Picture Snatcher (Warner Bros.) (1933)

CURRENT FEATURES The “Low Down” on the Low Down “Picture Snatcher” James Cagney Plays Title Role as Reckless Star Photographer on Scandalous Tabloid F the average man or woman were asked what a snatecher’’ ‘“picture is, they would probably pass up the riddle without so much as an effort to guess at its meaning. To most people, it would have a doubtful and somewhat illegitimate sound, like bootlegging, smuggling and the like. Nevertheless, picture snatchers and picture snatching play an important part in the life of a metropolitan newspaper. Broadly speaking, a ‘picture snatcher,’’ in the slang of journalism, is anybody on a newspaper whose business it is to get the pictures, each day, that are necessary to illustrate the important stories of the current twenty-four hours. Newspaper photographers are ‘‘picture snatchers’’ to their associates on a daily paper. The term is not necessarily anything more than an affectionate nickname for a certain type of fellow-worker. There is also another class of ‘‘picture snatchers’’ who may never use a camera in months, but whose duty it is to run down pictorial matter of one sort or another in connection with a story, where such pictorial matter is known to be in existence, but for some reason or other is difficult to lay hands on. : It is this variety of ‘‘picture snatcher’’ that has brought the business of picture-snatching into disrepute, because of the lengths to which the lower and more unscrupulous types of yellow journals urge their picture-snatching squad in an effort to get, at any cost, the pictures they are after for their columns. Such a ‘‘picture snatcher’’ is the sort portrayed with startling realism by James Cagney in his latest Warner Bros. production which bears that name and now showing at the Theatre. Under Cover Men Such picture snatchers are in reali ty ‘‘under cover men.’’ Officially, they are not connected with the paper they work for. Strictly speaking, they are not newspaper men at all. They are not necessarily. equipped to be reporters, as most of them couldn’t write a story if their jobs depended upon it. They are specialists with only one aim—to get what they go after. How SO ~&pitture Cc Siavcmer they get it is their own business— within the law, if possible, unlawfully if necessary. No picture-snatcher of this type hesitates a moment at housebreaking, or even burglary, if there is no other way to get the picture they are after. The unpardonable sins are to get caught—and to fail. If the picturesnatcher fails, and fails too often, he’s out of a job and the journal hires another in his place. If he gets caught, he’s in the same position as the international spy. His newspaper repudiates him and he takes his medi cine, or gets out of the jam as best. he can. Reputable newspapers everywhere, it is almost needless to say, frown upon this type of ‘‘picture-snatehing.’’ Fire-escape scalers and porchclimbers are out of luck in a decent newspaper office. But they are still in demand by that class of daily papers that thrive upon lurid sensa- tionalism. In ‘‘Picture Snatcher,’’ as Danny, the ex-crook, Jimmy Cagney demonstrates what a practical asset a dis of one of the saffron-hued dailies. Patricia Ellis, Ralph Bellamy, Alice White, Ralf Harolde, George Pat Collins, Robert Barrat and Robert Emmet O’Connor are important members of the supporting cast. Lloyd Bacon directed the picture, which is based upon an original story by Danny Ahearn. Allen Rivkin and P. J. Wolfson are authors of the screenplay. regard for law and Seen can be ALICE WHITE in “Picture Snatcher,” James “sob-sister”’ Cagney’s new hit current at the Strand. She plays a tabloid paper’s Cut No.8 Cut80c Mat i10c “age Six at Sunrise,” BIOGRAPHIES JAMES CAGNEY James Cagney, who depicts a hard-boiled newspaper man in his latest Warner Bros. production “Picture Snatcher” was born in New York. As a boy he had the usual run of jobs as office boy, bundle wrapper, ete., until he started his stage career as a chorus boy. His next step upward was in big time vaudeville and then to Broadway productions. It was while appearing with Joan Blondell in “Penny Arcade” in New York that both he and Miss Blondell were signed for pictures. Warner Bros. cast them in the screen version of the show which was released under the title of “Sinners’ Holiday.” Both have since risen to stardom under the Warner Banner. In addition to “Picture Snatcher,” Cagney has recently been starred in “Hard to Handle,” “Publie Enemy,’ “Smart Money,” “Blonde: Crazy,” “Taxi,” “The Crowd Roars” and “Winner Take All? Se PATRICIA ELLIS Patricia Ellis who has one of the feminine leads opposite James Cagney in the Warner Bros. picture, “Picture Snatcher” was born in New York, the daughter of Alexander Leftwich one of that City’s most renowned directors and producers. She has been on the stage since she was old enough to walk and has appeared in the last few years in such Broadway productions as “The Royal Family,” “Once in ‘a Lifetime,” “Elizabeth the Queen,” ete. Signed to a contract a few months ago by Warner Bros., _ Miss Ellis has mado remarkable. strides toward stardom in the four pictures in which she has appeared, viz: “Pieture Snatcher,’ “The King’s Vacation,” “Central Park” and “Three on a Match.” @ ALICE WHITE Alice White, one of the feminine leads in “Picture Snatcher,” opposite James Cagney, a Warner Bros. picture, was born in Paterson, New Jersey but received her education at Hollywood and at Roanoke College, Virginia. She started her film career as a seript girl, eventually was given a screen test and quickly rose to prominence in such pictures as “The Private Life of Helen of Troy,’ “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes;” “Breakfast “Three Ring Marriage,” “Harold Teen,” “The Big Noise,” “Show Girl,” “The Widow From Chicago” and numerous others. Leaving the screen for a personal appearance tour, she returned to the Warner Banner to appear in “Employees’ Entrance” with Warren William. “Picture Snatcher” is her second role since returning to Hol lywood. 2 RALPH BELLAMY Ralph Bellamy, who has an important role with James Cagney in “Picture Snatcher” a Warner Bros. production, was born in Chicago, Illinois and educated in the public schools of that city. Before finishing High School, young Bellamy felt the urge to act. Facing parental objection, he took matters in his own hands and ran away to join a Shakes pearean company touring the west. He next appeared in “Shepherd of the Hills” and later “Town Boy,” “Holiday” and “Coquette.” While playing in “Roadside” in New York he received his first screen offer and made his debut in “The Secret Six.” He is a relative of Eben E. Rexford who composed “Silver Threads Among the Gold” and of Edward Bellamy who wrote “Hooking Backward.” Cagney A lnays Refers to Himself in L bird Person Star of ‘Picture Bearer 0 siee This Method To Deliver Caustic Criticism of His Work HEN talking of mee James Cagney is third person singular. Which is very singular, indeed. Whenever he wants to, he can switch the point of view and be either on the outside looking in, or in the inside looking out. It’s a habit of his that he picked up since he has been in Hollywood, but a very desirable habit because it allows him to let off steam and take potshots at himself. Whenever he becomes personal about himself, James Cagney becomes impersonal. It may sound a little complicated, but it’s all very simple when you hear him talking. sort of feeling, I naturally developed the habit of watching myself on the sereen and _ picking Here’s your boy friend JIMMY CAGNEY, as seen by Riveron, famous Spanish caricaiurist. Cagney plays the “Pic ture Snatcher,’ > in the Strand Theatre’s film of that name. Cut No.11 Cut 30c Mat10c Coming out of the projection room at the Warner Bros. studio where the daily rushes were being run off for his latest film, “Picture Snatcher,” now showing at the.................. Theatre, he picked himself to pieces as no one else within arms reach would dare to do. “He did the scene all right,” said Cagney grudgingly, speaking of his sereen self, “but he was inclined to be a little hammy in spots.” No one else has yet said that of Cagney—except Cagney himself, and he honestly admits that he is his own severest critic. He picked it all up since he has been in the movies. The stage certainly gave him no opportunity to look at his own work from a detached angle, and before he hit Hollywood he knew himself only as “I” or “me,” depending on the construction of the sentence. Now it is “that guy” or “that fellow” or “he” or “him” or “that sappy mugg,” al so depending on sentence construction and on direction of opinion. “Many times, while watching my own pictures being run off, I find myself detesting the character I am portraying,” said Jimmy. “TI get clear away from the idea that I am the actor, or that I am acting. “That sort of feeling started when I first saw “Public Enemy.” Several times during the running, I felt like getting up and laying one | on the tough mugg’s chin. From that we flaws in acting and characterization, just as though the character were Joe Doaks instead of Jim Cagney. And what’s worse, I often have to stiffle a hearty Bronx cheer for my screen image when it delivers what I consider some awful boners in acting | technique.” Confusing at First This is a good thing to know about Cagney before interviewing him, for otherwise things are liable to sound a little confusing at first. He will start out telling you about himself, and all of a sudden he will be talking about “that guy.” After a little forehead-wrinkling, trying to puzzle out about whom he might be talking, you suddenly realize that he is still on the subject of himself, but in the third person singular. Cagney uses this method especially when he wants to throw brickbats at himself. The distance between the first person and the third person seems to lend a little more impetus and directness to the brick. When you get into his more private life, it is a somewhat different matter. Then he is himself almost exclusively, except when it is a matter of which he is in some doubt. The purpose is obvious, but it’s quite a brilliant idea. It allows him to get perspective when viewing himself. He manages to get that detachment which allows him to see both sides of the question and ultimately reach a sound verdict—even if it is one of “guilty.” So, you see, James Cagney is not always himself. He is sometimes a couple of other guys. And in his role in “Picture Snatcher,” he is in such bad repute because of the scandal mongering sensational tabloid for which he works, he often pretends to be a couple of other guys. 4