The Film Daily (1929)

THE 14 Newspaper Opinions "Footlights and Fools" First National Mark Strand, New York AMERICAN—* * * far short of a triumph * * * doesn't promise to receive greater attention than is accorded a fair program attraction except where Miss Moore's name is a strong lure. . DAILY MIRROR — * * * unlike anything which the star has ever done. And it adds a new twist to the current backstage atmosphere. A good picture and a great Colleen. DAILY NEWS — * * * hardly more than fair talkie-singie stuff, as compared with the lavish, tuneful pieces they've been turning out of late. ,, EVENING JOURNAL—* * * Colleen gives an excellent performance and turns the picture into better-than-average entertainment. The story is well handled. Colleen does better work in this one than she has ever done before. , . , EVENING WIORLD— * * * has a fairly good story, and it has some fairly new twists and these help the star tremendously * * * GRAPHIC — * * * doesn't live up to its pretentions. Miss Moore takes a radical departure from the sort of roles which have become familiar to her following. HERALD-TRIBUNE— Mr. Seiter's direction was even and smooth * * * musical numbers showed the same tricks that such pictures to date have used * * * camera work and the lighting were extremely conventional * * * MORNING TELEGRAPH—* * * moviegoers are not likely to become excited over Miss Moore's rather embarrassing attempt to appear and sound Gallic. POST — * * * is about as good as all the other films which have portrayed brave troupers hiding their heartbreak. SUN — * * * the acting of the story — when it gets away from the stage — is good * * just meek and mild program fare — the sort of film that isn't bad and isn't good. TELEGRAM— As a story, it is not overburdened with originality or suspense, but it is on the whole well contrived and ordered in an obvious and theatrical fashion. The weakest moments of the picture are in the first half during the revue scenes. TIMES — * * * filled with scenes in color in which the characters appear as red as Indians, among other commonplaces usually found in pictures with musical and stage backgrounds * * * filled with irrelevancies * # * WORLD — Those responsible for "Footlights and Fools" deserve a vote of gratitude for concocting a backstage story with no more than a faint suggestion of the "smile though your heart is breaking" motif * * ' Miss Moore is good throughout. Instals Acousti-Celotex Ottawa — Complete installation _ of Acousti-Celotex wall covering throughout the house, thus eliminating undesirable audien echos that interfered with proper projection, were completed at the Centre, here according to Don Stapleton, manager. Full page advertisements were taken in announcing the transformation at the house. New House for Cedartown, Ga. Cedartown, Ga. — T. P. Thompson, who operates the Princess and Palace, announces plans for another 800seater to be built especially for talkers. Sound in Waseca, Minn. Waseca, Minn. — The State has installed Western Electric sound equipment and extensive alterations have been made in the house. Benson House Wired Benson, Neb. — Sound equipment has been installed at the Benson. "Showboat" was first picture played under new policy. Audibility in Theaters Improved by Berliner Acoustical System Difficulties which have been encountered almost generally with the acoustics in theaters built before advent of sound now have a promise of solution, it is claimed, through an invention of Emile Berliner, of the Berliner Acoustic Corp. The device, which has been applied successfully in schools, churches and in one legitimate playhouse, the Guild, New York, is now being given its first test in the Stanley, Jersey City, a 4,500-seat theater where the hearing had been faulty. This house, the largest in the state of New Jersey, is said to have had very poor acoustics which resulted in large blocks of seats being undesirable from the standpoint of audibility. Since the installation of the Berliner system, completed last week, the horns have been stepped down to the volume that would ordinarily be required for a 1,000-seat house. While no official report is available as yet regarding the success of the new acoustical treatment, a FILM DAILY representative, on a visit to the Stanley last week, found no difficulty in hearing the performance— including both the talking picture and the stage show — from all sections of the big house. Berliner's method consists of a wire mesh disc and acoustic plaster, both patented, which are applied to the walls of the auditorium. The installation work can be done overnight. These discs and the plaster tend to make an auditorium resonant, vibrant and alive, thus giving sound an even diffusion and proper amplification, at the same time eliminating echoes and reverberations. Installation of the apparatus does not leave any disfiguring marks around the walls, as the spots can be covered up and repainted to conform with the original decorative scheme of the theater. The action of the discs in relaying sound to any point, height or depth, also makes it jnnecessary to use a sound board. The Berliner acoustical system also was installed in the new Warner Bros. Uptown Theater, Philadelphia, the work there being done while the house was under construction. Acoustic authorities who have surveyed this theater report that the audibility is unusually good. Installation also was made at DrexInstitute, Philadelphia, where for 35 years lectures could not be heard more than half way back, and now the auditorium is completely satisfactory, according to "The Public Ledger" of that city. Emile Berliner recently was awarded a medal by the Franklin Institute for this invention. He also is credited with the invention of the telephone transmitter, the radio microphone, the Victor talking machine and the Victor disc records. Fourteen installations of the Berliner acoustical method have been made to date. All of them presented individually unique problems, it is said, and the flexibiliy of the system made it possible to cope with the difficulties. The Berliner Acoustic Corp. has just been organized to install the apparatus in theaters everywhere. Short Shots from New York Studios Silent Versions Available on All U. A. Product (Continued from Page 1) upon his return to New York from Hollywood. "Coquette," "Alibi" and "Bulldog Drummond," first three alltalking pictures of U. A., are available silent ,and all those made since will be available silent, too. There are 10,000 exhibitors in the United States, said Lichtman, who have regularly played U. A. pictures, and for those who have unwired houses his company intends to supply versions they can present. Among the new talkers are' "Condemned," "The Trespasser," "Taming of the Shrew," "New York Nights," "Lummox," "The Locked Door," "Hell Harbor," "The Champ," "The Swan" and "Puttin' on the Ritz." Eastern and southern sales managers of United Artists met with Lichtman yesterday at New York headquarters to discuss sales campaigns on the new product. The meeting was held at the United Artists home offices and attended by 25 salesmen. Says Wall St. Grief Has Not Hurt Theaters (Continued from Page 1) where by the market. All over the country business at the box office of theaters is fine. I remember that during the depression of 1921 the film theaters were not hit, and old showmen told me out on the road during the past few weeks that even the panic of 1907 did not hurt their business. On the contrary, people turned to the economical form of entertainment which the movies represented, for mental diversion." M. P. Club Pays Tribute to Its Deceased Members Memorial services for deceased film executives were conducted Sunday afternoon at the Motion Picture Club, New York. A tablet was unveiled in the lounge of the club with the following names inscribed: Stanley Mastbaum, Mitchel H. Mark, Joseph Dannenberg, Hiram Abrams, Jules Mastbaum, Marcus Loew, Samuel L. Warner, Joseph R. Miles, David V. Picker, John S. Seth, John S. Spargo and John Woody. Clergymen officiating were: Rev. Christian Reisner, of the Broadway Temple; Rabbi Nathan Krass of the Temple Emanuel, and Rev. Fr. William J. Donahue, chaplain of the Catholic Actors' Guild. \By ARTHUR W. EDDY* KAY MALLORY, the henpecking wife in Pathe's "Love Honor and Oh Baby!" which George LeMaire just finished at the Pathe sound studios, is another recruit from vaudeville, being one of the team of Mallory sisters. Helen Kane will make her next picture at the Paramount Long Island studios, according to Jesse L. Lasky. The little "boop-boopa-doopK girl just got back from Hollywood where she spent six months appearing in "Sweetie" and "Pointed Heels." Her next picture, as yet unselected, will start early in 1930. William Beaudine, back from Europing, gets hia daily laugh from the fact that he stole a few moment's parking in the Kaiser's chair in the City Palace in Berlin, when the guide wasn't watching. John Barrymore and other famous stars are impersonated by Albert Carroll in a Vitaphone short just completed under the direction of Murray Roth. Carroll's impersonations have for several seasons been a feature of the various "Grand Street Follies." Chapman Gets Copperhill House Copperhill, Tenn. — Roy Chapman has leased the Capitol here and plans to close the house for repairs and improvements. Fuller Mellish, Jr., having completed his role in Paramount's "The River Inn," is now en route to the West Coast studios to appear in "Sarah and Son" which features Ruth Chatterton. Mellish, who first scored opposite Helen Morgan in "Applause," marks the third member of the "Applause" cast to get a Hollywood assignment, the others being Henry Wadsworth and Joan Peers I Sybil Lee, who recently played th principal role in "The Letter Box, a Vitaphone short, is a real "bab, star," being just six years young. I She is supported by a cast of grownups headed by Harold, Kennedy, | Burke Clarke, Lee Russell and Walter Reagan. Arthur Hurley directed. Edna and Mildred at Paramount's Long Island studio is not a vaude ville act but rather a pair of cutting ladies. They are assistant cutters, working together under supervisior of James P. Sweeney, in charge ol the department. The Paramount studios went for the Red Cross Drive in a big way with Roland Mader, as team captain, taking the crowd over the top for a big gross. He received the able assistance of Harry Baldwin, who helped to line up prospects. Frank Melford is working as as sistant director to Irvin Willat, wh is making "Pleasant Sins" at th Weiss Bros, studio. Tom Molloy i doing the camerawork. 0