The Washington times., 1938-05-07

this Clitterhouse. And I think
I'm safe in saying it's an anus
ing picture. I'm especially proud
Of 1t because I was the one who
suggested that the studio buy
the play from which it was
made.
I saw the play in London a
couple Of years ago (you know
1t had a great success there
and later on New York's Broad
way) and thought saw in it,
Immediately, just the sort of
character I'd like to do. Jack
Warner and Hal Wallis, who
make the decisions on such
matters, shared my enthusiasm
and bought the picture rights.
AS I've said to you before,
Andy, I've long been wanting to
get away from gangster roles,
and in this picture I finally do.
1t isn't gangster story, though
I must admit there are some
gangsters in it.
DR.. Clitterhouse is a COOL
minded, cool-brained man Of
science. The ambition of his life
Is to write a great book on
criminology. He has extraordi-
nary mentality, so much, indeed,
that it's hard to believe he isn't
slightly unbalanced because Of
his Super.brain.
FULL OF THRILLS
He becomes the leader Of q
band Of Skillful and daring
thieves, whose forays are always
successful. They know him only
as the Professor. But they
know also that his plans never
go awry, and that he Is extreme
ly liberal with them when it
comes to distributing the loot.
What they don't know Is that
for DR.. ClitterhouSe all this is
merely q grand laboratory ex-
pertinent. He is observing their
varied psychologists, which shall
form individual chapters in his
book,
You can see the possibilities
in such a Characterization,
Andy, without my telling you.
The doctor is far from q gang
ster. He doesn't carry a gun,
he doesn't snarl, he doesn't even
raise his voice above converse
tional pitch. He dominates by
his amazing mentality, which he
is able to project upon anyone
with whom he comes in con-
tact. I won't put down any
clue as to how the play works
out. You'll see it.
HE LIKED THE PART
The studio gave me a splendid
cast to work with. Humphrey
Bogart, to start with. He plays
the most intelligent of the
crooks. He Is jealous Of me
and, in fact, hates me. But I
dispose Of him in the end. An
odd sidelight here: this Is the
first time in three pictures that
I have been able to get the
better Of my good friend Bogie.
Remember how, in kid Gala
had" we shot it out to the
death in the Kids dressing
room after the big fight? And
how, in Bullets or Ballots" we
had another doubly fatal duel?
Well, I'm one up on Bogie nowI
Claire Trevor does one Of the
best jobs of her increasingly
important career as 10, an
underworld woman who receives
and diSpoSeS of the loot gar.
nered by the doctors gang. An.
other great performance is that
of a young newcomer to the
screen, Gale Page, in whose de-
velopment throughout the pic
ture I, too, have great interest.
Anatole LtVak, whose recent
and brilliant "Tovarich" for
Warner Bros. is a matter Of cur.
rent history, was our director.
The veteran Tony Gauido. an
Academy Award winner a couple
Of years ago. was the cinema
tographer. He introduces some
lighting touches in this picture
which are entirely new and
original.
But I'm running on at too
great length about The Amaz-
ing DR.. Clitterhouse." 1t will be
on the screens before a great
while. And what am doing
after that? The first thing is
a picture for another studio.
Warmers have loaned me out
for this-the loan-out being a
practice among producers which
helps everybody, including the
actors. It's refreshing and stim-
ulating to work in unfamiliar
surroundings every once in a
while.
After that. probably in mid
summer or thereabouts, Will
be back on the home lot to do a
picture called Thousand Dol.
lar Window" This refers to
one of the windows that re-
ceive bets at a horse-racing
track. I know only the general
outline of the story, but it is
based upon a highly dramatic
episode that happened a few
months ago at Santa Anita.