Warren-William.com

The past few days I came upon a few mentions of Warren William on other blogs and thought I’d post the links here to tide you over until I get my own next post up.

On Feburary 23, Mark of Where Danger Lives posted a review of Fear (1946)

Then on February 28 Stacia of She Blogged By Night covered The Dark Horse (1932) as part of her Bette Davis Project.

Finally I was very happy to come upon Livius of clydefro.com’s post from today imagining Ten Warner Box Sets That Should Have Been. Our boy is front and center on the page as the dream box set of The Mouthpiece, Skyscraper Souls, The Match King, Employees’ Entrance, and The Mind Reader is imagined for a Forbidden Hollywood Set #4 … if only!

As for over here I hope to cover The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) very soon and am also working on a special somewhat biographical post.

I let my Now Playing Guide subscription lapse, but while I was putting together a Ginger Rogers Star of the Month schedule on Immortal Ephemera I did spot a couple of Warren William programming alerts as part of the Ginger schedule: Gold Diggers of 1933 airs at 9:45 pm EST on Wednesday, March 17 and Upperworld is on at 7:00 am EST, Thursday, March 25. Hopefully my Now Playing subscription picks up again in April so I can be more dutiful with my alerts going forward!

Speaking of TCM did you catch the documentary The Brothers Warner the other night? Right before it aired TCM played one of it’s Breakdowns blooper reels and WW showed up 3 times.

Finally, I picked up the Arcade Card shown below on eBay a couple of months ago. It measures 3 X 5.5 and is printed on very thick cardboard. It’s the first time I’ve seen this particular type card and nobody was going to outbid me on it … thankfully there wasn’t any, I got a real steal!

That’s it for now, hope you those posts listed above, they’re all excellent!

Timing is everything and thus here’s a series where Warren William gets to be the trailblazer. Unlike his Philo Vance and Lone Wolf, Warren William was the first to play Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason in The Case of the Howling Dog, a film released only a year after publication of Gardner’s first Mason story, The Case of the Velvet Claws.

Warren William summing up Mason's case

While we’ll see William’s Mason undergo a dramatic change as soon as the following picture, The Case of the Curious Bride (1935), his first turn at the role is far more straight-laced and much closer to what Raymond Burr would bring to the part later on when he took ownership of the Mason role on television in the 1950’s-60’s and again in the 1980’s-90’s. William’s following three outings as Mason seem distantly related, more like a preview of what was to come in the later Lone Wolf series at Columbia, but are all extremely entertaining and will also be covered in this space in posts to come.

I’m revisiting these early Perry Mason movies about a year after I’d last watched them, so they’re somewhat distant coming in and freshened up after viewing. With that qualification I’m going to write about each in a self-contained post, making no reference other Warren William appearances as Perry Mason from this point forward (With one exception regarding Allen Jenkins below). I don’t want to over generalize or simplify those titles, nor especially do I want to write anything that is proved wrong by a faulty memory. After I finish writing about each of the four William Mason pictures individually I will try to do a post summing them up as a whole. Furthermore, I’ve never read any Erle Stanley Gardner nor was I a big fan of the Burr series when it was in syndication, and so I won’t make reference to those either, only what plays out before me in each film.

While The Case of the Howling Dog opens quite effectively with the howling German Shepherd of the title, which we’re shown frazzling the nerves of neighbor Arthur Cartwright (Gordon Westcott), I’m sure I was like many a period viewer in anticipating the unveiling of Mason himself. Director Alan Crosland does a fine job of this in panning the outside of a building where window after window advertises the presence of the highly successful Mason inside. We’re then made privy to a couple of conversations inside the offices where lesser complaints are redirected to Mason’s underlings because the noted attorney has just become too successful to personally handle each case that walks in his door.

Gordon Westcott as Arthur Cartwright

The first ever on-screen image of Perry Mason comes when his secretary, Della Street (Helen Trenholme), strolls across his private office to interrupt Warren William’s Mason from some paperwork at his desk. As Della reaches his desk she launches into a description of the jittery Cartwright and his troubles with a Howling Dog, to which William, quite bored by the unusual description, says he’s far too busy for such a case. When Della insists that she feels there’s more to this potential case, Mason relents and Cartwright is shown in.

Cartwright fidgets like a junkie as he sits across from Mason describing how the dog torments him and declaring that a howling dog is an omen of death in the neighborhood. Cartwright also asks Mason some questions about putting a will together slipping in a suspicious question about what happens in the case of fulfilling a will left by a person executed by the state. Our first glimpses of Warren William’s Mason reflect what’s to come throughout most of The Case of the Howling Dog, he’s all business and quite humorless. Mason’s business sense continues to dismiss the disturbed man as a client until Cartwright’s shaky hand lays $10,000 under Mason’s nose and pulls him into the job.

Mason is not at all playful when he arrives at District Attorney Claude Drumm’s (Grant Mitchell) office to meet with the DA and Clinton Foley (Russell Hicks), owner of the howling dog plaguing client Cartwright. In fact the entire purpose of Mason’s visit appears to agitate Foley, who himself deadpans such limp insults in Mason’s direction that the character plays as unintentionally comic today. Mitchell, typically the master of playing cranky fathers throughout the 30’s, plays a cranky District Attorney this time around. While he has an unmistakable respect for Mason, the hot shot attorney has a knack for annoying him just a little bit more than he’d like to be bothered.

Grant Mitchell as District Attorney Drumm

Other characters in The Case of the Howling Dog are just as sober as Drumm. Cartwright’s housekeeper, Elizabeth Walker (Helen Lowell), is an unpleasant old lady with bum hearing. While there is an attempt at some humor playing off Walker’s disability, she’s so snippy that she drains all of the fun out of it. Across the street attractive Lucy Benton (Dorothy Tree) is the Foley housekeeper. Seemingly kind, Lucy Benton goes on the immediate defense with Mason who purposely antagonizes her in every scene they share. Of all people even Allen Jenkins plays a cantankerous character here, his Sgt. Holcomb suspicious of Mason from the first with Jenkins’ typical good nature hidden somewhere behind the ill-fitting mustache he wears in Howling Dog (Note: A far cry from what’s to come in the series for Jenkins who plays Mason’s comic sidekick Spudsy in future Mason films). Even Howling Dog’s intended comic relief, Wheeler (Eddie Shubert) and Dobbs (James Burtis), a pair of fast talking private dicks hired out by Mason, are only darkly comic. This is all as intended, The Thin Man (1934) was only finished up as Howling Dog entered production and so what was to soon be it’s widespread influence over the genre had yet to flower. The Case of the Howling Dog is meant to play straight, and it does.

More intimidating than funny, Wheeler and Dobbs

At the heart of The Case of the Howling Dog is the case which spins off of Cartwright’s original complaint. When Bessie Foley (Mary Astor) arrives to confront her husband an irate Clinton Foley unleashes the vicious German Shepherd upon her before approaching himself with intent to stab his wife with a letter opener–both Foley and the dog are shot dead. Bessie Foley denies any wrongdoing and sure enough a door to the garden some distance from Mrs. Foley slammed shut immediately after the shots were fired. After original client Cartwright disappears Mason is left working for the person he has bequeathed the major portion of his fortune to: Bessie Foley!

If this sounds confusing on the page I can only say the film itself benefits from multiple viewings as some of the details can be confusing. Until now I’ve left out the fact that Cartwright’s will originally left his holdings to the woman known as Mrs. Clinton Foley living at Foley’s address only to be later changed to the woman legally wed to Clinton Foley, two entirely different women as defined from the start. With characters disappearing throughout most of the build-up to the on-screen arrival of Mary Astor, her Bessie Foley is actually by this point the only character left for Mason to defend.

Mary Astor as Bessie Foley

One of the stronger scenes in The Case of the Howling Dog comes when Mason pays a visit to Bessie Foley and not only confirms that her fear of going to prison is about to come true but explains that he has actually caused it by coming into possession of a handkerchief she had left inside the cab that took her to confront her husband on the night of his murder. After using Della to secure the handkerchief from the cabbie Mason turned the evidence over to the police. The incriminating hankie placed Bessie Foley at the scene of the murder and sure enough leads to her arrest while Mason is at her apartment explaining his actions to her. Bessie Foley is left wondering why her attorney would hand over evidence which would lock her away, and while Mason does not explain at this time it’s no great surprise that the handkerchief would play a major role in his courtroom defense at the climax of Howling Dog.

Very reserved, Mary Astor makes her Bessie Foley one of the more interesting aspects of The Case of the Howling Dog. Second billed Astor doesn’t show up until after we’ve met everyone else in the cast, far enough along into the movie that you’ve practically forgotten she’s even going to be in it! When she does finally appear it’s as part of the confusing Clinton Foley murder scene, one which I was sure she was responsible for during my first viewing and not entirely convinced in later viewings. Other than the handkerchief scene, in which she practically jumps out of a window to avoid capture until Mason tells her to go along with the police, she brings no color to Bessie Foley at all, and this is on purpose as throughout the major portion of the picture we’re not supposed to be entirely sure as to whether Bessie pulled the trigger or not. William’s Mason keeps Astor from projecting any of her personality throughout the film with one missive, his key to her staying out of the electric chair and best summed up by Mason himself at the jailhouse during another excellent scene between the two when he tells her, “No one ever got into trouble by not talking to much.” She’s clammed up throughout, only allowed to give away a hint of her guilt or innocence inside Mason’s office, in front of only Mason, Della, and us, after her trial.

Warren William's Mason with the first Della Street, Helen Trenholme

Perry Mason has perhaps his lightest moment in The Case of the Howling Dog in this final scene after Bessie Foley exits his office and Della puts together what actually happened.

While clearly not as hard-boiled as some of the mysteries playing in later years, nor attempting any of the humor of those Thin Man influenced titles more immediately to follow, The Case of the Howling Dog does just fine in delivering a story that progresses from what feels like a series of potential red herrings to an intriguing mystery we’re anxious for the adroit Mason to unravel for us.

I’ve been working on this one for awhile, since Christmas when I finally got serious about listening to all of the Strange Wills episodes in full and taking notes while I did so. The result is the Complete Strange Wills Radio Episode Guide with Warren William Introductions (It can also be permanently accessed in the main menu just under the Filmography).

Warren William with Virginia Bruce in Arsene Lupin Returns (1938)

Frankly I’d originally envisioned writing about the program itself, not its content, but I don’t really own any books about old-time radio and all of my searches online always led back to the same place, the excellent Strange Wills Article and Log over on The Digital Deli Too. At first I didn’t think there was much I could do with Strange Wills other than extensively quote that page, then I realized writing about the programs themselves would create a far more original page.

Note: I purchased each of the 26 episodes for 39 cents each at ThenRadio.com (Just search Strange Wills or Warren William).

Here’s what I did for the Guide. I listed the title and cast of each episode and then I transcribed word for word Warren William’s opening speech as John Frances O’Connell in which he basically introduces the episode. Following that I write my own little summary of the episode and then give it a rating on a 5-point scale. Here’s a sample entry for Episode #8, Midnight on the Moor:

8 – Midnight on the Moor starring Warren William, Lurene Tuttle, Perry Ward, Howard Culver, original music by Del Castilio

WW says: “Have you ever walked along the moors of Scotland at midnight? When the fog, thick, blue fog, swells out of the ground and covers you like the shroud that covers the dead? Through the blanket of fog you can hear sounds of eerie night creatures that bring fear of things unseen. Fear of the bog that carried the reward of slow, agonizing death. In the heart of this moor country is the quaint little village of Perth. I’d never heard of Perth before the moment I’d decided to stopover the night on my way to Stonehaven. The little inn seemed bright and cheerful. The proprietor friendly and (laughs) I was tired. But news I learned travels just as fast in Perth as in any American community. Somewhere in the wee hours or the night …”

My take: A straight murder mystery with a dose of horror injected by way of the setting in the Scottish moors. Warren William is at the top of his game in this episode, enthusiastically playing O’Connell at first with his typical confidence but by later points in the story complete terror. Patriarch Sir Walter McClanahan wishes to solve the mystery of who murdered his son, vowing to O’Connell to discover the truth even from beyond the grave. Before the end of Midnight on the Moor that’s exactly what must happen. Episode includes O’Connell sleepily reciting Poe’s The Raven before humming a Scottish ditty. Midnight on the Moor is what Strange Wills should have always been shooting for. 5/5.

And no, they’re not all 5’s, though I did large in part enjoy the bulk of the Strange Wills episodes. As I mentioned earlier my background in old radio is limited at best, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but the program often felt very fresh, possibly because of the unique nature in which it’s framed. Strange Wills is about the odd wills handled by probate lawyer John Francis O’Connell (Warren William) and so with that device the story can lead into the typical mystery, a straight romance, a historical drama, or in specific instances even a jungle adventure tale (Emeralds Come High) and a sci-fi adventure (The Girl from Shadowland/Madman’s Diary).

Regarding that last one, the Digital Deli’s Strange Wills log does a great job in substantiating a 26 episode schedule for Strange Wills and also makes mention of episodes which were announced as Coming Next Week which never did (Swan Song and High Conquest). Their log also speculates that the final episode, Portsmouth Square, never aired, as it is the 27th episode of a 26 episode season, but while I have no proof as to whether it actually aired or not my time spent with the program leads me to conclude Portsmouth Square is likely episode #26.

The reason for my own speculation is that Episode 10, The Girl from Shadowland and Episode 11, Madman’s Diary, are actually the exact same episodes with different titles. This also explains why both mention Emerald’s Come High as next weeks episode. I don’t think it makes much sense for them to have aired the same episode on back to back weeks, so I’m going to take a further leap that one title is the U.S. version and the other the Australian and that all subsequent episodes should be moved forward a week, leaving Portsmouth Square as episode #26.

Another title oddity is Episode 25 Death Is My Destiny which is alternatively referred to as Death Has Ten Words. I think I figured this one out too. My guess is that Death Has Ten Words was the original title and was either chosen by mistake or had to be changed after part of the script was edited. See, Death Is My Destiny hinges on a brief will, scrawled on a newspaper as follows: “Kitty L. Ledderby, Everything I Own, Gabriel Lefty Light.” Unfortunately, even including Kitty’s middle initial, Death only has Nine Words here, and so the Ten Words title would have made no sense whatsoever.

I’d like to learn more, or discover the source, for Warren William Radio Productions, Inc. referenced on the Digital Deli page. In fact, that’s the only place it’s referenced on the entire internet! I don’t doubt it’s existence, as I said, I lack old-time radio sources, but I’d love to know where this came from so I could learn more!

What I did find was the June 1, 1946 issue of Billboard Magazine which carries an article that seems to indicate the origins of the Teleways Radio Company which aired Strange Wills. From that article:

… Name of the new production group is the Teleways Radio Company. It will be backed by Hollywood and movie and radio names and will feature programs using Warren William; movie actor, Allen Jones and other as yet unsigned Hollywood names.

William will be a director of the corporation and will also be featured in a transcribed dramatic feature titled Devise and Bequeath … First programs of the company will be released in June.

Warren William’s last film, The Private Affairs of Bel Ami, in which he had a small part (and which will also be the next title covered here) is listed as filming between April and August 1946 on the IMDb with a U.S. release date of April 25, 1947. His illness caused him to scale back greatly on his film appearances at this time (William died September 24, 1948) but even after Strange Wills it appears he looked to continue working in radio as he starred in a 1947 (February or October) audition recording of something called United States Postal Inspector, also for Teleways, also written by Ken Crispine with music by Del Castilio and a cast including Strange Wills regulars Lurene Tuttle and Marvin Miller.

Complete Strange Wills Radio Episode Guide with Warren William Introductions

‘Bout time!

Warner Archives titles now number over 400 different, but it took until this latest round of releases to finally add some Warren William titles to the mix!

And not the titles I would have expected.

Under 18 (1931), to the best of my knowledge, is the earliest talkie we’re going to be able to access Warren William in. A great showcase for Marian Marsh, it does have an extensive write-up on this site under the title You Hit Me a Little Low.

Beauty and the Boss (1932) reunites William with Marsh, expanding Warren William’s playboy role and casting Marsh as Mary Doran’s mousy replacement after WW decides to lay off women and get cracking at the office. Well, I think we know Marian Marsh is no plain jane. Also starring David Manners. I’ve yet to cover Beauty and the Boss on Warren-William.com, though I do have a DVD-R awaiting a more critical viewing.

+++++

That last line jumps to the main point and excuse me but I’m going to editorialize a little here.

Many of us have been hunting these titles forever, and quite likely we’ve come up with something which was more affordable than the $19.95 apiece that the Warner’s is asking on these. Now I’m going to have to put my money where my mouth is myself and upgrade my own copies, but I’m a big believer in paying up when a company finally comes through like this for us.

Without our support releases like this could always trickle to a halt and in the case of the Warner Archives I believe this is really a worthwhile spend. Sure, from a buyer’s perspective $19.95 is pretty ridiculous for the bare-bones releases being provided, but by the same token how many copies of Under 18 do you really think they’re going to sell?

I really feel that as their customers we have to make it worth their time if they’re to continue providing us with these titles as well as others which we may not be able to find so easily.

Did I run over and buy them before I put this post together?  Well, no, and obviously since I have copies they’re not a top priority (as would be a title such as The Widow from Monte Carlo (1935) or another of the handful I still hunt), but they’re on the list and I’ll feel like a good citizen when I follow through and make my purchase.

Nothing wrong with waiting for a coupon … they do issue them every so often

I apologize for using this Under 18 card again, but I love this image!

I’ve promised some an A-level post by the end of the week–this ain’t it, but I swear I was looking for info relating to that coming post when, as so often happens, I was distracted by the unexpected, namely the 1939 advertisement in the title. I love Google’s magazine search (even if it potentially swats aside my little magawiki one of these days), but I haven’t run across a way to save material there as I have with the main Google Books search–thus the need to save it in this post.

Previously the only Warren William advertisement I’ve run across, and granted, there may be others, is the 1942 Worcestershire Sauce ad commonly spotted in LIFE Magazine (and other titles as well I believe). Here that is in case you’re unfamiliar:

While I have a hard time picturing Warren William proclaim, “It’s a WOW!” but that appears to be French’s slogan for the product at the time. I suppose if he ever did a radio promo for their Worcestershire Sauce he would have had to have WOWed us, but if that ever happened I’ve yet to run across it.

The collector in me found it interesting that at the top of this ad the text notes “Starring in Columbia’s ‘The Lone Wolf in Scotland Yard’,” which isn’t actually the title of a movie, but refers to 1942’s Lanyard vs. the Nazis thriller “Counter-Espionage.” My Warren William search in Google Magazines yielded several other issues of LIFE with this otherwise identical ad, but 1942 was a busy year for WW and Lanyard and so there are variations. Since Google has all issues of LIFE indexed I’d assume what follows would be your complete Warren William Worcestershire Sauce checklist:

• June 22, 1942 “The Lone Wolf in Scotland Yard”
• July 13, 1942 “The Lone Wolf in Scotland Yard”
• August 10, 1942 “The Lone Wolf in Scotland Yard”
• October 5, 1942 “Counter-Espionage”
• December 21, 1942 “One Dangerous Night”

On to the Carborundum ad–it appeared in the October 1939 issue of Popular Mechanics and what struck me about it was that Warren William is shown is his workshop sharpening one of his tools with their product, a grinding wheel. Since WW was a noted tinkerer and gadgeter I get the feeling he probably stands behind this grinding stone a bit more than he does his Tomato Juice Cocktail (though you know darn well he’s putting something in that juice of his! Something to get that WOW!).

The entire ad is shown below, the photo is the same as the one that is slightly blown up at the top of this post. I’ve copied the text of the ad underneath to save you from squinting:

FAMOUS STAR “EDGES UP” with CARBORUNDUM
Warren William praises Carborundum Brand Abrasive Products

This view shows cinemactor Warren William in his superbly equipped home workshop where he spends many happy hours of pleasant relaxation. Like most home craftsmen, Mr. William has found that the pleasure of making things in his shop is greatly increased if his equipment is kept in first class condition. That is why he has joined thousands of other fans in turning to Carborundum Brand Abrasive Products to keep all his edged tools sharp and keen. Read what he has to say:

“I would like home workshoppers everywhere to realize that it’s mighty important to keep tools sharp. Out here in my own workshop at Encino many a half-perfect job becomes perfect because I took two minutes’ time out for edging up my tools on the job. And when I say sharpen, I mean Carborundum. That the kind I use and recommend … Carborundum Brand Products for the craftsman.”

If you, too, want to keep your edged tools in tip-top shape … if you want to make your work easier … ask your dealer for the famous Carborundum Brand Grinding Wheels and Sharpening Stones.

Just to be complete here’s a bit more about the history of the Carborundum Company of Niagara Falls, NY if you’re interested.

The list that follows is based purely on my own tastes and opinions. I thought to create because we always seem to refer to a handful of key Warren William titles over here, so why not make that list a little more official. The movies that follow aren’t even necessarily my own particular Warren William favorites (okay, many are), but hey, that can be a future post. The purpose is to rank the top 10 movies I would recommend, in order, to somebody brand new to the phenomena that is Warren William.

Mind you, most of these movies can’t be found very easily. Very few have had any sort of official DVD release–most won’t–and most of my own copies are just that, DVD-R’s acquired collector to collector through a few years of hunting.

I expect disagreement but hopefully that just leads to more lists in the comments section. And by all means, 10 is a completely arbitrary number, if you want to post your Top 5, Top 3 or even just your #1 recommendation that you think would sell Warren William to a friend or acquaintance then please go ahead, post it.

Here we go, my Top 10 Warren William starter films with commentary below the list:

1. Skyscraper Souls (1932)
2. Employees Entrance (1933)
3. The Mouthpiece (1932)
4. Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
5. The Match King (1932)
6. Bedside (1934)
7. The Mind Reader (1933)
8. The Case of the Howling Dog (1934)
9. The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date (1940)
10. Lady for a Day (1933)

I actually prefer Employee’s Entrance to Skyscraper Souls by a pretty good margin now, but that’s the order they were released and that’s the order I came to them and since they’re the tandem which initially sold me on Warren William that’s the way I’d recommend them. They may as well be 1a and 1b. Now those top 2 did each have a VHS release and so I think they’re probably a couple of the more likely films our budding Warren William buff would have seen already. If they have cross them off and make #3 the new #1.

The Mouthpiece was released before everything else on this list and is Warren William’s breakthrough role. It’d be a great starting point itself, but as I said above, I can’t quibble with my own introduction and so The Mouthpiece is #3.

Gold Diggers isn’t #4 so much for it’s Warren Williamness, but as a fun mainstream release which the newbie should likely view at this point just to realize WW isn’t all work, but some play too. Plus they can pick up the DVD right on Amazon or at any other retailer. The Match King is a little uneven, but still excellent in almost every other regard, excepting perhaps Lili Damita, and a good way to prepare our viewer for the shock of what’s to come.

I hesitate to put Bedside and The Mind Reader back to back as it may just be too much for our friend to handle. Then again we’ve eased them in up to this point and this is Warren William after all–if they’re gonna get it then this double-feature may be their favorite stop which totally sends them over the edge looking for more.

Next we introduce them to Perry Mason and we start at the beginning even though I prefer The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935) myself. They’re likely going to skip the rest of the list for now and watch the other 3 WW-Mason films anyway, so why not start them out right.

What I just said about Mason, well forget it for The Lone Wolf. Okay, okay, I’m breaking my own rule for The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date, it’s my favorite of the Lone Wolf movies, the one set in Cuba where Lanyard’s carrying around his stamp collection, but I have a better reason than that. The first Lone Wolf movie starring WW, The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939) is missing the real Jameson, Eric Blore. The second title, The Lone Wolf Strikes (1940) has Jameson but Thurston Hall’s Inspector Crane is missing. All the ingredients are together by the third entry, The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady (1940), but frankly we’ve gone this far into the series so why shouldn’t I pop in the DVD of my favorite for my friend here? Also it’s a particularly fun and hammy performance by Warren William, if they’re enjoying his portrayals so far they’ll get a kick out of this one.

The last choice was my toughest choice. I was tempted to put Outcast (1937) there because Lady for a Day is one of those classics despite Warren William. That said, he does have a large presence in what is really May Robson’s movie, the film is easily obtainable and as good as it’s reputation. It’s perhaps Warren William’s best known role where he comes as close the other pre-code leads on this list. Of course if our pal is already a general fan of classic movies then they’ve already seen this one long ago, either reintroduce it to them from the WW-perspective or pop in Outcast instead.

What do you think? Did I screw up? I purposely left titles like Three on a Match (1932) and Cleopatra (1934) off the list because I don’t think of them as primarily Warren William films. Still, I understand if they make your list. So what would you recommend?

You might notice that sometimes I’ll get a little snippy over Warren William’s billing, especially when it comes to the more mainstream titles such as Lady for a Day (1933) or Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933). Lest we forget WW’s standing at the time, it’s top bill only, regardless of screen time he is the star.

 
Why’s that? Well, it’s in his contract. I thought I’d give you a little something special for Warren William’s 115th birthday this Wednesday, December 2, and so here it is. Clause 15 from his Warner Brothers contract signed and dated June 6, 1933:

Producer agrees that in all advertising, exploitation and publicity in connection with the pictures in which Artist shall appear and which may be within the control of Producer, Artist shall be accorded first featured male billing. In this connection, however, it is understood that Artist may be co-featured with any other member of the cast, provided, however, that the name of no other male Artist except that of the star, if any, will appear ahead of or in type larger in size than the name of the Artist. It is further agreed that if for any reason Producer shall desire to feature any other artists who may previously have been accorded star billing or been recognized as a star, then the name of such star so being billed as a featured player may precede the name of Artists, but in such even the name of Artist will appear in type in size at least sixty (60%) of the size of type used for such star being billed as a featured player. It is further agreed that in the advertising and publicity through the means of lithographing that the name of Artist will be displayed upon at least two types or sizes of such lithograph advertising. Nothing contained in this paragraph shall be construed so as to prevent so-called "teaser" and/or special advertising, publicity and/or exploitation relating to the story upon which said photoplay is based, the author, the director or similar matters, without mentioning Artists’s name, or so as to prevent so-called "trailer" or other advertising on the screen without mentioning Artist’s name, and no casual or inadvertent failure to comply with the provisions of this paragraph shall constitute a breach of this agreement.

As a further example of this clause in action I quote a February 12, 1934 inter-office communication from Max Arnow to R.J. Obringer regarding William’s loan to Paramount for the part of Caesar in Cleopatra:

The artist is to receive first male billing, his name to be equal in size to that of Claudette Colbert or any other female billing ahead although it is understood that the name of Warren William may be on the line underneath Miss Colbert’s name but to be of the same size as that of Miss Colbert’s and no other artists shall be billed on the same line with Warren William.

I had the idea of putting this post together after coming across an item on eBay from Warren William’s post-WB days, Who’s Who at Metro Goldwyn Mayer, published approximately 1939 according to the seller. The MGM issued title contains biographies of players under contract with them at the time with the bulk falling under the heading Featured Players but Warren William, who was there at the time, falling under the much more limited section titled Stars, which also includes the likes of Garbo, Gable, Powell and Loy, Norma Shearer, the Marx Brothers and other top MGM talent.

Warren William’s tenure at MGM apparently didn’t work out–he made four pictures for them in 1937-38, The Firefly (1937), Madame X (1937), Arsene Lupin Returns (1938), and The First Hundred Years (1938), none of them career highlights for sure–but this title, published by MGM itself, seems to indicate they thought they were really adding a valuable talent at the time. After his time at MGM Warren William would head to Columbia where he starred in the Lone Wolf series of pictures, popular but most definitely not A-pictures.

Sorry gang, it’s been a little while since I’ve posted here and this one’s a bit of a cheat in that it’s basically a photo post, but to be honest my business has kept me so busy recently that I haven’t had time to post anywhere for about a week now. Heck, I even took a week off from Twitter and that’s just not me!

So in order to interject some Warren William into your weekend in way worthwhile for you, quick for me, here’s a run of photos that I’ve yet to post anywhere else on the site, the common theme, Warren William pictured with a single actress in each. Enjoy:

Wolfy WW stars down little Sidney Fox in The Mouthpiece (1932)

Serious WW with Barbara Stanwyck in The Secret Bride (1934)

WW checks out Claire Dodd's legs in Don't Bet on Blondes (1935). I can only imagine the pencil he's holding is to jot down some kind of score once he reaches a decision.

Speaking of legs, WW with Patricia Ellis in The Case of the Lucky Legs, his third turn as Perry Mason, one of the most fun!

Bogie and Mary Astor? Not quite, WW with Bette Davis in roundly (and wrongly) despised Maltese Falcon adaptation Satan Met a Lady (1936)

Tender WW? Well, I guess so when he's not thinking about doing away with Gail Patrick in Wives Under Suspicion (1938)

By the way, if you’re interest in classic movies goes beyond Warren William (which I hope it does!), I’ve put together a Daily and Weekly Newsletter to distribute links to ALL of my latest writing. Like I said earlier, light week this week, but sometimes I get rolling pretty good!

Warren William is The Match King. Hardie Albright is about as close as he has to a sidekick. Lili Damita is certainly his love interest, though then again so are Claire Dodd, Juliette Compton, and Glenda Farrell, though I guess those three are really more of a business with pleasure interest for him.

Note: “The Match King” airs on Turner Classic Movies just a few days from when I’ve originally posted this. If you see this post in time catch it late Thursday night, October 29, 2009 at 3:00 am EST (technically very early Friday the 30th), as part of their Life in the Depression schedule of movies airing throughout October.

“The Match King,” released by First National Pictures at the very end of 1932 is a star vehicle for one of Warner Brother’s latest stars, having already established himself as the leading man of power on screen in the midst of the Great Depression in “The Mouthpiece,” “The Dark Horse,” and even on loan out to MGM for the classic “Skyscraper Souls,” each of which dates to previously that very same year. Warren William towers above everyone else in this part based on true life match magnate Ivar Kreuger.

After impressing relatives in Holmtide, Sweden with his fictitious success in America, they beg for him to come and save their little match company. But William’s Paul Kroll wants much more than a little Swedish match company. He tells his assistant, Erik (Albright), that he plans to sell matches all over the world. “And with them,” he says, “I’m going to buy the world.”

Claire Dodd as Ilse Wagner

Juliette Compton as Sonia Lombard

As familiar as pre-code fans are with Warren William’s portrayals of top executives with traits running from dedicated to criminal, we’ve also come to admire William the Wolf, and in “The Match King” he’s at his caddish best relying on a line of beautiful international socialites including Dodd and Compton to maneuver state secrets from nations in need of financing. Kroll charms these ladies with his full attention until he wrangles the necessary information from them and then he’s off in a flash offering money, and sometimes proposing a little blackmail, to governments in exchange for the rights to their national match concession.

If you think October 2009’s Turner Classic Movies spotlight on movies depicting Life in the Depression is timely, well inclusion of “The Match King” really hits the bulls-eye! For instance if you’d like to learn more about the true-life Match King BBC news published “Kreuger: The Original Bernard Madoff?” in March of ‘09.

Great ephemera! Matchbook advertising The Match King, what a natural tie-in!

Kreuger’s Wikipedia page presents a fine biography, though the true story probably has more movie spoilers than even I provide here, so you may want to check out “The Match King” before reading! From what I can tell, the real Kreuger may have been even shadier than Warren William’s Paul Kroll, despite a little murder on Kroll’s part!

Glenda Farrell as Babe

What I didn’t see in Kreuger’s biography were Paul Kroll’s more humble beginnings shown to us in “The Match King.” We open with Warren William in a white uniform sweeping up outside of the Chicago Cubs’ ballpark. He quickly establishes his oft-repeated catch phrase: “Never worry about anything until it happens. And I’ll take care of it then,” before scheming with his supervisor to create a roll of ghost employees whose salaries go straight into their own pockets. Kroll then plays upon the affections of his boss’s wife (Farrell) who happily hands their bank account to him under the pretense of running away to California together. As soon as Farrell’s Babe is out of sight, Kroll is in a cab and a few minutes from First Class passage to Sweden.

Paul Kroll’s business practices are some of the most despicable we’ve seen Warren William act out on screen. While his David Dwight of “Skyscraper Souls” and Kurt Anderson of “Employees’ Entrance” are business sharks who rule their enterprises with iron fist, “The Match King’s” Kroll is actually a criminal who’s knowingly drawn himself into a pyramid scheme of the grandest levels. He tells Erik he’ll always be in debt, but that “when I circle the world. When I own it all. I’ll only be in debt to myself.”

Privately, despite his use of women, Kroll is a more sympathetic character than Dwight or Anderson, who use women simply for pleasure. Paul Kroll actually falls in love! And in love he’s willing to step away from the business to chase actress Marta Molnar across Europe trying to win her. Lili Damita as Molnar, despite one very sexy bath scene, is extremely annoying in a part Hollywood Reporter claims was originally intended for Greta Garbo. But for a high powered man such as Kroll his emotions were likely more wrapped up in the chase than in Molnar herself as he’s easily enough corralled back into the office once Erik manages to track him down.

Hardie Albright as Erik with WWs Kroll in foreground

Kroll isn’t just crooked on paper either. What he has done to the inventor that his agent Nyborg discovers, a man who could potentially crush the entire match trade with his creation, as well as his actions against the counterfeiter Scarlatti, who delivers $50 million in forged Italian bonds, are far more chilling actions than we’re used to seeing even from the slimiest Warren William characters!

“The Match King” is one of an handful of pre-code era Warren William pictures that best defines the cult of William. It’s not to be missed.

Promotional photo features Lili Damita with Warren William in The Match King

An interesting coincidence is that just a few months prior to “The Match King’s” release movie fans were treated to a kindly Warren William in “Three on a Match.” In “The Match King” it’s William’s Kroll who comes up with the plan to sell more matches through propaganda. He hatches the story that it was bad luck to share a match in the trenches and starts a publicity campaign based around the idea that if three cigarettes are lit from the same match one of those three men wouldn’t make it back alive. The “Three on a Match” scare tactic was used by the real Kreuger and so “The Match King” naturally uses it as well, but how odd that Warren William’s previous starring vehicle would take it as its title and incorporate it into its story as well.

Note: The Claire Dodd, Juliette Compton, and Glenda Farrell items are all tobacco premiums from Uruguay. I picked up a few hundred of these recently and singles can be found in my shop at MovieCardsForSale.com.

Top billed as J. Lawrence Bradford, WW leaves the singing to little brother Dick Powell in the Depression era classic musical, Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) featuring William, Powell, Ruby Keeler, Joan Blondell, Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Ginger Rogers and more.

Obviously a full write-up will take place here at some point, but for now just a programming alert–it airs tonight, October 22 at 8 pm EST on Turner Classic Movies as part of TCM’s Life in the Depression feature. You can see the tonight’s complete Depression schedule on TCM by clicking the title of this post and heading over to my entry on the Examiner which also includes a slideshow featuring 7 Gold Diggers stars.