Dames (Warner Bros.) (1934)

Warners’ Mammoth New Musical Said To Be Best of All “Dames,” Warner Bros.’ latest mammoth musical comedy romance with spectacular ensembles by Busby Berkeley and an all star cast headed by Joan Blondell, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler, is scheduled as the feature attraction at the .................. Theatre begining ae nk as The story, by the well known playwrights, Robert Lord and Delmer Daves, is said to be hilarious comedy tinged with a glamorous romance. It treats of a somewhat hypocritical and highly eccentric multimillionaire whose chief concern in life is other people’s morals, but who eventually gets drunk on cough medicine and is taken for a sleigh ride by a gold digging chorus girl. In addition to the all star cast there are 300 of MHollywood’s most beautiful chorus girls who dance in the Busby Berkeley numbers. Berkeley, who created and staged the ensembles for “42nd Street.” “Gold Diggers of 1933,” “Footlight Parade,’ “Wonder Bar” and many other musicals, has gone himself one better in each new production, and in “Dames” his creations are said to be so spectacular as to dwarf anything he has done before. Two of the dances are said to be especially beautiful, as well as novel and fantastic—the Ruby Keeler “Mirage” number, in which the catchy song, “Eyes for You” is sung, and the “Kaleidoscope” number, which carries the theme song, “Dames.” Many catchy airs are sung, the music and lyries *or which were written by three teams of the best known song writers in the country, Warren and Dubin, Fain and Kahal and Dixon and Wrubel. Joan Blondell heads the all star cast in the role of a chorus girl who eventually weds the millionaire morality censor, after compromising his fat cousin who is in deathly fear he will be found out and cut out of the will. Hugh Herbert, the screen’s drollest comedian, has the role of the millionaire and Guy Kibbee is the cousin, with ZaSu Pitts playing the part of his straight laced wife. The romantic interest is furnished by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler, this popular pair of screen lovers again being paired. Others in the cast include Arthur Vinton, Phil Regan, radio’s singing cop, Sammy Fain, Arthur Aylesworth, Johnny Arthur, Leila Bennett and Berton Chur chill. Ray Enright directed. Page Four Six Stars Head Big Cast in New Music Spectacle, ‘Dames’ Warner Bros.’ latest musical spectacle “Dames,” which comes LOMSENO Ls tae eee ae Theatre on ieee eee » carries an unusually large and talented cast headed by six stars. And in addition to the principals, there are 300 of Hollywood’s most beautiful chorus girls, who appear in the novel Busby Berkeley ensembles, besides hundreds of extras. Joan Blondell heads the list of principals, playing the part of a gold digging chorine while Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler provide the romantic interest, the two screen lovers appearing opposite each other for the fourth time in pictures. The other stars include ZaSu Pitts, who has a comedy role as Ruby’s mother, Guy Kibbee in the role of her husband and Hugh Herbert as an _ eccentric millionaire who promises to leave them his fortune on condition that they prove to be a fine moral fibre. Others in the cast include Arthur Vinton, Phil Regan, radio’s “Singing Cop,” Sammy Fain, the noted song writer, Arthur Aylesworth, Johnny Arthur, Leila Bennett and Berton Churchill. The picture is a mammoth musical comedy spectacle with hilarious situations and a glamorous romance. Catchy music and lyrics were written for the specialty numbers by three teams of ace song writers, Warren and Dubin, Fain and Kahal, and Dixon and Wrubel. Ray Enright directed the picture. Routine Story e Casting Notes e Personality Sketches As suggested in The Film Daily’s poll of motion picture editors Powell in First Role He Has Not Had in Real Life Dick Powell hasn’t been able to separate his real and _ his screen lives until his latest Warner Bros. production, “Dames,” Which comes -to=the—.. co PReGXELOm ON In “Blessed Event” he was an orchestra leader. Dick, before entering the movies, was leader of an orchestra. Then came “42nd Street” in which he enacted the role of a singer. Dick has always been a singer. That was followed by “Gold Diggers of 1933” in which he played the part of a song-writer. Dick has written and had published many song successes, the most popular of which was “Time Will Tell.” In “Footlight Parade” Dick was a singer once more, and in “Wonder Bar” he was revealed again as an orchestra leader, soloist and song-writer. In “Dames” while Dick sings, his part is that of a musical comedy writer. He admits that he has never written such a piece in real life, but he has aspirations. The picture, which is a_hilarious musical comedy spiced with romance, carries an all star cast headed by Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, ZaSu Pitts, Guy Kibbee and Hugh Herbert. Spectacular numbers were created and staged by Busby Berkeley with 300 beautiful girls in the chorus. The music and lyrics were written by three teams of ace songsters, Warren and Dubin, Fain and Kahal, and Dixon and Wrubel. Every Girl's Feller Smiling Dick Powell, one of Hollywood’s most popular stars, is be coming more firmly entrenched every day in the hearts of the country’s damsels. His latest picture, ““Dames’’ is now playing at the Strand, featuring along with Dick, Ruby Keeler, Joan Blondell, Guy Kibbee, ZaSu Pitts and Hugh Herbert. Mat No, 5—20e¢ ZaSu Pitts Turns To Screen After Flop As Detective If ZaSu Pitts had succeeded in fulfilling her childhood ambition, she would now be.a detective. The interesting disclosure was made by the popular comedienne during the filming of the Warner Bros. special musical “Dames,” now showing at the Theatre. When ZaSu Pitts first came to Los Angeles, over a decade ago, she was very young and full of illusions. One of them was that she could become a_ splendid criminal investigator. ZaSu had read about the exploits of Sherlock Holmes and Philo Vance, and was convinced that she should make sleuthing her life work. Los Angeles, she reasoned, being a large city, should have plenty of crime—much more than Santa Cruz, California, her home town. Her efforts to get a job with detective agencies proving fruitless, ZaSu turned to the movies. The all-star cast of “Dames” includes Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, ZaSu Pitts; Hugh Herbert, Guy Kibbee, Leila Bennett, Arthur Vinton and others. Silks For Cotton For Dance Feature The donning of black cotton stockings was a new experience for most of the 300 beauties employed by Busby Berkeley in the emsembles for the Warner Bros. special musical “Dames,” which COMES CO-the..< setae Theatre ODS ees eae It was necessary for them to do so in order to obtain the odd black-and-white effects that Berkeley -sought. Biographies supplied by the girls disclosed the fact that the greater proportion of them constitute the main support of their families, but as in the case of girls in the business world, silk stockings are looked upon as necessary requisites to proper dress, rather than as a luxury. “Tf my funds run low,” advanced one beauty of the ensemble, “T’ll cut down on my lunch allowance, my funds for entertainment, my budget for dresses. Stockings, though, never! They must be silk. If I don’t have them on I develop a feeling of inferiority.” These three hundred girls were picked from the most beautiful of Hollywood for the spectacular ensembles created and staged by Busby Berkeley for the hilarious comedy romance “Dames,” for which music and lyrics were written by three teams of ace song writers, Warren and Dubin, Fain and Kahal, and Dixon and Wrubel. There is an all star cast including Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, ZaSu Pitts, Guy Kibbee and Hugh Herbert. Ray Enright directed from the screen play by Delmer Daves based on the story by Robert Lord and Daves. Beautiful Girls Bombard Berkeley For Dance Roles Although he is never seen on the silver screen, there is a man in Hollywood whose fan mail is greater than that of most popular actors. His name is Busby Berkeley, creator extraordinary of the sen Sweet and simple—is little Ruby Keeler, who dances, sings, and wins your heart again’ in “Dames,” her latest picture now at the Strand. Dick Powell and Joan Blondell are also featured in this musical production. Mat No. 4—10e sational ensembles, the latest of which are seen in the Warner Bros. gigantic musical comedy special which comes to the .......... bheatrelion iets From the four corners of the earth comes these letters from young hopefuls who want to be “Berkeley Beauties.” Berkeley discourages the girls from coming to the movie capitol. Since Berkeley soared to fame with his enchanting ensembles in “42nd Street,” “Gold Diggers of 1933,” “Footlight Parade,” “Fashions of 1934” and “Wonder Bar,” his fan-mail has been steadily increasing until now he receives more than 200 letters each week. Barkeley’s specialty numbers in “Dames” are said to surpass anything he has yet done. The story itself is a hilarious comedy romance with an all star cast headed by Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, ZaSu Pitts, Guy Kibbee and Hugh Herbert. Ray Enright directed the picture from the story by Robert Lord and Delmer Daves.