Back Pay (Warner Bros.) (1930)

Every ad and story on this page can be used for advertising the Vitaphone version with slight additions to the copy. From Fannie Hurst’s Gifted Pen! With Corinne Griffith’s Charming Voice! She bargained for luxury and found happiness, until Love showed her how poor she was! Corinne in the kind of a role you’ve always wanted her to portray. It’s her best talkie—by far! ‘BACK PAY’ with GRANT WITHERS “sitagua-~Love, —Hallam— Cooley A William A. Sefter Production. Based on story by Fannie Hurst. A FIRST NATIONAL Produced by : and WALTER \ WU TADHON MOROSCO Cut No.2 Cut 4oc Mat roc A Double Romance When Corinne Griffith comes to the Theatre next week in her second all-talking First National production, “Back Pay,” adapted for the screen from Fannie Hurst’s famous short story and drama, the star will have two well-known leading men,— Grant Withers, who plays her early sweetheart in a little town in Virginia and Montagu Love. who becomes her patron lover when the southern heroine journeys to New York City for William Distinguished Cast In the celebrated Fannie Hurst story “Back Pay,” which has its initial showing at the Theatre ONE ess re es » Corinne Griffith will be supported by a east of such well known names as Grant Withers, Montagu Love, Vivian Oakland, Hallam Cooley, Geneva Mitchell, Dee Loretta, William Bailey and Virginia Sale. William A. Seiter directed and Francis Edwards Faragoh is responsible for the adaptation and dialogue. Grant Withers With Corinne Griffith Again Two years ago Grant Withers was thrilled at winning the small part of a life of ease and luxury. A. Seiter directed. SILENT Brief Biographies of the Cast CORINNE GRIFFITH Corinne Griffith in “Back Pay” Cut No. 11 Cut 15¢ Mat 5c Corinne Griffith is claimed as a native daughter of two states, as she was born in Texarkana right on the border line between Texas and ArkanHer father, John Griffith, of English descent, was a railroad man connected with the old Vanderbilt line in Texas. Her mother’s parents were Italian. Corinne had her first insight into the amusement world at the age of four when she followed a circus parade and was given a lift in a big red wagon by a couple of acrobats. Several hours later, her distracted parents found the child calmly playing with some clowns under the Big Top. sas. While attending a public dance at Santa Monica, Miss Griffith won a beauty contest which decided her future career. Among the judges was Roland Sturgeon, then a director for Vitagraph, who invited the girl winner to make a test the following morning. This resulted in an immediate contract. After a few pictures on the Coast, Corinne became a full fledged star and was transferred East to make a series of films in the old Flatbush Studios. She remained with Vitagraph for five years. Samuel Goldwyn next signed Corinne to star in Elinor Glyn’s “Six Days” and this was followed by a screen version of Robert W. Chambers’ novel, “The Common Law.” In 1925, First National Pictures claimed her and she was starred in “Black Oxen,” “Declasse,” “Classified,” “Mademoiselle Modiste,” “Into Her Kingdom,” “The Lady In Ermine” and “Three Hours.” Her more recent pictures include “The Divine Lady” by E. Barrington, “Saturday’s Children” by Maxwell Anderson, “Prisoners” by Ferene Molnar, “Lilies of the Field” by William Hurlburt and “Back Pay,” an _ all-Vitaphone production, by Fannie Hurst, which is soon to be shown at the Theatre. “Back Pay” is directed by William A. Seiter. Corinne Griffith is a great reader and is especially fond of poetry. She swims, plays tennis and rides a bieyele far from the maddening crowd at Malibu Beach, Calif., where she has a summer home, and enjoys long walks. She never diets, preferring to keep her slender figure through constant exercise. Much of her leisure time is devoted to studying French, in HALLAM COOLEY Hallam Cooley who plays Al Bloom, GRANT WITHERS Grant Withers in “Back Pay’’ Cut No. 13 Cut 15¢ Mat 5¢ For the past two years Grant Withers has been rapidly working his way toward stardom. But the youthful Colorado actor experienced many early struggles and discouragements before achieving his present eminence. Finally he was engaged for a series of twenty short length features with Alberta Vaughan and Margaret Morris. Other fairly ‘good roles followed with Fox, Universal and Christie Studios, but it was not until he played a small part as Lord Nelson’s flag lieutenant in Corinne Griffith’s “The Divine Lady,’ that the real turning point in his screen career was reached. Miss Griffith liked the young man’s looks, earnestness and ability so much that she elevated him to the part of her leading man in “Saturday’s Children” and he made good. Now Grant has again been chosen by Corinne to play opposite her in “Back Pay” which opens shortly at the Theatre. Other recent productions in which young Withers has appeared are “In the Headlines,” “The Madonna of Avenue A” and “The Other Tomorrow” with Billie Dove. MONTAGU LOVE The noted character actor, Montagu Love, who plays the “heavy” in Corinne Griffith’s all-talking First National picture, “Back Pay,”. by Fannie Hurst, is a native of Portsmouth, England. He was graduated from Cambridge and started his career as a newspaper artist in London. He was particularly successful in drawing army and sporting illustrations, although he also sketched famous English actors at first nights. Soon, however, he gave up art in favor of the stage. It was while playing in New York that he succumbed to the lure of the camera and made several pictures for the old World Film Company, winning particular praise for his performance in “Rasputin.” Some of his most recent pictures are “The Divine Lady” with Corinne Griffith, “Bulldog Drummond” with Ronald Coleman, “Night of Love” with Coleman and Banky, “The Mysterious Island,” “Charming Sinners” with Ruth Chatterton, “Her Private Life’ and “A Notorious Affair” with Billie Biography of WILLIAM A. SEITER William A. Seiter first came to Hollywood fifteen years ago when the thriving motion picture colony of today was hardly more than a su-sion of orange groves. Seiter’s f a partner in the old established York firm of Higgins and Seiter, uuporters of glass and chinaware, gave his son an excellent art education intending to have him become a junior member of the business. But Bill had other plans, he wanted to be a screen actor. Young Seiter journeyed to Hollywood armed only with ambition. He refused any financial help from the family back East, and bravely made the daily round of studios in search of extra work. There were many lean times when his bed was the back seat of an automobile in a garage where the night watchman was a sympathetic old negro. But finally, after playing a number of Keystone cops in the old Mack Sennett Studios, and acting as an assistant cameraman on various productions when no parts were forthcoming, perserverance won Bill a leading role as a Northwest Mounted Policeman opposite Loretta Blake in a picture produced by ~ Griffith. When Norma Talmadge lef _. Vitagraph Company in Brooklyn to make “The Captivating Mary Carstairs” at the Coast, Seiter was not only assigned the juvenile lead but was also made assistant to the director. His next step was to direct a series of comedies starring Carter de Haven. Then Thomas W. Ince, assigned him to the megaphone for “The Kentucky Colonel” which lead to a contract with Warner Brothers. His next move was to Universal where he directed Laura LaPlante, who has since become, in private life, Mrs. William A. Seiter. When his Universal contract terminated, Bill was immediately signed by First National where he has be come an ace director, equally at home in comedy and intense emotional drama. For Colleen Moore he has directed many stories in lighter vein, while for Corinne Griffith he wielded the megaphone for more serious mas, such as “Outeast,” “Pris and “Back Pay.” First National Pictures, Inc. presents Cut No. 8 Cut 20c Dove. Withers’ New Role Grant Withers the handsome young American actor from Colorado, who was recently signed to a long term contract by First National Pictures, on the strength of his fine performance as leading man to Corinne Griffith in “Saturday’s Children,” will again play opposite Miss Griffith in ‘Back Pay,” which is promised as he next attraction at the Theatre. Colored Actress Scores Louise Beavers, the colored actress who’ won considerable favorable comment from press and publie for her fine performance of Mary Pickford’s negro mammy in “Coquette,” will again have a talking role in Corinne Griffith’s “Back Pay,” opening toMOTLOW=< OU ATNO Scots ok Theatre, As Corinne’s maid in this Fannie Hurst drama, directed by William A. Seiter, Miss Beavers supplies the comedy relief. a flag lieutenant in “The Divine Lady” with Corinne Griffith. Though his name never appeared on the cast, his ability and good looks did not escape Miss Griffith’s attention and the handsome Colorado athlete was promoted to the role of her leading man in “Saturday’s Children.” Now Grant is again playing opposite the First National star in “Back Pay” at the Theatre, a travelling salesman, in Corinne Griffith’s First National-Vitaphone production, “Back Pay” by Fannie Hurst, was born in New York City, but journeyed to Chicago during his high school days and later attended Northwestern University where he devoted as much time as his studies would allow to amateur dramaties. After being graduated, Cooley toured the United States with a stock company appearing in “The Man From Mexico,” “The Kingdom of Content” and various other productions. However, the screen was flourishing during his cub days on the stage and Hal finally returned to New York to join the Selznick Picture Company. Several character and comedy roles followed in Cosmopolitan Productions. and Cooley forged rapidly ahead in a long series of Fox tworeel domestic comedies opposite Kathryn Perry. Heis much in demand at the studios. Hal’s favorite hobbies are tennis and polo. He is six feet tall, has dark hair and dark eyes and is an all-around athlete. Dog Actor Well Paid Dumpsie, a clever maltese terrier only a year and a half old, is one of the important members of the cast in Corinne Griffith’s “Back Pay,” the current -attraction at the =........ Theatre. In the OLS Mr; Schwartz,” Dumpsié was paid $25.00 per day all during the making of this absorbing Fannie Hurst story directed by William A. Seiter for First National and Vitaphone. Newspaper Experience Grant Withers who is appearing opposite Corinne Griffith in “Back Pay” at the .. Theatre was onee a copy reader in Colorado on his grandfather’s newspaper, The Pueblo Chieftain. Grant’s first job in California was that of reporter on a Los Angeles daily. He was fired from the job but by a curious quirk of fate received hhis first starring role in a Warner Brothers picture of newspaper life, “In the Headlines.” Sylvan Love One of the most beautiful love scenes ever portrayed on the screen has for its background the picturesque picnic grounds in the sylvan woods of Virginia in Corinne Griffith’s “Back Pay,” soon to be shown at the Theatre. It is at a picnic given for the employees of a small town department store that Miss Griffith and Grant Withers first re‘veal their love. with GRANT WITHERS Montagu Love, Hallam Cooley. Based on story by Fannie Hurst. A Wm. A. Seiter Production. Produced by Walter Morosco. A FIRST NATIONAL &| VITAPHONE PICTURE | role Page Four