Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

Tuesday, January 9, 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 7 Labor Board Denies Sound Men Election Hollywood, Jan. 8. — The request of Campbell McCullough, regional chairman of the NRA, that factions in the soundmen's ranks be granted permission to hold an election at which he could represent them has been turned down by the National Labor Board in Washington. "The matter of soundmen," wired Senator Robert F. Wagner, chairman of the board, "is one involving nothing else but a jurisdictional dispute. The question was settled by the board by agreement last August There is no occasion for calling an election and thus reopening the whole original issue." Soundmen are scheduled to vote tomorrow. F. G. Gullette Sentenced Seattle, Jan. 8. — F. G. Gullette, self-styled "Hollywood motion picture producer," has been given a suspended sentence of one year in the county jail here after pleading guilty of petit larceny. Gullette undertook to produce a film featuring "Miss Prosperity" arriving at local business houses and interviewing the proprietors. He obtained money for their appearance in the film, but the picture was not completed. "Disraeli" Re-Released "Disraeli," starring George Arliss, will be re-released with an opening at the Hollywood tomorrow. Members of the British Consulate are expected to attend. Horan Sees Union As No New Burden {Continued from page 1) takers also perform the duties of janitors, I consider that they belong to me." "When we get a general scale worked out I am going to call in local exhibitors to discuss the entire situation," he said. "I am perfectly willing to have an unbiased arbiter sit in with us. This is not going to work any hardship on theatres. The smaller houses will get the break they deserve in proportion to their size." The four groups, janitors, window washers, ushers and doormen will comprise an organization locally of between 1,300 and 1,500 members, Horan estimated. Monogram to Raise 1934-35 List to 36 W. Ray Johnston, Monogram president, is planning to increase his 1934-35 production schedule to 36. For the 1933-34 season it was 20. All production has been centered under Trem Carr's jurisdiction, Johnston says, with the executive staff headed by Lou Ostrow, and a writing staff has been developed. Under this plan, Johnston states, each picture gets three to four months preparation before camera work starts. "The consistency with which we have been able to turn out good boxoffice pictures during the past few months," he declares, "has convinced us that our new production policy is right and now we feel we are in a position to increase our activities and take on a good many more pictures and still retain the quality of entertainment on our current program." Labor Survey Pleases Many Film Leaders Industry leaders yesterday viewed with satisfaction the report of the American Federation of Labor showing employment gains and increased hours of leisure for labor under recovery measures enacted last year. The consensus of executive opinion is that the basic and widespread improvements in economic conditions reflected in labor's survey will have a noticeable effect in bettering theatre conditions this year. The A. F. of L.'s report stated that labor's prospects for employment and earnings are "considerably brighter" for 1934, and that 1,800,000 unemployed last year-end now have jobs in industry, and 4,600,000 have temporary work under CWA, PWA and CCC. In addition, the survey said, average weekly work hours in industry generally are shorter by 4JA hours per week than at the end of 1932. The income of all workers in industry, the survey held, had been increased by 11.7 per cent, or $243,000,000 monthly, plus another $300,000,000 monthly through temporary PWA and CWA jobs. Hourly wage rates were held to be five and one-half cents higher than a year ago, and that, as a result of the increased buying power, business activity at the opening of 1934 was at least 10 per cent above last year. Shaffer Joins Monogram Seattle, Jan. 8. — H. B. Shaffer has been named publicity director of the Monogram exchange. He succeeds H. B. Sobottka. MOTION PICTURE DAILY* HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW "Let's Fall in Love" (Columbia) Hollywood, Jan. 8. — With a song that sounds like a hit, with a Hollywood story based on the finding and promoting of a movie star, and with plenty of laughs interspersed, "Let's Fall in Love" looks like a merchandisable commodity. The yarn is about a director, Edmund Lowe, harassed by a temperamental Swedish star, Tala Birell, who walks out of his picture. The producer, Gregory Ratoff, is at his wit's end, and allows Lowe to search for another Swede to fill her shoes. Discovering a girl, Ann Sothern, at a side show, Lowe places her with a Swedish family to learn Swedish from the kitchen up. Then he sells her to Ratoff, who, believing he discovered the girl himself, launches her on a terrific wave of publicity. The blow-up comes when Lowe's fiancee, Miriam Jordan, in a jealous rage exposes both the girl and the scheme. Ann is humiliated, and disappears. Ratoff, infuriated, fires Lowe. But exhibitors' telegrams demand the girl force Ratoff to get Lowe back. He then finds the girl for a kiss fade-out. Ratoff's portrayal highlights the audience reaction, with each scene getting big laugh responses. Miss Birell is swell as a fiery Swede. Mrs. Sothern, in a story building up her greatness, overcomes rather nicely the plot handicap imposed. Lowe makes the director human and romantic. Art Jarrett sings and looks well. "Let's Fall in Love" is a good program picture. Looking 'Em Over "Before Midnight' (Columbia) "Before Midnight" is a mystery melodrama that ought to do well at popular-price houses. It manages to maintain the suspense and shield the identity of the guilty party to the end. Also to its advantage is the success with which the producers have injected the element of mystery into the atmosphere and settings of the picture. The tale has to do with a series of murders in a country mansion. At the botton is a plot to deprive Claude Gillingwater of his fortune under threat of revealing the fact he is the father of June Collyer through a marriage without benefit of clergy. To make certain Miss Collyer would like him for himself rather than for his wealth he had changed identities with his secretary. When the secretary uses his new position as a means of breaking Gillingwater, the latter turns to murder. A needle filled with cyanide attached to the lever of a fountain pen serves as the instrument of murder. A prick of the finger as the pen is filled, and there you are. Ralph Bellamy does well as the inspector from headquarters. Miss Collyer, Betty Blythe, Gillingwater, William Jeffrey, Arthur Pierson and Bradley Page are also commendable. Lambert Hillyer directed. Reviews of new shorts appear on pages 14 and 15. You've got to take your hat off to Samuel Goldwyn for Roman Scandals". When he makes pictures, they're big money pictures. Max Tabacman, Cameo Theatre, West Haven, Conn.