Four Mothers (Warner Bros.) (1941)

Strand to Show ‘Four Mothers’ Starting Today One of the happiest events of the winter film season takes place today, when “Four Mothers,” latest of the Lemp family film stories, begins an engagement at the Strand Theatre. As in the earlier stories, “Four Daughters” and “Four Wives,” the cast is headed by Priscilla, Rosemary and Lola Lane, Gale Page, Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie AIbert, Claude Rains, May Robson, Frank McHugh and Dick Foran. In “Four Mothers,” however, there are some cast additions, for the Lemp family has been growing. Lola is the mother of twin girls, portrayed in the film by Barbara Ann and Arlene Lane; Priscilla’s baby girl is played by Beverly Quintanilla, who made her debut as a baby boy in Eddie Cantor’s “Forty Little Mothers;’’ Gale Page’s little daughter is played by Sharon Van. The new story, written by Stephen Morehouse Avery, and suggested by Fannie Hurst’s book “Sister Act,’ takes the Lemp family through a family crisis that combines drama, pathos and humor in pretty much the same proportion that they occur in most families. For fun and humor, there are the babies, four one-year-olds; for drama, there is the financial crisis when the Florida real estate development into which the whole family has put their money, fails; for pathos, there is the loss of Father Lemp’s job at the Music Foundation, but this is more than made up for when he is invited to conduct the Beethoven festival in Chicago. To those who have followed the series, this newest adventure will come as a delightful treat, but newcomers to the Lemp family stories will also find “Four Mothers” a complete new story that stands on its own. William Keighley directed the film production. ‘Four Mothers’ Best of All Lemp Family Film Sertes CAST: Adame ise: n.d. SS ee Claude Rains | DUNG ber) BSW 22 Re a a oe Jeffrey Lynn Clint Borrest 25.580. Bk ek fe Eddie Albert SENGERTH SES) RUG Tae Oa aR RS May Robson Ben Crowley onan eet Frank McHugh Ernest Malbot, 22. semaines Dick Foran Mas: Ridevehieldi snes ckeess Vera Lewis and Ann: WempDietz... Priscilla Lane Kay Lemp Forrest .......... Rosemary Lane Thea emp Crowley.:sc....ctes0s<:. Lola Lane Emma Jéemp Talbot’ ...i;000. Gale Page PRODUCTION: Directed by William Keighley; Original Screen Play by Stephen Morehouse Avery; Suggested by the book, “Sister Act,” by Fannie Hurst; Director of Photography, Charles Rosher, A.S.C.; Art Director, Robert Haas; Film Editor, Ralph Dawson; Sound by Charles Lang; Makeup Artist, Perc Westmore; Gowns by Howard Shoup, Musical Director, Leo F. Forbstein; Music by Heinz Roemheld; Orchestral Arrangements by Ray Heindorf. When the camera pans through the branches of the blossomladen apple trees, through the windows of a rambling old-fashioned house and into the parlor, with a soft musical accompaniment of Beethoven’s Sonata — you know you’re at home with the Lemps. The same delightful family of girls, played by the Lane sisters and Gale Page, who captured so many hearts when they were “Four Daughters” and “Four Wives” are _ back again as “Four Mothers,” with their four husbands and their four babies. All of which sums up to the fact that the Strand Theatre’s new picture is a fourfold hit that completely captivated last night’s audience. While the charm and spirit of the earlier films has been retained in “Four Mothers,” and the characters are the same, the story is completely fresh and new. All the girls are happily married, and just to keep the record straight the couples are Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn, Lola Lane and Frank McHugh, Gale Page and Dick Foran, and Rosemary Lane and Eddie Albert. The last-named couple, however, are having their difficulties, because Albert, as a young doctor devotes so much time to his research work that he has little left for his wife, who doesn’t like being neglected. They are the only couple, too, who have not had a “blessed event.” The second generation of Lemps consists of four baby girls, one each for Priscilla and Gale, twins for Lola. As the story opens the Lemps are preparing for a family re Still FM343; Mat 207—30c BLESSED EVENTS AT THE STRAND —These four young glamor girls are in the movies now, as the four daughters of the "Four Daughters" who are consequently "Four Mothers" in the new Strand Film. union. Father Adam Lemp (Claude Rains) and Aunt Etta (May Robson) are busy cleaning the house, although Adam is trying to get time out to teach one of his tiny granddaughters to thump out a Beethoven melody. The occasion is the return of Thea and Ben (Lola Lane and Frank McHugh) from Florida. Ben is a millionaire realestate operator now. Through Adam, he has sold nearly everyone in the little town shares in his big Ocean Zephyrs realestate development in Florida. The family rejoicing, however, is short-lived. That night Ben gets word that a hurricane has destroyed Ocean Zephyrs. The hitherto friendly and admiring townspeople turn on the Lemps with one accord. In this family crisis, the men of the family put their shoulders to the wheel, to try to pay back the money lost by the townspeople. It is old Adam who succeeds first, however. Secretly, he sells the house to a big city firm for an apartment house site. He has lost his job as Still FM16; Mat 104—15c IN 'FOUR MOTHERS' — Eddie Albert and Rosemary Lane featured in new Strand film. head of the Music Foundation and stoutly maintains that he wants to go and live in the city. Meanwhile the younger members of the family are having their troubles, too. Felix (Jeffrey Lynn) has gone to Chicago to accept a radio engagement, giving up his dream of writing a great symphony. Kay (Rosemary Lane), wearying of her husband’s complete absorption in his work, also goes to Chicago to try to get a job singing. Lonely and bored, the two go out together one night. She tells him about the time when all the Lemp girls were in love with him, and that leads to a kiss. It is all over in a minute, but it sends Kay flying back to her husband, and Felix back to his wife. The townspeople, having gotten their money back, invest again in another scheme of Ben’s — a suburban development right outside their own town. This time, it is a success. For Adam, there is the greatest of all triumphs. He is invited to conduct at the Beethoven International Festival. It is a fresh, human story, told through the medium of a cast who seem to have immersed themselves completely in their roles. Through William Keighley’s deft direction, the picture has a simple naturalness that is a thorough-going joy to the beholder, and the fine musical score contributes to the general delight of the film. MOTHERS HAVE GLAMOUR TOO Hollywood And Its Feminine Stars Learn That The Fans Don’t Mind. Screen stars are learning that a mother role can be glamorous. The screen’s ladies used to shudder at the idea of playing mothers. They didn’t want to be confused with something by Whistler. But, as one or two adventurous souls essayed maternal portraits with Rosemary, Lola Lane and Gale Page—are back as Still FM 349 ; Mat 205—30c YOUR FAVORITE FOUR ARE EIGHT—The ‘Four Daughters’ — Priscilla, "Four Mothers" with four baby daughters of their own, in the film opening at the Strand today. no ill effects, other stars discovered that the fans like mothers as well as sirens and ingenues. In “Four Mothers,” the picture opening today at the Strand, the lively young Lane sisters, Priscilla, Rosemary and Lola, are seen with bouncing offspring, their facts of life having been inaugurated in ‘Four Wives.” Lola, as a matter of records, has twins. “That makes it twice as glamorous,” she says. Screen motherhood has now reached the point where practically every top-notch star in the industry has had her chance — and progeny. Joan Crawford was a mother in “Susan and God” and her performance is said to have upped her box office rating al ready with the film going public. Norma Shearer, renowned for her screen glamour, turned mother in “The Women.” In “The Old Maid,” a picture that dealt with a significant aspect of motherhood, Bette Davis had no fear of playing the delicate role. But Miss Davis probably isn’t afraid of anything. Barbara O’Neil has been a screen mother several times, most recently as mother of four in “All This, and Heaven Too.” Miss O’Neil is a young actress who, like Miss Davis, isn’t afraid of any role. All of this would seem to prove that glamour rating and popularity with the fans isn’t jeopardized by having ‘‘children.” After all, it happens in real life all the time. William Keighley Chosen To Teach Film Direction William Keighley, U.S.C. professor and ace movie director, reports that he is getting as much out of the course in directing, which he is conducting at the University, as he is giving the students. Keighley is the noted director of such films as the recent hit, “The Fighting 69th,” and of the new film at the Strand, “Four Mothers.” “They pound questions at me about problems of technique which I had solved instinctively rather than by any process of logic,” Keighley declares. “The result is that in answering these questions, I have to formulate and test reasons for what we do in movie-making, in my own mind. “One thing I do know. I am learning all the answers. So when my producers ask me why I wish to do a thing in such and such a way, spending more money in doing so, I can tell them in detail. Those students haven’t overlooked an angle.” Keighley, during the filming of his latest picture at Warner Bros., “Four Mothers,’ was asked to take the professorial chair through the Hays office, when he was selected as “the most articulate of the industry’s top directors.” Before entering pictures, Keighley was stage director, producer, actor, and playwright. Keighley’s latest directorial effort, “Four Mothers” is a sequel to “Four Daughters” and “Four Wives,” and stars the same cast who made those pictures memorable. Lane Sisters Are Fashion Individualists It takes a bit of doing to be a complete individual when you’re the members of a famous trio of sisters. But the three Lane girls were born individuals and are so much so both in personality and looks that if you didn’t know they were sisters you would never guess that they might be. This individuality extends to everything and especially in their choice of clothes. Information gathered on the set of “Four Mothers” proved that: Priscilla will wear only those clothes that are girlish, Rosemary garb with a touch of sophistication, and Lola feels best in tailleurs.