Norma Shearer in the 30's
12/11/1933 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman
Over the weekend, Paramount shuffled up some casting assignments and dealt out a new line-up this morning. Cary Grant will get the lead in Honor Bright, which first was scheduled for Gary Cooper. Gary's last picture at this studio, as previously announced, will be a super-western based on the life of Wyatt Earp. Then Dick Arlen is to have the top role in Come On, Marines. This picture was previously slated for Cary Grant. The Come On, Marines now scheduled for production is a new title for the story, The Pink Chemise. And just to make matters more confusing, Paramount had a sea story titled Come On Marines in which Jack Oakie was to have been starred. But poor weather conditions made the studio decide to abandon production at this time. So that title has been given to the other story, first known as The Pink Chemise.
Tay Garnett, who has settled his contract with Universal, will direct Honor Bright with Cary Grant. Tay is still nursing a burning desire to direct a jungle story which he has written himself. But just at this time there seems to be some dispute as to whether be will direct first at Paramount or MGM. The latter studio claims him for China Seas, a story which has been preparing for a long while. Clark Gable and Jean Harlow probably will have the leads.
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Ginger Rogers is making a triumphant return to Warners. Ginger sought in vain to get good parts at that studio before she signed a term contract with Radio Pictures. Now it is being loaned back to Warners for a co-featured lead with Dick Powell in Radio Romance. Nor is that all. Warners have arranged to extend Ginger's loan-out so that she may remain at the studio for two pictures. And her first one will be the feminine lead with Warren William in Upper World. Ann Dvorak was assigned to this lead last week, but she is now being replaced by Ginger. So now Ginger, who has both sung and danced on the screen, will try her hand as the burlesque dancer who snares the affections of Warren William.
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Radio Pictures have borrowed Nat Pendleton from MGM for the top role in So You Won't Sing, Eh? And the studio tells me that the role which Pendleton will play probably will make him a star! I wouldn't have thought there would be many acting honors left by the time roles were found for ZaSu Pitts, Pert Kelton, Edward Everett Horton and Ned Sparks. But the studio seems to feel that everybody will get a big opportunity in this picture. The part which Pendleton will play is that which once was reserved for Bill Gargan. But Gargan, on loan to Paramount and Columbia, will not be available for this picture on his home lot.
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On last Friday the El Paso Times carried an ad from MGM seeking the services of Spanish and Mexican people to work on scenes for Viva Villa on location at Anapra, New Mexico, working off the main highway back of the power plant. The ad asks for Spanish and Mexican people who have costumes and wardrobes of the period from 1917 to 1920, and offers the following wage scale: Men, $2.50 per day; Women, $2 per day; Young folks (14 to 18 years old) $1 per day; Children (under 14 years) 50¢ per day The ad states also that those selected must furnish their own transportation and noonday lunch. And here all the time I thought that the motion picture code had gone into effect last Thursday!
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Mayo Methot, who did some outstanding work on Broadway, has not fared so well at the film studios. But Lady Luck now seems to be with her, for she has won two good assignments at Warners. She has a featured part in Harold Teen and after that will play the role of the vamp with Jimmy Cagney in The Heir Chaser.
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A lot of new star contracts were drawn up over the weekend. Edward G. Robinson, Barbara Stanwyck and Bette Davis win new Warner contracts with tilts in salary. MGM is said to be drawing up a fine new star contract for May Robson, who starts work in Old Hannibal. Jean Harlow, who has been out on a salary strike, is reported settling her difficulties with MGM via a new contract which gives her a big salary increase. And Alan Crosland, director, rates a term contract at Warners as the result of his work on Massacre, starring Richard Barthelmess.
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Spencer Tracy and Claire Trevor will be teamed again at Fox. Their next picture will be one titled The Gold Rush. I wonder if they obtained a release on this title from Charlie Chaplin. Any, Lamar Trotti and Dudley Nichols are writing a story to fit the title. Fox also is considering sending Tracy to England on a loan agreement with Gaumont British. If that deal goes through, Gaumont will lend Madeleine Carroll to Fox in exchange for Tracy.
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Ricardo Cortez will not have the male lead opposite Bebe Daniels in Registered Nurse after all. Lyle Talbot wins the male lead in that picture, while Cortez is slated to be the star in Return of the Terror. The Terror was one of the first Warner talking pictures. Return of the Terror is played as a sequel.
Norma Shearer in the 30's
ABBREVIATIONS
DN — Daily News (Los Angeles)
EE — Los Angeles Eveing Express
EH — Los Angeles Evening Herald
EHE — Los Angeles Evening Herald Express
FD — Film Daily
HCN — Hollywood Citizen News
HDC — Hollywood Daily Citizen
IDN — Illustrated Daily News
LAR — Los Angeles Record
LAPR — Los Angeles Post-Record
LAX — Los Angeles Examiner
MPH — Motion Picture Herald
SFC — San Francisco Chronicle
1/1/1930 HDC Society in Filmland
Margaret Ettinger presided at a luncheon of beautiful appointments last Saturday, when she entertained at the Chateau Elysee. Among the guests present were Bebe Daniels and her mother, Mrs. Daniels, Louella Parsons, and her daughter, Harriett Parsons, of New York City, Mrs. Margaret Parker, Carmel Myers, Helen Ferguson, Patsy Ruth Miller, Bess Meredyth, Nell Craig, Constance Talmadge, Mrs. George Kress, Gertrude Olmstead, Sarah Mason, Mrs. S.N. Clark.
Also Mrs. William DeMille (Clara Berenger), Ruth Taylor, Katherine Albert, Norma Talmadge, Anita Loos, Mrs. Mae Sunday, Mrs. R. Cohn, Anna Q. Nilsson, Mrs. Buster Keaton, Mrs. Harriet Ettinger, Mrs. Sarah Thomas, Blanche Sweet, Mrs. John Robertson, Miss Jetta Goudal, Miss Sylvia Thalberg and her mother, Mrs. Thalberg, Norma Shearer, Mrs. George Duryea, Miss Arline Pretty, Evelyn Brent and Dorothy Herzog.
And Lila Lee, Dorothy Mackaill, Beulah Livingstone, Mabel Livingstone, Mrs. Arthur Caesar, Mrs. Joseph Schildkraut (Elise Bartlett), Mrs. Edward Robinson, Mrs. Jack Warner, Mrs. Darryl Zanuck, Florence Lawrence, Daphne Marquette, Grace Kingsley, Betty Bronson and Marion Wolcott.
1/3/1930 EH Their Own Desire
By Harrison Carroll
In a rather trenchant way, Their Own Desire, Norma Shearer's new talkie at Loew's State, asks if the infidelities of the fathers shall be visited upon the children.
Despite the fact that some of the issues are dodged in the ultimate solution, this picture is a solid step above the average motion picture story. Moreover, it is acted with spirit and naturalness by Norma Shearer, Robert Montgomery, Lewis Stone and Belle Bennett.
STAR FINE
Miss Shearer continues to suggest youth with its banners flying. It is an affecting picture that she gives of Lally Martlett, who falls in love with the son of her father's mistress, and who is torn between devotion to her mother and the strong urge of her heart.
In the emotional scenes the star is particularly fine and sincere.
The same may be said of Robert Montgomery, he who played Joan Crawford's hero in Untamed. To my mind, this young actor shows up to much greater advantage in Their Own Desire. The role, of course, is less contrary. Scenes between Montgomery and Miss Shearer have a real sparkle, the two players teaming excellently.
Belle Bennett plays one of those saccharine mothers in the picture, and despite her impregnably righteous position the sympathy is apt to turn to the novelist husband who got bored and left her for another woman, and the daughter, who almost lost happiness because of her mother's pleas.
Lewis Stone does a competent job as the father and Helene Millard is satisfactory as the boy's mother.
STORY INTERESTING
In the beginning, Their Own Desire dilly-dallies along for a bit, but as soon as the young people are brought together the story hits its stride. An interesting story it turns out to be, too. Lally and Jack are two likeable characters, and their plight inspires sympathy.
I'm sure this picture will be generally liked.
For the comedy portion of its bill, Loew's State offers Harry Langdon in his first talkie, Sky Boy. While there are a number of laughs in the picture, Langdon still appears to be obsessed with the idea of extracting a tear with every smile. Give me the rough-house nonsense of Laurel and Hardy.
Fanchon and Marco's "Ivory Idea" has a novel introduction showing an elephant hunt on a transparent screen, behind which the revue begins to take shape. There is some fairly good tap-dancing by a quartet of young men, two acceptable comedians, a pert mistress of ceremonies and a clever finale with 11 pianos on the stage. The start and finish are the best spots in the revue.
1/3/1930 EE DAD'S ROMANCE TOSSES WRENCH INTO NORMA'S
The right of the younger generation to as much freedom as the older generation sometimes takes in the burden of the story called Their Own Desire.
Their Own Desire is the new Norma Shearer starring talkie. Its rather aimless treatment of the idea is something of a disappointment to many who looked upon Miss Shearer as one of the faithful.
The story starts with Lewis Stone's decision to run out on his wife and daughter in favor of a rather attractive widow, played by Helena Millard.
That breaks up Belle Bennett's happiness, and that result sets Miss Shearer decidedly against this institution of marriage.
But despite a resolution never to fall in love, she finds that the widow's son is the one man in the world for her. The situation is at a deadlock for a while, but a series of melodramatic episodes clear the scene for reconcilement all around. Miss Shearer, whether her producers know it or not, has graduated from such schoolgirl roles as this. She does as well with it as she can, but it doesn't come up to the work she has performed in other pictures.
Robert Montgomery shows up about the best of anyone in the cast. He plays the boy's part with a naturalness that overshadows even the stilted lines he has to speak.
Miss Bennett is uniformly good. But then it is a role she has played as often that there would be no excuse for it not being good.
Cecil Cunningham, Henry Herbert, Mary Doran and June Nash are others in the cast.
The Fanchon and Marco "Ivory" idea has Ily Meyer, Betty Lou Webb, Goetz and Duffy, Christel Levine and Ted Ricard and the Sunkist girls in a variety of colorful numbers.
Harry Langdon's talking comedy, Sky Boy, adds a lot of laughter to the program. The Movietone newsreel includes sound views of the USC-Pittsburgh game.
1/5/1930 LAX Movie-Go-Round
By Louella O. Parsons
Bessie Love's radiant smile when she walked to the altar at St. James Church is giving our brides a new idea. Heretofore they looked downcast and duly subdued. Bessie wore a smile on her face that wouldn't come off, and it was so refreshing because she seemed to be having such a good time. Her bridegroom, not to be outdone, turned around as she came to the altar and gave her just as beaming a smile as she gave him. Of all the Hollywood weddings, Bessie's stands out for its beauty. St. James Church, lighted with tapers was romantic enough to be used in a movie. Never was there a more interesting bevy of bridesmaids, with Bebe Daniels, Blanche Sweet, Norma Shearer, Carmel Myers and other well-known movie stars who gave the bridal party special distinction.
1/15/1930 EH Scouting the Sinema by Dorothy Herzog
The evening La Argentina, famous Spanish dancer, gave her terpsichore program in Los Angeles, the flick-ites turned out in large quantities. Greta Garbo was the innocent cause of sundry necks running the risk of becoming crooked for life. Greta wore a mink coat, a plain fitting black toque, and a simple frock. She came to applaud La Argentina and not to vie with her. The Garbo's utter oblivion to stares was delightful. Also in attendance was Dolores Del Rio, and Larry Kent, the Don Alvarados, Lilyan Tashman and Eddie Lowe, Norma Shearer and Irving Thalberg and the Ernest Lubitsches.
1/21/1930 EH Screenographs
By Harrison Carroll
No less than three leading men will play opposite Norma Shearer in her next talkie, Divorcee.
MGM already has announced Chester Morris and Robert Armstrong, and today it is revealed that Conrad Nagel will be in the cast.
Morris has the actual lead, the other two presumably being episodes in the life of the heroine.
For the present, at least, Nagel will not be able to join the Divorcee company. He is busily engaged at First National in this company's Jailbreak, a dramatization of the recent prison uprisings.
1/22/1930 HDC Society In Filmland
By Elizabeth Yeaman
One of the most brilliant parties given following the premiere of The Rogue Song last Friday, was the supper at which Catherine Dale Owen presided. Miss Owen, the New York stage actress who plays opposite Lawrence Tibbett in the picture, entertained at the Chateau Elysee.
Her guests included Mr. and Mrs. Basil Rathbone, Miss Carlotta King, Sydney Russell, Mr. and Mrs. John Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton McFadden, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Schildkraut, Prince Youcca Troubetzkoy, Milton Bren, Dr. Gunderson, Mrs. Robert Owen, mother of the hostess, who arrived from New York to attend her daughter's motion picture debut. Edmund Goulding, Julia Faye, Mr. and Mrs. Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer), Mrs. Mayer and her two daughters, Miss Irene and Miss Edith, Miss Margaret Booth, Douglas Shearer, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil B. DeMille, Miss Cecilia DeMille and Francis Edgar Calvin.
1/26/1930 FD Their Own Desire
(All Talker)
MGM Time, 1 hr., 5 mins.
First rate domestic problem play, produced with class, and helped along by good direction and acting.
Domestic Drama. A novelist-husband with a grown-up daughter decides, to quit his good wife for a more alluring woman, who in turn does a walkout on her spouse, with a son of age. The children meet and fall in love with each other before learning their identities. Upon finding out who they are, their dreams are knocked into a cocked hat, with the girl feeling duty bound to stick by her wronged mother. Although the situations here do not pack a punch of the proportions that could be extracted from a story of this kind, the story is evenly entertaining, frequently whimsical, and ends satisfactorily. Whole production is on a class scale, deftly directed by E. Mason Hopper and with particularly good performances by Miss Shearer, Miss Bennett and Montgomery.
Cast: Norma Shearer, Belle Bennett, Lewis Stone, Robert Montgomery, Helene Millard, Cecil Cunningham, Henry Herbert, Mary Doran, June Nash.
Director, E. Mason Hopper; Author, Sarita Fuller; Adaptor, James Forbes; Dialoguer, James Forbes; Editor, Harry Reynolds; Cameraman, William Daniels; Monitor Man, not listed.
Direction, neat. Photography, good.
2/7/1930 HDC Their Own Desire
By Doris Denbo
Their Own Desire is Norma Shearer's triumphant picture. She does some of the most sincere and exquisite acting in this picture that she or nine-tenths of the other actresses of the screen, has ever done. She has come off her pedestal of sophistication and becomes really human in this picture which opened at the Egyptian Theater yesterday afternoon.
The story is simply, plainly told in gripping, sincere fashion that puts any woman in the audience living and solving with Norma her every problem. She is the happy-go-lucky, thrill loving modern daughter of daring society, frank and easy as a man in mannerism and directly attacking any situation like a good sport.
FATHER IN LOVE
Her father falls in love with a stunning widow who has used "paint, powder, massage, and spinach," as Norma says, to make her what she appears and mother, played by Belle Bennett, is left flat. Norma strongly resents it, and says she will never marry.
But she falls in love in a headstrong, whirlwind courtship with the son of the woman whom she believes has broken up their home. There are many dramatic, clever, and brilliant moments in the development and dialogue of this story and the fate of these two young people forms one of the most delightful love stories the screen has had in many a day.
FILM HAS EVERYTHING
There are comedy, sparkling, vivid scenes, splendid characterizations and expert direction by E. Mason Hopper. Lewis Stone is his usual clever self, Belle Bennett, the mournful, whimpering mama again, and Helen Millard, frigidly perfect as the self-indulgent woman who falls in love with Stone. Robert Montgomery is most delightful in the role of the persistent and eager lover and deserves high praise and bigger and better parts because of his handling of the role. As for Norma, she has some exquisite scenes which are all hers by right of conquest and superb acting.
The stage revue is a sparkling, musical melange of song and dance and clowning. It is the "Peasant" idea in which a chorus of "cows" dances with their beautiful milk maids, goats and farm hands and sing and make merry at a fast tempo. Two burlesque dancers add to the fun and a clown tumbler and a troupe of hat throwing funsters all mix in a colorful, atmospheric stage revue. A Laurel and Hardy comedy Night Owls brought gales of laughter from an enthusiastic audience yesterday afternoon.
2/11/1930 HDC Doris Denbo
And still Norma Shearer's Divorcee cast enlarges. The attractive and cultured Theodore Von Eltz will play the role of the foreign lover in this feature. He has just recently played in The Furies, The Awful Truth and The Very Idea. Here is a man bound for the top ranks of popularity with enough roles given him on the talking screen. Chester Morris, Robert Montgomery, Conrad Nagel, Florence Eldredge, Zelda Sears, Helene Millard, Mary Doran and Helen Johnson make up the rest of the interesting cast for this smart production. Robert Z. Leonard is directing. They left for Catalina via plane yesterday where they will board the yacht, Gentry for water scenes.
3/10/1930 LAX Louella O. Parsons
New York, March 9.—The plans for Let Us Be Gay, Norma Shearer's final MGM picture, are of more than passing interest, first, because it will be Norma's last picture for a long time and, secondly, because as a stage play it was so tremendously popular. I hear tell the details of the cast from one of my Sherlock Holmes scouts, or shall I call him Philo Vance, and be up to date.
Rod LaRocque, ‘tis said, will play opposite Miss Shearer. His role is the divorced husband who is in love with his ex-wife. This situation, as you will recall, in the play, is brought about by a witty old dowager, and will be played by Marie Dressler. The granddaughter she seeks to protect will be in the hands of Sally Eilers.
This is Sally's first job on the MGM lot, and the first time she and Hoot Gibson have separated in their work since their engagement was announced.
3/18/1930 HDC Doris Denbo
Marie Dressler, out there at MGM is going in for both comedy and character roles, and she fits equally well into each. This time she has been signed for the role of the peppy and irritated dowager in Let Us Be Gay. This should be a marvelous part for the talented and beloved Marie. This is Norma Shearer's last picture before temporary retirement. Rod La Rocque plays opposite. Sally Eilers, Hedda Hopper, Raymond Hackett, Tyrell Davis and Gilbert Emery are in support.
4/5/1930 LAX Louella O. Parsons
Norma Shearer lunching at the Ambassador.
4/9/1930 HDC Society In Filmland
Others who have been vacationing at Arrowhead Springs are Mr. and Mrs. William Kernall, J. Harold Murray, Phil Berg, John Hyams, Miss Natalie Moorhead, Mary Nolan, Edith Ryan, Harry Lichtig, George Stone, Alan Crosland, Mrs. Phyllis Daniels and Mrs. Bert Wheeler.
Other recent visitors were Mr. and Mrs. Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer) and Ramon Novarro.
4/22/1930 HDC Betty Kirby
One of the outstanding events of recent date was the masked costume ball given Saturday evening by Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Blum (Carmel Myers), complimenting Miss Irene Mayer, a popular bride-elect of the season. The spacious new Spanish home of the hosts was the setting for the festivities and the patio was strung with gay lanterns and vari-colored balloons.
Over one hundred and fifty guests attended, including Messrs and Mesdames Louis B. Mayer, Harry Bannister, Harry Beaumont, Louis Bromfield, Morton Downey, Harry Edwards, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (Joan Crawford), William Goetz, Howard Hawks, Edwin Knopf, Robert Leonard, Harold Lloyd, Ned Marin, Herman Mankiewicz, Zion Myers, Walter Morosco (Corinne Griffith), Fred Niblo (Enid Bennett), Harry Rapf, William Seiter (Laura LaPlante), Myron Selznick, Irving Thalberg, Jack Warner, Lawrence Weingarten, Darryl Zanuck, Misses Louella O. Parsons, Marjorie Blum, Franc Dillon, Mitzi Cummings, Dorothy Herzog, Billie Dove, June Collyer, Claudette Colbert, Beatrice Lillie, Carmen Pantages, Harriet Parsons, Norma Talmadge, Messrs. Paul Bern, Roger Davis, Howard Hughes, Edmund Goulding, Ramon Novarro, Gilbert Roland, David Selznick and Dr. Harry Martin.
4/24/1930 HDC FILM SOCIETY SCINTILLATES AT RECENT ‘CIRCLE' PREMIER
The world of women looks forward to every picture opening seeking the very newest in style, from what the stars, prognosticators of fashion wear. The brilliant premier of All Quiet On the Western Front was more than a presentation of a new talking picture, for Beverly Hills and Hollywood society presented a spectacle of color and beauty, quite as alluring as the picture itself. Here is what they wore:
Ruth Chatterton—A black satin gown made very long and extremely form fitting. With it a black panne velvet wrap.
Pauline Starke—A gown of white chiffon trimmed with crystals, and a short white ermine wrap. She wore a gorgeous corsage of orchids.
Joan Marsh—A gown of white satin made princess, and trimmed with souffle yoke embroidered with crystal trimmings in simple design. With this, a wrap of white chiffon velvet.
Norma Shearer—A white satin ensemble. The gown was severe in line and made very long. She wore pearls and a fur trimmed wrap of the same white satin as the gown.
Mrs. Lawrence Tibbett—A gown of scarlet lace with scarlet velvet wrap and scarlet slippers to match.
Barbara Kent—A gown of aquamarine satin extremely form-fitted; her wrap was of white ermine with fox fur collars and cuffs.
Jeanette Loff—A Grecian gown made of yellow crepe romaine with white ermine wrap.
Grace Moore—A Lelong model of green chiffon and emerald and diamond jewels, and jaquette of white ermine, and she wore a corsage of orchids.
Corinne Griffith—White crepe romaine with wrap of silver cloth.
Billie Dove—Pale orchids taffeta and velvet wrap to match.
Mrs. Stanley Bergerman (Rosabelle Lammle)—A charming evening gown of printed crepe with black velvet wrap and fox fur collar.
Lupe Velez—A gown of charmeuse velvet trimmed with crystals and wrap of the same material. The gown was very long and cut extremely low in the back.
Marian Nixon—A green chiffon gown with red velvet wrap trimmed in red fox for and silver brocade shoes.
5/3/1930 FD NORMA SHEARER IN SMART FILM FOR CRITERION
Paul Whiteman and his 40 New York stage, screen and radio stars start their last week in The King of Jazz at the Fox Criterion today.
On Wednesday, May 14, Norma Shearer arrives in her most daring talking picture, The Divorcee; based on Ursula Parrot's "Ex-Wife," which has been read secretly by tens of thousands of American women and perused openly by more than 200,000 purchasers.
Because of the daring nature of its action and theme, there was a long period of hesitation before Norma Shearer finally was cast in The Divorcee. There was some doubt as to whether American women were ready for the rather frank revelations in The Divorcee.
5/10/1930 EH NARROW RULES OF CONDUCT ARE PASSE
By Harrison Carroll
Talkie audiences are commencing to appreciate honest stuff—that is the opinion advanced by Norma Shearer in discussing with the writer her new picture, The Divorcee.
By "honest stuff" Miss Shearer means the complete image of life, as contrasted to the rose-colored substitute from which the movies have only recently dared to vary.
Broadly speaking, this change dates back to the coming of audibility.
"When my mother heard that I was to do Mary Dugan she was horrified," confessed Miss Shearer. "What will your fans think? She wanted to know—and she was even more perturbed when it was decided for me to do The Divorcee.
"I'll admit I was nervous about Mary Dugan, but since that time film audiences have shown themselves ready to compromise on some of the conventions that used to restrict the behavior of heroines."
Naturally, Miss Shearer doesn't advocate a complete reversal of type. The new heroine as well as the old must possess the quality of sympathy.
"In The Divorcee," the star went on, "the girl's husband is unfaithful to her. Admitting his guilt, he asks her to overlook it on the theory that his infidelity was only a moment of passing madness, not to be weighed against his love for her.
"And she tries to see it that way—but when he leaves on a trip she falls into a fit of deep depression. In this frame of mind, she goes out with a young man and is herself unfaithful.
"She doesn't do it out of revenge, however. That is what I like about her. It's just that she is honestly trying to absorb her husband's philosophy.
"On his return she frankly admits the slip to him. Whereupon his reaction is typically masculine. The unfairness of this outrages her; she orders him to leave. Henceforth, she vows, he will be the only man to whom her door is closed.
"Then, you see the two going their separate ways grasping for happiness. All the time you feel that they love each other. Finally they meet again in Paris. It is New Year's Eve, and all around them is gayety. "Under the spell of it they are reunited."
In the convenient manner of fiction, The Divorcee drops the problems of its characters here. But Miss Shearer was willing to got on a bit—to express the belief that they had a chance to be permanently happy.
The writer demurred that they probably could never combat the memory of the past.
"I don't know about the man, but I think the woman could," affirmed Miss Shearer. "In fact they do it all the time. You must know some yourself who do.
"In any case, they could be happier than if they were futilely drifting. Maybe the edge would be off. On the other hand, they would have learned that they couldn't live without each other.
"I haven't a doubt but that there are hundreds of actual cases like this. The story has a feel of reality to it."
Whatever a person may think, the subject is, at least, provocative. And it becomes an open forum when The Divorcee opens at the Criterion next Wednesday.
5/15/1930 LAX The Divorcee
By Louella O. Parsons
The type of screen entertainment on which the dear public chooses to spend its nickels was disclosed yesterday at the Criterion Theater from the moment the doors opened until late last night the theater was so crowded that it was estimated that Norma Shearer in The Divorcee broke the record of the theater established by Greta Garbo in Anna Christie.
The nice part about this record-breaking Divorcee is that the crowded theater is sure to continue. For once having seen Norma Shearer as Jerry, the divorcee, those who came primarily because they read Ursula Parrott's book, "Ex-Wife," will tell their friends the screen version is well worth seeing.
The Divorcee, based upon the always popular subject of marital happiness and unhappiness, is a most entertaining picture. Norma Shearer's performance is one of the finest that she has ever given. I like her best in dramatic roles of this kind in which she has a chance to be both gay and tragic at intervals.
She puts a great deal into the characterization of this girl who is fundamentally nice but who, put adrift on the sea of unfortunate matrimony, seeks a level not in keeping with her real character. You'll learn to know and understand this Jerry and you anguish over her heartaches and her downfall into what seems a bottomless abyss. Therefore, it is comforting to know there is a way out for the unhappy heroine. Miss Shearer is not only lovely to look at in her smart clothes, but she is real and convincing.
In the book, "Ex-Wife," there is no return to real happiness for the girl. Fortunately, in the scenario, Jerry is not denied ultimate happiness. Zelda Sears and Nick Grinde, who provided the treatment, and John Meehan, who wrote the continuity and dialogue, have made it possible to take a few justifiable liberties with the book.
Robert Leonard, who knows so well how to direct these smart comedies, is at his best in his handling of both the comedy and dramatic scenes in The Divorcee. There is a happy combination of both and I think the dialogue is particularly good.
Miss Shearer has been surrounded with a competent cast. There is Chester Morris of Alibi fame, who plays her husband. Someway he suits the idea of Ted, the husband down to the ground. Conrad Nagel is excellent as the disgruntled admirer, Paul and I liked very much the performance of Robert Montgomery as Don, man about town and playboy; Ted's best friend and in many ways his best enemy.
One of the outstanding performances is given by Zelda Sears as Hannah, faithful if inquisitive servant. Florence Eldridge, whose throaty voice has been used with good effect in many stage plays, is equally good as Jerry's best friend. Others in the cast are Helen Johnson, Mary Doran, Robert Elliott, Tyler Brooke and George Irving. Each one of them is entirely satisfactory in his individual role.
MGM, permit me to say, has a moneymaker in The Divorcee. In addition to this popular feature yesterday there was a Laurel and Hardy comedy, Below Zero. If I tell how ridiculous I make myself laughing every time I see these two boys, people may think I have a percentage in their pictures. They are in the modern lingo, the best. A Fox Movietone completes the program.
5/15/1930 LAR The Divorcee
By Llewellyn Miller
Fox Criterion—Norma Shearer in The Divorcee, from the novel "Ex-Wife." Directed by Robert Z. Leonard.
"From now on you are the only man to whom my door is closed," says the disillusioned wife in The Divorcee, starring Norma Shearer at the Fox Criterion. And out she steps to have a series of philanders that are only hinted at, but that are sufficiently hectic for all of that.
Jerry and Ted think they have every hope of happiness, because Jerry has what they call "a man's outlook on life." Her outlook cannot quite give her resignation when she discovers Ted's affair with another woman, however. He assures her that it means nothing. She takes him at his word, and, for the sake of evening their score, spends a night with one of his friends while he is out of town.
When, quite frankly, she tells him what she has done, Ted is shocked to the point of packing a dressing gown and some handkerchiefs, and drowning all in drink.
There is a sensational motor car smash, enlivened by a powerful bit of shrieking. Helene Millard does the part of the girl who loses her head when her sister is seriously hurt with a thoroughness that is effective and quite hard on the nerves. Wild parties, a gay group of people, and some thwarted love and interest to the background of the story.
Norma Shearer is good in her straight dramatic moments. She shows the change in the girl who believes every word of the marriage ceremony to a hardened sensation seeker admirably. In the early part of the film she affects a laugh that is used too frequently to be effective. It carries a quality of ineffectuality that seems to me to be in variance with the independence of a woman who could hand a man his own medicine.
Chester Morris plays the husband, Conrad Nagel gives his expected sympathetic portrayal as a devoted suitor. Robert Montgomery is funny, especially in the party scenes, where he imitates a monkey. Others in the exceptionally good supporting cast are Florence Eldridge, Robert Elliott, Mary Doran, Tyler Brooke, George Irving, Helen Johnson and Zelda Sears, who also made the adaptation with Nick Grinde.
Dialogue by John Meehan is easy and telling, and Robert Leonard's direction is tactful, always, without shadowing the implications of wild life among the married.
I have not read Ursula Parrott's novel, Ex-Wife, so I cannot tell whether the story was followed closely or not. Most of the town wants to find out for itself, anyway, judging by the lines that besieged the Criterion box office yesterday.
5/21/1930 EH Ad of Norma Shearer's The Divorcee with great shot of line at Fox Criterion.
5/26/1930 EH Huge ad for premiere of Hell's Angels Partial list of attendees: Mary Pickford, John Gilbert, Marion Davies, Charles Chaplin, Ben Lyon, James Hall, Bebe Daniels, John Gilbert, Jean Harlow, Ina Claire, Flo Ziegfeld, Bessie Love, Dolores de Rio, Lupe Velez, Lionel Barrymore, Eddie Cantor, James Gleason, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Constance Talmadge, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Sally Eilers, Richard Barthelmess, Laura La Plant, Ruth Roland, Ben Bard, Farrell MacDonald.
6/4/1930 EH Biggest First Night Ready for Marion Davies' The Florodora Girl
Mary Pickford, Marion Davies, Richard Barthelmess, Dolores Del Rio, Bebe Daniels, Ruth Roland, Florenz Ziegfeld, Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Constance Bennett, William Haines, Sally Eilers, Adela Rogers, Bessie Love, Patsy Ruth Miller, Blanch Sweet and many others.
6/4/1930 HDC Society in Filmland
Several brilliant parties were held at the Mayfair dinner dance Saturday evening.
Edwin Carewe was host to 15 guests.
Arthur Lake had in his party had in his party Messrs. and Mesdames Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey; Miss Florence Lake, Miss Mary Brian and Arthur Lyons.
Alan Hale was host to a group of guests including Mr. and Mrs. Richard Tucker, the Misses Helen Bolton and Jane Sontard and William Davidson.
Mr. and Mrs. William Seiter (Laura LaPlante) entertains a large number of friends, among whom were Messrs. and Mesdames Ned Marin, Edward Buzzell, Charles Seiter, Leonard Otten, Howard Hawks, Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer), Walter Morosco (Corinne Griffith); Miss Violent LaPlante and Rube Goldberg.
Hal Wallace [Wallis] was host to a party of 32. Other hosts were Messrs. William Beaudine, Holmes Herbert, Charles Kenyon, Robert Edeson, Joe E. Brown, Joseph von Sternberg, Abraham Lehr, Neil Hamilton, M.C. Levy, Ivan St. Johns, B.P. Schulberg, Robert Leonard, Tom Mix, Reginald Denny and Monte Bell.
Miss Mary Pickford was hostess to a group of 14 and Miss Betty Bronson entertained four groups.
Larry Ceballos was in charge of entertainment for the evening.
6/12/1930 LAX
Norma Shearer, star of The Divorcee, which is now in its last days at the Fox Criterion, pays a pretty tribute to Leila Hyams, leading woman in the all-star cast of The Big House, which comes to the Criterion on June 25.
"I was particularly impressed with Leila Hyams' performance," says Miss Shearer. "Wallace Beery is simply superb. In fact the entire cast is all-star and lives up to that reputation throughout."
6/25/1930 HDC Society in Filmland
By Rachel Rubin
SALLY EILERS WILL BECOME HOOT GIBSON'S BRIDE FRIDAY EVENING
Scarcely has the film colony recovered from the round of festivities which had its climax in the wedding of Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon, when another popular pair made know their nuptial plans.
Miss Sally Eilers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.P. Eilers of North Manhattan Place, and Edward B. (Hoot) Gibson, son of Mrs. Wayne Anderson, will plight their troth Friday evening. One hundred guests have been bidden to the ceremony, which is to take place at Mr. Gibson's ranch near Saugus, with Rev. James Hamilton Lash of the Hollywood Congregational Church officiating. The occasion will mark the birthday of Mrs. Eilers, mother of the bride. The bride, who will be given in marriage by her father, will wear a gown of satin ivory trimmed with real lace and headed with pearls. Her veil of lace will be fastened to the cap of lace and pearls, and she will carry orchids and lilies of the valley.
Miss Carmen Pantages has been chosen to serve as maid of honor. The bridesmaids will be Mrs. Reginald Denny, Mrs. Edward Hellman (Marion Nixon), Miss Marie Prevost and Mrs. Mae Sunday. They will wear georgette frocks in pastel shades, with picture hats in harmonizing tones.
William (Buster) Collier Jr., will be the best man and ushers will be Dr. Harry Martin and Messrs. Arthur Rosson, Reginald Denny and Wallace Davis.
After the honeymoon trip to Lake Louise and Banff in the Canadian Rockies, the couple will make their home at Mr. Gibson's ranch.
Those who have been bidden to the wedding include Messrs. and Mesdames Edward Cline, Lonnie Darsay, Alexander Pantages, Ray Schrock, Allan Dwan, Robert Leonard, George Lewis, Al Rogell, B. Reaves Eason, Ben Lyon, Arthur Rosson, Richard Hyland (Adela Rogers St. Johns), Charles Mack, Reginald Denny, Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer), James E. Granger, Buster Keaton, James Gleason, Monte Blue, Morton Downey, Townsend Netcher, Felix Hughes, Millard Webb, Alfred Martin, Al Christie, Richard Gallagher and Rex Barber, Dr. and Mrs. Harry Martin.
Mesdames Sadye Murray, Phyllis Daniels, the Misses Mary Fleury, Mary Astor, Jeanette Loff, Marie Prevost, Eileen Percy, Carol Lombard, Billie Dove, Dorothy Mackaill, Helen Ferguson, Linda Cronin, Anita Murray, Mary Catherine Reticher, Helen McEvilly, Lila Lee, Almerita Hawpe, Hedda Hopper, Marion Smith, Thelma Todd, Mina Wallis, Ruth Collier, Marion Davies and Beatrice Lillie (Lady Peel).
Messrs. Cliff Edwards, Bud Eilers, Lew Lipton, David Ganzer, Victor Fleming, Harry Cohn, Norman Kerry, Lew Cody, Roscoe Arbuckle, Harvey Priester, Mel Coakley, Walter O'Keefe, James Shields, Roger Davis, Jerry Miley, William K. Howard, Lt. Col. Roscoe Turner, Edward Brandstatter, Richard Hargreaves, Sam Wolf, Hal Howe, Joseph Schenck, Lloyd Pantages, Harlan Fengler, Jack Pickford, Howard Hughes, William Haines, Edward Hatrick, William Randolph Hearst, Hal Rosson, Lt. William Sweeley and Col. Art Goebel.
7/2/1930 HDC
Amid the dissensions, hisses and other backfirings that varied the enthusiasm and acclaim with which foreign countries have been welcoming Hollywood-made talking pictures, one luminous word comes from across the seas to cheer us in our tremendous undertaking. And because it comes from England, formerly called Motherland, hence the home of our Mother-tongue, it carries the more meaning for us. An English jury, readers of the Film Weekly, Britain's foremost motion picture magazine, tosses a bouquet across the sea to American-born and American-trained screen actresses for clear and pleasing enunciation and cultured accent: Ruth Chatterton, now under contract to Paramount, ran away with 9,535 of the total 21,000 votes. Norma Shearer was second, with 2,193; Gloria Swanson received third place and Betty Compson and Janet Gaynor each polled more than 1,000 ballots.
Popularity, of course, entered into the voting. But it goes deeper than that. The question asked by the magazine was "by the silent smiles of its charming women, America conquered the screen. Will Britain regain film supremacy through the resonant beauty of the English voice?" The overwhelming choice of American-born young women by our discerning British cousins, who have not hesitated to be openly entertained by "the great American accent" in years past, is one of the finest tributes to our recent advance in the cultivation of a musical and characterful speaking voice. Ronald Colman, Clive Brook, George Arliss, John Boles, and William Powell were complimented in the order named, among our screen actors.
8/18/1930 HDC Elizabeth Yeaman
A unique premiere, heralded on the stage and screen the same night, will be held in London tonight, when "Let Us Be Gay" will make its debut to English audiences as a legitimate drama and a picture. The event will be held at the Lyric Theater where Tallulah Bankhead will portray the leading role on the stage, and Norma Shearer will be seen in the stellar role on the screen. Following the stage presentation, the picture will be shown at midnight to a specially invited audience of critics, theatrical leaders, exhibitors and executives of the British film industry. This is the first time in history that a play has been simultaneously introduced on the stage and screen. Robert Z. Leonard directed the picture for MGM, and the cast supporting Miss Shearer includes Marie Dressler, Rod LaRoque, Raymond Hackett, Sally Eilers, Hedda Hopper, Gilbert Emery and others of note.
8/25/1930 LAX MISS SHEARER HAS NEW ROLE; MOTHER OF SON
Norma Shearer, noted film actress added a new role—the real one of motherhood—to her career yesterday.
It began at 5:38am at the Good Samaritan Hospital with the arrival of a son weighing eight pounds five and one-half ounces. Dr. W. Clifford McKee, the attending physician, reported both mother and child in splendid condition.
Miss Shearer in private life is Mrs. Irving Thalberg. Her husband is an executive of the MGM studios where she is a star. The couple have been married since 1927.
Miss Shearer is one of the outstanding stars of the talking picture era. One of her latest films, The Divorcee, has been characterized by reviewers as an excellent example of the audible screen, and recently attained the distinction of being shown in two downtown "first-run" theaters successively.
She was born in Montreal, and appeared for the first time in a film, The Squealer, in 1920. Other pictures include He Who Gets Slapped, The Hollywood Revue, The Last of Mrs. Cheyney, A Lady of Chance, and Trial of Mary Dugan.
Over the weekend, Paramount shuffled up some casting assignments and dealt out a new line-up this morning. Cary Grant will get the lead in Honor Bright, which first was scheduled for Gary Cooper. Gary's last picture at this studio, as previously announced, will be a super-western based on the life of Wyatt Earp. Then Dick Arlen is to have the top role in Come On, Marines. This picture was previously slated for Cary Grant. The Come On, Marines now scheduled for production is a new title for the story, The Pink Chemise. And just to make matters more confusing, Paramount had a sea story titled Come On Marines in which Jack Oakie was to have been starred. But poor weather conditions made the studio decide to abandon production at this time. So that title has been given to the other story, first known as The Pink Chemise.
Tay Garnett, who has settled his contract with Universal, will direct Honor Bright with Cary Grant. Tay is still nursing a burning desire to direct a jungle story which he has written himself. But just at this time there seems to be some dispute as to whether be will direct first at Paramount or MGM. The latter studio claims him for China Seas, a story which has been preparing for a long while. Clark Gable and Jean Harlow probably will have the leads.
....
Ginger Rogers is making a triumphant return to Warners. Ginger sought in vain to get good parts at that studio before she signed a term contract with Radio Pictures. Now it is being loaned back to Warners for a co-featured lead with Dick Powell in Radio Romance. Nor is that all. Warners have arranged to extend Ginger's loan-out so that she may remain at the studio for two pictures. And her first one will be the feminine lead with Warren William in Upper World. Ann Dvorak was assigned to this lead last week, but she is now being replaced by Ginger. So now Ginger, who has both sung and danced on the screen, will try her hand as the burlesque dancer who snares the affections of Warren William.
....
Radio Pictures have borrowed Nat Pendleton from MGM for the top role in So You Won't Sing, Eh? And the studio tells me that the role which Pendleton will play probably will make him a star! I wouldn't have thought there would be many acting honors left by the time roles were found for ZaSu Pitts, Pert Kelton, Edward Everett Horton and Ned Sparks. But the studio seems to feel that everybody will get a big opportunity in this picture. The part which Pendleton will play is that which once was reserved for Bill Gargan. But Gargan, on loan to Paramount and Columbia, will not be available for this picture on his home lot.
....
On last Friday the El Paso Times carried an ad from MGM seeking the services of Spanish and Mexican people to work on scenes for Viva Villa on location at Anapra, New Mexico, working off the main highway back of the power plant. The ad asks for Spanish and Mexican people who have costumes and wardrobes of the period from 1917 to 1920, and offers the following wage scale: Men, $2.50 per day; Women, $2 per day; Young folks (14 to 18 years old) $1 per day; Children (under 14 years) 50¢ per day The ad states also that those selected must furnish their own transportation and noonday lunch. And here all the time I thought that the motion picture code had gone into effect last Thursday!
....
Mayo Methot, who did some outstanding work on Broadway, has not fared so well at the film studios. But Lady Luck now seems to be with her, for she has won two good assignments at Warners. She has a featured part in Harold Teen and after that will play the role of the vamp with Jimmy Cagney in The Heir Chaser.
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A lot of new star contracts were drawn up over the weekend. Edward G. Robinson, Barbara Stanwyck and Bette Davis win new Warner contracts with tilts in salary. MGM is said to be drawing up a fine new star contract for May Robson, who starts work in Old Hannibal. Jean Harlow, who has been out on a salary strike, is reported settling her difficulties with MGM via a new contract which gives her a big salary increase. And Alan Crosland, director, rates a term contract at Warners as the result of his work on Massacre, starring Richard Barthelmess.
....
Spencer Tracy and Claire Trevor will be teamed again at Fox. Their next picture will be one titled The Gold Rush. I wonder if they obtained a release on this title from Charlie Chaplin. Any, Lamar Trotti and Dudley Nichols are writing a story to fit the title. Fox also is considering sending Tracy to England on a loan agreement with Gaumont British. If that deal goes through, Gaumont will lend Madeleine Carroll to Fox in exchange for Tracy.
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Ricardo Cortez will not have the male lead opposite Bebe Daniels in Registered Nurse after all. Lyle Talbot wins the male lead in that picture, while Cortez is slated to be the star in Return of the Terror. The Terror was one of the first Warner talking pictures. Return of the Terror is played as a sequel.
Norma Shearer in the 30's
ABBREVIATIONS
DN — Daily News (Los Angeles)
EE — Los Angeles Eveing Express
EH — Los Angeles Evening Herald
EHE — Los Angeles Evening Herald Express
FD — Film Daily
HCN — Hollywood Citizen News
HDC — Hollywood Daily Citizen
IDN — Illustrated Daily News
LAR — Los Angeles Record
LAPR — Los Angeles Post-Record
LAX — Los Angeles Examiner
MPH — Motion Picture Herald
SFC — San Francisco Chronicle
1/1/1930 HDC Society in Filmland
Margaret Ettinger presided at a luncheon of beautiful appointments last Saturday, when she entertained at the Chateau Elysee. Among the guests present were Bebe Daniels and her mother, Mrs. Daniels, Louella Parsons, and her daughter, Harriett Parsons, of New York City, Mrs. Margaret Parker, Carmel Myers, Helen Ferguson, Patsy Ruth Miller, Bess Meredyth, Nell Craig, Constance Talmadge, Mrs. George Kress, Gertrude Olmstead, Sarah Mason, Mrs. S.N. Clark.
Also Mrs. William DeMille (Clara Berenger), Ruth Taylor, Katherine Albert, Norma Talmadge, Anita Loos, Mrs. Mae Sunday, Mrs. R. Cohn, Anna Q. Nilsson, Mrs. Buster Keaton, Mrs. Harriet Ettinger, Mrs. Sarah Thomas, Blanche Sweet, Mrs. John Robertson, Miss Jetta Goudal, Miss Sylvia Thalberg and her mother, Mrs. Thalberg, Norma Shearer, Mrs. George Duryea, Miss Arline Pretty, Evelyn Brent and Dorothy Herzog.
And Lila Lee, Dorothy Mackaill, Beulah Livingstone, Mabel Livingstone, Mrs. Arthur Caesar, Mrs. Joseph Schildkraut (Elise Bartlett), Mrs. Edward Robinson, Mrs. Jack Warner, Mrs. Darryl Zanuck, Florence Lawrence, Daphne Marquette, Grace Kingsley, Betty Bronson and Marion Wolcott.
1/3/1930 EH Their Own Desire
By Harrison Carroll
In a rather trenchant way, Their Own Desire, Norma Shearer's new talkie at Loew's State, asks if the infidelities of the fathers shall be visited upon the children.
Despite the fact that some of the issues are dodged in the ultimate solution, this picture is a solid step above the average motion picture story. Moreover, it is acted with spirit and naturalness by Norma Shearer, Robert Montgomery, Lewis Stone and Belle Bennett.
STAR FINE
Miss Shearer continues to suggest youth with its banners flying. It is an affecting picture that she gives of Lally Martlett, who falls in love with the son of her father's mistress, and who is torn between devotion to her mother and the strong urge of her heart.
In the emotional scenes the star is particularly fine and sincere.
The same may be said of Robert Montgomery, he who played Joan Crawford's hero in Untamed. To my mind, this young actor shows up to much greater advantage in Their Own Desire. The role, of course, is less contrary. Scenes between Montgomery and Miss Shearer have a real sparkle, the two players teaming excellently.
Belle Bennett plays one of those saccharine mothers in the picture, and despite her impregnably righteous position the sympathy is apt to turn to the novelist husband who got bored and left her for another woman, and the daughter, who almost lost happiness because of her mother's pleas.
Lewis Stone does a competent job as the father and Helene Millard is satisfactory as the boy's mother.
STORY INTERESTING
In the beginning, Their Own Desire dilly-dallies along for a bit, but as soon as the young people are brought together the story hits its stride. An interesting story it turns out to be, too. Lally and Jack are two likeable characters, and their plight inspires sympathy.
I'm sure this picture will be generally liked.
For the comedy portion of its bill, Loew's State offers Harry Langdon in his first talkie, Sky Boy. While there are a number of laughs in the picture, Langdon still appears to be obsessed with the idea of extracting a tear with every smile. Give me the rough-house nonsense of Laurel and Hardy.
Fanchon and Marco's "Ivory Idea" has a novel introduction showing an elephant hunt on a transparent screen, behind which the revue begins to take shape. There is some fairly good tap-dancing by a quartet of young men, two acceptable comedians, a pert mistress of ceremonies and a clever finale with 11 pianos on the stage. The start and finish are the best spots in the revue.
1/3/1930 EE DAD'S ROMANCE TOSSES WRENCH INTO NORMA'S
The right of the younger generation to as much freedom as the older generation sometimes takes in the burden of the story called Their Own Desire.
Their Own Desire is the new Norma Shearer starring talkie. Its rather aimless treatment of the idea is something of a disappointment to many who looked upon Miss Shearer as one of the faithful.
The story starts with Lewis Stone's decision to run out on his wife and daughter in favor of a rather attractive widow, played by Helena Millard.
That breaks up Belle Bennett's happiness, and that result sets Miss Shearer decidedly against this institution of marriage.
But despite a resolution never to fall in love, she finds that the widow's son is the one man in the world for her. The situation is at a deadlock for a while, but a series of melodramatic episodes clear the scene for reconcilement all around. Miss Shearer, whether her producers know it or not, has graduated from such schoolgirl roles as this. She does as well with it as she can, but it doesn't come up to the work she has performed in other pictures.
Robert Montgomery shows up about the best of anyone in the cast. He plays the boy's part with a naturalness that overshadows even the stilted lines he has to speak.
Miss Bennett is uniformly good. But then it is a role she has played as often that there would be no excuse for it not being good.
Cecil Cunningham, Henry Herbert, Mary Doran and June Nash are others in the cast.
The Fanchon and Marco "Ivory" idea has Ily Meyer, Betty Lou Webb, Goetz and Duffy, Christel Levine and Ted Ricard and the Sunkist girls in a variety of colorful numbers.
Harry Langdon's talking comedy, Sky Boy, adds a lot of laughter to the program. The Movietone newsreel includes sound views of the USC-Pittsburgh game.
1/5/1930 LAX Movie-Go-Round
By Louella O. Parsons
Bessie Love's radiant smile when she walked to the altar at St. James Church is giving our brides a new idea. Heretofore they looked downcast and duly subdued. Bessie wore a smile on her face that wouldn't come off, and it was so refreshing because she seemed to be having such a good time. Her bridegroom, not to be outdone, turned around as she came to the altar and gave her just as beaming a smile as she gave him. Of all the Hollywood weddings, Bessie's stands out for its beauty. St. James Church, lighted with tapers was romantic enough to be used in a movie. Never was there a more interesting bevy of bridesmaids, with Bebe Daniels, Blanche Sweet, Norma Shearer, Carmel Myers and other well-known movie stars who gave the bridal party special distinction.
1/15/1930 EH Scouting the Sinema by Dorothy Herzog
The evening La Argentina, famous Spanish dancer, gave her terpsichore program in Los Angeles, the flick-ites turned out in large quantities. Greta Garbo was the innocent cause of sundry necks running the risk of becoming crooked for life. Greta wore a mink coat, a plain fitting black toque, and a simple frock. She came to applaud La Argentina and not to vie with her. The Garbo's utter oblivion to stares was delightful. Also in attendance was Dolores Del Rio, and Larry Kent, the Don Alvarados, Lilyan Tashman and Eddie Lowe, Norma Shearer and Irving Thalberg and the Ernest Lubitsches.
1/21/1930 EH Screenographs
By Harrison Carroll
No less than three leading men will play opposite Norma Shearer in her next talkie, Divorcee.
MGM already has announced Chester Morris and Robert Armstrong, and today it is revealed that Conrad Nagel will be in the cast.
Morris has the actual lead, the other two presumably being episodes in the life of the heroine.
For the present, at least, Nagel will not be able to join the Divorcee company. He is busily engaged at First National in this company's Jailbreak, a dramatization of the recent prison uprisings.
1/22/1930 HDC Society In Filmland
By Elizabeth Yeaman
One of the most brilliant parties given following the premiere of The Rogue Song last Friday, was the supper at which Catherine Dale Owen presided. Miss Owen, the New York stage actress who plays opposite Lawrence Tibbett in the picture, entertained at the Chateau Elysee.
Her guests included Mr. and Mrs. Basil Rathbone, Miss Carlotta King, Sydney Russell, Mr. and Mrs. John Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton McFadden, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Schildkraut, Prince Youcca Troubetzkoy, Milton Bren, Dr. Gunderson, Mrs. Robert Owen, mother of the hostess, who arrived from New York to attend her daughter's motion picture debut. Edmund Goulding, Julia Faye, Mr. and Mrs. Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer), Mrs. Mayer and her two daughters, Miss Irene and Miss Edith, Miss Margaret Booth, Douglas Shearer, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil B. DeMille, Miss Cecilia DeMille and Francis Edgar Calvin.
1/26/1930 FD Their Own Desire
(All Talker)
MGM Time, 1 hr., 5 mins.
First rate domestic problem play, produced with class, and helped along by good direction and acting.
Domestic Drama. A novelist-husband with a grown-up daughter decides, to quit his good wife for a more alluring woman, who in turn does a walkout on her spouse, with a son of age. The children meet and fall in love with each other before learning their identities. Upon finding out who they are, their dreams are knocked into a cocked hat, with the girl feeling duty bound to stick by her wronged mother. Although the situations here do not pack a punch of the proportions that could be extracted from a story of this kind, the story is evenly entertaining, frequently whimsical, and ends satisfactorily. Whole production is on a class scale, deftly directed by E. Mason Hopper and with particularly good performances by Miss Shearer, Miss Bennett and Montgomery.
Cast: Norma Shearer, Belle Bennett, Lewis Stone, Robert Montgomery, Helene Millard, Cecil Cunningham, Henry Herbert, Mary Doran, June Nash.
Director, E. Mason Hopper; Author, Sarita Fuller; Adaptor, James Forbes; Dialoguer, James Forbes; Editor, Harry Reynolds; Cameraman, William Daniels; Monitor Man, not listed.
Direction, neat. Photography, good.
2/7/1930 HDC Their Own Desire
By Doris Denbo
Their Own Desire is Norma Shearer's triumphant picture. She does some of the most sincere and exquisite acting in this picture that she or nine-tenths of the other actresses of the screen, has ever done. She has come off her pedestal of sophistication and becomes really human in this picture which opened at the Egyptian Theater yesterday afternoon.
The story is simply, plainly told in gripping, sincere fashion that puts any woman in the audience living and solving with Norma her every problem. She is the happy-go-lucky, thrill loving modern daughter of daring society, frank and easy as a man in mannerism and directly attacking any situation like a good sport.
FATHER IN LOVE
Her father falls in love with a stunning widow who has used "paint, powder, massage, and spinach," as Norma says, to make her what she appears and mother, played by Belle Bennett, is left flat. Norma strongly resents it, and says she will never marry.
But she falls in love in a headstrong, whirlwind courtship with the son of the woman whom she believes has broken up their home. There are many dramatic, clever, and brilliant moments in the development and dialogue of this story and the fate of these two young people forms one of the most delightful love stories the screen has had in many a day.
FILM HAS EVERYTHING
There are comedy, sparkling, vivid scenes, splendid characterizations and expert direction by E. Mason Hopper. Lewis Stone is his usual clever self, Belle Bennett, the mournful, whimpering mama again, and Helen Millard, frigidly perfect as the self-indulgent woman who falls in love with Stone. Robert Montgomery is most delightful in the role of the persistent and eager lover and deserves high praise and bigger and better parts because of his handling of the role. As for Norma, she has some exquisite scenes which are all hers by right of conquest and superb acting.
The stage revue is a sparkling, musical melange of song and dance and clowning. It is the "Peasant" idea in which a chorus of "cows" dances with their beautiful milk maids, goats and farm hands and sing and make merry at a fast tempo. Two burlesque dancers add to the fun and a clown tumbler and a troupe of hat throwing funsters all mix in a colorful, atmospheric stage revue. A Laurel and Hardy comedy Night Owls brought gales of laughter from an enthusiastic audience yesterday afternoon.
2/11/1930 HDC Doris Denbo
And still Norma Shearer's Divorcee cast enlarges. The attractive and cultured Theodore Von Eltz will play the role of the foreign lover in this feature. He has just recently played in The Furies, The Awful Truth and The Very Idea. Here is a man bound for the top ranks of popularity with enough roles given him on the talking screen. Chester Morris, Robert Montgomery, Conrad Nagel, Florence Eldredge, Zelda Sears, Helene Millard, Mary Doran and Helen Johnson make up the rest of the interesting cast for this smart production. Robert Z. Leonard is directing. They left for Catalina via plane yesterday where they will board the yacht, Gentry for water scenes.
3/10/1930 LAX Louella O. Parsons
New York, March 9.—The plans for Let Us Be Gay, Norma Shearer's final MGM picture, are of more than passing interest, first, because it will be Norma's last picture for a long time and, secondly, because as a stage play it was so tremendously popular. I hear tell the details of the cast from one of my Sherlock Holmes scouts, or shall I call him Philo Vance, and be up to date.
Rod LaRocque, ‘tis said, will play opposite Miss Shearer. His role is the divorced husband who is in love with his ex-wife. This situation, as you will recall, in the play, is brought about by a witty old dowager, and will be played by Marie Dressler. The granddaughter she seeks to protect will be in the hands of Sally Eilers.
This is Sally's first job on the MGM lot, and the first time she and Hoot Gibson have separated in their work since their engagement was announced.
3/18/1930 HDC Doris Denbo
Marie Dressler, out there at MGM is going in for both comedy and character roles, and she fits equally well into each. This time she has been signed for the role of the peppy and irritated dowager in Let Us Be Gay. This should be a marvelous part for the talented and beloved Marie. This is Norma Shearer's last picture before temporary retirement. Rod La Rocque plays opposite. Sally Eilers, Hedda Hopper, Raymond Hackett, Tyrell Davis and Gilbert Emery are in support.
4/5/1930 LAX Louella O. Parsons
Norma Shearer lunching at the Ambassador.
4/9/1930 HDC Society In Filmland
Others who have been vacationing at Arrowhead Springs are Mr. and Mrs. William Kernall, J. Harold Murray, Phil Berg, John Hyams, Miss Natalie Moorhead, Mary Nolan, Edith Ryan, Harry Lichtig, George Stone, Alan Crosland, Mrs. Phyllis Daniels and Mrs. Bert Wheeler.
Other recent visitors were Mr. and Mrs. Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer) and Ramon Novarro.
4/22/1930 HDC Betty Kirby
One of the outstanding events of recent date was the masked costume ball given Saturday evening by Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Blum (Carmel Myers), complimenting Miss Irene Mayer, a popular bride-elect of the season. The spacious new Spanish home of the hosts was the setting for the festivities and the patio was strung with gay lanterns and vari-colored balloons.
Over one hundred and fifty guests attended, including Messrs and Mesdames Louis B. Mayer, Harry Bannister, Harry Beaumont, Louis Bromfield, Morton Downey, Harry Edwards, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (Joan Crawford), William Goetz, Howard Hawks, Edwin Knopf, Robert Leonard, Harold Lloyd, Ned Marin, Herman Mankiewicz, Zion Myers, Walter Morosco (Corinne Griffith), Fred Niblo (Enid Bennett), Harry Rapf, William Seiter (Laura LaPlante), Myron Selznick, Irving Thalberg, Jack Warner, Lawrence Weingarten, Darryl Zanuck, Misses Louella O. Parsons, Marjorie Blum, Franc Dillon, Mitzi Cummings, Dorothy Herzog, Billie Dove, June Collyer, Claudette Colbert, Beatrice Lillie, Carmen Pantages, Harriet Parsons, Norma Talmadge, Messrs. Paul Bern, Roger Davis, Howard Hughes, Edmund Goulding, Ramon Novarro, Gilbert Roland, David Selznick and Dr. Harry Martin.
4/24/1930 HDC FILM SOCIETY SCINTILLATES AT RECENT ‘CIRCLE' PREMIER
The world of women looks forward to every picture opening seeking the very newest in style, from what the stars, prognosticators of fashion wear. The brilliant premier of All Quiet On the Western Front was more than a presentation of a new talking picture, for Beverly Hills and Hollywood society presented a spectacle of color and beauty, quite as alluring as the picture itself. Here is what they wore:
Ruth Chatterton—A black satin gown made very long and extremely form fitting. With it a black panne velvet wrap.
Pauline Starke—A gown of white chiffon trimmed with crystals, and a short white ermine wrap. She wore a gorgeous corsage of orchids.
Joan Marsh—A gown of white satin made princess, and trimmed with souffle yoke embroidered with crystal trimmings in simple design. With this, a wrap of white chiffon velvet.
Norma Shearer—A white satin ensemble. The gown was severe in line and made very long. She wore pearls and a fur trimmed wrap of the same white satin as the gown.
Mrs. Lawrence Tibbett—A gown of scarlet lace with scarlet velvet wrap and scarlet slippers to match.
Barbara Kent—A gown of aquamarine satin extremely form-fitted; her wrap was of white ermine with fox fur collars and cuffs.
Jeanette Loff—A Grecian gown made of yellow crepe romaine with white ermine wrap.
Grace Moore—A Lelong model of green chiffon and emerald and diamond jewels, and jaquette of white ermine, and she wore a corsage of orchids.
Corinne Griffith—White crepe romaine with wrap of silver cloth.
Billie Dove—Pale orchids taffeta and velvet wrap to match.
Mrs. Stanley Bergerman (Rosabelle Lammle)—A charming evening gown of printed crepe with black velvet wrap and fox fur collar.
Lupe Velez—A gown of charmeuse velvet trimmed with crystals and wrap of the same material. The gown was very long and cut extremely low in the back.
Marian Nixon—A green chiffon gown with red velvet wrap trimmed in red fox for and silver brocade shoes.
5/3/1930 FD NORMA SHEARER IN SMART FILM FOR CRITERION
Paul Whiteman and his 40 New York stage, screen and radio stars start their last week in The King of Jazz at the Fox Criterion today.
On Wednesday, May 14, Norma Shearer arrives in her most daring talking picture, The Divorcee; based on Ursula Parrot's "Ex-Wife," which has been read secretly by tens of thousands of American women and perused openly by more than 200,000 purchasers.
Because of the daring nature of its action and theme, there was a long period of hesitation before Norma Shearer finally was cast in The Divorcee. There was some doubt as to whether American women were ready for the rather frank revelations in The Divorcee.
5/10/1930 EH NARROW RULES OF CONDUCT ARE PASSE
By Harrison Carroll
Talkie audiences are commencing to appreciate honest stuff—that is the opinion advanced by Norma Shearer in discussing with the writer her new picture, The Divorcee.
By "honest stuff" Miss Shearer means the complete image of life, as contrasted to the rose-colored substitute from which the movies have only recently dared to vary.
Broadly speaking, this change dates back to the coming of audibility.
"When my mother heard that I was to do Mary Dugan she was horrified," confessed Miss Shearer. "What will your fans think? She wanted to know—and she was even more perturbed when it was decided for me to do The Divorcee.
"I'll admit I was nervous about Mary Dugan, but since that time film audiences have shown themselves ready to compromise on some of the conventions that used to restrict the behavior of heroines."
Naturally, Miss Shearer doesn't advocate a complete reversal of type. The new heroine as well as the old must possess the quality of sympathy.
"In The Divorcee," the star went on, "the girl's husband is unfaithful to her. Admitting his guilt, he asks her to overlook it on the theory that his infidelity was only a moment of passing madness, not to be weighed against his love for her.
"And she tries to see it that way—but when he leaves on a trip she falls into a fit of deep depression. In this frame of mind, she goes out with a young man and is herself unfaithful.
"She doesn't do it out of revenge, however. That is what I like about her. It's just that she is honestly trying to absorb her husband's philosophy.
"On his return she frankly admits the slip to him. Whereupon his reaction is typically masculine. The unfairness of this outrages her; she orders him to leave. Henceforth, she vows, he will be the only man to whom her door is closed.
"Then, you see the two going their separate ways grasping for happiness. All the time you feel that they love each other. Finally they meet again in Paris. It is New Year's Eve, and all around them is gayety. "Under the spell of it they are reunited."
In the convenient manner of fiction, The Divorcee drops the problems of its characters here. But Miss Shearer was willing to got on a bit—to express the belief that they had a chance to be permanently happy.
The writer demurred that they probably could never combat the memory of the past.
"I don't know about the man, but I think the woman could," affirmed Miss Shearer. "In fact they do it all the time. You must know some yourself who do.
"In any case, they could be happier than if they were futilely drifting. Maybe the edge would be off. On the other hand, they would have learned that they couldn't live without each other.
"I haven't a doubt but that there are hundreds of actual cases like this. The story has a feel of reality to it."
Whatever a person may think, the subject is, at least, provocative. And it becomes an open forum when The Divorcee opens at the Criterion next Wednesday.
5/15/1930 LAX The Divorcee
By Louella O. Parsons
The type of screen entertainment on which the dear public chooses to spend its nickels was disclosed yesterday at the Criterion Theater from the moment the doors opened until late last night the theater was so crowded that it was estimated that Norma Shearer in The Divorcee broke the record of the theater established by Greta Garbo in Anna Christie.
The nice part about this record-breaking Divorcee is that the crowded theater is sure to continue. For once having seen Norma Shearer as Jerry, the divorcee, those who came primarily because they read Ursula Parrott's book, "Ex-Wife," will tell their friends the screen version is well worth seeing.
The Divorcee, based upon the always popular subject of marital happiness and unhappiness, is a most entertaining picture. Norma Shearer's performance is one of the finest that she has ever given. I like her best in dramatic roles of this kind in which she has a chance to be both gay and tragic at intervals.
She puts a great deal into the characterization of this girl who is fundamentally nice but who, put adrift on the sea of unfortunate matrimony, seeks a level not in keeping with her real character. You'll learn to know and understand this Jerry and you anguish over her heartaches and her downfall into what seems a bottomless abyss. Therefore, it is comforting to know there is a way out for the unhappy heroine. Miss Shearer is not only lovely to look at in her smart clothes, but she is real and convincing.
In the book, "Ex-Wife," there is no return to real happiness for the girl. Fortunately, in the scenario, Jerry is not denied ultimate happiness. Zelda Sears and Nick Grinde, who provided the treatment, and John Meehan, who wrote the continuity and dialogue, have made it possible to take a few justifiable liberties with the book.
Robert Leonard, who knows so well how to direct these smart comedies, is at his best in his handling of both the comedy and dramatic scenes in The Divorcee. There is a happy combination of both and I think the dialogue is particularly good.
Miss Shearer has been surrounded with a competent cast. There is Chester Morris of Alibi fame, who plays her husband. Someway he suits the idea of Ted, the husband down to the ground. Conrad Nagel is excellent as the disgruntled admirer, Paul and I liked very much the performance of Robert Montgomery as Don, man about town and playboy; Ted's best friend and in many ways his best enemy.
One of the outstanding performances is given by Zelda Sears as Hannah, faithful if inquisitive servant. Florence Eldridge, whose throaty voice has been used with good effect in many stage plays, is equally good as Jerry's best friend. Others in the cast are Helen Johnson, Mary Doran, Robert Elliott, Tyler Brooke and George Irving. Each one of them is entirely satisfactory in his individual role.
MGM, permit me to say, has a moneymaker in The Divorcee. In addition to this popular feature yesterday there was a Laurel and Hardy comedy, Below Zero. If I tell how ridiculous I make myself laughing every time I see these two boys, people may think I have a percentage in their pictures. They are in the modern lingo, the best. A Fox Movietone completes the program.
5/15/1930 LAR The Divorcee
By Llewellyn Miller
Fox Criterion—Norma Shearer in The Divorcee, from the novel "Ex-Wife." Directed by Robert Z. Leonard.
"From now on you are the only man to whom my door is closed," says the disillusioned wife in The Divorcee, starring Norma Shearer at the Fox Criterion. And out she steps to have a series of philanders that are only hinted at, but that are sufficiently hectic for all of that.
Jerry and Ted think they have every hope of happiness, because Jerry has what they call "a man's outlook on life." Her outlook cannot quite give her resignation when she discovers Ted's affair with another woman, however. He assures her that it means nothing. She takes him at his word, and, for the sake of evening their score, spends a night with one of his friends while he is out of town.
When, quite frankly, she tells him what she has done, Ted is shocked to the point of packing a dressing gown and some handkerchiefs, and drowning all in drink.
There is a sensational motor car smash, enlivened by a powerful bit of shrieking. Helene Millard does the part of the girl who loses her head when her sister is seriously hurt with a thoroughness that is effective and quite hard on the nerves. Wild parties, a gay group of people, and some thwarted love and interest to the background of the story.
Norma Shearer is good in her straight dramatic moments. She shows the change in the girl who believes every word of the marriage ceremony to a hardened sensation seeker admirably. In the early part of the film she affects a laugh that is used too frequently to be effective. It carries a quality of ineffectuality that seems to me to be in variance with the independence of a woman who could hand a man his own medicine.
Chester Morris plays the husband, Conrad Nagel gives his expected sympathetic portrayal as a devoted suitor. Robert Montgomery is funny, especially in the party scenes, where he imitates a monkey. Others in the exceptionally good supporting cast are Florence Eldridge, Robert Elliott, Mary Doran, Tyler Brooke, George Irving, Helen Johnson and Zelda Sears, who also made the adaptation with Nick Grinde.
Dialogue by John Meehan is easy and telling, and Robert Leonard's direction is tactful, always, without shadowing the implications of wild life among the married.
I have not read Ursula Parrott's novel, Ex-Wife, so I cannot tell whether the story was followed closely or not. Most of the town wants to find out for itself, anyway, judging by the lines that besieged the Criterion box office yesterday.
5/21/1930 EH Ad of Norma Shearer's The Divorcee with great shot of line at Fox Criterion.
5/26/1930 EH Huge ad for premiere of Hell's Angels Partial list of attendees: Mary Pickford, John Gilbert, Marion Davies, Charles Chaplin, Ben Lyon, James Hall, Bebe Daniels, John Gilbert, Jean Harlow, Ina Claire, Flo Ziegfeld, Bessie Love, Dolores de Rio, Lupe Velez, Lionel Barrymore, Eddie Cantor, James Gleason, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Constance Talmadge, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Sally Eilers, Richard Barthelmess, Laura La Plant, Ruth Roland, Ben Bard, Farrell MacDonald.
6/4/1930 EH Biggest First Night Ready for Marion Davies' The Florodora Girl
Mary Pickford, Marion Davies, Richard Barthelmess, Dolores Del Rio, Bebe Daniels, Ruth Roland, Florenz Ziegfeld, Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Constance Bennett, William Haines, Sally Eilers, Adela Rogers, Bessie Love, Patsy Ruth Miller, Blanch Sweet and many others.
6/4/1930 HDC Society in Filmland
Several brilliant parties were held at the Mayfair dinner dance Saturday evening.
Edwin Carewe was host to 15 guests.
Arthur Lake had in his party had in his party Messrs. and Mesdames Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey; Miss Florence Lake, Miss Mary Brian and Arthur Lyons.
Alan Hale was host to a group of guests including Mr. and Mrs. Richard Tucker, the Misses Helen Bolton and Jane Sontard and William Davidson.
Mr. and Mrs. William Seiter (Laura LaPlante) entertains a large number of friends, among whom were Messrs. and Mesdames Ned Marin, Edward Buzzell, Charles Seiter, Leonard Otten, Howard Hawks, Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer), Walter Morosco (Corinne Griffith); Miss Violent LaPlante and Rube Goldberg.
Hal Wallace [Wallis] was host to a party of 32. Other hosts were Messrs. William Beaudine, Holmes Herbert, Charles Kenyon, Robert Edeson, Joe E. Brown, Joseph von Sternberg, Abraham Lehr, Neil Hamilton, M.C. Levy, Ivan St. Johns, B.P. Schulberg, Robert Leonard, Tom Mix, Reginald Denny and Monte Bell.
Miss Mary Pickford was hostess to a group of 14 and Miss Betty Bronson entertained four groups.
Larry Ceballos was in charge of entertainment for the evening.
6/12/1930 LAX
Norma Shearer, star of The Divorcee, which is now in its last days at the Fox Criterion, pays a pretty tribute to Leila Hyams, leading woman in the all-star cast of The Big House, which comes to the Criterion on June 25.
"I was particularly impressed with Leila Hyams' performance," says Miss Shearer. "Wallace Beery is simply superb. In fact the entire cast is all-star and lives up to that reputation throughout."
6/25/1930 HDC Society in Filmland
By Rachel Rubin
SALLY EILERS WILL BECOME HOOT GIBSON'S BRIDE FRIDAY EVENING
Scarcely has the film colony recovered from the round of festivities which had its climax in the wedding of Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon, when another popular pair made know their nuptial plans.
Miss Sally Eilers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.P. Eilers of North Manhattan Place, and Edward B. (Hoot) Gibson, son of Mrs. Wayne Anderson, will plight their troth Friday evening. One hundred guests have been bidden to the ceremony, which is to take place at Mr. Gibson's ranch near Saugus, with Rev. James Hamilton Lash of the Hollywood Congregational Church officiating. The occasion will mark the birthday of Mrs. Eilers, mother of the bride. The bride, who will be given in marriage by her father, will wear a gown of satin ivory trimmed with real lace and headed with pearls. Her veil of lace will be fastened to the cap of lace and pearls, and she will carry orchids and lilies of the valley.
Miss Carmen Pantages has been chosen to serve as maid of honor. The bridesmaids will be Mrs. Reginald Denny, Mrs. Edward Hellman (Marion Nixon), Miss Marie Prevost and Mrs. Mae Sunday. They will wear georgette frocks in pastel shades, with picture hats in harmonizing tones.
William (Buster) Collier Jr., will be the best man and ushers will be Dr. Harry Martin and Messrs. Arthur Rosson, Reginald Denny and Wallace Davis.
After the honeymoon trip to Lake Louise and Banff in the Canadian Rockies, the couple will make their home at Mr. Gibson's ranch.
Those who have been bidden to the wedding include Messrs. and Mesdames Edward Cline, Lonnie Darsay, Alexander Pantages, Ray Schrock, Allan Dwan, Robert Leonard, George Lewis, Al Rogell, B. Reaves Eason, Ben Lyon, Arthur Rosson, Richard Hyland (Adela Rogers St. Johns), Charles Mack, Reginald Denny, Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer), James E. Granger, Buster Keaton, James Gleason, Monte Blue, Morton Downey, Townsend Netcher, Felix Hughes, Millard Webb, Alfred Martin, Al Christie, Richard Gallagher and Rex Barber, Dr. and Mrs. Harry Martin.
Mesdames Sadye Murray, Phyllis Daniels, the Misses Mary Fleury, Mary Astor, Jeanette Loff, Marie Prevost, Eileen Percy, Carol Lombard, Billie Dove, Dorothy Mackaill, Helen Ferguson, Linda Cronin, Anita Murray, Mary Catherine Reticher, Helen McEvilly, Lila Lee, Almerita Hawpe, Hedda Hopper, Marion Smith, Thelma Todd, Mina Wallis, Ruth Collier, Marion Davies and Beatrice Lillie (Lady Peel).
Messrs. Cliff Edwards, Bud Eilers, Lew Lipton, David Ganzer, Victor Fleming, Harry Cohn, Norman Kerry, Lew Cody, Roscoe Arbuckle, Harvey Priester, Mel Coakley, Walter O'Keefe, James Shields, Roger Davis, Jerry Miley, William K. Howard, Lt. Col. Roscoe Turner, Edward Brandstatter, Richard Hargreaves, Sam Wolf, Hal Howe, Joseph Schenck, Lloyd Pantages, Harlan Fengler, Jack Pickford, Howard Hughes, William Haines, Edward Hatrick, William Randolph Hearst, Hal Rosson, Lt. William Sweeley and Col. Art Goebel.
7/2/1930 HDC
Amid the dissensions, hisses and other backfirings that varied the enthusiasm and acclaim with which foreign countries have been welcoming Hollywood-made talking pictures, one luminous word comes from across the seas to cheer us in our tremendous undertaking. And because it comes from England, formerly called Motherland, hence the home of our Mother-tongue, it carries the more meaning for us. An English jury, readers of the Film Weekly, Britain's foremost motion picture magazine, tosses a bouquet across the sea to American-born and American-trained screen actresses for clear and pleasing enunciation and cultured accent: Ruth Chatterton, now under contract to Paramount, ran away with 9,535 of the total 21,000 votes. Norma Shearer was second, with 2,193; Gloria Swanson received third place and Betty Compson and Janet Gaynor each polled more than 1,000 ballots.
Popularity, of course, entered into the voting. But it goes deeper than that. The question asked by the magazine was "by the silent smiles of its charming women, America conquered the screen. Will Britain regain film supremacy through the resonant beauty of the English voice?" The overwhelming choice of American-born young women by our discerning British cousins, who have not hesitated to be openly entertained by "the great American accent" in years past, is one of the finest tributes to our recent advance in the cultivation of a musical and characterful speaking voice. Ronald Colman, Clive Brook, George Arliss, John Boles, and William Powell were complimented in the order named, among our screen actors.
8/18/1930 HDC Elizabeth Yeaman
A unique premiere, heralded on the stage and screen the same night, will be held in London tonight, when "Let Us Be Gay" will make its debut to English audiences as a legitimate drama and a picture. The event will be held at the Lyric Theater where Tallulah Bankhead will portray the leading role on the stage, and Norma Shearer will be seen in the stellar role on the screen. Following the stage presentation, the picture will be shown at midnight to a specially invited audience of critics, theatrical leaders, exhibitors and executives of the British film industry. This is the first time in history that a play has been simultaneously introduced on the stage and screen. Robert Z. Leonard directed the picture for MGM, and the cast supporting Miss Shearer includes Marie Dressler, Rod LaRoque, Raymond Hackett, Sally Eilers, Hedda Hopper, Gilbert Emery and others of note.
8/25/1930 LAX MISS SHEARER HAS NEW ROLE; MOTHER OF SON
Norma Shearer, noted film actress added a new role—the real one of motherhood—to her career yesterday.
It began at 5:38am at the Good Samaritan Hospital with the arrival of a son weighing eight pounds five and one-half ounces. Dr. W. Clifford McKee, the attending physician, reported both mother and child in splendid condition.
Miss Shearer in private life is Mrs. Irving Thalberg. Her husband is an executive of the MGM studios where she is a star. The couple have been married since 1927.
Miss Shearer is one of the outstanding stars of the talking picture era. One of her latest films, The Divorcee, has been characterized by reviewers as an excellent example of the audible screen, and recently attained the distinction of being shown in two downtown "first-run" theaters successively.
She was born in Montreal, and appeared for the first time in a film, The Squealer, in 1920. Other pictures include He Who Gets Slapped, The Hollywood Revue, The Last of Mrs. Cheyney, A Lady of Chance, and Trial of Mary Dugan.
Labels: Barbara Stanwyck, Bebe Daniels, Ginger Rogers, Norma Shearer
posted by GDH at 9:39 AM
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