Kiki (United Artists) (1931)

FEATURES -SHORTS - REVIEWS MARY PICKFORD BECOMES MODISTE Build Up Interest With These Shorts DENNY CHOSEN AS PICKFORD’S LEAD "OUR MARY” SCORES TRIUMPH IN MADCAP TYPE SHE MADE FAMOUS Had Own Ideas of Bizarre Tastes of Madcap "Kiki” Mary Pickford has turned modiste for her new United Artists picture, "Kiki,” which opens. at the.. Theatre. Determined to keep her costumes fully in line with the harum-scarum characteri¬ zation of a madcap girl, Miss Pickford personally instructed the designers in her ideas. The "Kiki” costume itself consists of a loud polka dot waist, extremely cut, a black satin skirt wrap-around, extremely high-heeled satin slippers and a snug black hat with a long curl feather at the crown. The feather is from a rare Chinese bird and was obtained with difficulty. She carries an enormous leather hand-bag of black and white stripes and a ten-inch powder puff. An elaborate negligee in the gaudiest gamin taste has a huge sequin butterfly across the back. It is trimmed in con¬ trasting tulle and ostrich feathers. She also wears a pair of transparent metal cloth pajamas with sequin trimmings and ; sequin mules. In one sequence she wears a man’s dress suit, top hat and all. The dress shoes had to be specially made. Miss Pickford wears the diminutive size of two and a half and they couldn’t be bought. Margaret Livingston does the dressing up in the Sam Taylor production. She wears one costume made completely of ostrich feathers, five hundred in all. The cast of the picture includes Regi¬ nald Denny, leading man; Joseph Caw- thorn, Fred Walton, Phil Tead, Fred Warren and Edwin Maxwell. Mary Refuses Double In Strenuous Scenes Mary Pickford went through the most strenuous days of her screen career in making scenes for her latest United Art¬ ists picture, "Kiki,” now showing at the.Theatre. Refusing a double, she was tossed about in bruising fashion on the sets of the Sam Taylor production. The characterization of the harum- scarum "Kiki” demanded that she get in frequent fights and tussles with prac¬ tically every member of the cast, includ¬ ing Reginald Denny, leading man; Mar¬ garet Livingston, Joseph Cawthorn, Fred Walton, Phil Tead and Fred Warren. The most spectacular struggles were with Phil Tead and Fred Walton, who were required in the scenes to attempt to keep her from seeing the man she loved. Miss Pickford proved that Douglas Fair¬ banks was not the only athlete in the family. She was awarded the decision while the studio first aid man stood pa¬ tiently by with liniment. Mary Pickford, star of ".Kiki" 11 —One Col. Star Scene Head (Mat .05c; Cut .30c) Crying for Laughs Weep and the world laughs at you. Fred Walton, veteran character actor, discovered this when he was called upon to shed tears in a scene for Mary Pick- ford’s new picture, "Kiki,” now showing at the.Theatre. Because Walton’s crying was so comical the staff of Sam Taylor, United Artists producer- director, ruined the scene. Cameramen, assistant directors, script clerks and elec¬ tricians burst into laughter. The scene had to be retaken. Reginald Denny plays opposite Miss Pickford in "Kiki.” Mary Pickford’s work for a week con¬ sisted of having fits. Or, rather, one fit, broken up by periods of rest between camera shots. "Kiki,” her new United Artists picture, a Sam Taylor production, now showing at the. Theatre, calls for a cataleptic fit during the climax of the story. Catalepsy is de¬ fined as: A sudden suspension of con¬ sciousness, with muscular rigidity. The screen doctor in the case, when Mary was forced to simulate suspended animation, was Edwin Maxwell. Reginald Denny, leading man, was the cause of the cata¬ lepsy. In the cast of "Kiki” are Margaret Livingston, Joseph Cawthorn, Fred War¬ ren, Fred Walton and Phil Tead. Sam Taylor, producer-director of "Kiki,” starring Mary Pickford for United Artists, claims the prize cast of character comedy players. They are Regi¬ nald Denny, leading man, a comedy- drama star in his own right; Joseph Cawthorn, Fred Walton, Edwin Maxwell, Fred Warren and Phil Tead. All of them built their reputations in comedy on the stage and then transplanted their talents to the screen. "Kiki” is a rollicking pic¬ ture in which Miss Pickford has a madcap role. It is now playing at the... Theatre. Mary Pickford recently made an un¬ usual request of an internationally noted fashion creator. She asked him to design a negligee in outlandish taste and harum- scarum style. So, Howard Greer, who devotes his talent to creating exquisite modes, bent himself to the task of doing his worst. The negligee was for scenes in Miss Pickford’s new picture, "Kiki,” a Sam Taylor production for United Artists in which Reginald Denny plays the masculine lead. It comes to the ...Theatre ... : The role is that of a madcap girl with an exaggerated idea of style in clothes. Hence the tricky negligee. The Hollywood speed record for get¬ ting completely dressed from shoes to hat is claimed for Mary Pickford. Time: five minutes and 45 seconds. This included taking off one outfit, putting on another, combing her hair and fixing her make-up. Through it all she was busy speaking lines and acting a scene in "Kiki,” her new United Artists picture, a Sam Taylor production, in which Reginald Denny plays the male lead. The pictuer is now showing at the.Theatre. Karl Struss, chief cameraman for Mary Pickford’s new United Artists picture, "Kiki,” holds the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award for the most outstanding photographic work in the industry during 1928. He has been head of the camera battery of several Sam Taylor productions. "Kiki” comes to the ...Theatre on.......•• Three veteran characters appear to¬ gether for the second time in a Mary Pickford picture. They are Joseph Caw¬ thorn, Fred Walton and Edwin Maxwell who play roles in "Kiki,” a Sam Taylor production for United Artists which opens .. at the . Theatre. The three actors played together in "Taming of the Shrew,” co-starring Miss Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. They co-ordinated so well that they were signed for "Kiki,” in which Reginald Denny plays the leading masculine role. One of the most versatile men in the motion picture industry is Sam Taylor, producer-director of Mary Pickford’s new picture, "Kiki,” for United Artists, which comes to the.Theatre .Taylor writes, directs and produces his pictures. He has been a comedy constructor, scenarist, title writer and cutter, thus equipping himself for every phase of picture making. He studied film photography and has an un¬ usual talent for settings. Sam Taylor’s ripe experience in creat¬ ing laughs for the screen as scenarist and director of Harold Lloyd over a period of years has again been utilized, this time iri "Kiki,” starring Mary Pickford for United Artists. Taylor wrote the screen play and directed his production with the intention of getting a laugh a minute. Count them yourself when the picture opens at the.Theatre.. Joseph Cawthorn, popular character actor, has a naughty role in Mary Pick¬ ford’s new United Artists picture, "Kiki,” which comes to the... Theatre. Sam Taylor, producer-director, cast Cawthorn for the part of a wealthy, elderly man with an eye for pretty girls. Cawthorn appeared in Miss Pickford’s co-starring picture with Douglas Fairbanks, "Taming of the Shrew.” In the cast of "Kiki” are Regi¬ nald Denny, leading man, Margaret Liv¬ ingston, Fred Walton, Phil Tead and Edwin Maxwell. Rollicking Moments—Touches of Pathos— Lavish Production—Excellent Cast —Please Huge Audience Laughter, droll situations and love-making in delightful madcap fashion characterize Mary Pickford’s version of "Kiki,” which opened. .!.at the..Theatre. The swift comedy-drama shows Mary in a role of the inimitable type that first won her the title of "America’s Sweetheart.” There was a mad scramble of ambition in Hollywood to see who would be Mary Pickford’s leading man in her new United Artists picture, "Kiki,” now showing at the. Theatre. Reginald Denny won out. The question that interested Holly¬ wood was: Would a comparatively unknown actor get the opportunity of his life or would a player of established prestige be chosen? Jl/Lanj Pickfordin a scene ffom"Kiki"u)ith Reginald Denptj 15 —One Col. Scene (Mat .05c; Cut 30c) Several tests were made of rising young leading men and the names of a few noted actors were mentioned. They were considered by Miss Pickford and Sam Taylor, producer-director. The final choice was Denny because of his rare ability and the fact that he fitted the characterization. "Kiki,” based on the successful play of the same name, concerns the glamour¬ ous adventures of a harum-scarum girl who falls in love with a man in a differ¬ ent station of life and sets out to marry him. Magnificent settings were created for the screen play by William Cameron Menzies, supervising art director. Taylor has exceeded Miss Pickford’s previous triumphs which he directed— "My Best Girl” and "Coquette.” He also directed "The Taming of the Shrew,” co-starring Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. As a harum-scarum girl in love with a handsome, divorced man, portrayed by Reginald Denny, Miss Pickford wildly tackles every obstacle that stands in her way, particularly the ex-wife, played by Margaret Livingston, who is trying with all her wiles to get him back. Miss Pickford has created a "Kiki” who constantly wins the sympathy of the audience and keeps it through rollicking moments and occasional touches of pathos. Her impersonation is impetuous, naive, and, in the desperate battle for the one big love, a bit girlishly mad, just as one would expect of an aspiring gamin. It is truly delicious entertainment, exactly the sort that has held a following of mil¬ lions the world over for years. In an era in which sex is flaunted as a lure to theatre-goers this concoction of love and comedy is indeed refreshing. Sam Taylor, producer-director of the United Artists picture, has further estab¬ lished himself as a director of good, solid entertainment. He has injected the hilari¬ ous atmosphere that first gave him pres¬ tige as a master of screen comedy drama. Denny is excellent as the leading man; Margaret Livingston is the vivacious, temperamental vamp, and the balance of the cast, including those tried and true thespians, Joseph Cawthorn, Fred Wal¬ ton, Phil Tead, Edwin Maxwell and Fred Warren, give splendid support. This is unquestionably the best picture Miss Pickford has given the public in several years. PICKFORD FILM LAUGHING HIT Sparkling Comedy, Roguish Charm, Make Star a Lovable "Kiki” In this sophisticated age genuine laugh¬ ter is at a premium. So, if you are fed up with surface morals, sex plots, and white-washed wickedness, and really hanker after a delightful, roguish love story replete with comedy, go and see Mary Pickford in "Kiki” at the..Theatre. Here, if one may be paradoxical, is bright screen entertainment that children may safely take their parents to see. Miss Pickford, under the skillful guidance of Sam Taylor, producer-director for United Artists, has foresworn all other "Kiki’s” and given us her own. It is modern, fast, funny and exhilarat¬ ing from start to finish. Miss Pickford has an innocent wild abandon, a hoyden- ish quality, recklessness and impulsive¬ ness and madcap charm. She falls in love with Reginald Denny who can’t get along with a woman and can’t get along with¬ out one. He has been divorced from one, Margaret Livingston, and she is using all her feminine power to lure him back, meanwhile carrying on something of an affair with a tenor. "Kiki” has a high quality comedy cast, every member of which has headlined in laughter. Denny makes an excellent lead¬ ing man for Miss Pickford. Margaret Livingston has zip and sparkle. Joseph Cawthorn, Fred Walton, Phil Tead, Fred Warren and Edwin Maxwell give splen¬ did support to the riotous moments be¬ tween Miss Pickford and Denny. It has fireworks and chuckles to spare. A NEW MARY IN A ROLE THAT WILL STARTLE AND AMAZE YOU! You'll rock with mirth watching "America's Sweet¬ heart” as the holy terror of romance. The merriest, gayest and maddest of all love stories. Most exasperating of cut-ups, most adorable of madcaps, a little French wildcat stands the world on its ear to triumph over her rival in love and win the man who swore he'd have nothing to do with her. 1 —Three Col. Ad (Mat .20c; Cut .75c)