The Film Daily (1930)

THE Monday, January 13, 1930 -;%g^ DAILY Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion €) Artistic Standards Today finer Than Before the War THE pictures, as pictures, are finer, artistically speaking, than those made before the war. And it is a little early for pessimism about the lost silent cinema. After all, an art fifteen years old is still very young, and lusty plunges and starts in various directions, trying out its strength, ought to be signs of health rather than decay. Perhaps a real cinema art may come out of it all. New York "Times" 'A Magnificent Success," Quinn Martin Calls Talkers THERE is no way in which to dodge the audible cinema. It may as well be faced now as later. It is a magnificent success, and so why not be a good sport and admit it? Quinn Martin in New York "World" Talking Newsreel Credited With Most Marked Progress UP to the present, the most marked progress brought to the screen by the advent of the talkies is to be found, not as one might expect, in the realm of feature production, or even in musicals or short subjects, but in the newsreels. For this progress, I am told, the industry is indebted largely to one Tnzr\, Percy Howard, editor of Fox Movietone News and Hearst Metrotone News. Mr. Howard's choicest subjects may be seen daily at the Newsreel theater and in the various houses showing one or both of these pictorial reels. They are the best explanation of his success. Pierre de Rohan in "Morning Telegraph" • THEIR FIRST JOBS ALAN HALE cub reporter on Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Along The Rialto with PhilM. Daly, Jr. "JVIAJOR EDWARD BOWES, who finds time to labor both ^^^ as vice president of M-G-M and managing director of the Capitol, has accepted the chairmanship of the entertainment committee for the 30th annual charity ball of the New York Chapter, K. of C, scheduled Feb. 11 The Bremen is going to have a lotta laughs on its current trip across the Big Brink. Will Rogers is on board. Before gangplanking the champ gumchewer and humor-slinger announced that he is going to the naval conference at London as a "surprise" delegate Anita Loos and John Emerson, hubby and wife, have gone to Miami to spend the winter and whatever else you spend at that Florida resort Playwrights, like the weather predictors, change their minds. Frederick Lonsdale, crack writer of dramas, started for the U. S. A. to write for the talkers but decided that, after all, good old England, was good enough for him. So he left the Aquitania at Cherbourg and returned home. * * * * After finished with vacationing at Havana Bryan Foy, director-in-chief of short production for Warners at the Coast, is New Yorking, along with wife and child. He'll stay in the East about two weeks before trekking Coastward Angelo Sorierro, who used to be a page boy at the Capitol, is back at the theater this week, this time as a member of the Six White Lillies Act *i * * * After three weeks at the organ console of Warner Bros. Beacon, Stuart Barrie, guest organist, has returned to Philadelphia to officiate again at the Mastbaum. Louise M. Roesch, the Beacon's regular organist, becomes soloist at the theater Jack Benny, who mastered-of-ceremonied for M-G-M's "Hollywood Revue," is a current offering at the Palace * !>i * if Kewpie Love, a stage eyeful years ago when "beef trust" pulchritude flourished, but who has been doing characters in the fillums these last few years, will again go into her song and dance at the head of a charmer troupe, none of whom weigh less than 175 a.h.d. (after the Hollywood diet), in First National's "Bright Lights." * * * * Latest developments in theater circuit changes are listed in the 1930 FILM DAILY YEAR BOOK JANOARY 13-MANY HAPPY RETURNS Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays today: Joy Auburn Louis Payne Ruth Taylor O. F. Spahr Kay Francis Fred R. Zweige? -AND THAT'S THAT By PHIL M. DALY SA. SERWER of M. Witmark & : } • Sons informs us that Frederick ! James Smith, moom pitchur reviewer for "Liberty" magazine, made an apology to Warner Brothers regarding a statement in a previous number about the music in "Show of Shows." His apology follows: "My apologies to Warner Brothers for saying that 'Show of Shows' |, has no song hit. A second visit proves that 'Singing in the Bath-Tub' is a hit, if I ever heard one." Doggone if we didn't have the same experience as Frederick. The first time we heard "Singing in the Bath-Tub" we didn't fall for it at all. The second time we were so impressed we went home and took a bath. The third time the thing got to be a habit, and now we take a bath regularly every week. And we SING. Witmark has our permission to use this testimonial freely, with proper credit. Coolidge used to weigh his words. Now he counts 'em. — Leesburg (Fla.) Commercial. Well, now that Coolidge is in the insurance business, he probably figures they are at a premium. If he was in the talkers, he'd time 'em. Henry Ford purchased an ancient popcorn wagon off a Georgian for his Dearborn museum. Must be assembling a family tree for the tin Lizzie. — Atlanta Constitution. Or experimenting on a new talking picture sound device. New York, we read, has the largest floating population in the world. Evidently they are trying to get in the swim. — Kay Features. Ralph Stitt claims they are just the overflow from "The Mighty" at the Rivoli. TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN Americanization Drive via films to get under way Feb. 12. United Picture Theaters take over Triangle exchanges. Ned Wayburn retires as producing director of the Capitol, N. Y. Al Lichtman plans Famous Players national convention at Chicago.