Asides: Stop Thief!

Since the turn of the twentieth century and even earlier, publishers realized the reading public would always be ready for a good true crime story. In the 20's and 30's, dozens of true crime magazines crowded the newsstand. The Police Gazette, True Crime, Crime Stories and True Detective Mysteries were some of the titles. This week's post features the true crime story of the Douglas Fairbanks - Mary Pickford (see, an early movie star actress tie-in) hold-up as told to True Detective Mysteries reporter Emerson Gaze.

When I saw this magazine for sale, I couldn't pass it up. Loved the cover, and knew my blog readers would want the full scoop on this Hollywood crime. The article is about 15 pages of text, and goes into so much detail I couldn't include it all. However, the first two pages are shown to give you a sense of the melodramatic writing style, and the rest of the post highlights the article's imagery, including the daring escape route photo-illustration, complete with a dotted line to help you follow along.

Some things never change, and the two ads that close this post show us that the problems of 1931 are still problems now, and there is always someone willing to sell you a solution.

Click on the images for a larger view.

True Detective Mysteries, August 1931
Cover Artist: Dalton Stevens

Table of Contents
You might also want to pick up this issue for the exciting story, The Murder on the Cannon Ball Express, or perhaps The Hell Valley Cistern Mystery.

Our true crime story begins - page 1 of a 2 page spread.

The perpetrators.

Exciting photo of doorway.

Doug and Mary weren't the only ones whose joint was cased.

Location of the shoot-out and capture of the bandits.

The car used in the "carnival of crime." Love that phrase.

Heroes.

But it wasn't over yet as a daring escape was tried...and failed.

1931 0r 2009, you decide.

Snake oil then and snake oil now. No dieting, no exercise, no drugs...and no results.

Mary Carlisle

Mary Carlisle was born February 3, 1912 in Boston, Massachusetts. After her father died, when Mary was just four, her mother relocated to Hollywood and seems to have found employment at Universal in some non-film capacity. At age 14, while eating lunch with her mother at the company's commissary, Mary was spotted by Carl Laemmle, Jr. and offered a screen test. Though interested, it was decided that Mary finish high school before trying her luck as a film actress. Her first role (uncredited) was in the William Haines comedy, The Girl Said No (1930). Six more uncredited roles followed, including an appearance in Madam Satan, a must see film if you like an extravagant night club setting in a dirigible. Mary's first credited role was in 1932's The Reckless Age. Though one or two more uncredited appearances were to follow, she was working steadily in minor A and B pictures. Voted a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1932 also gave her career a boost.

She made seven films in 1933 including College Humor, her first of three with Bing Crosby. Other vehicles that year were Saturday's Millions starring Robert Young, and Should Ladies Behave starring Lionel Barrymore. 1934 appearances included the sweetheart of Joe Palooka (Stu Irwin) in Palooka and another role with Lionel Barrymore in This Side of Heaven. She also teamed with comedy team Wheeler and Woolsey for Kentucky Kernels (released in the UK as Triple Trouble). Unfortunately, youthful looks hindered her career, and though she went to live in England for a while in the mid-thirties, trying for "weightier" roles, she just found herself in lesser roles in decent films, and lead roles in B films. Indeed her last two films, 1942's Baby Face Morgan, and 1943's Dean Men Walk, were starring vehicles, but produced by PRC, pretty far down the list of B movie companies. Mary does quite well in both, but it was clear to her, after 61 films, it was time to leave the business. She did and I am pleased to say, as of this writing, Mary is still with us, at age 97. She and Gloria Stuart are the last surviving members of the 1932 group of WAMPAS Baby Stars.

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Movie Classic magazine - January 1933

Screen Play - April 1933
No review of Mary's performance, but she got the photo op.

Cinelandia magazine - August 1933

Silver Screen - September 1933

Undated publicity stills

Modern Screen - April 1934

British Gallaher cigarette cards. Note the Triple Trouble card, the UK release name for Kentucky Kernels. Grand Old Girl (May Robson) was released in 1935.

Movie Classic - April 1934
The article shows 1933 as the year she was made a WAMPAS Baby Star, but there really wasn't a 1933 crop.

Frame captures from four films, including Girl of My Dreams (1934), a fun college sports/musical romp. It's from Monogram, but well produced.

Oops - late entry. While looking through my collection for some Halloween fare yesterday, I remembered this not so memorable film, 1935's One Frightened Night.

Later publicity still.

Mary Carlisle - What do you think - Allure?

Asides: Photoplay July 1933

I was recently scanning an image from the July 1933 issue of Photoplay for a future post. Like all issues, it is filled with photos, stories, film reviews, etc., and of course, ads. I decided to pick a few typical items for your viewing pleasure. Like almost every issue of Photoplay there is a fashion section, but I have featured a number of those in the past, so I'm skipping it this time around. I hope you enjoy and get a sense of the scope of the publication.

Click on the images for a larger view.

The First Lady of the American Theatre was featured on the cover. She appeared in 21 films and was one of only ten people to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award. The cover artist is Earl Christy.

Here is what you would find within the 116 pages.


This is the first of three cigarette ads that appeared in the issue. You tell me how convoluted this Camel ad is.

Toward the front is this wonderful two-page spread ad for Gold Diggers of 1933.

For a number of issues during 1933, Photoplay experimented with a "color" process. They eventually abandoned it, and personally I think that was a wise choice. However, Ginger looks just fine.

I find this ad for College Humor interesting. Mary Carlisle is the lead featured actress, but she isn't shown. That is Lona Andre with the ukulele.

Dorothy Mackaill, to be featured in a future post.

The copy cracks me up. "The office? Who cares. Shopping to do? Who cares." Lung disease? Who cares when you can smoke a mentholated Spud on a summer afternoon with your significant other and your pooch.

Each issue of Photoplay contained reviews of the current releases. These are the first three pages of the July reviews. Just recently watched The Circus Queen Murder with a very alluring Greta Nissen.

Helen Twelvetrees in another "color" photo.

This is the back cover ad - pretty easy to find a few double meanings in this enticement to light up a Lucky.

Arline Judge

Arline Judge (her real name) was born in Bridgeport Connecticut on February 21, 1912. The family moved to New York City while Arline was still young, and growing up she studied dance and voice. That training led to some work in vaudeville and musical revues. In fact, RKO talent scouts noticed her while she was appearing in the Broadway revue, The Second Little Show, in 1930.

Arline made her film debut, uncredited, in Bachelor Apartment (1931). After two more uncredited parts, she was given a fairly substantial role in Are These Our Children (1931), a pre-code tale of teenage angst. That same year the first of her eight marriages took place. 19 year old Arline walked down the aisle with 32 year old Wesley Ruggles, her director on Are These Our Children. Film wise Arline remained quite busy from 1932 through 1934, appearing in 16 comedic and dramatic productions. While most roles were as supporting characters, she did have the female lead in six films during the period. These were 1932's The Age of Consent, another film that fits squarely in the pre-code mode, 1933's Flying Devils opposite Bruce Cabot, Sensation Hunters, where she is topped billed, but Marion Burns has more screen time, and in 1934, Name The Woman, When Strangers Meet, The Mysterious Mr. Wong, and Million Dollar Baby. 1935 saw her in the lead in College Scandal and Welcome Home opposite James Dunne. I think you can tell from the titles, Arline never made an "A" picture, but she kept working up through early television, with her last role in 1964 in a Perry Mason episode. Arline made a total of 45 films. Of her eight marriages, her first lasted the longest, six years, and her shortest, one year, to Henry Topping. She was married for three years to his brother Daniel, ten years earlier.

Arline died of natural causes on February 7, 1974.

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A publicity still from Are These Our Children?

Screen captures from Girl Crazy (1932).


A publicity still from Young Bride (1932), originally entitled Veneer.

Photoplay, February 1932

Movie Mirror, July 1932

Cinelandia, January 1933

A publicity still from Flying Devils.

A publicity still for Looking For Trouble (1934). The film stars Spencer Tracy.

Screen captures from The Mysterious Mr. Wong.

Cinelandia, July 1935

Real Screen Fun, January 1939.


Arline Judge - What do you think - Allure?

Billie Cassin Part 2

This post concludes our deconstruction of the 50 page one-shot publication, The True Story of Joan Crawford. There are many more pictures than presented in the two posts, including three pages showing her home and many images with Doug. There is also enough text to qualify as a novelette, but hopefully you can see we are given a pretty in depth (through a publicist's eye) look at Billie from birth through her first successes. I wonder if the publication paid the studio (MGM) for the opportunity to sell magazines, or if the studio paid Dell to push their up and coming new star. Either way, for ten cents, readers and fans got their money's worth.

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Just like the caption says.

Decided to show the inside cover ads. The publisher wants you to know about these fine monthly publications and hopes you will pick up copies at your newsstand.

Oh you kids.

Are the casually strewn shoes supposed to make us think this was grab shot - nice try.

I think the image on the right is one of her best from the early days.

Ah- the modern girl, 1930's style.

Blushing Bride indeed.

These images run across the top and bottom of a two page spread.

One of the many photos of the happy couple.

Above are the last two images in The True Story of Joan Crawford.

This is the closing text.

Home decorations, books, plays and developments in the world of art have overtaken jazz philosophies as subjects of conversation that interests her. She has an avid eagerness to learn. She is particularly keen about period furniture and is constantly buying pieces which appeal to her because of their beauty.

She believes that the Spanish background of Cielito Lindo is charming, but they are planning to build new home in the spring.

Standing in the doorway, one summer afternoon, her slim figure outlined in a smart blue-knitted sweater ensemble, her reddish-brown hair free from her face, Joan looked out on the garden of her home. "I don't know why I should ever want to leave here," she remarked with a gentle smile about her mouth. "I've been so wholly, so gloriously happy.

And there could be no doubt in the eyes of the beholder that the uneven, turbulent music of the early days of Joan Crawford's life had settled into a sane, tranquil refrain of happiness.

Billie Cassin had come into her own!

THE END.

Back cover - They had to have one bought and paid for ad. Could "Jo" be referring to Joan - did she have a little side business?