the little dancer and possessively drew him away. It was then that Mathilda thought Jerry's father ought to know about how matters stood. Mr. Cooper's reaction was to call Lee and order the immediate dismissal of Janet. Lee objected that she was necessary to the show, but when Cooper threatened to withdraw his financial support, Lee reluctantly fired Janet. At home, Mathilda was waiting for Jerry and as she sweetly put her arm through his she explained coyly that her Jerry had been a naughty_ boy but now that Janet was gone, she would forgive him. "Janet gone!" Jerry exploded and Mathilda angered by his concern took her departure. Jerry found his father and the two were locked in argument for hours. At length) Jerry appealed to his father's sporting' instinct. Against Cooper's arguments that Mathilda loved him, that she was one of his people, whereas Janet was probably out for his money, Jerry offered to wager his father was wrong. The two agreed that they were to act as though Cooper had disowned his son. Meanwhile Lee burned up the wires and sarcastically informed Cooper that money or no money the show needed the Garden girl and she was re-instated. Meekly Cooper yielded adding that it didn't matter he wanted his son to see more of the girl now to find out what she really wanted. Jerry, moved out of his father's big home, took a single room in a boarding house and got himself a position as a mechanic at a garage. When Mathilda drove her big roadster in to be greased and Jerry emerged smudged and grinning, she blinked. "Jerry! What are you doing!" Jerry explained that he and his father had disagreed. Shrewdly Mathilda hazarded the guess that he was cut ofif, and as Jerry forbore answering, Mathilda looked at her watch and as she drove off, Jerry heard a faint, "Goodness." It was Mathilda's car that had to be greased the night of the show. Jerry swore softly as he realized he had missed Janet's turn but when, greasy as he was he heard the comments of the theater-goers about the new sensation, he waited happily at the stage door. Janet came out forlornly. At sight of Jerry she flew into his arms, heedless of grease. Jerry drove furiously. "Where did you get that outfit?" Janet asked. "My new job." "Working, Jerry?" "Uh huh." "That's marvellous." _ Then, "Jerry where are we going?" "I'm kidnapping you. We're going to be married. Happy?" "Oh Jerry," And when Jerry, still greasy, telephoned his father that he had elopeci, and his father answered, "Thought you would," Jerry returned to his bride whose face was not a little greasy too, by this time. DOCTOR, DOCTOR A. E. Johns Short Subject File No. 9772 TOSSING feverishly in bed, Jim screws up his face as his wife Molly tells him he has a fever and says she's listened to him long enough she's going for a doctor whether he wants one or not. Jim groans and buries his head petulantly in the covers. Molly seizes Jim firmly by the arm and brings him to a large office building where there is a sign, "Doctor X." Jim protests then claims he'll go alone. Leaving Molly sitting in the lobby Jim asks a porter where Doctor X's office is, and is told to follow. As they proceed up a small flight of stairs, Jim finds it hard going and reaching the top he finds the attendant has disappeared, and only a long flight of steps stretches before him. With a great effort he starts climbing, falling to his knees frequently until, exhausted he reaches the top. Only flights and flights of steps loom upward and he sighs heavily as he makes his way to a chair. As he seats himself the legs give away just as a man and woman in evening clothes pass with a haughty air. Can you please tell me what floor Doctor X is on?" he asks pitifully. "Tenth," the man answers shortly as he disappears with the woman. Jim shakes his head at the prospect but as he turns to go down he finds the stairs up which he has come are gone. All the steps lead upward. As he struggles desperately, people pass him going down but none pays any attention to him. On hands and knees he reaches the third landing and as he sees a faucet and a glass he manages a look of relief only to fall back in dismay as he discovers everything is under glass and out of reach. Parched, he groans as signs read, "Dry Hot Sun Baths." "No Water." "Hot Tamales." "Dry Cleaning." He stumbles toward a narrow staircase but is pushed aside by a succession of fat women entering the Hot Sun Bath room. After they have passed, he drags himself upstairs and sees a fountain. Just as he reaches it the water is shut off and with a cry Ee pushes on to a room where men are sitting at tables drinking beer. The look of happiness in his eyes is misinterpreted by a woman who calls the bouncer and Jim is lifted high in the air by a kick. He lands on a pedestal which swings back and sends him flying on until he lands at the feet of a lady who hears him ask where Doctor X is and goes into a long sales talk recommending Dr. M. three floors higher up. At length she tells him the elevators are around the corner but when he gets there he gets dizzy at the many corners. Racing wildly around them he finally gets to an elevator. The door opens. The elevator boy hands him a rope and a moment later the bottom of the elevator drops. Suspended in midair, Jim notices all the other ropes are moving up and down but his is stationary. In desperation he begins to climb and loses his hat, his shoes, his socks and in a frantic effort to retain his trousers, loses his hold on the rope. Down, down he goes until he landswaist deep in a desert of sand. "Water, Water, Water!" he cries but his tongue is so thick he can scarcely make himself audible. At this point Molly comes back with the doctor who examines the patient and asks, "How does a glass of water appeal to you." The clock on the night table shows only a few moments have passed and the story ends with Jim sleeping peacefully while Molly sits in a rocker, gently watching him. THE CLAW OF THE BEAST Cowan Eskie Drama File No. 10024 FOR three long days the Oakmans await the return of _ their daughter Sally from the university it has taken years of slaving on their farm to send her to. When at last her letter saying she has gone on to New York with friends reaches them, Mrs. (Aunt Jane) Oakman becomes ill from the shock. Desultory letters follow but when, nionths later, Sally writes she is coming home for a visit, the house is scrubbed from top to bottom for her. But it is a strangely changed, a hardened Sally who drops in with her pokerfaced city friends Jack and Stella. Jack and Sally's brother Stan quarrel but when Sally leaves, she has with her six thousand dollars she has wheedled from her indulgent father. That six thousand dollars represents a mortgage on the farm, but Sally is certain her investment in a tea room will bring immediate returns. It is Stan's staunch friend Nina who discovers the mortgage on the Oakman farm and guesses that Milo Snead, the money lender will spare no trick to gain possession of the land. Snead's first step is to pay the tobacco buyers to pass up the Oakman's unusually fine crop and Dolph, realizing that Sally has duped him, confesses shamefacedly to his wife what he has done. Then one night Sally returns but before she can reach home she faints and receives shelter at the home of the widow Scallin who sends for Nina. Touched by the girl's plight, Nina sends for the doctor and together they keep the secret of Sally's whereabouts and the fact that she gives birth to a child. That same night Jack comes after Sally and Stan sends him packing. A car without lights almost runs Stan down as he returns to his house and the next morning Jack is found murdered and Stan, on the evidence of the quarrels and a gun, is accused. Certainly Stan is innocent but it will require money to prove it and Dolph needs money to meet the mortgage too. Nina, meanwhile, has been braving town gossip for love of Stan and now she sends to New York for detectives who identify the murdered Jack as a gangster. His racket was to send Stella to college towns, pick out victims to introduce to spenders, and then turn the girl's head by the glamour. A supposed marriage at a phoney Justice of the Peace, an unfrocked clergyman, induced the girl to invest money in a "tea room." Sally had escaped the fate of the others — being taken for a ride to make room for the next victim, but some of Jack's men who had been gunning for him for the last trick, had gotten him and Stan is freed. Nina sounds the Oakmans and finds that to them Sally is still the prodigal, and her return brings joy to troubled hearts. Meanwhile _ Snead, determined to have his way holds the auction but amidst great surprise. Scot Hutter. the village clown bids highest and pays cash. Then Stan reveals that Scot was bidding for him and the money had come as an advance payment on the "weeds" which Stan had always experimented with. The Oakmans, their farm saved, admit two additions to their fold, — Sally's cherub-faced child, and Stan's lovely bride, Nina. Lenore Lizotte CONFESSION Melodrama File No. 10571 JACK GIBBENS, owner of a ranch in Oklahoma, informs his daughter that she must marry Ben Morris, the son of an Indian chief, who has inherited many head rights, although she pleads, with tears in her eyes, that the only man she ever loved is Alfred Kent, a jobber. Fearful that his daughter, Sarah, may elope with her sweetheart. Jack rushes preparations for the wedding, and it is held that night at the little country church, while the girl looks longingly toward Alfred's home; as he IS away at the time, he knows nothing of the occurrence. Steve Gill, the village stofekeeper, attempts to seize Sarah at the wedding, as he, too loves her but Jack silences his interruption with a ivV^i ^%V'i"u'^ ceremony is at last com pleted. Molly Wabbaneau, an Indian girl, comes to Steve, requesting money, as she is the mother of his child, and is in desperate need, but she is rudely refused, as the infuriated storekeeper leaves the church. When Alfred discovers that Sarah is married, he hastens to her, and she replies that she feared her father might injure him if she did not acquiesce to his wishes. Although still loving Alfred as deeply as ever, she tells him that she will be true to her husband, as long as he lives. While riding through town one afternoon, Alfred sees Steve beating his natural son, Ned, whose mentality is that of a moron; quickly, he forces Steve to leave the poor fellow alone. Six months after his marriage, Ben rides to town and purchases tobacco at Steve's store; the storekeeper signals Ned to follow him on his return, home. Anxiously, that night, Sarah awaits her husband, and whe'n she hears a knock at the dood at two in the morning, opens it— to admit Steve. As he is struggling with her, Alfred, attracted by her cries for help, as he is passing, enters, and throws Steve to the ground, ordering him out of the house. Joe Kent, Alfred's brother, comes to Sarah's home with his wife, as they are destitute. A few days later, a baby is born to Joe's wife. Desperately in need, they are forced to accept a few provisions from the midwife, who attends, but the following day, Alfred supplies his brother liberally with funds which he states Steve's son has advanced to him. The body of Ben is found, and a few hours later, Steve is discovered, murdered, in a well. The midwife tells her son, who is the county sheriff, that the Kent brothers suddenly came into money, and as it is known that Alfred is in love with Sarah, the two are arrested, and charged with the double murder. Circumstantial evidence convicts the two, and the sheriff is on his way to officiate at their hanging when he, too, is mysteriously murdered, and found much later. A few hours later, Ned hysterically confesses to the catholic priest that he' murdered Ben because he feared his father's wrath if he didn't carry out this order, and later killed Steve in order to help his only friend. Alfred, as he needed money. At last, he murdered the sheriff that he might not kill the two Kent brothers. "This triple confession saves the young men, but Ned is taken into custody. When the jailer brings him his meal, he discovers that the unfortunate man has taken his own life, with a pocket knife. Alfred and his brother discover oil on property they own jointly, and while Joe takes his wife and child to their home, Alfred at last wins Sarah, as his wife. Joe A. White COUPLED Short Subject File No. 10425 WHEN John, a farmer boy, tells his friend, Pete, that he wishes to marry but cannot find a girl who will have him, and freckle-faced Mary Jane confides the same desire, he decides to bring them together. Taking John to the farm owned by Mary Jane's father, Pete finds the girl sitting on a hay stack, and, after introducing his friend, leaves them alone. The proposal is soon made and accepted; three weeks later the two are married. Established in her new home, Mary Jane is busily sewing, when she breaks her needle. Calling her husband on the telephone at the store where he spends much of his time, Mary Jane asks him to bring her a needle. As he is on his way home with it he meets his godfather, driving a wagon load of hay, and climbs up to ride with him, absent-mindedly placing the needle in the hay, where he later is unable to find it. Disgusted with him for this carelessness, Mary Jane tells him to stick the needle in his wais'tcoat next time. As she works in the garden, she breaks her hoe, and tells John to bring home another one, which he attempts to fasten in his waistcoat, causing him to rip and break it. In annoyance, Mary Jane tells him he should have tied it to a rope and fastened it about his shoulders; she then asks him to bring home two live pigs from town, and he follows this procedure with them, but they almost choke to death, as they swing from his shoulder, and finally break loose from the rope and escape. On market day, Mary Jane sends John to sell the honey, advising him to let prospective customers taste it, if they wish. He tells everyone who approaches his booth just to taste the honey, and soon it is all gone. That evening Mary Jane tells him he has made a mistake, and he must never try to sell to people who talk too much, as they do not wish to buy. She sends him again, this time with two hogs, but he avoids anyone who! questions him about them, or asks to buy them, refusing to answer. By nightfall, he starts homeward with them, but a storm comes up and seeks refuge in a church. He sees the figure of a man just outside the building, and asks if he wishes to buy the hogs. When he does not answer, John concludes that this is the customer Mary Jane had in mind, and ties the animals to his outstretched hand, trusting him for the money until later. Next morning he discovers that his "customer" is a wooden saint, and the hogs have escaped. Despairing of his ability to sell anything, Mary Jane goes to the market herself, leaving John in charge of the farm. She cautions him especially to look after the loaves of bread she has just baked, see that no one steals the wine, and that nothing disturbs the hen who supplies their table with eggs. John goes to the cellar for wine, and loses the cork to the" barrel; calling his dog. Lis