Song of the Saddle (Warner Bros.) (1936)

“SONG OF THE SADDLE” Pow Ba Pela Monte Montague, Dick Foran, the Singing Cowboy, and Eddie Shubert (left to right) in ‘‘Song of the Saddle,’’ First National’s tuneful drama of the new West, which opens at the ...........00000.... PREGGO Ss. coset Se Mat No. 208—20e Dick Foran, Tenderfoot, Makes Good As Cowboy Eastener Starring In “Song Of The Saddle” Knows More About West Than Waddies ——— By HARRY MacPHERSON It has often been said in the West that a tenderfoot, especially if he be youthful and with the fact-hungry mind of adolescence, will learn more about a ranch in a week than a ranch-bred boy might have learned in years. The explanation of this, according to veteran residents of the cattle country, is that ranchreared youths are ‘‘too close to the picture.’’ Dick Foran, an Eastern lad by birth but a rough-riding Western “convert” by choice, now starring in the First National picture, “Song of the Saddle,” at the See Theatre, well illustrates this principle, it is pointed out by old-timers who worked with him. Born in New Jersey, where horses have been scarce for the last two decades, Dick clamored as a boy for vacations in the West. His parents gave the youth this opportunity and so the Jersey boy became a broncho buster and a hard-riding “vaquero” at an age when most lads in the East have never ridden a horse. “Pll admit that my interest in the West was stirred by Western magazines and by Western pictures,” said Foran. “But I wasn’t satisfied to get my thrills through the vicarious route of stories or the movies. I wanted to know the West, and even when a small boy I wouldn’t accept dude ranches as a substitute.” Seated as a youngster around the roundup campfires, or listening to the waddies as they gathered in the bunk-houses after evening chow, Foran learned the “songs of the saddle.” His naturally fine singing voice, and ability to play the guitar, made him a favorite in these gatherings of punchers on the range. Later, with his voice trained, and taking part in dramatics at Princeton, Dick Foran became ideal for screen parts of a “singing cowboy.” He knews his West. He was a rider and roper. His voice was an asset. So he became that which he had fondly dreamed as a youth, a featured player in Western screen plays. “Song of the Saddle” is the second of First National’s new type of Western dramas with musi¢ starring Foran. It is filled with thrilling action and carries a glamorous romance. Dick Foran in “*Song of the Saddle’’ at the Strand. Mat No. 107 @ 10¢ Others in the cast include Alma Lloyd, Charles Middleton, Addison Richards, Eddie Shubert, Monte Montague, Victor Potel and Kenneth Harlan. Louis King directed the picture. Alma Lloyd Knows Open Spaces The Great Open Spaces where grazing herds roam the ranges and hard-riding adventurers care for the world’s latent beefsteak are no novelty to Alma Lloyd, 21year-old leuding woman of ‘‘Song of the Saddle’’ now showing ‘at the se-5s:. ssa Theatre. =~ Miss Lloyd, a California girl has roamed the plains of many frontiers. ““T’ve not only seen the cowboys of the American West in their native haunts, but I’ve been in Argentine and watched the gauchos on the Pampas-.and I’ve visited Mexican mesas where the vaqueros were at work,’’ said Miss Lloyd. Length of Film....5195 Ft. Running Time....58 Mins. Trick Horse Is Quickly Tamed By Dick Foran ‘‘Sonny Boy,’’ a trick paint pony selected as a stellar mount for Dick Foran, new cowboy star of the screen, has a habit of rearing up on his hind legs. It’s a habit which is highly disconeerting to those accustomed to English saddle horses on placid bridle paths. Dick Foran, however, is no saddle novice, and demostrated this during the filming of ‘‘Song of the Saddle’’ which comes to the Serine ee theatre on ..4.0 3s Dick not only waved his ten-gallon hat with gay abandon as ‘‘Sonny Boy’’ went into his skyrocketing, but rolled a brown paper cigarette while reining in the playful little pinto. ‘Sonny Boy,’’ becoming convineed that there was no tenderfoot on his back, became almost docile and when the camera started grinding out scenes he had to be spurred a bit to get him to cut up. ““Song of the Saddle’’ is a thrilling story by William Jacobs with music and lyrics by M. K. Jerome and Jack Scholl. In the cast besided Foran are Alma Lloyd, Charles Middleton, Addison Richards and Eddie Shubert. Louis King directed. Foran Named Head Of Triangle Club Dick Foran, First National’s western singing star, and a former Princeton man, who has the leading role in ‘‘Song of the Saddle,’’ now showing at the ............ Theatre, has been elected honorary president of the famous Princeton ‘‘ Triangle Club,’’ producer vf the famous ‘‘Stags at Bay’’ show. The screen star, who was an ictive member of ‘‘Triangle’’ while in College, taking dramatic and singing roles in the annual Princeton plays, was honored by the school organization because of the ‘‘favorable publicity’? he has given his alma mater. Dick Foran Plans To Buy Real Ranch Dick Foran, First National western star, is planning to purchase a ranch; and it’s going to be a real ranch, wild and wooly and full of cattle. While on location in Placerita Canyon near Newhall, Calif., for the First National picture, ‘‘Song of the Saddle,’’ which comest0...the:..:.c.%, acces. Theatre (Ch ewes pee , Foran opened negotiations for the acquisition of what he considers an ideal place. The property he inspected consists of several hundred acres of wooded hills and mesa grazing land. There’s plenty of water, wells are nearly artesian, and on the land is a small cobblestone ranch house. Dick Foran’s Saddle Is Hand Carved Dick ‘Foran, star of the First National western picture, ‘‘Song of the Saddle,’’ which comes to UT oS reecpe reaps MHGAtEG= ONGi. cso: cs: ‘ rides a valuable horse in the new film. And that horse has an equally valuable ‘equipment. It was disclosed that the trained palomino pony, ‘‘Smoky,’’ is worth about $2000. The animal’s outfit — saddle, bridle and breast collar — is also + orth about $2000. All three are studded with solid silver and the Spanish leather is hand carved. Distinctive Range Songs Are Sung By Dick Foran Written Specially For “Song Of The Saddle’’ By Men Who Know Spirit Of West “Horse operas’’ have really become ‘‘horse operas’’ and the slang term as long applied by Hollywood to western pic tures is no longer a misnomer. Such is the assertion of Bryan Foy, associate producer of First National who is in charge of a series of new type Westerns being made with Dick Foran as a star. ‘‘The introduction of musie and songs in western melo Famous Rodeo Stars Take Part In New Western Names to conjure with in all the far-flung places of the American West where people of the rangelands gather to see rodeo stars in action were called out when the First National Western melodrama, ‘“Song of the Saddle,’’ now showine “atethe, we ces. Theatre, went on location. At least nine notables of the ‘Roundup Circuit’? were among the performers who take part in the screen-story rodeo. Bob Woodward, Alice Van, Florence Van, Earl Dobbins, Frank McCarroll, Benny Corbett, Dave White, George Williams and Art Mix are all in the east. Alice Van, Corbett and Dobbins, all holders of championships, took leading parts in the Roman riding, relay and other horse events staged on 4a 5000-acre ranch ti Placerita Canyon in the mountains back of Newhall. **Song of the Saddle’’ is a thrillingly dramatic story by William Jacobs, with music and lyrics by M. K. Jerome and Jack Scholl. Dick Foran, the Singing Cowboy, has the stellar role while others in the cast include Alma Lloyd, Charles Middleton, Addison Richards and Eddie Shubert. Louis King directed. Special Songs Written For New Western Drama Galloping screen stories of the old days, when cinematic westerns were in flower, were frequently termed ‘‘horse operas’’; this, despite the fact that such Open Space dramas were generally devoid of any sort of music. ‘Horse Opera,’’ however, is no misnomer or figure of speech in the 1935 model Westerns as being filmed by First National. Dick Foran, young hero of the movie mesas, sings as smoothly as he rides. Hence the new Westerns are so rich in melody, both atmosphere musi¢e and special songs, that they might be termed ‘‘musical melodramas.’’ ‘Song of the Saddle,’’ which comes: to* the ss: 5.1 Theatre One Se , starring Foran, with Alma Lloyd playing the feminine heart interest opposite him, is such a picture. Foran, as ‘‘ The Singing Kid,’’ is a heroic young desperado out to get a band of bad men and avenge the murder of his father. His particular earmark is that he sings, no matter whether holding up stages owned by the crooks, or rescuing innocent men who are about to be lynched by the same band of villains. Two special songs, written for the sereen play by M. K. Jerome and Jack Scholl, are sung by Foran. They’re entitled: ‘‘ Vengeance’? and ‘‘Underneath a Western Sky.’’ Louis King directed. dramas is a logical and natural thing in that music was always a most definite part of the Old West,’’ declared Foy. ‘‘Songs of the range have always been sung and even composed by cowpunchers and others of the Open Spaces, till a veritable stock of western folk songs has grown up.’’ The second of the series of Westerns starring Foran, whose singing voice is considered a real dis covery, is ‘‘Song of the Saddle,’’ which comes to the ...........cccc00..... Thestre-t. ee The first in the series, ‘‘ Moonlight on The Prairie,’’ contained several new and old songs. The new film carries two distinctive songs especially composed for the picture. In ‘‘Song of the Saddle,’’ in which Dick plays the part of a ‘Singing Kid,’’ whose earmark is the fact that he sings as he rides the range, two songs—‘‘Un derneath a Western Sky’’ and ““Vengeance’’ are introduced nat urally. There is now a tendency, it is pointed out by Foy, to create important and imperssive songs for the ticw w tstérus. - Announcing that First National will start immediately on another western melodrama, also flavored with atmosphere musie and special songs, Foy declares he believes the public will welcome such an _innovation. ‘*Cowboys always played the guitar and sang as they sat around their campfires at night,’’ commented Foy. ‘‘They even sang their improvised songs, ribald or sentimental, to the cattle as they rode night herd.’’ *‘Song of the Saddle’’ is a thrillingly dramatic story b.. William Jacobs. In the cast with Foran are Alma Lloyd, Charles Middleton, Addison Richards and Eddie Shubert. Louis King directed. Dick Foran The riding, shooting and singing sensation of the screen returns as the terror of the bad lands in “‘The Song of the Saddle,’’ the First National Western with music NOW OUZING siciuiancs ecto Theatre. Mat No. 108—10c Page Five