Programming Note

[Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland and
Bette Davis in It's Love I'm After, 1937]

It's Love I'm After to air on TCM on Saturday, July 9, at 3:15 AM PST [Please check your local listings]

Produced by Warner Brothers and directed by Archie Mayo, It's Love I'm After is a comedy which brings together Leslie Howard and Bette Davis for the third time. They appeared together previously in Of Human Bondage (1934) and The Petrified Forest (1936).

The film is about a pair of egotistical actors (Howard and Davis) who are in love but who have delayed their marriage over and over again throughout the years, mainly due to their heated arguments off stage. But the two finally agree that tonight is the night, until a young heiress (Olivia de Havilland) shows up and becomes totally infatuated with Leslie Howard. (I know that feeling.) Her fiancé (Henry Grant) pleads with Howard to discourage de Havilland and the wedding is delayed once again as Howard barges in at de Havilland's country home to show her just how obnoxious he can be.

The movie received good reviews and classic movie reviewers have come to recognize the film as undervalued and neglected.

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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]

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Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Today's post is from Ginevra di Verduno's YouTube site LeslieHowardForever.

Leslie Howard and Greer Garson perform a scene from Goodbye, Mr. Chips with an introduction from Gertrude Lawrence during the NBC Tribute to the King and Queen broadcast on June 11, 1939, during the Royals' visit to the United States.

The visit was prompted by an invitation from Franklin Delano Roosevelt and was a momentous occasion in the history of both countries. It was the first time a reigning British Monarch had set foot on American soil, ever.

The invitation was at a great political risk to the President. Mr. Roosevelt planned every part of the tour, hoping to maximize its impact on the attitudes of Americans who were determined to keep America out of the impending war. Americans were thrilled about the visit and lined up to see the Royal Couple.

[King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arriving

in Washington, D.C., June 8, 1939]

After two days in Washington, the Royal couple traveled to Hyde Park with the President and First Lady. It is there that they listened to the radio tribute.

[King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit Hyde Park

during their Royal Visit, June 11, 1939]

The Royal visit is said to have changed American attitudes about Great Britain. The rest is history.

[Leslie Howard and Greer Garson perform a

scene from Goodbye, Mr. Chips, June 11. 1939]
NBC's Radio Tribute to the King and Queen, Full Show

Visit FDR Library, Royal Visit to learn more about the occasion. See more pictures at The Washington Post, Scenes From The Royal Visit.

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Monsieur Beaucaire

Today's show is Monsieur Beaucaire, a short novel written by Booth Tarkington (29 July 1869 - 19 May 1946) adapted into a radio play. It differs from the novel. Monsieur Beaucaire was produced for Lux Radio Theater and aired on CBS Radio Network June 21, 1937. It stars Leslie Howard, Elissa Landi, Pedro de Cordoba and Dennis Greene with an introduction by Cecil B. DeMille, Producer.

[Cecil B. DeMille always the showman, dressed in
jodhpurs, as producer of the CBS Radio Theatre, 1937]

Monsieur Beaucaire is in reality the Duke de Orleans, played by Leslie Howard, who wants to marry for love. His cousin, King Louis XV of France, had the Duke imprisoned for refusing to submit to his arranged marriage. He has escaped to England and has fallen in love with Lady Mary. The story follows his efforts to win her love. Howard was fluent in many languages, including French, and does a very good job with his French accent.

Also appearing on the show is Ray Jones, a photographer for Paramount in the 1930's. He gives a very interesting explanation of how still photography is used in film. If you are like me and watch your favorite movies over and over again until you know every scene, you may have wondered, as I have, why there are so many photos of movie scenes (production stills) that never appeared in the movie itself. This segment will answer your questions.

Evelyn Keyes appears in a commercial for Lux Soap. You will remember her as Suellen O'Hara, Scarlett's sister, in Gone With The Wind (1939). At the time of this broadcast she had just been "discovered" by Cecil B. DeMille. If you are a fan of Gone With The Wind, you may remember that the production had been delayed many times. However, David O. Selznick used the delays to create a buzz for his film by advertising his search for Scarlett, holding casting calls all over the country (sort of like American Idol). The search for Scarlett always reminded me of the search for Cinderella. As Evelyn is leaving the studio, DeMille says what I think is, "Goodnight, Scarlett." It could have been, "Goodnight, starlet." I'm not sure. But I am sure that in 1937, Evelyn Keyes would have been salivating over the part of Scarlett, just like a million other girls.

[Evelyn Keyes, 20 November 1916 - 4 July 2008]

At the end of the show the announcer tells the audience that next week's guest will be Amelia Earhart who is at that time in Java. Earhart has promised to appear on the show in two weeks if she is late from her flight around the world. Of course, we now know that Earhart never makes it back.

[Amelia Earhart, c. 1935]

At the end of the show Howard discusses his plans for the near future. He never made either of the two movies he talks about. There was a sequel made to The Scarlet Pimpernel (1935), but Howard did not reprise his role. Bonnie Prince Charlie was made in 1948, after Howard's death, and starred David Niven. Howard did film Stand-in (1937) with Humphrey Bogart and Joan Blondell and then went on to film It's Love I'm After (1937) with Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland, a film which can be seen in July on TCM.

[Leslie Howard and Elissa Landi are being introduced to CBS radio
audiences by Cecil B. DeMille for the Lux Radio Theatre
production of Monsieur Beaucaire, June 21, 1937]

[Leslie Howard and Elissa Landi in the Lux Radio Theatre

production of Monsieur Beaucaire, June 21, 1937]

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Never In This World

In today's post you will find a recording of The Gulf Screen Guild Show for the CBS radio network, starring Leslie Howard, Kay Francis, young Virginia Weidler, Mary Nash, Irving Pichel and Morgan Wallace. The announcer was George Murphy. It was performed on March 26, 1939.

This is a very touching story of a young girl, adorably and brilliantly played by Virginia Weidler, whose time on earth is growing short. Her father, played by Leslie Howard, is doing his best to protect her and make her few remaining days enchanting. Their neighbor, and the Prince's "Godmother," is played by Kay Francis. It is called Never In This World and was written by Stephen Morehouse Avery (20 December 1893 to 10 February 1948). The show is directed by Sidney Franklin (21 March 1893 to 18 May 1972). The musical director is Oscar Bradley.

I have incorporated pictures of the actors in the video covering the radio show. The only actor I could not find a record for was Morgan Wallace. I did find a Morgan Wallace, but he is white and the actor in the radio show is supposed to be "Nubian." Of course, it is possible that the actor portraying the Nubian in the show was white, as only the studio audience could see him. This would say a lot about the exclusion of minorities in the early days of radio and film which, sadly to say, continues to this day. Nevertheless, I did not want to take a chance and give credit to what appears to be the white Morgan Wallace if there was a black Morgan Wallace who performed the part.

The recording is very good. It is a little bumpy in the beginning but the small "thumps" end as the story begins. In the middle of the show there is a spot where the volume goes down. Please do not turn up your sound because it comes back to full volume in a matter of seconds.

The Gulf Screen Guild Show was "owned" by actors. The actors' fees were donated to the Motion Picture Relief Fund and went toward building and maintaining the Motion Picture Country House which continued in existence until very recently.

The Gulf Screen Guild Show, Never In This World, March 26, 1939

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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

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Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, everyone! Hope you are all having a splendid time.

[Leslie Howard with his daughter, Leslie Ruth "Doodie" Howard,
and his son, Ronald "Winkie" Howard, enjoying themselves on the
beach in Bermuda, 1935]

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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

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Leslie Howard As Seen By The Artist

"Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth." ~ Pablo Picasso

[Autographed "Can this be true? Leslie Howard"
by Alex Gard, for Sardi's Restaurant]

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Leslie Howard As Seen By The Artist

"I dream my painting and I paint my dream." ~ Vincent van Gogh

[Leslie Howard, digital art by Nicole M. Climons, 2012]

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Leslie Howard As Seen By The Artist

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."

 ~ Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island

[Leslie Howard as Prof. Henry Higgins in
Pygmalion, 1938, watercolor by Alice Teeple, 2014]

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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]

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Leslie Howard As Seen By The Artist

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." ~ Edgar Degas

[Leslie Hates Spinach, by J. Welch, 1933]

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Acting vs. Horses

This week I have talked about Leslie Howard's dislike of acting vs. his love for horses. I am not one of those fortunate people who have spent my life around horses, but I know some who have. And those who have will tell you that people can learn a lot from horses. Horses challenge those who care for them to be better people. And horses are unpredictable. And, of course, horses are beautiful. All these qualities are opposite to Howard's feelings on acting.

Leslie Howard may not have liked acting, but just as he loved the beauty, challenge and unpredictability of horses, I love the beauty of his performances. I wish that Mr. Howard could have appreciated that his acting, for a great many people, was the same as his quiet talk to the horse that needed soothing.

Watching Leslie Howard on the screen is a beautiful thing. Just look at his eyes and you will see his despair after he kills Ace Wilfong (Clark Gable) to protect the woman he loves (Norma Shearer) in A Free Soul (1931). Or feel his resignation with every movement of his hands when he realizes his wife, Cee (Myrna Loy), is manipulating him with sex, not love, to get his money in The Animal Kingdom (1932). See the shock and hurt on his face when Mildred Rogers (Bette Davis) screams the words he feared but always expected to hear, "a cripple, A Cripple, A CRIPPLE," in Of Human Bondage (1934). And then, in just the turning of his head, see his surprise and then disappointment when he realizes that Scarlet (Vivien Leigh) would strip him of all his dignity without a second thought in Gone With The Wind (1939).

I wish that Leslie Howard could have enjoyed acting the way he enjoyed horses. I wish that he had found acting a challenge. I wish that acting for him had not been so predictable and boring. And I wish that Mr. Howard had realized the beauty in his performances and how much they meant to his fans then and how much they would still be enjoyed nearly 100 years later by people like me. I wish that Leslie Howard had realized that in his acting there was artistry.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

[Leslie Howard by Reginald G. Eves]

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"Winkie"

In Leslie Howard: Trivial Fond Records, a book containing the writings of Leslie Howard, Howard tells a story of the first time his son, at the age of nine, visits him in the theater, long before Howard made his way to Hollywood and the movies. His son was Ronald Howard, aka "Winkie," who became an actor himself.

Howard recalls that his son, upon entering his dressing room, commented on how small, poorly furnished and dirty it was. Winkie wanted to know why his dad didn't have a dressing room like the movie stars. His father tried to explain that everyone connected to the movies had a lot more money than was available in the theater. Of course, Winkie wanted to know why his dad wasn't in the movies. Movie actors had much bigger houses--bigger than theirs. He also wanted to know why his dad's name wasn't on the marquee outside. Leslie Howard was beginning to see that his son thought his profession undignified and poorly paid.

Winkie watched as Howard applied his makeup, commenting that he would hate to have to put that "stuff" all over his face everyday. At that point the stage manager came into the room to advise Mr. Howard that in Act I he had called the bartender George instead of Charles. Because his son was watching, instead of saying what he normally would have said, he apologized and admitted how terrible it was that he had made this error. When the stage manager left the room Winkie asked him if he had to say the same words every day, over and over again. "Holy smoke," he exclaimed, "I wonder you don't go cuckoo!"

What Howard wanted to say was, "I do go cuckoo, my lad. After the first few weeks of saying the same things night after night even the substitution of George for Charles is a holiday." But what he actually said was, "A play is a work of art conceived by an artist and every word counts." Howard told his son he would realize this after he had watched his performance, to which Winkie replied, "Have I got to see it?" "Isn't that what you came for?" asked his father. "Well, no," his son explained apologetically. I came to get 75 cents to see The Student Prince."

[Leslie Howard with his son, Ronald]

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Leslie Howard, Horse Whisperer?

Leslie Howard had a horse named Betty. Betty was a thoroughbred but had fallen and broken her hip during a game of polo. But Leslie Howard took pity on Betty and bought her a field in England for her to live out her days.

One problem. Getting her on the boat. As Howard tells the story:

At the time that Betty was being shipped away to pastures new, there was a big dock strike and scabs were working to load the boat and great crowds had gathered, about two thousand strong, at the pier to watch things generally. A friend of mine who is very good with horses promised to look after Betty and as soon as I had finished a picture, or something, I promised to get down. 

They had tried for two hours, with this enormous gallery, to get her into the cradle, that coop-like contraption for carrying live stock from the dock to the boat, but no one could get her near the thing and it got to be pretty embarrassing. Just as soon as they worked her close she'd shy off and that was that. 

Finally I came along and found the situation fairly desperate, from their point of view. I could see the horse was simply frightened and needed some intimate conversation to take her mind off her troubles. So I walked her up and down the pier a bit and spoke soothingly to her all the time, and then I'd edge her nearer and nearer the cradle, always making sure that my body obstructed her view. She calmed down and in no time--just two minutes to be exact--I had her backed into the thing, the gate was quickly clamped down and she was on her way.

[Leslie Howard with three of his polo ponies]

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So Why Act?

Leslie Howard was one of the few actors in Hollywood during the "studio system" to refuse long-term contracts. He had a specific idea of the types of pictures he wanted to make and he didn't want to be forced to do films he thought were beneath the audience. Howard took on the roles that other actors refused--roles they said the audience wouldn't understand. But Howard thought the audience was smarter than previously believed and that they wanted something different.

Howard wanted to direct. He wanted to make pictures that challenged the audience. He had written, produced and directed plays in school and on the stage in London and New York. He thought that to be a successful movie director "one should either write the story or collaborate on it." He didn't see his acting performances as accomplishments at all. But the plotting of pictures "according to scenic effects and camera angles" and seeing this through to production, that was an accomplishment. Acting was just a means to an end.

[Leslie Howard directing Spitfire, aka
The First of the Few, 1942]

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The Horsy Mr. Howard

Leslie Howard once said, "Polo is living, much more than acting is."

Howard didn't much care for acting. As a matter of fact, he said that "acting isn't a profession for men. It's much better for women. It's an outlet for emotion..." And Howard did not like to show emotion. His performances are known for his nuanced style. He was known as the "thinker's actor." One reporter noted that while watching him film Of Human Bondage (1934) with Bette Davis the only difference she could see in his acting between the first take and the fiftieth take was that by the fiftieth take he seemed bored. But he did act.

During the 1930's Howard was considered to be one of the consistently best actors in Hollywood and was nominated for two Best Actor Oscars, one for Berkeley Square (1933) and one for his portrayal of Henry Higgins in Pygmalion (1938). When Rex Harrison was asked how he won the Best Actor Oscar for the same role in My Fair Lady (1964) he stated he merely played Leslie Howard. Howard was always in demand by leading ladies and he was a favorite of studio executives. His peers thought he should have won the Oscar for his performance as Peter Standish in Berkeley Square. Back in those days the winner was announced along with the runners up in order of votes. When Charles Laughton was announced the winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), the audience applause was muted with one watcher stating they "sat on their hands." When Leslie Howard was announced as runner up, however, the audience roared.

[Leslie Howard on the polo field]

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History Repeats Itself, Again

Ok. So let's get real. Neither The Dickstein Bill nor Mr. Murray W. Garsson was actually gunning for the Marlene Dietrichs or the Maurice Chevaliers or the Leslie Howards. Those people always have teams of lawyers on the case. It was aimed at "a lot of 'extras' over here who are foreigners...Those people will not be allowed here." And no more renewing of six-month visas by making a weekend trip to Agua Caliente and calling the return to Hollywood Monday morning a re-entry.

So, you might be wondering why I am even talking about Mr. Murray W. Garsson or The Dickstein Bill. Well, what those experts say, you remember the ones I talked about yesterday, is that The Dickstein Bill, even though it never passed into law, led the country right into The Hollywood Blacklist. It seems that an ambitious Congressman from east Texas, Martin Dies, resuscitated the bill and out of his efforts the House Committee of Un-American Activities was formed. And we all should know what happened next. If you don't, look it up. In the words of President Harry S. Truman it was the "most un-American thing in the country today."

So next time you hear someone saying they have a solution that will solve all our problems, and it involves the elimination of one group or another, you might want to think about Mr. Murray W. Garsson and The Dickstein Bill. Remember, no matter how well intentioned Mr. Garsson was, his efforts to rid America of undocumented and over-staying immigrants eventually ended up hurting and even destroying the lives of a lot of good people, very American people. If I may borrow a quote by David G. McAfee and rephrase it a bit: If for every well-intended idea uttered in hopes of making one's world a better place, there was instead a good deed accomplished, the world might look as though those ideas had come to fruition.

Have a great weekend everybody!

[Leslie Howard Aboard Europa, UK to NYC,
November 27, 1934]

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Let's Legislate Them Away

Continuing my theme for the week of making Mr. Murray W. Garsson famous again...

Well, it seems Mr. Garsson had a solution to America's problem of "them furr-in-ers." What solution you ask. The Dickstein Bill.

Ok. I am no expert on The Dickstein Bill and I don't plan to be, although some are. But there are books written about The Dickstein Bill. The Dickstein Bill would have greatly affected the "foreign colony" in Hollywood. The bill would prohibit the bringing of foreign players, directors, writers or technicians, unless they are of proven worth and have genius in their line. Does anyone see the problem here? It would be the government's business to decide who is a genius in a business they know absolutely nothing about. Can you imagine some schmuck sitting in a gray government building in a gray government cubbyhole scratching his gray government hair trying to decide if Marlene Dietrich is a "genius" or not? Well, even the government knew that would not work.

So, The Dickstein Bill would require the studios to present a signed and sworn affidavit to the Immigration Department stating that Marlene Dietrich is the only person on earth who can be Marlene Dietrich and that no actress in America could be Marlene Dietrich.

Oy vey. The conclusion tomorrow.

[Leslie Howard with Marlene Dietrich,
Palm Springs, 1939]

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