The Big Shot (Warner Bros.) (1942)

4 PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN—“THE BIG SHOT” BOGART IS BAD GUY AGAIN IN ‘BIG SHOT —AND THAT'S GOOD! Humphrey Bogart is backsliding. They had him on the mourners’ bench and thought he was saved, but he wriggled off and is now up to his old sinful ways again. In other words, the quick announcement that Humphrey Bogart was a reformed character walking the straight and narrow according to the»best cinema standards was premature. This came about when Bogart starred in “The Maltese Falcon,” in which, it turned out, he was a right guy. Now it seems that the joy in Hollywood over the snatching of this brand from the burning was more in | tribute to his really fine acting than to the facts in the matter. Now a Bank Robber He has reverted to type in more ways than one. In his new picture, “The Big Shot,” produced by Warner Bros., Bogart is a bank robber and prison inmate again, quick on the trigger, hard with the tongue. His name is Duke. Followers of the Bogart struggles. with law and order will recall that he made his first picture as “Duke.” That was in “The Petrified For Still EC 42; Mat105—15c Humphrey Bogart and Irene Manning est,” one of the notable crook pictures of all time. It made Bogart famous and brought a new and sinister face to the screen. Criminals Never Win “Remember those signs you used to read in the New York subways?” Bogart asked. “You know, they said, ‘You can’t win’? I guess that’s true with real criminals. True on the screen, too. We never show a criminal winning. And I’m pretty likely to be the criminal.” In “The Big Shot,” Bogart lets down all his friends who who thought he’d reformed with “The Maltese Falcon,” in which he played a detective and was an honest man. In his new picture, Bogey starts being crooked in the first reel and lands in prison before the show is half over. It takes a long time to reform some people. Incorrigible, maybe. Bogart Film Opening Humphrey Bogart returns to the Strand Theatre screen on Friday in “The Big Shot,” the bullet-streaked story of a gangster who made his way from the gutter to ganglord — and then back to the gutter. Irene Manning makes her film debut opposite Bogart as the right girl for the wrong guy. Lewis Seiler directed ‘“‘The Big Shot.” | it Only Happens In Hollywood Four “dead people” acted in the final shooting of Warner Bros.’ “The Big Shot,” a screen play in which there was plenty of crime. The “corpses” — Humphrey Bogart, Irene Manning, Stanley Ridges and Chick Chandler— had paid the penalty for their crimes several days previously, but motion picture scripts aren’t photographed chronologically. The last scene shot was one of the first in the picture. TRUST ‘BIG SHOT TO DO UNUSUAL IN PRISON BREAK es Humphrey Bogart has ' caped from prison before but never in such company. He fled the grim grey walls this time with a black-face comedian and a gollywog. This is the kind of thing that goes on in Warner Bros.’ “The Big Shot,” now playing at the Strand, a perfectly serious melodrama which gets fancy only to the extent of devising as spectacular a jail break as possible for Bogart. The device is a new one, involving a prison show. That’s where the black-face comedian, played by Chick Chandler, ex of vaudeville, comes in. The gollywog is a dummy, a dummy with frizzled hair and long, rubbery legs and not much personality. Still, it’s right here that the plot thickens, for the dummy conceals the weapons that make the escape possible. The prison audience, glad of a show, is applauding enthusiastically. Bogart is at the switches, operating a baby spot light, and at the signal, he douses the house lights. Yells and shots ring out. And down the long hall, stumbling in the dark, come Bogey, blackface comedian and _ gollywog. The two convicts knock out a guard, frisk him for his keys, slam the iron gate and they’re off. Irene Makes Hit With the Soldiers Army officers from Port McArthur who heard Irene Manning’s beautiful rendition of the national anthem on the Hollywood Red Cross broadcast asked for recordings to be used at army camps. Irene, who plays opposite Humphrey Bogart in Warner Bros.’ “The Big Shot,” was a light opera star before she came to Hollywood. No Songs This Time Irene Manning, who makes her motion picture debut in the leading role opposite Humphrey Bogart in Warner Bros.’ “The Big Shot,” hails from the musical comedy stage. Although she has a lovely voice, she doesn’t sing in the film. However, she is an excellent dramatic actress. Irene Manning Makes Film Debut in Big Shot" Irene Manning, being new to Hollywood, has said the wrong thing, and apparently it’s the plain, simple truth. Appearing at Warner Bros. to sing in “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and then to take a lead opposite Humphrey Bogart in “The Big Shot” which opens today at the Strand, Irene was tabbed at once, indexed indelibly as a gal who has what it takes. Reel Punch Proves Real Still EC 23*; Mat 203—30c | “Big Shot” Humphrey Bogart throws the court into an uproar during his trial. Once in a blue moon it really happens: an actor who is supposed to knock another man out for a scene really does it. Humphrey Bogart did it yesterday for the first time in his stage and screen career. His victim was Stanley Ridges, who was out cold for five minutes as the result of a right-hand uppercut on the set of Warner Bros.’ “The Big Shot.” Timing of the blow was carefully rehearsed and the principals agreed just how they would do it. But Ridges, the guy who gets socked, stuck his chin out instead of pulling it back and caught the full force of Bogart’s blow. Ridges returned to work after an hour’s rest. Action-Packed Drama At Strand Stars Bogart “The Big Shot,” Warner Bros.-First National Picture directed by Louis Seiler. Original Screen Play by Bertram Millhauser, Abem Finkel and Daniel Fuchs. Presented at the Strand Theatre. Run ning time 1 hour, 22 minutes. THE CAST: Duke Berne.............. Humphrey Bogart Lorna Fleming.............. Irene Manning George Anderson........Richard Travis Ruths Carter es Susan Peters Martin Flemin¢........... Warden Booth... Dancer . Frenchy Sandor... Bad guy Bogart returned to his rods and robberies yesterday in Warner Bros.’ thrilling gangster film, ‘The Big Shot,” which opened at the Strand Theatre. The temporary reform he underwent for “The Maltese Falcon” and “All Through The Night” has not in the least softened him for his latest role. All the old cold-blooded terseness, ruthless action and sharptongued retorts still make Bogart the screen’s number one tough guy no matter which side of the law he’s on. Irene Manning Has Charm Appearing opposite Bogart is Irene Manning, who makes her film debut in “The Big Shot.” Her charm plus her acting ability assures this young lady of a very successful screen career. “The Big Shot” is loaded with action and suspense, coupled with Bogart’s fine characterization of a three-time loser who is over-cautious against any future acts which will send him up for life. After much goading, he allows his former co J Howard da Silva + | horts to talk him into acting as the “brains” on a stickup. Stanley Ridges, a lawyer, agrees to back up the gang in case of trouble. Bogart learns that his former sweetheart (Irene Manning’s role) is now married to Ridges. Gets Life Sentence On the night of the robbery, Irene keeps Bogart in his room at the point of a gun. In spite of this, a confused witness identifies him as one of the criminals and Ridges, who learns of his wife’s love for Bogart, allows him to take a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit! The pace of the film is rapid but never does its speed give you the feeling that anything has been cut short or left out. Its continuity flows smoothly and holds one’s interest throughout. The dialogue is brisk and realistic, lending spice and color to the production. Richard Travis (remember him as Bette Davis’ boy friend in “The Man Who Came To Dinner’’?), Susan Peters, Chick Chandler and Howard da Silva all give splendid performances in the supporting roles. Lewis Seiler, who has many a film success chalked up to his credit, directed skillfully. 2 “TI always wanted to be a great dramatic actress,”’ was what she said. From Drama to Singing But in the list of young women who have been accepted in Hollywood as having the oomph, glamour or whatever it takes, Irene Manning is an unsual person. She always wanted to be a dramatic actress. So she became a singer. Irene is five-foot three, weighs 112 pounds, has blue eyes, golden blonde hair and_ superior contours. She was born in Cincinnati, she went to Los Angeles High School, she studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N. Y., and she went into light opera as fast as she could. After a stage career, she came to Hollywood to do a test with Still IM 52; Mat 101—15c Irene Manning Dennis Morgan for “The Desert Song,’ and went instead into “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” singing the part of Fay Templeton in this Broadway story about George M. Cohan. And _ she looked so good in this that the next step was a non-singing part ina drama, “The Big Shot.” Wants to Combine Both She doesn’t, of course, mean to discard singing. She used music as a stepladder but she prized the stepladder all the same and still does. She thinks it would be pretty wonderful if she could, somehow, manage to be a dramatic actress and a singer at the same time. Well, so far she has an unusual start. When you see her on the screen and cast her in your mind’s eye as another “‘discovery” you might remember what’s going on behind those extremely pretty blue eyes. Sang Her Way to Fame Irene Manning has a fine lyric soprano voice and has played parts in “The Great Waltz,” played the lead opposite John Charles Thomas in “The Gypsy Baron” and has appeared in “Pinafore,” “The Chocolate Soldier” and many other famous operettas in addition to concerts and radio.