Don't Expect A Happy Ending

The Petrified Forest (1936), which will be shown this Friday on TCM, was a product of Warner Bros. Warner's was frequently on the cutting edge of what movie audiences wanted to see. They produced the first talkies, the first horror films in color, and Warners was the studio to later become known for film noir, a movement in film that reflected society's angst and conflicts and is shot in low light and shadows, with pessimistic stories about shady characters and not so happy endings.

The Petrified Forest is considered by movie historians to be a precursor to film noir. The film itself is named after an area in the Arizona desert known for its fossilized trees, conjuring up a picture of the death and

Leslie Howard's Rules of Etiquette

I have learned many things about Leslie Howard's personality during my research into the man. One characteristic I have uncovered was his need to be in control. Fortunately, Howard oozed charm and that, along with his wry sense of humor and incredible generosity, made those who loved and worked with him happy about giving him whatever it was he wanted. Following is a story from Movie Classic, March, 1936, which illustrates my point. 

Let me set up the scene. If you have seen The Petrified Forest (1936), you will remember the Black Mesa Filling Station and Bar-B-Que where Leslie Howard's character, Alan Squier, meets Bette Davis' character,

Programming Note

[Leslie Howard and Bette Davis
in The Petrified Forest, 1936]

The Petrified Forest to air on TCM on Friday, July 15, at 8:30 AM PST [Please check your local listings]

Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart reprise their roles from the stage play in which they appeared from January 7, 1935, through June 6, 1935, at the Broadhurst Theatre in NYC. Leslie Howard and Gilbert Miller produced the play in association with Arthur Hopkins. It ran for 197 performances. This two-act play was written by Robert E. Sherwood and adapted for the screen by Delmer Daves and Charles Kenyon.

The film marks a turning point in the career of Humphrey Bogart who had become very discouraged and told friends that if he didn't make it in Hollywood this time he was through. Thanks to the insistence of Leslie Howard, Bogart was offered the role of Duke Mantee, Bogart being so grateful he named his daughter after Mr. Howard. Howard had already had this honor bestowed on him once before when his friend William Gargan named his son after Howard in gratitude for jump starting his career.

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

Three Pairs of Rubbers

My final post for the week and ending my theme (for now) of old time radio shows is one of Leslie Howard doing comedy. The recording is of three shows Howard appeared on for Eddie Cantor's Texaco Town on the CBS radio network, December 6, 1936 ("Three Pairs of Rubbers") and February 14 ("Hamlet") and May 30, 1937 ("Aired In England"). I have edited the original recordings to include only the portion Leslie Howard appeared on and spliced them all together for one recording.

I have listened to this recording many times and what I hear every time is the love the audience had for Mr. Howard. On the first episode you can sense their awe when he walked into the studio, almost forgetting to applaud, prompting Eddie Cantor to say, "It's really him. Leslie Howard in person."

You can listen to all the Leslie Howard radio appearances I have been able to find by visiting my blog. They are in the "Photos and Magazine Mentions" Section under the "On The Radio" Tab or by simply visiting my Leslie Howard On The Radio YouTube site: LeslieHowardSteiner YouTube, Leslie Howard on the Radio. Again, thank you to Ginevra Di Verduno's site Inafferrabile (Elusive) Leslie Howard, Radio.

Note: My recording is edited for Leslie Howard's appearances only. If you listen to the full recordings you will hear a commentator on the first show announcing King Edward's abdication of the throne in favor of Wallis Simpson. You will also hear the announcer refer to a scathing attack on American media by the Royal Family. It seems they somehow blamed American media for the whole fiasco.  If you wish to listen to the entire December 6 show, if can be found here: Eddie Cantor Texaco Town, Full Show, CBS Radio, "Three Pairs of Rubbers," Leslie Howard 12-06-36.

Have a great weekend!

[Eddie Cantor's Texaco Town on CBS radio, three Leslie Howard

appearances, December 6, 1936, February 14 and May 30, 1937]

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

Dear Brutus

Leslie Howard was not only an accomplished writer, producer, director and actor on film and in the theater, he appeared on the radio as well.

Here is a show he did for The Fleishmann's Yeast Hour, also known as The Rudy Vallee Show, for the NBC Blue Network, June 27, 1935. The show stars Leslie and his daughter, Leslie Ruth, aged 10. This episode is an encore to a show father and daughter did six weeks earlier which received an unprecedented outpouring of requests for a repeat from fans who missed the original episode and heard about it from their friends. It was the first time in the history of the show that a performance was repeated. The Howards' success led to their being featured on the cover of Radio Guide, February 22, 1936. Leslie had to be convinced to allow his daughter to appear with him on the cover.

[Leslie Howard and his daughter, Leslie Ruth,
appear on the cover of Radio Guide]
Radio Guide, February 22, 1936

Howard was a shy man and although he was happy about the success of the show and the acclaim his daughter received for her performance he often felt exploited by his own fame and he was wary of the sudden attention that was being focused on his daughter.

Leslie and Leslie Ruth are performing a short scene, "The Enchanted Forest," from James M. Barrie's, Dear Brutus. They are performing before a live studio audience. I have added photos taken the day they appeared. I have edited the original program to only the Howards' appearance and to add Leslie Ruth's brief interview which actually appeared at the end of the show. The complete show is available at: Fleishmann's Yeast Hour/Rudy Vallee Full Show, Dear Brutus, June 27, 1935. (Joe Louis appears at the end of the show.) The audio is very good except for a bit of static during the audience applause.

The Rudy Vallee Show, Dear Brutus, June 27, 1935

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

Programming Note

[Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer on
the set of Romeo and Juliet, 1936]

Romeo and Juliet to air on TCM on Thursday, June 30, at 12:15 AM PST [Please check your local listings]

Adapted from the play by Shakespeare, Leslie Howard appears in this film from 1936 directed by George Cukor and co-starring Norma Shearer as Juliet. The screenplay is by Talbot Jennings. The supporting cast includes John Barrymore, Basil Rathbone, Edna Mae Oliver and Andy Devine.

The New York Times selected the film as one of the "Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made."

On the night of the Los Angeles premiere at the Carthay Circle Theatre Norma Shearer's husband and the producer of the film, Irving Thalberg, died at the age of 37. Of course, the show still went on.

The picture received four Academy Award nominations:

Best Picture - Irving Thalberg

Best Actress - Norma Shearer

Best Supporting Actor - Basil Rathbone

Best Art Direction - Cedric Gibbons, Fredric Hope and Edwin B. Willis

[Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes in
Gone With The Wind, 1939]

Gone With The Wind to air on TCM Friday, July 1, at 6:15 PM PST [Please check your local listings]

Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland star in the top grossing movie of all time, Gone With The Wind. Produced by David O. Selznick, Directed by Victor Fleming and Screenplay by Sidney Howard, this film was delayed for two years while Selznick negotiated with MGM for Clark Gable and conducted an extensive "American Idol" type search for Scarlett O'Hara.

Top Awards:

Best Picture - Selznick International Pictures
Best Director - Victor Fleming
Best Actress - Vivien Leigh
Best Adapted Screenplay - Sidney Howard
Best Supporting Actress - Hattie McDaniel

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

Leslie Howard As Seen By The Artist

"Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television." ~ Woody Allen

[Caricature of Leslie Howard and Bette Davis in
The Petrified Forest, 1936, from Merrie Melodies'
She Was An Acrobat's Daughter, "The Petrified Florist,"
Supervision I. Freleng, Animation Bob McKimson
and A.C. Gamer]

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

We're All A Lot of Saps

"Well, let me tell you something. You're a forgetful old fool. Any woman's worth everything that any man has to give: anguish, ecstasy, faith, jealousy, love, hatred, life or death. Don't you see that's the whole excuse for our existence. It's what makes the whole thing possible and tolerable. When you get to my age you'll learn better sense." ~ Alan Squier, The Petrified Forest, 1936

Leslie Howard and Charley Grapewin
in The Petrified Forest, 1936

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

It's The Weekend!

Happy Friday, everyone!

[Leslie Howard and Bette Davis in
The Petrified Forest, 1936]

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

The Petrified Forest - Focus: Humphrey Bogart

Leslie Howard, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Dick Foran and Genevieve Tobin in The Petrified Forest. Produced by Hal B. Wallis and Warner Brothers. Directed by Archie Mayo. Released February 6, 1936.

Howard had starred as Alan Squier, a doomed intellectual, in the 1935 Broadway production of The Petrified Forest and Warner Brothers wanted him to reprise that role in the film.

[Leslie Howard as Alan Squier in the stage play]

Jack Warner had intended to cast Edward G. Robinson in the role of Duke Mantee even though the part had been played by Humphrey Bogart on Broadway, thanks to Robert E. Sherwood who wrote the stage play and Arthur Hopkins, producer. When Howard learned of this he informed Warner Brothers that he would not play the part of Alan Squier unless Bogart played Mantee. According to author Eric Lax, Howard also held the trump card -- he controlled the film rights to The Petrified Forest.

Edward G. Robinson was ambivalent about the part anyway as he had already played gangsters in several films and didn't want to be typecast. Bogart was 37 at the time. He felt that he was finished with Broadway and his film career was at an end. He wanted to play the leading man but was only being cast in character parts and supporting roles. Leslie Howard persisted and Bogart was given the role. He was guaranteed three weeks' work and a ticket for the train to Hollywood. But he told friends that if he didn't make it this time he was through.

[Humphrey Bogart as Duke Mantee]

After watching a few of the dailies, Hal Wallis realized that Bogart was terrific in the part.

But Wallis noticed that Archie Mayo had been filming Bogart positioned in front of moose antlers which were hung on the wall behind him making it appear as though Bogie had sprouted horns. Mayo found it amusing; Wallis did not. When Hal Wallis saw this he fired off a memo to Henry Blanke, assistant director, ordering Archie Mayo to knock it off and reshoot those scenes. As evidenced by the below screen still, Mayo ignored the order. The Petrified Forest turned out to be Bogart's breakout film role.

[Leslie Howard, Humphrey Bogart and

Dick Foran in The Petrified Forest]

Humphrey Bogart never forgot Leslie Howard's loyalty, even naming his second child after Howard.

Official Trailer

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

Honoring Shakespeare

In honor of the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death:

Leslie Howard in Romeo and Juliet, produced by Irving Thalberg and distributed by MGM. Released August 20, 1936. The New York Times selected the film as one of the "Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made", calling it "a lavish production" which "is extremely well-produced and acted."

[Leslie Howard in Romeo and Juliet, 1936]

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

You Call That Praise?

Leslie Howard's performance as Hamlet was not favored by The Lewiston Daily Sun, November 17, 1936. Although the crowds appeared for opening night, the play only lasted through thirty-nine performances.

Howard said of his performance, “There is a terrible penalty attached to acting Hamlet. Comparisons are unavoidable, not only with the present but with memories of the past. Worst of all is the conception which each person has placed upon the character. There is something in Hamlet which each of us could use. Hamlet belongs to all men and therefore nobody will receive 100% approval.”

Leslie Howard's Hamlet Praised

[Leslie Howard in Hamlet, 1936]

Hamlet - Producer, Director, Actor
Imperial Theatre
November 10, 1936 thru December 1936
Performances: 39

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

Leslie Howard vs. John Gielgud

Leslie Howard produced, directed and starred as Hamlet which only ran at the Imperial Theatre, New York, for 39 performances between November 10 through December, 1936. Why? Because Howard set it up five blocks away from the theatre that had been housing John Gielgud's Hamlet for a month and because Howard had the jitters opening night and received some not so favorable reviews. If only the critics had come back on the second night. Howard received very favorable reviews in the out-of-town run up in Boston and afterwards on tour.

[Leslie Howard in Hamlet, 1936]

Hamlet - Producer, Director, Actor
Imperial Theatre
November 10, 1936 thru December 1936
Performances: 39

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email