The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-11
The Housekeeper's Daugh-
ter To Begin Run AT
Carolina Theatre

even Ore alluring as a dark-tress-
ed glamour girl, is cast in a light
comedy role as the heroine of Hal
Roach's new screen romance, The
Housekeeper's Daughter" which is
scheduled for it's initial showing to-.
morrow at the Carolina theatre.
Heading the group are handsome
John Hubbard, one of the screens
newest discoveries, who gets his
first big chance in 1.-THE Housekeep.
er's Daughter" as Miss Benefits
heart interest; Peggy Wood, who
plays the role Of Miss Benefits
mother, the comely housekeeper in
the wealthy Randall family; Victor
Mature, in the role Of Joan's ex-boy
friend; George E.. Stone, portraying
a pathetically incurable homicide;
Donald Meek, cast as the managing
editor of a metropolitan daily; Lillian
Bond, who appears briefly as a fam
ed Broadway butterfly; and Will
liam Gargan in the role of a screwy
news photographer. Other well
knowns in the cast include John
Hymans, Leila Mcintyre, Luis Al
berni, Rosina CALI, Tom Dugan,
Marc Lawrence and Gene Morgan.
Miss Bennett appears as a mod
ern.day sophisticate who cause col
lective flutterings in the hearts of
five gentlemen, while Menjou por-
trays an ace newspaperman whose
reputation is dependent on a series
Of wacky accomplishments. Menjou,
who has a system based on comic
antics and hilarious pursuits, gets
himself Economically involved with
Peggy Wood and forgets to solve
the great murder crime in the pic.
ture.
The direction Of this merry me-
LANCE of comedy and romance was
in the hands Of Hal Roach himself,
and the screenplay for the produc'
ton was jointly written by Rian
James and Gordon Douglas. The
picture is based on one Of the
nations best sellers, the novel of
the same name by Donald Hender-
son Clark.
The story Of 1.-THE Housekeeper's
Daughter" concerns the mad hap
penings which take place in the
swanky home Of the socially promi-
nent Randalls when the scion Of the
family falls in love with alluring
tHilda, the housekeeper's daughter,
and becomes involved in the mys'
Iterious murder of Gladys Fontaine,
the Broadway actress. Robert Ran
dali, played by John Hubbard,
remains in town for the summer
while his family is s%ojourning at a
glittering sea resort and almost
single : handed breaks open the
crime. But not before his fashion
able house is overrun by a mob OF
gangsters and newspapermen. With
romance and crime marching side
by side, a hilarious climax is pro.
vided in a big fireworks scene
when a gang of underworld hood
lums who invade the house where
Joan Bennett is staying is put to
flight by Adolphe Menjou with the
aid Of a barrage of fireworks.
Among the impressive and lavish
sets constructed for 1.-THE House
keepers Daughter" were included
a fashionable town house, a gilt
tering night club, the mirrored in
teriors Of a gambling casino, a Law
ish waterfront h~ouseboat and sever
al newspapermen's rendezvous.
Three cabs used in a New York
street scene sequence for 1.-The
Housekeeper's Daughter" Travelled
a distance Of exactly thirty feet.
Rental on the vehicles amounted to
ten dollars each for the scene, or a
total Of thirty dollars. At this rate
the cab fare amounted to exactly
$1,660 a mile.