Universal Weekly (1932-1936)

Nov. 4. 1933 UNIVERSAL WEEKLY. 9 Who Stole This Picture^ Anyway? mt articles which ever appeared in Hill, is re-printed by permission her, out this week. The New Movie Also in Home, Love and Mystery. Every time a great picture comes out, some critic rises up and declares that some player in it "stole" the picture. "Only Yesterday" has not been seen as yet. However, it is booked at the Radio City Music Hall and opens there on November 9th. Roxy was entranced with the picture, and rushed it into the Music Hall at the earliest possible moment. It will open on the same day at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, where a big $2. opening will be given it with Hollywood stars, electric lights and all the radio prestige that goes with Hollywood's biggest pictures. When these first-runs get under way, there will be a million more people trying to tell the producers who stole "Only Yesterday." So far, only a few trade paper reviewers and a few syndicate writers have seen it. They have already started the theft reports. The Hollywood Reporter declares that Margaret Sullavan stole "Only Yesterday." Sydney Skolsky in his Hollywood column of the Daily News says: “Jot doH'n Margaret Sullavan s name as a new flicker star. You'll agree as soon as you see her in “Only Yesterday.” Red Kann says: “The cast is good, but Miss Sullavan is better, much better. She’ll go places by benefit of direction and material.” Variety says: “Margaret Sullavan towers as a splendid actress in this, her first picture. She is physically alluring, works intelligently, has flair and the quality best described as grace, with a throaty, appealing voice.” And now comes George Shaffer, whose syndicate article on Hollywood appears in New York in the Daily News. He says that Billie Burke stole the picture and this is how he says it: So Many Stars, So Much Praise, So Many Predictions for the Future of Everyone in ‘^Only Yesterday’^ — So Many Players Are Said to Run Away with the Picture that It Is Very Bewildering. Studio Discovers '^^New Star,’’ Name Is Billie Burke By GEORGE SHAFFER Hollywood, Oct. 29. — While other studios have been making “discoveries” of Marie Dressier, “OiVLY YESTERDAY” BOOKED AT Radio City Music Hall, New York Fox, Atlanta Keith, Boston Allen, Cleveland Albee, Cincinnati Palace, Dallas Fox, Detroit Uptown, Kansas City Pantages, Los Angeles Music Box, Portland Golden Gate, San Francisco Music Box, Seattle M ae West, May Robson, Henrietta Grossman and Alison Skipworth, the Universal Studio has turned Billie Burke into a “find.” Miss Burke, after playing a few previous vehicles, turned in a preformance that was considered outstanding at the industry’s special pre-view of “Only Yesterday.” Miss Burke played the aunt, past her thirties and mistress of a New York businessman, whose hand was sought by a somewhat younger but highly entertaining suitor (Reginald Denny). The delightful bits of business that Miss Burke introduced attracted so much attention that the melodramatic story had to be far better acted than usual by a fine cast to prevent the bro\.nhaired star of a former generation from taking the whole pic ture and putting it in her pocket. The truth is that Margaret Sullavan and John Boles in the romantic leads gave noteworthy performances also, p<-rhaps with some credit to the inspiration afforded by Miss Burke. There were so many big names in the cast of this story spanning its ten years of American life after the war that the whole level of performance was something to be compared with “Grand Hotel,” “Dinner at Eight” and “Cavalcade.” A number of people, including Margaret Sullavan herself think that Jimmy Butler, the twelve-year-old boy who plays the son of John Boles, steals the picture. Plenty others are certain that John Boles steals the picture, because he is better in this than he has ever been In anything In his whole life. Two critics also voted for Reginald Denny. Mr. Laemmie, who used to employ Reginald Denny regularly as one of his most profitable stars has this to say of Reginald Denny and his performance: “He is a new Reginald Denny, with a touch as light ns a feather and an understanding as deep as a well.” After all these things, we will leave it to you, Mr. Exhibitor, who steals "Only Yesterday." But we must add: Don’t let anybody steal it away from you. It is the biggest property of the year!