The Film Daily (1936)

m 10 TIMELY TOPICS Best Dramatic Directors Once Megaphoned Comedies QOMEBY is the basis for all "" drama. The most successful directors now handling the most serious dramas were formerly the comedy directors of yesterday. I can point to a score of the topnotch directors of today who got their early training on the Sennett and Christie lots during the successful reign of the two-reelers. For example, Norman Taurog, Wesley Ruggles, George Stevens, Lloyd Bacon, and Frank Capra, who is a starring example of my theory. — George Marshall. Says Broadcasting Film Stars Hurt Small Exhibs Business ""THE broadcasting of commercial radio programs with movie stars may bring heavy losses to small suburban exhibitors of motion pictures. Many of these small theater operators, who draw their trade from the weekly visits to town of the people living on the outskirts, will be the heaviest losers. It is quite understandable that, with the radio bringing Hollywood personalities into their living rooms with a flick of the dial, they will be reluctant to make the trip to the trading center, where they will have to pay for the same personalities the radio brings them • free. Major producing companies in Hollywood must cooperate with motion picture exhibitors if this type of competition is to be checked. Contracts with the stars must include restrictions to keep them from exploiting their moviebuilt personalities in direct competition. — Jack Cohn. Believe Para. Cameraman Still a Captive in Spain John Dored, Paramount cameraman, is safe but is probably being held a captive in Spain, according to official advices of the State Department, Washington, yesterday to A. J. Richard, editor-in-chief of Paramount News. The State Department revealed receipt of this cable from its consul in Seville: "John Dored reported safe and well in the advance military zone but exact place unknown. He is presumably being detained since he has passed into the lines from Madrid. I am trying to obtain more information." This information follows by several days unofficial reports received by Paramount in New York that Dored is safe and is being escorted to Gibralter. The Foreign Field ♦ ♦ News Flashes from All Parts of the Globe Public Sees Television London — Practical demonstrations of television were witnessed by the public here on Wednesday when two British-controlled companies put on shows with their sight-and-sound machines at Radiolympia. For the next year the companies (Marconi-Electrical Musical Industries and Baird Television, Ltd.) will "televise" at the exhibition hall on alternate weeks, competing to have their equipment installed by the British Broadcasting Co. The television screen emulates the Hollywood example, though on a smaller scale. Performers talk and move in perfect synchronization on a screen 9 by 12 inches, with the smoothness of movie motion and with strikingly similar appearance. The scenes being "telecast" for the exhibition audiences come from a station eight miles away, where interior and exterior, stationary and moving scenes are reproduced with equal clarity. Such a picture, however, as bicyclists pedalling through a park 150 feet from the sending apparatus was greatly reduced when shown on the receiving set. Two units — one for vision and one for sound — are necessary for transmission and reception. Each can be used separately: Marconi's "Emitron" camera projects the received image instantly, while the Baird apparatus utilizes a type of movie camera which automatically develops a film and projects it in from 30 to 40 seconds. Television, officials said, may transform radio studios into the ap pearance of movie sound stages with concealed microphones, curtains and lights. Engineers say reception is not dependable beyond a 25-mile radius and they are not certain when greater distances can be conquered effectively. 11 New British Kinemas London — The fall building race has resulted in 11 new kinema ventures being announced this week. The latest are located in Devon, Hants, Herts, Berks and Lanes. Nova Scotia Tax Cut Halifax, N. S. — Following appeals by exhibitors, the Provincial Government of Nova Scotia has adopted a new amusement tax scale which is practically the same as that now in force in Ontario for lower priced seats. The tax on the 25 cent admission has been reduced from five to two cents, while the reduction of the levy on the 35 cent ticket has been from five to three cents, according to the scale just announced. A. E. Mathews in "Triangle" London — With the addition of A. E. Mathews, noted British character actor, the cast of "Triangle," the new Miriam Hopkins vehicle in production at the Alexander Korda studios at Denham, is complete. The picture is under the direction of Walter Reisch, who also wrote the script. PACIFIC NORTHWEST "San Francisco" has gone into a tenth week at the Mayfair, of Portland. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Newman of Seattle recently celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary. T. H. Moore, exhibitor of Tacoma, was a visitor in Seattle. Joseph J. Rosenfield, representative of the Evergreen Theaters in Seattle, made the principal address before the Spokane Lions Club the other day, pointing out that the movie industry is keeping step with the forward advance of business, as attendance is steadily improving. W. A. Cochrane, of the Brook Theater, Snoqualmie, Wash., was a recent visitor to film offices in Seattle. Peoples Theater Co., recently incorporated at Spokane, will operate the Ritz, Empress and Post theaters there, C. D. Miller of the corporation has announced. W. D. McDonald, exhibitor of Olympia, was recently a visitor on Seattle's film thoroughfares. Ditto Roy Czerny, theater owner of Kent. NEW ORLEANS Ed Ortte, former Republic salesman, has resigned to devote all his time to his interest in the Belmont Theater, Pensacola. George Nungesser replaces Ortte at Republic. Fred Jack, Vitagraph southern division manager, arrived here Wednesday. E. V. Richards sailed his Eldes into New Orleans from Bay St. Louis despite indications of small craft warnings Sunday. Frank K. Bailey of Bay Springs, Miss., H. E. Hollis, who runs the Ritz, newest house at Fairhope, and ' ank Bishop, who runs the Lyric at Bay Springs, were film row visitors. LINCOLN Bob Livingston scrammed town for a few days, destination unknown. He's the manager of the Capitol here. Roy E. Bott, exhibitor from Hooper, Neb., stole the show at the Omaha Legion convention with his suds-guzzling mule. George Sulz, Laurel, Neb., opened the auditorium last week after reeouipping it with new sound. EXPLOITETTES "Court of Human Relations" Receives Air Plugs AS part of the comprehensive co-operative publicity campaign set for Columbia's short subjects series, "The Court of Human Relations," the names of those key theatres booking the first short, "Mad Money," were announced recently on the Court of Human Relations radio program over a coast-tocoast N.B.C. network. The series is being produced and directed by B. K. Blake and is based on stories appearing in True Story Magazine and other MacFadden Publications and will be released once a month. — Columbia Pictures. Serialization Helped "Mohicans" in Columbus 'JJ'HE thirteen-day serialization which Frank Henson and Fred Olstreicher of Loew's planted in the Journal brought plenty of advance attention to "The Last of the Mohicans," the Reliance production at Loew's Broad Theater in Columbus. They also grabbed a column of editorial space for the film and ran a three-day classified ad tie-up, as well as several publicity stories. In the Citizen they plugged the picture with a four-day star-face contest, a classified-ad contest, a Cunningham feature with art and an ad insertion on Indian curios. The Dispatch gave the picture a great tieup with the doll and pet parade with photos, daily stories and space on the editorial and fashion pages. The star and neighborhood papers likewise contributed some fine breaks. Over the air the picture scored heavily with a thirteenday transcription on WCOL, several plugs from commentators and an Inquiring Reporter program the day before the opening. "Mohican Red" got quite a play in department stores and jewelry shops. Henson made some very effective window displays with the various book stores and specialty merchants to round out the campaign. — Loew's Broad Theater, Columbus, O.